Rotational Superset Training

There's no doubt that the core/trunk of a baseball player takes on a fair amount of rotational stress when it comes to on-field movements such as throwing, hitting, running.

To train for the rotational demands placed on the core we’ll structure Superset combinations, in which core integration is a major part of each exercise. The following PUSH/PULL combination is one such superset combination capable of developing the necessary core stiffness & strength a ball player will need to perform those on-field rotational movements.

SUPERSET

(A1) 1-ARM(1A) DUMBBELL(DB) FLAT BENCH PRESS:
In addition to the strength development for the chest and triceps, proper execution and control of this unilateral movement will have a great influence on shoulder stability and core stiffness.





(A2) 1-ARM, STAGGERED STANCE (S/S) CABLE ROW:
In addition to strength development for the back, posterior shoulder & biceps, this exercise is driven thru the extremely important transverse plane. In addition, the hip flexor of the rear leg is lengthened when the same side glutes are activated. This lengthening of the hip flexor becomes of great importance to hamstrings.






In addition, a similar 1A superset combination can be performed by implementing a 1A Incline DB press followed by a 1A "high to low" cable row


Stay tuned for a future blog that outlines a PULL/PUSH rotational superset combination.



Out train the game!

Chew on this

From an October 18, 2011 article appearing on ESPN.com the 1st sentence, regarding the ban of tobacco in MLB, read like this-

"U.S. senators and health officials are taking on a baseball tradition older than the World Series itself: chewing tobacco on the diamond."

Even though this can be a heavily debated topic, I think it's imperative to share not only some of the eye-opening, harmful side effects from chewing (smokeless) tobacco but also the health benefits of a much healthier & smarter alternative: sunflower seeds.

CHEWING TOBACCO











1. Tooth decay & gum disease

2. Oral cancer of the mouth, cheeks, lips, tongue & throat

3. Reduced sense of taste; leading to an excessive intake of salts & sugars

4. Lung cancer

5. Increased heart rate & blood pressure

6. Negatively affects performance


SUNFLOWER SEEDS











1. Sunflower seeds are high in the "good" unsaturated fat, making them a great heart healthy snack.

2. healthy source of dietary fiber.

3. sunflower seeds contain vitamin E, thiamin (B1), magnesium, ; plus a host of other nutrients

3. Contains sodium. Yes salt. Baseball players often find themselves playing in extreme hot, humid conditions and the lack of sodium under such conditions can place the ball player at risk for developing a sodium imbalance leading to muscle cramps and poor performance.

Choose smart, eat healthy...and reach for the seeds.

Go hard in the yard

Sport Science: Aroldis Chapman

Great infotmation as to why Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman is able to throw over 100mph... on a regular basis.

Aroldis getting after a whole new training experience this off-season.

202 = 6th

As posted earlier, Anibal Sanchez recorded 202 strikeouts in 2011...good enough for 6th best amongst NL starters.

Congrats to Anibal.

Ramon finishes 2011

Ramon opened up the 2011 season with an opening day 3 run walk-off HR. How awesome is that. His 2011 numbers were fairly consistent to that of 2010. However, he did show some extra pop this year finishing with 5 more HRs than 2010.

He called me from NYC tonight; ready to begin his 2012 off-season training program.

here we go....

Stay tuned

Go hard in the yard

2011 in the books

The 2011 MLB season is in the books. It also marks the second consecutive season that FTB client and Florida Marlins Starting Pitcher Anibal Sanchez has done it again..made all 32 of his starts and finished healthy. Big deal you say. Well, it actually is as Anibal has shown that, since training with FTB, he is healthy and durable following 3 previous injury riddled seasons (2007-2009).

Altho his 2011 ERA is up slightly (due to more HRs allowed) he held opponents to lower BA (.250) and allowed fewer hits (187) & BB (64) than 2010. More importantly, as these numbers demonstrate durable and power, he threw more innings (196.1), more strikeouts (202) than 2010.

He and I have already talked and he is eager to get a jumpstart on our 2011 off-season training program in preparation for the 2012 season

Get ready Miami!

Go hard in the yard.

New Highs in September '11

When the 162 game season begins taking it's toll on players, Anibal Sanchez is still in mid-season form. While tossing a 1-hitter vs. the pirates last night, Sanchez recorded his 3rd complete game and 2nd shutout of the 2011 season-both are season career highs.





I couldn't be more convinced about the structure of our off season training and conditioning programs. As I've said time and time again, "in season performance happens in the off-season".

Go hard in yard.

Adam