Training the Power Pitcher

Training the PowerPitcherA. Eugene Coleman, EdD, CSCSProgram in Fitness and Human Performance, University of Houston—Clear Lake, Houston, Texas

S U M M A R Y

THE POWER PITCHER IS ONE OF

THE MOST EXCITING POSITIONS

IN THE GAME OF BASEBALL.

SUCCESSFUL INJURY-FREE

PERFORMANCE REQUIRES A

COMPREHENSIVE YEAR-ROUND

CONDITIONING PROGRAM THAT

ADDRESSES THE PHYSICAL,

METABOLIC, AND MENTAL

REQUIREMENTS OF THE POSITION.

INTRODUCTION

The power pitcher is one of themost exciting players to watchin professional baseball. Be-

cause he relies primarily on the velocityof his pitches, sometimes at the ex-pense of accuracy, there is always thepotential that he will record a highnumber of strikeouts and walks anda low number of hits every time heappears in a game. An average MajorLeague Baseball (MLB) pitcher, forexample, will strike out approximately5 batters per 9 innings, whereas a pro-totypical power pitcher, such as Hall ofFame pitcher Nolan Ryan, may strikeout one or more every inning.

As a strength and conditioning coachin MLB for the past 30 years, I havehad the opportunity to work with 3Hall of Fame power pitchers, numer-ous pitching coaches, managers, andgeneral managers. In addition, I have20 years of manning a radar gun,charting pitches, analyzing data, andevaluating the results of approximately500,000 pitches each year. With theseexperiences, I believe that there are4 major components to becoming asuccessful power pitcher at the

professional level (18,39). They aregood pitching mechanics, mentaltoughness, genetics, and strength andconditioning.

PITCHING MECHANICS

Most professional pitchers, coaches,and scouts believe that if you have thetalent to throw hard, the first step inachieving your true potential as apower pitcher is to develop properpitching mechanics (31,33). Regardlessof how much talent you have, howstrong you are, how big you are, orhow flexible you are, you will throwonly as hard and accurately as yourmechanics permit. When your me-chanics break down, you will not beable to sum the forces to throw hardand accurately. Without good mechan-ics, most pitchers will ‘‘muscle up’’ totry to throw harder, fatigue, andincrease their risk of injury (32).

Nolan Ryan was often credited withhaving near-perfect pitching mechan-ics (15). He pitched at the MajorLeague level for 25 years and pitched300 or more innings 2 times in hiscareer (326 innings in 1973 and 334innings in 1974). He pitched299 innings in 1977 and 220 or moreinnings 14 times in his career. Ryanthrew approximately 180 pitches pergame for 10 years. He once threw 255pitches in a 13-inning game and 100pitches 100 miles per hour (mph) orfaster in a single game. Remarkably,he accomplished all these with only3 days rest between starts. Today’spitchers are allowed 4 days restbetween starts. Ryan is estimated tohave thrown 100,000 pitches at least90 mph by the time he reached the ageof 30 (31). During his 25-year MLB

career, he never threw a fastball thatwas clocked at less than 90 mph. Youcannot run a marathon with a rock inyour shoe and you cannot throw ashard or for as long as Ryan did withbad mechanics.

MENTAL TOUGHNESS

Mental toughness, according to sportpsychologists, is having the psycho-logical strength to maintain focus,motivation, and self-belief when thegoing gets hard (19). For a pitcher, it ishaving the confidence that when hecomes to a difficult situation, he doesnot give in. A mentally tough athletewill achieve relatively consistent per-formances regardless of situationalfactors. A mentally tough athlete willretain a confident, positive, optimisticoutlook, even when things are notgoing well, and will not ‘‘choke’’ underpressure (23). They deal with distrac-tions without letting them interferewith optimal focus, tolerate pain anddiscomfort, remain persistent when the‘‘going gets tough,’’ and have theresilience to bounce back from dis-appointments (23).

Recent research has attempted toexplore the concept of mental tough-ness in sport more thoroughly, and itseems that, although some people arenaturally more tough-minded thanothers, people can be ‘‘toughened-up’’with the correct approach to training(24). In the history of the Americanspace program, for example, there hasseldom been a heart rate greater than

KEY WORDS :

baseball; pitcher; training; professionalsports

VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 2 | APRIL 2009 Copyright � National Strength and Conditioning Association48

Copyright © . N ational S trength and Conditioning A ssociation. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited

100 bpm recorded on an astronautduring liftoff, splash down, or landing(21). NASA officials believe that think-ing patterns are the result of repetition(rep), and they have designed pro-grams that train both the body and themind. One of their goals is to identifythe thinking patterns that they wantastronauts to use under pressure andthen practice them over and over ina simulator so that when a difficultsituation arises, the training will auto-matically kick in and the astronauts willnot give in or ‘‘freak out’’ (21).

Sport psychologists contend that men-tally tough athletes will play the waythey train, and training should focuson building physical fitness, mentalstrength, and resilience. Jones (19), forexample, found that mentally toughathletes were able to maintain techniqueand effort while experiencing physical(e.g., fatigue) and emotional pain result-ing from failure. Dorfman (10) suggeststhat harsh experiences toughen one’sspirit to endure the dilemmas of life, andsuccess is achieved through effort.Therefore, by knowing one’s limitationboundaries, realistic goals can be suc-cessfully accomplished, which in turnestablish new goals leading to furthersuccess by developing mental tough-ness. A pitcher should train to competeby putting himself in very challengingsituations where he has to work at not‘‘giving in.’’ Pitchers should challengethemselves and develop the attitude thatfailure is not an option.

GENETICS

Loehr (23), a sport psychologist, saysthat ‘‘talent is your genetic potentialand it’s a gift. You can’t take credit forit. You didn’t earn it. You inherited it.Being born with talent is like winningthe lottery.’’ Having talent, evens outa lot; however, there is no guaranteefor success. Success depends on howyou use your gift. If you take it forgranted and are content with being onthe team and making an occasionalcontribution, you will never achieveyour true genetic potential. But if youwork on your talent, even if it ismarginal, you can reach your potentialand be successful.

From a genetics (anthropometric andphysiological characteristics) stand-point, I have come to 5 conclusionsabout power pitchers. After these arediscussed, you will be able to examinetables that display a 4-phase, year-round strength and conditioning pro-gram for the power pitcher.

First, there are power pitchers andpower throwers. A power pitcher canthrow at least 95 mph, can locate hisfastball, and has a fastball that moves.He never gives in to the hitter, canthrow his second best pitch for a strike,can hit the corner of the plate withalmost every pitch, and can throwa pitch for a strike when behind in thecount. A power thrower, on the otherhand, can also throw at least 95 mph,but he cannot locate the pitch. Hecannot throw his second best pitch fora strike. He throws every pitch as hardas he can and tries to throw harderwhen behind in the count. The harderhe throws, the less his ball moves (i.e., ittends to flatten out at higher velocities).This makes it easier for the batter totrack the ball and hit it (10).

Second, power pitchers can be startersor relievers and can come in all ages,sizes, and shapes. They are young and

old, tall and short, big and small, righthanded and left handed, and U.S. andforeign born. Although there are noideal height or weight requirements,scouts tend to favor taller pitcherswith better leverage. Data in Table 1indicates that, regardless of age, height,or weight, most power pitchers hadno more than 12–13% body fat (8).

Third, pitching is an anaerobic powerevent (29). The act of throwinga baseball occurs in less than 5 secondsfrom windup to release. Once released,a 90- to 95-mph pitch will travel frompitcher’s mound to home plate inapproximately 0.40 seconds or less(8). The typical MLB pitcher willthrow 15 pitches per inning, andstarting pitchers are required to per-form sustained high-intensity activityfor 6–9 innings per game and willthrow no more than 135–150 pitchesin a complete game (6). Relieversperform high-intensity activity fora much shorter period (1–2 innings)but may pitch on consecutive days.MLB rules allow a pitcher to rest nomore than 12 seconds between pitcheswhen no runners are on base (25).Thus, the act of pitching relies primar-ily on the ATP-PC system for energy

Table 1Age and body composition of power pitchers (8)

Player Age (y) Height (in.) Weight (lb) Body fat (%)

Clemens 35 76 235 12.0

Dotel 27 72 215 12.1

Jenkins 38 77 210 12.3

Johnson 36 82 225 11.8

Kile 32 72 212 12.2

Lidge 30 77 210 11.9

Oswalt 30 72 185 10.7

Pettitte 34 77 225 12.5

Richard 28 80 239 10.6

Ryan 35 74 212 12.1

Seaver 32 73 195 12.2

Wagner 29 71 203 11.8

Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-lift.org 49


(3). A high level of aerobic fitness is notrequired. Average aerobic capacity ofMLB pitchers is between 45 and 50mL/kg/min (7). An adequate level ofaerobic fitness is needed to helppitchers recover between pitches andto pitch into the later innings of thegame (29). Research indicates that thislevel is better achieved through high-intensity interval training than throughsteady-state, long aerobic training (4).

Fourth, muscular strength is important,but power, symmetry, and local mus-cular endurance are more importantthan absolute strength (22). Pitchersneed strength and power to throw hardon a given pitch and power enduranceto throw hard 100–150 times per game.Symmetry in muscular strength, bothcontralateral and ipsilateral, will helpensure muscle balance and reduce therisk of injury (37). Because strength andsize are related, some degree ofhypertrophy is needed, especially inthe legs. However, too much size,especially in the upper body, can limitrange of motion and the ability toapply force in a controlled manner (17).In pitching, the body can be viewed asa 3-link chain. The forces involved inpitching are initiated in the legs andthen transferred through the trunk tothe shoulders, arms, forearms, andhands where they are applied to theball (11,17,26,27). Data indicate thatMLB pitchers possess more leg strengthand less upper-body strength thanposition players (5). Major Leaguepitchers can lift approximately 1.6 timestheir total body weight in the backsquat and 3 times their body weight inthe leg press but can bench press only80% of their body weight (7).

Although authorities (8,14,30,35,36,38)agree that pitchers must have sufficientcore (abdominal, oblique, and lowback) strength to effectively transferthe forces that are initiated in the lowerbody to upper body where they areapplied to the ball, no data exists toindicate how much core strength isneeded. However, data suggests thatif a pitcher’s lead arm is strapped tothe side of his body, prohibiting theability to produce greater angular torso

rotational velocities, throwing veloc-ity decreased by 10% (16). Therefore,the hypothetical example in Table 2illustrates the importance of corestrength in helping a pitcher achievemaximum throwing velocity. Assume,for example, that it takes 1,000 poundsof force to throw a baseball 95 mph.If pitcher 1 can generate 500 poundsof force in his legs, 300 pounds in hiscore, and 200 pounds in his arm/shoulder and can synchronize themovements of these 3 segments, heshould be able to generate 1,000pounds of force. Pitcher 2 with similarleg and upper-body strength but lesscore strength should not be able togenerate 1,000 pounds of force andshould not be able to achieve a velocityof 95 mph.

Power pitchers do not have to be ableto bench press 300 lb or squat 400 lb tobe successful. The ball weighs only149 g (5.5 oz). The primary focusshould be on total body strength, nothowmuch can be lifted compared withsomeone else. Total body strengthshould help the pitcher throw hard,locate his pitches, stay balanced, moveefficiently, and resist injury (11,31).

Pitchers also need muscle symmetryand flexibility to help improve functionand protect against injury (11,17).Flexibility increases the range of mo-tion over which force can be applied byeach link in the kinetic chain. Pitcherstend to have increased external rota-tion and decreased internal rotation ofthe throwing shoulder when measure-ments are taken at 90� of shoulderabduction (32).

Fifth, pitching is a multiplane activity.The ball is thrown in the sagittal plane,

but most of the movements at the hip,trunk, legs, and arms that drive thisaction occur primarily in the frontaland transverse planes (11,17). Fieldingmovements also occur in all 3 planes.The primary movements in pitchingare flexion, extension, and rotation.The dominant muscles involved arethe gastrocnemius, soleus, quadriceps,hamstrings, gracilis, gluteals, psoas,iliacus, sartorius, rectus femoris, obli-ques, erector spinae, splenius capitis,intransversarii, interspinales, pectorals,deltoids, latissimus dorsi, serratus an-terior, rotator cuff, pronator teres andquadratus, supinators, flexor carpi,flexor digitorum, profundas, extensorcarpi, and extensor and flexor pollicis(17,28). These muscles work bothconcentrically and eccentrically toproduce force, reduce force, and stabi-lize the joints from windup throughfollow-through (40). Pitching, accord-ing to Pappas et al. (26), ‘‘is a total bodyactivity with sequential activation ofbody parts through a link systemwhich, in a right-handed pitcher, goesfrom the left foot to the right hand.Through the coordinated action of allbody segments, ballistic energy isapplied to the baseball resulting inthe greatest velocity at the time ofrelease.’’

YEAR-ROUND STRENGTH ANDCONDITIONING PROGRAM

Proper conditioning is what allowsa power pitcher to get maximum useof his talent inning after inning, gameafter game, and year after year. It is notuncommon to see a young pitcher withtalent and perfect mechanics throwhard for 3–4 years and then becomea finesse pitcher. Their career as

Table 2Sample of segment strength and force production

Pitcher 1 Force (lb) Pitcher 2 Force (lb)

Hips/legs 500 Hips/legs 500

Trunk 300 Trunk 200

Arm/shoulder 200 Arm/shoulder 200

Total 1,000 Total 900

VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 2 | APRIL 200950

Training the Power Pitcher


a power pitcher can be summed up bywhat Mozart wrote as he was dying atage 35, ‘‘I have come to the endwithout having had the enjoyment ofmy talent’’ (34).

Why do young pitchers lose velocity?Specificity of training—‘‘Use it or loseit’’. We know empirically that sprinterscannot maintain speed by jogging andshot putters cannot maintain powerwith circuit weight training. Likewise,a power pitcher cannot maintain hisvelocity by doing 3 sets of 10 reps with70% in the weight room and joggingfor 20 min/d. Power pitchers musttrain for both strength and power andthrow the baseball maximally withgood mechanics.

On the basis of the professionalexperience of the author and currenttrends in research, the year-roundstrength and conditioning programoutlined in Tables 3–8 is designed tohelp prepare the power pitcher fora season of professional baseball. Thereader will note that there are no heavychest exercises, overhead lifts, or somecompetitive weight lifting exercises,such as power cleans and snatchesincluded in the program. Researchsuggests that most professional pitch-ers have some degree of shoulderinstability (12). Adding heavy chestand overhead lifts could increaseshoulder instability and increase therisk of posterior impingement syn-drome (20). Although there is noquestion of the inherent value ofstrength training exercises as tool toincrease explosive power, they havea high technical demand and requiremore supervisory personnel than mostprofessional baseball teams have. Theyalso require a training background levelof proficiency that most professionalpitchers do not possess.

The year-round strength and condi-tioning program is divided into 4training phases: postseason, off-season,preseason, and in-season (5,8). Eachphase has specific fitness and perfor-mance objectives and is more difficultand more sport specific than the pre-vious one. The annual program

contains workouts designed to allowthe athlete to warm-up and improveflexibility, core strength and stability,muscular strength, local muscle

endurance, power, metabolic fitness,flexibility, and mental toughness.Workouts are designed to get thepitcher in ‘‘game shape’’ by opening

Table 3Phase I: postseason—active rest; length 3�4 weeks; goal: recovery. Train 3

times per week

Activity Exercise and drills

Warm-up 1 3 10 of each exercise Movement preparation:prisoner squats,jumping jacks, laterallunge, seal jumpingjacks, reverse lungewith twist, crossjumping jacks, openand close the gate,RDL, ankle flips, pogojumps, good morning,trunk twist, arm circles,Spiderman, inchworm (39)

Core stabilization 2 3 10 of each; 10- to15-s planks

Daily core circuit: hipbridge, stick crunch,reverse crunch, Cookhip lift, front plank,side plank, quadrupedalternating arm andleg extension,Superman (2)

Strength CWT; body weight orDBs as resistance—2 3

8 in week 1, 3 3 10 inweek 2, 3 3 12 inweeks 3 and 4

Step-up, inclined row,squat, push-up orbench press, RDL,calf raise (9)

Shoulder/scapula 2 3 8 with no weight; add2 reps per week up to16 reps of each

Prone shoulder circuit:Y, T, W, L, push-upplus (2)

Metabolic training 3 times per week Workout 1: 10 easy poles

Workout 2: bicycle 20 min

Workout 3:10 3 100 ydin 10 min (9)

Cooldown/flexibility 2–3 reps hold each for10–15 s

Daily dozen: kneelinghip stretch, butterflygroin, hook and look,buttocks stretch, seatedquad stretch, seatedhamstring, bent kneeleg drops, bent kneehip drops, thoracicstretch, inch worm,shoulder, forearm (9)

Rep = repetition; RDL = Romanian deadlift; CWT = circuit weight training; DB = dumbbell.



day, reduce the risk of injury, andmaintain a high level of fitness andperformance throughout the season.

Workouts in each phase start witha dynamic warm-up to increase bodytemperature, allow full joint range ofmotion, reduce the risk of injury, andincrease the chance for optimal per-formance. They end with exercisesdesigned to improve flexibility (9,14).Core strength and stabilization aretrained in each workout. These exer-cises will vary from phase to phase toallow for development of all core andstability muscles.

The strength training program followsa periodization model in which thetraining year starts in the postseasonwith a 3- to 4-week period of active rest.The off-season training phase is 12weeks in length and consists of an initial4-week conditioning (cycle I: prepara-tory) cycle followed by a 4-weekstrength (cycle II) and a 4-week power(cycle III) cycle. The preseason is a 6-week strength and power phase (spring

training) designed to prepare the athletefor opening day. The training year endswith a 16- to 20-week in-season(maintenance) phase. Training variables(frequency, duration, intensity, volume,rest, and recovery) will vary in accor-dance with the specific goals andobjectives of each phase.

Shoulder strength and stability aremaintained year-round through the useof the prone shoulder circuit (8). Becausethese exercises recruit a small muscula-ture, it is not necessary to use a heavyresistance to stimulate the overloadneeded to gain strength (13). Shoulderexercises are performed 3–5 times perweek after exhausting the major musclegroups first or after throwing. Thissequence allows concentration on thesmall muscles of the rotator cuff whenlifting and avoids rotator cuff fatiguebefore throwing (1). The prone shouldercircuit starts in the postseasonwith 2 setsof 8 reps of each exercise with no weightand no rest between exercises. Partic-ipants will add 2 reps per week, up to sets

of 16 reps in each position (64 total reps).When 64 reps can be completed, theparticipant will return to sets of 8 with3–5 lb dumbbells or tubing throughoutthe remainder of the training year.

The forearms and hands are trained atthe end of the strength workout toensure that the participant has suffi-cient grip strength to perform thestrength training exercises. Workoutsare held 3–4 times per week during theoff-season and preseason and 2 timesper week during the in-season usinga superset format. Wrist flexion andwrist extension exercises are pairedwith radial flexion (deviation) andulnar flexion (deviation) exercises.Wrist roller exercises are paired withwrist twist exercises. Weights are heldin the hands, not in the fingers, toensure that the small finger muscles donot fatigue too soon. Workouts con-clude with grip exercises and rice drillsto improve grip and finger strength.

Plyometric drills are started in thesecond cycle of the off-season phase

Table 4Phase II: off-season (cycle I)—general conditioning; length 4 weeks; goal: base level of strength and conditioning to

prepare for strength phase. Train 3 times per week


Warm-up 1 3 10 of each Movement preparation (39)


Daily core circuit—SB circuit: SB crunch,SB roll out, SB jackknife, SB rocky twist (2)

Strength (9) CWT (3 3 10) Squat, DB bench, step-up, lat pull, SLDL, DBincline bench press, standing calf raise, seated row,lunge, shrug, triceps press, arm curl (9)

Shoulder/scapula 2 3 8 3 3–5 lb Prone shoulder circuit: Y, T, W, L, push-up plus (2)

Wrist and hand Superset (1 3 10) ofeach exercise

Forearm circuit: wrist flexion/wrist extension; radialflexion/ulnar flexion

Hand circuit: hand grip/rice drill;wrist roller/wrist twist (10)

Metabolic training 3 times per week Workout 1: Tempo 8 3 100 yd; add 1 rep every 2 wk

Workout 2: 10 3 100 yd in 10 min

Workout 3: 10 3 100 yd in 15–18 s;45-s rest; add 1 rep every 2 wk (10)

Cooldown/flexibility 2–3 reps hold each for10–15 s

Daily dozen (9)

Rep = repetition; SB = stability ball; SLDL = straight-leg deadlift.




Table 5Phase II: off-season (cycle II)—strength; length 4 weeks; goal: increase strength and prepare for a power phase.

Train 4 times per week




Daily core circuit: SB circuit (2)

Medicine ball core strength (2) 2 3 10 each side Workout 1: flexion circuit—kneeling 2-hand chest pass,kneeling 1-hand chest pass, ½ kneeling 1-hand chestpass, standing 2-hand chest pass, standing 1-handchest pass

Workout 2: lateral flexion circuit—standing¼ chop, standing ½ chop, standing fullchop, kneeling overhead throw

Workout 3: rotation circuit—kneeling lateral pass, ½kneeling lateral pass, standing lateral pass, standingreverse lateral pass

Workout 4: power circuit—standing overhead1-bounce, kneeling overhead 1-bounce, ½ kneelingoverhead 1-bounce, lunge overhead 1-bounce

Plyometrics (2) 3 3 5 each Workouts 1 and 3: box jump circuit—jumpup and walk down 12, 18, 24 and 30$boxes, box pop-up, box crossover

Workouts 2 and 4: in-place jump circuit: squat jump, tuckjump, split-squat jump, scissors jump

Strength (9) 4-day split: core lifts 4 3 6–8*;assist lifts 3 3 8–10

Workouts 1 and 3: squat,* SLDL,* lunge, SB legcurl, step-up, standing calf raise, 1-leg squat

Workouts 2 and 4: DB bench,* lat pull,* DB incline benchpress,* seated row,* shrug, triceps press, arm curl

Shoulder/scapula 2 3 8 3 3–5 lb of each Prone shoulder circuit (2)

Wrist and hand (9) Superset (1 3 10) of each exercise Workouts 1 and 3: forearm circuit

Workouts 2 and 4: wrist circuit

Metabolic training (9) 5 times per week Workout 1: add 1 rep every 2 wk; 4 3 100(18:40 s), 4 3 200 (30:90 s), 4 3 100 yd(18:40 s); 3-min rest between sets

Workout 2: 10 3 100 in 10 min

Workout 3: add 1 rep every 2 wk; shuttle2 3 200 (40:120 s)

Workout 4: add 1 rep every 2 wk; 2 3 10 3

50 yd (6:30 s); 3-min rest between sets

Workout 5: 150-yd shuttles; 3-minrest between sets; 6 3 25 yd(60 s), 5 3 30 yd (60 s), 3 3

50 yd (60 s), 2 3 75 yd (60 s)

Cooldown/flexibility 2–3 reps hold each for 10–15 s Daily dozen (9)

Rep = repetition; SB = stability ball; SLDL = straight-leg deadlift.

*Core lifts.



after the athlete has developed a soundfitness base and continued throughoutthe year. Drills start with simple boxjumps and in-place jumps to teach basictakeoff and landing procedures andproceed tomultidirectional hurdle jumps

and hops and medicine ball throws.Workouts are held 2 times per week inthe off-season and preseason and onceper week during the in-season phase.

Metabolic fitness is developed andmaintained year-round with on-field

running drills and bicycle work usingan interval training format designed toimprove both aerobic and anaerobicfitness. Training starts with a prepara-tory period of primarily endurancetraining. Over time, distance is

Table 6Phase II: off-season (cycle III)—power phase; length 4 weeks; goal: increase strength and power and prepare the

preseason phase. Train 5 times per week




Core stabilization 2 3 10 of each; 30-s planks Daily core circuit: SB circuit (2)

Medicine ball corestrength (2)

2 3 10 of each to each side(5 moderate and 5 explosive)

Workout 1: flexion circuit

Workout 2: lateral circuit

Workout 3: rotation circuit

Workout 4: power circuit

Plyometrics (2,9) 2 3 5 each Workouts 1 and 3: hurdle circuit—forward hurdle jumps, lateralhurdle jumps, forward hurdle hops, lateral hurdle hops

Workouts 2 and 4: MD circuit—chest pass, 2-handoverhead throw, squat and chest throw, underhandthrow, backward throw, 2 jumps and throw, discus throw

Strength (9) 4-day split; core 4 3 6*;assist 3 3 6–8

Workouts 1 and 3: squat,* SLDL,* lunge, SB leg curl,step-up, standing calf raise, 1-leg squat

Workouts 2 and 4: DB bench,* lat pull,* DB inclinebench press,* seated row,* shrug, triceps press, arm curl

Wrist and hand (9) Superset (1 3 10) of eachexercise

Workouts 1 and 3: forearm circuit

Workouts 2 and 4: hand circuit

Metabolic training (9) 5 workouts per week Workout 1: jungle drill (50-yd sprint down and jogback after each exercise)—10 times prisoner squats,20 times side to sides, 10times lunge with twist, 10 timesRDL, 30 times jumping jack series, 20 times mountainclimbers, 10 times squat jumps, 20 times split-squatjumps, 20 times scissor jumps, 10 times T-runs

Workout 2: shuttle run—2 3 300 yd in 60:180 s; add1 rep every 2 wk

Workout 3: 6 3 100 (18:40 s), 4 3 200 (30:90 s), 6 3 100yd (18:40 s); add 1 rep every 2 wk

Workout 4: sprint down and jog back—5 3 25, 4 3 50,3 3 75, 2 3 100; 1-min rest between sets

Workout 5: 10 3 100 in 10 min


Rep = repetition; SB = stability ball; MD = medicine ball; SLDL = straight-leg deadlift; DB = dumbbell.

*Core lifts.




gradually replaced with days of intervaltraining in which volume (distance) isreduced and intensity is increased.Shuttle runs introduced in the secondcycle of the off-season phase toimprove lateral speed and agility.Jungle drills are introduced in the thirdcycle of the off-season phase toimprove mental toughness (Table 6).Each workout concludes with a 10- to12-minute cooldown period in whichthe athlete performs a series of staticstretches (daily dozen) to restore tissue

length and prevent long-term overuseinjury (2). Each stretch is held for 6–10seconds and is performed 3–5 times.

Phase I (Table 3) is a postseason phasethat begins immediately after theconclusion of the regular season. It isa 4-week recovery cycle designed tohelp the athlete recover both physi-cally and mentally from the stress andstrain of the previous season. Workoutsare held 2–3 times per week and aredesigned to help the athlete maintaingeneral fitness.

Each workout starts with movementpreparation exercises and ends withflexibility exercises. Core training con-sists of 2 sets of 10 reps of the daily corecircuit. Core stability is developed byperforming bridging, plank, quadruped,and prone exercises. Strength trainingutilizes a circuit weight training format.Athletes perform 2 sets of 8 reps of 5–6exercises designed to work musclegroups that provide balance and sup-port in week 1, move to 3 sets of 10 inweek 2 and 3 sets of 12 in weeks 3 and 4.

Table 7Phase III: preseason—strength and power phase; length 6 weeks; goal: increase strength and power and prepare the

in-season phase. Train 6 times per week


Warm-up 1 3 10 of each exercise Movement preparation (39)


Core stabilization 2 3 10 of each; 30-s planks Daily core circuit: SB circuit (2)

Medicine ballcore strength (2)

2 3 10 of each to each side(5 moderate and 5 explosive);30-s planks

Workout 1: flexion circuit

Workout 2: lateral circuit

Workout 3: rotation circuit

Workout 4: power circuit

Plyometrics (2) 2 3 5 each Workout 1: box jump circuit

Workout 2: in-place jump circuit

Strength (9) 4-day split; core:* 4 3 6–8;assist: 3 3 8–10

Workouts 1 and 3: Squat,* SLDL,*lunge, SB leg curl, step-up, standingcalf raise, 1-leg squat

Workouts 2 and 4: DB bench,* lat pull,*DB incline bench press,* seated row,*shrug, triceps press, arm curl

Wrist and Hand (9) Superset (1 3 10) of each exercise Workouts 1 and 3: forearm circuit

Workouts 2 and 4: hand circuit

Metabolic training (9) 6 times per week Workout 1: 10 times jungle drill


Workout 3: sprint down and jog back (5 3 25;4 3 50; 3 3 75; 4 3 50; 3 3 75; 2 3 100 yd)

Workout 4: add 1 rep every 2 wk; 6 3 100 (18:40 s);4 3 200 (30:90 s); 6 3 100 yd (18:40 s)

Workout 5: shuttle 2 3 300 yd (60:180 s)



SB = stability ball; SLDL = straight-leg deadlift; DB = dumbbell.



Resistance is provided by dumbbellsand/or body weight and will notexceed 70% of the athlete’s 1 repetitionmaximum (1RM). Shoulder strengthand stabilization are developed byperforming 2 sets of 8 reps of theprone shoulder circuit with no weightand no rest between exercises. Meta-bolic fitness is maintained with runningand/or cycle workouts. Static stretch-ing exercises (daily dozen) are used tomaintain flexibility.

Phase II (preparatory phase) is the firstpart of the off-season annual trainingprogram and consists of three 4-weektraining cycles. Cycle I (Table 4) isdesigned to help the athlete achievea base level of conditioning, improveexercise technique, and prepare theneuromuscular and cardiorespiratorysystems for the harder work to come inthe weeks that follow. After complet-ing the movement preparation

exercises, the athlete will use the dailycore circuit and stability ball exercisecircuit to enhance core strength andstability. Strength training utilizes a cir-cuit weight training format and partic-ipants will complete 3 sets of 8–10 repsof each exercise with a load not tosurpass 80% of 1RM. Shoulder exer-cises consists of 2 sets of 8 reps of theprone shoulder circuit with 3–5 lbdumbbells. Wrist and hand exerciseswill be superset for 1 set of 10 reps ofeach exercise. Each workout will endwith running drills and flexibilityexercises. Running consists of temporunning and interval drills to developa base of sprint-related conditioning.

Cycle II (Table 5) is designed toimprove total body strength. Partici-pants will be trained 4 times per week.After completing the movement prep-aration exercises, participants will workthe core. Core exercises include the

daily core stabilization circuit (2 3 10)plus alternate days of medicine ballexercises that work the core in flexion,lateral flexion, or rotation (2). Plyo-metric exercises will be introduced inthis cycle, with participants performingbox jumps (jump up and walk down)and in-place jumps on alternate days.

Strength training utilizes a 4-day splitroutine with alternate strength work-outs for the lower and upper body.Athletes will start with 4 sets of 10 repsfor multi-joint exercises and 3 sets of 10reps for single-joint exercises. As theprogram moves through the strengthphase, athletes will drop reps for multi-joint exercises to 6–8 reps and single-joint exercises to 8–10 reps. The loadwill not exceed 85% for multi-jointexercises and 80% for single-jointexercises. By the end of the strengthcycle, the athlete will be prepared toenter the power cycle, which will again

Table 8Phase IV: maintenance phase—length 16�20 weeks; goal: maintain strength and power throughout the season.

Train 4 times between starts




Core stabilization 1 3 10–20 of each; 30-s planks Daily core circuit: SB circuit (2)

Medicine ballcore strength (2)

1 3 10 of each to each side(5 moderate and 5 explosive)

Workout 1: flexion and rotation circuit

Workout 2: lateral flexion and power circuit

Strength (9) 3 workouts per week; core:3–4 3 8–10; assist: 2–3 3

10–12

Workout 1: squat, SLDL, lunge, SB leg curl,step-up, standing calf raise, 1-leg squat

Workout 2: DB bench, lat pull, DB incline benchpress, seated row, shrug, triceps press, arm curl

Workout 3: body weight split squat, box splitsquat, step-up; RDL, 1-leg squat

Wrist and hand (9) Superset (1 3 10) of each exercise Workout 1: forearm circuit

Workout 2: hand circuit

Metabolic training (9) 4 times between starts Workout 1: 10 3 100 yd in 10 min

Workout 2: 10 times jungle drill

Workout 3: 2 3 200, 3 3 100, 4 3 50, 5 3 25 yd

Workout 4: 10 3 50 yd


SB = stability ball; SLDL = straight-leg deadlift; DB = dumbbell; Rep = repetition.




require an increase in load whiledecreasing the reps per set. Metabolictraining (aerobic and anaerobic fitness)will be expanded to 5 times per weekincluding 2 days of interval runningand 2 days of shuttle runs (days 3 and5) designed to improve lateral speedand agility and help build mentaltoughness.

Cycle III (Table 6) is a 4-week powerphase. Core workouts are similar tothose in the previous cycle plus a day ofexplosive multiplane movements(slams). Plyometric workouts use al-ternate days of forward and lateraljumps and hops and explosive medi-cine ball passes and throws. Strengthtraining continues to use a 4-day split.Repetitions will be reduced to 3–6 formulti-joint exercises with loads of85–90% of maximum and 6–8 repsfor single-joint exercises with loads of80–85% of maximum. Loads willcontinue to increase for the durationof the cycle until the athlete peaks justbefore the conclusion of the cycle.Metabolic training continues to occur5 times per week with an increase inthe intensity of the 2 workouts (days1 and 4) designed to build mentaltoughness.

Phase III (Table 7) is a 6-week pre-season strength and power phasedesigned to get the pitcher game readyfor opening day. Workouts are ex-panded to 6 times per week utilizinga 4-day split for strength training and 6-day program for all other activities.Core exercises include a series of dailyexercises designed to stabilize the coreplus 4 days of medicine ball exercisesdesigned to work the core in all 3planes of movement. Plyometric train-ing is reduced to 2 times per week.Strength training utilizes 4 sets of 6–8reps of multi-joint exercises and 3 setsof 8–10 reps of single-joint exercises,with loads not to exceed 85 and 80%,respectively. Metabolic training is per-formed 6 times per week with 3 days(days 1, 3, and 6) devoted to activitiesdesigned to help improve mentaltoughness.

Phase IV (Table 8) is a 16- to 20-weekin-season program designed to main-tain the improvements in fitness de-veloped during the previous phases.Because most starting pitchers at theprofessional level will pitch every fifthday, this phase utilizes 4 workoutsbetween each start. The first workoutwill be held the day after the partici-pant pitches in a game (day 1) and thelast workout will held the day beforethe next start (day 4). Each workoutwill start with a warm-up and concludewith a cooldown/flexibility period.Participants will perform 1 set of 10–20reps of core stabilization circuit eachday and a set of 10 reps of differentmedicine ball exercises that work thecore in multiple planes on days 1 and 2.Most starting pitchers will also throwa bullpen session on day 2.

Strength training workouts will be heldon days 1, 2, and 3, with days 1 and 3devoted to lower-body exercises andday 2 devoted to upper-body exercises.The training load for days 1 and 2 willbe 3–4 sets of 8–10 reps of multi-jointexercises and 2–3 sets of 10–12 reps ofsingle-joint exercises, with 70–75% ofmaximum. Day 3 consists of bodyweight lower-body strength exercisesand/or in-place plyometric jumps andhops and medicine ball throws andslams.

Starting pitchers run 4 times betweenstarts. Running drills mimic the phys-ical demands encountered in gamesituations. Day 1 consists of 10–15minutes of interval running to facilitaterecovery. A jungle drill is performed onday 2 to help improve mental tough-ness. Day 3 consists of higher intensityintervals and short sprints to maintainand/or improve game fitness. Day 4 isa download day with workouts limitedto warm-up, shoulder and core stabi-lization, short sprints, and flexibilitytraining.

Many relief pitchers in professionalbaseball who are power pitchers tendto work the last 2–3 innings of thegame. Their roles are usually to pitchthe eighth inning to set up the closer orto pitch the ninth inning to close the

game. The preparation for a starter andreliever is very similar from the post-season through the preseason. Themajor difference is in the frequency oftheir training workouts during theseason. Relievers tend to work out 3–4hours before the start of a game usingthe same warm-up, shoulder, core, andstrength workouts as starters. Strengthworkouts are performed using a splitroutine after a 2 day on and 2 day offroutine. Relievers will use the samemetabolic training drills as starters butwill perform approximately one-halfthe volume.

CONCLUSIONS

Power pitching is an explosive action.It requires a comprehensive high-intensity/explosive training programfor the total body. Positive or appro-priate thinking patterns, used by NASAastronauts and endorsed by sportpsychologists, are the result of repeti-tion. Power pitchers should train boththe body and the mind by using drillsthat simulate the intense pressuresrequired during game situations. Thestrength training, conditioning, andvarious drills detailed in Tables 3–8should help the power pitcher or anyathlete ‘‘train to not give in.’’ Failure toadequately prepare the power pitchercan inhibit optimal performance andincrease the risk of injury.

A. Eugene

Coleman is pro-fessor and Chairof the Program inFitness andHuman Perfor-mance at theUniversity ofHouston—ClearLake, and thestrength and con-

ditioning coach for the Houston AstrosBaseball Team, Houston, Texas.

REFERENCES1. Axe MJ. Overview of the principles of

conditioning and training. In: Injuries in

Baseball. Andrews J, Zarins B, and

Wilk KE, eds. New York, NY: Lippincott-

Raven Publishers, 1998. pp. 527–531.



2. Boyle M. Functional Training for Sports.

Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2004. pp.

50, 86.

3. Brooks GA, Fahey TD, White TP, and

Baldwin KM. Exercise Physiology: Human

Bioenergetics and Its Applications

(3rd ed). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield,

2000. pp. 851.

4. Burgomaster KA, Hughes SC,

Heigenhauser GJF, Bradwell, SN, and

Gibala MJ. Six sessions of sprint interval

training increases muscle oxidative

potential and cycle endurance capacity in

humans. J Appl Physiol 98: 1985–1990,

2005.

5. Coleman AE. A baseball conditioning

program for all seasons. In: Injuries in

Baseball. Andrews J, Zarins B, and Wilk

KE, eds. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott-

Raven Publishers, 1988. pp. 537–545.

6. Coleman AE, Axe MJ, and Andrews JR.

Performance profile directed simulated

game: An objective functional evaluation for

baseball pitchers. J Orthop Sports Phys

Ther 9: 101–105, 1987.

7. Coleman E. Physiological characteristics of

major league baseball players. Phys Sports

Med. 10: 51–57, 1982.

8. Coleman G. 52-Week Baseball Training.

Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2000.

pp. 157.

9. Cook G. Athletic Body in Balance.

Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2003.

pp. 22, 213.

10. Dorfman HA. The Mental ABC’s of

Pitching. Lanham, MD: Diamond

Communications, 2000. pp. 109, 245.

11. Escamilla RF, Barrentine SW, Fleisig GS,

Zheng N, Yoshirhiro T, Kingsley D, and

Andrews JR. Pitching biomechanics as

a pitcher approaches muscular fatigue

during a simulated baseball game. Am J

Sports Med 35: 23–33, 2007.

12. Fleisig GS, Andrews JR, Dillman CJ, and

Escamilla RF. Kinetics of baseball pitching

with implications about injury mechanisms.

Am J Sports Med 23: 233–239, 1995.

13. Hoffman J and Vazquez J.Total Fitness for

Baseball. Monterey, CA: Coaches Choice,

2008. pp. 49.

14. Holcomb WR. Stretching and warm-up. In:

Essentials of Strength Training and

Conditioning (2nd ed). Baechle TR and

Earle RW, eds. Champaign, IL: Human

Kinetics, 2000. pp. 321–342.

15. House T and Reddick P. The Picture

Perfect Pitcher. Monterey, CA: Coaches

Choice, 2003. pp. 73–75.

16. Ishida K and Hirano Y. Effects of non-

throwing arm on trunk and throwing arm

movements in baseball pitching. Int J Sport

Health Sci 2: 119–128, 2004.

17. Jacobs P. The overhand baseball pitch: A

kinesiological analysis and related strength

conditioning programming. Strength Cond

J 9(1): 5–13, 78–79, 1979.

18. Johnson R. Randy Johnson’s Power

Pitching. New York, NY: Three Rivers

Press, 2003. pp. 26.

19. Jones G. What is this thing called mental

toughness? An investigation of elite sports

performers. J Appl Sport Psychol 14: 205–

218, 2002.

20. Kibler WB and Chandler TJ. Sport-specific

conditioning. Am J Sports Med 22: 424–

432, 1994.

21. Krantz G. Failure Is Not an Option: Mission

Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and

Beyond. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster,

2000. pp. 316.

22. Kritz M, Mamula R, Messey K, and Hobbs

M. In-season strength and conditioning

programming for collegiate baseball

pitchers: A unified approach. Strength

Cond J 30(4): 59–68, 2008.

23. Loehr JE. The New Toughness Training for

Sports. New York, NY: Penguin Books,

1994. pp. 245.

24. Mamassis G and Doganis G. The effects of

a mental training program on juniors

precompetitive anxiety, self-confidence and

tennis performance. J Appl Sport Psychol.

16: 118–137, 2004.

25. 2008 Official Rules of Major League

Baseball. Rule 8.04. Chicago, IL: Triumph

Books, 2008.

26. Pappas A, Zawacki RM, and Sullivan TJ.

Biomechanics of baseball pitching. Am J

Sports Med 13: 216–222, 1985.

27. Pedegana L. The relationship of upper

extremity strength to throwing speed. Am J

Sports Med 10: 352–354, 1982.

28. Perelli DE. The relationship between

pitching velocity and anaerobic

power—Literature review. Strength Cond J

18(4): 58–63, 1996.

29. Potteiger JA and Wilson DG. Training the

pitcher: A physiological perspective.

J Strength Cond Res 11: 24–26, 1989.

30. Roetert EP. 3-D balance and core

stability. In: High Performance Sports

Conditioning. Foran B, ed. Champaign,

IL: Human Kinetics, 2001.

pp. 119–137.

31. Ryan N and House T.Nolan Ryan’s

Pitcher’s Bible. New York, NY:

Simon and Schuster, 1991.

pp. 68–69.

32. Sabick MB, Kim Y, Torry MR, Keirns MA,

and Hawkins RJ. Biomechanics of the

shoulder in youth baseball pitchers:

Implications for the development of

proximal humeral epiphysiolysis

and humeral retrotorsion.

Am J Sports Med 33: 1716–1722,

2005.

33. Seaver T. The Art of Pitching. New York,

NY: Hearst Books, 1984. p. 92.

34. Stafford W. The Mozart Myths. A Critical

Reassessment. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford

University Press, 1991.

35 Stodden DF, Fleisig GS, McLean SP, and

Andrews JR. Relationship of biomechanical

factors to baseball pitching velocity: Within

pitcher variation. J Appl Biomech 21: 44–

56, 2005.

36. Stodden DF, Fleisig GS, McLean SP,

Lyman SL, and Andrews JR. Relationship of

pelvis and upper torso kinematics to

pitched baseball velocity. J Appl Biomech

17: 164–172, 2001.

37. Townsend H, Jobe FW, Pink M, and Perry J.

Electromyographic analysis of the

glenohumeral muscles during a baseball

rehabilitation program. Am J Sports Med

19: 264–272, 1991.

38. Toyoshima S, Hoshikawa T, Miyashita M,

and Oguri T. Contributions of the

body parts to throwing performance.

In: Biomechanics IV. Nelson RC and

Morehouse CA, eds. Baltimore,

MD: University Park Press, 1974.

pp. 169–174.

39. Verstegen M and Williams P. Core

Performance. New York, NY: Rodale,

2004. pp. 55–107.

40. Wilk KE, Meister PT, and Andrews JR.

Current concepts in the rehabilitation

of the overhead throwing athlete.

Am J Sports Med 30: 136–151,

2002.




Documents

Training the Power Pitcher