What direction would you point someone

Conditioning
#1

I now have daily access to a real gym (Planet Fitness it is called). I am about 6’1" and 175 lbs. I have lots of pitching experience, with success, but that is not the point. I want to get better, that is the point. If you look at me I look pretty average, and you would probably say I am “in shape” or “healthy”. However, I would say that is not true. I have little upper body strength, and flabby midsection (basically just out of shape…no definition, tone, etc.) With this said, what machines would you point me to in order to get into the best shape possible for a pitcher?

My goal would be to either cut fat and/or build muscle relative to improvement in pitching and/or become more flexible.

Thanks.

#2

A few ideas for you…

  1. Develop a two to three mile running base. Nice and easy. But your running base is the distance you can do any day, any time, without trouble. If you’re not already at 2 to 3 miles, build up to it.

  2. Add sprints to your running program. You should have specific days where you’re doing specific sprint distances – i.e., short sprints (7 secs), medium sprints (15 seconds) and long sprints (30 seconds). Generally, you don’t want to mix sprint distances on the same day. Just focus on one distance.

  3. Medicine ball work will whip your core into shape, but you’ll need to start light for a few weeks as your body adapts to the movements. Explosive med-ball work is sneaky. Seems easy at the gym. But it’s absolutely killer on your body (in a good way). Just start slowly and progress at an even pace.

  4. Got to train the shoulder with tubing or 3 to 5 lb weights (called Jobes, Throwers 10, etc.) These exercises are simply mandatory for a pitcher. They don’t do crap for muscle definition or looking good at the beach. And, if done right, they’re very time consuming. But pitchers in the big leagues and in college do them routinely … and you should, too. They’re VERY, VERY important, and too often overlooked.

  5. How’s your diet? Fast food’s gotta go. But you still gotta eat. Don’t restrict calories as you’re trying to gain muscle because it doesn’t work. It’s one or the other. But some things you can do to be healthier right now include limiting your intake of sodas and energy drinks, getting your daily intake of vitamins and minerals preferably from foods rather than supplements (although there’s nothing wrong with a daily multi-vitamin), and getting a good bit of sleep each day (which is when your muscles actually do their growing).

Finally, here’s my shameless pitch: All this stuff and more can be found in TUFFCUFF, where you’ll find daily workout, throwing, sleep, nutrition, running, stretching, etc., charts. Just fill out as you go.

#3

Thanks, Mr. Ellis.

I’ve actually done some of the 5 lb weight lifting before, I had access to dumbbells in my house.

Again, thank you. I’ll be sure to work on this stuff. Hopefully I seen some improvement next spring on the mound!