Misuses of Conditioning In Pitchers
Our common goal as pitchers is to be a well-rounded athlete who can get outs. The athlete who focuses on the fundamentals of movement and conditioning in order to master the finer points of his sport, will ultimately achieve the goal of the position more efficiently than others. While it’s important for pitchers to embrace this philosophy, many will not proceed with the correct amount of caution. Two common staples within the pitching community, pole-running and distance running. In this article, I will dive into how these methods may do more harm than good.
Misconceptions
A main misconception for long distance running will remove excess lactic acid from the blood after pitching/throwing performances. Pitching does not produce an adequate amount of lactic acid due to it’s maximum effort short burst motion. Therefore, these long distance runs can actually increase the injury risk in pitchers due to fatigue and and decrease power output over time.
What Pitchers Should Focus On
Instead of incorporating heavy distance running, pitchers should focus on building muscle mass and the optimization of their mechanics.
Conditioning Recommendations
- Short Distance Sprints to Improve Power Output while avoiding fatigue (10 Second Rest Per Yard Sprinted).
- Heavy Sled Pushes within 10-20 Yards.
- Banded Sprints or Jumps.
- Directional Sprints. -You can even incorporate fun and team bonding style games such as Capture the Flag or Ultimate Frisbee, of course there is a risk of injury in these but you can get injured doing any high intensity movement, even running poles.