Core Stiffness Series: #2 ANTI-EXTENSION

Next up as part of my CORE STIFFNESS exercise series is Anti-Extension. In addition to preventing trunk extension (which challenges the anterior core) the following exercise (Staggered Stance 2-arm cable press) also provides benefits to the chest, shoulders, scapula, triceps, rear-foot ankle, & rear-leg hip flexors.

Core Stiffness Series : #1 ANTI-ROTATION

When training core stability, or core stiffness as I like to reference it, consider a series of movement patterns that address the following: anti-rotation, anti-extension, anti-flexion and anti-lateral flexion. First up is an example of anti-rotation... a simple cable push-out which has also been referred to as the Pallof Cable Press.

Aledmys Diaz

Part of our lower body day included some truck pushes...great for lower body strength, and tremendous conditioning.

Aledmys Diaz, St Louis Cardinals

This is the first of several videos I'll be posting of Aledmys Diaz during his off-season strength training program with us.

This particular video may not look like much but there's a ton going on from shoulder stability, rotational core stiffness, to hip flexor mobility.

SAQ or NOT

Before an under-performing (worn breaks, worn tires, sluggish engine) sports car hits the track or streets, it’s in the garage getting a makeover with a new stable frame, high performance breaks, tires and an improved powerful engine. All the things to make it accelerate, decelerate and change directions (maneuver in & out of traffic).  Same principle ought apply to our baseball players. But way too often, ball players are performing their maneuverability (SAQ drills) before the body is ready to handle the training loads these vast number of drills require.  SAQ drills can have their place in the strength training program, but if not properly progressed, the outcome can often be problematic regards to hips, knees, ankles, feet, hammys, etc.

Recently, I was asked by coaches that their players take it easy in the gym when they are to train legs/hips; because they are implementing a lot of SAQ drills on the field and don’t want them over-training legs. HUH? Really? It’s as if they want to implement on-field SAQ drills in place of  “legs day” in the gym. In my opinion, this thinking is backwards. We build strong, stable and powerful legs to withstand not only the training tolerances of SAQ drills but for the purpose of enhancing overall on-field/in-game speed. And, in my opinion a strong, stable, powerful lower half is made in the weight room (the garage) by implementing a lower body strength training protocol that includes a healthy dose of exercises such as; 1-leg squat, 1-leg RDL, split squats, lateral lunges, hops, ankle pumps, wall marches, etc.

Simply stated, 1-Leg training supports 2-Leg activities but 2-Leg training does not have the same transfer to 1-Leg activities.

So just why is 1-leg (1L) training so important? It all comes down to 1-leg stability at the hip, knee, and ankle. Greater 1L stability means greater amounts of forces (power) are available to be driven into and received from the ground; therefore, a quicker, faster athlete.  You don’t always need special SAQ drills or toys or even external loaded pieces of equipment.  Train 1L stability via the inclusion of 1-leg exercises (along with proper core stiffening program) then you can take your athlete out of the “garage” and turn them loose.  Remember, the car gets built, improved and strengthened in the garage not on the streets.

In summary, it’s often been said that vitamins/protein shakes, etc (supplements) don’t take the place of food, they supplement food intake; Similarly SAQ drills don’t replace the required strength training, they supplement proper strength training.  

Don’t over think, or over train the game…out train it.

Training to the 5th Power

Baseball players are evaluated using the “measuring stick” known as the Five Tools: hitting for average, hitting for power, running speed, arm strength, defensive skills. Utilizing a series of 5 training principles, collectively known as ‘Training to the 5th Power’ (T5), baseball’s Five Tools can be enhanced. These five training principles have been shown to provide a seamless transfer from “in-gym” training to “on-field” performance.

(1) Train in ground-based, standing positions:  Baseball players rarely rely on, or need, strength from sitting or lying down positions. However, although these training positions should not be ignored, they should represent a small percentage of the overall training program.  Instead, majority of your training program should comprise of (or built upon) ground-based, standing positions. These positions require a rigid, stable core from which to accelerate, decelerate and stabilize the forces necessary to enhance baseball’s power related movements and their respective muscle groups.  Furthermore, the same muscles trained from sitting or lying positions can also be trained from standing positions; engaging other stabilization muscles necessary for enhancing baseball functional strength. As an example, the chest, shoulders and triceps are activated when performing the bench press. However, while the same muscles are activated during the standing cable press (SCP), it also places a training emphasis on core stability thus enhancing the training value of the SCP.

(2) Train with free weights: Because baseball is a multi-directional sport, the utilization of free weights allows for multiple ranges of motion and multiple planes of motion (movement) to be effectively trained which may not be possible with machines that often move in only a single plane of motion.  Training with free weights, such as dumbbells, provides freedom of movement, unilateral training (which can identify muscular imbalances between limbs) and builds neuromuscular efficiency (coordination of muscle groups working together). In addition, other free weight objects, such as medicine balls, provides for power development. As an example, the ability to throw a medicine ball, in a manner similar to the rotational demands for hitting can increase the power potential of the muscles involved in that activity. When it comes to replicating movements to enhance power development, free weight objects become superior to machines.

(3) Train multi-joints – a.k.a compound movements; Movements involving more than one joint are referred to as compound movements. Multiple joint training allows for greater loads to be trained, therefore greater muscle recruitment, leading to greater strength development. I can’t think of any movement in baseball that doesn’t involve the total body. Thus compound movements provide a greater transfer for on-field performance - more so than single joint movements. A simple example is performing a squat variation vs. a seated leg extension. In addition, should your baseball player need to drop a few pounds then multi-joint, baseball specific movements can assist with increasing caloric expenditure.

(4) Train explosively - or what I like to call Speed-Strength

Baseball is a game consisting of powerful, explosive movements requiring strength & speed. Therefore, POWER development becomes vital to the on-field baseball performance demands.  And based upon the following formula, power depends upon two necessary training components: strength and speed.

                   POWER = FORCE x SPEED

                           

- OR -

              Powers = Strength x Speed.

Because power is extremely reliable on the amount of strength your ball player possesses it’s extremely important that the strength phase of your training program does not get skipped. Worth noting, is how equally important it is to create and maintain core stability (core stiffness) from which this power is generated as well as transferred.

(5) Functional Training (FT); Functional Training can be viewed as training in manner that is consistent with an intended activity regarding specific ranges of motion, planes of motion and baseball speeds. In other words, think less about isolating muscles and more about integrating movements.

All this being said, like other training concepts, there are exceptions in exchange for other effective results. For example, slow, isolated work in stable positions (i.e. lying down,) just might be necessary for the athlete needing a bit more muscle (hypertrophy). Take special note that although bodybuilders look great, I don’t recommend an all exclusive use of bodybuilding methodologies for improving on field, baseball performance; so ask yourself a simple question: would you rather train for "all go" or "all show"?

All in all, the T5 training guidelines ought to be considered for building overall functional baseball performance. In other words, “train like you play”.

Ground Reaction Forces...again

At  FTBPT we believe in the idea of Ground Reaction Forces. In other words, feet on the ground training. I know it sounds simple enough but it never fails that whenever I.m asked to review baseball training programs the one exercise that is constantly recommended for baseball performance training is the seated leg extension machine (for the quads). You know the one. The one with the feet OFF the ground which goes against "the feet on the ground" training principle at  FTBPT. Instead of the seat leg extension try another approach. Get a sled or a tire hook it up to your athlete and walk backwards for about 20 +/- yards. Knee extension is required when walking backwards and will hammer away at the quads...with feet on the ground.

Out train the game!