Trainers Corner: Arm Care... 5 Musts! - Part 2
May 4, 2016
TRAINERS CORNER: WEEKLY BLOG WITH NUNZIO SIGNORE
www.RocklandPeakPerformance.com
By Nunzio Signore (B.A., CPT, NASM, PES, FMS)
Strength & Conditioning Expert
When Prep Baseball Report invited us to contribute articles in regards to strength and conditioning into a weekly column, we were both flattered and impressed. You see, many people miss the boat on the importance of strength training for baseball players. Training year round will not only improve performance but help reduce the risk of injury as well. In addition to articles on strength, we will be posting info about mobility and stability work, speed training and nutrition as well.
Enjoy, and feel free to contact us with any questions at any time (845) 712-5415.
ARM CARE… 5 MUSTS - PART 2
By Nunzio Signore (BA, CPT, NASM, PES, FMS)
Today we are going to cover Part 2 of this 3 Part Series on Arm Care. In Part 1 (please click here if you haven’t seen it) we touched on a bit of anatomy of the cuff musculature trying to explain, not only its function, but also to show you which parts of the delivery they are responsible for, as well as some things you can do to help maximize their potential. But like all good relationships it takes two (in this a case a total of 5) to tango. So without further ado, here are two of the remaining four major players involved in the grand scheme of all things related to throwing gas.
3. Improving Cuff “Firing” Time: As a baseball player, you need the rotator cuff to dynamically stabilize the head of the humerus (arm) so that it stays in the glenoid fossa (socket). Not only do we need them to stabilize the humeral head, we need to work on how quickly they do it. The bottom line is even if you have strong cuff musculature, if they fire slowly, your arm is still going to impinge and end up like this guy.
Here are some exercises to improve firing time of the cuff.
Great Exercises to Train Firing Time:
(Band Distractions)
(Half Kneeling Shoulder Stabilization)
4. Improving Scapular Stability: If the scapula is not sitting securely on the Thorax (ribcage), then the individual strength of these muscles doesn’t matter. The scapula must be in the right position and provide a strong stable base of support for the rotator cuff muscles to function properly. If not it’s like trying to shoot a cannon from a canoe.
There are many muscles that have some type of connection with scapular stability; some have a tendency to become tight pulling the scapula out of position causing others to become long and weak allowing for a displaced scapula.
Tight - These are some common muscles that get tight, requiring them to be treated with manual therapy and/or foam rolling to improve tissue quality.
- Pec Minor
- Teres Major
- Latissimus Dorsi (only some of the fibers attach but it’s a good to work on anyways)
- Upper Traps
- Levator Scapula
(Pec Minor)
(Foam Roll - Lats)
Weak - The following are some common muscles that need to be strengthened.
a) The Trapezius muscles are a common group that need to be strengthened. They can be divided into an upper, middle and lower portion because the fibers run at different angles and do different actions.
- Upper Portion – upward rotation and elevation (shrugging motion)
- Middle Portion – retraction – pinching your shoulder blades together
- Lower Portion – upward rotation and downward depression
The mid and lower traps are going to be the part of the traps that we are going to focus on the most because they help tilt our scapula posteriorly as well as external rotation during arm elevation which decreases the chances of a sub-acromial impingement injury.
Exercises for Strengthening the Mid and Lower Traps:
(Band No Money)
(TRX Inv. Row)
b) Serratus Anterior - The Serratus is another muscle that needs strengthening. This muscle holds our scapula against our rib cage. If this muscle is weak it allows the scapula to “wing off” from the rib cage. Its action along with the pec minor is to protract the scapulae – this means to pull your shoulder blades apart. A great exercise for the strengthening the serratus anterior are forearm wall slides.
(Forearm Wall Slides)
Stay tuned for Part 3, where we’ll discuss the last two topics of this series, the t-spine and corrective breathing.
See ya in the gym.
Nunzio Signore (Owner Operator at RPP)
Rockland Peak Performance
174 Route 17 North
Sloatsburg, New York 10974
(845) 712-5415
http://rocklandpeakperformance.com/rpp-links/
