Im 5'9" 146 and throw around 71-75 and am a LHP. I am currently on Serious Mass by Optimum Nutrition whike lifting weights 4 days a week. I wanted to know how much velocity I could increase with around a 6-10 lb gain of weight. I am A incoming freshman.
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And cant figure out how to edit on my phone, but why the weight gainer? Are you taking protein whey too? Im sure you know what a "hard gainer" is. Thats what I am. Trust me when i say ive messed with weight gainer (post high school) and you gain weight, but some of it isn't what you want. It isn't going to be all muscle.
5'9 145 is not small for a high school freshman. Everyone is different, but I was probably 5'7 125 as a freshman. I was 6'3 170 as a senior.
And 71-75 as someone an incoming freshman (with still 7 plus months until the start of your freshman season) is nothing to sneeze at. That is pretty solid for a lefty at your age, or even a righty for that matter. Too many put too much of an emphasis on velocity, especially too early. If you are 75 and can put it where you want and have decent secondary pitches, you will get guys out in many varsity leagues. If you are 80 and cant put it where you want it consistently, you will get lit up.
Just gaining weight can actually slow down your pitching velocity. Work on strengthening the muscles in your arms, BOTH ARMS, and don't stress about your velocities right now, you are what 13, 14? You shouldn't even be messing with weights until you shave regularly or you can really cause more harm than good to your body. Your body is still trying to click itself together properly, if you interrupt that you can't undo that kind of damage.If you feel the need to work out use resistance bands, not weights, can't stress this point enough.
Just gaining weight can actually slow down your pitching velocity. Work on strengthening the muscles in your arms, BOTH ARMS, and don't stress about your velocities right now, you are what 13, 14? You shouldn't even be messing with weights until you shave regularly or you can really cause more harm than good to your body. Your body is still trying to click itself together properly, if you interrupt that you can't undo that kind of damage.If you feel the need to work out use resistance bands, not weights, can't stress this point enough.
Just gaining weight can actually slow down your pitching velocity. Work on strengthening the muscles in your arms, BOTH ARMS, and don't stress about your velocities right now, you are what 13, 14? You shouldn't even be messing with weights until you shave regularly or you can really cause more harm than good to your body. Your body is still trying to click itself together properly, if you interrupt that you can't undo that kind of damage.If you feel the need to work out use resistance bands, not weights, can't stress this point enough.
We are going to have to agree to disagree on this one 2020. Medicine balls, k-bands, running, pushups, lunges are all okay. Dead lift and squats...we have been advised heavily against these until growth plates are a bit more secure.
I was a tall skinny freshman myself 6"2 150lbs i drank all the weight gain shakes etc. to no avail. Now that im 47 6"3 and 235 I wonder why I spent so much time trying to gain weight.
Just gaining weight can actually slow down your pitching velocity. Work on strengthening the muscles in your arms, BOTH ARMS, and don't stress about your velocities right now, you are what 13, 14? You shouldn't even be messing with weights until you shave regularly or you can really cause more harm than good to your body. Your body is still trying to click itself together properly, if you interrupt that you can't undo that kind of damage.If you feel the need to work out use resistance bands, not weights, can't stress this point enough.
We are going to have to agree to disagree on this one 2020. Medicine balls, k-bands, running, pushups, lunges are all okay. Dead lift and squats...we have been advised heavily against these until growth plates are a bit more secure.
Just gaining weight can actually slow down your pitching velocity. Work on strengthening the muscles in your arms, BOTH ARMS, and don't stress about your velocities right now, you are what 13, 14? You shouldn't even be messing with weights until you shave regularly or you can really cause more harm than good to your body. Your body is still trying to click itself together properly, if you interrupt that you can't undo that kind of damage.If you feel the need to work out use resistance bands, not weights, can't stress this point enough.
I've seen both sides of the argument. My parents sent me to a professional trainer my freshman year. The guy knew what he was doing, he owned his own business/gym but spent half of his time working with the University of Arizona football team. My dad's friend played for the Tigers and responded with a "no no no!" when they told him.
But he placed an emphasis on my legs and core work. The upper body stuff was there, I just didn't go real heavy up top and he emphasized maintaining my flexibility. He incorporated plyometrics and medicine ball work too, it wasn't always weights. Most importantly was the bands (BVWEST take note) and strengthening all of the tiny muscles in the shoulder that weights do not get to. He also had a nutritionist on staff and she helped with the diet. Teenage boys can eat, and eating right (you don't have to be anal about it) you will get what your body needs to grow and at most, need a little protein whey after a workout/practice/game to get where you need to be in terms of daily intake.
As for let it fly, I do agree with you, but not at the expense of location and proper form, which happens a lot with young kids. Id rather see a 75 mph guy with proper mechanics throwing to the glove, than going max effort most of the game and wearing themselves out and/or leaving the ball over the plate or overthrowing and missing badly. Especially at a young age when kids are still learning to pitch and how to get that 88 with proper mechanics and control when they need it when they are 83-86 guys otherwise. Too many kids go up there and "muscle" and lose velocity. Not a fan of, "take something off to throw strikes", but more of a throw within yourself and know how to get that extra oomph when needed.
I was a tall skinny freshman myself 6"2 150lbs i drank all the weight gain shakes etc. to no avail. Now that im 47 6"3 and 235 I wonder why I spent so much time trying to gain weight.
Lol! I was the same. I actually was fully grown by 8th grade at 5' 11" / 160 lbs. I tried so hard to gain weight for football, to no avail. I actually ate Crisco right out of the can with a spoon trying to put on weight. By my senior year, despite all of this, I was 5' 11" / 155 lbs. I did finally find the magic bullet for putting on weight, though...age.
Another thought I'm recently having on putting on weight at this age. My 2018 is 6' 4" / 175 lbs. (lost 10 lbs. during basketball and can't put it back on). He threw 85 the other day in a private workout for some colleges arranged by his 18u travel coach for the team in Arizona between tournaments in Phoenix and San Diego. What they loved about him was the 175 lbs. I think it got him notice he wouldn't get if he was 220 lbs. We coaches are, almost by necessity, egomaniacs. We somehow think that we can take a kid like that and throw on 25 lbs and have him pitching 90mph. Coaches like to see room for physical improvement. Another reason I love the nickname he got in high school this year - "Babyface."
Just gaining weight can actually slow down your pitching velocity. Work on strengthening the muscles in your arms, BOTH ARMS, and don't stress about your velocities right now, you are what 13, 14? You shouldn't even be messing with weights until you shave regularly or you can really cause more harm than good to your body. Your body is still trying to click itself together properly, if you interrupt that you can't undo that kind of damage.If you feel the need to work out use resistance bands, not weights, can't stress this point enough.
We are going to have to agree to disagree on this one 2020. Medicine balls, k-bands, running, pushups, lunges are all okay. Dead lift and squats...we have been advised heavily against these until growth plates are a bit more secure.
Speed and agility trainer and football coach funny enough. Speed and agility guy said to work on core muscles with resistance training and increase flexibility on both sides of your body, and not to use any weight over 20 pounds because it can stop the back and shoulder muscles from growing normally and actually affect how the bones grow.
Football coach, who is a gym teacher at my kids school, told him (I wasn't there) that lifting weights like a 10th grader in 7th grade will just mess your whole back up and he had to wait for his kid muscles to be adult muscles before he tried to put that kind of load on them. He also said that there is a reason why football players look like football players and baseball players look like baseball players, the same workouts don't apply....which I think is what resonated most with my son.
Either way, I don't see a burning need to have my 13 year old bulking up or looking for a velocity jump. Core muscles, long throws, resistant band squats and let the body form naturally is the way we are going until he's older and it becomes more critical to his development as a baseball player.
Just gaining weight can actually slow down your pitching velocity. Work on strengthening the muscles in your arms, BOTH ARMS, and don't stress about your velocities right now, you are what 13, 14? You shouldn't even be messing with weights until you shave regularly or you can really cause more harm than good to your body. Your body is still trying to click itself together properly, if you interrupt that you can't undo that kind of damage.If you feel the need to work out use resistance bands, not weights, can't stress this point enough.
We are going to have to agree to disagree on this one 2020. Medicine balls, k-bands, running, pushups, lunges are all okay. Dead lift and squats...we have been advised heavily against these until growth plates are a bit more secure.
Speed and agility trainer and football coach funny enough. Speed and agility guy said to work on core muscles with resistance training and increase flexibility on both sides of your body, and not to use any weight over 20 pounds because it can stop the back and shoulder muscles from growing normally and actually affect how the bones grow.
Football coach, who is a gym teacher at my kids school, told him (I wasn't there) that lifting weights like a 10th grader in 7th grade will just mess your whole back up and he had to wait for his kid muscles to be adult muscles before he tried to put that kind of load on them. He also said that there is a reason why football players look like football players and baseball players look like baseball players, the same workouts don't apply....which I think is what resonated most with my son.
Either way, I don't see a burning need to have my 13 year old bulking up or looking for a velocity jump. Core muscles, long throws, resistant band squats and let the body form naturally is the way we are going until he's older and it becomes more critical to his development as a baseball player.
I was a tall skinny freshman myself 6"2 150lbs i drank all the weight gain shakes etc. to no avail. Now that im 47 6"3 and 235 I wonder why I spent so much time trying to gain weight.
Lol! I was the same. I actually was fully grown by 8th grade at 5' 11" / 160 lbs. I tried so hard to gain weight for football, to no avail. I actually ate Crisco right out of the can with a spoon trying to put on weight. By my senior year, despite all of this, I was 5' 11" / 155 lbs. I did finally find the magic bullet for putting on weight, though...age.
Truly, the only effective way to put on weight for us hard gainers (other than age) is to sit down and chart every single thing you put in your body. Calories, fat, carbs, protein. There are specific formulas that tell you exactly what you need in terms of calories to put on weight and to lose weight, and you have to keep track of any playing/exercise and figure out how much you burned and compensate for that. It is a huge PITA and probably next to impossible to do for a teenager for obvious reasons.
Another thought I'm recently having on putting on weight at this age. My 2018 is 6' 4" / 175 lbs. (lost 10 lbs. during basketball and can't put it back on). He threw 85 the other day in a private workout for some colleges arranged by his 18u travel coach for the team in Arizona between tournaments in Phoenix and San Diego. What they loved about him was the 175 lbs. I think it got him notice he wouldn't get if he was 220 lbs. We coaches are, almost by necessity, egomaniacs. We somehow think that we can take a kid like that and throw on 25 lbs and have him pitching 90mph. Coaches like to see room for physical improvement. Another reason I love the nickname he got in high school this year - "Babyface."
Congrats on your boy. I think you are 100 percent correct about his body and 85 getting attention. I was 6'3 170. As a junior, probably 10 pounds lighter, I played in a national tournament in San Diego. Our roster indicated I was a RHP/OF. I didn't get to pitch in that tournament, which maybe wasnt a bad thing, because I was scheduled to start against Hank Blalock's Rancho Bernardo team who were I believe ranked in the top 3 nationally, and it was a rain out. I didn't do well from the plate that tournament, but I did show off my arm from right, threw out tony gwynn jr trying to go first to third and another guy at the plate. Within a month I had three letters from California schools and I know it wasn't for my bat. They saw a tall skinny kid with no muscle with a nice arm.
On more than just a few occasions I heard from my coaches, other players, parents, my father, scouts or D1 coaches saying something along the lines of: "Hey coach, I like him, why don't you put some meat on that kid" or "That kid needs about 10-15 pounds and 1-2 mph on his fastball and _______." 86-88, could get 89 and 90 when I needed to, and a plus curveball and my skinny frame may have gotten me drafted in the late rounds. I had two scouts showing interest, i'm sure all on projectability, but couldn't stay healthy to find out if anything would have happened.
I played JUCO ball in Arizona, what college was looking at him if you don't mind me asking? Or was it a team from out of state that came to play in two tournaments in AZ?
RG, sent you a dialog.
OP, your practical limit will be 186,000 miles per second. If you want to throw faster than that, you will have to rewrite the laws of physics.
If you can throw faster than 186,000 miles per second, you may also have the opportunity to go back in time and change history - just think, that showcase that you didn't quite do 100% at- now you can bgo back and do it again. for that matter, why not just go back to when you were 6 and start to really focus on baseball - abondon the sandbox.
Not sure if it is the summer heat but folks on this board seem a little testy lately - not just this post but all of them. I will tell everyone I read for actual content and not he said/she said stuff. While I understand there will be disagreements, go ahead and include some facts and refrences if you want to inform folks. That is unless you are trying to convince pitchers to take up long distance running.
If you can throw faster than 186,000 miles per second, you may also have the opportunity to go back in time and change history - just think, that showcase that you didn't quite do 100% at- now you can bgo back and do it again. for that matter, why not just go back to when you were 6 and start to really focus on baseball - abondon the sandbox.
Not sure if it is the summer heat but folks on this board seem a little testy lately - not just this post but all of them. I will tell everyone I read for actual content and not he said/she said stuff. While I understand there will be disagreements, go ahead and include some facts and refrences if you want to inform folks. That is unless you are trying to convince pitchers to take up long distance running.
or icing. 
