Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Stance

Stance - The quarterback stands behind the center and waits for the ball come into his hands, knees slightly bent and seeing what formation the defenders are lining up in.
Shoulder Girdle - Abduction with the Pectoralis minor and the Serratus anterior.
Shoulder Joint - Flex shoulder approximataly 45 degrees isometrically with slight adduction while waiting for the ball.
Elbow Joint - Both the elbow joints are in extension and muscles being used are anconeus, triceps brachii medial, lateral and long head.  Both the forearms are being pronated while waiting for the ball.
Hip/Pelvic Girdle - With the knees slightly flexed, the hip/pelvic girdle has slight external rotation on both sides working the pectineus, biceos femoris, gluteus maximus, piriformis, gemellus superior and inferior, obturator intermus and extermus and the quadratus femoris.  With this movement, the main plane of motion is the Transverse plane.
Knee Joint - Both knees are in slightly flexed approximately 20 degrees as well as externally rotated 30-40 degrees.  The muscles used for this motion to occur are biceps femoris, popliteus, semi-membranosus and the semi-tendinosus.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Prep

Prep - Once the football reaches your hands, you grasp the ball with both hands and start to move backwards to look for any open recievers.  The ball then goes into your dominant hand that will be making the pass.
Shoulder Girdle - Adduction with the Trapezius middle fibers, Trapezius lower fibers and the Rhomboids.
Shoulder Joint - Flex shoulder approximataly 45 degrees isometrically with slight adduction.
Elbow Joint - The throwing arm is being flexed about 100 degrees using the brachialis, brachioradialis, pronator teres, and the long head and short head of the biceps brachii.  The non dominant arm is using the same muscles but is being flexed approximately 90 degrees.
Hip/Pelvic Girdle - When prepping for the throw, the hip/pelvic girdle uses mostly flexion and slight rotation in the movement.  The muscles needed to carry out this movement are iliacus, psoas, rectus femoris, sartorius, pectineus adductor brevis and longus, adductor magnus and the gracilis.
Knee Joint - With the back knee being slightly flexed approximately 10 - 15
degrees and the front knee being flexed approximaltely 20 - 30 degrees, the two legs/knees work together to complete the throw using the biceps femoris, popliteus, semi-membranosus and semi-tendinosus.

Movemement

Movement - As you are throwing the ball to your target, your dominant arm goes into abduction about to make the throw, your head is looking directly at the target, and your opposite leg of your throwing arm is coming forward towards the target.
Shoulder Girdle - Upward rotation with the Serratus anterior, Trapezius middle fibers and Trapezius lower fibers.
Shoulder Joint - The dominant shoulder is goint through diagonal abduction with the diagonal abductors.
Elbow Joint - While the non throwing hands elbow is in extension and the forearm in pronation using the pronator quadratus, the throwing arm is Flexed at 90 to 100 degrees using the long and short head of the biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis.
Hip/Pelvic Girdle - With the movement being very similar to the prep phase, the hip/pelvic girdle uses slight more flexion and slight more rotation in the movement.  The muscles needed to carry out this movement are iliacus, psoas, rectus femoris, sartorius, pectineus adductor brevis and longus, adductor magnus and the gracilis.
Knee Joint - With the back knee being slightly flexed approximately 10 - 15
degrees and the front knee being flexed approximaltely 10 - 20 degrees, the two legs/knees work together to complete the throw using the biceps femoris, popliteus, semi-membranosus and semi-tendinosus.  There is also some internal and external rotation on both kness through the phase of this movement which uses biceps femoris, popliteus, semi-membranosus and semi-tendinosus.

Follow Through

Follow Through - After the ball gets released from your hand, your wrist slightly roatates for a perfect spiral, the opposite leg/foot steps forward towards the target and the opposite throwing arm travels slightly to the side of your waist.
Shoulder Girdle - Abduction with the Pectoralis minor and the Serratus minor.
Shoulder Joint -  Diagonally adduct the shoulder joint by concentrically contracting your pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, and coracobrachialis muscles.
Elbow Joint - While both of the arms are in full extension using the medial, lateral, long head of the triceps brachii and the anconeus, the throwing arms forearm is being rotated medially using the pronator quadratus to create the perfect spiral.
Hip/Pelvic Girdle - After the release of the football, the opposite leg comes forward with slight flexion in the hip/pelvic girdle as the right leg goes backwards for extension in the hip/pelvic girdle.  The muscles used in in this motion are iliacus, psoas, rectus femoris, sartorius, pectinues, adductor magnus biceps femoris, semi-tendinosus, semi-membranosus and the gluteus maximus.
Knee Joint - Both front and back legs are being flexed and extended using muscles such as rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, lateralis and medialis, biceps femoris, popliteus, semi-membranosus and semi-tendinosus.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Recovery

Recovery - After a good throw is made, a good defensive stance is then required getting ready for the next action that will occur.
Shoulder Girdle - Abduction with the Pectoralis minor and the Serratus anterior.
Shoulder Joint - Flex shoulder and isometrically with slight adduction while waiting for the ball.
Elbow Joint - Both elbows are in flexion approximately75 degrees using the long head and short head of the biceps brachii, brachialis, brachoradialis and the pronator teres.  There is also slight pronation of the forearm which uses the pronator quadratus muscle.
Hip/Pelvic Girdle - With the knees slightly flexed, the hip/pelvic girdle has slight external rotation on both sides working the pectineus, biceos femoris, gluteus maximus, piriformis, gemellus superior and inferior, obturator intermus and extermus and the quadratus femoris.  With this movement, the main plane of motion is the Transverse plane.
Knee Joint - The final phase of the throw finishes and a defensive/recovery stance needs to be ready with both knees slightly flexed approximately 20 degrees as well as externally rotated 30-40 degrees.  The muscles used for this motion to occur are biceps femoris, popliteus, semi-membranosus and the semi-tendinosus.


Exercise 1 - Dumbell Bench with Medicine Ball


This exercise will help you from start to finish in making a perfect throw.  It works a tremendous amount of the upper body including the chest, shoulders and arms as well as the lower body such as the core and legs.  Working on all these different aspects of the body will make you become more confident in yourself as well as put you in better shape for the task at hand.  

Exercise 2 - Shoulder Stretch

Before engaging in an activity that uses a lot fo the shoulder muscles, a couple pictures above show you different ways to stretch the shoulder in order to avoid injury.  This exercise can be done simply by yourself for a couple minutes before full force activity.

Exercise 3 - Lunges
When performing a football throw, you have to remember that you are using the upper nd lower body to complete the throw.  Lunges helps stretch and work out different parts of your legs.  A example above is how to do a proper lunge.  You can start off by using low weight and walking across the gym numerous times.  After a couple times back and forth, take a break and move up in weight if you feel the time is right.