The Value of Using Low-Intensity Eccentrics

Most strength and conditioning professionals have read the training manual Triphasic Training, have seen Cal Dietz – the writer of said manual – speak at a conference on the topic, or in the very least have heard of it. Without doing Cal the injustice of trying to fully explain his work, the general idea is to first…

3 Ways to Program For “Sport-Specificity”

The most common questions posed by young ballplayers and coaches alike all seem to be variations of the following: “What exercises are most important for baseball?” “If you had to choose just one exercise, which is best for baseball?” “Can you send me a baseball-specific program?” Likewise, other sport coaches and athletes aside from those in baseball ask…

Hacking the Hip Hinge – A Teaching Progression For Coaches

My training programs, regardless of sport, are always built around a handful of staple or “fundamental” movements. These movements in large part include the squat, hip hinge, lunge (in all planes), and upper body push and pull movements. The order of those movement categories should be noted, as they are generally listed from most to least difficult…

Considerations for Managing the Amateur Pitcher

Today’s youth, adolescent, and amateur pitchers experience a much different brand of baseball than those of generations past. As such, they also undergo entirely different demands. Sure, the kinematic progression over the course of a pitching career probably hasn’t changed all that much, so the physiological demands from the pitching motion itself are relatively the…

The Tommy John Epidemic and Velocity: Are We Nearing Our Physical Limitations?

Not much elaboration is needed when discussing the widespread baseball phenomenon we call the Tommy John Epidemic. With the rates of Tommy John Surgeries in Major & Minor League Baseball spiking in 2015, and the current media spotlight on pitching injuries (including a highly-acclaimed investigative book looking into the “Billion-dollar industry that is pitching”) the emphasis placed on…

4 Things I Learned Being The Youngest Coach on Staff

I’ve recently come to realize that my time working as a “young strength and conditioning coach” is slowly waning away. To be candid, I am 24-years old, and by no means do I consider myself an old coach, or even a veteran coach. But, for what seemed like the longest time I was always considered a young…

Why the Future of Pitching and Arm-Health Scares Me

Disclaimer: I am a former Minor League Strength & Conditioning Coach. As such, my views, thoughts, and opinions do not reflect those of my former employers (the two Professional Baseball organizations that employed me). I know nothing about the health, injury, or training statuses of any Major League Players – including those of the Mets or Dodgers – nor…