Stop Using Machine to Workouts

[softballperformance]

Stop using machines to workout!

Let me start by saying that as an athlete, the further away
you stay from machines, the better it is for you!

Machines are very popular in commercial health clubs because
of they are very easy to use and are often described as safe.

While machines are easy to use and safe, the problem is that
they are designed to train specific muscle groups in isolation.

Think about it... you have a machine for your quads, your
hamstrings, your chest, your upper back, your shoulders, your
biceps, your triceps, your abs, your low back, your calves and
so on. They even have machines to train the forearms and the
neck! So, they basically train your body to use one muscle
group at a time.

Well, let me ask you an important question: do you only use
one muscle at a time when you run, hit or throw???

No, you use many muscles and many joints at the same time while
often being out of balance.

Let me give you an analogy. Let's say you are just learning
how to pitch. In order to really master each part of the
pitching motion, you decide to practice each part individually.

You might start by doing wrist snaps followed by arm circles
with your feet stationary. Then, you might focus on learning
the leg drive without the arm motion or throwing a ball. You
will finally progress to pitching from the power position with
your feet stationary.

At that point, would you be ready to pitch a whole game
considering you still haven't practiced throwing a ball to a
catcher using the full pitching motion? Of course not!

You need to put it all together and practice the full motion.

Until then, you can't even think of entering a game as a
pitcher.

Well, when you train one specific muscle group at a time,
it's like learning how to pitch by only practicing portions
of the full motion without ever doing the full movement!

Trying to develop strength through machine training only
develops segmental strength (useless strength). It doesn't
train the body to generate strength and power using all of
its muscles together.

To be able to generate maximum strength and power, the
body needs to learn how to use all of its muscles together.

It's no different from the fact that you need to practice
the full pitching motion before you can pitch well in a game.

Peter Twist, world-renowned strength coach explains: "Typical
strength training (i.e. machine training) attempts to
develop the body through a piecemeal approach, isolating
specific muscle groups.

Worse yet, this is often done with the body unloaded, sitting
stationary on a machine while moving one isolated body part
through a controlled range of motion, usually in a strict
linear, straight ahead motion".

To optimize sports performance, the body needs to be trained
as a unit, not in isolation.

That means that you have to involve many muscles groups at
the same and the central nervous system as well. The central
nervous system is programmed to make the body function as
a whole unit, not to recruit muscles one at time. The body
is designed to move as a unit using multiple muscles to
accomplish the desired movement.

The body thinks in terms of movements, not individual muscles.

Machine training is adequate for building muscle but it
doesn't prepare the body to perform on the field. It often
leads to more injuries while limiting performance and
interfering with skill execution.

As you can see, this type of training is counter productive.

Athletes need to choose exercises that mimic softball more
closely. Every action in softball is done using many muscle
groups and joints at the same and often in an unstable
position. Doing knee extensions comfortably seated on the
leg extension machine doesn't prepare you for that!


You need to train using exercises that will challenge your
whole body and your nervous system. You need to think in
terms training movements, not muscles. Machines only train
one specific muscle group at a time and don't challenge
the nervous system at all.

Working out on machines is better than doing nothing. However,
it is not sport-specific and it will just do about nothing to
increase your performance.

In conclusion, if you are really interested in increasing your
performance by working out, stay away from machines and use
free weights and stability balls instead. The only acceptable
machine exercises would be the lat pull-down, the seated row,
and any exercises using a pulley machine that involves more
than one muscle at a time.

So best advice for athletes - STAY AWAY from machines and learn
how to use your body, dumbbells, barbells, medicine balls,
stability balls and other functional tools.

[bradrhod]

We have had a lot of success with plyometrics.

They require very little equipment, can be done in your garage/yard. Work great for building strength, power and agility.

These two books have a lot of great information about Plyo's.
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?isbn=0880117842
http://www.amazon.com/Jumping-into-Plyometrics-Exercises-Strength/dp/0880118466

[FPdawg]

I'm not shure what 1'st post is trying to say, don't use machines, but use machines for certain things. I agree to a little of this , I have my pitchers do rollups then down, this is done with a dowl with hole in it then rope or cord with a weight on the end, good for lower arm streangth also good for hitters, ie. wrist snap. Its correct the whole body needs conditioning but I know of no drill, exersize or machine or free weight tha can do this symotaniously' therefore to streangthen you have to isolate some muscle groups, and yes this wont make your fielding, pitching or hitting better thats why after streangth training you hit the practice field, and combine you newly streangtend muscles and teach them muscle memory from many, many, reps this is what makes the player more proficient at the game not stronger. This is just MO.... FPdawg

[Cannonball]

So best advice for athletes - STAY AWAY from machines and learn
how to use your body, dumbbells, barbells, medicine balls,
stability balls and other functional tools.

Excellent advice. We use, and I am certified, in Bigger Faster Stronger. We use our "auxilliaries" to do softball or baseball related activities. While I'm sure that softballperformance, might disagree with the BFS program, our school has that as a part of our curriculum and so, in our "Athletic PE," we do those lifts and track gains. We also have a plyo program that we do. Most of that program that the softball and baseball programs do is from several colligiate baseball programs. I'm a huge fan of Plyos. They develop what I call "using strength." Strong ballistic activity such as this will translate onto the diamond. JMHO!