Your Life. Your Sport. Our Passion.
ATHLETIC TRAINING
CORNER
APRIL 2011
TUFF CUFF:
Strengthen your shoulder for
throwing sports
Tuff Cuff is a program that teaches you how to increase the endurance and
strength of the smaller intrinsic muscles of the rotator cuff and elbow joint.
Due to the role these muscles play in acceleration and deceleration during the
throwing motion, there is a great deal of stress placed upon them throughout a
season.
Jeremy Herniman, a Certified Athletic Trainer with Thompson Health, will offer
this program at the Canandaigua YMCA on the following days from 4:30 to
5:30 p.m.: Wednesday, April 13; Friday, April 29; and Friday, May 13.
For more information about this program, please contact Jeremy at
the Sports Medicine Center by calling 585-396-6700.
Preparing for Throwing Sports
To ensure that your arm is adequately warmed up, do the following exercises
prior to throwing. Attempting to throw without properly warming up can lead
to a greater risk of shoulder and elbow injuries.
Active Warm-Up/Stretching
Neck Rolls
1. Slowly rotate your head clockwise.
2. Switch direction and repeat.
Arm Circles
1. Extend both arms to the front.
2. Rotate them down and toward the back.
3. Rotate the arms around the top and back to the front.
Arm Rotations
1. Start with the right arm up and left arm down.
2. Rotate the right arm forward across the chest and the left
backward counterclockwise.
3. Continue rotating the right arm downward and the left arm
to the top.
4. The right arm starts to rotate backwards while the left arm
is brought across the chest.
5. Bring both arms back to the starting position.
Cross Chest Arm Swing
1. Extend both arms out to the side.
2. Start to swing both arms across the chest.
3. Swing as far as possible.
Triceps Stretch
1. Bring one hand behind the head and place it between the shoulder
blades.
2. Place the other hand on the elbow.
3. Pull the elbow downward and toward the ears.
4. Gradually bend to the side away from the stretching arm.
Cross Chest Stretch
1.
2.
3.
4.
Bring one arm across the chest.
Place the opposite hand on the elbow.
Pull the elbow across the chest.
Twist the torso away from the stretching arm.
Wrist Extension
1. Extend the arm with the palm facing up.
2. Using the other hand, bend the wrist backwards.
Wrist Flexion
1. Extend the arm with the palm facing down.
2. Using the other hand, bend the hand towards you.
Sleeper Stretch
1. Lay on the side of your throwing arm.
2. Hold your arm out at a 90 degree angle.
3. Use your other hand to internally rotate throwing arm and
hold.
Rotator Cuff Strengthening Exercises
Shoulder Flexion
1. Bring both arms to the front with thumbs pointed to
the ceiling.
Shoulder Scaption
1. Bring both arms upward at 45 degrees with the
thumbs pointed to the ceiling.
Shoulder Abduction
1. Starting with arms at your sides, raise both arms
outward.
Horizontal Shoulder Abduction
1. Place leg and one hand on a bench.
2. Hold the dumbbell with thumb facing away.
3. Keep the arm straight and bring upward.
Side Lying External Rotation
1. Lay on your non-throwing side.
2. Place your throwing arm at your side and bend elbow 90
degrees.
3. Rotate outward.
Side Lying Internal Rotation
1. Lay on your throwing side.
2. Place your throwing arm at your side and bend elbow 90
degrees.
3. Rotate inward.
Prone Retraction – External Rotation to Press
1. Place a stability ball under the abdomen and
place both feet towards the bottom of a wall.
2. With a dumbbell in each hand, bring upward
until the elbows are even with the shoulders.
3. Then, rotate the shoulder to bring dumbbells
to point outward.
4. Finally, press dumbbells outward.
Prone Cobras
1. Place a stability ball under the abdomen and
both feet on the bottom of a wall.
2. With a dumbbell in each hand, bring both arms
backwards, making sure to keep arms straight.
Side-Lying Deceleration
1. Lay on your side with the arm fully extended
while holding a dumbbell.
2. The thumb should be facing up.
3. Bring the dumbbell down across the chest.
*For all of the strengthening exercises above, you can substitute
bands in place of weights. This may be easier to do while at the
field.
Forearm Exercises
Wrist Flexion
1. With the forearm along a bench, hold a dumbbell with the
palm facing up.
2. Flexing the wrist, bring the dumbbell upward.
Wrist Extension
1. With the forearm along a bench, hold a dumbbell with the
palm facing down.
2. Extend the wrist to bring the dumbbell upward.
Forearm Supination
1. With forearm along a bench, hold a dumbbell or bat
with palm facing down.
2. Rotate forearm so that palm faces up.
Forearm Pronation
1. With forearm along a bench, hold a dumbbell or bat
with palm facing up
2. Rotate forearm so that palm faces down.
Radial Deviation
1. Hold a dumbbell or bat down along your leg.
2. Raise the dumbbell or bat up toward the front.
Ulnar Deviation
1. Hold a bat or dumbbell with a reverse grip along the
thighs.
2. Bring the dumbbell or bat up to the rear.
Throwing Programs
Position Players Throwing Program (5 weeks)
Week
1
M-W
Th-Sa
Week
2
M-W
Th-Sa
1m @
40ft
2m @
40ft
2m @
60ft
2m @
60ft
2m @
90ft
1m @
90ft
1m @
120ft
2m @
40ft
2m @
3m @
60ft
3m @
2m @
90ft
3m @
2m @
120ft
2m @
Week
3
M-W
Th-Sa
Week
4
M-W
Th-Sa
Week
5
M-W
Th-Sa
40ft
60ft
90ft
120ft
2m @
40ft
2m @
40ft
3m @
60ft
3m @
60ft
3m @
90ft
3m @ 90
ft
3m @
120ft
4m @
120ft
2m @
40ft
2m @
40ft
3m @
60ft
3m @
60ft
3m @
90ft
3m @
90ft
4m @
120ft
4m @
120ft
1m @
120+
2m @
40ft
2m @
40ft
3m @
60ft
3m @
60ft
3m @
90ft
3m @
90ft
4m @
120ft
2m @
120ft
1m @
120+
2m @
120+
Pitchers Throwing Program (6 weeks)
Week 1
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Week 2
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Week 3
Monday
45-60ft x
7m
45-60ft x
7m
45-60ft x
5m
60-75ft x 3m
60-75ft x 5m
45-60ft x
5m
45-60ft x
5m
60-75ft x
5m
60-75ft x 5m
60-75ft x
5m
75-90ft x 5m
60-75ft x 5m
60-75ft x 5m
75-90ft x
3m
75-90ft x
5m
90-105ft x
3m
90-105ft x
3m
Tuesday
Wednesday
Week 4
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Week 5
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Week 6
Monday
60-75ft x
5m
60-75ft x
5m
75-90ft x 5m
60-75ft x
5m
60-75ft x
5m
60-75ft x
5m
75-90ft x 5m
60-90ft x
5m
60-90ft x
5m
60-90ft x
5m
75-90ft x 5m
75-105ft x 5m
75-105ft x 5m
90-105ft x
3m
90-105ft x
5m
90-105ft x
5m
105-120ft x
5m
105-120ft x
5m
90-120ft x 5m
*BP; TF x 3m
90-120ft x 5m
*BP; TF x 5m
90-120ft x 3m
*BP; TF x 7m
60-90ft x
3m
90-120ft x 3m BP (FB only)
May go to
10m
150ft
Tuesday
60-90ft x
90-120ft x 3m BP (FB only)
3m
May go to
10m
150ft
Wednesday
60-90ft x
90-120ft x 3m BP (FB only)
3m
May go to
10m
150ft
*Touch-and-feel bullpen. This works on the mechanics of pitches. This is not a
max effort bullpen.
Warming Up During the Season
After properly warming up your body, begin warming up your arm by playing
catch. It is important to start at a short distance and gradually work back. For
instance, start at about 45 feet and throw for a few minutes, and then move
back to about 90 feet. When ready, proceed to 120 feet, and then you can do
some long tosses if needed. Make sure not to move back too rapidly. Spend a
few minutes on several throws at each distance before proceeding to the next.
Don’t throw at max velocity until your arm is properly warmed up. Going all out
too soon or starting at too great of a distance can lead to injury. Pitchers can
have their partner get down in a catcher’s crouch: This is referred to as flat
ground. It is useful in working on mechanics and command without the added
stress of throwing from a mound.