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 Three 

So in this final Part 3 of our 3 Part Series on Arm Care (please click here for part one and here for part two), we’ll cover the last two “big bangs” for the buck for maximizing arm power and health. Being that this article is about arm care, you may be surprised as to what our final two topics are about. 

4. Mobility in the Thoracic Spine: T-spine mobility is imperative for optimal performance as well as avoiding injuries. A kyphotic (rounded) t-spine will not allow the scap to adequately upwardly rotate, causing it to stop short creating an “impingement” which can ultimately lead to cuff and labral tears. Likewise, a lack of t-spine rotation can lead to a whole host of problems such as limiting external rotation while laying back and internal rotation to help decelerate after ball release.

The big take away here is that you must work on improving both t-spine extension and rotation. Here are two great ones.

Exercises for Improving T-spine Mobility:

(Quadruped T-Spine Mob.)

(T-Spine Extension)

5. Breathing Patterns: Breathing could be and eventually will be a future blog in itself. It’s the next frontier in do-it-yourself mobility for the shoulder. We all do it, all day every day, but if we aren’t breathing through our diaphragm (which is most of the athletic population) and instead are breathing into our chests, the rib position displaces the scapula from its proper place. This ultimately can lead to locking up muscles and closing down the acromial space causing alignment issues, restricting mobility and possibly causing impingement issues at the shoulder.  It’s kind of like how pulling one end of a tablecloth changes the position of plates at the dinner table.

Certain breathing drills such as the one below can help deliver quick results in terms of improving shoulder internal rotation (without actually stretching the shoulder, a joint that doesn’t really like to be stretched in the first place).  This is especially true in pitchers who are generally already too loose (laxity) in that area.

(90/90 Hip Shift w/ L. Reach)

Note: Don’t use provocative stretching drills like the one here to fix an alignment issue.

Use the one below. It’s much easier on the anterior (front) part of the shoulder.

(Side Lying Cross Body Stretch)

There you have it, much of what we do here at RPP in regards to the upper half to help keep our guys throwin’ heat all season.

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

PREVIOUS ARTICLES IN THE SERIES

• PA  - Apr 20, 2016
  Trainers Corner: Training the Alactic Energy System in Pitchers

• PA  - Apr 27, 2016
  Trainers Corner: Arm Care - 5 Musts...Part One

• PA - May 5, 2016
  Trainers Corner: Arm Care - 5 Musts...Part Two