Develop Core Strength for Throwing
To throw successfully, you must be able to stay rigid through your core while maintaining mobility through your hips and thoracic spine. If you are a baseball pitcher, lacrosse player or an athlete in any sport that involves swinging, you need to develop your core strength.
Power development for throwing does not start at the arms, but at the legs and hips. Then it transfers through the trunk to the shoulders and arms. To get the most out of your throwing, stop focusing solely on your arms and give more attention to your hips, core and shoulders.
I develop my throwing athletes with two main types of exercises—those that create rigidity in the core and those that help promote power transfer. By working in these areas, you will end up with a stronger core that will transfer power more efficiently.
Developing Core Strength
Front Planks, Push-Ups, Squats and Deadlifts will help you develop rigidity in the core and train to resist extension, flexion, lateral flexion and rotation.
When you get closer to your season, use more sport-specific movements like Wide-Stance Cable Rotations and Cable Lateral Chops. These two exercises train anti-rotation, meaning they will help you decelerate your throw and have more control, which is just as important as the ability to accelerate.
Wide-Stance Cable Rotations
These are great for developing hip stability and anti-rotation. The idea is to keep everything tight and move only your arms.
Sets/Reps: 2-3×10-15
Cable Lateral Chops
These focus on moving the hips and shoulders together. You use hip rotation to move the weight, but slowly control the weight back to the starting position.
Sets/Reps: 2-3×8-12
Developing Core Power
Once you have developed rigidity in your core, the next thing is to develop power. You do this by coordinating your hips and shoulders to make your swing more powerful. If your shoulders do not move with your hips, you are asking for back pain. When doing these movements, always make sure to keep your shoulders with your hips.
Med Ball Side Toss
This teaches you how to use your hips to develop power through your trunk and shoulders.
Sets/Reps: 3-4×8-10
Med Ball Cross-Behind Side Toss
Similar to the Side Toss, but you use momentum to develop even more power.
Sets/Reps: 3-4×8-10
Med Ball 3-Step Side Push
This one teaches you to develop power through your front leg.
Sets/Reps: 3-4×8-10
RELATED: Increase Pitching and Throwing Power With Med Ball Exercises
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Develop Core Strength for Throwing
To throw successfully, you must be able to stay rigid through your core while maintaining mobility through your hips and thoracic spine. If you are a baseball pitcher, lacrosse player or an athlete in any sport that involves swinging, you need to develop your core strength.
Power development for throwing does not start at the arms, but at the legs and hips. Then it transfers through the trunk to the shoulders and arms. To get the most out of your throwing, stop focusing solely on your arms and give more attention to your hips, core and shoulders.
I develop my throwing athletes with two main types of exercises—those that create rigidity in the core and those that help promote power transfer. By working in these areas, you will end up with a stronger core that will transfer power more efficiently.
Developing Core Strength
Front Planks, Push-Ups, Squats and Deadlifts will help you develop rigidity in the core and train to resist extension, flexion, lateral flexion and rotation.
When you get closer to your season, use more sport-specific movements like Wide-Stance Cable Rotations and Cable Lateral Chops. These two exercises train anti-rotation, meaning they will help you decelerate your throw and have more control, which is just as important as the ability to accelerate.
Wide-Stance Cable Rotations
These are great for developing hip stability and anti-rotation. The idea is to keep everything tight and move only your arms.
Sets/Reps: 2-3×10-15
Cable Lateral Chops
These focus on moving the hips and shoulders together. You use hip rotation to move the weight, but slowly control the weight back to the starting position.
Sets/Reps: 2-3×8-12
Developing Core Power
Once you have developed rigidity in your core, the next thing is to develop power. You do this by coordinating your hips and shoulders to make your swing more powerful. If your shoulders do not move with your hips, you are asking for back pain. When doing these movements, always make sure to keep your shoulders with your hips.
Med Ball Side Toss
This teaches you how to use your hips to develop power through your trunk and shoulders.
Sets/Reps: 3-4×8-10
Med Ball Cross-Behind Side Toss
Similar to the Side Toss, but you use momentum to develop even more power.
Sets/Reps: 3-4×8-10
Med Ball 3-Step Side Push
This one teaches you to develop power through your front leg.
Sets/Reps: 3-4×8-10
RELATED: Increase Pitching and Throwing Power With Med Ball Exercises
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