As winter winds down, spring sports are not far from
starting. Are you ready for your
sport? Whether you play baseball,
lacrosse, golf, soccer or tennis, all require three things: mobility, core strength and rotational power. All of these sports require a person to
maintain their balance while delivering a powerful kick, throw or swing, so
having good stability will also be key.
Here are five exercises that will help you build more rotational
power to better prepare you for the demands of these sports and help improve
your performance on the field.
Look for this article to also appear in the BendOR Magazine in this month's issue; due to be on stands Mach 9th.
1. Med Ball Side Lunge with Twists - This
is a great exercise for strengthening the glutes, obliques, inner thigh and
mid-back muscles that come into play during the rotational movements.
·
Hold a medicine ball at chest height in front of
you with your arms extended
·
Feet should be shoulder width apart in a good
athletic stance
·
Lunge to the left and at the same time
explosively rotate the ball to the left
·
Step your right foot to the left and bring the
ball back to the start position
·
Perform 8-10 reps on each side
2. Half- Kneeling Rotational Cable Chops –
This exercise works the hips, core, wrists, triceps and shoulders. It trains your abdominal muscles to work in
conjunction with your lower back and hip muscles leading to more rotational
power during a throw or swing.
·
Attach a rope to a high setting on a cable
machine
·
Begin in a half-kneeling position facing sideways
to the machine, the outside knee down and your inside foot down
·
Hold the rope with palms down and hands shoulder
width apart
·
Engage your abdominals and squeeze your glutes
to create stability
·
In one motion, turn hips and shoulders away from
the machine as you pull the rope to your chest and then push it down and away
from your body
·
Keep your chest up and shoulder blades pulled
back
·
Focus on using good form before increasing the
weight
·
Perform 12-15 reps each side
3. Single Leg RDL to Clean and Press – A
favorite exercise of mine, (also used in the January Issue of BendOR magazine)
this exercise trains the upper and lower body to develop stability. It also helps build strength and power. In this exercise your core muscles will be
working to resist rotation, which can give you more control during rotation and
lead to a more powerful shot, throw, or kick.
·
Maintain slight bend in the knee with the foot
on the ground, and lift the other foot off the ground.
·
With a Kettlebell or Dumbbell in the same hand as
the leg on the ground, perform a Single Leg Deadlift; hinging at the hips with
a slight bend in knee and maintaining a flat back.
·
Swing the opposite leg through, clean the weight
up to shoulder level, and then press overhead.
·
Start with a light weight (10-20lbs.) and
increase as your stability improves
·
Perform 5 reps on each side
4. TRX Standing Y,W’s – This is a great
exercise that addresses the deltoids, upper back muscles, and the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulders
to help build stability and reduce injury.
Any sport involving a high velocity throwing or swinging movement will
require these muscles to decelerate the arm.
With these two movements, you can
alternate back and forth between the “Y” and “W” or do all reps for the Y and
then all reps of the W.
TRX “Y”
·
Grab handles of TRX Suspension Trainer with
palms down and lean back at a 45 degree angle with arms extended.
·
Feet should be shoulder width apart
·
Pinch your shoulder blades together and down
(shoulders away from the ears)
·
While keeping your body and arms straight,
exhale and pull the arms overhead in the position of a “Y”.
·
Lower the arms slowly to the starting position.
TRX “W”
·
Start in the same position as the TRX “Y”
·
While keeping the body straight, exhale and
rotate your shoulders back forming a 90 degree angle with the elbows and
shoulder and forming a “W”.
·
Slowly lower back to starting position
·
Perform 8-10 reps of each movement
5. TRX Flutters – This is a great exercise
for any throwing sport as it helps to strengthen the shoulder muscles that help
prevent rotator cuff injuries. Your core
muscles will also be on fire as they must work to support the spine to keep you
in a balanced position.
·
Hold the TRX handles in front of your chest and
face away from the anchor point.
·
Lean your body forward at a 45 degree or more
angle
·
Feet can be shoulder with apart, or to make it
more challenging, together
·
Keeping your core muscles engaged and your body
in a straight line, move your right hand straight up and your left hand
straight down simultaneously.
·
Continue to alternate back and forth without
letting your hands flare out to the sides
·
Start with short strokes and progress to longer
strokes as you become more efficient with the exercise.
·
Perform 8-10 reps on each arm
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