It is always great to read about athletes who get turned on to strength training at an early age. It is not always great however, to see the weight training carried to extremes as they get older or into the prime of their athletic career. One such example is pitcher Clayton Richard of the San Diego Padres.
According to the San Diego Padres strength coach Clayton Richard’s program is remarkable. The one thing that sets him apart from the others – who are also into strength training – is not the program or the exercises but the workload. For example, some players squat in the mid-to-high 300 pound range but Clayton Richard routinely surpasses the 400 pound mark. He wears a 40 pound weighted vest when doing pull-ups and is the only player who uses the 100 and 110 pound weights in the dumbbell press.
According to Richard, the workouts are focused and intense. The Padres strength coach agrees in that the level of intensity makes you understand the importance of a workout. In season, the workouts are cut down somewhat when he does not have to pitch the next day. In the off-season the sessions are limitless with most lasting two to three hours.
According to the article, traditionally pitchers haven’t been big bodybuilders. The thinking in baseball is that bulking up too much can mess with the intricacies of the delivery. According to Richard, it affects his performance on the field in a positive manner in his role with the San Diego Padres.
Is Clayton Richard correct in his belief that bodybuilding is a positive for his pitching? Sadly the answer is no and it is most likely a belief perpetuated on misinformation for many years. There’s no questioning the fact that greater strength will enhance performance. But what is a typically ignored is what kind of strength, how much strength and when strength should be increased, if at all.
What is lacking in his program is pitching-specific exercises. These exercises are not found in typical bodybuilding programs since they generally do not increase muscle mass. For example, specific rotator cuff exercises, specific hip rotation exercises, exercises for the stride and so on. If he would incorporate these exercises with the bodybuilding exercises there is no telling how great a pitcher he could become.
That he is not doing any pitching specific exercises was substantiated in the news after his first spring debut. He missed his first two starts (“a week or two”) because he had experienced “general soreness.” This indicates that he was using muscles that are not used in his bodybuilding routine or the muscles were used differently from what he was doing in his program.
It was also interesting to note that after the game he stated that he felt great, but it was a typical first outing. He stated that he “struggled a little bit to find a rhythm and walked a couple of guys.” Rhythm however, is affected greatly by strength. Thus his comments indicate that his throwing technique is off and that it will take some time before he gets back in the “groove”.
He may be the best pitcher on the San Diego Padre’s team although a 19-12 record for 45 starts last season is not impressive or commensurate with his workout regime. The bodybuilding may have helped in the early years but I would venture to say that his record will be much worse this year. But if he trained more like a pitcher and did pitching specific exercises he could be one of the best not only on the team, but in the league.