Now that baseball season has started I wanted to offer this little tidbit of information to all the guys out there that might be getting the aches and pains already.
For those of you that continue to lift in-season, that's great! I think most of you know that there is a "BUT" coming on. Ok...but, your in-season regiment might be creating a problem described by Paul Chek as "Pattern Overload". A fancy, but extremely useful concept that basically shows what happens when we overuse certain areas of the body.
In-season, we are constantly rotating whether we are throwing or hitting. Rotational med ball work is great for building torso strength and explosiveness but, imagine taking 200 swings in the cage 2 times per week. Then, you have your in-season regiment---most follow a 2x per week schedule. Your in-season regiment might contain some rotational "core" work. Let's keep it simple will all other written programs we see...we'll do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Now...Lets do some math.
200 Swings x 2 = 400 Rotations a week. (most likely in only 1 direction).
3x10 (30) x 2 (both ways) x 2(x's per week) = 120
400 + 120 = 520 Rotations per week.
Apply that to squatting or benching. Imagine what your shoulders would be like if you did 520 reps of bench each week. Ouch!
Bob Alejo says baseball players shouldn't do any core work in-season and I partially agree with him because of this very scenario. But, cut it out completely? I think we can do some....here's how.
Axial Loading---Lifting above the head requires stabilization throughout the entire torso. Shoulder presses in season can wear on the shoulder joint which isn't ideal. However, lifts like the snatch, push press, push jerks and snatch squats offer the axial loading we are looking for. These lifts also include shoulder extension which is great for shoulder range of motion.
Stability---We speed ourselves up to slow ourselves down. We need the mechanisms in place so that can actually happen. Activities such as periphery holds, prone "x's" and alternating supeman planks are a great way to build torso stability.
Try incorportating some of these activities into your regiment so your soft tissues can stay healthy during the long season.
_________________
Will Haskell
Athletic Development Specialist
will@tsanorthwest.com
www.tsanorthwest.com