Nearly half of all baseball pitchers experience shoulder or elbow pain that limits participation at some point in their career.  The repetitive stress of overhead throwing leads to overuse injuries of the shoulder and elbow.  However, many of these overuse injuries are preventable.  Exercises targeting your rotator cuff build strong and healthy baseball players.

In a previous article (Part 1) we wrote about free weight exercises for your rotator cuff.  Resistance band or tubing exercises also assist with reducing injury risk.  This article discusses the role of band exercises for your rotator cuff as part of a warm-up or conditioning program.

Use Bands Before Throwing

Band or tubing exercises are an important part of the best pre-throwing routines. If you are looking for specific programs, we recommend any of these: J-Bands, ArmCare2Go, and Kbands.

Band or tubing programs typically include several exercises to activate muscles important in the throwing motion.  Do these in the bullpen, dugout, locker room, or on the sidelines.  These same exercises are also important components of rehabilitation and long-term arm care conditioning programs.

The goal of these programs is to maintain high levels of strength and endurance in your shoulder muscles.  Particular attention is given to your rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers. These muscles play a key role in reducing injury risk.

Overview of Band Rotator Cuff Exercises for Baseball Players

During the throwing motion, large forces are generated from your lower body.  Energy is then transferred through your core to your arm.  Your arm’s primary function is to dissipate these forces in order to minimize stress to your shoulder and elbow.

Band exercises are a great way to prepare your upper body muscles prior to throwing.  Under these circumstances, 5-7 exercises are performed as part of a warm-up.  Do 1 set of 30 repetitions in a slow and controlled fashion.  Do this every time right after your dynamic warm-up and right before you pick a ball to throw.

As part of a conditioning program, these same exercises are done for multiple sets 3 to 4 times per week.  It is important to keep in mind; arm care exercises are integrated into a total body conditioning program including your lower body and core.  The following 5 rotator cuff exercises can be integrated into a long-term conditioning program or as part of an individualized pre-throwing routine.

Band Diagonal Flexion Pattern

Stand or kneel with a band anchored to a solid base at your side.  Position the band in front of your opposite hip with your palm facing your body.  The movement of this exercise resembles drawing a sword.  Your hand moves across your body and upwards.  Finish by rotating your arm so your thumb is pointing behind your body.

As you lower your arm back to the starting position, rotate your palm back to face your body. This exercise activates all rotator cuff muscles at moderate to high levels.  The movement pattern also resembles the throwing motion.  This makes it ideal to incorporate into any pre-throwing routine.

Band Internal Rotation @90 Degrees

Stand or kneel with your back to the band anchored to a solid base. With your shoulder elevated and elbow bent, begin with the shoulder in external rotation similar to the arm cocking phase of throwing.  Move your shoulder into full internal rotation while maintaining the shoulder and elbow positions.

A common mistake is to gradually allow your arm to drop during the exercise.   This exercise results in high activation of your subscapularis muscle.  This rotator cuff muscle functions to stabilize your shoulder joint and accelerate your arm toward home plate.

Band External Rotation @ 90 Degrees

Stand or kneel facing a band anchored to a solid base. Start with your shoulder abducted and elbow bent.  Position your shoulder in internal rotation.  Then, move your shoulder into full external rotation similar to the arm cocking phase of throwing.  Slowly return to the starting position while maintaining the shoulder and elbow positions.

A common mistake is to gradually allow your arm to drop during the exercise.  This exercise activates all rotator cuff muscles at moderate to very high levels.  It is performed in a position similar to the arm cocking and early acceleration phase of throwing where high stress is imparted on the shoulder and elbow.

Band Throwing Acceleration

Stand in a lunge stance holding the band or tubing with your throwing arm in a position of abduction and external rotation.  This is similar to the arm cocking phase of throwing.  Begin the exercise by moving your arm across your body similar to the acceleration phase of throwing.  Shift your body weight from the rear to the front leg as you perform the throwing motion.  Return to the starting position in a controlled fashion shifting your body weight back to the rear leg.

This exercise results in very high activation of your subscapularis and teres minor.  The subscapularis functions to accelerate your arm toward home plate.  The teres minor acts to stabilize your shoulder and control the upper arm during the acceleration and follow-through phases of throwing.

Band Throwing Deceleration

Stand in a lunge stance holding the band or tubing with your throwing arm in a low position.  This is similar to the follow-through or ending phase of the throwing motion.  Begin the exercise by moving your arm back and up towards a position of abduction and external rotation (arm cocking position).  Shift your body weight from the front to the rear leg.  Return to the starting position in a controlled fashion shifting your body weight back to the front leg.

This exercise results in very high activation of the teres minor.  The teres minor acts to stabilize your shoulder and control the upper arm during the acceleration and follow-through phases of throwing.  This exercise emphasizes an eccentric muscle action similar to how the rotator cuff functions during throwing.

Develop Your Band Rotator Cuff Exercise Progam

Arm overuse throwing injuries for the baseball player can derail a career.  However, many of these injuries are preventable. These 5 exercises are only a small sample of band rotator cuff exercises for baseball players that will help. They can be performed during any part of a pre-throwing routine or year-round training program.

Your physical therapist will perform an individual assessment and design an exercise program based on your unique deficiencies and goals. The objective is to increase the likelihood of a long, injury-free, successful career. Contact us today if you have questions about which exercises are right for you.