2.0 – Updates & Changes to our Throwing Schedule
Though the fundamental principles of our Throwing Manual hasn’t changed, and the driving force behind our Throwing Schedule is still based on Individuality, Self-Regulation, and Listening To Your Arm, we have made some important updates and modifications, specifically, to our Throwing Schedule that we feel will be even more effective in ensuring that your arm returns to PEAK PERFORMANCE, including the following:
1: The Continuum of Throwing
The traditional “Return To Throw Programs” (RTP’s) are based on a conventional, 7 Day Calendar week. Though it may not seem like a huge deal, this can actually present a number of unnecessary issues and challenges (especially early on) because the conventional or Gregorian calendar was created to “assign time measurements” that coincided with the solar year (the amount of days that the earth orbits around the sun, or every 365.25 days). As practical as this is for our daily lives, the conventional, 7 Day model is not ideal from a training perspective because it forces the athlete to “fit” their throwing sessions into a “predetermined number” (7) rather than base their throwing sessions on a continual progression of workload, rest, and recovery that simply evolves from “Day to Day”. By eliminating the “weekly model”, the athlete is able to train, develop, and adapt in the most optimal way.
To give you an example of just how beneficial the “Day to Day” versus “Weekly” model is, the traditional RTP’s will tend to have the athlete throwing “3 days a week” from the onset (i.e., M/W/F for a specific number of weeks). The concern with this format is that as early as Week 1, the rhythm and continuity of an ideal progression – which is based on consistent exposure to a predictable workload – is already upset by going 2 days without throwing at the end of the week (Saturday/Sunday). In addition, when a 4th day of throwing is introduced in these models (e.g., M/W/F/Sunday), the rhythm and continuity is also disrupted because the athlete is then put in a scenario where you now have “back to back” days of throwing from the end of one week to the beginning of the next week (e.g., Sunday/Monday), when early on, it still may be more ideal to be throwing “every other day”.
In both scenarios – which can promote instability and harmful effects due to a lack of consistent demands – you are at the artificial control of the “7 Day Week”, rather than the natural progression and rhythm of a schedule based on the Continuum of “Days”. Again, by eliminating the “Weekly” schedule (at least until you get to the Mound Build-Up Phase) you don’t have to worry about “fitting” throwing sessions into an “arbitrary number”, 7 – you can now simply focus on a continual progression and adaptation from Day to Day.
Also, because athletes are throwing “every other day” in the first 4 Weeks of our Throwing Schedule, they are not only staying in an ideal rhythm but are getting in more days of throwing than is generally prescribed in the traditional RTP’s. For example, based on our “every other day” format for Weeks 1-4, the athlete can get in 14 days of throwing (rather than 12) over a 28 day period. And this gets exponentially better in Weeks 5-8 when we go to a 2 Days On, 1 Day Off format and the athlete is now able to get in 20 Days of throwing (rather than 16) in a 30 Day period. And finally, in Week 9, when we go to a 3 Days On, 1 Day Off format, the athlete is now able to get in 24 Days of throwing (rather than 18) in a 32 day period (assuming the traditional RTP’s are still prescribing throwing only 4 times a week at this stage). Not only can you see how many days of throwing are lost to the “weekly format”, but again, how much this format can disrupt the continuity of throwing based on a “Day to Day” model.
The bottom line is that our Throwing Schedule enables the athlete to stay in an ideal rhythm because the focus is on throwing according to a Continuum, rather than trying to figure out how to fit “x” amount of days into a conventional “7 Day Week”. The net result of eliminating the conventional 7 Day format and replacing it with a Continuum of Throwingprovides a far superior way to approach the rhythm, frequency, spacing, adaptive loading, and recovery of the athlete’s progression in their Throwing Schedule.
2: Additional Frequency and Volume of Throwing in the Early Stages
The initial goal of the early stages of our Throwing Schedule (e.g., the first 6-8 weeks) was to model it after many of the standardized protocols in the medical community because we felt, consistent with their models, it was important to be extra conservative from the onset, and that there was “no downside to being too conservative”. We also didn’t want to deviate too much from the traditional protocols because we knew that what made our Throwing Schedule so unique and advantageous is that we allotted extra time to build out our Throwing Schedule to 300 feet (as opposed to most of the traditional RTP’s, which build out their throwing schedule to 120 feet), and we increased the Frequency of throwing sessions from 4 to 5 Days, and 5 to 6 Days earlier on in the timeline (which in turn leads to a notable increase in Volume throwing).
But after recently reviewing our Throwing Schedule we both agreed that despite wanting to stay consistent with the standardized RTP’s in the early stages, that ultimately, based on our core beliefs and 60+ years of experience, that this model was actually too conservative, especially, in the first 6-8 weeks. For example, as mentioned above, there were too many days off from the onset which caused disruptions in the rhythm and synergy of the progression. We also felt that the amount of time it took for the athlete to increase their distance was too deliberate (part of this was also caused by the amount of days off from the onset).
With that said, we want to make it clear that our Throwing Schedule still places a great deal of emphasis on going slower, rather than faster (especially in the first 6-8 Weeks). But we also came to the realization that today’s athletes are far moreprepared than ever before to transition into the types of modifications that we’ve made. Simply put, we felt that today’s athletes would respond much better, strategically, to more days of throwing (which leads to more volume of throwing), rather than less – especially when you consider the following factors: 1) The major emphasis we place on “Low Intent, Volume Throwing” and “Variability” from the onset, 2) The amount of time we spend on “Base Building” and prioritizing “Gradual, Adaptive Loads”, “Feel”, and “Recovery”, 3) The amount of time today’s athletes spend post-surgery on building a great foundation in the clinical setting (4-5 months), and 4), The amount of time today’s athletes spend on Arm Care, Training, and Strength & Conditioning in order to get their arm “prepared” for their Throwing Program.
Based on these and other factors, we feel strongly that the changes we’ve made with regard to the frequency and volumeto our Throwing Schedule (which are outlined below) will best position the athletes’ arm to return to its’ most optimal Health, Strength, Endurance, Feel and Recovery. These changes include:
1: Beginning in Week 1, as referenced earlier, we have gone to an every other day format for the first 4 weeks, which is not only ideal for the rhythm and continuity of the athletes throwing progression, but positions them to avoid unnecessary issues of having “two consecutive days off” or throwing “back to back days” – all of which helps them make a much smoother transition into the “2 Days On, 1 Day Off” format, which begins in Week 5.
2: Beginning in Week 5, we have changed the format from “every other day” of throwing to 2 Days On, and 1 Day Off (which is earlier on than our original schedule). This now affords the athlete the advantages of throwing 4 out of 6 Days, rather than throwing “x” times per Week” (which again, can cause a disproportionate amount of “days on” or “days off”). This is a huge upgrade to our previous Throwing Schedule because we feel that it is essential to add more frequency to the athletes throwing progression at this stage – especially when you consider that throws are being made at relatively short distances (e.g. 30-90 feet), and with such low intent (30-35% perceived intent). We also feel at this point that the arm and body is more than ready (wanting) to start moving 2 out of 3 days. Again, as you will see often throughout our Throwing Manual, because we place such a strong emphasis on Volume Building via Low Intent Throwing – which is ideal for the athletes arm – we simply felt that by Week 5, the arm was ready for both more volume and frequency.
3: Beginning in Week 9, we have changed the format to 3 Days On, and 1 Day Off of throwing (which is earlier on than our original schedule). This now affords the athlete the advantages of throwing 3 out of 4 Days or 6 out of 8 Days, rather than throwing “x” times per week (which again, can cause a disproportionate amount of “days on” or “days off”). Again, this is a huge upgrade to our previous Throwing Schedule because we are adding in more frequency to the athletes throwing progression at a time that the athlete has not only built such a strong “base” from the first 8 Weeks of throwing, but the distance is still relatively close in Week 9 (i.e., 120 feet), and the throws are still being made with such low intent (55-60% perceived intent). Also, we felt that the athletes’ arm is starting to get so well conditioned at this point that it simply wants to throw more, and have less “time off”.
4: Beginning approximately Week 19 (depending on the individual), we have built in a 3 Week “Pull-Down Progression” so that the athlete can gradually work their way into the Pull-Down Phase. Because we have made every effort to ensure that each athletes arm has gone through all of the proper steps to be fully stretched out (distance wise) prior to any type of high intent throws, and thus, to avoid shocking the arm, that we’ve also taken the extra step to ensure that the Pull-Down Phase is navigated in a progressive format (Note: as you will see in great detail later on in the Throwing Schedule, this transition to the “Pull-Down Phase” shouldn’t begin until the athlete has extended out to their maximum distance).
In Summary
The main focus of our Throwing Schedule remains fundamentally the same: 1) to create a progression that is easy to understand and adaptable for each athlete to make it their own, 2) to build up the arm in the most optimal way in the first 2 Phases via Base Building, Incremental Loading, Variability, Low Intent Volume Throwing, and Athleticism, and 3) to have a sound plan in place with a great deal of guidance and guard rails, but to ultimately position and empower the Athlete to be so intimate with their arm that they are able to Self-Regulate (by the beginning of Phase 3).
With our newest revision, we’ve simply changed the format for a much more ideal rhythm, adaptation, and progression, while strategically, adding in more “frequency” and “volume” of throwing – especially early on when throwing is made at such shorter distances and with such low intent.
By optimizing the Build-Up Phase (Phase 1) and Extension Phase (Phase 2) of our Throwing Schedule with these modifications (approximately Weeks 1-18), you will be in an even more ideal position to transition into, and optimize the subsequent phases of our Throwing Schedule, which include, the Pull-Down Phase (Phase 3), the Mound Ramp-Up Phase (Phase 4), and the Pitch Count Build-Up (Phase 5).
Wishing you all the best along your journey…enjoy the process!
Alan & Randy
Thank You/Acknowledgements
There are so many people we wish to thank who have been instrumental with their support and encouragement throughout this process. This Manual and Throwing Schedule is a by-product of a great deal of input and feedback from so many incredible people in both the Coaching and Medical fields. We want to especially thank those who have joined our Coalition (see Coalition list on pages 26-28), along with the following people who have made direct contributions to this Manual: Ben Brewster, Ricky Meinhold, Nunzio Signore, and Nolan Rappé. We also want to thank Brittany Dowling for her help regarding the formatting of the first 12 Weeks of our Throwing Schedule. Words cannot express how grateful we are for everyone’s support.
Clarity
The initial goal of our Manual & Throwing Schedule is to give you a great deal of clarity up front so that you can optimize the entire return to throwing process in the safest and most effective way. For this reason, in addition to the actual Throwing Schedule, we have also included a number of other resources, including a Note Section, a Glossary of Terms, Videos, Ancillary Programs, and a Questionnaire (regarding your pre-surgery throwing routine). We want you to be as educated and clear as to the meaning and purpose behind everything we do, and ultimately, you do. We’ve also gone into great detail to ensure that this entire process is user-friendly and adaptable to your individual needs. Please be sure to go over each of these sections a few times so that you are abundantly clear as to their meaning and purpose before starting the Throwing Schedule.
Application/Adaptation Based on the Type of Surgery
The following Throwing Schedule and Guidelines are based specifically on returning from a traditional Tommy John Surgery (10-11 Months). Because your needs for a Throwing Schedule may change based on other types of surgery on your arm (i.e., Internal Brace), the following guidelines and timelines may not be consistent with your particular needs. However, please keep in mind that the “core principles” of our Manual & Throwing Schedule can still give you a great deal of direction and insight as to the best way to navigate your return to throwing process. Especially in the case of a minor surgery, or even just taking time off to heal. In many of these cases, you may find it helpful to condense, especially, the first 10 Weeks of our Throwing Schedule that extends out to 120 feet, and then find that starting at Week 11, our Guidelines may align well with your throwing routine going forward.
Note: the timeline of “when” to start your Throwing Schedule may vary anywhere from 4-6 months post-surgery, depending on your surgeon. Please keep in mind that if your surgeon recommends a more aggressive start up after 4 months, you may consider an even more conservative approach to your Throwing Schedule. As with everything we recommend, please be sure to listen to your arm and instincts, and consult with both your Medical Professionals and Pitching.
Trust The Process: Eliminate Target Dates
Often times, your return to throwing schedule will occur “In Season”. For example, you may be in the middle of your Regular Season, Playoffs, Summer Ball, Fall Ball, etc. Because you may feel a strong pull to “get back” to action as soon as possible, you may feel a tendency to “rush” your Throwing Schedule. Our strong advice is to “eliminate the calendar” of when you think you “could” or “should” be back, and simply focus on the PROCESS of getting into the best shape of your life by not rushing the natural progression. This should be your only goal, rather than the “goal” to rush back according to a “target date”. Trust the process, and eliminate the calendar.