This is post #2 of the blog series To see post #1 click here

What Type of Shoulder Throws 95+ MPH?

Rotator cuff exercises take time. When you first start to get specific with every day rotator cuff exercises, you will have to show up earlier, start getting ready earlier and take more time.

This will mean that your throwing partner, whether it is your teammate or coach, will be waiting on you to be ready. They will get impatience and probably make fun of you.

Do not care about this.

You are taking care of the most valuable asset on your body. Your rotator cuff health.

How To Throw Every Day, With No Pain

As you increase usage of your rotator cuff, you will typically create more muscle damage that has to be repaired. When your muscles repair themselves, there is a temporary tightness. This is very common. Many baseball players feel soreness and make the quick decision to not throw that day.

Sometimes, taking a day off is good. But mostly, this is a result of poor arm care. In order to take care of your arm, you must strengthen the rotator and maintain flexibility.

Strength and flexibility are the main drivers for shoulder health. As you increase your strength you must increase flexibility. This will set up your arm to be the “whip” that can throw hard more often and increase output. In other words, if you want to throw hard, you must stretch your shoulder every day.

Static Shoulder Stretches

Now we are going to move into some static shoulder stretches that are very important. There will be a tendency to try and rush through these. Whether you are impatient or short on time. Do not rush these stretches. 10 seconds stretches mean 10 full seconds. If you do not have a stop watch, take 3 to 4 full breathes (yes that’s a long time, do it anyways).

Right Arm Across and Hold – 10 Seconds

Instructions: Keep your back and posture straight with your feet shoulder width apart. Bring your right arm close to your chest and lift your left hand. Pull your arm towards your chest and hold. Keep your shoulders straight while you stretch your arm. Feel the stretch across your deltoid and deep in your rotator cuff. As you press your arm against your chest inhale from your nose and exhale through your mouth.

Focus: You should focus on pulling your arm towards your chest. An extra clinch of the bicep can make a big difference

Feeling: You should feel deep stretch in the deltoid and rotator cuff of the shoulder

Key points: Keep your body in an upright position. Do not reduce the pressure across the arm. Stretch to your comfort zone. During the exercise, inhale from the nose and exhale from the mouth.

Time or reps: Count 10 to 20 seconds and then release.

Difficulty level: 1 of 5

Rotator Cuff Exercises

Here is Mariano Rivera doing this stretch with his palm flexed up.

Never heard of Mariano Rivera? If have never heard of Mariano Rivera, ask yourself, “is living under a box something I enjoy?”

Left Arm Across and Hold – 10 Seconds

Instructions: Keep your back and posture straight with your feet shoulder width apart. Bring your left arm up close to your chest and lift your right hand. Pull your arm towards your chest and hold. Keep your shoulders straight while you stretch your arm. Feel the stretch across your deltoid and deep in your rotator cuff. As you press your arm against your chest inhale from your nose and exhale through your mouth.

Focus: You should focus on pulling your arm towards your chest. An extra clinch of the bicep can make a big difference

Feeling: You should feel deep stretch in the deltoid and rotator cuff of the shoulder

Key points: Keep your body in an upright position. Do not reduce the pressure across the arm. Stretch to your comfort zone. During the exercise, inhale from the nose and exhale from the mouth.

Time or reps: Count 10 to 20 seconds and then release.

Difficulty level: 1 of 5

Note – Make Sure You Stretch Both Arms

This is a picture of Stephen Strasburg (2009 MLB #1 Draft Pick) stretching his left arm and smiling. He is right handed.

Make sure you stretch both arms. Throwing and non-throwing arm.

Would you like Zach’s rotator cuff routine?

“18 Rotator Cuff Exercises For Every Day Shoulder Health”

The essential 18 rotator cuff exercises, Zach did these every day. Check them out here for free. click here

Right Arm Overhead and Hold – 10 Seconds

Instructions: Stand straight with good posture. Keep your feet shoulder width apart. Straighten your back and lift your right hand over your head. Bend your arm at the elbow joint and hold the elbow with the left hand. Place your right hand’s fingers on the shoulder blade area. Feel the stretch in your right triceps and keep your shoulders loose.

Focus: You should focus on pulling your elbow straight back behind your head. Keep it in place with the left hand. Reach your fingers down the back of your shoulder blades.

Feeling: You should feel deep stretch on your lats, triceps and rotator cuff.

Key points: Keep your posture up. Flex your right bicep to add an extra stretch.

Keep your breathing constant. Inhale from your nose and exhale from your mouth.

Time or Reps: Count 10 seconds and release. Stretch to your comfort zone.

Difficulty Level: 2

Left Arm Overhead and Hold – 10 Seconds

Instructions: Stand straight with good posture. Keep your feet shoulder width apart. Straighten your back and lift your left hand over your head. Bend your arm at the elbow joint and hold the elbow with the right hand. Place your left hand’s fingers on the shoulder blade area. Feel the stretch in your left triceps and lat. Keep your shoulders loose.

Focus: You should focus on pulling your elbow straight back behind your head. Keep it in place with the right hand. Reach your fingers down the back of your shoulder blades.

Feeling: You should feel deep stretch on your lats, triceps and rotator cuff.

Key points: Keep your posture up. Flex your left bicep to add an extra stretch.

Keep your breathing constant. Inhale from your nose and exhale from your mouth.

Time or Reps: Count 10 seconds and release. Stretch to your comfort zone.

Difficulty Level: 2

Important note: Notice the tension in your shoulder for the first 5 seconds compared to the last 5 seconds. You should feel your shoulder muscles lengthen. This means you are stretching correctly.

Would you like Zach’s rotator cuff routine?

“18 Rotator Cuff Exercises For Every Day Shoulder Health”

The essential 18 rotator cuff exercises, Zach did these every day. Check them out here for free. click here

Can You Over Stretch?

An important note about stretching too much….

Most athlete’s issues do not result from stretching too much. If you are consistently pushing way past your comfort level, then you are foolish. Nobody is invincible. You can overdue anything. You will have to judge your own comfort level. But be advised, fear of stretching to much is not common. Most guys do not stretch enough and because of this, run into problems.

Remember shoulder health and strength is a long term cumulative process. You must take each day with the small goal of getting slightly better flexibility. This will lead to long term health and short term consistency.

Your Goal = Long Term Shoulder Health

Consistent Stretching (Flexibility)

Posterior Cuff Training (Strength)

= Long Term Shoulder Health

You can achieve lasting shoulder health. But it will take work.

Thanks for reading this. Can you think of someone who can benefit from this post? Share it with them.

Next Post:

To see the next post in this series: “Rotator Cuff Exercises – The Rubber Arm Series #3 – Posterior Cuff Strength” Click Here

-Zach

Pitching