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The Top Secret Part I Left out from the Secret Sauce

Top Secret

My prior article on our Secret Sauce at RPP (click here) ended with this “Oh, and making our pitchers as strong and explosive as we can, in all the right places”.  In this article, I would like to go a little further and review why and how we have been successful in training high performance athletes. The truth is, it’s all about mass customization.  Strength training is science but it’s also art. I have heard my partner, Nunzio Signore, say to clients a million times “the body is connected in all parts and ways, a potential issue in one location may very well be due to an issue somewhere else”.  The reality is that every athlete that walks into our facility needs a different road-map to be the best they can be.  So here we go with the Top Secret stuff… Continue reading “The Top Secret Part I Left out from the Secret Sauce”

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Interview with Pitching Lab Coach and Cleveland Indians RHP Robbie Aviles

Robbie Aviles - Pitching Lab

We are here with right-handed pitcher Robbie Aviles with the Cleveland Indians.  We are very excited that he is joining us at the Pitching Lab.  By way of background, Robbie is from Suffern.  He was a high school phenom having received multiple offers from multiple colleges for multiple sports, including football, basketball and baseball.

At graduation from Suffern, Robbie was ranked 21st overall in the country by Perfect Game and was gunned at 94 mph just prior to graduation.  He was also 2010 Rawlings-Perfect Game 1st Team All-American.  He was on his way to being a 1st Round draft pick.  However, unfortunately just before the 2010 MLB Draft, Robbie found out that he would need Tommy John surgery.  He was ultimately drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 7th Round where he has been playing for the past seven years.  Robbie is the real deal and he knows his craft. Continue reading “Interview with Pitching Lab Coach and Cleveland Indians RHP Robbie Aviles”

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Parents… Stop Wasting Your Money (Pitchers) – Part 2

Toilet Paper Dollar Bills

When I wrote Part 1 of this series on wasting money, I didn’t think that there would be a Part 2 (click here for Part 1) or a Part 3.  But then we were provided with several years of showcase results and data by a showcase operator.  So, I am going to tell you what it takes to be seen (as showcases like to say) and actually get noticed, here we go with “Stop Wasting Your Money – Part 2” related specifically to pitchers.

Continue reading “Parents… Stop Wasting Your Money (Pitchers) – Part 2”

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Ramsey’s Ryan Vatcher… Doing What it Takes to be Exceptional

Ramsey's Vatcher

Most highly motivated and highly skilled athletes are generally also very bright. So, when it comes to learning and “buying in” to their training regimen, they’re all ears. This is called “athlete education” and nothing can be more rewarding than watching them “do what it takes to be exceptional”, while reaping great results at the same time. Continue reading “Ramsey’s Ryan Vatcher… Doing What it Takes to be Exceptional”

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Interview with Kinnelon’s RHP Paul Cannarella (coming off Tommy John Surgery)

FullSizeRenderWe are here with Kinnelon’s Paul Cannarella.  Paul came to us in the fall of his senior year and has been training with us for almost a year.  He graduated from Kinnelon High School this year and unfortunately during this spring season he hurt his elbow.  He had Tommy John surgery and he is now on his path to recovery.  I thought it could be a great interview and learning experience to hear Paul tell his story first hand.

Continue reading “Interview with Kinnelon’s RHP Paul Cannarella (coming off Tommy John Surgery)”

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What’s Your Secret Sauce?

Secret Sauce

Many pitchers who haven’t been to our facility often ask “What’s your secret sauce?”  Now, please remember I am not a strength or pitching coach.  I am just a guy with an Electrical Engineering degree, an MBA, 30 years of business experience and a dad.  So, much of my commentary is based on what I observe up close in our facility and as a parent of 2 boys growing up playing ball.  Frankly, over the years I have seen it all, from the straight up hitting and pitching facility to the strength and conditioning place.  RPP is different in every way.  And here’s why… Continue reading “What’s Your Secret Sauce?”

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What is Velocity-Based Training? What Are the Benefits?

velocity based training

Athletes who are able to recruit higher ratios of Type II “fast twitch” muscle fibers have shown to be able to produce more power.  For ballplayers, this means that they are more likely to throw harder off the mound or have a higher exit velo at the plate.  Genetics do come into play, but many times they only give us a better “starting point”.  By no means should they dictate a definitive “end-point”.  After reading a copy of Dr. Bryan Mann’s book on velocity-based training (VBT) a light went off in my head as to how elements of VBT could be implemented here at RPP.    Continue reading “What is Velocity-Based Training? What Are the Benefits?”

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Interview with Tenafly’s LHP Aljo Sujak

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We are here with Tenafly’s LHP Aljo Sujak, who will be entering his freshman year at William and Mary this coming September.  Aljo was selected as Baseball Player of the Year this past spring by NorthJersey.com (The Record), which is obviously a significant honor. He started training with us about a year ago and spent the better part of last fall training 3-5 times per week.  He continued throughout the winter with the Pitching Lab and also trained all in-season throughout the spring.  Needless to say, as POY in Bergen county, he had a phenomenal spring season. As a primary pitcher, he blasted 11 home runs and during 56 innings of work he struck out 72 players.  He finished 5-2 with a 2.25 earned-run average.

Continue reading “Interview with Tenafly’s LHP Aljo Sujak”

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Training Explosiveness through Strength Training

Explosive Top

For parents of some young athletes (for the scope of this article I’m talking about athletes ages 13-16), lifting heavy weights seems to get a bad rap. Years ago players were told not to lift weights because it would make them too “big”.  You could even hear words like “stiff” or “tight” getting thrown around at the drop of a hat.

While I whole heartedly believe in the phrase that “age is wisdom”, this would be one of those times that I beg to differ.  Being strong is a good thing.  And if you want to be explosive you have to be strong first.  Performance, speed (have I got your attention now?) and injury prevention all are built on a foundation of strength. But exactly what type of strength training and at what age seems to be where parents (and strength and conditioning coaches for that matter) get tripped up.

Most of you who read my blogs know that I spend a great deal of time emphasizing training according to where the athlete is during the season. Let’s take a look… Continue reading “Training Explosiveness through Strength Training”