Some of my most rewarding experiences have come from watching young athletes get stronger, more athletic and honestly just crush it on the field. Strength is still the foundation of most athletic qualities; the best part is, it’s also the most trainable in the younger age groups. Youth baseball strength training should be a part of every athlete’s development and progression. And let me start this article by saying this:
Continue reading “Youth Baseball Strength Training, Facts and Myths”
The Pitching Lab is a unique training program specifically designed to produce the “complete pitcher”. It’s truly a merger of strength training (in the weight room) and pitching (inside the nets). Most players that haven’t trained with us probably don’t appreciate how intertwined our strength training is with our pitching program. So, let’s get into it and provide some details on the strength training side and a timeline for the pitching program… Continue reading “Pitching Lab… How We Merge Pitching and Strength Training”
With baseball season quickly approaching, we are beginning to see everyone’s idea of what a great in-season baseball workout is being posted all over the internet. While some of these are quite good, unfortunately others are either too heavy on volume and intensity or are so light the athlete is better off taking the day off. I always tell my athletes that once the season begins, what we are really doing is managing a controlled fall. In other words, playing sports technically makes athletes better at playing their sport, but it does not make them stronger or even able to maintain specific training adaptations as the season progresses.
In my opinion, baseball players can and should be training hard in season, as long as throwing and exercise selection are taken into consideration and they’re training in the correct strength-zones. Enter velocity-based training (VBT) for in-season baseball workouts. Continue reading “In-season Baseball Workouts with Velocity-Based Training”
At this time of the year, after a full off-season of strength training, upcoming tryouts and practices, sitting on the bench in a kyphotic posture and waiting to get your reps on the mound are a few of the variables that can wreak havoc on an athlete’s body and more importantly his arm/shoulder. There are several considerations when you’re looking to maintain your strength and mobility with in-season baseball workouts.
Continue reading “What to Consider with In-Season Baseball Workouts”
Projectable… How many times have we heard this term from coaches, showcase operators and scouts. Let’s be blunt, it means you are a player with potential but you are expected to grow and you are expected to fill out. But here is a simple question… What’s your trajectory? Imagine, two 14 year-old players with equal talent, equal height, equal weight and equal metrics, do they have the same trajectory? Continue reading “You’re Projectable… But What’s Your Trajectory?”
Imagine this, a pitcher’s body that throws a baseball at 80-90+ mph achieves that speed from hand break to finish in 1.5-2 seconds. That’s comparable to some of the fastest Italian sports cars out there. Given the nature of this explosive movement, arm care for pitchers has to be at the top of list for every athlete. However, I think a lot of folks don’t totally understand how to go about it. In this article, we are going to give it a try by discussing the shoulder and how we attempt to bullet proof it through our training programs. Continue reading “Arm Care for Pitchers: Bullet Proofing the Shoulder”
With gyms continuing to be closed all over due to COVID-19, below is Phase 2 of our workouts with equipment that you can perform at home. The exercises have not been progressed in terms of difficulty (from Phase 1) but changed to continue to provide the body with a stimulus and help further create adaptation. Even further, after a few weeks you can alternate between Phase 1 and Phase 2 to continue to provide that stimulus and further help increase gains.
Continue reading “4-Day Full Body Program (w/ equipment) — Phase 2”
With gyms continuing to be closed all over due to COVID-19, below is Phase 2 of our workouts with minimal equipment that you can perform at home. The exercises have not been progressed in terms of difficulty (from Phase 1) but changed to continue to provide the body with a stimulus and help further create adaptation. Even further, after a few weeks you can alternate between Phase 1 and Phase 2 to continue to provide that stimulus and further help increase gains.
Continue reading “3-Day Full Body Program (minimal equipment) — Phase 2”
By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)
As we get closer to a new year I would like to look back and get a bit reflective. A few years ago, I started a series in which I posted the most popular blogs of the year. These are the articles that received the most traffic, according to our hosting statistics. It seems to be a favorite of everyone, so here we go again with Part 1, covering the Top 5 most popular strength-related articles of 2018. Continue reading “The Best of 2018 – Strength Training Articles”
Note: This article was published in the November/December 2018 issue of Inside Pitch Magazine (Official Magazine of ABCA).
There is tremendous mis-information in the market place about weighted baseball training and I certainly don’t want to create a frenzy so let me start by saying this. This article isn’t about the pros and cons of weighted baseball training programs. It’s about the importance and reasons why you should consider (a) including and implementing a thorough assessment, (b) monitoring the dosage and (c) participating in an individualized strength and conditioning program alongside the weighted baseball program. Continue reading “Weighted Baseball Training, 7 Crucial Considerations”
