Hey guys. I haven’t written in a while. I usually use Twitter or my podcasts (cheap plug, go listen to Muscles and Management if you haven’t already) to express myself, but there was once a time I wrote A LOT. When I first got started, I think it might have been a combination of “this is what most people do,” and overall trepidation of speaking and not being pre-meditated, but off I went with a blog that I would write on twice per-week. I would sit in class in my last semester of business school explaining how to build your bench, squat or arms and supplement the articles with Instagram videos of me (I didn’t have clients yet) doing the exercises. It was pretty cool. I gained some traction while also gaining the ire of some of my professors while I profusely typed away while they tried to explain human resource management or marketing protocol (oh business school). Anyway, I am approaching the four-year anniversary of my graduation from business school and I thought it would be a fitting time for the rare occasion where I dust off my keyboard and put some words on a Microsoft Word document. This is conjuring a bit of nostalgia for me and I am reminiscing on the days I didn’t have ANYTHING. With that said, I wanted to tell you a bit about how things started for me and why going down the “unknown road,” ended up being the GREATEST decisions of my life.
 
            Since I was a child, I was always good with words. I remember being eight years old around the table with my mom, aunts and grandmother and just reading a long, drawn out soliloquy on “life,” (aka something undoubtedly inspired by something I heard on the news or some tv talk show earlier that week). I was always the “English guy,” in school and had a knack for writing very strong papers (starting as early as middle school). I always remember feeling like I didn’t belong, though. You always see stereotypes of the muscular or “big guys,” in movies or tv shows and how they could care less or were not very “good,” at school. I felt uncomfortable in the ways in which it may have not been accepted or normal for “someone like me,” to write a good paper or have an immense and articulate vocabulary. I even remember being written off by a teacher I had in sixth grade who couldn’t believe I had been accepted into the prep school I applied to and her doubt that I would ever become anything. It just wasn’t normal or accepted for someone like me (my size, desire for sports OR being raised by two parents who busted their asses working but didn’t go to college) to be “smart.” It sounds foolish, but I always felt that way. That I didn’t belong with the sons and daughters of the doctors and lawyers and that I had to be embarrassed on my reading and writing abilities or being able to get good grades in school.
 
            Fast forward a bit to middle school. I remember going to my “campus tour,” for a prestigious prep school I was applying to and that part of this experience was my parents having an interview with the dean of admissions. My father is an incredibly smart and gifted man in MANY ways, but he is DEFINITELY NOT a white collar, “higher education,” type of individual. We just didn’t belong there. He wasn’t comfortable having to dress up for the occasion and that is something I definitely inherited. The dean expected all parents to be “politically correct,” and not 100% forthcoming about their beliefs and opinions and that just isn’t my dad. I will tell you what, though. I could not be prouder to be his son. He is one of the smartest people I have ever met in areas you cannot always quantify with a book or test. That brings me to my mother. If there was ever a person I had to thank for pulling me along through my academic experience and holding me to a standard of high quality it was her. From studying with me at the kitchen table and making sure I was prepared, to pushing me to high level prep schools and the path to high level colleges. I wouldn’t be here without her!
 
            Where am I going with all of this? I guess what I am saying is that I never felt I belonged in corporate America, higher education or any areas like that no matter how smart someone told me I was or how well I performed. I had watched my blue-collar father run a business my entire life and watched my mom ascend the corporate ladder with a secretarial school degree. I watched my mom deal with the stresses of having a boss and my dad have no one to answer to. I wanted to do THAT. I wanted to start something on my own and be my own boss. However, I had NO CLUE what I would do or what kind of business I would have. Once it came time to pick a college, I had settled on a small Division III baseball program at a school I had never heard of, but man what a school it was. I had the privilege of attending Babson College and being immersed in one of the most highly regarded and prestigious business education environments in the world. My mother’s advice to me when it came time to pick a school and major was that since I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do; I should major in business. It was a well-rounded education that would leave me with a lot of options. Well, that was what I did.
 
            I spent two great years at Babson learning and gaining valuable business knowledge before I became very homesick and wanted to transfer back to New Jersey. I had classes with some incredibly smart individuals who now are probably on their way to run companies or have upper echelon corporate jobs. I knew that life WASN’T for me, though. Even as I made my way back to Rutgers to finish my business degree (again, I was incredibly blessed to be afforded the opportunity to attend another GREAT business school) I just could not wrap my head around the idea of being this awkwardly looking jacked guy in a shirt and tie sitting in a cubicle. I didn’t want to do internships and I just had zero drive to go on interviews and “act the part.” It wasn’t for me and I was staring down the barrel of begrudgingly accepting this fate because it was the “normal,” thing to do and because it was far less risky than any other avenue I could explore.
 
            Then came my senior year at Rutgers and a leadership class that changed my entire life. Three professors from outside the university who were charged to change the direction of all twenty students in their small elective class.
 
 
 I will be honest; I was there to fill credits and get my degree and then try and figure out what the hell I was going to do afterwards. However, they inspired all of us to look for what we were passionate about and how we should use it to make our lives better. They made me aware of how passionate I was about fitness and strength training and I became hell bent on finding a way to put this plan into action and make it happen. It was on from there. I went and got a baseline level certification to get things started and approached an old mentor of mine for direction. Next thing you know I am starting an LLC at my kitchen table before I even had one client and I still had a semester of college left! I got weird looks and I am sure many people thought I was crazy. How could I “throw away,” my business degree and education for a radical attempt at entrepreneurship in a field where people with master’s degrees struggle finding jobs? Truthfully, I didn’t care. It’s weird looking back on it now, but I genuinely didn’t have any doubts that this would work out. I made it my mission to put my head down and work, create content consistently and carve out an identity and make a name for myself and Challenger Strength. I trained a couple athletes for free, took a low paying job with some upside and let my intuition and education do the rest while growing experience would fill in the gaps. 
 
            It is really insane to me that this has gotten to this point. Five years of coaching, four plus years of having a business and four years since I departed from my last day of college with my business degree and drove right back to the gym to keep training athletes. Hundreds of athletes, multiple teams and we are just getting started. I am writing this for the person out there who doesn’t want to “fit the mold,” or has a dream they just haven’t acted on yet. I could be sitting behind a desk right now instead of continuing to grow something I love, am passionate about and drives me to wake up every morning and attack the day. Take it from me. Have a plan, go out and start to check off boxes and get things done. Put blinders on. Thank you for reading this, thank you for helping me grow my dream and thank you for being a part of my journey as a coach and businessman. To this day I STILL cannot believe I am here. God bless.

                  So here I am on a Sunday where I should be preparing what I have to do for the week ahead. Angered at my desk and ferociously typing (pounding) on my keyboard with a level of angst I have not had with writing for a while. Put it this way: you REALLY have to piss me off to get me to want to write. I hate it and much prefer bringing my thoughts to life with a microphone, but here we are. I say angst because I literally cannot wait to finish this so I can post it (p.s. stay tuned for the verbal version of this as I will be podcasting this for episode #88 of my podcast as well). 
 
            Anyway, I was involved in a thread yesterday over a discussion about velocity-based training and an argument was made that it is a gimmick and should be thrown out and not used. Well boy do I have something to say about that and how misguided the opinion was as it was hardly backed up by anything worthwhile when it comes to the development of athletes. It isn’t that I think you NEED these tools to be a good coach (hell, I only started using them this year), but I do think it is my right to lash out at what I feel is an unfair characterization and opinion on something that could have an adverse impact on how it is looked at and the furthering of our field when it comes to objective data and the role it has in programming. Additionally, I feel we are staring down the barrel of a scary time in the social media realm of strength and conditioning. Conflicting thoughts are great, and we must question what we do on a continual basis. However, I think we need to be careful of just blindly applauding someone simply because they had the gumption to speak against what is deemed as the status quo. It may seem edgy and cool, but if there isn’t much substance behind it, we may need to take a second and examine supporting it.
 
            Well, without further ado, here is my calculated rebuttal in support of something I firmly believe in as long as it is used properly. Buckle up.
 
 
What is a gimmick?
 
            Before we look at any training or science, we should probably take a second to set the tone for this piece with an important distinction. What the hell is a gimmick and what does it take for something in training to be considered a gimmick? The dictionary officially defines a “gimmick,” as: “A trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity or business.” 
 
            I would say that right off the bat we need to be careful at blaming a piece of technology for the way certain coaches conduct themselves as businesspeople. We don’t blame the apple for tempting Adam and Eve (Sunday Bible reference), we blame them for how they handled the situation. We should not blame the technology that can measure velocity-based training, we should blame coaches (if there are those out there) that use it as a ploy to attract athletes with shiny equipment that isn’t used in a matter that contains any substance. I promise you that if your entire business model or way you attract athletes to train with you is based on promoting the technology you have you aren’t long for this industry. Not to worry, it will weed you out. Now, back to the definition. A part of it that really struck me is the “trick,” part of it. The ENTIRE point of this technology is to objectively give feedback on how fast a barbell is moving. Quite frankly, it is quite the opposite of a trick. You can’t fluff it, you definitely cannot change the number it gives you and you absolutely cannot lie about the feedback to give yourself a pat on the back for having “good,” programming. Yes, certain brands or versions of this tech may sometimes give improper readings, but I highly doubt the wires and hardware inside of them are maniacally rubbing their hands together in attempt to pull the wool over an athlete or parent’s eyes. Do not confuse occasional inaccuracies or poor technological performance as a trick. Additionally, many of the tools now are put together quite effectively to prevent this.
 
            Furthermore, when used the correct way, VBT tools are the furthest thing from a device intended to trick us. That is, when we promote their use WITH technical proficiency and proper movement with the barbell, we are actually being very objective and honest with ourselves. IT IS FEEDBACK to coaches who want further objective data to IMPROVE programming. Again, this is another example of blaming the sinner and not the sin. Coaches who use VBT tools and allow s***ty mechanics are bad coaches. That IS NOT in the fault of the technology itself and should not be used as a way to disparage it. Instead, we must continue to educate coaches, athletes and parents on proper use of technology that can help them.
 
 
Objectively Measuring What Has Been Done for YEARS (Dynamic-Effort Barbell Training)
 
            Dynamic barbell training has been done for a LONG time. Implying it is some new farce or gimmick is very incorrect. The Soviets and Louie Simmons were utilizing dynamic-effort lifting for a while before GymAware or Push technology entered the scene to give readings on how fast a bar moved. Actually, it was Joe DeFranco who gained inspiration from Louie Simmons’ “Dynamic-Effort,” method and further pushed it along in popularity with strength coaches such as me. Velocity-Based or Dynamic-Effort Training didn’t simply materialize out of thin air because someone invented a tendo unit or some of the other tech that came about today. There was a market AND a reason for these tools BECAUSE we had been using methods that relied on bar speed for a long time. Assuming this would be like assuming the vertical jump was created because force plates, jump mats and vertecs were invented, when they were actually invented to help better MEASURE such an important aspect of athletic development. Sprinting didn’t begin because Brower developed a laser timer. They developed a laser timer because sprinting in its own right was a sport AND athletes and coaches wanted a way to test times to effectively measure/assess speed. 
 
            When something is deemed to be an effective modality to improve OR analyze performance, it can’t hurt to have technology that can help improve the quality of feedback for these things. We test things like the vertical jump because it is a good indication of lower-half power and having a way to get good measurements of it can help us assess an athlete and effectively program for them. Having a good piece of machinery to test this at your facility isn’t a gimmick and having a piece of machinery to see how fast you move a barbell that can have an impact on this same vertical jump isn’t a gimmick. Promoting your training based on the tech is. However, we see more proper implementation of these things vs. improper shallow boasting about it. 
 
            Lastly, I want to address something else that is quite significant. We most definitely do not NEED velocity-based training implements to be a good coach OR effectively utilize dynamic-effort barbell training. However, they can definitely help us zero in on loads we need to achieve desired effects.
 
Effective Use of This Equipment (Do not let the tail wag the dog)
 
            As I alluded to, proper use of this equipment is FAR from a gimmick. Results are enhanced by it, not directly a result of the technology. However, the technology CAN improve our utilization of these modalities. Let’s take a second and step back and look at loaded jumps as an example. We can easily have an athlete jump and reach for a wall and then static test in the same manner and get two scores that may help us determine jump loads. Doing this with a jump mat doesn’t make this process a gimmick. It means we have a tool to streamline the process and make it more accurate.
 
            Additionally, I would be remised if I did not mention certain things we SHOULD look for in terms of guiding proper implementation of velocity based training and/or use of measurement tools while doing it. When using velocity-based training or dynamic-effort barbell training with athletes we can/should: 
 

• Allow technical proficiency with lifts FIRST
• Develop a base of strength FIRST
• Then use bar speed tools to enhance dynamic training we may begin doing and as a way to zero in on loads that may be more accurate than basing them on percentages of a max rep in a lift

 
 
            This brings me to my next point. If we have something that can prevent painful looking
poor max repetitions in weight rooms I say we should use it. We just need to make sure we do not replace poorly performed heavy reps with poorly performed repetitions aimed at selling out for speed. As such, we should remind our athletes to look at the bar speed as a product of GOOD movement, not poor movement. As an example, I work with my athletes in a way where they actually comment on their mechanics as a way of knowing when speed may be off. The measuring doesn’t ruin mechanics, it can actually be a great indication of when they might be off. Time and time again they have told me that they can tell when a dynamic lift may be slower because they did not properly pre-set tension in their lats on a deadlift, for example. We CAN use it as a tool to further instill proper technical proficiency in an athlete by showing them situations or better set-ups can actually improve numbers. 
            Lastly, the whole “I can see it with my eyes,” thing is a gigantic copout. No one is saying you still won’t or shouldn’t have coaching “feel,” when implementing bar speed work or machines to measure it. My coaching ability has not suffered one bit in the past year I have utilized technology to measure bar speed. Yes, you can see things with your eyes. I did it this way for years. However, I can also probably tell if someone is sprinting faster with my own eyes. That doesn’t mean it would hurt to have a way to test them and know for sure!
 
Training Powerlifters and Athletes (An Apples to Bowling Balls Comparison)
 
            This is by far the most ridiculous reason to be against velocity-based training tools. While we may use pieces of power lifting training for developing athletes (in the areas of strength specifically) they are just a very small piece of the puzzle. “I can develop strength without the tech. Powerlifters did without it for years.” Oh yeah? That is great, but I could not possibly care less about what power lifters do when it comes to developing power for athletes. As I said, I utilize a lot of power lifting principles for building strength in my athletes. However, if they stand alone, they are pretty futile when it comes to building athletes in areas of speed and power. 
 
            Just because a power lifter can build strength without velocity-based training tools does not mean they wouldn’t be helpful for a team-sport athlete who has to exert power in very small windows in sport. Oh, and my guys over at Westside Barbell have been using dynamic effort lifting for years to build powerlifters (I would say it has worked pretty well for them). This brings me to my next point: If how powerlifters trained did sway all my decisions, then I would be studying sprints from Brian Shaw instead of Usain Bolt. This isn’t a direct comparison and it is foolish to think so. 
 
            So, you can develop maximal strength in powerlifters without bar speed tools or maybe even dynamic effort lifting? That is great and I am happy for you, but what you did with strength is just one SLIVER of the process we must go through to make better, faster and better moving athletes. You can get away without using it for sure, but NEVER call objective data that is gathered and implemented responsibly a gimmick because YOU do not see the need for it.
 

        As most reading this will know (and if you do not, you will when you are done reading this), I have consistently talked about my disdain for training on unstable surfaces such as Bosu and Swiss Balls. For the longest time I have seen certain trainers, athletes and coaches emphasize this type of training and constantly bashed my head against the wall in aggravation over the (to be frank) stupidity that comes with it. While I have made hundreds of posts on social media over the course of the last few years, I have never written an article supporting my claim (and the claims of many other intelligent coaches) that unstable surface training is unnecessary, misguided and detrimental to the development of athletes. If we take a step back and look at facts, science and sports themselves we will see that unstable surface training is no more than a gimmick aimed at creating an illusion of grandeur for various trainers and “gurus,” alike. To be succinct, I will address the misconceptions regarding “balance,” training, what actually occurs in sport on the field/court of play, problems that arise from unstable surface training, the principles of dynamic correspondence (in layman’s terms: transferability) and what this means for training to once and for all “put a fork,” in this nonsensical variation of sports performance.
 
Common Misconception (“Balance.”)
 
       To start, we must look at the misconceptions revolving around the idea of balance and that application in this type of training, the over emphasis on isolating it and the general idea that often times we can put the cart before the horse when it comes to young athletes. Essentially, the biggest factors and attributes we must focus on when it comes to younger athletes actually steer us far away from this type of training. Younger athletes need to best develop and focus on (no particular order):
 

• Proprioception and adeptness at problem solving in varying environments where they can self-organize (think of a youth athlete playing a game of tag with their friends)
• Sprinting and the ability to consistently strike the ground in favorable positions
• Dynamic Motor Control through varying ranges of motion
• Force production ability (in general terms think of strength, in more complex terms think of force application while moving through sprints and jumps)
• Rate of force development (plyometrics and sprints with the ability to condition the tendons, ligaments and central nervous system to best apply force in the context of speed movements)

 
        For one, we can best capture all of these things with simple sprint, plyometric and strength training as well as environments that promote reactionary ability to various stimuli (other athletes, a moving ball etc.). Secondly, as soon as we change the surface (which unfortunately seems to be the first move of some trainers) we disturb the development of all of the aforementioned qualities and begin to acclimate them to a surface they will never actually encounter. The need for stabilization in novice AND advanced athletes comes from the output of force on a NON-MOVING surface while your BODY moves and is potentially acted upon by other forces such as players or varying demands that impact decision making coupled with the force relationship with the ground. Additionally, there seems to be this misconception that elite athletes become elite in their sport because of this type of training. This is simply a warped interpretation of elite athletes and the fact that they have the genetics and thousands of hours of field play to make these circus act drills seem easy. To sum it up, THEY ARE ALREADY ELITE AND MAKE THE DRILL LOOK EASY. THE DRILL DID NOT MAKE THEM ELITE.
 
What Actually Occurs in Sport
 
        To put it simply (as I already have), sport is defined by the notion that we put force into the ground and the ground then reacts accordingly. Essentially, as Newton’s Third Law of Motion tells us, “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Meaning, we displace force to the surface and then our tendons, ligaments and nervous system work together to determine our ability to respond to what the ground transmits back to us in order to achieve effective ground contact. This is what impacts things like stiffness (how adroit are we at maintaining position of our limbs when they are interacting with ground forces) and elasticity (how efficiently we can produce and display forces in the context of speed movements such as jumps and sprints). The shiftiest athletes possess a ton of genetic ability to have elite central nervous systems and can effectively move due to their ability to efficiently transmit force both concentrically (output) and eccentrically (dealing with the response of the ground). Even the less genetically gifted can improve these qualities with repetition over time with activities such as sprints and jumps. HOWEVER, as soon as the surface changes and begins moving, we are disrupting the entire process I detailed above. Lastly, unilateral activities and focused unilateral landings are plenty to help us become better at stabilizing and activities that promote using the core to stabilize the spine while the extremities move can help us deal with outside perturbations from other players (think of the contact you may receive from other players on the field in football or the court in basketball). Note, nowhere in these scenarios do we have to stabilize because the ground is moving and changing shape or position.
 
Problems Arising from Unstable Surface Training
 
               I am going to keep this simple and it will probably be the shortest portion of this article because it should be pretty simple given the information I have already provided. Not only does unstable surface training not promote any of the qualities I have alluded to, but it can actually be detrimental to our performance and potentially cause soft tissue injuries to the lower body. Why? Well if we spend a bulk of what we do with our lower body training on a moving surface, the way in which we produce and come across force will greatly vary from what occurs when we are finally on the field of play. Thus, we can potentially expose ourselves as we are unprepared and conditioned to handle the impacts that occur on the non-moving surface on the field of play.
The Principle of Dynamic Correspondence (Yuri Verkhoshanksy)
 
             I am slowly going to begin to transition to what you should be looking to do and provide further evidence that altering the surface in which we train on actually broadens the gap between strength training and general physical preparation and the sport itself.
 
             I have addressed this Principle of Dynamic Correspondence (Transferability) before when discussing the misconception regarding “sport specificity,” and it applies to this topic as well. One of the claims made about unstable surface training is that it is “sport specific,” and if we look at this principle from Yuri we can quickly dispel that. Transferability succinctly states that we can bridge the gap of general physical preparation training to sport via (I am going to list and bolden the actual principles and then provide some easier examples on the list to help make it easy to follow):
 

• Plane of motion (amplitude or direction)
• Duration of activity (think what energy systems are prevalent)
• Range of motion
• Accentuated region of force production (DING DING DING… Imagine how much a moving surface would disrupt this)
  • The area or surface in which we produce force and the region in which force application is most prevalent.
• The Dynamics of Effort
  • Intensity of activity.
  • Speed of activity.
• Rate and Time of Force Production
• Regimen of Muscular Work
  • Eccentric, Concentric, Isometric Etc.

 
                   We can begin to quickly shoot down unstable surface training one-by-one and how it diminishes many things on that list. Remember, if it diminishes what is on the list it is so far off the spectrum when it comes to sport specificity that it might as well be in another galaxy or become another sport itself. For one, it disrupts the region of force production because it alters the fashion in which we display force and also the magnitude (overall exertion) and rate in which we can do it. Put simply, think of the times where we see an athlete struggle to deal with the lack of stability and how they cannot exert nearly as much, or as rapid force as they normally would. Secondly, the instability of the moving surface does not allow the athlete to move with the same dynamics of effort. When put together this can greatly alter the rate and time of force production, and as we know, the rate in which we display force is extremely important for things like sprinting when it comes to getting faster on conventional surfaces. Lastly, I can confidently say that if we play on a certain surface it would be pretty damn specific to practice and train on one that is similar.
 
What Does This Mean for Training?
                I do not want to completely disparage something without providing any alternatives. It is fairly simple, but I generally adhere to the idea that we should keep training for novice athletes fairly general (think of the principles I listed earlier, and just incase you forgot I will list them again here):
 
 

• Proprioception and adeptness at problem solving in varying environments where they can self-organize (think of a youth athlete playing a game of tag with their friends)
• Sprinting and the ability to consistently strike the ground in favorable positions
• Dynamic Motor Control through varying ranges of motion
• Force production ability (in general terms think of strength, in more complex terms think of force application while moving through sprints and jumps)
• Rate of force development (plyometrics and sprints with the ability to condition the tendons, ligaments and central nervous system to best apply force in the context of speed movements)

 
           Then, we can begin to introduce/match-up more of the transferability principles to match more of what we do to sport. Fill all your buckets early on before worrying about zeroing in on something. With that said, emphasize producing force on stable surfaces and the rate in which we can do that (sprinting and jumping) and do not forget or underestimate the stabilization and balance challenges that can simply arise from performing activities on one leg. Above all else, always remember to watch sports, study them and understand what is involved, and remind yourself that if the surface doesn’t move in the sport, it probably shouldn’t move when you train either!

            I am back to the article life after a very lengthy eight month hiatus. Well, I can't really call it a hiatus exactly as since last November all of my content has been in the weekly form of my podcast, Muscles and Management (shameless plug). Anyway, I digress. On to this new article on an important topic I am excited to write about. Oh, and one last thing. If you would like to see more articles going forward just let me know!

             We hear it all the time. Trainers, athletes and coaches talk about how they would love to increase stamina, get “in-shape,” with cardiovascular endurance and be able to limit fatigue while on the field of play. Yes, there is a specific and direct way to improve the aerobic capacity system, but many fail to realize that general strength and speed training alone can aid in building better athletes who are less likely or take longer to become fatigued. Essentially, if we increase our max speed, strength and power (maximum output), then the sub-maximal levels we need in the field of play (operational output) are less of a percentage of peak output and are less taxing on our overall energy systems. 
 
           I recently had a general population client of mine complete an ironman competition. This was not his first go-around with an ironman, so he had prior experience. However, this was the first time he would be competing after several months of strength training. Upon completion of the event he could immediately tell a difference in his ability to get through the more strenuous portions of the course in terms of muscular fatigue, but also noticed an overall easier time moving through the entirety of the event. Essentially, strength and speed training positively influenced an event that is very aerobic and lactic power based in nature, but why? We must look further and take a better look at energy systems as a whole.
 
A Brief Look at Energy Systems
 
            As I alluded to, there are multiple energy systems at play that influence the relationship between strength and speed training and things that are more aerobic or lactic power based in nature. Let’s take a look at a simple explanation of some of the energy systems at work here.
 
Anaerobic

• This energy system is responsible for short bursts of strength and power at maximum output. That is, exertions of our max energy for no more than 12-15 seconds.
• Put simply enough, this type of activity does not involve the transportation of oxygen throughout the body and is not directly related to what is perceived as the body’s cardiovascular system. Instead, the muscles and production of creatine phosphate and ATP fuel this activity. 
• There are limited amounts of CP and ATP present in the muscles and they take full recovery to replenish, which is a marked example of anaerobic activity. Short bouts, with full recovery.
• Examples:
  • Short sprints
  • Jumping
  • Any type of sport specific activity at max intensity for a short time period

 
Aerobic

• This system is the exact opposite of the anaerobic system as it directly involves the presence and transfer of oxygen through the body.
• This is activity that is less intense in nature and can be fueled by oxygen. This is opposite of anaerobic activity that is more intense and without the presence of oxygen, depending more on the muscles (remember: creatine phosphate and ATP) as a source of energy.
• There are three areas of aerobic activity
  • Aerobic Recovery: very low intensity (roughly 65% of max capacity)
  • Aerobic Maintenance: designed to maintain level of aerobic conditioning (roughly 75-85% of max capacity).
  • Aerobic Capacity:designed to improve level of aerobic conditioning (90% or higher)

 
Lactic Threshold/Power

• Quite simply, the lactic threshold/lactic power is a state in which the body has exerted too high of a level of max output for too long of a time where oxygen cannot transport fast enough to support the activity OR the stores of creatine phosphate and ATP in the muscles has been depleted and not given sufficient time to restore.
• Thus, lactic power is the ability to exert as close to your maximum output as possible while in this state of depleted CP or ATP or when oxygen cannot transport efficiently to support the activity.

 
Putting The Energy Systems Together
 
 
           So you are probably thinking to yourself right now, “well this is great and all but what the hell does all this mean?” To tie up the lose ends here let us again look at maximum and operational output.
 
Maximum Output

• The max speed, strength or power the body is capable of producing at a given time, in the most perfect and ideal environment.

 
Operational Output

• Either the max output the body can display in non-ideal environments, or a sub-maximal output displayed when the maximal output is not needed or necessary. 

 
                    First and foremost, when we strength and speed train we are improving our overall strength and speed, aka our maximum output. So, if our maximum output is increased, the operational output (ex: coasting speed in a long distance run or activity of that nature) is a lesser percentage of our maximum output. So, performing our operational output has now become less taxing on our energy systems! Essentially, we have now given our body the ability to perform more activity through the anaerobic and aerobic systems because what used to be our “maximum,” output has now become operational and a speed in which we can coast at. Thus, we have limited potential of activity leaving the anaerobic or aerobic energy systems. Think about it: your old max-effort sprint no longer fully depletes your CP and ATP because it is no longer your max, and longer distance runs are less of a percentage of your max output and thus takes longer amounts of time to move from aerobic activity to lactic power activity.
 
           So, what did we learn here? There is most definitely a relationship between your strength and speed training and your energy system effectiveness. By simply getting stronger or more explosive you are putting less demands on your anaerobic and aerobic systems when you perform activity as operational, or sub-maximal output. Think about this the next time a coach, trainer or athlete tells you they must perform endless mile runs to “get in shape.”
 

              ​I received a question the other day regarding an athlete and his need to perform either more strength work or more explosive work when it pertained to his pitching mechanics and how fast he threw. His main concern came with which area would best improve his velocity. I briefly touched on his question on twitter, but I wanted to expand upon it and fully explain not only what qualities are involved in ballistic movements (I will explain what makes a movement ballistic briefly), but how you can train these qualities and combine them to improve the overall output of your ballistic movement (whatever it may be). Essentially, force (strength), velocity and speed-strength (power) are the three main characteristics that are present in ballistic movements, and you can train all of them in the weight room!
 
What is a Ballistic Movement?
 
            First and foremost, I want to give everyone a full understanding of a ballistic movement. The following are some characteristics unique to ballistic movements.

• Ballistic Movements:
  • Very short periods of time. Last for only a couple seconds at most.
  • Involve muscular contractions at peak velocities and with great acceleration in a short window.
  • High Firing Rates
  • High Force Production

 
               Essentially, consider a ballistic movement one in which the muscles fire and contract at rapid and forceful rates to produce a movement that only lasts seconds. You can see ballistic movements in almost all sports. 

• The Following are great examples of ballistic movements
  • Throwing a pitch (baseball)
  • Taking a swing (baseball)
  • Throwing a punch (boxing)
  • Taking a slap shot (hockey)
  • A jump shot (basketball)
  • Tackling a runner (football)
  • Throwing a football (football)
  • Jumping for a dunk/lay-up (basketball)

 
        Now that you know what ballistic movements involve, let us discuss the three components that are involved in producing/building them.
 
Producing Force (Strength)
 
            The base of all movements involves force production rooted in strength. Simply put, how much energy can you apply into a stable surface or movement? Think of force as your horsepower (I will get to this with a car analogy in a bit). As we know, force is officially determined as a product of mass and acceleration. However, in this sense we are simply going to think of force as overall strength. Think of a squat. The more force you can place into the ground (stable surface) the more weight you can lift. 
 
Velocity
 
            To think of velocity, I will use a basic example. The force-velocity profile of an athlete involves how much of their power output is a result of strength or simply the reactiveness of their ligaments and tendons and how rapid they move (stretch shortening cycle). If you applied this thought to a vertical jump, a force dependent athlete would achieve most of their vertical jump height via strength, or how much energy they could apply into the ground. A velocity dependent athlete would achieve a great deal of their jump height due to the reactiveness of their tendons and ligaments and how fast they could load and unload. This is a characteristic dependent upon speed with no resistance.
 
Speed-Strength (Power)
 
            The way I like to think about power is that it is a measure of speed x strength. Basically, how fast can you display your strength? You are able to place a great deal of energy into the ground on a sprint, for example, but are you able to display that force over and over again as fast as possible without sacrificing the strength portion? Your tendons and ligaments are able to load and fire rapidly, but can they uphold those same qualities when a great deal of strength is involved to produce a tremendous amount of energy (force)? This phenomenon is known as rate of force development. Usain Bolt is able to exert upwards of six times his bodyweight into the ground with any given stride. However, if that was the only quality involved in elite speed there would be a long list of power lifters with crazy squats giving him a literal run for his money. What also makes him blazing fast is not only his form (leg stiffness, vertical stiffness etc.), but that he can maintain that force exerting ability while rapidly re-producing it over and over. Think of it this way: he can place a great deal of energy into the ground with each stride, but he is also very adept at repeating that same cycle at an extremely fast rate.
 
The Car Analogy
 
            To basically tie this all together, I want to give an example involving a car. You have seen it before. A car with 600 horsepower cannot go 0-60 mph as fast as a car that only has 400 horsepower. One may have more raw force producing ability, but the other is better at displaying less force faster and thus is faster overall. Consider all of the qualities we have gone over above in this manner:

• Car Analogy
  • Force
    • Force is the horsepower in your engine. Think of a horsepower dependent athlete as that Dodge Challenger with 800 horsepower. An engine gifted with raw energy producing ability, but may lack the ability to display it quickly.
  • Velocity
    • Think of velocity as a vehicle that can spin and fire it’s wheels rapidly, but lacks overall energy behind it to actually make it move. It fires at a crazy high and fast rate, but there isn’t much behind it.
  • Speed-Strength
    • Also known as power. This is the ability to combine a strong engine (strength base) with uncanny acceleration ability. Neither attribute suffers when it is paired with the other. This car is the fastest in 0-60 mph because it can take that raw energy and accelerate it in an extremely rapid manner over and over again.

 
 
How Can You Train These Qualities?
 
            This part will be the most cut and dry and plain and simple portion of this article. You now have a good understanding of each of the qualities that come together to produce power movements, but need to know how you can work at improving them in a general capacity (weight room/strength and speed training) setting.

• Here is a breakdown of each quality and how you can best train each:
  • Strength (Force)
    • The best way to train strength lies in low rep training focused on moving loads upwards of 85% of your one rep max (1RM) to your max itself.
    • Your goal is to condition and expose your central nervous system (CNS) to higher loads and improve your ability to place energy into stable surfaces and general movements.
  • Velocity
    • In terms of velocity, you should look to work with exercises that are not resisted and focus purely on conditioning your tendons and ligaments to fire (stretch shortening cycle) as rapidly as possible.
    • This can include but is not limited to
      • Max-effort sprints
      • Vertical jumps
      • Broad jumps
      • Bounds (repeated jumps with a focus on a fast and smooth transition between each)
      • Jumps w/ a countermovement (again, how fast can you transition ground energy into your output)
  • Speed-Strength (Power)
    • To develop true speed-strength and rate of force production, you want to apply resistance to speed movements in order to emphasize fast movements with great force outputs.
    • For example, a resisted sprint will force the athlete to exert force (strength), while also aiming to reproduce that strength and force as rapidly as possible.
    • Other Examples
      • Resisted Jumps
      • Prowler (Sled) Pushes
      • Medicine Ball Throws
      • Speed barbell work
        • Use lower percentages of your 1RM (55-70%) and try and move them as fast as possible

 
 
            Now that you understand these qualities and how you can improve them, it is fairly easy to see that you need an even balance of proficiency in all of these in order to improve your overall output in ballistic movements. Now, go get to work!
 
 

The following is an interview I recently did with a college exercise science student and I think it can be extremely helpful to share my experiences thus far in starting my own training business, along with some strategies I have utilized to get to this point today. In addition, you can get a look at how I plan on going from here and continuing to build and travel on this journey! Thank you as always and I hope you enjoy!
 
What made you start your own gym right away without working under someone first?
 
First and foremost, I would have to say that my business education inspired me to have my own gym/business from the start. I come from a family that was built around entrepreneurship (My Father owned an auto body shop business), and spent my time in college at two high level business schools that further cultivated my desire to be an entrepreneur. Basically, in addition to my passion for training I also had/have a passion for business and entrepreneurship, and that fueled my desire to start my own business. Combine those two components and you get a 22 year old who started their own business!
 
How do you market yourself to the public? 
            
Instagram and Twitter are my biggest online marketing platforms, but I have also had great success with “word of mouth,” advertisement from clients and athletes who have seen great results. I also aimed to strategically align myself with sports organizations and businesses with great followings and brands, and performing will for them has yielding me great exposure and helped me build my own brand. For example, my first break in this business involved landing the strength coach job for the Jersey Hitmen. I received the job after being recommended by my childhood Physical Therapist (who I also partnered with to begin my business). In a nutshell, I would say I realized that it is tremendously hard to build yourself in this industry on your own. If you can align with people to work with you can expose yourself to great opportunities. From there, just blast out tons of good, quality content. You would be surprised how it can take off!
 
How do you manage being a business owner and a coach at the same time?
 
This is extremely hard! One of my mentors Joe DeFranco has said it the best. He calls the phenomenon of focusing more on “business,” than your actual trade as the entrepreneurial seizure. I have found that developing systems is key. For example, I know that I am responsible for putting programming together weekly for all my private clients as well as the teams I work with. I developed my own skeleton template that has streamlined weekly programming. In addition, I am sure not to try and do EVERYTHING. My accountant and my parents help me with the financial filing and all of that, but I still stay involved with everything (it is my business after all). Day to day I have to worry about everything from programs, billing, scheduling, marketing etc., oh and don’t forget the actual training! My best advice? Be organized and have a plan you stick to! 
 
What was the most difficult obstacle you overcame while starting your business? 
 
I think avoiding pressures from the outside in terms of being “crazy,” for dedicating all my time to this. Another big hurdle for me in the beginning came with being insecure when I told people what I did for a living when it had yet to really amount to anything. It’s easy to be proud of what you do when it’s big and recognized. However, be proud from the beginning. The same people who doubted your vision (even if they never said it) will be the same people telling you how great of a job you did. 
 
I would also have to say overcoming my age. I started this just before by 22nd birthday, and even now at 24 it is sometimes hard to be taken seriously because of how young I am. Show people why they should take you seriously!
 
What would you say is your least favorite thing about this career?
 
I enjoy everything about what I do, and I mean that. I actually enjoy the stress, the work, the nonstop nature of owning a business and being a coach. I need it to keep me going and give me purpose. With that being said, though, I would say my least favorite part of it is missing key events with my family and/or friends. Sometimes the hours prevent you from being involved in certain things in your personal life, or even when you’re there you can find yourself still being focused on work. It is a 24/7 commitment! 
 
What does a typical day look like from start to finish?
 
A typical day involves a potential morning client or team. I will try to use the time I have between my mornings and afternoons to do any programming I may need to, catch up on social media posts or even write articles. From there I will usually have teams or clients throughout the remainder of the afternoon and straight through the evening. After all, when dealing with high school and college kids this is a prime time for them to train (after school). I fit my own training in whenever I can!
 
What do you look for in employees? 
 
The biggest key is initiative. If I am looking to have you work with me I already know that your beliefs and philosophies at least are in the same stratosphere as the ones I align with. At that point, I want you to have your own thoughts! Be your own person and have your own style. We may believe in the same principles of training, but we may never program the same and that is okay! Create your own social media, put content out and market yourself to be the best coach YOU can. You’re a part of my business, but you are not a robot or an employee who regurgitates what I do! That has never been and will never be my mission!
 
What takes up most of your time? 
 
The actual training itself most definitely! The work on the floor with my clients is the bulk of my time! As it should be when you are trying to build the best training business and become the best coach. Repetition is the key to both of those aspects.
 
What advice would you give to achieve your level of success?
 
Firstly, have a plan. When I started I knew that the way in which I wanted to differentiate myself involved explaining EVERYTHING. Way too many of the popular trainers in this industry get by with either flashy and fancy exercise videos that lack substance. This would be my core competency. Give full insight on why I did what I did and while setting myself apart I would also gain business! 
 
After you have your plan (whatever it may be), be relentless!
 
Before I even had a single client I created a blog and wrote two articles per-week. Let people know what you do, why you do it and most importantly why they should listen to you and care! It is easy to work hard for a week, month or few months. When you can stack consistently good weeks and months together that turn into years you have success. I have done nothing but pour my life into this for four years now. I have written over 50 articles, posted over 500 times on Instagram (each with lengthy explanations), and built up a solid blog and twitter following. Sticking with it when no one cares about what you have to say or who you are is the hardest. Work through that point and it will take off. I promise you (as long as you have good things to say!)
 
 I hope reading this was helpful to someone out there trying to reach their dreams. Even if it is  in some small way. 

        This is an article I have wanted to write for a long time, and it is about time that this topic is addressed. A misunderstanding of “sport specific,” training and the relationship between sport and strength and conditioning is one of the biggest issues in this field today. So, here I am. Finally I have reached my breaking point regarding foolish and “cool,” videos of athletes performing activities in the weight room that should be reserved for their respective fields of play (court, ice, field etc.). How do we address this issue? It is quite simple. We must first understand what sport specific training is, give some clear examples of why trying to simulate sport in the weight room can be ineffective as well as detrimental and tackle the principle of dynamic correspondence (sounds confusing but bear with me) and how it can help program effectively for athletes.


What is Sport Specific Training?


    The biggest problem with the misconception regarding sport specific training is that often, athletes and trainers do not know what it actually means. Let us say it once, and say it loudly. SPORT SPECIFIC ACTIVITY IS ACTIVITY THAT IS ACTUALLY PERFORMED BY THE ATHLETE WHILE PLAYING THEIR SPORT ON THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELD (or ice, shout out to my hockey guys). Running around and practicing your soccer skills with a weighted vest, attaching a band to your hockey stick or baseball bat, and a myriad of other ridiculous activities in the weight room do not count as sport specific and they for sure do not help you. If anything, they provide a detriment to your motor skills and muscle memory regarding these particular movements. However, I will give some more insight on that in a bit. 


How Bringing Sport Activities Into Your Strength and Conditioning Can Hurt You


    I briefly alluded to this above, but there are several key reasons why bringing your sport activities into the weight room can hurt your performance when you are actually playing your sport. I like to use one golden rule when it comes to this. I reserve all activities related to a glove, stick, ball (excluding medicine balls of course) or bat to the sporting coach. This is a great way to ensure your athlete is being “taught,” a skill by someone who has no earthly idea of anything relating to that skill. If you are a person who enjoys lists and they make things easy to understand then here is a list of reasons why bringing sport into the weight room can be a detriment:


-    Movements can be performed incorrectly without supervision from an educated coach. (For example: I do not coach hockey and thus cannot teach someone to shoot a puck).
-    Applying unusual resistance to an activity that requires intense skill can disrupt motor patterns (our nervous systems way of developing a skill) and cause a regression in ability with that skill.
-    Direct resistance to a shot, throw, sprint with a ball or swing can limit the required ranges of motion often necessary for such activities.


Want a final summary on what is listed above? Doing these listed things will HURT your performance when you actually do return to your sport.


The Principle of Dynamic Correspondence


    Now at this point you may be reading this and saying to yourself, “well thanks Gerry, but if everything you just said is the WRONG way of doing things, how do we do it the correct way?” Luckily, both of us have Russian super scientist and OG of strength and performance training Yuri Verkhoshansky to help us out. I am an avid follower of Yuri and his findings from half a century ago (that still hold up) regarding everything from strength training, jump training and beyond. Yuri developed an easy list of checkpoints to use that can help align your training with your sport. Basically, the more checkpoints you can satisfy, the better and more effective your training is in terms of improving your ability with your sport. The principles are as follows (I will add some examples):


-    Amplitude and direction of movement
o    Which planes of motion are involved in your sport? Frontal (lateral), transverse (rotational), sagittal (crossing the midline of your body)? A baseball and hockey player should most definitely train their rotational power with medicine ball throw variations that develop ability to clear the hips, spine etc. A basketball player would definitely want to work on their vertical power producing ability since jumping is supreme to their sport! These are just a few examples!

​-    Region of Force Production
o    I alluded to this briefly above, but while a basketball player surely needs to improve their vertical force production, horizontal and linear force is more important to a hockey player. Both athletes need both, but one more than the other. Vertical power is a great base of lower-half explosiveness and speed, but as a hockey player becomes more advanced they may need to focus strictly on their force production straight ahead (linear/horizontal force production). Think about it? When would a hockey player exclusively put force into the vertical plane (jump)? It would either be a mixture of horizontal and vertical or horizontal.

-    Dynamic (Speed) of The Effort
o    Essentially, is your training adequately matching the speed of your sport activities? For example, are you an athlete exclusively performing heavy lifts and not moving your squats and deadlifts for speed? You can imagine this may not prove to be as effective as you desire your training to be.

-    Rate and Time of Maximum Force Production
o    In your sport, how long are your bouts of maximum force production? A swing or throw in baseball may last one second, while a football lineman can engage in a block for up to five to seven seconds. Adjust your training accordingly. It would make sense for that same football player to push a heavy sled for thirty seconds. They never display their max force for that long!

-    Muscles Contracted
o    Which muscles are important to your success? A skater depends on their quadriceps tremendously, so a hockey player may benefit more from front squats versus back squats. That same back squat could tremendously benefit a baseball player, as it would help strengthen/mobilize their upper back, wrists and shoulders. All of which are important to rotational athletes. 


Now that you have an understanding of sports specificity at the core, know how it can hurt you and have a blueprint for maximizing the carryover of your training you can ensure that you are training the correct way. Remember, sport specificity itself is reserved for your practice and game activity. Otherwise, you can be diminishing your skills you spend so much time developing. Instead, try matching the intensity, duration and areas of movement you are expected to perform and aim at increasing your strength, power and speed in those areas. You will be a far better athlete!


For more on the principle of dynamic correspondence and Yuri Verkhoshansky visit: www.verkhoshansky.com

             ​In the past I have talked briefly about how the planes of motion are involved in swinging and throwing, but this time was spent mostly on building rotational power. I have realized that the knowledge of the roles each plane has in rotational movements such as swinging and throwing is invaluable. We all train for elite rotational ability, and why not? The ability to rotate powerfully, efficiently and effectively is key to a pitcher or hitters success. This can also go far beyond baseball (I am looking at my hockey athletes). I am not going to get into specific detail/mechanics on the timing of rotation, how much you should rotate etc. (I will leave that to pitching, hitting and hockey specific coaches), but I will aim to help coaches, players and strength coaches alike understand each plane and show them how to build strength and power in those planes. Ultimately, this comes down to an understanding and willingness to program exercises and movements in the frontal, sagittal, and anterior/posterior. Once we do this, we can unleash the proficiency we have gained in these planes as one fluid transverse (rotational) movement and then add means to make these rotational movements more powerful!
 
The Frontal Plane
 
            The frontal plane, sometimes known as the coronal, involves lateral movements. Essentially, the frontal plane encompasses lateral movements that do not cross the midline of the body. For example, when the left leg moves directly to the left or the right leg directly to the right. You can already begin to realize the importance of this plane when it comes to swinging or throwing. If you are striding towards the pitcher when you swing or driving towards home plate you are moving in the frontal plane. 
 
[See Photo 1A. At Bottom]
[See Photo 1B. At Bottom]
 
            With the pictures above, you can see how the frontal plane is utilized in both swinging and throwing. When a pitcher takes his lead leg towards home plate in his delivery or a hitter strides, the frontal plane is involved. In terms of my favorite ways to build strength and power in this plane, here are two exercise variations.

• The Inverse Cossack Squat (Lateral Lunge)
  • The Inverse Cossack squat is a great way to build strength in the adductors and quadriceps of the support leg while the lead leg works through the frontal plane. Picture a pistol squat where you allow the off leg to work out to your side and catch the floor as you get to the bottom of your squat. These are a great way to build into sagittal plane work as the adductors are heavily involved here.
• Lateral Jumps
  • Plain and simple. Load into a plant leg and drive off it as far as possible. Tremendous way to build power of your drive leg. Also, can help develop stability in lead leg as you must control your bodyweight upon landing. 

                        
The Sagittal Plane
 
            The sagittal plane involves movements, which cross the midline of your body. Think of the sagittal plane in terms of the lead leg crossing the midline (imaginary line down the naval and spine splitting the body into halves) upon loading and then crossing back over during the transition towards the plate/pitcher (when swinging). The adductors (towards midline) and abductors (away from midline) are huge here!
 
[See Photo 2A. At Bottom]
 
As you can see in the photo above, the lead leg crosses the midline (adductors in use) as the pitcher approaches his balance point, and then crosses back over (abductors in use) as he works towards the plate. In addition, you will see the adductor of the back leg work (see photo of Aroldis Chapman below) due to the body working towards home plate and placing emphasis of the rear leg adductor towards the body’s midline.
 
[See Photo 2B. At Bottom]
 
 Both the abductors and adductors are in heavy use here. In terms of exercises, I love crossover step-ups and lateral crossover sled drags here! You can implement lesser loads and faster steps for the sled drags to work power in this plane!

• Crossover Step-ups and Crossover sled drags
  • This involves a step-up (see below) where you work the active leg across the midline and place emphasis on the adductors while the quadriceps is in action. 
  • For the sled drags you perform the same motion. You begin in a lateral stance and have the back leg cross over and drive the load. This places emphasis on the adductor.
• Abductor Focused Step-ups and Sled Drags
  • For each of these movements you simply use the outside leg and step away from the midline of the body for both the step-up and sled-dragging portion.

 
 
The Importance of Anterior Core Strength
 
            If you are reading this I would only assume that you know the importance of unilateral exercises working anteriorly (in front of you) and posteriorly (behind you). This can include lunges, split squats etc. Bottom line, if you do not already incorporate unilateral exercises in your programs you must!! After all the photos you have seen already it should be pretty obvious that unilateral (single leg) strength is imperative for rotational movements! With that being said, I want to discuss anti-rotational core strength, and core strength anteriorly (in front of you). Essentially, anti-rotational core strength makes for more tight and powerful rotation. Think of your hips as an axis, and anterior core strength is the axis perpendicular to your hips. I am going to quote a previous article I have written that details this:
 
                        “After the body frontally loads, rotation takes place. Newton’s third law also applies here. Torque is the initial movement required to produce rotation. The greater the force perpendicular to the axis upon which something rotates, the greater the torque needed to produce rotation. Essentially, if a pitcher rotates into their initial frontal load, their hip is the axis point upon which they are rotating. Core strength anteriorly (in front of the body) is what resists this rotation and will require more torque be placed to cause rotation. As we now know thanks to Newton’s third law, higher forces placed into torque will produce higher forces back into rotation. “
 
[See Photo 2B. At Bottom]
           
          To keep it simple: The stronger your body is in terms of resisting rotation the more power it will have to display to cause rotation. What is the lesson here? Program as many anti-rotational exercises into your training as you do rotational work!

• Pallof Press Variations
  • Simple. Resist the band forces that are attempting to force rotation and build a strong and stable core.

 
 
One Fluid Transverse (Rotational) Movement
 
            Now that we have built up frontal and sagittal strength and power and developed a strong and stable core we can rotate effectively. Effective rotation not only involves power in rotation itself, but mobility in the thoracic spine (mid-back), shoulders and hips. So, above all else do not neglect your mobility work in all ranges of motion.
 
            With that being said, we build rotational power by simply rotating! It’s not very complicated. You get better at rotating by rotating often in your training. My philosophy is simple. Build a foundation of frontal and sagittal strength and power and pair them with a strong anterior core. Once that is done we rotate as powerfully and rapidly as possible.

• Rotational Medicine Ball Slams
  • This is a great early variation to help an athlete focus on clearing their thoracic spine and shoulders as the display rotational power.
• Rotation into Overhead Slam
  • This variation incorporates rotation and then has the athlete develop thoracic extension (finish/follow through) while on a firm and strong front leg.
• Lateral Rotational Throw
  • We can now place the athlete in the frontal plane and have them begin to develop rotational power.

 
Adding Movement/Power
 
            This is the last step! We can now add weight shifts and perform full movements. In addition, we can add counter movements (hops or jumps prior to throws) to help build more power prior to throws. The main goal here is to add movements that force the athlete to move their weight across all involved planes. For example, a rocking action prior to a throw forces the athlete to shift their weight and transfer it through the frontal plane as they perform their throw.

• Figure 8 Medicine Ball Slams/Throws
  • Here is a great variation to practice weight shift across the frontal plane prior to a throw. Rock back and forth prior to your throw and have your hands follow!
• Rotational Throw (with forward and backward hop)
  • While in the lateral position, perform a forward hop and then immediately shift backwards and then unleash your throw. Doing so will force you to unleash your weight/energy towards your target as you rotate and throw.
• Add Countermovement (jumps) to any of your rotational movements
  • Capitalize on physics! Make use of the kinetic energy you can develop from ground forces by performing rhythmic jumps prior to your throws!

 
Now that you see all the planes involved in rotational movements you can better understand how to develop your own programming for your training. Build a solid base in these planes of motion and then place them together for powerful rotational ability!

​I honestly never thought I would need to write an article about this, but it still seems that the benefits of strength training and pitching/hitting and running are still not universally understood. So, here I go. Here is a breakdown of why strength training is important. To fully understand this, you must understand what occurs during rotational movements, fully grasp the planes of motion involved with rotational movements, and lastly, know why improved ground force application improves running speed.
 
What Occurs During Rotational Movements?
 
            Rotational movements are frontal before they become transverse
 
                        The frontal plane is the plane involving lateral (side to side) movements. While throwing or swinging are identified as transverse (rotational) movements, they also involve a frontal component before any rotation takes place. As a result, I like to break down these movements in two phases: the frontal movement portion and the transverse (rotational) component. Basically, any lateral loading in a throw or a swing takes place in the frontal plane, and this makes ability to place force into the frontal plane very crucial.
 
                        When it comes to loading weight laterally, there are some simple physics involved. As Newton’s Third Law of motion states: “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Basically, any force we apply into a load or lateral movement reproduces an equivalent force in the opposing frontal direction. Think of it this way. A pitcher comes into his windup (placing force frontally into the ground on his back leg). This force exerts back in the opposite frontal direction towards the catcher (for a pitcher) or towards the ball/pitcher (for a hitter). Applying common sense would tell us that the stronger a baseball player’s lower half is (specifically in exerting force into the ground), the better they would be in using their lower half to generate power for swinging and throwing. Cue the deadlifts and lunges/split squats. Oh, and do not be afraid to throw in side lunges and other frontally loaded strength movements!!
 
            Breakdown of Tangent Force and how it contributes to torque creation/rotational power
 
                        After the body frontally loads, rotation takes place. Newton’s third law also applies here. Torque is the initial movement required to produce rotation. The greater the force perpendicular to the axis upon which something rotates, the greater the torque needed to produce rotation. Essentially, if a pitcher rotates into their initial frontal load, their hip is the axis point upon which they are rotating. Core strength anteriorly (in front of the body) is what resists this rotation and will require more torque be placed to cause rotation. As we now know thanks to Newton’s third law, higher forces placed into torque will produce higher forces back into rotation. 
 
 
            Re-direction of ground forces up the kinetic chain once lead leg plants
 
                        After rotation begins and energy has been frontally loaded and begins to transfer in the opposing direction, the lead leg needs to be firm and strong to absorb ground forces and direct them back up the kinetic chain to finish off with a powerful and explosive rotation! Eccentric training (the negative or lowering portion of an exercise) can help improve the ability to absorb forces and re-direct them back up the legs and into the torso for an explosive rotational movement.  If we take a look at Newton’s First Law, we can understand this even better. Newton’s First Law states: “an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” Essentially, think of the lead leg like a seatbelt in a car. If you crash your car and are not wearing a seatbelt, you will continue to move in the direction the car was heading and fly through your windshield. The seat belt is the force that stops your forward motion. Similarly, the lead leg acts as the seatbelt in a rotational movement and helps harness power moving towards the target before re-directing it back up the chain to finish off a strong and explosive rotation!
 
Improving Ground Force Application and Rate of Force Development (RFD) To Improve Running Speed
 
            Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world. Coincidentally enough, he also exerts almost 6x his bodyweight into the ground with every stride he takes. What does this tell us? It shows us that improving the amount of force you place into the ground with either a squat or deadlift will most likely make you faster. Being able to place a higher multiple of your bodyweight into the ground will allow you to become faster. This tells us that a 6.8 60-yard dash runner can become a 6.4 runner. It is not just genetics. Take one of my athletes for example. This athlete ran a 6.7 (with a deadlift of 365 pounds). He now runs a 6.4 and deadlifts 515 pounds. Coincidence? I think not. 
 
            In addition to ground force application, the rate at which you can produce this force (moving stride to stride), can be improved via power specific training (dynamic squats/deadlifts, sled sprinting, jump training etc.).
 
            Not much to conclude with here besides the following sentiment. Strength training can and will help you throw harder, hit the ball harder and further and run faster. It is pure science. 
 
                        
 

​            In-season training is one of the most misunderstood aspects of athlete development. Usually there are two sides of the coin when it comes to the mishandling of how to go about continuing progress during the season. The first group of athletes and coaches simply stop training all together or are afraid to continue any type of intense training. The other group of athletes and coaches never take their foot off the gas and end up wearing themselves down, which ultimately can stunt development and progress, hurt in-game performance or even lead to injury. Proper in-season training can go a long way in furthering development that was achieved during the off-season and preserving gains made over the course of the prior six months of training. It can also help prevent injuries and improve on-field performance! When it comes to in-season training you can vastly improve the effectiveness of your programming by understanding submaximal maintenance training and flexibility with your programming, the use of concentric only exercises and using high repetitions to promote much needed recovery!
 
Submaximal Training and Programming Flexibility
 
            Before you begin to understand submaximal training you must first grasp the basic fundamentals of programming flexibility. Essentially, you need to have a good feel for your body and be mindful of your in-season schedule in order to adapt your program to fit your needs. For example, you may find that weather may change your game schedule during a baseball season. You must have options of varying intensities in your programming so that you can properly adjust. If you are feeling good and have an easier week of games (for any reason), you can increase the intensity of your training so that you can still make some gains and further your development. Remember, just because you are in-season does not mean you cannot further improve on attributes you gained in the off-season. 
 
            With that being said, here is a quick breakdown of a method you can use to approach your loads and intensities while you are aiming to maintain, and then how you can have some flexibility in light of opportunities to up the intensity to off-season levels. I normally keep my athletes in the 70-90/95% range of their one rep max (1RM), while they are in-season. Essentially, the only time they will work towards 90/95% of their off-season 1RM is if they are only performing one-repetition sets. I feel that the 70-85% range coupled with anywhere from 2-5 repetitions is a perfect place to maintain (and even gain) strength. 
 
            Once you have this is mind it is easy to see how you can be flexible in adjusting your volume and load percentages. For example, let’s take a high school baseball player who is performing two “in-season,” training day’s per-week. This athlete’s primary lower body movement is the squat, and he maxed out at 265 pounds at the end of the off-season. Let’s create a sample situation where the general program called for three repetition sets of 80% of his 1RM, but he had an easy week due to miscellaneous cancellations and scheduling complications. An adjustment to that set program would look as follows:
 

• Initial Programming Goal:
  • 3x3 at 80% or roughly 210 pounds (265 x .80)
• Adjusted Programming Goal:
  • 3x3 at normal off-season range of 95% or 250 (265 x .95)

 
You can see how easy it is to adjust your intensity to take advantage of lighter weeks you may get throughout the season! Take advantage of these opportunities and adjust!
 
Making The Most of a Prowler Sled (Concentric only exercises)
 
            I will keep this short and sweet (I promise I will try). Muscle fibers predominantly tear during eccentric portions of a range of motion. That is, the lowering of the weight where you are controlling a load or resistance is what promotes muscle fiber tears and hypertrophy. With that in mind, concentric (part of the range of motion where you are moving into extension like the pressing in a bench press or upward movement in a squat) only movements are a great way to preserve strength, but limit eccentric stresses that can cause soreness. This is key when we are in the thick of a season and we do not want to place extra stresses on our muscles. In addition, concentric only movements help us maintain much of the strength we built in the off-season. 
 
            In light of this, the prowler sled is your best friend. Almost all activities done with a sled do not incorporate an eccentric load on the body. Sled pushes work your legs, but only through extension, sled rows do the same and just about any other variation can be thought of in order to preserve strength and limit muscular soreness.
 
Using High Repetitions to Promote Recovery
 
            Lastly, I will generally make one of my suggested two-day in-season training days repetition based. Higher repetition sets at lower intensities (think of a 15 rep set with a weight you could do for 30 reps) are great to promote blood flow and recovery for an in-season athlete who may very well need this. A great way to treat recovery based repetition lifts is to perform them in a 65-75% intensity (window for aerobic recovery). In addition you can also treat the higher repetition based lifts with the same mentality as your heavier day. IT IS OK to push it just a bit if you are feeling great and have a lighter schedule that week.
 
Go ahead and use these tools to ensure that your in-season training is effective and even result yielding as tool to send you into the next off-season with a head start on your competition!

​Over the past couple of months I have made great use of yielding isometrics in my programming for my athletes. In doing so, I have developed some great strategies (in my opinion) on how to utilize these particular movements as accessories in your programming that can help pack on some much desired muscle (along with some strength)! Here is a quick and easy to understand breakdown of yielding isometrics along with some practical ways to implement them in your programming.
 
What are Yielding Isometrics?
 
            So already in this article I have mentioned that yielding isometrics are a great tool to use to build muscle mass. With that being said, this gives us a great clue as to what is occurring during yielding isometrics that helps build muscle mass. As many of us know, a major component involved in the creation of muscle mass is the tearing of muscle fibers (myofibril hypertrophy). During myofibril hypertrophy contractile proteins also increase so you will also see some strength gains as well! This differs from sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (the result of high repetition bodybuilding style sets) in which non-contractile fluid, sarcoplasm, increases in volume. This is the “pump,” effect many bodybuilders refer to and is also the reason you can be massive and not have strength relative to your size!
 
            Now, what sounds more appealing to an athlete? Functional muscle mass that correlates to strength gains or “show,” muscle that does not actually provide much of a performance benefit? Assuming that you want functional muscle mass, Yielding Isometrics are for you. Essentially, yielding isometrics involve resisting forces that are trying to pull you back through the range of motion you are performing. For example, the banded terminal knee extension exercise being performed here. The athlete moves through the full range of motion and then attempts to hold that position as the band is trying to pull him back through. Basically, you are resisting eccentric forces (remember that eccentrics cause muscle fiber tearing), and thus working myofibril hypertrophy.
 
How to Implement Yielding Isometrics
 
            Before I delve into specifics on how you can pair these with certain exercises in your programming, here is one basic principal I like to use with yielding isometrics. I stick to general principles of hypertrophy and aim to keep time under tension (total amount of time a muscle is contracted during a set) to 30-50 seconds. You can begin with 30 seconds and gradually work your way up to 50 as you progress through your program.
 
            My two favorite ways to implement Yielding isometrics in my programming thus far are as a second exercise in a superset that targets the same muscle groups as the first exercise or as the second exercise in a superset to accompany a concentric only movement.
 

• Targeting the same muscles in a superset
  • Think of this as an accessory to your accessory work. For example, if your unilateral movement of the day mainly targets the quadriceps you can implement an exercise such as the banded TKE immediately after your reverse lunges to further tear muscle fibers and build additional muscle mass/strength.
• Accompanying a concentric only movement
  • Another way you can utilize yielding isometrics is to pair them with concentric only exercises in which you are purely aiming to make strength gains.
  • As someone who programs in a conjugate manner (There is a “little bit of everything,” in each cycle and we do not focus on one specific attribute), this use is quite practical.
  • Consider a heavy prowler push. The sled does not push back on the athlete, and thus this movement is concentric in nature and mainly builds strength. Pairing a TKE isometric hold with these can still accomplish some hypertrophy goals and works as a nice compliment!

 
Now that you understand yielding isometrics you can utilize them and maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your programming!
Give them a try and notice immediate gains in muscle mass as well as strength!
 

​Last week my colleague Dr. Anthony Falco discussed how you could see a physical therapist without having to see a doctor first. Doing so can save you a significant amount of money in your process to heal your ailments. With that being said, I want to take the time this week to touch on the importance of a strong symbiotic relationship between your physical therapist and strength trainer. A strong relationship between your physical therapist and strength trainer can not only help limit the severity of a training related injury, but can also lessen the length of time for recovery and also help correct injuries or performance inhibited by movement dysfunction.
 
Limiting The Severity of an Injury
 
            One of the most common issues I have seen in the strength and conditioning field is related to lingering injuries that are never properly addressed. One of the main benefits I have seen come from sharing clients with my affiliates at Performance Physical Therapy is limiting not only the severity of an injury, but also being more efficient in recovery time. In most cases, a strength coach could further aggravate a healing ailment because they are not sure of what’s causing it. For example, a rotational athlete (such as a baseball player) could be dealing with a hip injury being caused by a misalignment of the pelvis that often comes from rotational movements such as throwing and hitting. If this athlete is either not seeing a physical therapist or that therapist isn’t in contact with their strength coach a significant furthering of that injury can occur. Instead of having a physical therapist diagnose and correct the hip alignment issue, time could be spent stretching what feels like a “tight,” hip flexor which will further exacerbate the injury. Working alongside a physical therapist cannot only limit the severity of an injury, but also decrease the amount of time spent recovering from a particular injury.
 
Limiting Injury/Maximizing Performance Via Correcting Movement Dysfunction
 
            Another benefit I have seen from working alongside a physical therapist lies in preventing injuries before they occur or even improving sports performance via correcting movement issues. One of the biggest responsibilities of a strength coach relates to improving the movements of athletes and general clients. Sharing clients with a physical therapist can help with correcting movement issues related to particular muscular dysfunction and also help with exercises and modalities used to fix these issues.
 
            Are your strength coach/trainer and physical therapist on the same page? Do they work together to ensure your health or nagging injuries are treated in the best way possible? If not, work with the team of Performance Physical Therapy and Challenger Strength and see how our concerted effort can best help your health and performance. 

        Last week, Dr. Anthony Falco discussed the role of the meniscus in the knee and when you should consider getting surgery to repair a meniscus tear. This week, I will discuss some things you should implement into your training program following knee surgery and how you can further progress after you have completed working with your physical therapist following surgery. Following any knee surgery it is imperative to build back adequate muscle mass in the quadriceps, re-establish proper landing mechanics and force absorption of ground forces during high power activities and solidify sprinting mechanics.
 
 
Eccentric focused exercises are your best friends
 
            After knee surgery it is common to experience atrophy (diminished muscle mass) of the quadriceps of the repaired leg. While your physical therapist more than likely focused on building back lost mass, it is imperative to continue this focus once you have moved on to strength and speed training.
 
            While I have no problem with seated leg extensions early on in the rehabilitation process, I believe other alternatives should be utilized in strength training protocol. Essentially, seated leg extensions limit activity of the hamstring while the quadriceps is contracting. This never really happens in sports. So, I prefer the terminal knee extension (TKE), as a quadriceps building exercise that allows the hamstring to work in addition to the quadriceps. Basically, anchor a band and place it around your knee. Slightly flex your knee forward before pulling it back into extension and contracting your quadriceps. While many other quadriceps dominant movements can be performed to build muscle mass (lunges, split squats etc.), here are my general hypertrophy guidelines to follow:
 

• Eccentric Tension
  • The eccentric (think moving back to flexed position in the knee extensions) portion of the range of motion of any exercise is the number one area to build muscle mass as it is responsible for the most torn muscle fibers (main contributing factor to hypertrophy).
• High Repetitions
  • Repetitions in the 12-15 range are perfect to build muscle mass. Go any higher and you will begin instead working on muscular endurance.
• Adequate Time Under Tension
  • Time under tension is basically the total amount of time a muscle spends in a contracted state (sum total of the time spent in all areas of the range of motion). Aim for 30-50 seconds of time under tension to build muscle mass

 
Absorbing forces, re-conditioning tendons and ligaments and sprinting technique
 
            While building mass back in the quadriceps you should also focus on re-introducing your tendons and ligaments to power movements such as jumping and sprinting. It is important not to jump right in to high intensity jumps and sprints as your body may not be ready to handle the demand places on the knee and surrounding areas.
 
Extensive Plyometrics
 
                  Extensive plyometrics are lower intensity jumps that are essentially “hypertrophy for jumping.” Meaning, they rid of use of the stretch shortening cycle (reactive stretch reflex of the ligaments and tendons involved in maximum intensity jumping and sprinting). We accomplish this by implementing pauses or performing short rhythmic jumps. The main goal is to re-condition the tendons and ligaments and prepare them to handle higher intensities. Also, it teaches them how to behave again so performance is maximized later on. During these exercises the focus should be on sound and clean landing mechanics. Here is what you should look for:
 

• Absorbing ground forces with the “entire foot.”
  • Many knee injuries occur due to inability to absorb ground forces with the entirety of the foot. Failing to do so can shift pressure anteriorly (forward) and leave the ACL susceptible to injury. Cue your athlete to land on the ground, box etc. by maintaining contact with the entire bottom of their foot.
• Arm use
  • The arms are a neglected portion of power development and jumping effectiveness. Proper use of the arms can help load timing. Ensure that the athlete lowers their arms into their lower half load.
• Proper External Hip Rotation (Avoiding Valgus)
  • Aim to avoid “knock knees,” (knees moving inward upon pre-loading, load, or landing. If this cannot be done it may be best to take a step back and sure up the posterior chain.
• Land in proper squat position
  • This is an easy cue to use to help landing mechanics. We want to maintain proper spine alignment upon landing and avoid further damage to our back.

 
Low Intensity Sprinting Start Types
 
            Lastly, it is extremely important to reaffirm good sprinting technique while not exposing an athlete to sprinting variations that produce too much power. That is, low start types (push-up, mountain climber, etc.) or start types that involve excess power building via medicine ball throws.
 

• Falling Starts
  • Start type where good acceleration angle is drilled via a forward fall (without flexing at the knees or hips).
  • Considered the most basic of starting types due to the more upright positioning of the body as it moves into the sprint.
  • Use this before you progress into more advanced types that place the athlete at a lower angle. A lower angle is conducive to higher power output.

 
             Overall, it is important to progress through movements with a plan once an athlete has moved through a full rehabilitation program and can begin training!
 
            
Gerry DeFilippo

          Last week, Dr. Anthony Falco discussed the basics of heart rate training and how to properly calculate your resting heart rate and maximum heart rate. Once you determine these numbers you can properly utilize heart rate monitors to enhance your training. In athletes, this can be tremendously useful, as it will allow them to better determine if their aerobic training is focused on recovery, maintenance, or aerobic improvement. For the sake of this article, we will be focusing on aerobic improvement. To improve an athlete’s aerobic capacity you must understand the percentage of maximum heart rate needed to reach the improvement threshold and also how to use exercises which best work towards achieving that same goal.
 
Proper Heart Rate Percentage For Aerobic Improvement
 
            In the past I discussed using the aerobic capacity system to help aide in recovery for athletes. For recovery, it is best to work in a 60-75% range of the athlete’s max heart rate.  However, the range for aerobic improvement goes as high as 85-90% of the max heart rate.  Basically, apply Dr. Falco’s formula for your maximum heart to these percentages and you can find the best threshold for an athlete to work in to improve aerobic capacity. For example:
 

• 18 year old athlete
  • Max Heart Rate (220-age)= 202
  • For 85-90% Threshold:
    • 171-181 beats per minute

 
How To Construct A Proper Movement Pattern Aerobic Program
 
            As I previously mentioned, the movement patterns are great to use for aerobic improvement for a number of reasons. In addition to helping improve an athlete’s working capacity, you can also use this as extra time to drill home proper form with the main movements. However, it is extremely important to note that an athlete must show proficiency in these movements prior to using them, as it is never ideal to learn a new skill or movement in a fatigued state. For example, an athlete who cannot perform a proper bodyweight squat should not be allowed to use this movement in an aerobic circuit as they will be susceptible to not only injury, but can further program their nervous system to perform the movement incorrectly.
 

• Guidelines For a Movement Pattern Aerobic Program
  • I like to use intervals of 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest as a basic starting point for my athletes. You can adjust intensity of the working sets by gauging the heart rate of the first few sets and determining if it falls in the necessary range you calculated
  • Basic Movement Patterns
    • Push: Push-up
    • Pull: Pull-up
    • Squat: Bodyweight Squat
    • Hinge: Kettle Bell Swing
    • Lunge: Bodyweight Reverse Lunges
  • NOTE: You can use the above template for your aerobic conditioning, but it is essential that you perform these movements with either bodyweight or with extremely light loads. The goal is not to build strength or power during the aerobic conditioning.

 
The most important thing to remember here is that you can find success with a multitude of different methods. Once you have determined your proper heart rate the main goal is simply stay in that zone and maximize your aerobic capacity. Movement pattern circuits are simply a great alternative to use because they can further solidify the proper form and technique of the most important qualities and movements for an athlete. 

​Gerry DeFilippo

           The start of a new year is often a time when people will start a new fitness or health goal. One important factor that aids in meeting goals is having a way to measure progress. Heart rate can be a simple metric to help measure progress of a fitness program and can serve as an indicator of cardiovascular health.

            Tracking heart rate can be as simple as finding your pulse in your neck (carotid artery) or wrist (the radial artery) and using a stopwatch. Count the number of beats for one full minute or count the number of beats in 10 seconds and multiply by 6 for an estimate. The old fashioned way works great but today fitness trackers, fitbits, heart rate monitors, even apps on our phones can help measure our heart rate.

Here are 3 ways that heart rate can be utilized to keep you on track for your fitness goals:

1 - Measure heart rate recovery 1, 2
-Heart rate recovery is defined as how long it takes your heart rate to return to baseline following a bout of exercise. This is a measure of how well your nervous system regulates your heart.
-Perform a baseline workout - walk for 20 minutes, run 2 miles, take a spin class. Pick something that can be repeated after a few months of training.
-Following exercise rest quietly for 1 minute and then take your heart rate and take it again each minute until it returns to your resting heart rate.
-At one minute heart rate should decrease by 12 beats per minute or greater.

2 - Calculate your target training zone.
    Here is a link with a calculator for target heart rate:
    http://www.ottawarun.com/heartrate.htm

As an example:
A 40 year old with a resting heart rate of 70 beats per minute wants to train between 70 and 80% of his max heart rate.
    220-40 = 180 (max HR)
    180 (max HR) - 70 (resting HR)= 110
    110 x .7 = 77 + 70 = 147
    110 x .8 = 88 + 70 = 158
    Target training zone using = 147 to 158 beats per minute.

This calculation is based on age and resting heart rate to determine an appropriate training zone to improve aerobic capacity. This method known as the “Karvonen Formula” is a simple estimate that is correlated to VO2 max which is considered the gold standard measurement of aerobic capacity.

The American Heart Association makes recommendations for amount of exercise. For moderate intensity 50-70% of max heart rate and vigorous intensity 70-85%. Keep track of the amount of time you spend exercising in the target zone!

If you have any previous heart conditions or issues consult with your doctor or physical therapist before starting any new exercise program. If you have questions or want to learn more about how to start a new exercise program we can help with that too! If we can help you conquer any barriers that prevent you from reaching your fitness and health goals come see us!

Check in next week and Gerry from Challenger Strength will share is insight on how he helps his athletes and clients improve their cardiovascular fitness.

Sources:

1 - Cole CR, Blackstone EH, Pashkow FJ, Snader CE, Lauer MS. Heart-rate recovery
immediately after exercise as a predictor of mortality. N Engl J Med. 1999 Oct
28;341(18):1351-7.

2 - Jolly MA, Brennan DM, Cho L. Impact of exercise on heart rate recovery.
Circulation. 2011 Oct 4;124(14):1520-6. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.005009.
Epub 2011 Sep 26.

3-https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887?pg= 2

Infographic: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/American-Heart-Association-Recommendations-for-Physical-Activity-in-Adults_UCM_307976_Article.jsp#.Wk0Syt-nGM8

Dr. Anthony Falco

​

​              In his last article Dr. Anthony Falco discussed the opioid epidemic and how widespread it has become. This week, I intend to discuss how training itself can provide benefits that help deal with pain, and I will also breakdown use of maintenance training for athletes who either are in-season or need to recover after a long and grueling season. This can be done via extensive plyometrics, aerobic capacity work and maintenance load percentages with main movements (squats, deadlifts and bench presses).
 
             To start, endorphins are produced by the central nervous system in response to pain or stress. That is, physical activity such as running, strength training or sports can provide endorphin release. Contrary to opioids, however, endorphins brought on naturally by the body do not create addiction or dependence. So, instead of turning to pain medication physical activity such as strength training or running can reduce pain while also riding of addictive substances that can damage the body and ultimately lead to death.
 
           With that being said, there are some easy strategies for athletes to utilize in order to limit stresses on their body while training, but also achieve some much needed endorphin release to deal with the pains of their seasons and physical activity and the stresses of everyday life.
 
Extensive Plyometrics
 
            Extensive plyometrics are less intense and stressful plyometric exercises that are often used to perfect jumping mechanics, while also adjusting the body while it learns to properly use tendons and ligaments. Not only are these a good way to teach young athletes landing mechanics and proper use of the body while jumping, but also they can be implemented during hypertrophy cycles for athletes recovering early in the off-season or even during their respective season. Extensive plyometrics are often performed with more repetitions than their intensive counterparts, so you may find yourself performing sets of 6-8 box jumps that are significantly lower than your max jump height, but allow you to pause at the bottom of your jump and land smoothly.
 
Aerobic Capacity Training For Recovery
 
            As I covered in past articles, (http://www.challengerstrength.com/blog/using-the-aerobic-energy-system-to-promote-recovery) the aerobic energy system can be used to stimulate recovery if done in certain thresholds. This would entail performing aerobic conditioning while remaining within 60-75% of your max heart rate (220-age). Using aerobic conditioning can be vital in promoting recovery and endorphin release.
 
Using Maintenance Loads To Reduce Physical Stress
 
While maintenance loads are commonly perceived as just that, “maintenance,” true gains can still be made while reducing stress. For example, I have seen athletes achieve 5-10 pound gains in their one rep max (1RM), after a 6-week maintenance cycle never exceeding 85% of their previous 1RM. For maintenance lifts I would normally stay within 70-85% of your 1RM while keeping volume similar to your strength aimed sets.
 
References and Useful Links
 
http://www.amswisconsin.com/AMSBlog/TabId/126/ArtMID/1329/ArticleID/103/Endorphins-and-Dopamine-.aspx

      Last week, Dr. Anthony Falco discussed how you can decipher the differences between pain and soreness, and when it may be appropriate to see a physician. This week I want to give some strategies that can be used in order to deal with muscle soreness and promote recovery after high intensity bouts of physical activity. Essentially, you now know you do not need to see a physician, so what is next? Once I give you a full breakdown of what makes cardio recovery focused I will give some methods you can use in your own programming.
 
The Different Energy Systems of The Body
 
Essentially, there are three main energy systems:

• Alactic
  • Immediate Energy System
  • Utilized for activities involving short bursts
  • Example: Short, max-effort sprints
  • Less than 15 seconds
• Lactic
  • Moderate bursts of activity at high intensities
  • 30-60 second range
• Aerobic (Oxidative)
  • Low intensity bouts of activity for long durations
  • Can be steady state (continuous) or interval based

 
For the sake of this discussion we are going to focus on the aerobic (oxidative) energy system as a means of promoting recovery. While the aerobic energy system is utilized to promote recovery between bouts of anaerobic  (alactic) activity, we are going to focus on its role in recovery and assistance in dealing with soreness/fatigue. With this being said, it is essential to perform training in a range of 60-75% of your max heart rate (220-age). This range will ensure you are aiming to stimulate the recovery process.
 
How To Perform Aerobic Recovery Training
 
            As I mentioned, it is imperative to ensure that you are performing lower intensity bouts that have longer durations when trying to recover. This can be done in a multitude of ways.
 

• Steady State Walking
  • This is the easiest method to use. Simply walk at a moderate pace for 20-30 minutes.
• Assault Bike/Sled Tempos
  • Perform 30/30 (30 seconds of work alternated with 30 seconds of rest) with either an empty sled push or on a bike. I like to cue my athletes to perform each activity at 75% intensity.
• Bodyweight Circuits
  • Another way I have my athletes recover is using bodyweight circuits made up of the fundamental movement patterns. (Push, pull, squat, lunge, hinge). You can also implement light core work.

 
The important thing to remember when utilizing the aerobic energy system for recovery is to be cognizant of the intensities. Recovery can only occur if the work being performed is done in a 60-75% window of intensity.
 
 

          ​Last week Dr. Anthony Falco broke down the biomechanics involved in both swinging and throwing in baseball and the role these movements play in the development of a misaligned pelvis and hip injuries.  This week, I will break down the importance of rotational power related to both movements along with a three exercise progression to not only develop better and more efficient rotational ability, but proficiency in weight transfer and additional power development.
 
The Role of The Core and Thoracic Spine
 
            As Dr. Falco stated last week:
 
                        “The core is essential for generating and transferring force during the powerful and asymmetrical movements that take place in baseball. For the purpose of this discussion we are going to define the core as: the abdominals, the erectors (muscles that run parallel to the spine), the pelvic floor, and the hips (the glutes, groin muscles, and hip flexor muscles). “
 
   “When throwing a pitch, the core muscles maintain stability of the low back and hips allowing force generated through the legs to be transferred through the core to shoulder complex and ultimately to the ball. This transfer of force takes place in less than 0.2 seconds! The core is essential to maintaining proper mechanics through all phases of delivering a pitch. Any imbalances in flexibility, strength, or coordination at that high rate of speed can lead to decreased performance and injury.”
 
            With that being said, we must also acknowledge the role of the thoracic spine in conjunction with the core.  After force is transferred from the lower half to the upper half and shoulders via the core, the thoracic spine (mid back), must be able to rotate and the hips able to clear in order to square the body to both the target when throwing or the ball when swinging.  Lack of rotational power can severely limit velocity potential and swinging power. That is, an extremely strong base at the legs or shoulder may not see full potential utilized if a player cannot rotate at a similar rate.
 
The Planes of Motion Involved In a Swing or Throw
 
            Many people would state that a pitching delivery or swing is performed in the transverse plane (plane which involved rotation). While that is correct, I like to break down these movements in two phases because there are movements that take place prior to the rotation that occurs. As a result, I like to explain each motion as a frontal plane movement followed by a rotation (transverse plane).

• Frontal Plane
  • The frontal plane divides the body into the anterior (front) and posterior (back). As such, any movements occurring along this divide, or laterally, are performed in this plane.
• Loading of Weight and Transfer of Energy Laterally
  • The frontal component of each movement takes places during the loading and stride (towards home plate as a pitcher or towards the ball as a batter). This is why lateral power is equally important to develop in addition to rotational ability (I will get to this at another time).
• Transition to Transverse Plane
  • For the sake of this article this is the more important plane to highlight. After weight is transferred from the back leg towards the target via a frontal plane movement rotation then takes place to square the shoulders and transfer all energy in the desired direction. This rotation takes place as a batter simultaneously brings their hands towards the ball to swing or a pitcher brings their arm around to deliver a pitch. This is where the importance of thoracic rotation ability and power take place.

 
Three Exercise Progression To Develop Rotational Power
           
            The following exercises progress from simple thoracic rotational focus to then include both frontal and transverse movements with a weight transfer, and lastly a more advanced progression that builds excess power prior to the movement.

• Sledgehammer Swings (See video)
  • It is important to do these with your feet perfectly squared so that you experience full thoracic rotation. Start the sledgehammer at your waist with your arms extended and fully rotate around towards one side before bringing your arms back around and rotating back to a squared position while simultaneously slamming the hammer.
• Figure 8 Medicine Ball Slams (See video)
  • These are performed in a lateral position and involve a front leg to back leg weight shift prior to rotation and slamming. Thus, it involves both planes of movement.
• Counter Movement Figure 8 Medicine Ball Slams (See video)
  • This final progression involves a build of additional power via kinetic energy build up (the forward and backwards hop). Perform the traditional figure 8 medicine ball slam and include a quick front to back hop prior to rotating and slamming.

Gerry DeFilippo
 
  Interested in recovering from a rotationally related injury or developing more rotational power? Stop by one of our two locations in Wayne, give us a call at 973.368.4907 or email us at [email protected] or [email protected]. Also, follow us on social media to see how we can help you!

1 - Seroyer ST, Nho SJ, Bach BR, Bush-Joseph CA, Nicholson GP, Romeo AA. The
kinetic chain in overhand pitching: its potential role for performance
enhancement and injury prevention. Sports Health. 2010 Mar;2(2):135-46.
2 - Coleman SH, Mayer SW, Tyson JJ, Pollack KM, Curriero FC. The Epidemiology of
Hip and Groin Injuries in Professional Baseball Players. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead
NJ). 2016 Mar-Apr;45(3):168-75.

      Like many sports, baseball puts asymmetrical loads on the body. In all aspects of baseball (pitching, fielding, batting, base running) the rules of the game and right or left hand dominance influence how the body takes on the physical stress of the sport.

   The core is essential for generating and transferring force during the powerful and asymmetrical movements that take place in baseball. For the purpose of this discussion we are going to define the core as: the abdominals, the erectors (muscles that run parallel to the spine), the pelvic floor, and the hips (the glutes, groin muscles, and hip flexor muscles).

   When throwing a pitch, the core muscles maintain stability of the the low back and hips allowing force generated through the legs to be transferred through the core to shoulder complex and ultimately to the ball. This transfer of force takes place in less than 0.2 seconds!1 The core is essential to maintaining proper mechanics through all phases of delivering a pitch. Any imbalances in flexibility, strength, or coordination at that high rate of speed can lead to decreased performance and injury.

     If we focus specifically at the hips as a key point connecting the powerful leg muscles to the core we find a potential area for injury and dysfunction in the pitching athlete. Up to 5% of all injuries in minor and major leaguers are due to hip problems.2 Although difficult to estimate, it could be hypothesized that other injuries to the shoulder or elbow might be avoided if function is maximized at the hip and core. Let’s forget about the steroid era in baseball for a moment and recall the crazy workouts of Roger Clemens. Sure, he focused on strengthening his arm and rotator cuff, but the main focus of his off-season training was strengthening his hips and core.

    When a hip injury in a baseball athlete does occur, physical therapy is generally the best way to treat it. The treatment of hip injuries in pitchers begins with a detailed assessment and evaluation. This includes looking at spine and hip range of motion, flexibility, soft tissue quality, strength, endurance and pitching mechanics. Treatment for these types of injuries is highly individualized depending on the specific presentation of each athlete. The four main elements we focus on when treating hip pain in a pitcher include: manual therapy, hip mobility, core stability and pitching mechanics. Let’s break each of these down:

1 - Manual therapy - This includes mobilization, manipulation, or muscle energy techniques to the hip and/or low back and pelvis complex to restore normal mobility, decrease pain, and improve muscle performance. Manual treatment can also include instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization and soft tissue techniques to relax spastic muscles, improve soft tissue mobility, and restore muscle flexibility.

2 - Hip Mobility - These are drills and exercises to restore full range of motion and flexibility to the hips. Some examples include adductor stretching, hip flexor stretching, and deep lunges for an active stretch to the hip flexors.

3 - Core Stability - These exercises are used to maintain integrity of the low back and pelvis complex and can include double and single leg bridges, glute activation drills, lunges, planks, crawling, ab roll outs, and single leg balance and stability exercises.

4 - Pitching Mechanics - Breaking down the pitching delivery step by step and practicing proper mechanics that build on the range of motion, mobility, and stability gained in the first three elements through a focused rehabilitation program.

     Recently at Performance Physical Therapy we had a patient who is a left handed pitcher with hip pain. He presented with complaints of a right hip pain that bothered him the most during his stride to deliver the ball to the plate. His history revealed no trauma or recollection of injury-just an onset of pain with throwing. On examination, serious hip pathology was ruled out through a detailed history and an in-depth orthopedic exam. There was significant tenderness to the touch over the hip flexor muscle and its attachment to the front of the hip bone, pain with stretch to the hip flexor muscle, and pain that was reproduced with contraction of the hip flexor. We also identified limited flexibility of the groin and hamstring muscle groups and weakness of the hip, glute and core. To treat this patient we utilized manual therapy targeting the low back and pelvis, hip joint and hip flexor muscles, hip mobility exercises, core stability work, and a review of his pitching mechanics.

      With  only a few sessions of physical therapy and some activity modification, our patient did not miss a single day of baseball practice or strength training with Challenger Strength and made a full return to pitching in less than 2 weeks. Early identification of the injury and a smart selection of treatment techniques was the key to such a quick recovery.

   Be on the lookout for a post from Gerry DeFilippo at Challenger Strength next week demonstrating some great ways to further develop core, rotational strength and power that helps prevent hip injuries and improve performance!

    Interested in what what we do and how we achieve our results? Stop by one of our two locations in Wayne, give us a call at 973.368.4907, email us at [email protected] or follow us on social media to see how we can help you!

​Dr. Anthony Falco



References:
1 - Seroyer ST, Nho SJ, Bach BR, Bush-Joseph CA, Nicholson GP, Romeo AA. The
kinetic chain in overhand pitching: its potential role for performance
enhancement and injury prevention. Sports Health. 2010 Mar;2(2):135-46.
2 - Coleman SH, Mayer SW, Tyson JJ, Pollack KM, Curriero FC. The Epidemiology of
Hip and Groin Injuries in Professional Baseball Players. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead
NJ). 2016 Mar-Apr;45(3):168-75.

​

​    Long distance running and long duration high intensity cardio have long been a staple in team-sport training and preparation. I am talking since before the days where Rocky Balboa through on on his grey sweat suit and ran up those historic stairs in Philadelphia. Like anything, times change and so must the way we prepare and train athletes. I am writing this mostly because I am concerned and because it is time to make a statement. I have seen too many injuries to the lower extremities of young athletes who are also left tired and abused from improper conditioning. So here is my final stand. I am going to make this quite simple. I will break down the different energy systems of the body, discuss which are used prevalently in sports and then finish up with my favorite ways to train team-sport athletes when it comes to conditioning.
 
The Energy Systems of The Human Body
 
  As Humans we arrange activity into three basic categories of energy, which are alactic  (anaerobic), lactic and aerobic. Here is a breakdown of each of them and when they are used.

• Alactic (without lactic acid)
  • The alactic or anerobic energy system is our initial system and covers short maximum intensity bursts under 15 seconds.
  • This could include a jump, short sprint after a ball or any maximum intensity activity that lasts under 15 seconds in a sport.
• Lactic (energy system used during high intensity conditioning tests such as timed multiple mile runs)
  • The lactic energy system involves moderate bursts of activity at high intensities. These are longer build-ups of time at high intensities when the body is no longer be fueled by ATP (prominent in Alactic state). Think of the lactic state as the time where your muscles start to burn. WE RARELY EVER SEE THIS IN TEAM SPORTS.
• Aerobic
  • This is the long-term energy system and it is used during continuous activities at low intensities.
  • Most importantly, the aerobic energy system refuels ATP (main driver of the Alactic/Anerobic system).

 
Systems Most Commonly Used In Team Sports
 
            Essentially all major team sports are performed in the alactic (anerobic) and aerobic energy systems. That is, rarely does a team sport athlete exert themselves at maximum intensity for longer than 15 seconds (intense and short sprints, jumps, force production or shots) . If they are continuously active it will be at lower intensities (think basketball players jogging around in a half-court set, soccer/hockey players passing a ball/puck amongst teammates etc.). That is, a team sport athlete will rarely ever perform their sport in a lactic state (higher intensities for continuous durations). So, you can begin to see why it would be pointless to train in this manner.
 
The Wrong Way To Train Team Sport Athletes (Along With My Alternatives)
 
            I’ll keep the first part of this brief. In a nutshell, it is wrong to train athletes at higher intensities for long periods of time. This can include multiple mile runs, long sprints etc. Now, here are my favorite ways to train the alactic/anaerobic and aerobic systems. Note that a combination of both in a program is most effective.

• Alactic/Anaerobic
  • I commonly train this system via sprint training, plyometric work and higher intensity (low repetition) sets with compound movements.
  • Find the best exercises for your athletes based on their sport. For example, a baseball player is better off doing acceleration (short sprints) work while you may focus on addition top speed and longer sprints for a football player. Either way, these are great to train speed as well as anaerobic power output.
• Aerobic
  • Tempo Runs: Tempo runs are great for athletes to not only increase their aerobic capacity, but can also be used to work on sprinting technique in a lower intensity setting. Essentially, use their best time on a maximum intensity sprint and simply use roughly 65-85% of that time for their tempo runs.
    • For example:
      • Athlete 1: 4.5 second 40-yard dash
      • Athlete1: 4.5 x 1.75= 7.875 seconds
    • Use 30-90 seconds of rest between bouts.
  • Prowler Tempos/Bodyweight Circuits
    • I use these in a 30/30 interval fashion as an easy way to build aerobic capacity. I simply have an athlete perform a circuit of bodyweight exercises or push an unloaded prowler at about 75% intensity.
  • Assault Bike Tempos
    • I love using these for my hockey players as I structure their active and rest periods based on the length of a shift in a game. They’ll perform 35 seconds followed by a 1-minute break. I will usually start with 10 rounds and progress them weekly.

 
     As you can see it is quite simple to understand why the conditioning practices that are still seen today are wrong and detrimental to athletes. It is imperative that we assess the sports being trained for so that we best understand the structure and needs that go along with it  in terms of anaerobic and aerobic training.
            

​            In the past I have talked about some general tips to use in order to grow a strong and big upper back. (http://www.challengerstrength.com/blog/tips-and-five-best-exercises-to-build-a-big-and-strong-upper-back). I have also given you some of my favorite exercises for the upper back and how to develop it. This got me to thinking and I realized that not many coaches and athletes know how much of an importance should be placed on the role of the upper back when programming pressing movements for baseball players. Many people neglect the involvement of the scapulae (shoulder blades) in their pressing variations, and fail to see how much they can develop this aspect of their body if they simply focused on a few key details. This would provide a multitude of benefits for athletes as their upper back plays a huge role in their health and performance. For baseball players and rotational athletes (hockey, lacrosse, golf etc.) the upper back plays a huge roll in not only their swing or shot, but it can also limit shoulder injuries if trained effectively. A strong upper back can help improve posture and limit the internal rotation of the shoulder (internal rotation can lead to labrum injuries due to the compression and force constantly placed on the acromioclavicular (AC) joint). So, not only can we contribute to an aesthetically pleasing upper back by making some adjustments in our pressing, but we can also limit injury and contribute to increases in performance for baseball players. Here is a quick breakdown of external rotation, how to promote use of the scapulae for presses with baseball players and my favorite exercise variations to do so!
 
 
External Rotation
 
In my opinion the best analogy to use to explain external rotation of the shoulders would be to have someone imagine that their arms are outstretched and fully extended with their hands on a wall. On that wall is a big sheet of paper, and your goal is to tear the paper down the middle without moving your hands. How exactly do we do that? Well, think as if you are trying to “screw” your hands into the wall, only without moving your hands outwards. External rotation is created when we drive our right hand clockwise and our left hand counterclockwise. If we do this without actually moving our hands then we create torque, and that imaginary paper is now torn! The shoulder is a ball and socket joint, meaning that the humeral head rotates about inside the cup like socket of the shoulder blade. When we create proper torque the humeral rotates outward, hence “external rotation.”
 
Now I know you are all saying “Great Gerry please explain how this applies to my training.” Well, basically many of us perform presses without external rotation, which not only leaves us susceptible to injury, but also does not allow us to develop the upper back and shoulder blades to the best of their ability. This has been said many times before, yet I still see baseball players utilizing presses that do not let the upper back work freely and independently of a bench. This is due to a number of factors, which include hand and grip positioning and the side effects of performing presses on a bench. Basically, when our back is on a bench the bench itself does not allow for full scapula activation and retraction, which can limit external rotation and use of the upper back. Experienced lifters know how to properly activate the upper back and can get around this, but many others struggle. Lastly, bilateral movements (presses with two hands) can negate the need to isolate each individual shoulder blade due to the fact that using both hands does not require as much stabilization as unilateral movements. With that being said, here are a few variations that make use of these fundamental principles.
 
Dumbbell Piston Press
 
As I mentioned above, unilateral presses allow the shoulder blades to work independently of each other. In addition, they require more external rotation to be created in order to stabilize fully. If I have a baseball player perform a bench press it will be with dumbbells due to the fact that they require more focused stabilization of the scapulae then barbell presses, and allow for a neutral grip to prevent stress on the shoulders.  However, an even better way to guarantee shoulder blade activation and external rotation is to perform dumbbell presses in a piston like manner. That is, perform each press individually (one side at a time) so that the athlete has to pay attention to activating the upper back and externally rotating at the shoulder in order to properly stabilize the weight. I will also utilize these presses at lower weights for dynamic/speed repetitions as well for power development.
 
Barbell Push-Up
 
The barbell push-up not only is a great tool to use in order to teach the art of pressing, but also it eliminates the use of the bench (as I mentioned), which can teach an athlete how to cue and activate the upper back while letting the upper back work independently. Since we are performing presses without the support of the bench we can fully retract the shoulder blades with each repetition and learn how to activate the upper back. This is a simple movement for advanced athletes, so I will usually implement slower movements, isometric holds and even increase the load (with chains) in order to progress the movement and make it more challenging. Any type of push-up variation is great to use for baseball players.
 
Cable or Band Presses
 
            Similarly to push-up variations, cable and/or band presses allow the athlete to perform pushes that allow the scapulae to work independently of one another. They also help place less stress on the shoulders.
 
Bottoms-Up Kettle Bell Presses
 
            This last variation is the most advanced and ties in all the principles I have previously mentioned. Firstly, holding the kettle bells in a bottoms-up position makes external rotation a necessity, and is why I love this variation. If you do not properly externally rotate it is almost impossible to stabilize the kettle bell. In addition, we are once again removing the bench from the equation and requiring true activation of the upper back and retraction (pinching) of the shoulder blades. Lastly, if you really want to advance this variation and take it to the next level you can perform the presses unilaterally (one hand at a time), and tie in the same principles you would be when performing the dumbbell bench press in a piston manner!