Honestly, my shoulder was bugging me for weeks. Saw folks online raving about this Mike Colangelo baseball workout plan. Figured, why not? Needed something new, something focused. So last Monday morning, I dragged my old foam mat onto the garage floor, dusty from months of neglect. Told myself, “Just do it, see what happens.”
The Warm-Up Mess
First mistake. Glanced at the warm-up list – arm circles, leg swings, the usual. Thought, “Easy peasy.” Boy, was I cocky. Started with arm circles forward. Felt fine. Ten seconds in, shoulders starting to crackle like old floorboards. Switched to backwards. That right shoulder of mine? Oof. Felt tight, almost stuck. Kept pushing though.
Jumped into leg swings. Holding onto the workbench for dear life, wobbling like a newborn deer. Seriously underestimated how rusty those hip flexors were. Even the simple stuff had me breathing heavy.
Hitting The Actual Workout
Okay, warmed up-ish. Flipped to the main section. Mike likes rotational power stuff. Found the first drill: Med Ball Rotational Throws. Scrounged around the garage. Found an old, slightly deflated basketball. Good enough, right?
- Stood sideways to the wall, basketball in hand.
- Twisted my hips hard, trying to whip that ball into the concrete.
- The ball? It kinda flopped. More of a soggy thump than a powerful smack.
- Tried again. Focused on driving with my back leg. This time, the basketball barely made it off my hand. Thudded onto my own foot. Genius.
Moved on. Band-Resisted Throws. Dug out some ancient exercise bands from a box. Hooked one end on a bolt sticking out of the wall. Grabbed the other end.
- Pulled back like I was winding up a pitch.
- The band snapped back before I even finished the motion, nearly took my face off.
- Lesson learned: Check band tension. Found a weaker one.
- Simulated a throw, fighting the band resistance. Arms felt like jelly almost instantly. Form was probably terrible.
Saw something called Plyo Push-Ups. Remembered doing clap push-ups years ago. Ha! Got down. Lowered myself slow. Exploded up… managed maybe half an inch off the ground, no clap possible. Settled for just pushing up explosively. Still counted about three before collapsing on my belly. Felt ridiculous.
The “Finisher” That Finished Me
The routine called for sprints. Short bursts. Garage was too cramped. Ran out to the street. Picked two lampposts. Go!
- Exploded off my back foot.
- Felt fast for about three steps.
- Then, legs turned to concrete. Breathing sounded like a freight train.
- Walked back hunched over, hands on knees, gulping air.
- Did two more “sprints.” More like desperate shuffles.
Feeling It After
Staggered back inside. Ached everywhere the next day. Woke up feeling like I got tackled. Trying to reach for the coffee mug? Torture. Turning the steering wheel? Forget it. Even laughing hurt those side muscles. Brutal.
Did I feel faster or stronger right away? Nope. Felt broken. Do I feel like it’s helping after trying it a few more mornings? Honestly… kinda? The movements feel less alien today. Getting that basketball to actually bounce off the wall now instead of just dying. Can almost feel my body starting to understand how to twist harder from the hips. Sprints still suck royally, no miracle there. But it feels like my body’s waking up parts it forgot about.
It’s tough work. Makes you humble fast. But sticking with it. Want to see what happens after a few weeks.