Pitching Workouts & Baseball Pitching Exercises

Baseball Pitching Workouts

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

Developed by former pro Steven Ellis of the Chicago Cubs organization, the TUFFCUFF Strength and Conditioning Manual for Baseball Pitchers is a comprehensive workout program for pitchers 13 and up that shows you:

• How to develop balanced pitching-specific fitness.
• How to build functional strength, lean muscle mass, dynamic flexibility and explosive power without overemphasizing or shortchanging any component.
• How to improve athleticism and agility, and achieve peak performance on the mound.
• How to recover from games and pitching workouts quicker, so you get leaner and stronger when everyone else is just getting tired.
• How to increase your body's capacity to perform at its highest level longer.
• How to condition your arm 52 weeks a year (during the pre-season, in-season and off-season) for more speed and less stress, with simple yet effective throwing and pitching routines that can help you throw harder.

It's all here in 188 pages of more than 193 pitching workouts, 71 charts and training calendars, and 509 pictures and illustrations all in an easy to follow 8-1/2 x 11 fold-flat format. This manual is your step-by-step guide to better performance, improved velocity, quicker recovery and healthier pitching.

Click here to get started today!

Workouts To Increase Pitching Velocity

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

To me, one of the most interesting areas of strength training and workouts to increase pitching velocity is the mix of weight training (barbell squats) with explosivity training (jump squats).

It might not be revolutionary to strength gurus, but I think a lot of high school coaches and athletes get hung up on maximal strength.

I get questions almost once a week about whether or not doing heavy bench presses or bicep curls will help pitchers increase pitching velocity on their fast ball. That just is not the case.

"Speed strength" is what counts. And when it comes to training for applicable speed strength, my TUFFCUFF manual has some of the best workouts to increase pitching velocity.

Strength Training For Pitchers

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

There are two types muscle activity: concentric and eccentric. They are opposites. Many times people will refer to eccentric strength training for pitchers as doing "negatives." For example, during a bench press, the concentric part of the lift is when you push the weight up, the eccentric part of the lift is when you are lowering the weight. Basically an eccentric contraction happens when the muscle lengthens. A concentric contraction happens when the muscle shortens. Both are important in your strength training for pitching.

That's because during the follow through of your pitching motion, for instance, your muscles in the posterior shoulder girdle experience eccentric contraction while trying to slow down the arm. So you should build this up in the weight room.

The following is the definition from the textbook "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning":

Eccentric muscle actions occur when the tension developed in the cross-bridges is less than the external resistance, and the muscle lengthens despite contact between the myosin cross-bridge heads and the actin filaments.

What this basically means is that if you were benching and there was more weight on the bar than you can handle and it starts to drop even though you are pushing as hard as you can, the muscle is lengthening and this is an eccentric action.

Arm Exercises For Pitchers

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

Too often baseball pitchers today get caught up on how big they can be. So they focus too much on biceps arm exercises and triceps arm exercises at the gym. When pitchers "break down" - and this is becoming more and more common – it's usually because there is a flexibility and muscle balance problem. Proper attention to a regular stretching routine for a pitcher and working on body symmetry and balance can help the pitcher throw harder with less effort while staying injury free. If you are performing a lot of pitching arm exercises, make sure you are also paying attention to your flexibility as well and don’t sacrifice flexibility just for the sake of having big arms. Pitching arm speed is key, not pitching arm strength!

Stretching Exercises For Pitchers

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

There are two types of stretching exercises for pitchers: static pitching stretching and dynamic pitching stretching. Static stretches for pitchers refers to the traditional stretching that requires the athlete to hold a stretched position for a period of 10 to 30 seconds. It can be improved significantly with daily stretching, but it's less functional for an athlete. (It should be performed post practice while muscles are warm.)

Dynamic stretches for pitchers on the other hand is required by the muscles to move through a given range of motion. It's highly sport specific and should be done prior to practice/workout.

So what type is best for pitchers? Both.

My TUFFCUFF manual contains stretching exercises for pitching and routines containing both, as well as more information on how to implement both into your daily workout and training routines.

How To Increase Pitching Velocity

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

The number one thing that most pitchers are concerned with is velocity improvement. Increasing pitching velocity is an area that pitchers on my TUFFCUFF program have had excellent results with. But just as important as increased pitching velocity is endurance, or your ability to maintain power and strength over the duration of a pitching appearance. For starting pitchers, that's 6 to 9 innings. For relievers is anywhere from 1 batter to 4 innings.

Pitching endurance is important in two general areas. 

1. You need to sustain your average 1st inning pitching velocity into at least the 6th or 7th inning.
2. You must be as strong at the end of the season as you were at the beginning of the year.

My TUFFCUFF program will enable you to do these things - increase pitching velocity and maintain pitching velocity throughout a game and entire season - as well as helping to improve recovery time and decrease injury possibilities.

Weight Training For Pitchers

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

I have heard that weights will make me slower! That misconception has been proven to be wrong in several studies regarding weight-training for pitchers. Certain types of weight training will make you faster and more explosive than others, but pitchers weight-training in general will not make you slower.

Leg Exercises For Pitchers

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

There are a number of effective leg exercises for pitchers to build strength and power from the ground up. But you need to add some rotation and balance training not just straight plane leg movements. Too often the pitcher ends up doing leg workouts that consist of squats, leg presses, or leg extensions to work his leg muscles. The problem is that these are all straight movements and pitching is a rotational activity. These leg exercises for pitching are fine to do but need to be incorporated in with some 1⁄4 turns and kickbacks, rotational lunges all of which you'll find in my TUFFCUFF program.

Conditioning For Pitching

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

It may be 2011, but baseball generally still subscribes to the old school of baseball pitching conditioning, and it is still very common for pitchers to do a lot of long-distance running.  Although having a good aerobic base is good, running long distance does not make you a more effective pitcher. 

Pitching is a power movement, and a pitcher’s running program should include some interval sprinting to focus on that power output.  Always train to make the lower body more explosive. Sprinting is one way to do this. And sprintwork combined with sound pitching mechanics and proper muscle balance will help you achieve your pitching potential. 

See the running program in the TUFFCUFF manual for more details.

Rotator Cuff Exercises For Pitchers

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

A lot of baseball pitchers could really use an exact pitchers workout for the rotator cuff / shoulder area, separate from an upper body workout routine. Specific excersises and the general sets and reps would be great. I want to get my arm stronger through the workout ( I do long toss) , as well as prevent injury. The rotator cuff exercises are for preventative measures only. If you currently have pain in the area or rotator cuff damage do NOT perform any of these exercises. Instead seek advice from a qualified Physical Therapist or healthcare professional.

These rotator cuff exercises use light hand weights.  However, resistance band exercises could also be adapted to bring about the same adaptations.    

Keep to a weight of 2-5 lbs (1-2kg) maximum. Complete 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions for the following exercises in the order below.

External Rotation
1. Lie on side opposite of working arm.
2. Start position: Grasp dumbbell and flex elbow at 90° keeping elbow in at side.
3. Rotate arm outward keeping elbow at 90°.
4. Return to start position.
5. Remember to keep elbow firmly secured to side. You may put a rolled towel between the elbow and side to facilitate rotation and secure form.


Internal Rotation
1. Lie on same side of working arm.
2. Start position: Lying on a bench or bed grasp dumbbell and flex elbow at 90° keeping elbow in at side. Forearm should start slightly below parallel to floor.
3. Rotate arm upward keeping elbow at 90°.
4. Return to start position.
5. Remember to keep elbow firmly secured to side. You may put a rolled towel between the elbow and side to facilitate rotation and secure form.

Horizontal Rotation
1. Stand with your elbows at shoulder level and flexed at 90 degrees.
2. Hold a weight plate in each hand and externally rotate your hands up towards the ceiling.
3. Return to the starting position.

Weight Lifting For Pitchers

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

Lifting does not make you a better baseball pitcher. It makes you a better athlete. Then you have to take that extra athleticism and apply it to the skill of pitching. You can never say that if you bench press 250 pounds, you'll throw 85 mph; bench 300 , you'll throw 90 mph, etc.

However, if you take a baseball player who's good at the specific skills of baseball -- such as throwing and hitting -- and have him lift weights to get stronger, faster, and more explosive, he should improve if he applies the new explosiveness to his already good skills.

The other thing that needs to be addressed is that bench press is one of the least effective lifts for improving your baseball performance. You have to work from the ground up. Your legs are most important. Then your core must transfer the power to your shoulder which needs to be strong and stable. If there are any weak links between your feet and your fingertips, then you will be limited by that weakness.

I do have my players bench press because I want them to be balanced. If I work on the back of their shoulder girdle, then I want to work the front as well. Another benefit of lifting is that it should reduce injuries, if done correctly.

Someone who is trying to bench a ton isn't lifting for baseball correctly. If you do get on a good balanced program and always use good technique, then you should have fewer injuries than someone who doesn't do all this stuff.

Baseball Pitching Exercises

Photos and descriptions by Mike Griffin for PitchingWorkouts.com

My favorite pitching-specific functional strength exercises.

Squat

1. Bar on back, step back out of rack slowly
   2. Feet shoulder width apart, squat sitting back on your heels… heels should stay on ground (tighten abs before squatting.
   3. Go down to parallel or slightly below parallel
   4. Remember that keeping your back straight and keeping it upright are not the same thing

 

 

Single Leg Deadlift

1. Squat down touching DB’s on the ground… keep heels on ground.

 

Sumo Squat

1. Hold single DB in hands between legs
   2. Squat down… hips going back should be first movement… knees should not go in front of toes and heels should stay on ground

 

Plate Walk

1. Hold weight straight out in front of you
   2. Take lunge step
   3. Twist with your arms going over your front leg… shoulders should be turned 90 degrees
   4. Step into next step, twisting while going down into lunge position

 

Walking DB Lunge

1. Take large step
   2. Back knee drops to ground-down not forward-shin of front leg should be straight up and down… knee never goes in front of toes
   3. Reach DB’s down to the ground, touching the ground at the same time as your knee
   4. Back should be at about 45 degree angle… Should stay that angle while coming up
   5. Step into next rep without stopping

 

Power Squat

1. Same technique as squat but use lighter weight and “explode” out of the bottom
   2. Should come up onto toes at the top but not jump

 

Swiss Ball DB Bench

1. You are going to use the Swiss Ball as your bench. Your shoulders will the only thing on the ball.
   2. Keep your hips lifted up to where you body is flat or just slightly below flat. Tighten your abs keeping your ribs and waist together.
   3. Have your elbows slightly angled down toward your waist.
   4. Press up towards the ceiling keeping your wrists directly above your elbows.
   5. All the way up and down

 

DB Incline Press

 

Pushups w/Swiss Ball

1. Perform pushups with your hands on the side of the Swiss Ball.
   2. Keep hips up… don’t let them sag.
   3. Go the entire way up rounding your shoulders out at the top

Single Leg DB Row

1. Similar to DB Row but without leaning on the bench.
   2. Stand on one leg and hold DB with opposite hand.
   3. Reach down with DB towards the foot on the ground, then pull it into your hip.
   4. Let DB back down and repeat

 

Seated Cable Row

1. Using a low cable machine, sit with legs extended, holding the attachment with both hands.
  2. Keep torso straight up and down.
  3. Pull hands into belly button, squeezing shoulder blades together.
  4. Let arms all the way out, but do not lean forward.
  5. Repeat

Single Leg Cable Row

1. Using a low cable machine, stand on one leg, grab attachment with opposite hand.
  2. Torso should be leaned slightly forward.
  3. Pull hand into your hip.
  4. Let arm back out with your shoulder stretching forward.
  5. Repeat

Lat Pulldown

1. Grab bar with slightly wider than shoulder width.
   2. Pull down in front bringing the bar down to your collar bone.
   3. Let bar go back up all the way.
   4. Repeat

 

Close-grip Pulldown

1. Grip the pulldown bar with an underhand grip or a close-grip type of attachment.
   2. Pull down in front bringing hands to your collar bone
   3. Let bar go back up all the way.
   4. Repeat.

 

Pullover

1. Lay on back, using either a Swiss Ball or a bench.
   2. Keep arms straight, bring DB back over your head until you feel a stretch in your lats.
   3. Pull the DB up until it is perpendicular with the ground.
   4. Repeat

 

Lateral Raise

1. Take light DB’s, with elbows slightly bent raise DB’s to your sides parallel to the floor.
   2. Slowly lower and repeat

Front Raise

1. After desired reps, take DB’s and raise them in front of you until parallel with floor.
   2. Slowly lower and repeat

 

Bent Over Reverse Fly

1. After desired reps, bend over at the hips until body is close to parallel to floor.
   2. DB’s should be hanging down in front of you. Raise the DB’s straight out to the side until parallel with ground.
   3. Slowly lower and repeat

 

Shoulder Press

1. Use either Bar or DB in front of body.
   2. Press over head without leaning back. Keep abs tight.
   3. Weight will be over the back of your skull when it is at the top.
   4. Lower and Repeat

 

Skull Crusher

1. Lay on back on either bench or Swiss Ball
   2. Hold DB’s by your ear with your elbows straight up. Elbows should be about 90 degrees.
   3. Extend arms without moving elbows.
   4. Slowly lower and repeat

 

Straight Arm Kickbacks

1. Hold a bar behind your body.
   2. Keeping your arms straight, raise your arms behind you, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
   3. Slowly lower and repeat.

 

Close-grip Bench

1. Grip bar with a narrow grip.
   2. Lower bar to chest keeping elbows by your side.
   3. Press towards ceiling keeping elbows by your side.
   4. Slowly lower bar and repeat.

Tricep Extension

1. Grip bar or rope attached to a high cable pulley.
   2. Bring elbows down to directly by your side.
   3. Straighten arms without moving elbows.
   4. Slowly raise hands until forearms are slightly above parallel and repeat.

 

Dips

1. On dip bars, lower body until upper arms are parallel with ground.
   2. Raise body until arms are straight.
   3. Repeat

 

Overhead Tricep Ext.

1. Grip bar or rope on a high cable pulley.
   2. Face away from pulley and place one foot in front of the other.
   3. With elbows up by your ear, straighten your arms.
   4. Slowly let arms back and repeat.

 

Preacher Curl

1. One preacher curl bench hold bar in front of you and curl as high as possible.
   2. Slowly lower until arms are straight and repeat.

 

Incline Curls

1. Sit on incline bench that is back at about 45 degree angle.
   2. Hold DB’s in hands and let arms hang with your elbows behind your body.
   3. Keeping elbows behind your body, flex arm at the elbow as high as you can without moving your elbows.
   4. Slowly lower and repeat.

 

DB Hammer Curl

1. You will curl both DB’s at the same time.
   2. Hold the DB with thumbs up.
   3. Curl keeping thumbs up entire time.
   4. Slowly lower and repeat.

 

Planks

1. Get on forearms and toes.
   2. Back should be flat or slightly above flat.
   3. You should NOT feel this in your lower back. If you do, you probably need to get higher.
   4. Keep breathing and try to relax. You should feel it in your abs.
   5. Hold as long as you can keep your hips up. When hips go down, the set is over.

Side Planks

1. Get on one of your forearms and your same side foot.
   2. Place other foot on top of the bottom foot.
   3. Raise your hips slightly above straight.
   4. Should feel in your bottom side.
   5. Hold as long as you can until hips start to drop.

 

Baseball Pitching Conditioning

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

Now you can take the guesswork out of your strength program and apply the same functional training and conditioning plan that big league pitchers are now using to develop more explosive power and stamina while building a stronger arm, improving flexibility and reducing the risk of throwing arm injuries.

Introducing the TUFFCUFF Strength and Conditioning Manual for Baseball Pitchers, the only pitcher conditioning program that shows you in-season and off-season workouts, throwing programs and nutrition plans that will take your game to the next level and quickly add another 5 to 7 MPH on your fastball by spring!

But that's not all. Inside, you'll also learn:

• How to develop balanced pitching-specific fitness.
• How to build functional strength, lean muscle mass, dynamic flexibility and explosive power without overemphasizing or shortchanging any component.
• How to improve athleticism and agility, and achieve peak performance on the mound.
• How to recover from games and pitching workouts quicker, so you get leaner and stronger when everyone else is just getting tired.
• How to increase your body's capacity to perform at its highest level longer.
• How to condition your arm 52 weeks a year (during the pre-season, in-season and off-season) for more speed and less stress, with simple yet effective throwing and pitching routines that can help you throw harder.

It's all here in 188 pages of more than 193 pitching workouts, 71 charts and training calendars, and 509 pictures and illustrations all in an easy to follow 8-1/2 x 11 fold-flat format. This manual is your step-by-step guide to better performance, improved velocity, quicker recovery and healthier pitching.

Click here to get started today!

Functional Strength For Pitching

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

Just a short time ago, most baseball coaches thought that strength training would cause pitchers to become muscle-bound and would be counterproductive to good technique. Now it has been proven that athletic performance depends either directly or indirectly on qualities of muscular strength.

We must remember that strength builds the foundation for ALL other athletic qualities. For example, if you do not possess great relative body strength (strength in relation to your body weight), you will never be able to run fast. This is due to the fact that all aspects of proper running technique require high levels of muscular strength. In other words, if you can’t achieve the proper knee drive, arm swing, posture and push-off, you can’t be fast! And this is just one example.

Many university studies have also found a high correlation between an athlete’s jumping ability and agility in relation to their relative body strength. What this means is that an athlete who is strong for his/her bodyweight will possess the ability to jump higher and move quicker, compared to their weaker counterparts.

The number one purpose of complete conditioning – including the physical, technical, tactical, and psychological aspects of training – is to improve the player’s ability to make the big play. Strength training is a vital part of complete conditioning. The primary function of the body’s 600+ muscles is to contract (shorten in length) to move body parts. And remember that only muscle can cause movement. The stronger the muscles and the more forceful the contractions, the faster the athlete will run, higher he will jump, further he will throw/kick, and harder he will hit. It’s that simple!

An added bonus of strength training is injury prevention. Pitchers who strength train tend to have fewer injuries. This is because strength training strengthens the muscle attachments and increases density of bones at the sites of muscle origins and insertions. And if an injury does occur to a pitcher who has been strength training properly, it will probably not be as serious and will tend to heal faster.

How To Develop Lower Body Strength

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

Developing lower body strength is paramount to your success as a pitcher. To throw hard, you must transfer weight and energy quickly from the ground up as you make a pitch. When you hit the weights, aim to do ground-based movements. Limit machine-based workouts -- such as leg curls and leg extensions or any other workout done sitting or laying on a machine. You don't pitch sitting or laying down, right?

A better lower-body workout for pitchers should include three things:

• free-weight exercises
• ground-based exercises
• compound exercises

You'll find all three of these types of exercises in The TUFFCUFF Strength and Conditioning Manual for Baseball Pitchers, click here. Remember, baseball is played on your feet -- with all your leg muscles working together. You need to work your leg muscles in a similar way, especially as a pitcher.

Squats, deadlifts, and lunges are by far the best leg exercises for pitchers. If you do these hard enough, you don't necessarily need to do leg curls and extensions. The only time I see much use for leg curls and extensions is with younger pitchers new to strength training or pitchers rehabbing from an injury and getting back into exercising after taking an extended time off.

Baseball Pitching Training

By Steven Ellis of PitchingWorkouts.com

The act of pitching is a series of explosive movements followed by short breaks. That's how you need to train. How much better could you be with baseball pitching training program that actually helps you how to do that, day in and day out — for all 52 weeks a year?

Do you have the work ethic and motivation to get bigger, faster, and stronger, but need someone to supply you with a guide that'll act as a "personal trainer," walking you through your workout, step by step — with full pictures, illustrations, and exercise descriptions?

That's  TUFFCUFF.

Take it to the weight room, baseball field or back yard and open it up to the correct page. It will tell you what to do on that specific day — from what exercises to perform (lifting, running, stretching, throwing) to what foods and supplements to take before and after your workout. You'll learn proven ways to speed up recovery from workouts and games, too.

What's more, TUFFCUFF even has separate, individualized pitching workouts for starters and relievers during the in-season program. That's because different pitching roles require different training techniques — something that you'll learn about in the book.

But that's not all. Inside, you'll also learn:

• How to develop balanced pitching-specific fitness.
• How to build functional strength, lean muscle mass, dynamic flexibility and explosive power without overemphasizing or shortchanging any component.
• How to improve athleticism and agility, and achieve peak performance on the mound.
• How to recover from games and pitching workouts quicker, so you get leaner and stronger when everyone else is just getting tired.
• How to increase your body's capacity to perform at its highest level longer.
• How to condition your arm 52 weeks a year (during the pre-season, in-season and off-season) for more speed and less stress, with simple yet effective throwing and pitching routines that can help you throw harder.

It's all here in 188 pages of more than 193 pitching workouts, 71 charts and training calendars, and 509 pictures and illustrations all in an easy to follow 8-1/2 x 11 fold-flat format. This manual is your step-by-step guide to better performance, improved velocity, quicker recovery and healthier pitching.

Click here to get started today!