Pitcher's Running: Fact and Fiction

by Tommy John III

What I think I was blessed with was the ability to taste both sides of the experience. I played division I baseball as a 2nd baseman and pitched a little and then pitched professionally for 2 years. I also had the privilege of being able to train athletes/general public in regards to power improvement, velocity training, strength endurance and fat loss in a unique system of training that utilizes more of a Soviet approach to training.  The Soviet strength systems pride themselves of doing a great amount with very little leaving it up to the individual person, their central nervous systems, and their desired outcome for training to create the adaptations necessary to reach their goals. In these systems long, slow distance work is never utilized, especially not in preparing an athlete to become a very powerful machine able to throw 80-90mph fast balls 200 times over every start. 

The reason most coaches utilize distance running is to sharpen up the cardiovascular system so it can be more efficient in delivering nutrients to muscles needing to perform work...or improve conditioning. There is some benefit to running as it is work. But here's where it gets interesting. Long slow distance running raises levels of cortisol in the body which is the stress hormone. This hormone if elevated log enough can use muscle as a fuel source and fatigue your adrenals. No athlete ever wants muscle to be wasted. When you compare a marathon runner and a sprinter which body type looks more powerful? Yep, the sprinter. And pitching is power. It is an activity of short bursts of all out blinding effort lasting only fractions of a second with 20-40 seconds of recovery time between actions. So why would we want to train a power athlete like a distance runner? 

So here's my compromise: for athletes who just can't imagine a world where there would be a lack of running to prepare to violently throw a 5 oz object 60'6" 200 times a game, you can sprint. A nice conditioning day would be 10-12 40 yd sprints of all out effort w 30 sec or so rest in between. Stride lengths are wider, the lungs have to expand to force more oxygen in utilizing the primary breathing muscles...the abdominals, to perform this action, and the heart will get stronger along with increasing mitochondrial density improving energy output which goes along with certain strength training systems. 

Another alternative to running that would prepare a pitcher for his workload on game day would be plyometrics. For instance, perform 2 footed bounds 10 in a row with no pause then rest 45 sec and repeat 9-11 more times, remembering to use your arms to help propel you forward. Your legs will gain strength and power along with the erectors of your spine and muscles of the shoulder and arms as well. And...your heart will still get the workload it needs, even more so than with long slow distance running. 

I know it's a leap of faith. It was for me too. But I have not run in over 10 years, except when chased:) I am leaner and stronger now than when I was a professional athlete. Try it for 3 months or so, see how your body responds. I promise your results will speak for themselves as long as the effort is there. 

One more thing...when is it that you see pitchers get injured most not arm related? When they have to sprint off the mound to backup a bag or field a bunt. They pull up lame. I've seen it over and over when I played. And those guys getting injured were the guys who did most of the distance work. Their bodies just aren't prepared for the forces and speeds required to be a successful pitcher even after the ball is thrown.