Surgical tubing is thin and elastic like exercise tubing. Tubing exercises help softball and baseball players strengthen their muscles to improve performance and reduce injuries. Softball exercises with surgical tubing primarily target the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder that players need for throwing and catching.
Tubing Benefits
Softball players, especially pitchers, need strong rotator cuff muscles. This is also true for baseball players and other athletes that use their arms for dynamic, circular movement. Especially if softball is not your only sport, you need to do consistent exercises. Surgical tubing stretches and strengthens the muscles for a balanced, complete program. Exercises with surgical tubing are also rehabilitation exercises because they promote healing. You also can benefit by doing surgical tubing exercises between games for faster recovery.
Internal Shoulder Rotation
Throwing a softball requires rotating the arm backward and then quickly rotating the arm forward. This action uses several muscles in the shoulder, arm, back and chest. The rotators are the smallest muscles and generally the weakest link. The internal shoulder rotation exercise isolates the medial, or side, rotators including the subscapularis and pectoralis minor. Surgical tubing is the ideal tool for this exercise, though a cable machine is an alternative. To begin, tie one end of the surgical tubing to a sturdy object and hold one end of the tubing with your arm bent at 90 degrees into your side. The palm faces forward and the arm points out to the side. Then, pull the arm across your waist. Work both arms independently.
External Rotation
External rotation targets the external rotators including the infraspinatus and teres minor. Both external and internal rotation occurs during softball. Performing both exercises provides balance so one part of your shoulder is not weaker than the other. To begin, start in the end position of the internal rotation exercise with the arm across the waist. The difference is that you tie the other end of the band to an object on the opposite side of your body. Then, open your arm outward against resistance. Exercise both arms.
Surgical Tubing Exercise Guidelines
Ball players respond better to higher repetition ranges for exercises than lower reps. Lower reps with heavy weight build maximal strength and muscle size. Softball players do not need large muscles or the ability to lift heavy objects. Higher repetitions build endurance that allow your rotators to keep working through a long game. Perform 15 to 20 reps of each surgical tubing exercise. Work out with surgical tubing or light weights three to four times a week and take days off.
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