Bowling fitness

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Re: Bowling fitness

Hi all, got another niggle.

It is on the left side, quite high up. It does not hurt to bowl (yet), but I struggle to even put my hand up in class for longer than about 10s without it starting to ache, so it is not nothing. Could it possibly be related to the fact that I am tucking my bowling arm in more which may be crunching the muscles.

Secondly, has anyone got any wrist strengthening excercises. I know individual body parts is not the best way to go, but I don't think that you can really apply that to wrists since they will only get very slightly stronger from replicating bowling movements.
 
Re: Bowling fitness

Manee, it sounds more like you have either stretched the muscle [does it feel like your obligues or your latisimus dorsi?] Or, the muscle is working in a different way than it is used to.

As for the wrist, did you get yourself a powerball? If so, how did you find it? If not, worth a look at.

Hand grippers are good.

Press ups are great and will also increase the bone density in that area.

Out of curiosity, why do you think you need to strengthen your wrists?
 
Re: Bowling fitness

Hi, on the matter of injuries, I thought I might pop this in. Whenever I bowl, I get pain on the left hand side of my back, towards the side of my body. Anything I can do to fix this before next Sunday as it is kinda restricting me bowling, although not too much. Is it a result of a mixed action? I'm not interested in fixing that at the moment but if it is, I will work on it in the off season.
 
Re: Bowling fitness

Liz Ward said:
Manee, it sounds more like you have either stretched the muscle [does it feel like your obligues or your latisimus dorsi?] Or, the muscle is working in a different way than it is used to.
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Probably the latissimus dorsi, but it may be just getting used to the new action. I'd hardly class it as pain.
Liz Ward said:
Hand grippers are good.

Press ups are great and will also increase the bone density in that area.

Out of curiosity, why do you think you need to strengthen your wrists?
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Will try hand grippers (I remember reading that they aren't very good for cricket, though) and press ups and will look into a powerball. I feel I need power in the wrist because with the action I have, I tend to push the ball into the spot with the wrist and my wrist is too weak to generate any bounce from this method. I will try and get closer to the stumps but I don't want to eradicate the outswinger which is the product of such a wrist abnormality.

PS: I got a few to swing in on Thursday:D, it has taken four years and all it took was a new action and closing off of the front foot. I know that sort of stuff makes biomechanists cringe, but it is just a variation, and it works.
 
Re: Bowling fitness

It does sound as if the muscle is just getting use to the work but keep an eye on it.

Hand grippers are good for strengthening the wrist and forearm as well as the hand but not in a cricket functional way. You really do not want to be building too much bulk here and to be honest, it does not take much to be 'too much'. However, you obviously feel that you have some weakness here so a little work will probably help. My preference though would be with a powerball and press ups.

As for closing off your front foot, it really only depends on exactly what you mean by 'closing'... the degree. I only get animated if I see a possibility of injury and/or degenerative issues. If it is safe and it works, go for it.
 
Re: Bowling fitness

Liz Ward said:
As for closing off your front foot, it really only depends on exactly what you mean by 'closing'... the degree.
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By closing off, I mean like Matthew Hoggard does with his front foot position compared to the backfoot. However, the angle is quite small and yet it still manages to swing in quite a bit.

May I inquire about a bowling resistance exercise and how to tweak it to turn it from an idea to reality. I attach a cricket ball (with string attached) to a chin up bar. I then lift the ball above the bar and partake in having my arm in the position at delivery and pulling at the ball (which isn't going anywhere). Would this be a good one to hold for a period of time or one to do explosively?

As for the injury, it is such that I can't stretch my arms out to the side without it aching a bit under my arm after a few seconds.
 
Re: Bowling fitness

manee said:
May I inquire about a bowling resistance exercise and how to tweak it to turn it from an idea to reality. I attach a cricket ball (with string attached) to a chin up bar. I then lift the ball above the bar and partake in having my arm in the position at delivery and pulling at the ball (which isn't going anywhere). Would this be a good one to hold for a period of time or one to do explosively?
Click to expand...

We are talking isometrics here. See http://www.simplycricket.net/stretching-questions-t2046.0.html

One thing to remember [other than problems with BP] is that isometric exercises only strengthen the muscle at the angle held during the exercise. As you can imagine, not at all functional for cricket ;)

You need to provide resistance through movement; weighted/control balls would be my preference.
 
Re: Bowling fitness

Liz Ward said:
manee said:
May I inquire about a bowling resistance exercise and how to tweak it to turn it from an idea to reality. I attach a cricket ball (with string attached) to a chin up bar. I then lift the ball above the bar and partake in having my arm in the position at delivery and pulling at the ball (which isn't going anywhere). Would this be a good one to hold for a period of time or one to do explosively?
Click to expand...

We are talking isometrics here. See http://www.simplycricket.net/stretching-questions-t2046.0.html

One thing to remember [other than problems with BP] is that isometric exercises only strengthen the muscle at the angle held during the exercise. As you can imagine, not at all functional for cricket ;)

You need to provide resistance through movement; weighted/control balls would be my preference.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, I was inquiring because it is similar to one in Lillee's book - which I would recommend, btw, if it is still on the market since it was made in 1985. Lillee's involves a pulley machine which moves though.
 
Re: Bowling fitness

I include pulley/cable machines in all my programmes for cricketers; I don't think you can beat them. I use them for all muscle groups and they are great for the rotator cuff. In fact, if you can only afford one piece of equipment for your home gym, this is the one I would recommend, especially if it includes both high and low pulleys.

You can use exercise bands but they do not provide resistance through the whole range of movement.

Alternatively, you could hold one end of a rope and have your brother take the other end allowing you to go through the full action whilst resisting you.
 
Re: Bowling fitness

Agreed, it's also as important (if not more so) to strengthen the opposite movement to bowling. The back stroke to bowling front crawl if you will.
 
Re: Bowling fitness

Harrowdrive said:
Agreed, it's also as important (if not more so) to strengthen the opposite movement to bowling. The back stroke to bowling front crawl if you will.
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Why would you say this was so important??

I have noticed recently that the muscle at the front of my shoulder joint (almost coming onto the chest kinda area) is much bigger on my right shoulder than my left and that my tricip sticks out much more on my left than my right, I think this is also due to the muscles on my right shoulder being bigger. Is this likely to be a problem??
 
Re: Bowling fitness

i know this may be off topic and i know alot of people say jogging doesnt do much for you in cricket.. but actually it mite. honestly i know from experience. in cricket you do need good fitness. everyone on this forum seems to think that jogging is over rated? that 10k runs and going for a hour is pointless. but really.. if u think about it. a bowler bowling say 18 oversa day as i am at the moment thats alot longer then an hour. a day off cricket is like 5-7 hours. u need basic fitness. what i did was i dropped off 5kg and grew from 5foot 9 to 6foot 2 over the summer. all from jogging. i lost my excess fat - btw i was 14 and in the winter i trained hard with my athleticscoach (but for cricket) and built it all up. i gained 10kg. i still do 10k runs and in all fairness i do them resonably quik. but i think everyone on this forum under rates long runs. when you can run 10k in 30-40min then your fitness is great. first I WOULD SAY in the summer is the time to be doing the long soft work.. eg 10k runs (i run 40k a week) then in winter when comes the interval training/sprints etc work hard hard hard and work to your peak. i think good old cricket practises have been TO much effected by biomechanics etc. youve still got to be yourself and see what works for you. as ian pont says we dont want cloning.

but the main point i want to get across is more fitness = alot more options, training and game situations. better cardio = better breathing and body will love you for it. soon youll bev able to bowl 10 overs on the trot with ease =]
 
Re: Bowling fitness

Kyneo, not off topic at all ;) though I think you may have been misguided by other postings regarding biomechanics on this site by guys who really do not understand its concept.

Biomechanics is the research and analysis of, in this case, the mechanics of your body. It also looks into the forces that act on your arms and legs during movement.

It is easy to dismiss biomechanics but think; aeroplanes would not be able to take off and stay in the air without the biomechanics of birds ! The problem is, this is a huge subject which comprises aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, locomotion, thermodynamics, continuum mechanics, mechanical engineering, fluid mechanics and solid mechanics. My work with biomechanics is the core part of kinesiology. It is just one tool I use along with kinematics to help maximise elite players’ potential. Without these tools, these players would not be elite… just really good at what they do.

The body is designed to move in a certain way with its components at specific angles in specific alignment. The problem is, most people do not understand this and believe their bodies infallible and movement instinctive. However, think about any machine; think about its components. If one component is not in its correct position, at best it will not work properly, at worse it will break. This is the same with the human body.

Ian Pont has gone an immensely huge way in bringing these tools to cricketers. Other sports have been using biomechanics at the top end for generations. Cricket is way behind for the times and Ian must be given great praise for bringing this opportunity to ground roots level.

Biomechanics has nothing to do with cardiovascular fitness; working on one does not exclude working on the other and nobody on this site has suggested that cardiovascular fitness is not important, indeed, it is hugely important for health itself, let alone sport.

However, you do not use the aerobic energy system in cricket though it is vitally important if you run marathons or cross country. Training the aerobic system will improve your cardio capacity but not in a functional way. Cricket utilises the phosphocreatine and lactate systems; if you do not train these systems, they will not work properly for you during the sport. Apart from anything else, if you are playing intermittent activity sports such as cricket, rugby etc, you are wasting your time; 20 mins anaerobic training will improve your cardio capacity far more than 30 mins of aerobic training. You can use the saved 10 mins working on cricket specific conditioning. ;)
 
Re: Bowling fitness

Perfect answer Liz.

Strength coach Alwyn Cosgrove said recently about boxing that you fight for 3 minutes then sit down so anything more than 3 minutes is not specific training.

Or to put it another way, training is highly specific. Lance Armstrong the famous cyclist has the largest ever recorded lung capacity and won a stupid amount of bike races. When he ran the marathon he finished 878th.

Same principle applies to cricket. You play a shot, run a couple of runs then pause. It's all about recovery time between bouts of intense exercise.
 
Re: Bowling fitness

Harrowdrive said:
Lance Armstrong the famous cyclist has the largest ever recorded lung capacity and won a stupid amount of bike races. When he ran the marathon he finished 878th.
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A bit off topic but what was the lung capacity of Armstrong? I only ask as I read that Matthew Pinsent held the British record at 8.5 litres of air with each breath, until he was surpassed by Peter Reed who has been measured at 11.68 litres.

I find that an astonishing leap -about 30% bigger!

Edit - Apparently Reed holds the record (his capacity is about twice that of an average human) but the Australian swimmer Grant Hackett has been unofficially measured at 13 litres! That's amazing!
 
Re: Bowling fitness

but the thing is that if u a fat poo ur energy levels are down by the end of theday because you are unfit. long distance running helps fitness. i know alot of fat people who are fast between short spells. a guy in my cricket team is quite large aroundthe belly etc not the fitest guy and he can only bowl for 4 overs. plus since you guys are so brainy think bout this? you bowl 5 overs in a row. u get6 balls rest but what you dont practise for is inbetween. the sun is beating down on you and if your not quite so fit the days giong to be alot harder.

so what you guys are saying is that there is no point in long distance rnning in cricket? well your wrong. cricket is cricket but as like any other sport, other sports can play a huge role. what bout bowling into the wind? how can u train for that? what bout justin langer. opening batsmen but he thought that boxing helped him get where he is. think bout it think
 
Re: Bowling fitness

OK kyneo, if you have read this forum, you cannot have missed the [several] posts where I recommend boxing! As a body combatant myself [kung fu, tae kwondo, karate, boxing and kick boxing], let me assure you, these are anaerobic sports and you train anaerobically for them ;)

Bottom line... You do not use the aerobic system in cricket. No matter how much you argue this, you cannot change it.

It's just a well that my 2012 Olympians are not as stubborn as you or my job would be like running against the wind... but then, if they were, they would not be Olympians!

PS Why do you not 'practise the in between'? My guys are trained for every situation, including the 'in between'!
 
Re: Bowling fitness

I don't think anyone is disputing that long distance running is good for fitness. It's been stated a number of times in this thread that it's important to have a good base level of general fitness before you can make good in-roads into your cricket-specific fitness. I'm sure there's no problem using distance running to establish a fitness base or to help lose excess weight.

However, when it comes down to fitness for cricket, there are many more efficient ways to use your training time than long distance running, simply because it doesn't have significant crossover to the game of cricket itself.

It's like David was saying - you don't win a marathon by doing lots of cycling. But I'd bet if you start your marathon training being able to cycle for hours you'll find it easier to progress than someone who never does any exercise.
 
Re: Bowling fitness

kyneo said:
but the thing is that if u a fat poo ur energy levels are down by the end of theday because you are unfit. long distance running helps fitness. i know alot of fat people who are fast between short spells. a guy in my cricket team is quite large aroundthe belly etc not the fitest guy and he can only bowl for 4 overs. plus since you guys are so brainy think bout this? you bowl 5 overs in a row. u get6 balls rest but what you dont practise for is inbetween. the sun is beating down on you and if your not quite so fit the days giong to be alot harder.

so what you guys are saying is that there is no point in long distance rnning in cricket? well your wrong. cricket is cricket but as like any other sport, other sports can play a huge role. what bout bowling into the wind? how can u train for that? what bout justin langer. opening batsmen but he thought that boxing helped him get where he is. think bout it think
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You are right about high body fat being a bad thing. I applaud anyone doing healthy things to keep their weight at a healthy level.

However in cricket terms there is little crossover compared to, for example, interval training. Running long distances makes you better at running long distances.

If you want to be a runner and a cricketer then by all means do that. Just don't expect playing cricket to improve your running or vice versa.

What is more important in cricket sense is how fast you can recover from bouts of expenditure. If you bowl into the wind you get to walk back to your mark to recover then get an over off to rest. If you can recover in that time you will be fitter. Long distance running does not improve that element of fitness.

Specificity is king:

http://www.harrowdrive.com/get-fit-for-cricket-by-playing-cricket-almost/
 
Re: Bowling fitness

i think that people get confused in thinking that being fit means it benefits every sport.

long distance running is good for a general level of fitness but it's not going to help me run an all run 4 as i need to be able to sprint, turn, sprint, turn etc. same as with bowling, its effort followed by rest then effort etc.

i think what people in this thread are saying is that a general level of fitness is good but to be really successful in a sport you have to train specifcally for that sport. however, if you have a good level of fitness to begin (from playing another sport for example) its only going to make things easier at the start.
 
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