Foundational / Functional Fitness

 

Performance Requires a Solid Foundation

In our work at the Rod Dedeaux Research and Baseball Institute and the National Pitching Association we are discovering that the genetic, biomechanical signature of rotational athletes (throwers and strikers), in sports like baseball, softball, golf, tennis, and volleyball, require a different approach to strength and conditioning than the biomechanics of directional athletes (sprinters and lungers), in sports like track and football.

 

The research has shown that 80% of ball speed, bat speed, and/or club speed, comes from proper timing/sequencing of angular/rotational velocity generated by the disassociation/torque of hips and shoulders. For this skill, traditional heavy training with explosive, linear lifting the other 20% of velocity is not functional. It does, in fact, exacerbate the wear and tear on joints and connective tissue already inherent in the joints of rotational athletes. We know that throwers and strikers are only as strong as their weakest link and only as efficient as their worst biomechanical movement. We know that strength recruited out of sequence or movement recruited out of sequence, will increase risk of injury and/or adversely affect performance. We know that improper strength training increases genetic muscle and movement imbalances created by the acceleration/deceleration of torso and extremities in both physical preparation and game competition. Finally, we know that unless these imbalances are addressed early in training cycles, no matter how much absolute, prime mover strength is trained, there will be an increased risk of injury and a breakdown in performance.

 

Logic dictates that throwers and strikers train for functional strength, endurance and flexibility in positions and movements specific to the skill requirements of their sport. There is no reason to train absolute, prime mover, strength and power before training for balance and parity in the base strength and endurance of joint, connective tissue and secondary movers. We call it Foundation Fitness. Here are two visual aids to help illustrate the concept.

 

 

Logic dictates that throwers and strikers train for functional strength, endurance, and flexibility in positions and movements specific to the skill requirements of their sport. There is no reason to train absolute, prime mover, strength and power before training for balance and parity with strength and endurance in joint, connective tissue and secondary movers. We call it Foundation Fitness. Here are two visual aids to help illustrate the concept.

 

 

Notice the bottom of the Foundation Fitness Pyramid. It focuses on isometric alignment and body work for joint stability, mobility, and flexibility. These protocols involve screening the stability, mobility, flexibility chain for weak links, then working the body in position specific isometric exercises, for time, to train balance and parity in joints, connective tissue, synergists, and secondary movers.

 

The critical concepts involved in Foundation Fitness follow a very logical progression:

• Isometric body work for time is safe because it builds strength and flexibility without movement.
• Range of motion (ROM) is good if it is stable.
• Train for the maximum ROM required for the skill.
• Stretching for ROM may not be as efficient as position specific isometric flexing for a required skill movement.
• ROM is bad if it is not controllable.
• The body needs to sense stability. It will not respond efficiently to skill movements when synergists are sending instability messages to the brain.
• The body’s natural protective mechanism is to tighten up to protect unstable positions or movements. Rotational athletes are only as good as the motions they can stabilize or control. Mobility without stability results in vulnerability and/or injury.
• The safest most functional way to train muscle and connective tissue imbalances in the stability, mobility, flexibility chain is to use position specific isometrics as a precursor to all concentric exercises; all stability/mobility exercises; and, all static stretching.
• Train with specificity. When a stability joint is asked to perform with mobility or when a mobility joint is asked to perform with stability, durability is compromised. This compromise can be further exacerbated by muscular imbalances due to competitive overuse or improper strength training.
• Identify agonistic/antagonistic, accelerator/decelerator strength imbalances and use body weight/body work in position specific isometric exercises to train parity.

   

  

  If it sounds complex and confusing, it’s not. Coach George will instruct/provide students with safe and simple, on-the-field isometric exercises that can be done daily. Only move up the pyramid to other levels of conditioning when functional balance and alignment has been achieved in the stability, mobility, and flexibility chain.