Why Pitchers should ICE their arms?
May 9, 2009
Dick Mills just wrote an article about how Pitchers are causing more damage than good when icing their arms. He said that He did some research that proves that icing the pitchers arm does not help the arm recover but actually slows down the recovery process. I just wonder where he got his research because he does not tell us. After reading his quote below it sounds like he got it from Dr Seuss. Read more
Popularity: 25%
Boost your Testosterone and Growth Hormone Levels Naturally
February 1, 2009
Using illegal steroids and growth hormone (GH) injections to increase your levels of testosterone and GH, has more bad side effects than positive returns. This is why I speak against these illegal drugs. Through proper strength and conditioning, an athlete can naturally stimulate their bodies testosterone and GH levels. The reason for athletes increasing these levels is to grow bigger, stronger, faster, which means your body is healing faster than it is breaking down. This is very beneficial for pitchers, because quicker recovery between appearances, will result in more velocity, better consistency and less chance of injury. This is why the Michell Report was full of professional pitchers using these illegal substances. These pro pitchers were looking for the hormonal edge but going at it in the wrong direction. Thank you to the strength and conditioning world, we have now learned that the hormonal edge can be obtained naturally, through a proper strength and conditioning program. Read more
Popularity: 47%
Pain in Triceps and Biceps when Pitching
February 1, 2009
Having pain in the biceps and triceps when pitching is a sign of overuse or weak muscle development. This can come from a poor strength and conditioning program and or poor mechanics.
I am not a Doctor but I have dealt with pitching injuries my entire career and have studied strength and conditioning science for years. I recommend that when pitching with an annoying pain in the biceps and triceps you should first, take a few weeks off from pitching and then follow a strict diet of good whole food nutrition, along with icing the arm to help stimulate the healing process.
Ice the arm on top of the bicep muscles for 10 minutes and then remove the ice for 30 minutes and then ice the top of the triceps muscles for 10 minutes. DO NOT ice the ulnar nerve. This is the “funny bone” nerve just under the elbow. Make sure the ice is to the left or right side of the ulnar nerve when icing. Ice once or twice a day for a week and then start to strengthen the arm again initially with light arm curls and extensions. As you grow stronger, try to increase the weight while lowering the repetitions. Within a couple of weeks, work to push the muscles to fatigue within 5 reps of 3 sets. This will force the muscle to grow bigger and stronger. Read more
Popularity: 47%
Fast Twitch Pitching
January 28, 2009
Professional Baseball is full of genetic freaks. Long and slender pitchers who throw mid to upper 90′s like A.J. Burnett. At this moment Major League scouts are combing the earth looking for these rare specimens. This is why it is so exciting when someone like Tim Lincecum at 5’9 170 pounds, throwing 95 mph, comes along and blows everyone’s mind. Yes, Tim is a new kind of freak but what he proves is that throwing hard can also be a little mans game. Tim is evidence that the strength and conditioning world is not just hype. It is real and it is the fountain of success for any athlete. It teaches why someone like Tim Lincecum throws as hard as someone the total opposite in size, like A.J. Burnett. Why doesn’t Major League Baseball teach little guys how to throw like big guys? Because they do not have too. Major League Baseball is like a spoiled child. It gets the best of the best. Therefore, they have no need to make what they have any better. Read more
Popularity: 42%
Pitcher’s it is time to Start Juicing!
January 20, 2009
After my almost career ending rotator cuff injury, I decided to devote myself to understanding the body so I could somehow find a way back to the game I love. What I learned was I had bad mechanics as a young pitcher. I also learned that I did not train enough or when I trained it was completely wrong. I also learned that my diet was that of a dog and not a diet of a high performance athlete. It is important, as athletes, that we eat the balanced diet we have been told about all of our lives. We avoid listening to these words of wisdom because we eat what we want to eat. The reality is most young athletes have not faced a career ending injury. If someone was to tell you that you could avoid any serious injury in sports and prolong your career as an athlete, if you eat 5-6 servings of vegetables a day, would you do it? Read more
Popularity: 31%
How a BAD Pitching Coach Can Ruin a GOOD Pitcher
January 18, 2009
Ultimately your pitching Coach is your boss. If you piss him off, there is a good chance you may be out of a job. The problem is if he is a BAD pitching coach, he could jeopardize your career. It has happened many times before. The key is to keep the Coach happy, while you find the best support you can, to help influence your career.
What makes a BAD pitching Coach?
Someone who has no experience in playing the position at the top levels of the game, or someone who has no certified education of how to coach the position. Read more
Popularity: 35%
Overload to Underload – Right Concept, Wrong Approach
January 14, 2009
Using weighted balls to force the pitcher’s body to adjust its throwing mechanics to be more efficient, is the right concept but the wrong approach. The problem with the Overload to Underload throwing program is that it sacrifices the arm to teach the body how to move weight more efficiently. To understand how backwards this approach is we must first look at what role the arm plays in the pitching delivery. Read more
Popularity: 27%
Poor Posture Causes Injury and Decreases Velocity
January 12, 2009
Poor posture is a sign of weakness and laziness. Because it is seen as being “Cool” to lounge around in class or hanging out somewhere, this is causing poor posture in young athletes today. DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOU. Poor posture will lead to an arm injury, especially in pitchers. If this is you, then you must read this article.
Notice the image below of the subacromial space. When the arm is relaxed and down, there is enough room for the shoulder to rotate internally and externally but when the arm is raised above the head, in a throwing position, the subscromial space is almost closed. This can easily cause an impingment of the rotator cuff muscle, mainly the supraspinatus. Poor posture makes this even worse. This is because the shoulders are forward and the acromion is positioned more on top of the supraspinatus muscle impinging the muscle even more. With poor posture and the constant internal rotation of the arm during a pitch, over time this will start to tear the muscle. This could lead to a complete tear of the rotator cuff. Read more
Popularity: 24%
What you need to know about the shoulder.
January 9, 2009
This article is for every athlete out there. I am an athlete, who overcame a career ending rotator cuff tear in college, to pitch again and make it to minor league ball. I was told, I would never pitch as hard as I did before the tear. I topped out at 94 mph my last season for the San Diego Surf Dawgs, over eight years later. That was more than 8 mph from before surgery. It was a long road and I am here today, to teach you everything you need to know on how to prevent this from happening to you. Read more
Popularity: 29%
How and When to Rest When Pitching
January 7, 2009
When we rest as pitchers, during a game in between pitches, it is important that we restore our ATP. This can take up to three minutes to completely restore. More ATP in our system means more explosive energy in our muscles. The problem is in between innings we usually get a lot more than three minutes. This means we have more than enough time for our bodies to replenish ATP. The question now becomes when does our bodies begin to shut down and cool off? This happens once your heart rate drops to a resting heart rate. Those of us who have done this understand that this causes our arms and bodies to stiffen and grow sore. When this happens we must start over again and perform a proper warm up to prevent injury. In the heat of the game, warming up again usually doesn’t happen. So we jump back on the mound with that sore, stiff arm and our endorphins take care of the pain. This over time will end a career. Read more
Popularity: 18%
FREE Velocity Starter Kit
Learn what it takes to gain 10 mph
with the FREE Velocity Starter Kit!
Download Your FREE Copy Now!
Translation
