My Routine + Brett Lee

[Lightspeed]

I'm posting my weekly workout program here to further improve it with your input. Keep in mind I'm a fast bowler with an action pretty similar to that of Brett Lee.

My Routine

Leg Extensions (140 lbs / 3 x 8)
Front Squats (50 lbs / 3 x 8)
Plank (2 x hold for 60 sec)
Standing Barbell Curls (40 lbs / 3 x 8)
Bent-Over Barbell Rows (50 lbs / 3 x 8)
Dumbbell Shoulder Presses (60 lbs / 3 x 8)
Dumbbell Triceps Extensions (45 lbs / 3 x 8)
Abdominal Crunches (3 x 50)
Pushups (3 x 20)
Pull-ups (3 x 5)

I workout 2-3 times a week and I don't do specific body parts but perform an entire body workout every-time. I do however mix it up in terms of order of exercises.

I do many stretches as well. I don't jog but I sprint full speed. I go to a back alley mark a spot and then sprint full speed towards it, walk back and then repeat. I do this 3/4 times -sprinting for about 18-20 secs - 2/3 times a week.

Brett Lee
As I mentioned earlier - my runup/action/followthrough is very similar to that of Brett. So I keep an eye out for articles which detail his routine, etc.

Here are a few interesting quotes I came across:

I find the best way to get match-fit is beach running. I'll run five kilometres on very soft sand and wear shoes to increase the workload. Barefoot running is easy, but shoes reduce traction and the muscles have to work twice as hard to balance the body. When I run in to bowl on a nice hard pitch, having loaded the muscles in training, it's like running on air.

Balance and stability play a key role in both controlling my bowling action and taking pressure off the knees and ankles. A good exercise is jumping off a chair on to a small trampoline, which simulates moving through the air before landing on your back foot to bowl. The trampoline takes the pressure, and landing in a stable position takes stress off the spine. The main muscles used in the bowling action are those from the backside up. I work on developing good lower-core strength, the muscles below the tummy and around the base of the spine. Strong gluteals keep your back straight, and every night I do 300 abdominal crunches. I don't do too much upper- body weight training because that shortens the muscles, and fast bowlers need long, elastic limbs.

"We want to mimic the movements that happen when he bowls," Karppinen said.
"We're trying to promote speed. That includes quick, light upper-body weights and heavier lower-body weights."

Quotes taken from these articles:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24542803-5001505,00.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_/ai_n12670225

Anyway, back on topic - I want to know how would you improve my routine?

 

[G.I.Joe]

Sorry, I've got nothing to contribute to the topic at hand, just found Bret Lee's views on not exercising the upper body interesting and sensible.

 

[Lightspeed]

The following statement by Brett Lee I found interesting:
"I don't do too much upper- body weight training because that shortens the muscles, and fast bowlers need long, elastic limbs."

Now, I can lift much heavier weights but I don't as I want to promote fast movements. What is your take on this?

Also this quote from Brett's fitness trainer:
"We want to mimic the movements that happen when he bowls," Karppinen said.
"We're trying to promote speed. That includes quick, light upper-body weights and heavier lower-body weights."

How do I define light upper body weight and heavier lower body weights? Does that mean I should be doing barbell curls of only 40 lbs and doing 180 lb squats, etc?

 

[G.I.Joe]

The following statement by Brett Lee I found interesting:
"I don't do too much upper- body weight training because that shortens the muscles, and fast bowlers need long, elastic limbs."

Now, I can lift much heavier weights but I don't as I want to promote fast movements. What is your take on this?

Well, bowling fast makes use of the fast twitch muscles in the upper limbs and the shoulder girdle, so it wouldn't make sense to engage in a lot of weight training for the slower twitch muscles in that region. Except in the core muscles like the trapezius for example, which you'll be requiring to bring your arm up over your head. A fast bowler would benefit from engaging the non-core muscles of the upper body with plyometric exercises mainly, I would gather.

 

[micoach]

I'm posting my weekly workout program here to further improve it with your input. Keep in mind I'm a fast bowler with an action pretty similar to that of Brett Lee.

My Routine

Leg Extensions (140 lbs / 3 x 8)
Front Squats (50 lbs / 3 x 8)
Plank (2 x hold for 60 sec)
Standing Barbell Curls (40 lbs / 3 x 8)
Bent-Over Barbell Rows (50 lbs / 3 x 8)
Dumbbell Shoulder Presses (60 lbs / 3 x 8)
Dumbbell Triceps Extensions (45 lbs / 3 x 8)
Abdominal Crunches (3 x 50)
Pushups (3 x 20)
Pull-ups (3 x 5)

I workout 2-3 times a week and I don't do specific body parts but perform an entire body workout every-time. I do however mix it up in terms of order of exercises.

I do many stretches as well. I don't jog but I sprint full speed. I go to a back alley mark a spot and then sprint full speed towards it, walk back and then repeat. I do this 3/4 times -sprinting for about 18-20 secs - 2/3 times a week.

Anyway, back on topic - I want to know how would you improve my routine?

Looks pretty solid.

You might want to reconsider the isolation work unless you are thinking about the guns as well as cricket performance

I would replace those with at least 1 'power' movement per session.This will increase the speed of your upper body and running speed. Examples are:

• Plyometric push ups
• Medicine ball throws
• Olympic Lifts or variations of them
• Jump squats

That's a quick summary. There is plenty more if you want it.

 

[micoach]

The following statement by Brett Lee I found interesting:
"I don't do too much upper- body weight training because that shortens the muscles, and fast bowlers need long, elastic limbs."

Now, I can lift much heavier weights but I don't as I want to promote fast movements. What is your take on this?

Also this quote from Brett's fitness trainer:
"We want to mimic the movements that happen when he bowls," Karppinen said.
"We're trying to promote speed. That includes quick, light upper-body weights and heavier lower-body weights."

How do I define light upper body weight and heavier lower body weights? Does that mean I should be doing barbell curls of only 40 lbs and doing 180 lb squats, etc?

The first quote is utter rubbish. Muscle length is defined by a fixed point - where it attaches to the bone. If you can grow your bone length your muscles will grow longer. Most people can't do that as it's impossible for adults.

The second quote makes a bit more sense, as has been said it about moving fast and developing fast muscle. You don't have to use light weights though, just fast movements.

That's where the power exercises come in, as does good technique on compound exercises when you are working in the 80% of 1RM range (about 5 reps).

 

[Lightspeed]

Thanks for the input man. I've made little changes to my workout. Changed from normal pushups to fast plyometric pushups.

Another thing - you always hear that for exercises like shoulder presses, barbell curls, etc - form is very important. To achieve that I go nice and slow. Would it be ok to go really fast and will it be as effective.

 

[micoach]

As always with these thing, the answer is, it depends.

With isolation moves I don't care how fast you go. They are for bodybuilding not performance enhacing. If you are leaving them in, go at a tempo of about 102 (that's one second contract, 0 seconds hold, 2 seconds relax).

Compnd moves like shoulder press, squats and rows are best done as fast as possible with good technique. So get technique down first and then increase the tempo to as fast as you can go.

With heavier weights (1-5 rep range) you may not LOOK like you are going fast, but the think to remember is you are trying to go as fast as you can under the circumstances. This will maximully recruit fast twitch fibres.

You can get away with a little loss of form to get to failure on these, but anything more than a slight wobble and you are risking injury.

With power specific moves: plyos, Olympic Lifts and the like, form is critical, the second you do a rep that is not perfect, stop.

 

[Old Mate]

Will do bugger all for your cricketing but may give you some stonking abs.

 

[Fezza_8600]

Why is a good bodybuilding routine not even recommended for cricketers? I've only recently started working out and it's sort-of helped with stamina and batting power....

 

[micoach]

Why is a good bodybuilding routine not even recommended for cricketers? I've only recently started working out and it's sort-of helped with stamina and batting power....

I suppose it depends on your definition. 'Bodybuilding' is a different animal from strength training in my book.

However, if we are talking about a good strength training routine, I think it is recommended nowadays is it not?

 

[Manee]

I hate to hijack the thread, if only for a moment, but could someone in the know please tell me the recommended set and rep structure for dumbell rows and shrugs for fast bowling.

 

[micoach]

It depends on your goals. Strength, stamina, power or speed?

 

[Manee]

The goal is greater speed for bowling - unfortunately, I could not say whether that fits into power or strength.

 

[micoach]

OK so what do you need to get faster personally?

Some people are strong but not fast (especially if they are a bit overweight) others are weak but have that magical whip already. Some start quick but lose ace and accuracy through lack of stamina.

So which are you?

 

[Manee]

I'm not a particularly strong chap (quite weak, tbh), but someone who generates most of the pace through the shoulder in delivery. I'm also very skinny in the shoulder area.

 

[dazag]

hey, im a fast bowler who has just been struck down with a slight stress fracture and slight pars seperation in lumbar L4/5 in my spine. i want to get back playing asap, but do not have a gym routine to get me stronger and be able to bowl faster. is there anything anyone can help me with?

 

[micoach]

I'm not a particularly strong chap (quite weak, tbh), but someone who generates most of the pace through the shoulder in delivery. I'm also very skinny in the shoulder area.

Sounds like strength and power are the way to go then.

I wouldn't think shrugs would be of benefit, swap them for high pulls and do 3 sets of 4-6 reps. http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/HangPull.html

Similar movement but this is much better for power.

As for rows, start with 5 sets of 5 reps 2x a week, aiming to increase the weight every session.

Hopefully you are doing other exercises too right?

 

[micoach]

hey, im a fast bowler who has just been struck down with a slight stress fracture and slight pars seperation in lumbar L4/5 in my spine. i want to get back playing asap, but do not have a gym routine to get me stronger and be able to bowl faster. is there anything anyone can help me with?

Are you still injured?

 

[Manee]

Sounds like strength and power are the way to go then.

I wouldn't think shrugs would be of benefit, swap them for high pulls and do 3 sets of 4-6 reps. http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/HangPull.html

Similar movement but this is much better for power.

As for rows, start with 5 sets of 5 reps 2x a week, aiming to increase the weight every session.

Hopefully you are doing other exercises too right?

Yes - Boxing, planks as well as interval spints on the bicycle (can't do them outdoors due to British weather and on a treadmill couldn't be more tedious).

EDIT: Thanks for the help.