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Do You Have an Arm Care Program?

Do you have an arm care program?  It’s a question we’re often asked by parents of young athletes. Unfortunately, this question also comes with an expectation that any arm care program would be mostly focusing on band work. This couldn’t be farther from reality. With respect to throwing a baseball nothing happens in isolation, and a great arm care program is no different. I can recount many conversations with parents about arm care. And, when I tell them that it’s about a number of different things, including strength training,  I can see it in their eyes. Their response often is “but I’m looking for arm care”.

Let me explain!

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Training Deceleration in Baseball Players

In the field of sports performance, we are always looking to improve an athlete’s force and velocity production. By building a bigger “motor” we can improve “horsepower,” giving the athlete the ability to move at higher speeds.  In baseball, this can equate to a player throwing harder, bat speed, or getting down the baselines quicker (first step quickness). However, when we build a bigger motor, we also must build better “brakes”.

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Training for Force Production… Improving Tissue Quality and Global Movement Patterns – Part 3

Welcome to Part 3 of “Training Better Force Production”.

After developing Ground Force (Part 1) as well as Elasticity / Acceleration (Part  2), we need a more restorative stimulus that works to restore tendon and tissue quality at the muscular and connective tissue level. In this third and final article of the 3-part series, we’re going to talk about doing just that.

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Six Key Reasons to Train the Anterior Core

In this article, we are going to look at a few major reasons why I believe it is ESSENTIAL to strengthen and create better control in the anterior core. Below is a list of 6 topics which I consider to be pure gold when it comes to becoming more explosive while reducing the risk of injury both on the mound and behind the plate.

    1. Positive Impact on Breathing
    2. Resisting Extension / Rotation
    3. Better Force Transfer to Upper Body
    4. Reduced Risk of Injury
    5. Lower Body / Hip Function
    6. Improving Shoulder Function

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Revolution Baseball… Foundations of Strength Training and Building Elite Ball Players

Strength is the foundation of most athletic movements, and at Revolution Baseball, strength training is at the core of our travel program. Our general thinking is that you need to be strong in order to become a high-performance or even elite ball player. Whether it’s throwing a baseball, hitting one over the fence or running to field a ball, everything begins with a foundation of strength.

    • You can’t throw hard (at least not for very long) if you’re NOT strong
    • You can’t hit the ball hard if you’re NOT strong
    • You can’t run fast or change direction quickly if you’re NOT strong

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Training for Force… Elasticity and Acceleration – Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of “Training Better Force Production”.

While we are building the “capacity” to produce more force through overcoming isometrics and deceleration (click here for Part 1), we can also start training the second half of the force equation, which is elasticity and acceleration. This involves training the body’s ability to quickly relax and then re-activate muscles in order to allow the connective tissue to take on a larger portion of the “faster” work.

It’s all about improving elasticity and acceleration, so let’s get into it…

    1. Building Elasticity
    2. Building Acceleration

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The Infrasternal Angle: Another Tool to Help Give Athletes What They Need

infrasternal angle

The infrasternal angle (ISA) is an angle formed by the cartilage of the lower ribs and the twelfth thoracic vertebra.  This angle spans a spectrum from narrow to wide. Generally, individuals with an ISA > 90 degrees are considered “Wide”, while < 90degrees are considered “Narrow”.  It has been our experience through assessments at our facility that most “Narrows” fall between 80-90 degrees, while the “wide” guys fall somewhere between 95-105 degrees.  The ISA is a representation of a person’s breathing strategy as well as the balance of the internal and external oblique muscles, and the position of the pelvis.

It’s important to note that although we have had athletes that present as a Narrow, they have excelled on the mound with the mechanics generally found in Wide athletes and vice-versa. So, there are no absolutes in this business.  However, the ISA can still tell us a lot about an athlete’s “preferred strategy” both in the weight room and on the mound.  Let’s get into it…

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Training for Better Force Production in Pitchers and Baseball Players – Part 1

To the untrained eye, most strength programs look the same.  But when it comes to training for elite performance as a pitcher or a player, the difference between good and bad strength programs is like night and day.  Whether it be posting up on the mound, a lead leg block or first step quickness when changing direction, the rate at which a pitcher or a ball player for that matter can develop force (rate of force development) is one of the main qualities to efficiency in all three movement patterns.

Training for Strength, training for Force and training for Power are not the same thing.  But all equally important for elite performance.

So, let’s get into it…

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Is Your Off-season Strength Program Working for YOU?

After 15 years of training baseball players of all ages and levels, I can tell you with the highest degree of certainty that the purpose of a great off-season baseball strength training program is to:

    • Increase explosive power
    • Create more efficient movers
    • Build more durable athletes

While different athletes will always require more of one of these adaptations than the other, when focusing on the youth population (13-18 year olds) the deciding factor is almost always:

    • Increasing lean body mass
    • Increasing absolute strength

Is your off-season strength program working for you? Let’s get into it…

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How to Improve Your Defensive Fielding… The Three Pillars

Today, I decided to get together with Dr. Ismael Gallo, DPT, the founder of the Baseball Flows™ App. As a former professional baseball player turned Doctor of Physical Therapy, Dr. Gallo specializes in effectively bridging the gap between the movements in-gym to the specific movements essential for on-field excellence.

 Many young ball players face a common hurdle.  They lack the athleticism to play defense at a high level. In order to field a ground ball or charge a bunt efficiently, movements need to be fluid and this requires what is known as agility. And, when it comes to fielding a ground ball, agility involves making these rapid movements mentioned above in constantly changing, unpredictable environments.

So, what exactly IS agility?

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