Building Strength...advice...

[SLAM96Coach]

Hi,

This Fall and Winter, we're looking to build the right kind of muscle to assist my daughter in her goals to throw harder. I am familiar with the right softball drills to build speed but am curious if anyone could comment on specific weight lifting activities that have produced more velocity.

We continue to refine her mechanics and throw a fair amount now, but she is interested in a weight regimen as an additional aid in throwing harder.

What have you all tried and what is your best advice on this topic?

Thanks

 

[starsnuffer]

Work out the entire body. Utilize a trainer specializing in youth sports to develop a program. Your kid is worth more then free internet advice here. She'll need to do other things in life besides pitch. If you just do strength training for throwing/pitching, you'll just give her scoliosis.

Use long toss drills after the strength training to improve her pitching speed, but never stop working on her mechanics.

-W

 

[sluggers]

Utilize a trainer specializing in youth sports to develop a program. Your kid is worth more then free internet advice here.

Starry...please, stop making sense.


Slam, it sounds like you have taken pitching seriously. So, to elaborate a little more on Starry's excellent advice: If you are serious about using weight training to improve athletic performance, you have to get really good, specific advice.

The problem (or blessing) is that the body quickly adapts to whatever training you are doing to maximize the efficiency of the motion. The only way to get added gains is to vary the training. Additionally, the muscle groups have to be balanced (in other words, to build up bicep strength, you have to build up all kinds of other muscles as well).

Here is an example: Pushups. Once a person can do 20 pushups, you aren't going to much strength gain if by doing 100. So, if you want to really increase strength, you have to find a different exercise.

 

[redhotcoach]

Www.stack.com has tons of great workout info if you want to work it as a family. I second star's suggestion of finding a trainer or class. My daughter's go to a speed/strength class 2x a week. It's limited to 6 kids. Their trainer can get more out of them then I can, plus then they aren't mad at me. They do overall strength/speed work plus each class 1 kid can suggest something they want to work on for their sport.

 

[MandM]

fastpitchpower.com is similar to softball performance - with some pitching specific core & leg training advice (and videos) - not so much about weight-lifting per se, but dynamic strengthening that enhances power and transfer of force from larger muscle groups to the arm whip to enhance pitch speed. Core and leg strength are really key in this regard. I also agree with the above posts that it is about building a regimen that enhances overall performance- unless you know alot about this topic, getting expert advice is really advantageous- the thing is it is also good to be informed about what the current thinking is by the trainers who do softball-specific performance because it is definitely not a "one-size fits all" kind of thing in that what may be good for one sport- is not necessarily going to help her performance for SB.- IMO you need to be an informed consumer.

 

[MandM]

Also, there is a DVD from softball performance, entitled "Pitcher's POP Training" (or something like that) which is a good place to start

 

[Perfect Circle]

Hi,

This Fall and Winter, we're looking to build the right kind of muscle to assist my daughter in her goals to throw harder. I am familiar with the right softball drills to build speed but am curious if anyone could comment on specific weight lifting activities that have produced more velocity.

We continue to refine her mechanics and throw a fair amount now, but she is interested in a weight regimen as an additional aid in throwing harder.

What have you all tried and what is your best advice on this topic?

Thanks

I took Starr's advice last year on this... I had the trainer from a D1 school, that had one of the top 3 ks record holders come and show me what she is teaching her pitchers. Here's one thing.


Med_Ball_Chest_Drops_ - YouTube

EP: she is taking the video :{))

 

[PEPPERS]

When my daughter attended a pitchers clinic at Alabama they gave the attendees a workout program with mostly resistance bands if my memory serves me correct. The pitching coach at that time advised to be a D1 pitcher you had to start out using this type of regiment and follow a similar program through college.

I know she has a copy at her school, I’ll check at home to see if I have a copy somewhere.

This is kind of old school when I played baseball but, IMO it is important to not build up too much muscle in the arms, especially the pitching arm, because increased muscle mass decreases flexibility—and flexibilty is crucial for a successful pitcher. Pitchers can follow normal weight training routines in the off-season, but IMO use less weight and increase repetitions rather than maxing out weight with few repetitions with arm lifts. This will keep your arms conditioned and build endurance without bulking up, leg drive and core strength is important also to get that explosive drive off the rubber.

I tell my daughter when we would go on trips, she could bring a ball to work on spins, a resistance band to work on strength, a spinner to work on spins instead of just sitting there wasting time.


A link to Monica Abbott using a resistance band with a softball attached. She is using a device they sell, but I make one for a few dollars.

Link
Monica Abbott trains with Worth's 5-tool resistance band - YouTube

How do some of you feel on the bands vs weights?

 

[Carly]

If your daughter ends up doing all this stuff on her own, that's fantastic. But it's a REALLY good idea to at least start with a trainer in person to assure that she's doing the exercises with correct form. Have a small handful of sessions with an experienced trainer (preferably a real athletic trainer, not just the part time kid at LA Fitness or something), and then if money is an issue have the trainer or your daughter copy down the program to take home.

The point is to get her stronger, and if she's using incorrect form she may increase her chance of injury instead.

 

[PEPPERS]

if your daughter ends up doing all this stuff on her own, that's fantastic. But it's a really good idea to at least start with a trainer in person to assure that she's doing the exercises with correct form. Have a small handful of sessions with an experienced trainer (preferably a real athletic trainer, not just the part time kid at la fitness or something), and then if money is an issue have the trainer or your daughter copy down the program to take home.

The point is to get her stronger, and if she's using incorrect form she may increase her chance of injury instead.

Good point!