How to Warm Up as a Reliever and Stay Loose Between Innings

How to Warm Up as a Reliever and Stay Loose Between Innings

Welcome back, everyone! Today, we're focusing on a crucial aspect of being a successful reliever: how to warm up effectively before a game and stay loose between innings. It’s important to understand that while the warm-up routine may seem straightforward, there are specific considerations for relievers that can make a significant difference in performance.

Pre-Game Dynamic Warm-Up

As a reliever, you still need to go through your normal dynamic warm-up routine before the game. This includes essential activities like playing catch and doing band exercises. However, the main difference is that, as a reliever, you won’t have as extensive a warm-up routine compared to starting pitchers. Instead of long toss and extensive throwing drills, your focus should be on getting loose and ready to go quickly.

Keeping Loose Between Innings

One of the biggest challenges for relievers is staying loose between innings. You never know when your name is going to be called, so it’s crucial to maintain your readiness. Instead of long toss, which is generally not recommended for relievers pre-game, you’ll want to stick with simple warm-up activities to keep your arm and body loose.

Throwing Players in Your Pre-Game Routine

When it comes to your throwing routine as a reliever, you have a couple of options. You can choose to do your throwing exercises before you play catch, which is perfectly fine. However, I found that saving your throwing exercises for just before you enter the game works best for many relievers, including myself and my college teammates. Just make sure you manage your time effectively; you don’t want to be the person holding up the game because you need to finish your warm-up routine.

Timing Your Routine

If you know you’re going in during the eighth inning, for instance, go down to the bullpen during the sixth or seventh inning to start your routine. This approach will save time and keep your coach happy, avoiding any unnecessary frustration.

Ideal Practices for Arm Warm-Up

Incorporating your throwing drills during the game is essential. When you throw pliers (or other light exercises), you’re promoting blood flow to your arm, which is critical for warming up. If you play in a colder climate, like I did while playing in the Northeast, keeping your body temperature up is essential. This practice will help you avoid using ineffective warming products like Tiger Balm or Icy Hot.

Long Reliever Strategy

For long relievers, you should be preparing yourself early in the game. Go down to the bullpen during the second or third inning and begin your warm-up process. At this point, you’re not warming up to enter the game immediately, but rather just getting loose and staying prepared for when your name is called.

Conclusion

Thanks for tuning into this guide on how to warm up effectively as a reliever. If you found these tips helpful, please share your thoughts in the comments, and don't forget to like and subscribe for more insights on improving your game. Staying loose and prepared can make a significant difference when it comes time to take the mound!