Pitcher lifting weights

[Izzy's Dad]

DD is a freshman this year and is a pitcher on her high school team as well as her travel team. She is also in an advanced weights class (required if you play a school sport) that is taught by the volleyball coach.

I have read and been told that pitchers should not lift heavy weights, nor should they bring the bar down alll the way when doing the bench press. Something about not wanting to drop their elbows below the chest.

Well, this weights coach is having DD do everything I've "heard" not to do, as well as this past Wednesday and Friday, she had DD max out on everything. DD was really sore at pitching lessons yesterday.

I am thinking of going to the weights coach and have her stop doing this.

Has anyone experienced this, or have info on this?

[Fuddrules]

Generally speaking, the negatives of weightlifting are far overblown. There aren't many. Not wanting to drop the elbows below the chest seems like nothing but a bunch of crap IMO.

Maxing out is usually not desirable but if it’s only done to periodically measure progress, it’s unlikely to create any issues, although the benefits are questionable.

If there’s a large college in your area, I’d consult with the softball team strength coach on specifics.

[softballmafia]

I was told by college coaches and their weight trainers that the only weight training for pitchers is leg and mid core strenght training.....anything to do with upper body is a no-no.

[artomatic]

welcome to high school.
what did her pitching coach say about it?

[Fuddrules]

From GT with noted pitcher upper body work

Mon - Hang Clean; Dumbell Bicep curl; wrist curl
Tue - Dumbell Bench Press, dips; 3-way shoulder
Wed - Off
Thu - Power clean; reverse curl, wrist rollers

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/acc/sports/w-softbl/auto_pdf/sportsciapril06condition.pdf

[You don't say]

There are plenty of strength coaches at the college level as well as the HS level that are male sport/Football oriented in their training.
Pitchers need core, legs, and shoulder complex stabilazation work. Just because a "college coach" says so doesn't carry much validity as there are numerous horror stories from female athletes and their training

[AlwaysImprove]

I like upper body work along with core. It has helped my daughter a lot. Anything that involves her own weight, as long as it is not to an extreme. Pull-ups, push-ups, and items like that help pitchers a lot.

For weight training for pitchers. You are wanting to build long fibre muscle.

The classic way of lifting weights is often designed to build short fiber muscle. A lot of weight lifting to bulk up focus on heavier weights, and lower reps. For instance you start at a weight you can get up about 7 reps, with the last one being a struggle.

To change to a more long fibre workout, you reduce the weight, maybe about half, and increase the reps. They should choose a weight that they can get up about 15 times, with the 15th not being very difficult. I like to use the full travel of the exercise. They should be able to explode through each rep, including the 15th. It is not about them rushing through the reps, but once they start the lift for a rep, they should lift it quickly.

You should encourage them to do plyometrics as well. There are a lot of good books on it.

I have found with most high school athletic trainers you give them a list of what you are wanting to work on, they will let you go work on it. If start by giving them a list of what you do not want to do, they will take that as a challenge to their coaching/knowledge.

Some girls that lay out a plan for themselves, go into the weight room, work on their plan super hard, harder than the rest of the class is working on their workouts. Those girls get along fine and usually the weight trainer will spend some time understanding what they are working on and why they think it is a better workout.

Some girls that go in and say they do not want to work on what the trainer is working on, and then go about their own stuff halfhearted. Those girls end up cross with the trainer. Most trainers realize that it is about setting personal goals, and working hard to achieve those goals. If you can tap into that side of them, they are usually willing to work together.