How to Train for Maximal Layback

In our last blog post we talked about how to get a longer pull on the javelin. Today we will be talking about how to train for that aspect of the throw.

Defining the term LAYACK

Mike Stein of University Of Iowa Demonstrating a long layback position

Layback is the ability to have your arm / hand back at the time of the block, when your chest begins to engage to accelerate the hand forward. You may have heard a lot of coaches talking about keeping your arm long, or patient in the back, this is referringto layback. Ideally when the block hits the hand will stay back, chest will engage and the arm will come through and the shoulder will externally rotate before the release happens.

Defining the Term EXTERNAL ROTATION

Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan demonstrating great external rotation of the throwing arm.

External rotation in the throwing arm is the outward rotation of the shoulder that happens as the arm is starting to come forward, and the chest and elbow engages, the hand stays back. Once the hand comes forward it internally rotates forward and that is when the release occurs.

Graph demonstrating shoulder external rotation on a table.

The Muscles that are involved

In order to get proper layback, arm relaxation, pliability, and mobility, are essential in the upper body. You need to target the lats, pec minor, teres major, and scap in order to have proper layback in the throwing arm.

Pliability

Tom Brady popularized the idea of pliability training

Your joints can be MOBILE but your muscles need to be PLIABLE which means your muscle fibers should ideally be long and loose. This is a concept that was popularized by the TB12 method, otherwise known as Tom Brady. He and his trainer worked significantly on the pliability of his muscles so he could absorb force while being tackled and be able to bend more and recover faster from game to game.

To be clear, in order for foam rolling and pliability it needs to be done with intentionality, oftentimes athletes just roll around on the turf for no rhyme or reason, not applying enough pressure into the full length of the muscle for it to actually matter.

This is why pliability is better if performed by someone else, unto you and graston (IASTM) (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization), because self inflicted pain can be hard to deal with sometimes, and you may regress the necessary pressure to actually make a difference in smoothing out your muscle fibers, and allowing them to become more malleable and release tension around the tendons and joints.

Being pliable in the pecs and lats is essential to getting proper layback.

Mobility

Mobility is the ability for you to move through ranges of motion with the flexibility and stability that you have. Typically flexibility refers to muscles (like the pecs and hamstrings) and mobility is referred to with joints (like shoulders, hips, and spine). You can have good flexibility in your chest and quads but not have the ability to move throughout certain positions and contort your body front to back and side to side. It is necessary for you to be stable enough to move around throughout these positions.

Mobility bridges the gap between flexibility and strength movements similar to how plyometrics bridge the gap between strength training and sport specific training.

Having good mobility in the shoulders, chest, scaps, and lats, is essential to be able to avoid forward shoulder impingement, find the proper arm slot, have the necessary external rotation & layback in your throwing arm. If your arm is able to externally rotate freely and have proper layback this takes the stress off your elbow, and allows your chest to take over. Having your chest take over is essential to throwing far because your chest is the main accelerator of the throwing arm, which is why chest strength is so important for throwing power.

Having good mobility is also extremely important to help reach new ranges of motion in the weight room, avoid shoulder and elbow pain while lifting upper body, and recover faster from your training sessions. The harder you can train without getting hurt, the better, and if you are super immobile and tight, the chances are that you will not be able to bounce back as quickly.

Strength Through Length

Dan Labbadia performing a Skin The Cat

Strength through length exercises are necessary to bridge the gap between your mobility and strength training. This will allow you to not only increase ROM but be stronger in extreme ROM. Doing weighted Db rotations internal and externally, db pec fly holds, scap circles and skin the cats will all dramatically improve your shoulder and chest mobility and will increase your ability to improve layback in the throwing arm.

To view a video tutorial on how we use these concepts in our training, click below.

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