At the Juniata College Strength Clinic, I was recently asked about the incidence of Tommy John surgery with pitchers and other position players. Specifically, they wanted to know if Grip Strength could be a factor in the equation.

Could a lack of grip strength be a contributor to the increases in UCL tears and the need for Tommy John Surgery?

I dig into this topic in the video below:

Tommy John Surgery and Grip Strength for Baseball Players

Want to bulletproof your elbows? Get the best resource in the world to develop grip strength for baseball players:

Hello DIESELS!

It’s not often I break from the routine of strength training and especially grip training posts, but I just wanted to put something up quick right now related to baseball.

I want to send out my Congratulations to Derek Jeter for getting the tremendous milestone of 3000 hits!

In case you don’t follow baseball, this is BIG DEAL. Jeter is only the 28th player in Major League Baseball history to accumulate 3000 hits.

When you consider that all 30+ baseball teams carry at least a 25-man roster, which for a period expands to 40 and they bring people up from the minors and send people back down all throughout the year, AND this kind of things has been happening since like 1901, you have thousands and thousands of people who played the game that never even came close to this mark.

Of the top of my head, Jeter has been playing since 1995, so that is like 17 seasons, counting this year. That is longevity. The Major League Baseball season can be a long grueling affair. You take bumps and get bruises. You dive, you slide, you jam body parts, get hit by balls, play dehydrated on short rest…ALL that stuff adds up to a significant amount of trauma and to accomplish 3000 hits in a career is amazing. You have to be able to stay healthy, avoid the disabled list, maintain your skills, get lots of at bats…There are so many things that have to go right in order to make this kind of thing happen, it is like the deck is stacked against you.

Now, yes – Jeter has struggled for parts of this season and last season, but I tell you what. He has looked damn good the last month, and even better the last few days. At the end of last season and beginning of this one, he seemed to be striking the ball on the handle more than the sweet spot, but now, it’s like he’s knocking it on the sweet spot again. An amazing turn-around.

Other Amazing Shit

As if it weren’t enough to accomplish the 3000 hit feat, Derek also did a few other memorable things. Check it out…

• Derek went 5 for 5! – In case you don’t know what this means, every single time he was up he got a base hit of some sort. This in itself is an awesome day. First off, you have to get up to bat 5 times which isn’t always that common. But he also drove the ball hard each time – it’s not like he legged out infield hits or anything…
• Number 3000 was a home run! – Of all 28 people who have gotten 3000 hits, the only other person to hit a home run on number 3000 was Wade Boggs. Wade played most of his career with the Yankees’ arch enemies, the Boston Red Sox, then played 3 or 4 season with the Yanks before getting traded. He hit number 3000 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, which just happens to be the team that Jeter was playing against today.
• He Won the Game!

Derek not only stole the show today, but he also won the game for his team, knocking in the winning run in the 8th inning. It was incredible. It was as if it was a bad baseball movie script written for Justin Timberlake to play or something. The difference is Derek probably gets just as much tail as Timberlake, and he is a cooler dude that that ex-Backstreet Boy.

• He Beat Pete Rose! – In a Post I wrote like two years ago comparing Derek Jeter with Pete Rose, I talked about what would be required to beat Pete Rose’s number of hits. Rose has mor ehits than anyone in the history of MLB, and I said that it would be possible for Jeter to overtake him. Today, it was pointed out that Jeter actually has reached the 3000 hit milestone before Rose did in his career, so that is just freakin’ crazy!!!

Well, DIESELS, I’ve written far more than I meant to, but it just poured out of me. Derek Jeter plays the game and maintains a professionalism that i highly respect. I am so glad that he has finally accomplished it!

Thanks for bearing with me, if you are not a baseball fan!

All the best in your training!

Jedd

Innovative Sled Dragging

Slosh Sled Dragging for Functional Strength

by Jim Smith, CSCS, RKC

Check out my latest article that was posted on Elite Fitness!  It involves a very unique sled dragging variation you have never seen.  I liken it to cutting for football or explosive dribbling in basketball, but the carry over is for all sports.

Non-linear, non-patterned sled dragging is the key to preparing the body, the joints and developing functional strength.  Truly bridging the gap between GPP and SPP.

SEE THE FULL ARTICLE HERE – CLICK HERE

Slosh Sled Dragging

Ultimate Forearm Training Feedback

I recently got a note from a Baseball Player named Noe Saul that sent in this feedback about Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball:

“I have read all the bonuses and those by themselves are amazing products. They really add way more to the program then I expected. And as for the manual, I am completely blown away Jedd… I knew it was an amazing product to begin with but when I began to read the manual it was at a whole new level. I give this an A+ Jedd. Amazing is what I describe this product as. I really like that you have all the exercises so we can mix it up. Can we make our own circuits? Thanks a bunch Jedd this will be put to use right away.”

Noe, thanks a lot for the solid feedback, my friend!

If you haven’t picked up Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball and you are either a player or a coach, you really need to get this thing. Why?

Because it’s a literal Grip Strength Exercise ENCYCLOPEDIA.

This thing has 200 exercises in it using a variety of equipment, including Pinch Plates, Grippers, Fat Bars, Dumbbells, Barbells, Axles, Ropes, Kettlebells, Hubs, Rubber Bands, Sand Buckets, Lever Pinch Devices, and just about every other piece of equipment ever invented for training Grip.

Aside from all that, I also show you a bunch of stuff you can make on your own to train grip with as well. I know a lot of people out there don’t have a huge budget to go out and buy a crapload of Grippers and other specialized Grip training equipment. For that reason I show a bunch of Home Made Grip Training Remedies that you can make from wood, steel, and other stuff you get from the hardware store.

In the feedback above, Noe asks, “Can we make our own circuits?”

The answer is DEFINITELY!

I put together 20 workouts that can be done in their entirety or can be broken up into pieces to meet the time constraints you have in your own workout. Plus, you can pull out any exercise you don’t like or don’t have the equipment for and then plug something else in there that you prefer or DO have the equipment for.

On top of all of that, I also stuck in the book an extensive section on injury prevention and rehab. This includes tools that I have bought and used over the years to recover from injuries I have had, ways to warm-up prior to grip contests, and other things I have done. Believe me – I PUT MY HANDS THROUGH HELL and know how annoying an injury can be in the hands or lower arms, so i packed that section with good solid stuff as well.

You’ll also see that Noe talked about all of the bonuses being good enough to be products on their own. Check out the bonuses included in this unbelievable package:

Loaded Bat Grip Training Guide: I show you how to use loaded bat training to gain grip strength without risking your mechanics.

Tube Ball Grip Training Guide: I show you how to keep your lower arms injury free all season long using simple movements with the Tube Ball. They’re not just for rotator cuffs any more.

Year-Round Strength Training Program Guide: I show you how to set up your year-round training program to match what else is going on in your athletic schedule without risking overtraining and maximizing your results.

Essential Forearm Stretches for Baseball: These are the exercises I do every workout to ward off injuries from my high intensity grip training.

20 Done-for-You Grip and Forearm Workouts: I put together 20 workouts for you so you never get board and can use them to branch off into other good solid workouts.

8-Week Grip Training Program (Video & Print-out): This has been a bonus I have used on several products that has gotten a lot of good feedback over the last couple of years. This comes with a video that demonstrates all of the movements.

Grip Considerations for the Bench Press: Want a big bench? Set yourself apart by doing these simple movements to increase your grip strength and the control you have over the bar. SURPRISE! These movements will translate to baseball as well.

Medicine Ball Training Manual: Smitty put this bonus together a couple years back and it is always popular. You won’t believe the variety of Med Ball exercises Smitty shows you for core power, explosive ability and strength.

This package is loaded with value. There is no risk.

Don’t even think of it as a purchase, consider it an investment in your training going forward. And if you get it and don’t like it, there is a 30-day money back guarantee.

You can get it here = > Forearm Strength Training for Baseball

Thanks again to Noe for that outstanding testimonial. That is why I work so hard on these products so that I can really make a solid impression with you.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

I have written many ebooks and produced many DVD’s, but until now I have never worked on my own solo project for a specific sport. Today, I released Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball, so I wanted to tell you all a little bit about it.

Why I Wrote Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball

I played baseball for 15 years in my youth and I love to watch the game. In fact, we just got tickets for a Yankees game in August and I feel like a kid at Christmas time waiting for the day to come. I knew I wanted to write a program for some sport for a long time, but my ever increasing love and obsession with the game of baseball led me toward penning something that would help baseball players.

Recently, I checked around the net to see what information was available on Forearm and Grip Strength training for baseball, and I found that there is a quite a bit of general information out there, but very little good information.

Why I Chose “Forearm Training” instead of “Grip Training”

If you’ve been coming to the Diesel site for a while, you know I talk a lot about training Grip in a lot of my posts, so it would come as no surprise that I would put something together about lower arm and hand training, however, for some it was quite a surprise to see me put something out on Forearm Training. I named it Forearm Training instead of Grip Training, because a lot of the general public still gets confused sometimes about what exactly the word Grip means. The manual is packed with both methods of Forearm Training and Grip Training.

Why is Grip and Forearm Training Important for Baseball?

Baseball is a sport of strength and power. In Baseball, force is often generated by the legs, transferred up through the core and into the torso, and then directed through the ball, bat, or glove. If there is any weakness, pain, or imbalance in the elbow, forearm, wrist, or hands, then the transfer of the power that our body generates can’t be 100% effective.

Baseball Coaches and players have understood the importance of hand and forearm strength for decades, but unfortunately there have been very few good resources available about how to develop this strength. Often the information that is passed down from parents, coaches, and older players is out-dated recycled information, which limits players’ development. Thus the reason people are still doing the same exercises in 2010 that I was doing as a child, high school player, and college player.

Below are many facets of the game that involve the use of the hands.

Hitting: The hands hold and control the bat, taking the bat to where it is supposed to go and transferring all the leg and core power through the bat and into the ball. A neglected aspect of the baseball swing lies in the microscopic adjustments that take place when making the bat hit the moving pitch. This is heavily controlled by the last two fingers of the hand, yet almost nobody targets these important fingers.

Pitching: Pitching involves transferring the power generated by the legs and core throughout the wind-up into the ball by snapping the wrist like the end of a bull whip. Pitching also involves the ability to angle the wrist through varying degrees of rotation and deviation for pitches such as curveballs, sliders, sinkers, and screwballs.

Catching: Catchers themselves have to play a large portion of the game with their mitt held wide open for the pitcher to use as a target. They have to catch balls coming all speeds and angles and have to be able to maneuver their glove quickly, especially for pitches in the dirt. This requires full range of motion.

Tagging: How many times have we experienced or seen on TV a player applying a tag only to see the ball pop out at the last second and no out is recorded? What if you don’t have time to cover up the glove with your off hand? This movement pattern is called pinching and requires specific strategies to train, and the equipment you need is already in your weight room or garage.

Diving: How many times have we seen outfielders dive for a ball only to roll their wrist underneath them and miss half the season or more? With correct lower arm strengthening protocols, we can become more resilient against injury and allow us to bounce back quicker if we do experience an injury of this kind.

Sliding: When you slide there is always a chance to bend a wrist too far back, jam a finger on a bag or shoe, or get stepped on by a cleat. We have to do everything we can to make our hands bullet proof, and this can be done with the short and concise workouts I have already planned for you. Don’t have much equipment? No problem. I have given you hundreds of movements to choose from with many alternatives for the equipment you use.

Unilateral Imbalance: Baseball is loaded with unilateral movement and imbalance. Throwing, Pitching, Non-Switch Hitting, and Catching are all examples of things we do with one side of the body but not the other. This leads to cumulative trauma throughout various parts of our bodies and eventually injury and downtime. This problem is compounded by improper grip training practices. I will show you how to maintain balance in your training with proper exercise selection.

What is in Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball?

Here is an abbreviated Table of Contents of the Manual. This just includes the main sections of the manual.

SPORT-SPECIFIC DEMANDS OF THE LOWER ARMS 29
COMMON INJURIES AND CONDITIONS ASSOC’D WITH BASEBALL 32
HOW THE LOWER ARMS WORK 34
FULL BODY STRENGTH TRAINING 64
CONVENTIONAL GYM EQUIPMENT 72
SPORT SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT 79
HOME MADE GRIP EQUIPMENT 85
CROSS TRAINING TOOLS 97
SPECIALIZED GRIP EQUIPMENT 112
EXERCISE INDEX 132
GRIP & FOREARM ISOLATION 133
GRIP & FOREARM INTEGRATION 246
SPORT SPECIFIC GRIP & FOREARM MOVEMENTS 297
RECOVERY & PREVENTION METHODS 302
RECOVERY & PREVENTION TOOLS 317
RECOVERY & PREVENTION ACTIVITIES 340
RECOVERY & PREVENTION SERVICES 354

What is Grip and Forearm Isolation?

Grip and Forearm Isolation refers to training a specific aspect of grip or forearm training in a way so that the effort is almost completely focused in the lower arm and hand area. For example, an isolation movement for pinch is Block Weight Deadlifts. Even though stability takes place at the shoulder and movement takes place at the waist, hips, and knees, there is not substantial force generated at any area except the hand in pinch gripping and hold the Block Weight in the hand. Other examples of Grip and Forearm Isolation include Gripper Closes and Reverse Wrist Curls.

What is Grip and Forearm Integration?

Grip and Forearm Integration involves working large portions of the body as the principle target of the exercise, yet the Grip or the Forearms still remains a significant limiting factor in being able to complete the movement. An example would Thick Rope Climbing. It takes upper body strength, coordination, and stamina in order to climb a rope and by using a very thick rope, the demand on the grip is increased.

What is Better, Isolation or Integration?

Both types of training are extremely important.

Grip Isolation is necessary for establishing a foundation in the lower arms. By working in Isolation, we can strengthen the individual components of the lower arm and take care of any neglected areas or weaknesses. For instance, a commonly neglected area of the lower arm is the extensor muscles. We can isolate them in order to bring up our weaknesses and re-establish antagonistic balance. Weaknesses in the lower arms might come from an injury such as a broken arm or hand. By isolating, we can direct our attention to a specific area or aspect.

Grip Integration is the next step. Sporting activities generally don’t involve isolated sections of the body. Instead, the body works together

By working Grip Integration in our strength training, we are working our bodies in a more sport-specific way. Also, by performing Grip Integration movements, the hands and forearms have the potential to move and generate force over a wider path of movement. This can be seen in many varieties of Swings and Cleans using Grip-intensive equipment such as Thick Bar Dumbbells, and with Thick Rope Training, such as sled pulls.

What if I Don’t Play Baseball? Is this Manual any Good to Me?

I wrote this manual as a way for the baseball player, coach or parent to gain a better understanding of lower arm training and how to turn it into improved performance on the field. The members of the Diesel Universe may have a better understanding of these concepts because they have been coming here for years, but the Exercise Index in the manual is HUGE – 200 pages – and there is still a tremendous amount of information in the manual that has never been covered before here on the site, especially along the lines of preventive measures for the lower arms. I cover Injury Prevention and Recovery Methods in detail, coming from what I have researched over the years and what I have used to battle my own lower arm, hand and thumb problems.

To wrap it all up, this manual is huge and jam packed with information on lower arm training. I am very happy with how it turned out and think it is going to be an important resource for years to come for baseball players and participants in other sports as well.

You check it out here = > Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball

Thanks for your support and all the best in your training.

-Jedd-

Benefits:

By improving the mobility of the ankle, the knee (requires dynamic stability) does NOT have to absorb unnecessary forces.

Typically ankle mobility exercises are thought to be reserved to keep athletes healthy, BUT everyone can benefit from this drill prior to their workout.

Any good workout should be structured the following way:

1. Foam Roller
2. Mobility
3. Activation
4. Workout
5. Recovery / Rehab
6. Restoration

How to Perform:

Sequence:

1. Ankle Mobility
2. Strength / Resistance Movement
3. Ankle Mobility
4. Strength / Resistance Movement
5. Ankle Mobility
6. Strength / Resistance Movement
7. REPEAT

PS. Don’t forget about AJ’s FREE bench videos

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