An efficient runner will accelerate without thinking about it. If you try to run harder, you’ll tighten up and slow down. How many times have you tried to move your legs faster in order to beat out an infield hit or tried to “kick it in” after rounding third only to tighten up and slowRead More
The following two exercises can be used as core drills to work the total body from the ground up. They are baseball-specific because they force you take the forces produced in the lower body and transfer them through the trunk to the upper body where they are applied to the ball. Both drills train theRead More
As an incoming college freshman, I received a manual through the mail with my football team’s workouts for the summer. The manual was about 75 pages long and consisted mostly of strength routines and information about the testing to be performed during the pre-season training camp. The core routine was a hand-written note at theRead More
Over the years, I have seen a lot of players who have been given well-designed programs by their strength and conditioning staff and then proceeded to do only the exercises that they enjoyed and omit those that they really needed to do. Usually, the ones they liked were a lot easier than those that theyRead More
It’s a great time to become a Strength and Conditioning Coach. The field of strength training is expanding in multiple directions, opening up new and exciting job opportunities in high schools, colleges and universities, graduate assistant positions, professional sports, performance facilities, and the military. And the opportunities are growing! When I was breaking into theRead More
The landmine pull and twist, aka, “baseball power clean”, is a good total body power exercise that requires sequential and integrated forces from the legs, core, shoulders, arms and hands. For max results, do the exercise quickly and explode upward through the legs and hips. Then, using the core and hips, twist the body toRead More
Reverse Sled Drags Reverse sled drags are a very low-tech and versatile lower body exercise. They can be used to rehab an injury, reduce stress on a sore joint, increase strength, improve conditioning and/or as an alternative to traditional strength training exercises. Reverse drags work the quads in a knee-friendly way for both “healthy” athletesRead More
Despite the fact that management and coaches have been telling players for decades NOT to slide head first into first base, some players continue to do it. While most know better, when caught up in the heat of the battle, the competitive juices start to flow and players will do anything to reach base safely.Read More
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
INTRODUCTION Starting pitching is the foundation for any successful organization. Whether they came from your minor league developmental system, via a trade or signed through free agency, this collection of five starters has a significant impact on your team’s success or failure. Running programs that are implemented during the lead up to a pitcher’s startRead More
Injuries in baseball seem to be on the rise at every level of play and many of them are preventable. This is a multifaceted concern with several possible culprits. One potential issue is that athletes are designing their own strength and conditioning programs without the benefit of a scientific foundation or fundamental knowledge of exerciseRead More