The Core 4

When people ask me about my top core exercise I always have this little debate in my head. As I have stated in previous posts, there really needs to be a progression of exercises. So what I am going to do is give the top exercise in each of the 4 progressions: (1) postural control, (2) stabilization, (3) strength, 4 (power/reactive).

Pelvic Tilting

1. The first exercise that should be done is simply Pelvic Tilts. The reason for this is that many people, in particular youth athletes have are not able to change the position of their hips on command. This is a fundamental skill that ALL athletes should possess. If an athlete is unable to do this, generally every other functional exercise is going to suffer.

To do a pelvic tilt exercise, have the athlete lie on their back with their knees bent. Have them place one hand under their back and simply alternate between lifting their back off their hand and putting pressure down on their hand. Hold each position for 2-5 seconds.

Full Side Plank

2. The second stage of core training is stabilization/endurance. Athletes need to be able to maintain a stable spine for a prolonged period of time. The side plank does just this. It activates obliques, transverse abdominus, multifidus, low back extensors and the rectus abdominus. Its a grand slam of a core exercise.

To do the side plank support yourself on one arm with your feet stacked and hold that posture for between 20-45 seconds

Hand Walkout

3. The best strength exercise is the Hand Walkout. Why? Well it trains the body in the sagittal plan, so it uses the rectus abdominus "six pack" muscle. But it also engages the obliques and transverse abdominus. The hand walkout is an "anti-extension" exercise that uses the postural control and strength of the prior to phases. 

To do the hand walkout, simply start from a push-up position and take small steps forward with your hands, keeping your feet where they are. Walkout until you feel tension in your abdominals and then walk your hands back in.

4. The best plyometric/reactive exercise is Medicine Ball Shakers. This exercise requires the spinal stabilization muscles and the hip rotators to contract and relax rapidly. The ability to turn a muscle on and off quickly is crucial for sports performance and everyday living. And because most motion takes place in the rotational/transverse plane, this exercise is our champion. 

Simply hold a medicine ball in front of you and quickly shake it side to side. Don't attempt to use a "full range of motion" because most people will end up over torquing the muscles of the lower back. Instead focus on short rotations that allow the ball to travel a maximum of 12" before you bring the ball back the other way. Perform 10 repetitions as fast as possible - shoot for under 6 seconds.

And there you have it. Our Core Top 4!.

Are you doing more than just "something"?

I have to tell you guys, I am a big fan of music. But then again, who isn't?

One of my favorite bands is the White Stripes. I know it might be a bit trendy but they are great musicians. What does this have to do with sports performance? What does this have to do with getting stronger, faster, quicker and more powerful?

The White Stripes have a song called Blue Orchid. And in that song, Jack White sings something so profound that it took me till now to get it. What did he sing?

"Something's better than nothing...Something's better than nothing is giving up!"

As an athlete, no... as a person, you should never catch yourself saying, "Well, something is better than nothing."

Something's better than nothing is not giving your all. And not giving your all, is giving up my friend.

So whether you are in school, or you're practicing, or your doing chores around the house or your mowing the lawn, or you are at Pair & Marotta getting your sports training done, give it everything you have. Make it the best you've ever done. Make it something to be proud of, something that when people see it, they are amazed at the effort that went into it.

Sports is all about giving everything you've got. The ones who win, who are champions, who outlast and play their opponents...they out "give" their opponents. Because they have more to give. That is what Pair & Marotta Sports Performance training is all about. We give everything we've got, to give you more. We want you to be so well conditioned, so well athletically trained, so focused on the task at hand, that you give everything and not a drop less.

When you give your all, it says something about you as a person. It says something about your parents, it says something about your friends. Actions speak louder than words. So don't give anything less than 100% and never let anybody hear you say, "something is better than nothing."

Because that my friend, is giving up.
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Below is the workout of the week for your week off. Take it, work on it and give everything you've got.

Circuit type workout (follow each exercise immediately with the next, minimal rest)

1. Push-ups x 5
2. Rocket Jumps x 5 (tuck in when on ground, explode arms and legs into a star at highest point of jump)
   
3. Mountain climbers x 10
4. Hip Bridges x 10
5. Reverse Snow Angels x 10 (lie on belly, keeping arms and legs off the ground and make a snow angel)
   
6. Lateral shuffle 10 times each side
   

Do as many circuits as you can in 15 minutes. Coaches, this is a terrific workout to end a practice with. This is just a sample of what you can expect in "Peak Preparation: An On-Field Training Manual." You'll get that this summer.

Arm Care is Career Care

For a baseball or softball pithcer, their arm is often their career. Any quality sports training program bakersfield should consist of an arm care program. If an athlete does not know how to take care of their arm, then their career won't stand a chance.

But what does arm care really consist of? Arm care consists of many things. Not the least is proper preventative care and proper recovery.

Many baseball and softball players go wrong with arm care. They often abuse their arms without ever knowing it. But I have a very knowledgeable person who is very excited to help you with any problem you might have. Click here to visit their website.

So lets talk proper warm-up. Personally, I am sold on Jeager Bands. These things are awesome and can be taken anywhere. No matter what position you play, you gotta have these bands. Pitchers throw every couple of days. Position players throw every day. So don't think they are only for pitchers. They will strengthen your arm to create a cannon and keep you fresh and able to play day after day. The entire Jeager Sports program (long toss, arm circles, bands) is terrific. Their program is highly recommended.

The second thing is knowing when you've thrown enough. And that can be a bit more tricky. Follow this link to get some guidelines on throwing volume. Odds are most coaches are throwing their kids way to much and not giving them enough rest. Coaches, if you don't know how many pitches your athletes are throwing, you are doing them a disservice. Don't be that coach.

The last but possibly most important is proper recovery. Recovery is what we do to our body to help get fresh blood, oxygen and nutrients to the area that follows the stress of pitching at a very high velocity. We should take this very important. The first thing to do is ice it. Almost as soon as you come off the mound. The second thing is to exercise it the day after. Perform very low resistance exercises such as arm circles, fly's, and arm pendulum exercises to help loosen up the tight muscles of the shoulder.

These three things will take some extra effort, but rest assured, they will keep you throwing for years to come. Being consistent is the key. If you want to throw consistently, you need to

1. Prehab your shoulder for what you are about to ask of it.
2. Count your pitches. Have a coach keep your pitch count so you can track performance
3. Take care of yourself after the game. Ice, compression, and elevation. The next day, start your exercises.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at aaron@pairmarotta.com




Sports training Bakersfield, Baseball training, Pair Marotta Physical Therapy

The In-Season Dilemma

The baseball season is already here!!


Local high schools are getting ready to start practicing and many youth leagues are already on the diamond!! They practice and play, play and practice. They practice hitting, bunting, fielding, throwing, leading off, pickoff moves and learn the coaches signs from third base.

But lets take a step back. What is it that allows kids to play baseball? More generally, what is it that baseball requires to be good at? Movement. And that is what we at Pair & Marotta Sport Performance specialize in: Teaching Movement.

Movement is what allows baseball and softball players to swing a bat regarless of whether they hit the ball. But rarely do kids focus on just movement. They would rather make contact with an ugly swing than strikeout with a powerful swing. Don't believe me? Watch a youth athlete in the on-deck circle and then watch them at the plate. When there is no ball coming at them, their swing is simply a flop of the bat. Watch them when they step out of the box between pitches. These are the times to be focusing on a good swing.

So how does Pair & Marotta Sports Performance fix that? How do we work on the quality of the swing without the stress of them worrying about hitting a ball, but rather focusing on a good quality swing? We teach hip rotation and extension to drive the swing. We teach athletes how to put a stretch in the muscle, then to unleash it by getting a good solid contraction out of the muscle. We start in a squat to load the hips, then explode out and release the elastic energy we just created.

This is just one example of the types of exercises each athlete will be performing while at Pair & Marotta Sport Performance.

Many people think when the season begins, the strength program must stop. This could not be further from the truth. Strength training during the season actually improves the sport skills that are being taught while at practice. Watch as the athleticism of a player who trains during the season improves, while that of others is stagnant or declining.

Pair & Marotta Sports Performance In-Season Program starts February 2nd. If you're in Bakersfield and would like to be a part of it, email me at aaron@pairmarotta.com or call 661-912-9991. We are capping each group at 10 players, so don't wait too long!!