On the Farm tip of the month (breaking in a glove and strength training)
JANUARY 2006 : STRENGTH TRAINING . When is the right time to do it ??
December 31, 2005 - By Cal Ripken, Jr.
One question that always seems to come up from parents and coaches when it comes to youth baseball is at what age is it appropriate for young players to begin strength training. Two of our baseball teaching philosophies immediately come to mind when it comes to this topic: celebrate the individual and make it fun.
Without trying to be noncommittal, the short answer to this question is that it depends on the individual kid. When we teach baseball, we feel that each individual player brings a certain style and flair to the field. Instead of trying to mold players into clones and have them do everything a certain way, we like to celebrate those individual traits.
For years, players in sports such as basketball, football and soccer have brought their individual styles to their games, and that seems to attract young people to those sports. Why can't baseball be similar? Everyone knows that when I played I constantly altered my stance in hopes of finding something that was more comfortable and productive. With that being the case, how can I get up in front of 200 kids and tell them that they have to stand one particular way at the plate?
Sometimes a young pitcher will have an unorthodox delivery to home plate. If that kids throws really hard, is in the strike zone consistently and gets great results, should we alter his delivery? Absolutely not (unless his delivery has the potential to cause long-term damage to his arm). We promote the idea that young players should operate within their comfort zones as long as certain fundamental approaches are followed.
The reason I mention this is because in reality, the appropriate age to begin concentrated strength training really depends on the individual. Each person must be considered separately.
Studies by organizations such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association have shown that strength training, when performed properly, can be introduced safely at virtually any age. It is impossible, however, to say that every kid should begin a strength training program at a specific age. A child participating in a strength training program must be emotionally mature enough to take direction from a coach, must be in sound health according to a physical examination by a physician and must have developed the motor skills appropriate to allow him to complete the strength training exercises utilizing the proper technique.
Most children don't reach this stage of physical and emotional maturity until they are at least 7- or 8-years-old, but not EVERY kid is physically and emotionally suited to begin a strength training program at that point. It's no secret that kids develop at very different rates. Since a young athlete never should train alone, if you are interested in having your child or players on your team begin a strength training program, it makes sense to have them visit a certified strength and conditioning coach to determine if they are prepared to do so.
When it comes to strength training, most of us immediately think about weightlifting, especially with the emphasis on pumping iron that exists in today's world of elite athletics. There are inherent dangers, especially among young athletes, when it comes to weight training. Kids are particularly susceptible to fractures in the areas of bone surrounding the growth plate when certain types of lifts are performed incorrectly.
With that in mind and because of my upbringing, I tend to favor having young athletes perform exercises that utilize their own body weight. This should prevent an overtaxing of their still-developing bones, muscles and joints. My dad, Cal Ripken, Sr., favored many of the calisthenics - such as push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups - that you often see performed in military boot camps. Maybe it's a bit conservative or "old school," but that's how my brother Bill and I were brought up, and we did pretty well for ourselves.
Getting back to our teaching philosophies, another thing to consider is the fun factor. I can tell you first-hand that pushing or pulling a bar 10 times, stopping and then doing it again isn't the most exciting activity in the world. In my mind, you can introduce body-weight exercises to younger athletes and have them begin building strength without them even knowing that they are strength training.
Kids still enjoy the challenge of seeing how many push-ups or pull-ups they can complete compared to their buddies. Just like when we turn one of our fundamental baseball drills into a game or contest, the kids are improving themselves without actually realizing it. At some point a kid will determine that he is serious about the sport and will begin asking questions about lifting weights. It is then - and only then - that it makes sense to take that player to a certified strength and conditioning coach so that he or she can develop an appropriate weight lifting regimen for that child.
If you push a kid into lifting weights before he is ready, just like if you push a child into a higher level of baseball too soon, you run the risk of turning that child off to the activity. The interest should come naturally. Then, if the kid gets into a well-designed program with a certified professional coach, he will see results and will be motivated to continue weight training - possibly for the rest of his life.
Some recommended body-weight exercises that are beneficial to baseball players include:
- Squats
- Push-ups
- Inverted pull-ups - lay on your back and using a reverse grip pull yourself up to a bar so that your body forms a 30- or 45-degree angle
- Lunge variations
- Straight ahead lunges with upper body rotation
- Lateral lunges
- Lunges at a 45-degree angle
- Planks
- Lay on your side with feet together on top of each other and elbow below shoulder propping body up; raise hips up by pushing elbow against the ground so that nose, belly button and feet are in a straight line; hold for 10 seconds; repeat three times and then switch sides
- Lay prone with stomach on the floor, legs together and elbows underneath shoulders; raise hips up so that all the body weight rests on the elbows and toes; hold for 10 seconds; repeat three times
In addition, all baseball players should perform rotator cuff strengthening exercises using resistive tubing ( http://ripkenbaseball.com/cc/?zone=notebook&id=6697).
Finally, incorporating agility drills utilizing cones, lines and ladder drills as well as agility drills in which athletes change direction quickly based on verbal or visual commands represents another fun way for children to improve their strength, quickness and balance. We will address agility drills in future Coach's Clipboard articles.