Strength Training Alert

Resistance Exercises Baseball Players Should Avoid

If Your Strength Training Program Isn't Specific

for Baseball Or Softball,

You Could Be Damaging Your Throwing Arm…

Don't Lift Another Ounce Until You Read This Special Training Report

By Steve Zawrotny, MS, CSCS

Disclaimer Exercise, nutrition, and food supplements are known to affect people differently

depending upon the choices, combinations, intensity, timing, general health, genetics, and effort expended. Therefore, because of these and other factors over which BASEBALL FIT Hitting and Pitching Academy has no control, no guarantee is made as to the outcome or favorable results of any program, product, or information provided herein.

You are advised to consult a physician before beginning any function or activity described in this booklet and to obtain your physician’s specific approval to conduct of any or all of these activities. You understand that these exercises or activities involve risks and dangers, which could result in serious bodily injury such as permanent disability, paralysis, and or death. You also understands that such risks and dangers may be caused by your own actions or in-actions; the action or inaction of others participating in the activity; the condition in which the activity takes place; or your own or Baseball Fit's negligence. With this understanding, you hereby release BASEBALL FIT Hitting & Pitching Academy and it’s agents and employees of any and all liability regarding your use of this information.

Therefore, with full knowledge, you fully accept and assume all such risks and responsibility for the losses, injuries, or damages as a result of participation in any activity set forth herein. You further understand and agree that participation in any activity described herein is at your own and sole risk.

And, you hereby release BASEBALL FIT Hitting & Pitching Academy and its agents and/or employees from any liability, of any kind or nature, resulting from your use of these materials, programs, or products or participation in any activities described herein.

Training Tips To Protect Your Throwing Arm

Have you ever worked really hard at something only to find out that the way you were doing it was totally wrong from the very start? What if you learned that the exercises you were performing, although common in any gym or training facility, were actually damaging your muscles and tendons?

“Impossible!” you say. Just think about it.

Most exercise programs are designed for overall strength and conditioning, not for your particular sport and its body motions. Worst yet, unless you were taught how to perform your exercises correctly, you may be performing your exercises wrong and putting undue stress on your arm and shoulder joints.

Year-in and year-out, I see hundreds of dedicated, talented athletes "hitting the weights" in their off-season, working hard to improve their strength, speed, and conditioning. What many of these well-intentioned athletes don't realize is the programs and the exercises they're performing may contain some very dangerous flaws.

While not every athlete who makes these mistakes will develop problems, these mistakes can increase your potential for injury dramatically. As you read this special alert, you'll not only learn how to avoid these mistakes--you'll learn how to correct them.

Training Mistakes That Can Increase Your Risk of Injury

The first training mistake I see most athletes make, especially unsupervised ones, is not seeking the necessary instruction to learn how to perform each exercise correctly. I call this mistake:

• Incorrectly performing the right exercise or weight lifting movement

Everyone knows the importance of performing an exercise or weight lifting movement properly. Yet, every time I go into a training center, I see athletes using the wrong grip, not breathing properly, or using jerky movements to move more weight than they can handle… all things that can lead to unnecessary injury.

The second training mistake I see athletes’ making is not taking the time to understand the basic strength-training principles that are behind each exercise or what I call:

• Correctly performing the wrong exercise or weight lifting movement

It takes a qualified strength coach, someone educated in the principles of kinesiology (the study of human motion), strength training, and conditioning to be sure you are performing the right exercises for your particular sport or motion. Click here to learn how to choose your sport-specific trainer wisely:

www.BaseballFit.com/baseball-trainer.htm

Stay Away From the "At Risk" Position When Exercising

What's an "at risk" position? Great question.

It's a position that places great stress on your shoulder. It's actually the same position your arm is at when you release an overhead throw. For those of you who love anatomy, it's a motion that requires the shoulder to assume humeral external rotation combined with abduction and horizontal abduction (Gross, 599-603) 2.

Confused even more? Don’t be, just look at the illustration below. It shows the "at risk" position.

Simply put, any exercise movement that requires you to position your shoulder this way is putting great stress on the shoulder capsule and muscles, increasing your potential for injury. Exercising from this position doesn't always lead to shoulder problems, but it does increase your chances of injury, especially if you already have a pre-existing shoulder problem. This is why it's important, whether you're healthy or have a pre-existing injury, to see your orthopedic, physician, or qualified trainer before beginning any strength-training program.

Now, remember the first training mistake: Incorrectly performing the right exercise. Suppose you're performing the right exercise but you're using the wrong form or grip so

your arm movement isn't exactly correct. So, instead of strengthening you shoulder, you are now subjecting it to more stress than the exercise intended.

In technical terms: This can lead to glenohumeral joint hyperlaxity, instability, or impingement (Durall 10-18) 1. Joint hyperlaxity involves excessive mobility without the presence of pain, whereas painful and uncontrollable excessive joint movement characterizes joint instability (Pagnani 173-190) 4. In plain English, this means you're weakening the muscle and tendon structures in and around your shoulder.

When this happens, your body tries to compensate for the weakness or instability by using the dynamic rotator cuff muscles to exert greater force to stabilize the shoulder joint. In technical terms, when the static glenohumeral ligamentouscapsular restraints are excessively lax or unstable, the dynamic rotator cuff muscles are thought to exert greater force to stabilize the humeral head (Jobe 963-975) 3.

This “over compensation” often creates fatigue in the shoulder followed by rotator cuff tendonitis and pain. That’s why sports medicine experts tell you to avoid altogether any exercise that puts significant stress on your shoulder structure--especially if you have a pre-existing injury or problem (Durall 10-18) 1.

In my Baseball Fit Strength & Conditioning Program for Throwing Velocity, found at www.BaseballFit.com/baseball-pitches.htm, I devote an entire section to taking care of and protecting your Rotator Cuff.

Nine Weight Lifting Exercises to Avoid

And Nine Safer, More Effective Alternatives

Most people are surprised, even shocked, when I read off the list of the nine arm threatening exercises. Why? Because these exercises are so commonplace in the weight-training world, no body would ever think that they could hurt you.

Please understand some of these exercises or lifts can be safely performed with a few precise modifications. But, for simplicity's sake, I recommend you only perform them under the supervision of a qualified strength coach or, better yet, avoid them altogether.

Look, I know you're thinking these exercises are so common and that everybody does them… so they can't be all that bad. Or, may be you're thinking that everyone at the gym does these exercises all the time and none of them have sore arms.

All that may be true. But, since there are a number of suitable replacements that don’t put your shoulder in the "at risk" position, why even take a chance using an exercise that could potentially hurt you?

The alternative exercises that I’ll show you are very effective and, when performed properly, won't put your shoulder in the "at risk" position.

Table 1 below lists the nine most commonly used exercises or lifts that can create problems for your throwing-arm. It's not an all-inclusive list but these are the ones I see being misused most often. The table, adopted from "The Strength and Conditioning Journal" (Durall 10-18) 1, incorporates my own training experience and my experiences working with numerous athletes over the years. Use it as a great quick reference guide of the lifts to avoid and their substitutes or required modifications.

Next are diagrams that illustrate the correct and incorrect lifts or exercises from Table 1. The first diagram shows appropriate lifts. All the variations shown are effective and can be performed with barbells, dumbbells, or machines. Remember to consult a qualified trainer before you adopt one of these exercises into your training program. Have your trainer teach you how to perform each exercise properly… from how you grip the equipment, to your form, all the way to how you breathe during the exercise.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT perform the machine bench press or bench press using a Smith machine, because these devices force the shoulder to travel in a linear (and unnatural) pathway. Perform the bench press on a flat bench with either dumbbells or a barbell using a full range of motion.

The next group of illustrations should be treated like the plague. These are the nine arm threatening exercises or lifts to be avoided. If you're currently using any one of these exercises, STOP! If you're just now developing your training program, exclude these exercises from your routine. In any case, replace these exercises with an appropriate lift and you can be confident that the exercises you're performing will safely help your strengthen and condition your throwing arm.

Perform the Right Exercises the Right Way And Safely Improve Your Playing Performance

Remember: It's important to train but it's also important to train right for your particular sport and it's unique activities. Check your strength training program for any of the nine arm threatening exercises and replace them with more appropriate exercises.

Next be sure you perform each exercise properly. Performing the right exercise incorrectly can do just as much damage as doing the wrong exercise. And, listen to your body. Don't do any exercise that causes more pain than normal.

Always seek instruction on the proper technique and program for you, your sport and it's required body motions from a qualified strength coach. This is especially true if you're exercising on your own or are trying to develop your own training program.

Watch out for general strength training programs that are not designed specifically for the activities of your sport. If you're using a general training program, examine the program for any of the nine arm-threatening exercises and replace them with one of the appropriate exercises we discussed. You can find more information on baseball or softball specific training programs at

www.BaseballFit.com/baseball-exercises.htm

If you don't know a qualified strength-training professional, you can always contact me at steve@baseballfit.com or visit our web site at www.BaseballFit.com for more information.

While you're at our site, be sure to check out some of our specialized strength training programs for throwing, hitting, and general strength and conditioning workouts specifically developed for baseball and softball players and their unique body motions.

'Till next time,

Train Hard, Train Smart!

Steve Zawrotny

About the Author

Steve is a former NCAA Division I college baseball pitcher and coach and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength &

Conditioning Association (NSCA). He has more than thirty years of combined experience as an athlete, coach, and physical fitness specialist.

He was raised in Los Angles, California and was an all-star high school pitcher recruited by some of the top college baseball programs in the West. After weighing his options, he decided to accept a baseball scholarship from Brigham Young University (BYU).

While at BYU, Steve's baseball career was cut short by an arm injury and he became a disciple of sports medicine, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. He has served as a graduate assistant baseball coach at BYU and coached several successful high school Varsity, Connie Mack, and American Legion programs. In fact, a few of his players have gone on to play at the college and professional levels.

Steve’s additional qualifications:

• He’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

• He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from Brigham Young University and a Masters of Science in Business Management from Lesley College Graduate School.F

• Former United States Air Force Physical Fitness Instructor and Weight Lifting Instructor for the National Institute of Fitness (NIF).

• He is CPR/First Aid Certified by the American Red Cross. • He is currently the Director of Training for the Baseball Fit Hitting & Pitching

Academy, a sports training service specializing specifically in baseball and softball strength, conditioning, and skills development.

Steve provides private and group pitching lessons for baseball players in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area. For more information on his training programs, contact Steve by email at steve@baseballfit.com. or visit Baseball Fit at www.BaseballFit.com

References

1) Durall, Chris J., Robert C. Manske, and George J. Davies. "Avoiding Shoulder Injury from Resistance Training." National Strength and Conditioning Association 23.5 (2001): 10-18.

2) Gross, M.L., S.L. Brenner, I. Esformes, and J.J. Sonzogni. "Anterior Shoulder Instability in Weight Lifters." American Journal. of Sports Medicine 21.4 (1993): 599-603.

3) Jobe, F.W. and R.S. Kvitne. "Shoulder Pain in the Overhand or Throwing Athlete. The relationship of anterior instability and rotator cuff impingement." Orthopedic Review 18 (1983): 963-975.

4) Pagnani, M.J. and R. F. Warren. "Stabilizers of the Glenohumeral Joint." Joint Shoulder Elbow Surgeon 3 (1994): 173-190.

______________________________________________ (C) 2006, Baseball Fit LLC. All Rights Reserved. Quotations with attribution permitted. Cite source as Steve Zawrotny's BASEBALL FIT Hitting & Pitching Academy www.BaseballFit.com The information contained herein is the opinion of the author based on his personal observations and years of experience. Neither Steve Zawrotny or Baseball Fit assume any liability whatsoever for the use of or inability to use any or all of the information presented on this website.