Category: Article

At SST Burlington we have recently had the opportunity to partner with BOMBA Baseball in Burlington Ontario. This is awesome and exciting news since providing an awesome structured training environment is what we do best. I am excited at the opportunity to work with many new athletes from the BOMBA programs. This got me thinking about baseball specific strength and conditioning programs and some of the current problems they are faced with. With this in mind I would like to present 4 areas I think successful baseball strength and conditioning programs should pay special attention.

4. Fun

It goes without saying to me that for the youth athlete the program they are participating needs to be fun. This can be created through the program itself, through the atmosphere of the facility, or many other factors. At SST Burlington we pride ourselves on presenting an uplifting, positive, and fun environment for our athletes to train it. This environment we have created makes it easier for our athletes to spend the amount of time there that they need to. Nobody wants to go to a gym where they are chewed out, talked down to, or otherwise made to feel uncomfortable. Especially for younger athletes it is important to create this environment.

3. Specificity

It never ceases to amaze me how many coaches, trainers and other facilities will train their athletes the same without understanding the unique physiology and demands of the sport. At SST we take the time to understand the sport on a different level so that we can provide the best possible service to the athlete. Not only that but we understand the age of the athlete, perhaps what is more important than the sport the athlete plays is where they are at in their maturation. Armed with these 2 key pieces of information we begin to shape the athletes training plan and allow for flexibility so that the athlete develops optimally for their chosen endeavors.

2. Program

A lot goes into designing a specific training program for an athlete. At SST we take great pride in our programs with the knowledge that when followed these programs will help the athlete achieve their goals. We take an all-encompassing approach from training, nutrition, sleep and other factors each is considered when designing the plan for the athlete. This is where other programs can fall short some will consider training maybe not nutrition etc. When each of these factors is considered the results are sometimes unbelievable. Just last week we had a group of young baseball athletes all lose approximately 4% body fat each while putting on lean mass, becoming stronger, more coordinated, and better athletes in the process. Some will say that this is not possible; however this is a nod to these young athletes hard work, as well as their ability to stick with the program laid out for them. These results are not uncommon either we consistently have athletes making progress towards their goals. Let us take the guess work out of your training and nutrition.

1. Individualization

I see far too many strength and conditioning programs lumping athletes into groups that they may or may not belong to. This is fine in some cases but for MOST cases it means that athletes are being OVER or UNDER worked and not developing OPTIMALLY. Treating every athlete as an individual is something we always strive for at SST. Just imagine how much pain and injury can be avoided when athletes are monitored and managed on an individual basis. With this approach we strongly feel that we give the athlete the best opportunity to achieve in sport. Our smaller programs, and more individualized process gives us a huge advantage in developing athletes over larger team programs and group facilities, we like it this way.

Here we are the Super Bowl is 1weeks away, Bowl season at U.S. colleges over, the CFL has long been done and high school football seasons’ ended over a month ago. What this means is there is many players done playing at their respective levels; and ready to take that next step. This is an exciting time for many, but it also filled with much nerves. If you played so well over the last year or two and are a sure fire # 1 pick, or if you have already committed to a school at that next level, you are coasting, you are set. However, this only is a lucky handful of extremely gifted athletes. Most are left unsure of where they are going to end up – or more importantly how they are going to get there!

This, for a great number of football players is where combine or team testing comes into play. Now is the time that you not only have to prove that you can play the game of football but teams and scouts want to see how much of an “athletic freak” you are during testing. This can help to separate two players from earning a roster spot but it can also help to improve draft stock as well, hello Oakland Raiders and two stud “athletic freaks” Jamarcus Russell and Darrius Heyward-Bey who got drafted simply on being tremendous athletes. Look what that did for Al Davis!

I came across an interesting study by McGee & Burkett breaking down the NFL Combine, and how the players faired in the tests in relation to the draft status. Common and crucial combine tests include perhaps the most important and well known football test, the 40 yd dash (as well as 10 & 20 yd split times), broad jump, vertical jump, 225 bench press test for reps, pro agility and 3 cone shuttle. It is well known that a player who tests well in the 40 yd dash should also test well in the vertical and broad jump tests. This is because power and strength dictates running speed, whereas the jump tests measure lower body power. So in short if you can run fast you can jump high – and vice versa.

It has been shown that the most accurate predictors of draft status for RB, WR & DB were the 3 cone agility, 10 yd dash and vertical jump; this is because these positions are the most reliant on speed and agility. The best predictor for OL & DL happened to be height, weight, 225lb bench press and broad jump; which also makes sense as to play these positions you have to be big and strong, clog up space and basically maul your opponent. The positions of QB and LB were much harder to predict based only on testing numbers as being excellent at these positions maybe more than any other rely on decision making and reaction skills rather than physical characteristics.

I know shocking!!! But it was shown that over all positions the players who were drafted in the 1st and 2nd rounds were collectively stronger, faster and could jump higher than those players taken in the 6th and 7th rounds.

Here at SST, we not only focus on getting our athletes stronger and faster in the weight-room, we also work to improve an aspiring athlete’s combine numbers. In fact with specific training and much hard work and dedication from many young athletes SST has had 4 players drafted in the first 2 rounds of the CFL draft over the last 2 years. Because of these players recent success and many others over the part number of years SST has been rated the #1 speed training facility in Canada, and in the top 15 overall in North America.

Not only do we train aspiring pro athletes, our main focus is helping young athletes aspiring to reach that next level. To find out how the pros train, and to undergo the exact same techniques check out two of SST’s upcoming football camps;

12 Week High-Performance Football Camp

8 Week Lightning Speed Camp

Stay tuned next week for a sample program from one of these athletes who showed so well at the CFL combine that it helped to ensure a high 1st round draft pick. If you want, it could be you too!!!

Hi readers. Jordan Symonds here, coming to you this week, not as a strength coach or an SST employee for that matter but as a football player and a former SST Athlete.

I played football for 7 years and will still watch any game that comes on TV. In grade ten I played football for the first time, for my high school. Having no idea what the positions were, what all the rules were or what impact I was going to have on the team, I bought my first pair of cleats before any cuts were made in tryouts because after a few practices I knew that no matter what, I loved football.Having no experience and being one of the bigger guys on the team (6’3 180lb. pole), the coaches put me on the offensive line. My thoughts: ‘’I think the coach is confused… linemen don’t get the ball… do they?’’ Linemen do not get the ball. Getting over my initial disappointment, like anything, I tackled this football thing as best I could (pun intended). I met with the coach on my own time to go over blocking assignments, run block techniques, pass block techniques, and general knowledge of the game. Being very eager to learn and to succeed, I picked up many skills very quickly. I did so well that halfway through the season the coaches decided to use me on the defensive line as well. Going into playoffs, I was on the offensive line, the defensive line, kickoff, kickoff return, punt team and punt return; I did not leave the field. My teammates would run on and off the field depending on who had possession of the ball, who was kicking, or who was returning. I remained. Standing tall, standing strong, and standing proud. As a football player who had only been playing for about 8 weeks, I was fortunate to be able to contribute everything I had in me to the team, my team. From this I learned something very important: work for the team, and the team will work for you. My intelligence, athleticism and dedication gave me the tools I needed to be successful; it was my passion as a developing athlete, and my passion as an integral member of cohesive team that set me apart. My team was a group of developing athletes just like me, athletes whom I likely would have done just about anything for, on or off the field.

My team went on to win the regional championship in grades 10, 12 and OAC, and we were fortunate to win the provincial championship in grade 11.

Consequently, my high school football career was successful enough to have university coaches wanting me to play for their teams; football teams who were very different from my high school team. I learned many valuable lessons playing high school football, but some lessons were not available. There was one thing that stood out like a sore thumb: I could no longer stand out in university football based on natural ability and athleticism. My god-given skill set was no longer enough to set me apart from other players; my love for the game was still very much present, but it was not enough. I needed to compete, and not just with other teams. I needed to compete within my own team. I was now part of a group of guys who had just as much natural ability and love for the game as I, if not more.

I needed to be bigger, I needed to be faster, and I needed to be stronger.

Stay tuned for part two next week…

I know I’m going to restart the old debate with this question: “Why aren’t there any Canadian Quarterbacks in the CFL?” I’m sure you’ve heard a multitude of opinions on this issue; some you probably agree with, others just don’t ring true. I firmly believe there is more than one answer to the Canadian QB Question.

One thing I do know for sure is that we coaches need to do a better job of instructing our young Canadian Quarterbacks. I’m not just referring to high school athletes. I think good serious training can start as young as 8 to 13 years old. This is a great age, when kids are prime for both physical and mental development.

What can we do? Over the upcoming weeks this five-part series on Quarterback development will cover:

1. Qualities of a good Quarterback, Part 1
2. Qualities of a good Quarterback, Part 2
3. Drops, drills and technique
4. Throwing mechanics, Part 1
5. Throwing mechanics, Part 2

Many people believe a good Quarterback is the player who can throw the furthest. Don’t laugh…I was at an all-star camp and was asked by the head coach to have the Quarterbacks just drop and throw as far as they could. They chose their starting Quarterback from this one drill!

What are some things I look for when choosing a Quarterback?

Mental and Physical Toughness

QBs often get all the glory when things are going well, but they also take most of the grief when a team is not performing up to par. I want to see a QB’s reaction after he throws an interception or after he throws a few bad balls. How does he react and how does he try to overcome this bad bout? The great Quarterbacks are able to come right back to lead their team down the field, letting go of what just happened.

Can the Quarterback stand back there waiting to throw the perfect ball knowing, that because he has to hold on to the last second, he’s going to get hit hard? Over the years I have played with some great Quarterbacks and have had the opportunity to watch numerous others. One strong characteristic that is common to all the great ones is that they will take the hit for the team. There is no better way to gain the respect of teammates than this. Let’s be honest, football is a physical game but most Quarterbacks are untouchable during practice, while everyone else is suffering full contact! Not only is this a good way to gain the respect of your team but, at the same time, you let the opponent know that whatever they do, they cannot rattle this Quarterback.

Decelerating For Harder and Faster Throws

One of the most frequently asked questions we get at S.S.T. from Baseball players is, “What exercises will make me throw ‘The Heat?’”. Often the short answer to this is “Do the opposite of whatever you are doing right now.” We’ll explain this answer later in this article, but first, to completely and properly answer this question we start with gathering some info from the athlete:

• What are exercises are you doing to improve throwing now?
• How many sets are you doing?
• How many reps?
• What is your tempo? (How fast you are moving the weight)
• How long have you been doing this program for?

The most common answers we get at S.S.T. are a couple sets of bench press, a few sets of dumbbell chest press, some triceps stuff, and the odd med ball throws. The athletes complain that they have reached a plateau and can’t for the life of them throw any faster, or worse are starting to throw slower and have shoulder pain. This scenario is all too common amongst baseball players and often detrimental to any shoulder and guaranteed to lead to an injury. (Note: injured players don’t get to play.)

OK, so what should baseball players be doing to throw harder? The first thing we have our athletes do at S.S.T. is to go through an athletic assessment. One of the things we have them do is different strength tests to find out how strong the athlete is relative to their opposite lifts. For example, we may get a 160 pound athlete who might be able to close grip bench press 200lbs but then can’t do two medium grip chin ups properly. This is a relative strength imbalance which will limit their throwing velocity.

Another strength assessment we do is called the Paretials Test which is a test of the upper back and posterior part of the shoulder. Most baseball players and other throwing athletes fail this test miserably using just their bodyweight, let alone any sort of external resistance (For more information on S.S.T. assessments click here). This is because they have worked the muscles they use for throwing to a point where they are short and tight leaving the opposing muscle long and weak. Whenever this imbalance happens, your body automatically decreases the neural signal to your short tight throwing muscles as a defence mechanism to try and prevent you from throwing your arm out of its socket (If you keep it up, your shoulder can pop out). (For more on preventing shoulder injuries click here)

Solution #1: Stop training the muscles on the front of your body.

Most of our baseball players and throwing athletes at S.S.T. who have done this have had a significant increase in performance. Pitchers are throwing faster – some more than 10mph in 4 months – and our fielders and other athletes are throwing further, without pain!

Here is a sample beginner program to train the decelerators of a throw. To be done 2x/week on both arms.

• A1 Paretials sets: 3-4 Reps: 4-6 Tempo: 2018
• A2 External Rotators on knee sets 3-4 Reps: 10-12 Tempo: 2020

• B1 Scapular Retractions High Pulley Sets: 3-4 Reps: 4-6 Tempo: 3013
• B2 Pulley External Rotations Sets: 3-4 Reps: 10-12 Tempo: 2020

This routine is just a sample and should only be used for about 6 workouts because a routine is only as good as the time it takes for your body to adapt. (For information on why click here) Once your body adapts, you need to progress. This routine addresses only two shoulder imbalances and is not a cure for all imbalances of the shoulder muscles. There are several other assessments that we do at S.S.T. to determine shoulder health and all need to be addressed to really be able to “Throw the Heat”.

For years baseball players have been labelled the worst athletes amongst the four major professional sports in North America. However in the last 20 years we have seen a remarkable improvement in player’s strength and conditioning. Players today are bigger, stronger and faster. Professional baseball players now realize that working on their swing or pitching mechanics in the off-season is just as important as increasing their maximal strength through resistance training.

We are now starting to see teams and organizations implementing strength and conditioning programs for their players, and most teams now have strength coaches at every level of professional baseball. So why have so few amateur players/teams embraced this key element in their off-season program? Why do they continue to focus solely on “skills” and “fundamentals” every winter? Sure Billy has a smooth swing and he hit .400 last season but 80% of his hits were singles and he’s 16 years old and 150lbs soaking wet. Will working on his swing and hitting a thousand balls of the tee and iron mike make him that much better next season? Maybe he’ll hit .450 or .500 that will for sure get him noticed by some pro scouts or some interest from some schools in the States right? Think again.

Scouts like kids who hit doubles and homers. Scouts like guys who are big and strong. Scouts like guys who throw hard. Heck, go to Central Scouting Bureau and read scouting reports on players, you will see it for yourself in almost every description of a player. You will read stuff like “Big Frame”, “Pro Body”, “and Strong as a horse”. You will also read stuff like “Great Swing, needs to get stronger”, “Small Frame”, “Lacks power to drive the ball”.

Throwing Velocity and Bat Speed/Ball Exit Speed can be increased through resistance training. I have listed an article that shows ten studies that each demonstrated a positive effect of weight training on throwing velocity. The authors in the review above also have a table that summarizes 26 studies that examined the effect of different strength protocols on throwing velocity and 22 of the 26 showed increases over controls who just threw[1]

So with that being said I would like to share with you our results this past off-season that we got with one of our baseball teams, Team Ontario.

Team Ontario is a group of Elite 16-18 year old ball players who play out of the PBLO. We started a 2 x week training program, 1 upper and 1 lower starting in November and running through to March. Of course the first thing we did here at SST is we tested them to see where their strength level was at. Then we tested them again at the completion of their program. Testing included; 10 yard runs, pro – agility shuffle and sprint, push ups and supinated chin ups. The results were nothing short of spectacular!

I’m not going to list individual numbers but I will provide team averages:

• Push ups went from 26.8 to 35.1
• Chin Ups went from 5.6 to 9.9( full chins ups- full extension and a four second eccentric component)
• 10 yard run times were awesome with every single athlete improving his time.
• The worst time when we started was a 1.96, when we tested again it was 1.79.
• The best time when we started was a 1.59, when we tested again it was 1.52.
• Most importantly our team average times dropped by more than 10/100 of a second.
• Same with Agility Sprint and Shuffle times. Amazing! Not to mention how much their Front Squats and Trap Bar Deadlifts poundage went up.

How did our athletes make such incredible gains? Here are some examples of exercises we used in their program.

• Upper body: Chin ups (supinated, pronated, neutral, thick bar, thin bar), DB and BB incline Bench Press, Scap Retractions, Rope to Neck/Face, Every Row you can think of, external rotations…and many more
• Lower Body: RDL’s, Trap Bar Deadlifts, Front Squats, Sled Pulls, Tire Flips, Split Squats, Hamstring Curls…and many more
• Plus we incorporated core and low back work, as well as plyo’s and med ball work.
• Foam Rolling and Static stretching plus a sound nutrition protocol with proper supplementation.

I can’t wait to see how our guys do on the field this year, something tells me we will be seeing a lot more doubles and homers, as well as our pitchers throwing Gas!

[1] Cressey, Eric. Strength Training for Pitchers. January 2009