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At Building Better Athletes, we got our start working with primarily baseball athletes, in particular pitchers. About half of our population is baseball athletes, we work as the Sports Performance Specialists for an area University pitching staff, and we regularly consult with baseball teams/clubs on proper development and care of baseball athletes.
For anybody who has worked intensively with baseball athletes knows the unique demands baseball presents and conversely how specific and specialized the training for these athletes needs to be. You can definitely mess up a baseball player by performing wrong things in the weight room. The interplay and intricacy of throwing/pitching and hitting is very detailed and throwing un-needed stresses or quarks into the interplay is a recipe for disaster.
It's always interesting to see athletes comes to us, whether it be HS or college, and they describe their previous or even current training program to us, and literally it could be considered negligence on behalf of the coach/team. Many of the things we see, especially depending on the quality of coaching, are probably doing more harm than good and setting many of their athletes up for failure or injury.
Then we ask if their is any individualization in the program or if the coach has ever seen you with your shirt off and evaluated your glenoid-humeral movements, thoracic spine movement, or rib cage/lumbar spine relationship to overhead movement. To this day, we've never had an athlete tell us yes to either one of those questions and it's funny because this information should be directly used to what the training program should look like.
If an athlete has a depressed scapula, then things like deadlifts, farmer walks, Olympic lifts, and cueing down and back are all wrong. If an athlete has valgus sign at the elbow, then things like Snatch's, Jerk's, barbell Back Squat, and most OH lifting should be avoided. If an athlete presents anterior tilt and protraction of their scapula, then benching is a big no-no. The list goes on and on, yet we never see a HS and even many college programs take any of this into consideration, and it's no wonder their athletes are searching elsewhere because they don't see actual on-field performance enhancement or they got hurt.
Go Get 'Em!
Showing posts with label Baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baseball. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Important Questions to Ask on a Recruiting Trip
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We work with a lot of HS athletes preparing for that transition to college and it's always a fun and stressful time for these athletes as they look for a place to spend the next chapter of their life.
I remember going through the recruiting process and thinking what the hell am I going to do? How can I tell the difference between all these schools?
When I look back, it's one of those - I wish I knew then, what I know now.
Athletes and parents often go into these situations not really knowing what to look for and this can make the whole process really sticky.
Two months ago, we were lucky enough to have 3 area coaches come in and talk to our athletes about things they can be doing to help their chance to play college ball. It was great opportunity for our athletes to hear directly from these college coaches on what they look for and what athletes should look for when choosing a school.
Below we've compiled some of the most important questions athletes and parents need to know before making this big decision.
Take a look at these and have a plan during these exciting times. It will save a lot of headache and solve some potential problems choosing a school.
Education
- Do they have the academic programs/degree you want?
- Do they have a solid academic support staff in place? Will you have access to tutors?
- What is the team's graduation rate?
- Are there alumni that studied in your degree field and what are they doing now? Can you talk to them?
- What was the team's average GPA?
- Do the coaches oversee and look over your grades or will you be on your own?
- Is their an independent academic standard (aside from the NCAA's) that you need to reach in order to play?
Athletic
- Will you have an opportunity to play right away? If not, are you ok waiting 1, 2, maybe 3 years before playing?
- How would the coaching staff describe their coaching style? Can you see yourself being coach as such?
- Did you meet the strength and conditioning coach? What is his/her approach to training both in-season and off-season? (You’ll be spending a lot of time with this coach)
- Have you watched this team play a game and practice? (Let me tell you, college is a heck of a lot different than HS in both practice and game tempo, intensity, etc)
- Did you meet the assistant or position coaches? They'll often be the ones coaching you far more than the head coach will be.
- Does the coaching staff get out and attend or speak at different conferences to improve at their craft? I can tell you I'd much rather be part of a program that is continually trying to find better more successful ways to coach and plan for me as an athlete and as a team, rather than just be stuck in their ways.
Miscellaneous
- What is a program's track record in terms of injury rates? This is especially important for sports like baseball, soccer, basketball. Are the same injuries occurring every year like ACL, UCL tears? If so, this may mean something is going on that increases risk of these injuries ie over-use, poor training models, dangerous practice habits, etc. You don't want to become one of these statistics, so know if you're a pitcher and every year they have guys having Tommy John Surgery, a red flag needs to go off.
- How tough of an adjustment, socially will it be for you? This is HUGE! You'll be spending the next 4-5 years of your life in this city/community. Will you fit in? Is it too far or too close to home? Is the social environment enough or too much for you?
- Is it public or private? This may seem weird, but there are usually some vast differences between a public vs private university. Most private institutions have some sort of religious background and this may mean mandatory religious education classes, required weekly mass, living on-campus for 2-3 years, no opposite sex in dorm rooms, required class attendance, dry campus, more expensive tuition, etc. Public institutions tend to be more open and allow more freedom than private institutions, but on the same hand they tend to be larger, provide less "intimate" education (larger classes, less hands on advising), and often don't require attendance to class. Overall each option provides different pros and cons, know them.
- How much is tuition? Can you get grants, scholarships, or help paying this? With today's cost of college education, this question needs to be asked. A school may look great and everything, but is it worth paying off 100K for the next 20-years of your life?
Hope this helps all those aspiring athletes gain clarification as they choose their college. Making a great decision at this junction will determine many things in an athletes future. Be sure to leave no stone un-turned and know the details of your decision.
Go Get 'Em
We work with a lot of HS athletes preparing for that transition to college and it's always a fun and stressful time for these athletes as they look for a place to spend the next chapter of their life.
I remember going through the recruiting process and thinking what the hell am I going to do? How can I tell the difference between all these schools?
When I look back, it's one of those - I wish I knew then, what I know now.
Athletes and parents often go into these situations not really knowing what to look for and this can make the whole process really sticky.
Two months ago, we were lucky enough to have 3 area coaches come in and talk to our athletes about things they can be doing to help their chance to play college ball. It was great opportunity for our athletes to hear directly from these college coaches on what they look for and what athletes should look for when choosing a school.
Below we've compiled some of the most important questions athletes and parents need to know before making this big decision.
Take a look at these and have a plan during these exciting times. It will save a lot of headache and solve some potential problems choosing a school.
Education
- Do they have the academic programs/degree you want?
- Do they have a solid academic support staff in place? Will you have access to tutors?
- What is the team's graduation rate?
- Are there alumni that studied in your degree field and what are they doing now? Can you talk to them?
- What was the team's average GPA?
- Do the coaches oversee and look over your grades or will you be on your own?
- Is their an independent academic standard (aside from the NCAA's) that you need to reach in order to play?
Athletic
- Will you have an opportunity to play right away? If not, are you ok waiting 1, 2, maybe 3 years before playing?
- How would the coaching staff describe their coaching style? Can you see yourself being coach as such?
- Did you meet the strength and conditioning coach? What is his/her approach to training both in-season and off-season? (You’ll be spending a lot of time with this coach)
- Have you watched this team play a game and practice? (Let me tell you, college is a heck of a lot different than HS in both practice and game tempo, intensity, etc)
- Did you meet the assistant or position coaches? They'll often be the ones coaching you far more than the head coach will be.
- Does the coaching staff get out and attend or speak at different conferences to improve at their craft? I can tell you I'd much rather be part of a program that is continually trying to find better more successful ways to coach and plan for me as an athlete and as a team, rather than just be stuck in their ways.
Miscellaneous
- What is a program's track record in terms of injury rates? This is especially important for sports like baseball, soccer, basketball. Are the same injuries occurring every year like ACL, UCL tears? If so, this may mean something is going on that increases risk of these injuries ie over-use, poor training models, dangerous practice habits, etc. You don't want to become one of these statistics, so know if you're a pitcher and every year they have guys having Tommy John Surgery, a red flag needs to go off.
- How tough of an adjustment, socially will it be for you? This is HUGE! You'll be spending the next 4-5 years of your life in this city/community. Will you fit in? Is it too far or too close to home? Is the social environment enough or too much for you?
- Is it public or private? This may seem weird, but there are usually some vast differences between a public vs private university. Most private institutions have some sort of religious background and this may mean mandatory religious education classes, required weekly mass, living on-campus for 2-3 years, no opposite sex in dorm rooms, required class attendance, dry campus, more expensive tuition, etc. Public institutions tend to be more open and allow more freedom than private institutions, but on the same hand they tend to be larger, provide less "intimate" education (larger classes, less hands on advising), and often don't require attendance to class. Overall each option provides different pros and cons, know them.
- How much is tuition? Can you get grants, scholarships, or help paying this? With today's cost of college education, this question needs to be asked. A school may look great and everything, but is it worth paying off 100K for the next 20-years of your life?
Hope this helps all those aspiring athletes gain clarification as they choose their college. Making a great decision at this junction will determine many things in an athletes future. Be sure to leave no stone un-turned and know the details of your decision.
Go Get 'Em
Friday, September 19, 2014
Wanna Throw Cheddar? Then Get Stronger!
Overhead actions dominate many sports; everything from pitchers, quarterbacks, volleyball players, tennis, swimming, to handball players, they all have huge requirements for OH actions. With all of these actions, the major goal is to increase the velocity of the implement used - we want to increase throwing velocity, throwing distance, serving power, stroke power, and spiking power - Overall we want to increase the high stinky cheddar!
Well how do you improve OH power and velocity?
Previous research has reported that high-velocity throwing begins at the lower body (1). OH power is driven through leg/hip movements and this power progresses up through the torso/core, to the shoulder and finally through the arm where it gets put to work on the given implement. A stronger and more stable lumbopelvic-hip complex contributes to higher rotational velocity (3).
Roach and Liebermann indicated that 90% of the work for throwing power is generated at the hips (1).
Yes, 90%!
Look at anybody who thrives in an OH sport and they'll have a solid lower half.
It makes you wonder why we see all these special devices, bands, and weighted balls designed to improve throwing velocity, when the reality is that the best way to improve throwing velocity is to improve your lower half. Trying to increase throwing velocity by focusing on strengthening the shoulder or arm is akin to putting new tires on a car - it will look good and give some performance benefits but if the engine isn't there, it really doesn't matter.
We love to use med balls and some of the devices mentioned above to develop and cement the rotational sequencing, but it's important to understand they are just a small tool and are not as effective for increasing throwing power as strength training.
In fact a study from way back in 1994 showed this; medicine ball training alone had a neutral effect on throwing velocity, while a strength training group produced a significant increase in pitching velocity (4). This is not to say strengthening the shoulder or the use of certain devices isn't warranted, they have a time and place, but they shouldn't be the vocal point in training programs and unfortunately that's exactly what we often see in many OH training programs.
As many can attest, we feel the best approach is a combination of different tools, but first and foremost is a good base of strength. With this base is place, the other tools can be more effective and transfer to sport to greater degree.
What's even more interesting about developing the lower body is that Lehman et al found that power in the frontal plane (lateral movements) correlated most to throwing velocity; more so than vertical jump, sprinting speed, and vertical med ball power (2).
What's this all mean?
It means that throwing velocity is specific and training demands needs to follow suit. Traditional squat, deadlift, clean, snatch, and bench alone don't cut it. Training elements need to be in place to focus on frontal plane movements and developing power in this manner.
When I first read this study a year ago, I decided to study many of my athletes on these same tests. Specifically, I evaluated unilateral lateral jump and throwing velocity. After compiling 25 samples, I found the same result - those athletes with the longest lateral jump, threw the hardest. The graph below shows the obvious trend; you not only need great power and strength in the lower body and hips, but it also has to be specific to lateral movements.
 |
| X-Axis = Lateral Bound; Y-Axis = Throwing Velocity |
First and foremost, get strong and powerful, especially in the frontal and transverse plane. This means applying many of the tools used below. If you haven't seen some of these or performed drills in this manner, then you're short-changing your ability to throw that high stinky cheese. Take a look.
Finally in terms of OH training, we really hammer away at hip and pelvis stability and control. Burkhart et al demonstrated that poor gluteus medius strength and control can effect "up the stream" and place increased stress on the shoulder. These researchers reported that approximately 44% of athletes presented with SLAP (superior labral anterior-posterior) tears also exhibited gluteus medius weakness (5). Another interesting study showed that pitchers showed lower glute and hip strength/control compared to position players (6). This may contribute to explain why pitchers tend to have greater occurrence of arm injury when volume is equated.
Weak glutes and hips will not only effect leg drive and force put through the body, but it also effects position and mechanics through different OH movements. When we look at pitchers, during balance point, if the hip on the grounded leg sinks or sags it will effect the whole delivery. We need a strong and stable base in this hip and this means working on glute medius strength through band walks, clams, or side lying leg raises. We also like to work this stability in the specific manner it is seen in many OH athletes, demonstrated by the drill below. The band forces the abductors to be highly active to stabilize this position.
With all the OH athletes we work with, increasing OH power is key and when athletes go through our program that emphasized frontal plane movements, they can tell the difference. A big squat and deadlift is great, but if that doesn't specifically transfer to lateral and rotational movement, then it's all for not. We get great feedback from our athletes who feel the transfer of strength, power, and speed during OH movements because of our approach.
So if you want to throw cheddar, get strong laterally and see the results!
Go Get 'Em!
References
1. Roach and Liebermann. Upper body contributions to power generation during rapid, overhand throwing in humans. Journal of Experimental Biology, 2014
2. Lehman, G et al. Correlation of Throwing Velocity to the Results of Lower-Body Field Tests in Male College Baseball Players. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: April 2013 - Volume 27 - Issue 4 - p 902-908
3. Saeterbakken, A et al. Effect of Core Stability Training on Throwing Velocity in Female Handball Players. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research:
March 2011 - Volume 25 - Issue 3 - pp 712-718
4. Newton, R; McEvoy, K. Baseball Throwing Velocity: A Comparison of Medicine Ball Training and Weight Training. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: August 1994
5. Burkhart SS, Morgan CD, Kibler WB. Shoulder injuries in overhead athletes. The “dead arm” revisited. Clin Sports Med 2000;19(1):125-158.
6. Laudner, Kevin G., et al. "Functional hip characteristics of baseball pitchers and position players." The American journal of sports medicine 38.2 (2010): 383-387.
5. Burkhart SS, Morgan CD, Kibler WB. Shoulder injuries in overhead athletes. The “dead arm” revisited. Clin Sports Med 2000;19(1):125-158.
6. Laudner, Kevin G., et al. "Functional hip characteristics of baseball pitchers and position players." The American journal of sports medicine 38.2 (2010): 383-387.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
How to Warm-Up Before Pitching
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Here at Building Better Athletes we work primarily with baseball athletes. We work in conjunction with a lot of throwing programs and it's a big challenge to get athletes to warm-up properly before getting on the mound or in the field.
It often comes down to players playing catch for 5 minutes, and then stepping out and going balls to the wall. This is a poor approach and although younger athletes may be able to get away with it for a while; sooner or later it will catch up with them. Overall here is our motto
Don't throw to warm-up; warm-up to throw
When baseball players throw a couple of things WILL happen, especially over the course of a season
Overall all we ask for is 15-20 minutes of time before they put the ball in their hand. These 15-20 minutes WILL enhance performance, but more importantly will put our athletes in a better environment to stay healthy and increase longevity.
Let's take a look at our process.
Movement Prep - Each movement is performed for 20-yards. (5-7 minutes)
Soft Tissue (5-7 min) (Pick 5)
Here at Building Better Athletes we work primarily with baseball athletes. We work in conjunction with a lot of throwing programs and it's a big challenge to get athletes to warm-up properly before getting on the mound or in the field.
It often comes down to players playing catch for 5 minutes, and then stepping out and going balls to the wall. This is a poor approach and although younger athletes may be able to get away with it for a while; sooner or later it will catch up with them. Overall here is our motto
Don't throw to warm-up; warm-up to throw
When baseball players throw a couple of things WILL happen, especially over the course of a season
- Lose Elbow Extension
- Lose Shoulder Internal Rotation
- Lose Scapular Upward Rotation
These in conjunction with the demands on the groin, hamstrings, hip internal rotation, hip external rotation, ankle dorsiflexion, and thoracic extension/rotation give a great deal of things to attack in order to prepare the body for the demands of throwing.
Overall all we ask for is 15-20 minutes of time before they put the ball in their hand. These 15-20 minutes WILL enhance performance, but more importantly will put our athletes in a better environment to stay healthy and increase longevity.
Let's take a look at our process.
Movement Prep - Each movement is performed for 20-yards. (5-7 minutes)
- Lunge Elbow to Instep with Rainbow
- Backward Atlas Lunge
- Lateral Lunge to Overhead
- Spiderman
- “A” March
- Skips with Hugs
- Shuffle with Swings
- “A” Skip
- Lateral Skip
- “A” Run
- Backward Open Hip
- Forward Open Hip
The goal of this movement prep period is to warm-up the bodies tissues, gradually increase ROM, gradually increase speed of movement, and get some quality movement in all directions. This will help prepare the body for following activities and start the process of preparing for the demands of pitching.
Soft Tissue (5-7 min) (Pick 5)
- Plantar Fascia (45sec)
- Foam Roll Quads/Hip Flexors (x30sec ea)
- Foam Roll Groin (x30 sec ea)
- Foam Roll Hamstrings (x30sec ea)
- Foam Roll Calves (30sec ea)
- Peanut Ball - T-Spine (90sec)
- Prone Elbow Extension (x10-12)
- Posterior Shoulder w/ Tennis Ball (90sec)
- Genie Stretch (5x6-8sec)
After we get some good movement prep and the body is starting to loosen up we like to hit specific soft tissue spots that pertain to pitching. This section directly targets many of the demands that were stated earlier - loss of shoulder IR, loss of elbow extension, loss of upward rotation, etc. An important point is to not get too aggressive with our soft tissue or massage work - We don't want to create a lot of muscle/tissue damage before we throw, that will do more bad than good.
Now while many of these deficiencies are seen in a large population of pitchers it's important that know some of these are not optimal for everybody. This is where an evaluation or assessment comes into play.
If we have athletes that show a lot of laxity, especially in the elbow and shoulder we'll skip out on the elbow extensions, posterior shoulder w/ Tennis Ball, and Genie stretch. If you try to add mobility and ROM on an already lax joint, you're just further increasing the potential instability within that joint.
Moral of the story, don't try to stretch or perform soft tissue on an already "loose" joint, instead look to add some control and stability, which leads us into the final section of our warm-up.
Activation (5-7 min) (pick 4 or 5)
- Deadbug x12
- Glute March x20
- Yoga Push-Up x8
- Prone Wall Slides x12
- Eccentric External Rotation x5
- Reactive Stabilization (3 Positions) x6sec
- Bottoms Up Carry’s (“L”) x20-30yards
With our activation our goal is to add some control and stability at important locations. In a sense it "turns-on" musculature we want active and working. For us this usually means the glutes, scapular stabilizers, posterior shoulder, core, and upward rotators.
As you can see by looking at the list above, we're also working to attack the aforementioned deficiencies again, this time with some low-end strength work.
One thing that players and parents are often surprised about it the lack of traditional rotator cuff work we do. While rotator cuff strength is important; proper sequencing and timing, we feel, is more important. Many don't even realize that the rotator cuff is made up of 4 separate muscles, each with different functions. These 4 muscles must work together to keep the humeral head (ball) centered in the glenoid fossa (socket). This requires great "communication", timing, and rhythm between those 4 friends.
Typical rotator cuff work focuses on 1 maybe 2 of these muscles and isolates it's action. This is effective for building some overall strength in that muscle, it falls short on how it actually functions during pitching. This is why we work on different reactive stabilizations and bottom's up carry's as these will make those muscles work in conjunction to keep the humerus centrated.
The final thing we like to do is give our athletes plenty of freedom. They know their bodies better than anybody and we just try to give them the tools and let them decide what they feel works best for them. The last thing we want to do is make them do something they don't like and get them in a mental funk.
Go Get 'Em!
As you can see by looking at the list above, we're also working to attack the aforementioned deficiencies again, this time with some low-end strength work.
One thing that players and parents are often surprised about it the lack of traditional rotator cuff work we do. While rotator cuff strength is important; proper sequencing and timing, we feel, is more important. Many don't even realize that the rotator cuff is made up of 4 separate muscles, each with different functions. These 4 muscles must work together to keep the humeral head (ball) centered in the glenoid fossa (socket). This requires great "communication", timing, and rhythm between those 4 friends.
Typical rotator cuff work focuses on 1 maybe 2 of these muscles and isolates it's action. This is effective for building some overall strength in that muscle, it falls short on how it actually functions during pitching. This is why we work on different reactive stabilizations and bottom's up carry's as these will make those muscles work in conjunction to keep the humerus centrated.
The final thing we like to do is give our athletes plenty of freedom. They know their bodies better than anybody and we just try to give them the tools and let them decide what they feel works best for them. The last thing we want to do is make them do something they don't like and get them in a mental funk.
Go Get 'Em!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Rotational Sequencing and Power - Part 3
Alright time to conclude this series on Rotational Sequencing and Power. In case you missed the first 2 parts check them out here, Part one, Part two.
In this final part we are going to go into the details of the correct sequential patterns to enhance rotational power, efficiency, and safety.
Rotational movements require proper sequencing of the body through various parts. This does not happen naturally for all athletes, and must be taught.
Athletes need the proper kinetic linking and sequencing to allow athletes to reach their maximum potential. Athletes need to learn how to
Load from the ground up
Lead movement with hips
Sequence energy through joints/muscles
Movement should look like a whip
Be able to separate hips from upper body and shoulders
Take a look at these pictures again and look at the athletes hips compared to their shoulders
Their hips lead their upper body and shoulders. They get their power from their hips, and they use the mobility and stability to transfer that power to their implement.
This, in a nut shell, is rotational sequencing.
The athlete loads up using thier hips and posterior muscle sling, and then unloads from the ground up, snapping their hips to transfer this force through their anterior muscle slings and onto the upper body and shoulders.
As we touched on in part 1 (TPI Rotational Sequence), this proper sequencing is what separates amateurs from the elite. Learning how to load and unload using the correct sequential pattern is key to creating more rotational power and speed.
Tony Mikla, during a webinar, dicussed how he trains two Olympic discuss throwers of very similar strength, speed, power, stability, and mobility standards. Except one of the throwers out performs the other by significant amounts.
How is this possible? They possess the similar physical abilities, but their performances are very different.
Dr. Mikla noted the difference was in the sequencing of these two athletes. Athlete A out performs Athlete B because she better utilizes the power she generates from her hips.
She doesn't have energy leaks and has proper sequencing from the ground up through her hips, onto her thorax, and finally to her arms.
Athlete B doesn't sequence correctly. She might have her torso lead first and then the hips and shoulders come next, simultaneously.
This funk it sequencing doesn't allow her to fully utilize the transfer of forces through her kinetic chain.
Essentially sequencing is technique, and proper technique separates athletes in all sports. We teach proper technique in all other exercises, but often times do not for rotational exercises.
We need to teach rotational movements and use progressions just like we do with all other exercises.
I like to use med ball variations when training rotational power as they allow for great velocity. Use the rotational stability exercises mentioned in part 2 for gaining strength and stability. This step cannot be skipped! If you do, you are setting your athletes up for injury. Progress correctly!
Use dynamic med ball work for enhancing rotational power and sequencing. No need to use an overally heavy med ball, 6-12lbs will typically do for most rotational movements. Remember, besides the shot put, sports do not use heavy implements, it's about creating higher speeds and forces into our movements.
Lateral MB Punch
I find this as the easiest progression to teach to correct sequential pattern. With the med ball close the body it reduces any kind of lever arm, and makes the whole movement easier to perform and learn.
Load the ball in the back armpit, while also loading up the rear leg and posterior muscle sling. Press through the ground with the rear leg and lead the movement from the hips, through the torso, and finally through to the shoulders through to the ball.
Lateral Scoop Throws
Now we take the ball and place it away from the body. This creates more torque, but also allows a good picture of the sequence of the kinetic chain. Load up the back leg and transition from the ground up, through the ball.
Lateral Med Ball Slams
Another great OH movement to challenge top-down and the long lateral lines of the body.
Lateral Shuffle MB Punch
Now that we've established a solid base of rotational movements from a static position, we now move towards dynamic movements.
In sports, often times rotational movements require the athlete to continue to transfer force from the momentum and movement already built up. So here we start with a single shuffle pattern into a dynamic lateral punch. Kind of like the glide technique in the shot-put.
Use the momentum and speed built up to transfer that force into the rotational movement. The same sequencing and patterns still apply even though the speed of the movement is greater.
Crossover MB Punch
I've helped coach a couple of kids for sport showcase type events like pro-agility
(5-10-5), 60 yard dash, and L-Drill (3-cone). These drills require crossover steps, and this drill simulates gaining power and movement from a crossover position.
Moving Crossover MB Punch
Next we like to move into our moving crossover and punch movement. Just think about how many times athletes are required to cross their feet over in their sport. Baseball, soccer, football, basketball, and volleyball all require athletes to crossover into a sprint or some other movement. Here we get to work on that quality.
MB Drop Step Punch
This is something fun and challenging for your athletes to do. It really challenges spatial awareness, coordination, and 180 degree rotational qualities. This has tremendous carryover to throwing events, basketball, and any sport that requires these types of turns (DB in football, Centerfielder turning on a deep fly ball, etc)
Well there you have it. That's the series on developing rotational sequencing and power. Learning the correct pattern of rotational sequence might be separating you and your athletes from further success, oh and like I said before, developing rotational power = hot women asking you out for dates, it's science!
So take and use what you can and as always Go Get 'Em!
Like, Dislike, Agree, Disagree, WORLD CHANGING, or a big turd; whatever you feel, leave a comment below and let me know!
In this final part we are going to go into the details of the correct sequential patterns to enhance rotational power, efficiency, and safety.
Proper Sequencing
Rotational movements require proper sequencing of the body through various parts. This does not happen naturally for all athletes, and must be taught.
Athletes need the proper kinetic linking and sequencing to allow athletes to reach their maximum potential. Athletes need to learn how to
Load from the ground up
Lead movement with hips
Sequence energy through joints/muscles
Movement should look like a whip
Be able to separate hips from upper body and shoulders
Take a look at these pictures again and look at the athletes hips compared to their shoulders
Their hips lead their upper body and shoulders. They get their power from their hips, and they use the mobility and stability to transfer that power to their implement.
This, in a nut shell, is rotational sequencing.
The athlete loads up using thier hips and posterior muscle sling, and then unloads from the ground up, snapping their hips to transfer this force through their anterior muscle slings and onto the upper body and shoulders.
As we touched on in part 1 (TPI Rotational Sequence), this proper sequencing is what separates amateurs from the elite. Learning how to load and unload using the correct sequential pattern is key to creating more rotational power and speed.
Tony Mikla, during a webinar, dicussed how he trains two Olympic discuss throwers of very similar strength, speed, power, stability, and mobility standards. Except one of the throwers out performs the other by significant amounts.
How is this possible? They possess the similar physical abilities, but their performances are very different.
Dr. Mikla noted the difference was in the sequencing of these two athletes. Athlete A out performs Athlete B because she better utilizes the power she generates from her hips.
She doesn't have energy leaks and has proper sequencing from the ground up through her hips, onto her thorax, and finally to her arms.
Athlete B doesn't sequence correctly. She might have her torso lead first and then the hips and shoulders come next, simultaneously.
This funk it sequencing doesn't allow her to fully utilize the transfer of forces through her kinetic chain.
Essentially sequencing is technique, and proper technique separates athletes in all sports. We teach proper technique in all other exercises, but often times do not for rotational exercises.
We need to teach rotational movements and use progressions just like we do with all other exercises.
Getting After It
I like to use med ball variations when training rotational power as they allow for great velocity. Use the rotational stability exercises mentioned in part 2 for gaining strength and stability. This step cannot be skipped! If you do, you are setting your athletes up for injury. Progress correctly!
Use dynamic med ball work for enhancing rotational power and sequencing. No need to use an overally heavy med ball, 6-12lbs will typically do for most rotational movements. Remember, besides the shot put, sports do not use heavy implements, it's about creating higher speeds and forces into our movements.
Lateral MB Punch
I find this as the easiest progression to teach to correct sequential pattern. With the med ball close the body it reduces any kind of lever arm, and makes the whole movement easier to perform and learn.
Load the ball in the back armpit, while also loading up the rear leg and posterior muscle sling. Press through the ground with the rear leg and lead the movement from the hips, through the torso, and finally through to the shoulders through to the ball.
Lateral Scoop Throws
Now we take the ball and place it away from the body. This creates more torque, but also allows a good picture of the sequence of the kinetic chain. Load up the back leg and transition from the ground up, through the ball.
Parallel Scoop Throws
Parallel throws really separate the hips from the shoulders. It's a little tougher to get the hips to rotate thoroughly, but requires great amounts of mobility in the T-Spine, hips, and ankle. It also requires great strength and stability through the hips and trunk to get adequate rotation and power.
Split Stance Lateral/Parallel Scoop Throws
The split stance take the hips slighty out of the movement, but it forces the athlete to create rotational force through a unilateral position. The hips must be stable, and the athlete must keep a solid base for rotation to revolve around.
Lateral OH Slams
OH slams place the load in a different position and challenges the athlete in a top-down pattern. This puts a ton of stress on that anterior muscle sling, and will really lengthen the lateral components of the body.
Lateral Med Ball Slams
Another great OH movement to challenge top-down and the long lateral lines of the body.
Lateral Shuffle MB Punch
Now that we've established a solid base of rotational movements from a static position, we now move towards dynamic movements.
In sports, often times rotational movements require the athlete to continue to transfer force from the momentum and movement already built up. So here we start with a single shuffle pattern into a dynamic lateral punch. Kind of like the glide technique in the shot-put.
Use the momentum and speed built up to transfer that force into the rotational movement. The same sequencing and patterns still apply even though the speed of the movement is greater.
Crossover MB Punch
I've helped coach a couple of kids for sport showcase type events like pro-agility
(5-10-5), 60 yard dash, and L-Drill (3-cone). These drills require crossover steps, and this drill simulates gaining power and movement from a crossover position.
Moving Crossover MB Punch
Next we like to move into our moving crossover and punch movement. Just think about how many times athletes are required to cross their feet over in their sport. Baseball, soccer, football, basketball, and volleyball all require athletes to crossover into a sprint or some other movement. Here we get to work on that quality.
MB Drop Step Punch
This is something fun and challenging for your athletes to do. It really challenges spatial awareness, coordination, and 180 degree rotational qualities. This has tremendous carryover to throwing events, basketball, and any sport that requires these types of turns (DB in football, Centerfielder turning on a deep fly ball, etc)
Well there you have it. That's the series on developing rotational sequencing and power. Learning the correct pattern of rotational sequence might be separating you and your athletes from further success, oh and like I said before, developing rotational power = hot women asking you out for dates, it's science!
So take and use what you can and as always Go Get 'Em!
Like, Dislike, Agree, Disagree, WORLD CHANGING, or a big turd; whatever you feel, leave a comment below and let me know!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Rotational Sequencing and Power - Part 2
If you missed part 1
Continuing on from part 1, we're now going to focus on the steps to develop correct rotational sequencing and power.
Jason Glass puts it perfectly when he says, "You have to earn the right to rotate".
Dynmaic rotational movements are highly coordinated and technical movements, and they require great deals of strength, stability, mobility, and coordination.
You would never take a new athlete and throw them in the squat rack with 2x their body weight.
Instead you'd progress them and groove the squat pattern until they show proper mechanics, strength, mobility, and stability.
Just as so, an athlete needs to exhibit proper stability and mobility before they can move on to dynamic rotational movements.
If you do not have the proper stabilization and strength in a static position, than performing dynamic rotational movements will just lead to dysfunction, improper sequencing, and increased risk of injury.
The same goes for adequate mobility. Rotational movements require a great deal of mobility especially in the thoracic spine, internal/external hip rotators, and ankles.
Just like having limited stability can create issues; a lack of mobility will not allow the athlete to reach their maximum power, sequencing, and again will increased risk of injury.
So to earn the right to rotate, it is important that we as coaches make sure we evaluate our athletes to ensure they possess adequate levels of stability and mobility.
If there is a lack of mobility or ROM in a certain joint or side of the body, you know you must plan to attack that area with proper mobility drills.
Thoracic Spine - Athletes need to have adequate rotation and extension in the thoracic spine. When looking at ROM, the T-spine should be able to get 30 degrees or more of rotation, and the athlete should be able to get proper extension from the T-spine without stealing it from the lumbar spine.
Make sure to use mobility movements that keep the lumbar spine fixed, so selecting an exercise that "locks" the lumbar spine down ensures it will not be involved with thoracic spine movements.
Hips - The hips are a very mobile joint, so you must evaluate it in many different movements and angles. Flexion (120+ degress), extension (15+ degrees), adduction, and abduction are important, but even more important for rotational athletes is internal and external rotation.
With rotation occuring in the transverse plane, internal and external mobility and strength become very important. Here is an article on hip internal rotation, and here is one on glute medius mobility (largely external rotation).
As an athlete loads during rotational movements, the rear hip goes through internal rotation and front hip external rotation. As the athlete starts to un-coil the rear hip now goes through powerful external rotation and the front hip absorbs into internal rotation. If there are extreme limitations or restrictions into either of these movements you will see compensation patterns arise, spinal rotation instead of hip rotation, and loss of power.
Also, just as in overhead throwing, if the tissues surrounding the hip aren't kept healthy and happy, they can get beat up from these movements. So, if we have a rotational athlete, ensuring we are getting adequate time spent on soft-tissue and mobility of the internal and external rotators is extremely important.
Ankles- The ankles are just like the hips, a very mobile joint. The ankles require a great deal of dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion.
Kneel next to a wall, with one foot 4 inches away from ithe wall. Keeping the heel on the ground, press the knee towards the wall. If the athlete cannot touch the wall, the athlete lacks dorsiflexion (A large percentage of people lack dorsiflexion). They are probably compensating linear movements because of this lack of dorsiflexion and are not getting proper foot and ankle function.
The athlete should also have atleast 20 degrees of inversion and 5 degrees of eversion. As we will go into later, many rotational movements (and most movements overall) require movement around the ankle joint to help transfer force or transfer rotatation to allow better positions.
Many great improvements are seen when athletes take off their shoes. I'm not recommending going straight in to a barefoot badass, I'm hinting at do warm-ups and select exercises barefoot to help improve the function on you feet and ankles.
Stability
The athlete also needs to show proper stability and strength in not only the transverse plane, but also the frontal and sagittal planes. Here are some exercises athletes need to show proper stability before they should progress to higher velocities or resistance of rotational movements.
Bird-Dog - This is actually a test from the FMS, called rotary stability (see rotary = rotation! You need this). You are looking to see if the athlete can maintain correct posture and stability while performing this exercise.
If they consistantly wobble, sway, or lose position, then they need work on improving their bodies stability. This opposite arm-leg movement stresses the fascia lines of our body in a very rotational way. Test both sides, and note any differences.
Push-Up w/ Arm Reach - Like the Bird-Dog, except now the athlete has smaller areas of contact with the ground, thus stressing more need for stability.
From side or behind views we should not see a major shift in body position. They athlete should look the same as they do in the starting position. Again test both sides and note any differences.
Inverted Bridge w/ Arm Reach - The previous two tests assessed anterior stability and the anterior muscle slings. The Inverted Bridge w/ Arm Reach will test posterior stability and the posterior muscle sling.
Set up a bar or rings about 4.5 to 5 feet in the air. Grab the bar and assume a lifted bridge position, so that your stomach is flat like a table. Make sure the athletes takes a shoulder width apart grip, and sets their body, core tight - glutes squeezed - shoulders pulled back, for the movement.
Remove one hand from the bar, and reach towards the opposite shoulder, just as you did in the push-up. The athlete should be able to maintain position without major shifts or swings. Test both sides and note any differences.
Glute March - The Glute March will also test the posterior components of the body, with more emphasis through the glutes. We need this stability and strength throught our glutes because the glutes are the engine that fuel our powerful hip movements.
The athlete starts in a glute bridge position, the athlete then "marches" in place, alternating between lifting legs. This will show any weaknesses throughout the glutes and lumbopelvic-hip complex. Notice any differences between sides as usual.
Cable Chops and Lifts - Finally we move to Cable/Band Chops and Lifts. This is a great way to move from static stabilization to more of a dynamic stabilization. The core and hip stability are challenged to transfer the weight thoughout this movement. Use both tall kneeling and half kneeling variations to challenge unilateral stability and strength.
Stay tall throughout this whole movement; think about not becoming "shorter". Also keep your hips and pelvis square, and let your shoulders and arms move the weight throughout the range of motion. Keeping your torso square allows the force to be transfered through your core and hips onto your arms.
Like we touched on at the beginning, athletes need to master these stabilization and mobility exercises before we throw them into dynamics and loaded rotational movements.
If they do not possess these qualitites before starting dynamic rotational movements, then we are setting them up to added dysfunction on improper movement patterns, injury, lessend performance, and oh did I mention injury!
It never pays to rush into exercises because they are cool and fun. Take the proper progression and steps to set your athletes up for the long run.
Part 3 will dive into adding speed to rotation, really the meat and potatoes of what we think of when improving rotational abilities.
Until then Go Get 'Em!
Continuing on from part 1, we're now going to focus on the steps to develop correct rotational sequencing and power.
Jason Glass puts it perfectly when he says, "You have to earn the right to rotate".
Dynmaic rotational movements are highly coordinated and technical movements, and they require great deals of strength, stability, mobility, and coordination.
You would never take a new athlete and throw them in the squat rack with 2x their body weight.
Instead you'd progress them and groove the squat pattern until they show proper mechanics, strength, mobility, and stability.
Just as so, an athlete needs to exhibit proper stability and mobility before they can move on to dynamic rotational movements.
If you do not have the proper stabilization and strength in a static position, than performing dynamic rotational movements will just lead to dysfunction, improper sequencing, and increased risk of injury.
The same goes for adequate mobility. Rotational movements require a great deal of mobility especially in the thoracic spine, internal/external hip rotators, and ankles.
Just like having limited stability can create issues; a lack of mobility will not allow the athlete to reach their maximum power, sequencing, and again will increased risk of injury.
So to earn the right to rotate, it is important that we as coaches make sure we evaluate our athletes to ensure they possess adequate levels of stability and mobility.
Mobility
When testing and evaluating mobility, it is important to make sure there are no major limitations or differences between sides of the body. The athlete should exhibit adequate levels of ROM in the major joints, and through total body movements.If there is a lack of mobility or ROM in a certain joint or side of the body, you know you must plan to attack that area with proper mobility drills.
Thoracic Spine - Athletes need to have adequate rotation and extension in the thoracic spine. When looking at ROM, the T-spine should be able to get 30 degrees or more of rotation, and the athlete should be able to get proper extension from the T-spine without stealing it from the lumbar spine.
Make sure to use mobility movements that keep the lumbar spine fixed, so selecting an exercise that "locks" the lumbar spine down ensures it will not be involved with thoracic spine movements.
Hips - The hips are a very mobile joint, so you must evaluate it in many different movements and angles. Flexion (120+ degress), extension (15+ degrees), adduction, and abduction are important, but even more important for rotational athletes is internal and external rotation.
With rotation occuring in the transverse plane, internal and external mobility and strength become very important. Here is an article on hip internal rotation, and here is one on glute medius mobility (largely external rotation).
As an athlete loads during rotational movements, the rear hip goes through internal rotation and front hip external rotation. As the athlete starts to un-coil the rear hip now goes through powerful external rotation and the front hip absorbs into internal rotation. If there are extreme limitations or restrictions into either of these movements you will see compensation patterns arise, spinal rotation instead of hip rotation, and loss of power.
Also, just as in overhead throwing, if the tissues surrounding the hip aren't kept healthy and happy, they can get beat up from these movements. So, if we have a rotational athlete, ensuring we are getting adequate time spent on soft-tissue and mobility of the internal and external rotators is extremely important.
Ankles- The ankles are just like the hips, a very mobile joint. The ankles require a great deal of dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion.
Kneel next to a wall, with one foot 4 inches away from ithe wall. Keeping the heel on the ground, press the knee towards the wall. If the athlete cannot touch the wall, the athlete lacks dorsiflexion (A large percentage of people lack dorsiflexion). They are probably compensating linear movements because of this lack of dorsiflexion and are not getting proper foot and ankle function.
The athlete should also have atleast 20 degrees of inversion and 5 degrees of eversion. As we will go into later, many rotational movements (and most movements overall) require movement around the ankle joint to help transfer force or transfer rotatation to allow better positions.
Many great improvements are seen when athletes take off their shoes. I'm not recommending going straight in to a barefoot badass, I'm hinting at do warm-ups and select exercises barefoot to help improve the function on you feet and ankles.
Stability
The athlete also needs to show proper stability and strength in not only the transverse plane, but also the frontal and sagittal planes. Here are some exercises athletes need to show proper stability before they should progress to higher velocities or resistance of rotational movements.
Bird-Dog - This is actually a test from the FMS, called rotary stability (see rotary = rotation! You need this). You are looking to see if the athlete can maintain correct posture and stability while performing this exercise.
If they consistantly wobble, sway, or lose position, then they need work on improving their bodies stability. This opposite arm-leg movement stresses the fascia lines of our body in a very rotational way. Test both sides, and note any differences.
Push-Up w/ Arm Reach - Like the Bird-Dog, except now the athlete has smaller areas of contact with the ground, thus stressing more need for stability.
From side or behind views we should not see a major shift in body position. They athlete should look the same as they do in the starting position. Again test both sides and note any differences.
Inverted Bridge w/ Arm Reach - The previous two tests assessed anterior stability and the anterior muscle slings. The Inverted Bridge w/ Arm Reach will test posterior stability and the posterior muscle sling.
Set up a bar or rings about 4.5 to 5 feet in the air. Grab the bar and assume a lifted bridge position, so that your stomach is flat like a table. Make sure the athletes takes a shoulder width apart grip, and sets their body, core tight - glutes squeezed - shoulders pulled back, for the movement.
Remove one hand from the bar, and reach towards the opposite shoulder, just as you did in the push-up. The athlete should be able to maintain position without major shifts or swings. Test both sides and note any differences.
Glute March - The Glute March will also test the posterior components of the body, with more emphasis through the glutes. We need this stability and strength throught our glutes because the glutes are the engine that fuel our powerful hip movements.
The athlete starts in a glute bridge position, the athlete then "marches" in place, alternating between lifting legs. This will show any weaknesses throughout the glutes and lumbopelvic-hip complex. Notice any differences between sides as usual.
Cable Chops and Lifts - Finally we move to Cable/Band Chops and Lifts. This is a great way to move from static stabilization to more of a dynamic stabilization. The core and hip stability are challenged to transfer the weight thoughout this movement. Use both tall kneeling and half kneeling variations to challenge unilateral stability and strength.
Stay tall throughout this whole movement; think about not becoming "shorter". Also keep your hips and pelvis square, and let your shoulders and arms move the weight throughout the range of motion. Keeping your torso square allows the force to be transfered through your core and hips onto your arms.
Like we touched on at the beginning, athletes need to master these stabilization and mobility exercises before we throw them into dynamics and loaded rotational movements.
If they do not possess these qualitites before starting dynamic rotational movements, then we are setting them up to added dysfunction on improper movement patterns, injury, lessend performance, and oh did I mention injury!
It never pays to rush into exercises because they are cool and fun. Take the proper progression and steps to set your athletes up for the long run.
Part 3 will dive into adding speed to rotation, really the meat and potatoes of what we think of when improving rotational abilities.
Until then Go Get 'Em!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Rotational Sequencing and Power - Part 1
We watch many different athletes, sports, and activities and don't always realized the connections many of these have to each other. Take a look at these athletes and see what they have in common.
Like, Dislike, Agree, Disagree, WORLD CHANGING, or a big turd; whatever you feel, leave a comment below and let me know!
Not only do these athletes make these movements look so smooth and effortless, but their movements are very similar despite the major differences in their sport.
So what is it do they have in common?
Rotation! Rotational movements occur in just about every sport we play. Except for just plane old linear movements like sprinting or jogging, every other sport we participate in requires a great deal of roational sequencing and power.
Say you're playing football, it's 3rd and 3, late in the 4th quarter and you're on defense. The offense runs an outside zone play and you take an angle to cut off the running back at the 1st down marker.
You collison the running back with your head in behind of him (come one, get your head in front!), just shy of the 1st down marker. He has momentum and so do you, but who's gonna win? Well it comes down to a number of things, but a big one being your rotational strength and power.
Who's gonna win this battle!?
The one with more rotational power!
See when you collide, the running backs momentum creates a high force in the transverse plane of your body. You must counter this force with high rotational force opposite of where he is going.
Unless you have adequate rotational strength and power, the offense will move the sticks and win the game. But if your training regime exposes you to proper rotational training, you'll make the tackle, save the day, and get asked out by the best looking girl in school!
So to make sure you get asked out my the hottest girl in school, you need to make sure you get to working on your rotational power. I mean it's been studied that if you have lots of roational strength, you get asked out by better looking girls...it's science.
What is Rotational Movement
Rotational movements take place in the transverse plane. The transverse plane involves movements around a fixed axis. For most movements this fixed axis is our spine, and we rotate and move around the spine to create a rotational force.
Rotational movements involve a specific series of movements and motions that allow us to transfer the highest amount of forces. This proper sequencing is very critical in high performance.
In fact a study was done by the Titleist Performance Institute showed that the biggest difference between professional golfers from amateur golfers was their ability to develop roational speed and proper sequencing.
The development of higher rotational speeds is a pretty obvious difference as higher rotational speeds = further distance on shot. This is would be similar to the main difference between NFL receivers and non-NFL receivers is speed.
But the sequencing is a little surprising. The professional golfer showed a smooth, efficient sequence from muscle group to group throughout their swing, while the amateurs showed a sloppy, incorrect pattern of sequencing.
Many would think that the rotational sequence of hitting a golf ball would pretty consistant among all people, but that's not the case. Just like many other techniques, correct rotation patterns needs to be taught and learned. Rotational sequencing is an important skill to be learned and is essential for increasing ones rotational speed and power.
How Rotational Movement Works
Thomas Meyer's book Anatomy Trains has been a huge influence in the development of myofascial understanding and training. It is a must for anybody studying kinesiology. In it Thomas shows how the body is intertwined with connective tissues, and these tissues cross over the two halves of the body to create a crossed connection, very useful for rotational movements.
As you can see from the picture below your myofascial lines cross over the body to create significant connections from opposite sides of the body. Just one of the many outcomes from these findings is many times problems in a shoulder are caused or could be improved by focusing on the opposite hip or ankle.
Not only that, but we something called Muscle Slings, that also cross over the body. Jason Glass is in the forefront of rotational biomechanics and training. He has discussed how we have posterior and anterior muscle slings.
The posterior sling run from the lats (and really starts up at the posterior shoulder) - thoracolumbar fascia - glutes
The anterior sling run from the external obliques - internal obliques - adductor complex.
Muscle slings play a key role in developing and transfering rotational forces. They help to load and unwind forces and because of their design and attachment points, they are perfect for rotational movements.
The posterior sling run from the lats (and really starts up at the posterior shoulder) - thoracolumbar fascia - glutes
The anterior sling run from the external obliques - internal obliques - adductor complex.
Muscle slings play a key role in developing and transfering rotational forces. They help to load and unwind forces and because of their design and attachment points, they are perfect for rotational movements.
Anterior Muscle Sling Posterior Muscle Sling
These slings are also responsible for specific actions and movements during rotational exercises. Here they can be seen
The Anterior Sling - Flexion and Rotation
The Posterior Sling - Extension and Rotation
To go along with this, each sling as a particular role in loading and unwinding forces. The majority of loading falls upon the extension patterns, so the posterior sling. The majority of unwinding falls upon the flexion patterns, so the anterior sling.
Picture a golf swing. The backswing is the loading portion, and the posterior muscle sling loads up the body for the downswing. Then during the downswing, the anterior sling takes over and unwinds the force built up by the posterior sling to bring the club through the ball.
Not only that, these slings are also involved in decelerating rotational movements. So when you're slowing down and stopping say a pitch, swing, or discus throw, your muscle slings will work to decelerate these motions safely.
Not only that, these slings are also involved in decelerating rotational movements. So when you're slowing down and stopping say a pitch, swing, or discus throw, your muscle slings will work to decelerate these motions safely.
Now that you know what goes into rotational movements, we also need to know a proper progression on how to create this rotation and the requirements/skills athletes need before starting an intense rotational program.
In the next part of this series we will go into the stability and mobility requirements/progressions needed to safely and effectively perform high speed and high load rotational movements. Until then Go Get 'Em!
In the next part of this series we will go into the stability and mobility requirements/progressions needed to safely and effectively perform high speed and high load rotational movements. Until then Go Get 'Em!
Like, Dislike, Agree, Disagree, WORLD CHANGING, or a big turd; whatever you feel, leave a comment below and let me know!
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