Off-season workout tips for middle school pitchers

I've been getting a lot of e-mails about off-season workout programs. Many pitchers are already getting started with their off-season strength training. One of the e-mails I got was from a dad whose son is 13 and will be working out this off-season for the first time.

He wanted to know how his son could develop strength safely.

I believe that there are two requirements that any kid must have in order to workout with weights:

• They should be mentally mature enough to know what they are doing and why they are training. (The ability to concentrate is an important factor in a resistance training program.)
• They should be physically mature, beyond puberty, which for some kids happens later than others.

With the above factors in mind, it is possible for younger pitchers to gain strength through training, but it must be kept within reason.

Parents and coaches need to make informed decisions for their players. With younger kids, I think the emphasis should be on overall conditioning and strengthening the ligaments and tendons. Ligaments connect bone to bone and tendons connect muscle to bone.

A junior high pitcher, such as Jake, should concentrate on proper technique, which comes from performing movements with light weights or no resistance.

That's because exercise habits formed at a young age are more likely to be carried over into adult years. If movements are performed incorrectly at a young age, it's much more difficult to correct the movements later in a boy's baseball career. (The same principle holds true for the necessity of developing proper pitching mechanics at an early age, by the way.)

A modified off-season workout program for junior high pitchers should be prepared on an individual basis. I have done that for you in my new guide to pitching workouts, The TUFFCUFF Strength and Conditioning Manual for Baseball Pitchers, but additional precautions may need to be followed.

My TUFFCUFF program for this age group involves predominately lightweight or bodyweight exercises, and a high number of repetitions. This helps to prevent injury by not overworking young, growing joints with  "bulk" workouts. As a pitcher, you need to be lean and powerful, not bulky.

Junior high school age is a good time to develop general coordination in pitchers through creative, active games. I also encouraged Jake's dad to have Jake participate in numerous sports and physical activities throughout the year other than baseball.

If you're the parent of a junior high school pitcher looking for pitching-specific workout guidance this off-season, check out The TUFFCUFF Strength and Conditioning Manual for Baseball Pitchers.