Squats are an exercise that builds leg power, which catchers need during a game, and to endure a full season behind the plate. Squats can be performed while holding a barbell across your upper back, with dumbbells at your sides or with just your own body weight. To perform a squat, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and bend your legs until your thighs are about parallel to the floor. Do a lower number of repetitions with heavier weight to build power and size, and higher reps with lower weight or your body weight for strength and endurance.
Side lunges will help strengthen the muscles a catcher needs for lateral movement. Pitches to either side in the dirt must be blocked, and quick lateral movement is the key to getting in front of a wild pitch. Stand with your hands on your hips, or a dumbbell in each hand, then step out to either side into a lunge. At this point, you can step back to the start with your lunging leg or step up with your straight leg and continue in that direction.
Perform an equal number of reps on each side. Footwork is an important aspect of being a catcher. Blocking pitches and pivoting to throw out base runners requires you to be quick on your feet. Building a Base It is just this simple, if you want to have a strong and healthy arm that sustains itself throughout the season, then you have to establish a strong foundation in the off-season. When a player spends a minimum of four to six weeks developing his base, this base will begin to deepen and fortify through the winter months and sustain itself through the demands of the season.
Aches, pains, swelling and irritation are virtually eliminated and so are the vulnerability to arm injuries. In fact, the majority of position players and pitchers that I work with feel as strong at the end of the season as they do at the beginning of the season. Getting Started: Arm Preparation There are two exercises that must always supercede picking up baseball: 1 Arm Circles and 2 Surgical Tubing exercises Arm Circles A set of arm circles is the first exercise that is done to warm up the smaller muscles in the shoulder so that the subsequent surgical tubing exercises i.
Jobe exercises can be maximized. Arm Circles will also build up flexibility, balance, strength and stamina in the rotator cuff muscle group supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis independent of the surgical tubing exercises. Notes: Warms and oxygenates the shoulder like any other muscle Provides good flexibility and range of motion and strengthens the smaller, weaker rotator cuff muscles by isolating them the most vulnerable part of the shoulder Provides muscle balance Creates endurance Promotes better recovery period Prepares arm for surgical tubing exercises Surgical Tubing Surgical tubing exercises are an important part of setting the tone for long tossing.
The surgical tubing exercises are designed to isolate specific muscles in the rotator cuff so that they can be stretched and strengthened. Because certain muscles in the back of your shoulder deceleraters are more vulnerable to breaking down, these exercises are designed to balance the rotator cuff muscle group. As a compliment to the arm circles, the surgical tubing exercises will provide you with a deeper, more efficient stretch that may not be attainable by physical methods.
These same exercises that are used to rehabilitate arms can be used to "develop" and prepare the arm before you throw. These exercises were made popular by the renowned orthopedist Dr. Frank Jobe. Notes: Surgical tubing exercises provide an even deeper, more isolated workout for the rotator cuff muscles which are most vulnerable to breaking down Strengthens the shoulder from "inside out" Maximizes elasticity, flexibility and range of motion Provides rotator cuff muscle balance, strength and endurance and promotes recovery period in the short term game to game and long term season As a compliment to the arm circles, the surgical tubing exercises will provide you with a deeper, more efficient stretch that may not be attainable by physical methods Surgical tubing exercises are an important part of setting the tone for long tossing Mechanics: Hip Drill Now that we've put the arm in an ideal space to throw, we need to make sure that our mechanics are going to further support, rather than inhibit, the arm for our throwing program.
Though some players may be resistant to changing mechanics, all players must learn that some mechanical adjustments may be essential to avoiding injuries and providing long term health.
Without sound and consistent throwing mechanics, a player can significantly limit the amount of strength, endurance and accuracy that can otherwise be greatly improved. Note: throwing mechanics may be slightly different for position players rather than pitchers when long tossing.
Because it will take you four to six weeks to establish a solid base possibly twice that long if you've never been on a long toss program you must learn how to "listen" to your arm.
One of the most important things you can do as a player is know your arm. Long tossing will give you this opportunity because you have to follow the pace of your arm, rather than throw just for the sake of throwing. For example, I will often give players three major check points: Let the arm stretch itself out with loose arm action Allow your arm to throw as far as it wants to throw provided that it "feels good", like a massage Be aware of keeping sound mechanics for consistency and arm support For someone who is new to long toss it might take a couple of weeks at a relatively short distance feet to stretch and lengthen the arm to where it feels good before moving on to the more pivotal extension and strengthening phase.
As you learn how to throw through a stretch without extra effort you will notice that the arm has a chance to "open up" or "air out" without unnecessary strain or pressure. It is at this point that the arm can breathe, and the muscles lengthen. The arm will thrive on throwing often at this pace. Because the arm is just stretching out there is little or no swelling from day to day. In effect, recovery period is virtually eliminated and the arm yearns for daily throwing.
This is critical because the arm wants to "stretch out" daily can you imagine how good your hamstrings would feel if you stretched them out daily?
Note: though the goal out of season is to throw on a daily basis, it is typical that the arm will need to be rested periodically until a base is firmly established. Stretching Out: The goal here is to stretch or "massage" the arm as you move further away from your throwing partner. It is not based on the amount of throws you make or "timed throwing. Be sure to stretch the arm out in a manner that promotes loose arm action and mechanical consistency.
A Word On Distance As the arm begins to develop endurance it will not only want to throw more often but it will want to throw for more distance. The stretching phase of throwing will commonly go from, per se, feet to feet in a few weeks time. Again, everyone is different and some players may take several weeks to stretch out to feet or more.
Either way, the length and distance will come in time as long as smart and consistent throwing is maintained. Also, it should be noted that when a player goes beyond feet, he should use his legs to "crow hop. The rounding in the back creates tightness in the shoulders and pectoral muscles. It also creates extreme weakness in the upper back muscles, core, and promotes poor postural habits.
The glutes are the power center for all athletes. This creates shifting in the hips during strength movements, putting catchers at risk for a low back injury.
Now, a lot of baseball players possess weakness in the upper back, and this is due to their overactive accelerators accelerators are the group of muscles responsible for the acceleration of throwing.
They include the pecs, deltoids, and more. To display how this works, think of a rubber band. The farther you pull it back, the harder it snaps back into place, right? Well the shoulder joint acts the same way. But, if you have overactive pecs and deltoids, your range of motion in the shoulder, or ability to pull back, is diminished. This leads to lower throwing velocities.
A rounded back puts you in a compromised position in the weight room. Movements like deadlifts, squats, even bench press, require you to pull your shoulders down and back to avoid injury. You should perform this everyday for one minute each side. This one stretches the pec minor, a commonly tight muscle in throwing athletes. In the catching position, many catchers have a tendency to jut their head forward.
This creates tightness in the levator.
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