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Do You Have an Arm Care Program?

Do you have an arm care program?  It’s a question we’re often asked by parents of young athletes. Unfortunately, this question also comes with an expectation that any arm care program would be mostly focusing on band work. This couldn’t be farther from reality. With respect to throwing a baseball nothing happens in isolation, and a great arm care program is no different. I can recount many conversations with parents about arm care. And, when I tell them that it’s about a number of different things, including strength training,  I can see it in their eyes. Their response often is “but I’m looking for arm care”.

Let me explain!

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Podcast #122: Maximizing Nutrition to Gain Lean Muscle Mass with Sam and Alex French

Sam French

Today we’re sitting down with Sam French, Freshman Pitcher / Corner Infielder at Red Bank Catholic High School (NJ), and his father Alex French. Sam (Class 2028) is ranked #92 Nationally by Perfect Game as a RHP, and Top 20 Overall in New Jersey.  We’ll be discussing Sam’s recent gains in lean muscle mass, how he got there, and the subsequent gains it has brought him. Topics include:

    • Making nutrition a priority
    • Calculating caloric intake
    • Scheduling meal / snack times
    • Calculating calories to daily expenditure

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Training Deceleration in Baseball Players

In the field of sports performance, we are always looking to improve an athlete’s force and velocity production. By building a bigger “motor” we can improve “horsepower,” giving the athlete the ability to move at higher speeds.  In baseball, this can equate to a player throwing harder, bat speed, or getting down the baselines quicker (first step quickness). However, when we build a bigger motor, we also must build better “brakes”.

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Podcast #121: Maximizing the Recruiting Process with Andy Kiriakedes

Today we’re sitting down with EMD Recruiting’s Andy Kiriakedes. Being both a former player and a coach, Andy brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. Topics Include:

    • Showcases, when and why
    • Downsizing the 40-man college roster, what it means to young athletes
    • New topics that are potentially impacting the recruiting process

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Podcast #120: Off-Season To Do List with TCU’s Zach Dechant

Today we’re sitting down with Zach Dechant Strength and Conditioning and Performance Coach at Texas Christian University (TCU). Today’s topic is going through the off-season “to-do” list. Topics Include:

    • Some main bullet points to achieve in a great off-season protocol
    • Testing and assessing on Day 1
    • Periodization

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Podcast #119: Testing and Training the Shoulder for Optimum Health and Performance

Today, I’ll be discussing testing and training the shoulder to help both optimize performance, as well as help reduce the risk of injury.

Topics include:

    • The importance of optimizing both movement AND stability
    • Testing protocols
    • Training and rehabbing the shoulder / elbow

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Dynamic Neuromuscular Training for Pitchers

DNS or “Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization” is a training method that was developed by Czech physiotherapist Pavel Kovar in the 1990’s and was brought to the forefront of training 10 years ago with the release of Frans Bosch’s book, “Strength Training and Coordination”.  It’s fair to say that it has since struck the baseball player development realm by storm.

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