gaining speed

I've seen NFL players, primarly RBs and WRs using them. But I've never knew the story behind them.

work on running form.
do speed/quickness workouts.
short explosive sprints.
weightroom - squat, deadlift, power clean.
done wonders for our kids. if you want to see our exact workout look on our website.

Since I am 14 do you think it is alright for me to do stuff like power cleans? I do a lot of basic workouts but I want to make sure that I dont get an injury doing it the wrong way (I will probably start working out out at my team's facility next fall).
Thanks.

If you want to get faster, then sprint, squat, clean, deadlift, and other core movements. A lot of top sprint coaches and strength coaches hate the chutes. They (Charlie Francis more specifically) say that you will only get results out of them if your an advanced sprinter, any gains you do get with it could be done without the chute and saved you $30+.

I agree/ I would also skip the chutes. Work on proper running technique, starting speed and yes, learn the baisc power movements such as power cleans, squats, power snatches and deadlifts.

Baseball players rarely get up to full speed during a game. The first couple steps are crucial for getting the ball in the hole or stealing a base. Leg strength and power built by squats, lunges, plyometrics, and similar exercises are key for getting explosive starts.

You don't need a lot of fancy equipment. Some simple strength training equipment and room to sprint is all you need.

Mike Griffin
www.noexcusesbaseball.com

Speed in baseball is all about reading the ball off the bat for a fielder and reading the pitchers moves for a base runner--it is all about getting that first two,three step explosion but more about instincts than anything else

Speed is great but one has to know how to use it properly in conjunction with baseball instincts

Speed has a lot to do with you running form. I would recommend agility ladder drills to gain quick feet. Run a variety of sprints such as, box sprints, 90 degree sprints, change of direction sprints, etc. Work on form mostly. Running for in basic would be; you arms are at 90 degrees, you have Doric flexion in your feet, good arm and hip drive (explosive), and you head should be directed at you target (wobbling your head all around will direct you off of the path you are running on, picture a drunk trying to run). Just always use good form while you run.

-Kevin

What do you guys think about long distance running? Would that help with speed?

Long distance running will train you to run a long distance. It will not make you faster or more explosive.

the only instance where long distance will make you a faster sprinter is that it gets you in better shape. That might mean you have more juice left in you at the end of the season. Besides that, skip it. If anything, it could be detrimental.

I agree, I spent one Summer doing alot of distance running. Lost 20 lbs and actually got slower in sprints but I could run forever!

I would suggest you do an analysis of our sport. Baseball is not a marathon. How many miles did you run in your last game?

Baseball is about explosiveness. To get out of the box and get to first quickly you must have 2 things: 1. Explosiveness and 2. Good mechanics. Being able to run faster is typically a function of mechanics. I make my living breaking down running mechanics. Just like the mechanics of the swing or the throwing motion - sprint mechanics must be taught by someone who nows how to teach it and what to look for.

Physiologically, distance running robs your body of its speed. Simply put, distance running trains your 'Slow Twitch' muscle fiber while explosiveness training and speed development work focuses on 'Fast Twitch' fiber.

Coach JasonTX is exactly correct. An athlete must train consistent with the demands of his sport. Generally speaking, baseball is about explosiveness in a rotary sense and the ability to accelerate. Speed is a component of stride length, stride frequency, and strength in the hams and glutes. One must consult a professional if they truly want to maximize their speed

Shortstop -
People complain about our HS or "other" teams about "all the long distance running" the kids have to do. I tell them that we ran 1 and 1/4 mile for a warmup and then did 10-15 min of jumping jacks, pushups, etc. and then 10-15 min. of stretching. This was for track and field. Everybody - long distance,sprinters,hurdlers,pole vaulters,shotputters did this EVERY day. Then we ran sprints,bleachers,hurdles,and once in a while 2-3 miles; oh yeah I was throwing shot and discus.
"Long distance" running of a mile or two would be of help if your muscles,tendons,ligaments,and everything else involved are not conditioned. My son had problems running the first year of HS during baseball because of these "long" runs of 1 to 1 and 1/2 miles. This told me that he was not conditioned good as he was hurting in his ankles,knees, etc. You do not need over 2 miles a day - spend the rest of your time doing sprints and especially baseball skill work (throwing,hitting,etc.). Actually unless your coach has you do daily runs, 2-3 times a week should suffice unless you are used to running.
I would not recommend Power Cleans for a youngin' (or really anyone - hard on the shoulders). Read posts (including mine!) critically and see what makes sense.
Some are saying to do "baseball type" moves in your workouts and then say to power clean. When do you hold even 45lb. (bare Olympic bar) in your hands in front of you and go from your knees or below and go straight up and flip your wrist over backwards during anything related to baseball? Is the 5 oz. ball or the 2 lb. bat anywhere close in weight? Do you start out of the box in a similar move as the power clean?
Many look for simple answers. They work for some, some of the time. You need to learn to train yourself and find what your body responds to. Yes, you will have to "do what the coach says" to some extent, but the coach ain't there in the summer, fall, and winter. Train yourself for the season to come and be ready for what the coach needs you to do. If you need to improve hitting or throwing specifically then lean more towards skill work and less towards conditioning and strength conditioning. A strong conditioned body has to throw and connect the bat with the ball to play baseball. You don't win because you bigger,faster, and stronger all by itself.
Hope this helps.
Tim Robertson

I would be interested to see why you feel power cleans are hard on the shoulders.

Done correctly they build explosive strength/speed of the hamstrings and entire posterior chain, which are crucial to speed.

thanks for all the replies.

Can't jumping and sprinting build "explosive" strength in all the posterior chain and legs? Medicine ball work too.
I don't see how one thinks that the shoulders are not involved heavily with power cleans (and then we are throwing and doing other things with our shoulders). Lifting a few hundred pounds in the hands and doing so quickly enough to raise the bar to the lower chest area -- well the function of the rotator cuff is to keep the upper arm in the socket and momentum imparted to the bar means more force has to placed on the bar than actual weight lifted.
Anyway, have read of many who have done them and wished they never had and many highly regarded strength coaches do not have their trainees do them because of injury risks and you can't play if you're hurt.
If you have worked with many high school kids that have done them and had no problems, then maybe you are a great Olympic Lifting coach, the kids have not done them long enough or heavy enough to incure injury, or you have very robust kids. I know many recommend them for football too - I can think a few kids on our football team in high school that were not athletic enough to do them and I can think of a few at my sons HS that would be hard pressed to have enough coordination to do them right too.
I have enough problems with my body from more conventional exercises and could not in good conscience recommend the power clean or other heavy lifts in which momentum plays a part.
Tim Robertson

we may have an injury tomorrow but our football, basketball, and baseball teams all 3 powerclean and have never had any problems.

Tim,

Who says the power cleans need to be done very heavy? I use 40-65% loads with maximum bar speed and a solid foot stomp.

I just want to maximize force and since force = mass x acceleration I am teaching a very fast bar speed to build speed strength or reactive strength, the dominant strength in the game of baseball.

I can say that I have coached thousands on young athletes with zero injuries.

I think the injuries during the Olympic Lifts have come when 1 or more of the following have occured.

1. Too heavy of a load
2. Poor Coaching
3. Improper progression

Done properly, the lift is performed with the hamstrings and the rest of the posterior chain. The shoulder themselves do not play much of a role because the weight is already "lifted" due to great explosion by the hamstrings. Yes the traps, rhomboids and upper back are worked, but as a strength coach I want to build these areas.

There is absolutely no stress on the rotator cuff when performed properly.

I love jumping, sprinting and med ball work. They are all great. But please do not say an exercise is "bad" because coaches and players have used them incorrectly.

There are very few "bad" exercises. Just a lot of bad application.

The only side effects my players report are an increase in strength, speed and power.

Mr. Robertson

Your points are respected however I believe you took something that was posted and possibly were offended and read too deep.

The point about distance running in my initial post as it pertains to baseball players has to do with H.S. and collegiate programs that I have consulted with in the past who ran their kids 10 - 15 miles per week. It's simply a waste of time. Pitchers were subjected to more mileage. Pitchers need 'explosive endurance' and should be trained as such. If you are unfamiliar with this and would like more info I can go into greater detail.

To answer your question...YES, sprints and jumping can be utilized to build explosive strength and posterior chain efficiency. However, sprinting incorrectly (like swinging incorrectly) just reinforces deficient mechanics thereby making the athlete 'work' less efficiently. Given a good strength base the best 'all around' lift for an athlete is the power/hang clean especially in the phase of training when conversion of pure strength to power should take place. Your concerns about shoulder problems etc are valid but usually seen when athletes are allowed to perform these lifts when not properly supervised or without proper instruction in the first place. Done correclty there is actually very little stress placed on the sholder girdle itself. That is not to say that there should be sufficient ability to stabilize the shoulder prior to teaching this particular series. The legs and hips are the focus.

Keep in mind Olympic lifts do not have to be performed with 'Olympic Weight'. I teach 7 year olds to perform Olympic lifts but we use a 2" dowel rod. This may seem like a foreign concept but it is much easier to teach a 7 year old how to do it correctly than it is to reprogram a 17 year old who does it incorrectly.

Well said Coach Doyle.

I think you are hooked J. Good posts man! I love it. Keep 'em coming.

Here is a link to a question about improving quickness from the University of Nebraska.

quickness

Husker Power uses slightly different terminology. They describe it as training triple extension, which is referring to extension of the ankle, knee, and hip. Triple extension is done in most explosive movements, like sprinting.

I know that most Div 1 schools still do cleans for their baseball players. My last couple years coaching the Huskers baseball team we quit racking our cleans and just did clean jumps or jump squats instead. We were trying to limit using so much upper traps trying to keep our shoulders in better position while still training the triple extension. They have been working with a physical therapist named Ron Hruska (http://www.posturalrestoration.com/hruska/index.html) on developing programs for baseball players. I've seen this guy work and he is amazing and would suggest everyone interested to get on to his websites www.posturalrestoration.com and www.hruskaclinic.com and read some of his articles.

The situation of Husker baseball strength training is very unique. Mike Arthur has been a strength coach at Nebraska for something like 20-25 years. He has been awarded National Strength Coach of the Year while he was assisting Boyd Epley. The thing that makes the situation unique is that he hasn't worked a lot with baseball until recently. Its cool because he can analyze the sport of baseball without all the preconceived thoughts about baseball strength training that have been passed down by uneducated coaches in the past. He is an excellent researcher as well as a former competitive strength athlete. If you get a chance to hear him speak you will be very impressed with his knowledge about strength training. It was a great experience for me coming from a college baseball background and working with him while he was doing his baseball analysis from scratch.

Mike Griffin
No Excuses Baseball