Arm Care Program
"Your arm should be something that completes you as a player rather than something that you try to hide"
There isn't any reason why a player should have a chronically sore, weak, or injury prone arm. If the arm would get the same attention that the other parts of the game get, it would have a chance to thrive on a daily basis and be less susceptible to injury. Unfortunately, most high school athletes neglect their arms or take them for granted.
The reality of it is that a high school baseball, swimmer, water polo, tennis and volleyball athlete needs to have a strong, well conditioned and healthy arm to play the sport. Period. There is no substitution. In case you forgot, you can't play baseball if you can't throw a baseball. You can't play volleyball or tennis if you can't lift your arm. You can't swim or play water polo if you can't move your arms. For example, how many athletes do you know that are drafted out of a rehab facility?
The arm is a skill and like any other skill it just needs committed attention. However, as long as we neglect this area of the game we are going to be limited as players. What could easily become an asset in this wonderful game can ultimately become a liability and limit your athletic career.
Though we haven't grown accustomed to putting this much emphasis on your arm you now have been given an opportunity to make a difference. Your arm can either complete you as a player or something that you try to hide.
The following arm strength and conditioning program is designed to build a strong base or foundation in the off-season, and to establish a maintenance program in season through arm circles and surgical tubing.
Note: The amount, timing and pace will vary from player to player.
When: In vs Out of Season (Let?s use baseball for this example)
The most important time to establish a throwing program is "out" of season. There are several reasons why, so let's examine these first:
1) When a player is "out of season" there is an extended period of time that can be devoted to throwing only for the purpose of conditioning (i.e. building arm health, strength and endurance). Through the conditioning phase, pitchers can establish a much needed base that can be "drawn on" throughout the season. Likewise, throwing can be easily regulated and monitored when there aren't the demands of game situations or consistent throwing on sore, tired or depleted arms (especially for pitchers in bull-pens and game situations). This freedom allows players to throw on a daily basis according to the needs of their arm. Finally, it is an optimal time to work on a players mechanics because the freedom from game situations provides an extended period of time to change potentially unhealthy and limiting mechanics.
2) When a pitcher is "in" season, bull-pens and game situations put a tremendous amount of wear and tear on the arm , which creates a great deal of swelling, slows down recovery period time and virtually eliminates optimal time to throw distance and sustain strength and endurance. This is even more magnified for pitchers who don't have a base from the off-season.
Comment: Because few players actually know how or when to long toss in the off-season, few players have the ability to sustain their velocity and endurance throughout the season. Then the domino theory goes into effect. The arm has to throw a bull-pen on a sore or tired arm sooner than it wants to. It goes into the next game situation without the needed recovery period. And soreness creates soreness. Tiredness creates tiredness. Aches creates aches. Irritation creates irritation. All of a sudden a player finds himself extremely vulnerable to an arm injury. And the last thing on his mind is to throw distance (throw at all) between bull-pens or game situations. This is a common cycle that can go on all season for arms that are not properly conditioned in the off season (that lack a base from which to work from). The arm is in a degenerating cycle that makes it much more prone to a serious injury.
Building a Base
It is just this simple , if you want to have a strong and healthy arm that sustains itself throughout the season, then you have to establish a strong foundation in the off-season. When a player spends a minimum of four to six weeks developing his base, this base will begin to deepen and fortify through the Winter months and sustain itself through the demands of the season. Because his arm has been stretched out and his stamina built up over a period of time he can go into the season with a base that will greatly reduce recovery period time (swelling/tightness) and allow him to actually thrive on throwing distance (conditioning) between bull-pens/game situations. Aches, pains, swelling and irritation are virtually eliminated and so are the vulnerability to arm injuries. In fact, the majority of position players and pitchers that I work with feel as strong at the end of the season as they do at the beginning of the season.
Getting Started: Arm Preparation
There are two exercises that must always supercede picking up baseball: 1) Arm Circles and 2) Surgical Tubing exercises
Station 2 (Arm Circles)
A set of arm circles is the first exercise that is done to warm up the smaller muscles in the shoulder so that the subsequent surgical tubing exercises (i.e. Jobe exercises) can be maximized. Arm Circles will also build up flexibility, balance, strength and stamina in the rotator cuff muscle group (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis) independent of the surgical tubing exercises.
Notes:
- Warms and oxygenates the shoulder (like any other muscle)
- Provides good flexibility and range of motion n Strengthens the smaller, weaker rotator cuff muscles by isolating them (the most vulnerable part of the shoulder)
- Provides muscle balance
- Creates endurance
- Promotes endurance and better recovery period
- Prepares arm for surgical tubing exercises
Station 3 (Surgical Tubing)
Surgical tubing exercises are an important part of setting the tone for long tossing. The surgical tubing exercises are designed to isolate specific muscles in the rotator cuff so that they can be stretch and strengthened. Because certain muscles in the back of your shoulder (deceleraters) are most vulnerable to breaking down, these exercises are designed to balance the rotator cuff muscle group. As a compliment to the arm circles, the surgical tubing exercises will provide you with a deeper, more efficient stretch that may not be attainable by physical methods.
These same exercises that are used to rehabilitate arms can be used to "develop" and prepare the arm before you throw. These exercises were made popular by the renowned orthopedist Dr. Frank Jobe.
Notes:
- Surgical tubing exercises provides an even deeper, more isolated workout for the rotator cuff muscles (which are most vulnerable to breaking down)
- Strengthens the shoulder from "inside out"
- Maximizes elasticity, flexibility and range of motion
- Provides rotator cuff muscle balance, strength and endurance n Promotes recovery period in the short term (game to game) and long term (season)
- As a compliment to the arm circles, the surgical tubing exercises will provide you with a deeper, more efficient stretch that may not be attainable by physical methods
- Surgical tubing exercises are an important part of setting the tone for long tossing
II. Pull Down Phase
Where stretching out the arm creates warmth, length and extension, the pull down phase helps to generate arm speed, arm strength, lower release point and acceleration or "finish" through the release point.
Because the muscles have been lengthened, the arm loosened, there is more space and freedom for the arm to generate a quicker response. As the arm opens up there is more "freedom" in the arm to maximize a natural whip. In effect, pulling down is not a grinding action because the arm has length in it. The pulling down phase becomes an acceleration through a stretch.
Arm strength becomes a by-product of pulling down because the additional distance provides the arm with an opportunity to generate more arm speed on longer, looser and well conditioned muscles.
The amount of throws during the pull down phase will vary but a rule of thumb is to come in 10 feet at a time with each throw. That equates to about 19 throws from 250 feet. Once you get to about 60 or 70 feet, you are free to pull down as long as the arm "welcomes" the sensation. For some players this may last for several minutes after the base has been established. Naturally, you can take a few minutes to warm down once you are satisfied with the amount of pull downs.
After peaking out through your stretch, you will come back toward your throwing partner in a very methodical manner. This is to maximize the length that you have created in your arm (that will eventually lead to arm speed). As you come in you will notice that it will take a great deal of concentration to pull through your stretch without decelerating your arm. If you decelerate or ease up on your throw you will have missed an opportunity to increase your arm speed and enhance arm strength.
In order to pull down correctly you must learn to accelerate through your release point by taking your maximum effort throw (i.e. 300 feet) into each throw on the way back in toward your throwing partner. For example, each throw on the way in is still a "300 foot throw", the difference is that the length of your throw is happening at a shorter and shorter distance. Though you will be throwing the ball a lot harder, if done correctly, you will be throwing through a stretch without any additional effort. For this to happen correctly you must stay relaxed over your balance point, have great downward extension through your release point and stay mechanically sound or you will launch the ball over your partners head.
Key Points:
- 1. Your body language should be loose and relaxed
- 2. Be aware of your direction and your mechanics
- 3. Keep your back hip over your back heel (balance) as long as possible (avoid gaining ground)
- 4. After your last peak throw come in approximately 10-15 feet per each throw
- 5. Each pull down should have the same distance as your peak throw , a 120 foot throw should have the same "distance" as a 300 foot throw.
- 6. Always finish through your release point and miss "lower" than "higher" when pulling down
- 7. Your focal point should get lower or closer as you get closer to your throwing partner
- 8. Work on finishing through your partners opposite knee without "flying open"
- 9. Remember that each throw can "gravitate" or "deviate" your mechanics, release point and muscle memory At 60-80 feet take as many throws as you need to complete your work-out. Chances are that your arm will want to throw a great deal even at 60-80 feet because your arm will have a great deal of stamina once it gets accustomed to throwing through a stretch (even though you are pulling down through you throw). Warm down at your own pace and/or work on mechanics
Alan Jaeger is the founder of the Jaeger Baseball Academy in Los Angeles, CA and has worked with several High School and College players, including All Americans Seth Etherton (USC), Barry Zito (USC), and David Walling (Arkansas), and over 60 professional players including Major Leaguers Rudy Seanez, Steve Reed, John Snyder, Mike Lieberthal and Ken Caminiti. For more information about Alan's long toss program or baseball academy, contact us at 310 665 0746 or alan@jaegersports.com