I contribute the softball specific strength and conditioning information to FP, and although "exercise of the week" blogs are attractive, you will find I support every exercise I demonstrate with thorough softball specific principles and explanations that fitness professionals can use when they are communicating with softball athletes.

As a strength coach or trainer, you will find on FP that a lot of what you're already doing is sound, softball performance training. More importantly, you will learn the language and reasons behind your strategies that will help get softball athletes and coaches on board with your training program.

So what about baseball and golf? If you take some time to listen to my presentations, you will find that the principles apply to other rotational sports performance and technical efficiency. My model is softball specific; however, I'm confident that with skills knowledge of other sports, you can utilize this model to communicate with your athletes or clients. Here is a series of presentations I've already posted on the FastpitchPower site:

Ground Preparation

For one, I have no idea what PBnJ has to do with programming, but I needed a passive aggressive synonym for "simple" and peanut butter and jelly hit the spot, as it usually does.

Take a look at the collage above. We can agree these athlete are about to hit the ground and change direction. They better have mobile ankles and hips. They better have stable ankles and hips. They better be strong as hell. But CJ and Sue are also demonstrating  Multi-Directional Ground Preparation. MDGP, is simply the ability to arrange the legs outside of the hips in order to safely accept and push away from the ground.

The concept of MDGP is ultimately the ability to "catch" the ground. Similarly, a wide receiver might have the biggest, strongest and "fastest" hands, but that doesn't mean he'll be able to catch a football. The coordination involved in catching a football and "catching" the ground might be different, but it still comes down to arranging the limbs in the best position to "receive".

In the video below, I demonstrate some warm up and plyometric exercises that are not revolutionary by any means. However, from the photos above, you should be able to appreciate how the exercises used and angles created begin to replicate on-field movements.

How Can MDGP Help Your Business?

Let me know if this story sounds familiar: You're the new local trainer who specializes in working with young athletes. You have credible knowledge and experience and you guarantee your training will help athletes get faster. However, you have a small facility, you preach fundamental movements and basic strength training, meanwhile your competition is in a turfed-out warehouse run by "cone-heads". Parents and athletes want one thing, meanwhile they see and hear another.

How do you convince these prospects that your business is the best for speed training?

Multi-Directional Ground Prep. Don't talk about fundamental movement and strength training at the beginning. Say "YES, we do a TON of speed drills". Say "We work on the most CRITICAL factor of sport speed, the last step before changing direction and the FIRST EXPLOSIVE step." At this point, parents and athletes will light up and say something like "Yes! That's exactly what we need. That first step quickness."  Tell them "I guarantee you will be quicker after one session". Show them a cut-stop. Show them how flexible the ankle needs to be to get in a good stop-position. All of a sudden, they will value mobility exercises. Show them a lateral and drop lunge and explain how you're "preparing" for the ground. Now they value warm up exercises. Shuffle or give a quick cut out of the lateral lunge. They'll get "it". You'll get their money.

Think about throwing a baseball: the pelvis and rib cage must rotate away from one another during the wind up, but once the stride (lead) foot contacts the ground, the throwing arm gains stability from the lead leg and their linkage contributes to throwing performance. When executed properly, complex motions like throwing a baseball or the golf swing are the pinnacle demonstrations of "core stability". Everything somehow moves in opposite directions, yet is very much connected still.

I believe this is the brilliance behind exercises like chops and lifts. They challenge both linkage and separation in stance-forms that are the foundation of complex movement. Another exercise that deserves more recognition among HARDCORE strength and conditioning professionals is the "Dying Bug".

Before I go further, read this article and this article from Craig Liebenson, DC. I hope you find, as I did, the power of the "Dying Bug" position not only for rehabilitative purpose, but for movement purpose. If you are a coach who is still perturbed with the idea of developmental kinesiology,  I recommend you read the first 3-4 chapters in these two books:

In the Dying Bug variations, you challenge centration (proper alignment) of the rib cage and pelvis with different limb lowering and twisting combinations. The exercises can be progressed from low-intensity, so much that breathing can be maintained throughout, to high intensity where a deep breath is taken and held under a braced abdomen. Recruitment of the pelvic floor ("hold in your pee") should be demanded throughout.  

In the video below, I demonstrate some progressions in the supine, Dying Bug position. The intensity of the exercises is hardly communicated through video; however you do see my right hip integrity get insulted by trunk rotation to my left. Contrary to previous estimates, I'm not a robot.

- Increased Center of Mass and Relative Fat Mass
As adolescent females mature, their legs grow disproportionately longer than their torso (2). Have you ever trained a female who moved like she was on stilts? Females also gain more fat, relative to their increase bodyweight, than males do (1). The elevated center of mass makes trunk and leg control more difficult (think "top heavy"). The increase in total body mass may also increase forces endured through the joints during athletic movements (3). More force + Less Control = Bad News.

- Lack of Neuromuscular-Growth Spurt.
Adolescent males experience a concomitant increase in skeletal mass and muscular strength. Adolescent females do not  (2).  As I mentioned, maturing females will have body control issues due to growth and a higher COM. The evidence for a lack of neuromuscular development suggests that maturing females don't acquire the "software" to manage their new "hardware".

- Increased Joint Laxity
With skeletal growth, adolescent females also experience an increase in passive joint laxity (2). Laxity refers to a decreased stabilizing-role of the ligaments surrounding the joint. Joint laxity allows for excessive range of motion, however, does so at the expense of stability (control). An adolescent female already has difficulty controlling her growing body; joint laxity only makes matters worse.

1) Hewett, TE et al. (2010) Understanding and Preventing ACL Injuries: Current Biomechanical and Epidemiologic Considerations – Update 2010. North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. 5, 4.

2) Myers, GD et al. (2009) Longitudinal Assessment of Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk Factors During Maturation in a Female Athlete: A Case Report. Journal of Athletic Training, 44, 1.

4) Myers, GD et al. (2008) Trunk and Hip Control Neuromuscular Training for the Prevention of Knee Joint Injury. Clinical Sports Medicine, 27, 3.

I don't have any specific videos to support my review, but here are some of Empower female athletes training this past winter.

I must reiterate: The catch to what I'm about to demonstrate is that this only works with young, structurally and functionally flexible athletes. The older and athlete is, the more individualized restoration strategies they require, such as myofascial release and joint mobilizations. Young athletes, who aren't so square, will respond better to quality repetitions and coaching.

In the video below, I demonstrate bottom position, isometric holds for the squat and pulling variations. Isometric holds are an awesome way to gain mobility and to reinforce good positions. Regardless of the physiology involved, iso-holds give you time to coach when it matters the most. "Pinch your shoulder blades together, arch your back, drive your heels into the ground, toes straight ahead", whatever it may be, iso-holds give you the time to focus on the weak link or combine cues until you get closer to a perfect position.

With each session you will see your athletes become better at coordinating their bodies, and generating tension (stability) at the most critical position of technical lifts and you won't have to rely on noncontiguous corrective exercises to do so!

Squat Bottom Push - The cue here is to "squat in a tunnel", and not sit back away from the rack. PUSH UP against the rack as you walk your hands down. Chest up, knees out, etc..

Deadlift and Olympic Bottom Pulls -  You can use a barbell, hexbar, high handle hex bar, or stack mats to bring the ground up for tall and tight athletes. The goal is get into a perfect start position. The athlete should be "pulling the slack out of the bar" (pulling the bar against plates), and using the weight of the bar to help pull themselves into a good position.

The 3200  square foot space is divided into 1920 square feet of agility turf and 1280 square feet of rubber flooring. We have a cinder/plywood/Durock wall for medicine ball throws. We also installed a 3'x22' crash pad wall mat with our logo on it. The wall graphics are vinyl and were installed by a local sign company.

99% of the equipment is new and divided between orders from Elite FTS and Perform Better. The medicine balls are custom-ordered from D-Ball, black with our logo on them.

Visit www.facebook.com/EmpowerAthleticDevelopment for pictures, videos, and updates.

Visit my page, www.youtube.com/JJBonyai for Empower training videos.

In the collage above, all the photos include one common susceptible movement direction: extension.  It should not be coincidental that this study suggests the majority of lumbar spine disorders in tennis athletes are extension-driven. Hyperextension through the lumbar spine typically results in degeneration of posterior vertebral structures such as the pars interarticularis and articular facet joints. Combining rotation with extension, as demonstrated in all of the photos above, exacerbates the strain on the posterior structures.

Separating the Men from the Boys

The ability to limit, or control extension during high velocity movements is a critical difference between advanced and intermediate-level tennis players. According to this study, intermediate level tennis athletes utilize greater lumbar extension range of motion during different types of serves. Advanced tennis players are better able to control extension and utilize other strategies such as thoracic extension and spinal rotation to achieve optimal positions during the serve and other strokes.

Athletes will utilize motion through the lumbar spine when the requisite mobility at other joints is not available. The shoulder (external rotation), thoracic spine (extension, rotation), and hip (extension, rotation) all contribute to multisegmental tennis movements, just take a look at the collage above. Any of the exercises in this video are valuable for low back injury prevention, as they are designed to improve shoulder and thoracic spine range of motion, which will relieve the mobility-responsibility of the lower back.

In the video below, I demonstrate more exercises designed to mobilize the segments above and below the lumbar spine, while controlling motion through the lumbar area at the same time.

Mini-band Hip IR/ER – The lumbar spine will compensate for lack of rotation in the hips, something it's not structurally allowed to do.

Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Wall Ball Push – The king of hip flexor stretching. You must dorsiflex the back ankle and toes and PUSH HARD through the back foot. Keep the arms straight. Crush the ball. Do not stick your belly out.

Wall OH Squat w/Rotation – With your arms in the Y position, drive your chest into the wall, then take one hand behind your head and rotate. If you like the Bench T-spine Extension, you'll love this.

KB Swing - Hinging through the hips while controlling the spine. Simple.

Kneeling MB Rotational Throw – Integrating the hinge pattern from the KB swing into rotation.

Box Squat MB Rotational Throw – Emphasis on leg/hip action.

Hex Bar RDL – Reinforce the hinge.

Physioball Rollout – We have that weird shaped physioball which works really well for rollouts.

If you have any questions, please comment or email me!

JB

Shoulder injuries are expectedly common in tennis athletes. Researchers suggest that shoulder injuries are not the most common in tennis and finish third behind back and lower body related injuries. However, the goal of this post and those to follow is not to proclaim one area of the body to be more significant than the other. Best practice training strategies for the upper body will also be indicated for back and lower body injury prevention and vice versa.

The collage above could be titled "5 Signs of Shoulder Disaster". Max external rotation, internal rotation in elevation, flexion/supination, end range flexion, and horizontal adduction are all provocative examinations for different shoulder pathologies. I admit the pictures of Rafa are extreme. His style and skill are extraterrestrial, but the pictures are still pretty cool and the similarities to the 5 provocative tests mentioned above are outstanding. If you're not familiar with comprehensive clinical examination of the shoulder, buy this book:

Following an assessment, you can categorize an athlete toward a variety of restorative emphases and levels of progression. A sport specific training program built upon kinetic descriptive statistics is useless if you're training a body that doesn't have sufficient range of motion and control. Your assessment should peel back as many layers as you are qualified to reveal, examining fundamental human capacities that are requisite for superhuman athleticism.

As a brief review of functional shoulder mechanics: The humerus (upper arm) attaches into the glenoid (socket) which is formed by the scapula (shoulder blade). The scapula sits on the ribs which attach into the thoracic spine (upper back vertebrae). The shoulder joint, collar bone, shoulder blade, and upper back all must move in harmony (thoraco-scapulo-humeral rhythm), a premium for tennis athletes.

In the video below, I demonstrate a sequence of shoulder preparation exercises that address the capacities I've reviewed. As I mentioned above, some athletes may do more mobility than stability or vice versa as determined by their assessment.

A 135 pound female should be able to back squat 185 pounds below parallel once. This is highly dependent on age and training age. This example calculates to approximately squatting 137% of the athlete's bodyweight, which is between 125%-150%, a common range for starting strength standards.

Some athletes may never back squat, especially if they start weight training late. There are combinations of acceptable weight room achievements for those exceptions. Regardless, the back squat is the ultimate progression, meaning it's an exercise that should be worked toward, not started with.

What's below parallel? Squatting to four standard Airex mats stacked (10 inches) for athletes 5'9" and below or a 12 inch plyo box for athletes 5'10" and above somehow works out universally.

Why Squatting and Not Single Leg Exercises?

Single leg exercises are not superior for windmill softball pitchers if they are used exclusively for an athlete that CAN squat. When used as an assessment, the squat demonstrates the athlete's ability to allow the upper and lower body to move independently (overhead squat), through near-available range. Under load, the squat develops propulsive strength and yielding strength specific to windmill pitching, even if the two movements look nothing alike. 

Disregarding upper body action, the windmill delivery is essentially a linear long jump off of one leg to an angular/lateral stop onto one leg.

So if the delivery starts off of one leg and ends on the other, why is a bilateral strength exercise the ultimate solution? Well, this post ran longer than expected, and I have a lot of explaining to do so I will gather my thoughts for a third installment.

All you would need for this type of program is a wall, the first row of bleachers, and a volleyball for each player. No mats are needed if the athletes have kneepads.

Here are brief "All a volleyball coach needs to know.." descriptions of each exercise and a corresponding video below.

Pre Practice

Wall Ankle – Mobile ankles save knees. Keep the heel on the ground and drive the knee out over the little toe.

Wall Hip Flexor/Quad – Tight hip flexors and quads will contribute to jumpers knee and inhibit jumping power.

Wall Thoracic Spine Extension – Shoulder stretching and strengthening is useless if your athletes can't lift their arms over their head, which begins with extending through the upper back. Young, tall girls will slouch and round their shoulders even more throughout the day making matters worse.

Quadruped Tspine w/Ball squeeze - The upper back must also be able to rotate to create power and keep the shoulder healthy.

Spiderman w/Tspine – The hips and shoulders are connected diagonally, so they must be stretched independently as well as together, such as in this exercise.

Quadruped Alternating raise w/ball- The connection between the hip and opposite shoulder must not only be flexible, but strong. Think of this as creating a super strong rubber band that can also be stretched. That creates hitting power. During this exercise, CRUSH the ball the whole time.

1Leg Hip Bridge w/Ball – Strong glutes and hamstrings contribute to jumping power and knee safety during landing and lunging.

Yoga Push Up/Calf Stretch – Your athletes will think this a great calf stretch, meanwhile they're prepping their shoulder stabilizers to work as the arm moves overhead.

Forward Hop – In the video I'm using hurdles, at practice you should use lines on the court or short cones. 10-15 each leg is plenty.

Lateral Hop Inside and Outside Leg - Same prescription as the forward hops.

Rapid Response Line Jump – You can shuffle, scissor, twist, move back and forth or side to side (in the video); just make sure you incorporate some exercise that prepares your athletes to adjust and recover their feet outside of their hips QUICKLY.

Post Practice

Sumo-Overhead Squat - This immediately hits the "refresh" button on total body mobility, something your athletes may actually lose over the course of a practice. You don't need to squat to get strong, but you need to squat to stay healthy.

Rear foot elevated Split Squat – Use the first row of bleachers, and add pauses and 10-30 second holds to make this more difficult.

1 Leg Squat-Step Up – For weaker athletes this can be more of a step up from the floor. For stronger athletes, this should be a squat down to and up from the floor.

1 Leg Deadlift-Reach w/ball – Along with the Sumo-Overhead squat, this is the second-most important movement to master.

Push up Progression – Use the bleachers, pauses or holds, and eventually the real deal. This is NOT just a chest exercise.

Partner rope pull – The most difficult component of at-practice strength training is balancing upper body pushing exercises and pulling (think rows, chin ups). Here's a cheap, awesome, fun practice finisher. Buy a LONG rope and have your athletes take turns reeling each other across the gym floor (have one athlete sit on a towel). This isn't a tow; it's a hand-over-hand pull. Use small teams to help pulling, rotating which athlete is in front. If you're a sport coach, trust me that nothing will go further to preserving your athletes' shoulders than improving their pulling and grip strength.

Tug of war might actually be a great shoulder and ACL preservation exercise as well. How do ya like those shin angles?