Expert Ryan Crotin shares innovative arm strength training for baseball pitchers to prevent injuries and optimize performance. Topics include functional arm strength, biomechanics, grip activation exercises, velocity enhancement checklist, benefits of diversifying sports, and resources for injury prevention.
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Quick takeaways
Focus on functional arm strength over velocity to prevent injuries in baseball pitchers.
Integrate arm care within strength training, emphasizing grip strength and personalized exercises with resistance bands.
Deep dives
Ryan Croton's Background and Expertise
Ryan Croton, a dual PhD in exercise physiology and biomechanics from the University of Buffalo, has extensive experience in Major League Baseball and postdoctoral fellowships. Through his company, RC 13 Sports, he focuses on strength and coordination training for injured MLB and college athletes. Croton developed a unique training program to prevent injuries and enhance performance, resulting in significant reductions in injuries and surgeries across organizations.
Challenges in Addressing Arm Injuries
Addressing arm injuries in baseball pitchers involves focusing on functional arm strength rather than just throwing velocity. Croton emphasizes the importance of identifying and improving arm strength capacity to handle pitching loads, highlighting the weakness in North American pitchers' throwing arms and the link to injury susceptibility, especially when coupled with shortened recovery periods.
Comprehensive Approach to Arm Care
Croton's arm care program integrates psycho-physiological factors, coaching errors, and mechanical determinants of injury. By assessing strength, aerobic recovery, and coaching strategies, the program aims to prevent injuries by focusing on optimal arm variability, stress shielding ratios, and individualized mechanical efficiency.
Training Strategies and Periodization
Croton emphasizes the significance of integrating arm care within strength training programs, prioritizing grip strength for muscle activation and injury prevention. His approach involves individualized testing, monitoring recovery levels, and implementing targeted exercises using resistance bands to enhance arm strength and durability. Strategic periodization involves managing workload and recovery days to optimize performance and minimize injury risk.