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• Breathing / Reset
• Flexibility / Soft Tissue
• Mobility
• Band Activation
• Movement

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Examples

The post Light Weight Bands appeared first on RPP Baseball Store.

• Digital Programs (email and online access w/videos)
  • Pre-Throwing Program
  • Post-Throwing Program
  • Non-Throwing Days Program
  • Plyo Balls – Drill Guide
  • Activation Bands – Drill Guide
• 1 Activation Band
• Soft Tissue
  • 1 Set of Massage Balls
  • 1 Massage Stick Roller
  • 1 High Density Foam Roller
• UCL Protection
  • 1 Grip Strengthener
  • 1 Club Bell Pronator
  • 1 Wrist and Forearm Trainer
  • 1-2  5 lbs. Plates (not included)
• Recovery
  • 1 Mini-Rebounder
  • 1 Set of Plyo Balls (1 and 2 lbs. only)
  • 2 Light Weight Bands – Yellow
• 1 Gym Bag

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• Helps activate and balance rotator cuff and surrounding muscles
• Prepares the arm to accelerate/decelerate
• Increases blood flow prior to throwing

Let’s face it, everyone loves to throw hard, but we have to make sure we’re going about it the best and safest way possible. Learning the correct way to take care of your arm, shoulder and body as a pitcher should be a top priority, not only during the season but year-round as well.  We utilize band warm-up/activations 2x’s/week to help maintain cuff activation/stability, once high-intent throwing slows down. The first step is correcting poor form, so they don’t continue to “get good at moving poorly”.

In addition, over the years many college coaches have complained to me about how poor band-work looks on their fields. Many even have suggested “please write a blog about this!”.  Unfortunately, I know. I have seen it for myself.  Here are two main points that I see that causes band work to get “ugly”.

More is Not Better

Many people use an excessive amount of repetitions looking for that “burn” that is associated with strength training. The problem is, during the in-season, throwing is strength training for the cuff, so too much band work can put a shoulder into the 3^rd inning before you’ve even thrown a single pitch! On the contrary I use a bit more volume in the off-season (two sets instead of one), but I do not recommend it as a substitute for strength training.

Unfortunately, at some point along the way some of the band companies started to market and promote their bands as a strength training tool.  Let’s me say this loud and clear…

“Band work is not strength training”

Too Heavy of a Band

Using too heavy of a band resistance when performing band activations can do more harm than good by creating poor movement patterns as well as activating the bigger muscles such as the Latissimus Dorsi (Lat) and the deltoid instead of the smaller stabilizers of the cuff (infraspinatus Teres minor).

The takeaway here is that you want to feel these drills in the posterior cuff, not on the side or front of the shoulder or the lower lumbar for that matter.

We took the average distance that our HS and college guys stood from a wall when performing band work. This was approximately 60-70” (5’0 – 5’10) this was an average range and seems to be where athletes set up regardless of their ability to adequately perform the drills with proper form. I will say that our pro guys and more elite level players- who can actually handle the heavier resistance are actually the guys who immediately reach for the lighter bands. They just know it feels better.

We then measured the lbs of resistance with both a heavy and lighter resistance band. The “heavier” bands have a resistance of (6-7) lbs. when stretched whereas the lighter version such as the bands we use here at RPP had a resistance of (3-4) lbs.

Another takeaway was this… the athletes FELT the activation in the posterior cuff more when using the band with less resistance.

“The athletes FELT the activation in the posterior cuff more when using the band with less resistance”

If a bands resistance is correct the athlete should be able to do two things:

1. Keep the hips, lower lumbar and torso stable in order to help maintain ball and socket congruency…

Lower Half – Unstable

Lower Half – Stable

2. Keeping the elbow still throughout the exercise. This one again helps keep “the ball in the socket” as well as preventing creating downward depression of the scap through excess tugging on the lat.

Elbow – Unstable

Elbow – Stable

The problem is that most athletes being the alpha males that we are, feel once again that “more is better” when it comes to using a heavier band or one with less resistance. While some exercises where the shoulder is in more of a provocative position such as ER at 90 degrees of abduction (seen above), requires less tension, there are cases with some band activations where more tension/resistance is required. How’s this for a great idea.. you can always just back up a bit and increase the tension in the band.

Don’t get me wrong, band work can be great; just make sure you are doing it correctly, and with good form. And remember, let me say this again…

“Band activation is NOT a replacement for strength training”

So, using too heavy of a band is like “throwing the baby out with the bath water”. Try a bit less resistance and see how much your form improves as well as how much more you feel it where you’re supposed to-in the posterior cuff.

Lastly, while there is some degree of strengthening that can be done to the posterior cuff and shoulder in the off season, it is primarily a great way to increase blood flow to the shoulder and activate the primary cuff musculature to help you get ready to throw as well as keep up with arm care and health year-round.

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• Digital Programs (email and online access w/videos)
  • UCL Protection Program
• Equipment
  • 1 Activation Band
  • 1 Grip Strengthener
  • 1 Club Bell Pronator
  • 1 Power Band – Heavy (Black)
  • 1 Power Band – Medium (Red)
  • 1 Set of Sliders (pair)
  • 1 Wrist and Forearm Trainer
  • Requires plates to serves as weights on the wrist and forearm trainer (5-15 lbs. depending on athlete)

The following article is to summarize how we attempt to help stabilize and protect our pitchers and baseball players’  UCL (also known as the Tommy John ligament) with several elbow and forearm exercises we perform here at RPP.

But before we get into it, let’s go over the current situation.  A recent study in The Physician and Sports Medicine showed that 29% of youth baseball players up to the age of 12 reported episodes of shoulder or elbow pain.  Another report in the Journal of Arthroscopy noted 31% of pitchers up to the age of 22 have experienced an arm injury as well.  Over a third of Tommy John procedures performed are on youth pitchers.  Here is a graph showing the rise in Tommy John surgeries performed on youth each year by Dr. James Andrews (American Sports Medical Institute):

With that said, let’s get into it:

1. 1. Strengthen the Periscapular Muscles
   2. Strengthen the “Flexor / Pronator” Groups
   3. Strengthen the Rotator Cuff
   4. Strengthen the Core Musculature
   5. Improve Shoulder Mobility
   6. Controlling Excessive ROM During the Season

By following the above protocol, we can help stabilize the injured elbow and prevent injury recurrence both before the initiation of a progressive throwing program as well as after.

1. Strengthen the Periscapular Muscles

The Periscapular muscles serve to anchor the scapula for its role as the main stabilizer of the shoulder. In addition, they guide the scapula through the requisite degrees of freedom. These muscles include and are associated with the following movements:

• • Serratus anterior and Pec Minor (protraction)
  • Trapezius, Rhomboids, Levator Scapulae (retraction / elevation)

Exercises to help strengthen the periscapular muscles:

Serratus & Pec Minor

(Push-up to Downward Dog – x8)

Trapezius

(1-Arm Band Row – x10 / side)

Rhomboids

(½ Kneeling Rev. Rows – x10)

2. Strengthen the “Flexor / Pronator” Groups

These are some of the muscles that help stabilize and protect the elbow, especially in the “layback” position:

• • Flexor Digitorum Superficialis
  • Flexor Carpi Radialis
  • Flexor Carpi Ulnaris
  • Pronator Teres

The flexor digitorum superficialis is an extrinsic muscle that allows the four medial fingers of the hand to flex. These fingers include the index, middle, ring, and pinkie fingers.

The flexor carpi radialis muscle is a relatively thin muscle located on the anterior part of the forearm. It performs the function of providing flexion of the wrist and assists in abduction of the hand and wrist.

The flexor carpi ulnaris arises along with the other superficial muscles, from the medial epicondyle of the humerus. These muscles flex the wrist and adduct it (move it laterally in the direction of ulnar).

The pronator teres muscle is located on the palmar side of the forearm, below the elbow. its function is to rotate the forearm palm-down. This is also known as pronation.

Here are a few of the forearm, grip and elbow exercises we perform on non-throwing days to strengthen the flexor/pronator group.

Stretch

(Wrist Flexion / Extension Stretch – x20-30 sec/side)

Strengthening Exercises (1-2 sets ea / 2x per week)

(Wrist and Forearm Trainer – x3/ea way)

(Pronators – x8 reps)

(Pronation/Supination – x10 / side)

(Grip Strengthener – x5, 5 sec holds)

3. Strengthening the Rotator Cuff

When training the cuff musculature, it is important to work on both strength AND firing time of the cuff.

Here are a few great ones.

(Band ER @ 90 degrees – x10)

(Band IR @ 90 degrees – x10)

4. Strengthen the Core Musculature

Extension in the lower back is many times due to a lack of core control. This can cascade into a number of mobility problems up the chain (i.e the shoulder). Such as:

• • Limited Shoulder Flexion
  • Limited upward Rotation
  • Elbow Valgus Torque (getting in and out of layback)

Here are a few staples we use with great sucess.

(Bird Dogs w/ Trap Raise – x8 / side)

This one is great for training stability/firing time of the cuff as well.

(Rev. Alligator Walks – 15-20 yds)

5. Improve Shoulder Mobility

A lack of shoulder flexion has been shown to place stress on the medial elbow. Improving shoulder mobility will go a long way in helping to take extra torque /stress off the UCL.

(Band Standing Shoulder Flexion – x8)

(Side Lying Windmill – x8 / side)

6. Controlling Excessive ROM During the Season

Gains in external rotation (ER) happen naturally for pitchers and baseball players from throwing during the season, but excessive gains in ER can create an unstable shoulder, forcing the elbow to have to take up the slack and placing added stress on the UCL. Monitoring throwing volume, as well as participating in a good in-season strength training program complete with shoulder stabilizations during the season, can be a career saver.

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• 18″L x 6″ Diameter – Round
• Inexpensive alternative to manual therapy
• Helps improve movement/performance
• Helps restore full range of motion
• Helps reduce Injury Risk

How do you do it? You use your bodyweight to apply pressure to the targeted area. Roll slowly away from the body and stop and “bear down” on the most tender spots. When the pain diminishes by at least 50% roll the other areas. The more body weight you lay onto the roller the more pressure you’ll apply to the tissue.

Examples

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• 4 kg (8.8 lbs)
• 16.5 inches long
• You can choke up or down based on age and strength for more or less weight
• Made from heavy duty and professional quality solid cast iron
• Sleek with smooth finish with machined handle for consistent and safe grip
• Great for improving grip and forearm strength
• Allows athletes to “feel” pronation more effectively
• Helps coach a more effective arm path

Here are two methods we utilize as a part of our UCL Protection Program to help strengthen the arm muscles to provide more protection for the Tommy John Ligament :

Pronation-Supination

Ulnar Deviation

The post Club Bell Pronator appeared first on RPP Baseball Store.

• Approximately 16″ wide for ideal grip
• Constructed with heavy duty steel
• Comes with a high quality nylon webbing strap
• Helps strengthening the wrists, hands and forearms
• Plates purchased separately

Sample Video

The post Wrist and Forearm Trainer appeared first on RPP Baseball Store.

• 17.5″L weighing 11 oz
• Helps reduce delayed onset muscle soreness from throwing
• Used by Physical Therapists and athletic trainers/coaches worldwide
• Easy to carry and can be taken and used anywhere
• Made from high-quality industrial strength materials, with thermoplastic rubber and polypropylene handles for an ergonomic grip
• Super convenient for storage and travel

In our programming, we normally use the Massage Stick Roller with forearms and triceps as a part of our arm care regimen as follows:

Examples

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