As Alex Rodriguez recovers from hip surgery, ProSource offers
an expert training routine he could use to get himself back on the
field and playing better than ever.
Love him or hate him, you have to admit:
New York Yankees third baseman
Alex Rodriguez has had an extremely challenging (and from the outside looking in, fascinating) year.
Rumors of an affair with
Madonna,
a very public divorce, a Bronx swoon that left the Yanks out of the
playoffs last fall for the first time in 14 years—not to mention a
steroid scandal that led to an embarrassing admittance the three-time
league MVP and 12-time All-Star had used
performance-enhancing drugs—kept
A-Rod in the tabloid headlines and the target of relentless sports media outlets all spring. (He's gotten so much press, a jealous
Octomom's probably contemplating juicing to get in on the action.)
And just when the .306 lifetime hitter was about to get back into the
swing of every-day baseball at the start of this season, word came in
early March that Rodriguez would instead be sidelined, undergoing
surgery to repair a damaged hip.
In technical terms, Rodriguez
suffered from femoracetabular impingement, or FAI — a structural
abnormality that impedes the natural rotation of the hip joint. This
chronic condition degenerated to a point where surgical intervention
was needed. Now, about a month after his procedure, A-Rod is hard at
work on the comeback trail, with reports swirling that he could be back
in the lineup in mid-May.
While we realize the 6'3",
228-pound über athlete has his own rehabilitation team—or more likely,
a rehab army—we wanted to offer our recommendations for a
weight-training regimen. The good news is, while this is partially
geared toward Rodriguez's needs as a high-performing ballplayer, this
regimen could potentially help anyone attempting to recover from hip
issues (provided a doctor has signed off on weight training).
Our expert? None other than Hollywood-based celebrity trainer
Jimmy Peña, MS, CSCS, who also serves as the fitness correspondent on the syndicated show
Extra.
Peña has devised a four-week program built on four pillars. "A key to
returning successfully from this type of injury is to take it step by
step," he says. "You should actually approach it like you are starting
training from scratch, relying on the basics. You want to concentrate
on improving your core strength, make sure you're maintaining balance
as far as working each side of your body in equal measure, choose
exercises that enhance your power generation, and include a major
flexibility component."
Peña encourages the 33-year-old to
"resist the urge to get back too quickly and risk a setback," although
clearly the pressure will be on from New York faithful (and team
officials) to reinsert him into the lineup as fast as humanly possible.
After all, when you're the $275-million-dollar man, the pressure never
relents.
THE A-ROD HIP REHAB PROGRAM
Peña's plan is progressive in nature, in that it starts off slowly and
builds in intensity over the four weeks, introducing ever-more specific
and explosive movements. It's designed to help both throwing power and
bat speed, two key attributes that a hip injury can impinge upon.
During all workouts, rest periods
should be kept to a minimum between sets, according to Peña. "You want
to keep moving," he says. "Rest only as long as it takes to move to the
next exercise or get situated for the next set — 30 seconds at most."
In addition to these lower-body
and flexibility-focused workouts as well his baseball-specific drills,
Rodriguez should also be performing an upper-body maintenance-focused
training regimen, hitting his upper body 1-2 times per week in the
first two weeks, 2-4 times per week in the final two.
WEEK 1
This light core-focused workout should be performed on six days, with
one day of rest. (Note: Descriptions for all exercises appear at the
end of this article.)
Exercise
|
Sets
|
Reps/Time
|
Swimmers |
3 |
20-30 seconds |
Bird Dogs |
3 |
20 each side |
Cable Woodchop |
3 |
15-20 (top to bottom from both directions) |
Standing Cable Twist |
3 |
15-20 (horizontal pull from both directions) |
Plank |
3 |
Hold to failure |
Side Plank |
3 |
Hold to failure (each side) |
WEEK 2
This workout, which again hits the core and introduces a 20-minute
flexibility sequence, should be performed five times, with two days of
rest.
Exercise
|
Sets
|
Reps/Time
|
Swimmers |
4 |
20-30 seconds |
Bird Dogs |
4 |
20 each side |
Cable Woodchop |
4 |
15-20 |
Standing Cable Twist |
3 |
15-20 |
Plank |
4 |
Hold to failure |
Side Plank |
4 |
Hold to failure (each side) |
Flexibility Sequence: Hold each stretch for 30-60 seconds, proceeding through them in a circuit fashion. Continue until 20 minutes has passed.
Quad Stretch:
Standing or seated, grab one foot and pull it back behind you until you
feel a good stretch in your quad. Gently hold that position for a few
seconds, then switch legs.
Hip Flexor Stretch:
Take long step forward as if performing a lunge and lower the rear knee
to the floor. From there, straighten your back hip by leaning forward
onto your front leg while keeping your back knee in contact with the
floor.
Groin Stretch: Sit
on the floor and bend your knees, bringing the soles of your shoes
together in front of you. Holding your ankles with your hands, use your
forearms and elbows to gently press your knees toward the floor.
Hamstring Stretch:
Sit on the floor with your legs spread and straight. Lean over one leg,
reaching for your foot with both hands. (You can also keep one leg
bent, with the sole of your shoe flush against the inner quad of your
straight leg.)
Low-Back Stretch:
Lie face-up on the floor and bend your knees. Wrap your arms around
your legs and pull your knees into your chest, allowing your hips to
slightly rise off the floor. Release, allowing your hips to lower to
the floor, and repeat.
WEEK 3
This workout covers the core, flexibility and adds an element of
unilateral strength building. It should be completed four times over
the course of a week, such as Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Exercise
|
Sets
|
Reps/Time
|
Single-Leg Squat |
4 |
10-15 each leg |
Single Leg Extension |
4 |
15-20 each leg |
Single Leg Curl |
4 |
15-20 each leg |
Speed Skaters |
4 |
15-20 each side |
Swimmers |
4 |
20-30 seconds |
Bird Dogs |
4 |
20 each side |
Cable Woodchop |
4 |
15-20 |
Standing Cable Twist |
3 |
15-20 |
Plank |
4 |
Hold to failure |
Side Plank |
4 |
Hold to failure (each side) |
To complete the training session, repeat the 20-minute Flexibility Sequence from week 2.
WEEK 4
This week's workouts include the elements of the previous week (core,
flexibility and unilateral strength) and tacks on a power component.
You'll dial back to three days per week, since the intensity is
higher—be sure to take at least one day of rest in between each
session.
Exercise
|
Sets
|
Reps/Time
|
Supported Jump Squat |
4 |
To failure |
Supported Split Jump Squat |
4 |
To failure |
Cable Speed Skater Side-to-Sides |
4 |
15 to each side |
Single-Leg Squat |
4 |
10-15 each leg |
Single Leg Extension |
4 |
15-20 each leg |
Single Leg Curl |
4 |
15-20 each leg |
Speed Skaters |
4 |
15-20 each side |
Swimmers |
4 |
20-30 seconds |
Bird Dogs |
4 |
20 each side |
Cable Woodchop |
4 |
15-20 |
Standing Cable Twist |
3 |
15-20 |
Plank |
4 |
Hold to failure |
Side Plank |
4 |
Hold to failure (each side) |
To complete the training session, repeat the 20-minute Flexibility Sequence listed in week 2.
EXERCISE INSTRUCTION
The following movements are listed in order that they appear in the workouts.
Swimmers:
Lie prone on the floor, and perform a modified Australian crawl-type
motion, lifting your left arm and right leg simultaneously, then your
right arm and left leg. Switch back and forth for the prescribed time.
Bird Dogs:
Kneel on your hands and knees, with your back straight and abs tight.
Simultaneously lift one arm up and the opposite side leg up and
straight off the floor, as if you're pointing ahead of you and behind
you at the same time with each limb. Hold briefly, then repeat with the
other arm and leg.
Cable Woodchop:
Grasp a D-handle attached to an upper cable pulley station with both
hands, and pull it across your body, slowly twisting your torso as you
do so, until your hands are at about hip level.
Standing Cable Twist:
Adjust the cable so that the line of pull is about chest height. Grasp
the handle with both hands, spread your legs and bend your knees
slightly. Pull the handle across your body using your core muscles,
then return to the start and repeat. After completing all reps for one
side, switch sides and repeat in the other direction.
Plank:
Get into a modified push-up position, balancing yourself on your
forearms. Keep your body straight, hips up off the floor (like a plank)
until you can't hold the position any longer. That's one set.
Side Plank:
These are like the standard plank, except you balance on one arm at a
time, your entire body facing to the side instead of down to the floor.
Single-Leg Squat:
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and place one foot behind you on a flat
bench. With your eyes focused forward and core tight, perform a squat
movement for reps, driving solely through your planted leg.
Single Leg Extension: Perform exactly as you would a standard extension, except using only one leg at a time.
Single Leg Curl: You can choose the seated or lying version. Do it just like you would a standard curl, except one leg at a time.
Speed Skaters:
Get down into a crouched position, feet placed wide. From there, drive
through one foot to "jump" laterally. When your other foot touches
down, shift your body across and over it, then recoil, returning to the
starting position. Continue back and forth in a dynamic fashion.
Supported Jump Squat:
Hold a stationary object (such as a power rack) with one hand. Drop
your hips down into a full squat position, then explode up, leaping as
high as you can. Land softly and immediately drop down into a squat for
the next rep, continuing until failure.
Supported Split Jump Squat:
These are just like the jump squat, except you'll want to get into a
lunging position for your jumps (one foot forward, one foot back).
Cable Speed Skater Side-to-Sides:
Hold a D-handle attached to a lower pulley with both hands, and perform
the speed skater side-to-side motion. Complete all reps for one side,
then switch so you're pulling the D-handle from the opposite side.