Training Baseball Players for Performance

1. Training Baseball Players for Performance Tim Lang, BS, MS timothyhlang@comcast.net

2. BASEBALL SPECIFIC TRAINING 2010

3. TRAINING THE POWER ZONEGROUND BASED STRENGTH • IF THE EXTREMETIES ARE STRONG AND THE CORE (1) IS WEAK – THEN THERE WILL NOT BE ENOUGH FORCE GENERATED IN THOSE EXTREMETIES TO PRODUCE EFFICIENT MOVEMENT. “A WEAK CORE IS A FUNCAMENTAL CAUSE OF INEFFICIENT MOVEMENT” • Muscles of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex Gajda, Dominguez: Total Body Training

4. TRAINING MOVEMENTS PUSHING PULLING ROTATIONAL MUSCLES THAT STABILIZE WHILE IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WHILE USING THE ARMS AND LEGS

5. BASEBALL IS AN EXPLOSIVE GAME • The ball crosses the plate in .4 seconds after it leaves the pitchers hand • The collision of ball and bat lasts 1/1,000 of a sec. • A batter exerts 6,000 lbs of force on a ball • This force is required to change a 5 1/8 oz ball from a speed of 90 mph to 110 mph • 1st Step quickness of a base stealer is .6 seconds at 5 ft. • A base runner will cover 30 feet every 1 second

6. BASEBALL SPEED • Home to 1B: 3.9 to 4.1 sec. • Stealing 2B (perfect play) 3.3 seconds • Catcher throw to 2B (best) – 1.9 seconds • OF reacts to ball of the bat in .27 seconds • After 2 seconds the line of flight must be determined • OF has 3 seconds to cover ground The Physics of Baseball (Adair)

7. Role of the Sports Performance Coach • Teach athletes to be intelligent about their training • Challenge each athlete to develop their athleticism • Challenge each athlete to “Step out of their Comfort Zone”

8. TRAINING PROGRAM: FROM THE GROUND UPV. Gambetta PROGRESSION: Your goals are clear – where do you want to go? How are you going to get there? ACCUMULATION: Adaptation to training takes time VARIATION: This includes exercises, type of load, frequency, intensity or volume CONTEXT: What is your objective, what is your training philosophy? OVERLOAD: Challenge your athlete, stress to elicit an adaptive response (volume, intensity or frequency) RECOVERABILITY: The ability of the athlete to recover from the training load

9. KINETIC CHAIN APPROACH ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT Routine, Repetition, Refinement

10. BEGIN WITH THE BASICS • Movement Awareness: work in the 3 planes ALL MUSCLES MUST BE TRAINED IN ALL 3 PLANES IF YOU ARE GOING TO CREATE STRENGTH THAT YOU CAN USE WE WILL GO ACROSS ALL 3 PLANES, OFTEN WITHIN THE SAME EXERCISE PATTERN Sagittal – forward/backward, Frontal – right/left, Transverse – rotational/twisting

11. LUNGE WARM UP • Forward Lunge – stride out as you are tall • Lateral Lunge – ankle, knee, hip chain • Transverse Lunge – pivot step • WHEEL DRILL (involves all 3 Lunge Steps) REACHES: Sagittal – reach toward sky w/palms up Frontal – reach up and lean left and right Transverse – extend forward and twist

12. PITCHING PHASES: 3 Link ChainLegs, Torso, Arms/Shoulders

13. SWING PHASES: 3 Link ChainLegs, Torso, Arms/Shoulders

14. 6 PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING • Evaluate the Athlete • Train Active Flexibility • Adapt the Neuromuscular system • Utilize functional Plyometrics • Utilize appropriate Energy Systems • Practice appropriate Skills

15. WINDUP TO LATE COCKING Beginning Core Balance Common Fault: Thigh Cannot Pass Midline/Wt. Back on Heel • FORCE AND VELOCITY ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF POWER DEVELOPMENT EXERCISES • 1 Leg Squat to 1 Leg Dead Lift • 1 Leg Balance/Reach Squats • Pistols/Split Squats • Sequential Squat Complex • Hops • Ankle Tubing Balance Sequence

16. STRIDE TO LATE COCKING Hip and Shoulder Separation Common Fault: High Lead Shoulder/Backward Lean • 65% OF ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE COMES FROM THE CORE MUSCLES (HIPS, LOW BACK, ABS, HAMSTRINGS) EXERCISES • High Knee Drive Ups (forward/side) • Lunge Complex • Cycle/Split Jumps)

17. NORMAL STRIDE LENGTH IS 77-87% OF HEIGHT TIM LINCECUM: 120% TYPICALLY, A LONG STRIDE CARRIES THE RISKS OF: Compromise the ability to rotate the hips Causes the pitcher to land on his heel with a stiff front leg Lincecum is unique: LOOK AT HIS KINETIC CHAIN!!!! With increased shoulder external rotation, faster pelvis and upper trunk rotation (and) greater front knee stabilization (Tim) will throw with greater velocity. HE FLOWS THRU HIS DELIVERY/KEEPS HIS MOMENTUM

18. ACCELERATION Firm Glove Side/Stabilization Common Fault: Poor Hip Extension and Rotation/Bending at Waist • 35% OF ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE COMES FROM THE SHOULDER (LEVATOR SCAPULE, RHOMBOIDS, SERRATUR, TRAPEZIUS, ROTATOR CUFF) EXERCISES • Lunges (w/db or mb) • Box Split Squats (w/mb raise) • Medicine Ball Throws • Tubing “Quick” Patterns

19. DECELERATION THE BODY CATCHES UP WITH THE ARM/Rotator Cuff Posterior Chain: Inside Hamstrings/Glutes/Erectors/Lats • A SOLID LOWER BODY WILL HELP TRANSFER POWER TO THE UPPER BODY EXERCISES • Medicine Ball Throws • Balance Squats/Hops • Lunge Complex • Tubing “Quick” Patterns • Body Blade

20. DISTANCE RUNNING IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO PITCHING • Detracts from EXPLOSIVENESS and results in a DECREASE in VELOCITY – Jogging • EXAMPLES OF CHANGE: Fartlek (change of pace runs) – 20 minutes 6 x 2 Minute Runs (2 min. run/2 min. walk/easy run) Set a specific Distance/Increase distance with each set

21. Alactate Short Speed Endurance • SHORT, FAST SPRINTS/INTERVAL TRAINING • 30 – 60 SECONDS RECOVERY EXAMPLES: TEMPO RUNS 12 x 30 sec. run – 30 sec. walk (recovery) Repeat 36’s (run hard for 6 sec./run back to start in 30 sec. Foul Poles (200 yds) times x 8-12 (< 40 sec) (work/rest ratio 1 to 2)

22. INTENSIVE TEMPO RUNS: RULES (BE CREATIVE) • RUNS AT 80-90% OF MAXIMUM EFFORT • 60-180 YDS (SHUTTLE RUNS)-Total Distance each set • 30-45 SECONDS RECOVERY BETWEEN RUNS • GOAL: DECREASE TIME OF RUN EACH WEEK

23. STRENGTH ENDURANCE • AS THE GAME PROGRESSES (INNINGS), THE POWER ENDURANCE DEMAND INCREASES • STRENGHT ENDURANCE CAN BE INCREASED THROUGH CIRCUIT ROUTINES

24. MAJOR LEAGUE STARTING PITCHER • 6 1/3 INNINGS PER GAME • 9 INNING COMPLETE GAME (15% of each starts) • 25-30 SECONDS BETWEEN EACH PITCH • AVERAGE NUMBER OF PITCHES PER INNING (18) • AVERAGE FASTBALL VELOCITY (1st inning – 87 mph) • VELOCITY DECREASES – (2% for 6 1/3 innings = 1.45 mph)

25. THROWING • BUILD FUNCTIONAL ARM STRENGTH – FLAT GROUND THROWING • LONG TOSS (Thrown on a Line – Not Lobbed) • LONG TOSS: 2 SESSIONS PER WEEK • INSEASON: KEEP VOLUME LOW • GOAL: 10-15 THROWS AT 280-300 FEET

26. TRAINING PITCHERS FOR PERFORMANCE • THIS PROGRAM IS DEMANDING!! IT REQUIRES: a. intensity b. effort c. concentration d. variety e. creativity/imagination

27. Program Development Dynamic Balance Athletic Movement

28. Program Development Strength/Power Conditioning

29. SELECTING EXERCISES Functionality Teachability Safety Sport/Position Application SPORT SPECIFIC vs. SPORT SIMILIAR

30. EXERCISE SELECTION:Nice to Do vs. Need to Do Body Weight Exercises Yoga/Pilates Olympic Lifts DB Explosive Big 3 (Bench-Squats-Cleans/Dead Lifts) Speed Bag Slide Board Kettle Bells Medicine Balls TRX Jump Stretch Tubing/Resistance Bands Jump Rope Plyometrics XTS Functional System Instant Replay Keiser Functional Trainer Body Blade Landmine

31. FUNCTIONAL TRAINING (9) SPORT TRAINING PRINCIPLES: MULTIPLE JOINT MULTIPLE PLANE PROPRIOCEPTIVELY DEMANDING

32. MOVEMENTS WITHIN A 7 DAY CYCLE PUSHING PULLING SQUATTING ROTATIONAL

33. Which Exercises are your foundation? IF YOU COULD ONLY HAVE 2 EXERCISES FROM EACH CATEGORY, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE? Active Warmup Stretching (Post Activity) Resistance Tubing (Pre/Post Activity) Upper Body Flex Circuit (Pre/Post Activity) Flexibility Cooldown Lower Body Strength Upper Body Strength Plyometric/Explosiveness Core WITHOUT A SOUND FOUNDATION, YOUR PROGRAM IS BROKEN

34. LIFTING WEIGHTS: WHERE DOES IT FIT? TOO MUCH RELIANCE ON THE AMOUT OF WEIGHT LIFTED OR SPECIFIC LIFTS (OLYMPIC) WHERE IS THE FUNCTIONALITY?

35. MAXIMAL FORCE IS NOT NECESSARY FOR MOST SPORTS (10) General Strength – Special Strength and Functional Strength It is not how much weight you can lift: it is how much strength you can use

36. ACTIVE WARMUP Emphasize Body Position, Body Awareness and Mobility - Acombination of movements COORDINATION 1. SKIPS (regular/power/crossover) 2. CARIOCA’S (regular/high knee) 3. 360’s (forward/backward) 4. BACKWARD RUN & STRIDERS 5. ALTERNATE ARM LUNGE SWEEPS HIPS/GROIN 1. MULTIPOSITION LEG SWINGS 2. MINI BAND ROUTINE 3. HURDLE WALK SEQUENCE MULTIDIRECTIONAL FLEXIBILITY 1. LUNGE AND REACH SEQUENCE 2. LUNGE WHEEL DRILL 3. JACKKNIFE AND CRAWLS

37. STRETCHING INTERNAL ROTATION TIGHTNESS HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AS BEING DIRECTLY CORRELATED WITH TIME SPENT ON THE DISABLED LIST SLEEPER STRETCH STRAP STRETCH/BEHIND THE BACK (Posterior Shoulder Stretch, Reach Backs, Open Book Stretch) A SOBERING STATISTIC 27 shoulder surgeries on a pro team 18 labral repairs 7 pitchers returned to same level (26%) 10% (1/10) at AA or above returned to same level * Neurologic and Orthopedic Institute of Chicago

38. RESISTANCE TUBING/UB FLEX CIRCUIT - EXAMPLES INTERNAL/EXTERNAL ROTATION PROTRACTION/RETRACTION PULLBACKS 1 ARM/ 2 ARM ROWS SWIMMER (FREESTYLE/BACKSTROKE) DIAGONAL PATTERNS PUNCH ARM CIRCLES ROBIN HOOD HITCHHIKER CHOP/LIFT SEQUENCE HIP SEQUENCE SAWS ELBOW SCISSORS WHY ME’s ARM (PUSH-PULLS) FOREARM PRESSES/ARM CURLS BUTT PRESSES ARM CIRCLES

39. FLEXIBILITY DYNAMIC with CONTROL: MOSTABILITY– Motion with stability (the correct amount of motion, at the correct joint at the correct plane) * Gary Gray HURDLE EXERCISES: Forward walkovers Backward Walkovers Side Walkovers Sidestep Skips Over/Under Under (Side Lunge) BEAR CRAWLS/SPIDERMAN WALKS/CRAB WALKS (TABLES)

40. LOWER BODY STRENGTH BODY WEIGHT SQUATS LUNGES Variety is the Key Foot and Leg Position Unilateral vs. Bilateral Upper Body (active flexibility) Involvement Dumbbell and Medicine Ball use Cord/Band Resistance and Assistance

41. UPPER BODY STRENGTH PULLUPS (Variety is the key) Horizontal/Supine Neutral Assisted/Added Resistance PUSHUPS (Variety is the key) Hand Position Body Position Added Implements

42. PLYOMETRICS/EXPLOSIVENESS Upper Body: MB Throws/Slams Lower Body: Slide Board

43. CORE MEDICINE BALL CHOP SEQUENCE Different Planes of Movement Ground Based Exercises (add) Plyometric Component MB WALKING/LUNGES ROTATIONS/TWISTS/BENDS THROWS TUBING (INSTANT REPLAY) Chop – Lift Sequence Balance - Twist

44. MEDICINE BALL EXAMPLES • CORE WORK: Completed every day in the off-season and pre-season. In-season decrease the volume • MED BALL TOTAL BODY THROWS: SINGLE LEG THROWS, SQUAT & THROW, SLAMS (10 ea) • MED BALL WALL THROWS: OVERHEAD, SOCCER, CHEST, SIDE-SIDE, OVERBACK, REV. SIDE-SIDE, KNEELING THROWS, STEP AND THROW • ROTATIONS/TWISTS

45. KINETIC CHAINTHE BODY IS A LINK SYSTEM All of the links must work together Work Capacity Training background Commitment to the program Training load and recovery time Biological and physiological differences Strength (the ability to exert force) Power : explosiveness, elastic energy (stretch –shortening cycle) especially during athletic movement Speed & Agility: accelerate/decelerate, change of direction, footwork Core Stability/Balance CHALLENGE: Keep the athlete wanting more

46. PERIODIZATION • A planned program should distribute the work throughout the year • Which part of the season has the greatest priority • Determine the number of projected starts • Look for program breaks (to change training emphasis)

47. PERIODIZATION • Periodization Program Break (Example) 1. First 1/3 of starts/season (Volume Emphasis) 2. Middle 1/3 of starts/season (Reduce Volume and Raise Intensity 3. Last 1/3 of starts/season (Keep Intensity High and Volume Very Low) Volume: Sets/Reps, Intensity: Weight

48. PLANNED SYSTEMATIC VARIATION • Periodization: Baseball virtually no variation in the training routine throughout the year • Pitchers/Hitters do the same things each day • Movements are not varied • Need variety to prevent stagnation or fall prone to overuse injuries • BASEBALL PERIODIZATION IS NOT LINEAR

49. POWER ZONE: ROTATIONAL TRAINING IN-SEASON PROGRAM 3 BASIC EXERCISE TRAINING DESIGNS GENERAL STRENGTH WORK DYNAMIC STRENGTH WORK ELASTIC/REACTIVE WORK THE PROGRAM FOR POSITION PLAYERS SHOULD BE 3 DAYS

50. SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT (For the Weight Room) • SMITH MACHINE (Squat, Lunges, Bench, Pullups, Reverse Shrugs) w/Olympic Weights • LANDMINE (Torso Rototation, Explosive Movements {Push Press, Pulls/Catch, Step Back Lunges}) • BAND PLATFORM (Squats, Resisted Pushups) • FLAT BENCHES (DB Bench, DB Rows) • VARIOUS DUMBBELLS • VARIOUS HEIGHTS PLYOMETRIC BOXES • SLIDE BOARD • MEDICINE BALLS • TUBING, BANDS, etc.