Metabolic Rope Training
Metabolic rope training with Belle Tire 97s. Good work boys!!!
HOW TO MASTER THE PLANK
There is no exercise that works your abs more effectively and efficiently than the plank. All of your abdominal muscles (transverse, obliques and upper) have to work together to stabilize and support your entire body weight.
It also engages your glutes, shoulders, lats, arms and legs. Almost every muscle in your body is being toned and tightened when you perform this power move.
Get ready to flatten and tone your midsection in as little as 60 seconds with all the variations of this super pose.
Master the Plank
Before you try some of the more creative poses it’s essential the you master the basic pose.
Remember:
- Draw your navel towards your spine. Think about really pulling your belly up, no sagging!
- Don’t overarch your back. You want your whole body from the top of your head to your ankles to be in a straight line.
- Engage your glutes. This will help you keep that straight line.
- Keep those angles at a 90 degree angle. This helps your entire body stack correctly.
- Don’t collapse into your shoulders or let them rise towards your ears. Pulling your abs tighter will help you direct the hold to your core instead of your neck and upper shoulders.
- Keep your gaze about 6 inches in front of your face. This will keep your neck from straining.
Work up to a 60 second hold, focus on perfect form. If you need to rest during your plank drop your knees down to the ground and then rise back up again into the pose.
Plank Variations
Once you’ve mastered the basic plank, check out these fun and challenging takes on the basic movement:
Oblique Plank: Moving your legs while holding the plank increases the work your lower abs and obliques have to do, plus it gets your heart rate up burning a ton of calories.
Side Plank: Shifting the plank from one arm to two forces your obliques and lats to engage- say goodbye to love handles.
Mountain Climbers: Want to tone and tighten your abs while ramping up your heart rate? Try this fast paced ab move as a cardio interval between strength moves.
Exercise Ball Planks: Doing this balancing exercise on an unstable surface dramatically increases the challenge to your core by forcing it to tighten and lift to stabilize your body.
PITCHING: DON’T DRAG THAT LEG!
During my 8 year old pitching group, one of the athletes asked me why do they have to release their back leg after they push off. The answer is pretty simple. POWER. Learning simple moves like releasing your back leg is something that young pitchers need to develop at a young age. Like their arm slot, releasing their leg (although simple) is something that is hard to break the older they get. This is why you need to release the leg:
Have you ever tried walking around like a zombie, dragging your back leg? Try it. Get up and try running or even walking while dragging that leg. Its impossible to to get any speed and it will slow you down. Its the same thing with pitching. If you keep that back leg planted your wont be able to push off with any force. To be able to keep that back leg planted means that at some point during your delivery, you had to slow down your throw in order to keep it planted to the rubber. You wont be able to get any type of power in your pitch.
Solutions: One of the best ways to break a young pitcher of this, is to have him work on how far he strides. If they make their stride to home plate farther, they will naturally want to release that back leg. Their stride home should typically be a 6 inches to a 1 ft shorter than how tall they are. Its easier to keep that back leg planted if you take a really short stride.
8 YEAR OLD PITCHING GROUP
One of the things I have discovered over the years of working with pitchers of all ages, is that it is best to start from the end of the delivery and work your way backwards. The reason for this is simple…..how you finish is the most important part of the whole process of pitching. All the other stuff in a pitching windup will make more sense to the pitcher once they know how it ends. How an arm is brought from the back to the front is the hardest thing to change in a high school kids delivery. It has already been engrained in the pitchers muscle memory, so to change it takes months to fix.
That is why age 8 is the best time for an athlete to start learning how to pitch. They are still figuring out how to control their body, so what better time to teach them the basics of pitching. Its like learning a second language. They always start them young. Same thing with pitching. In the video we are working at the ending. I have the kids keep their legs apart and work on bringing their arm forward. Its a very simple drill but is very, very powerful.
SINGLE LEG DUMBBELL SNATCH
The single leg dumbbell snatch is a very effective exercise for athletes because it incorporates a number of different functional aspects that are critical to an athlete’s game. The snatch component of the exercise is used to develop strength and explosive power. Performing the exercise standing on just one leg adds an element of instability, which allows the athlete to train balance, coordination, core strength and stabilization. Becoming more proficient in these areas can translate to better performance on the field.
GET THE FAST FOOD TASTE, WITHOUT THE FAST FOOD NUTRITION
Everybody loves fast food. It’s quick and easy. But a few quick and easy’s, and next thing you know your pants don’t fit. Here is a great video on how to keep the tast without packing on the pounds.
HOW TO DO A PULLOVER
The pullover is one of the single greatest exercises for a pitcher or quarterback to do in order to develop throwing strength. The Pullover works on the weight transfer from the back to front in order to ensure your chest is not stronger than your traps and vise versa. Over development of one of these muscles can lead to arm pain. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment, and one of our certified instructors will get back with you.
HOW TO DO A PROPER PUSHUP
One of the best all around exercises, and something any age level can do, is the pushup. This exercise can be done everyday because it is such a great full body exercise. When working with younger kids who have not yet discovered how to properly use their body, I tell them to do pushups everyday. This basic exercise can really strengthen your arms, core, back and lower body.
However, many kids end up doing it wrong and thus never get the full workout it can provide. Watch this great video on how to do a pushup and start getting stronger today!
KETTLE BELL FRONT SQUATS
You don’t need heavy weight, or weight at all, for a squat to be effective. Doing a squat with proper form is a workout in itself. The front squat is a great move for learning balance. Follow this how too video and start strengthening you body today!