Fit to Pitch

In more than 30 years in professional baseball as a pitcher, coach, performance analyst, and consultant, Tom House has helped enhance and extend the careers of many pitching greats, including Randy Johnson and Nolan Ryan.

In Fit to Pitch, Tom combines his on-field experiences,
weight-room workouts, and years of research to deliver proven, practical applications that will strengthen your pitching throughout the year.

This comprehensive conditioning program:

- outlines essential training components to develop more speed, strength, and stamina on the mound;
- details pitcher-specific workouts for year-round conditioning; and
- highlights rehabilitation guidelines that help players return to competition faster and more safely.

In Part I, Tom describes training components that balance strength building and pitching workloads and won't tear down pitchers' arms. He includes:

- more than 30 integrated flexibility techniques;
- aerobic and anaerobic workouts;
- both small-muscle and large-muscle group drills for conditioning; and
- flat-ground versus mound training cycles.

Part II shows you how to set up a complete pitcher's training program using the components described in part I, including daily workouts, between-game sessions, and a season-long plan. You will learn to design workouts to meet the specific needs and styles of pitchers--starters, relievers, power pitchers, finesse pitchers--and build your body and arm for peak performance.

In Part III Tom outlines prehabilitative conditioning guidelines and exercises that help maximize pitching performance and minimize the risk of injury. He also shares his rehabilitative training methods, proved to facilitate the recovery time of injured players. With Tom's nutritional dos and try-tos for pitchers, you'll learn how to combine, rotate, and supplement food to stay healthy on and off the field. You'll want to try the 14-day diet designed specifically to meet pitchers' nutritional needs.

Tom House takes the guesswork out of physical, mechanical, and nutritional preparation, so that you can take the mound Fit to Pitch.

Tom House is recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on pitching. In the Major Leagues from 1967 to 1979, he pitched for the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, and Seattle Mariners. He has coached major league pitchers since 1980 for the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, and San Diego Padres. He also has coached in Tokyo and Latin America.

Another dimension of Tom's expertise is as scientist and researcher. His company, Bio-Kinetics, is a leader in computerized, three-dimensional motion analysis, which helps athletes learn to maximize performance through proper biomechanics.

Assistant to the general manager and international baseball consultant for the San Diego Padres, Tom also travels the world as a consultant, lecturer, and sports psychologist for many professional and amateur baseball players. He has appeared as a guest psychologist on both 60 Minutes and Geraldo. And he appears nationally on television infomercials for HealthRider.

Tom, who holds a PhD in psychology, is author of six previous books on baseball and coauthor of four others and has filmed seven videos, including his highly successful The Pitching Edge. He is a member of the Major League Baseball Players' Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology.

Tom lives in Del Mar, California, and enjoys jogging, fitness activities, and golf.