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Why Athletes Need to Continue with Strength Training In-season

By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, NASM, PES, FMS)

In-Season Strength Training

We’re coming to the end of our off-season training and it’s great to watch most of our athletes hitting personal records this week, both on the mound and in the hitting cage. It’s also equally great to see the “aha” moments in many of their eyes when they realize a big part of their new-found confidence and all-around athleticism are directly related to being introduced to strength training and getting stronger in the weight room. Continue reading “Why Athletes Need to Continue with Strength Training In-season”

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Customized Summer Strength Training at RPP

By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)

We’re gearing up for another summer of fully customized strength training for our athletes interested in pushing themselves to optimize their craft.  Every summer we see dedicated athletes torn between pleasing their coach and joining some random summer team to “work their stuff” or taking what is possibly they’re last chance to spend an entire summer gaining a much needed 10-20 lbs, get stronger, improve their velocity or learn a new pitch. The reality is that often they’re experiencing no gains at all or even drops in weight/velo when they return to school in the fall. Bottom line is if your velo has stayed the same year-over-year your training SUCKS! Continue reading “Customized Summer Strength Training at RPP”

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Baseball in March – Let’s Not Get ahead of Ourselves

By Nunzio Signore (BA, CPT, CSCS, NASM, PES, FMS)

Baseball in March Top

The beginning of baseball season is an exciting time. Unfortunately, it’s also a time when many ball players shoot themselves in the foot.  Let me explain.  Once we get to March and tryouts begin, many players view this as the beginning of the baseball season, and unfortunately, also see it as a cue to stop strength training. Continue reading “Baseball in March — Let’s Not Get ahead of Ourselves”

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Training Ball Players In-season with VBT (Velocity-Based Training)

By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)

With baseball season quickly approaching, we’re beginning to see everyone’s idea of what a great in-season program encompasses being posted all over the internet. While some of these are quite good, unfortunately others are either too heavy on volume and intensity, or are so light the athlete is better off taking the day off. In my opinion, baseball players can and should be training hard, as long as throwing and exercise selection are taken into consideration and they’re training in the correct strength-zones. Enter velocity-based training (VBT). Continue reading “Training Ball Players In-season with VBT (Velocity-Based Training)”

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4 Simple Ways to Maintain Lower Half Power In-Season

By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)

Lower Top 1

The reality is that during the season many pitchers may have difficulty getting to the gym more than 1-2 x’s per week. So here at RPP, we recommend supplementing your in-season training with some strength / mobility work that can be done at home or at the field. These exercises are designed to maintain your strength and mobility without creating any residual soreness that could effect on-field performance. It’s not as efficient as coming into the gym and getting your reps done but it’s better than not doing anything at all… much better. Continue reading “4 Simple Ways to Maintain Lower Half Power In-Season”

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Value of In-Season Training… Maintaining Strength, Power and Velo

By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)

At this time of the year, after a full off-season of strength training, upcoming tryouts and practices, erratic throwing schedules, sitting on the bench in a kyphotic posture, waiting to get your reps on the mound are a few of the variables that can wreak havoc on an athlete’s body and more importantly his arm. Continue reading “Value of In-Season Training… Maintaining Strength, Power and Velo”

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Customized Strength Training at RPP; The Why and How it Works

By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)

Every off-season I see dedicated athletes basically spinning their wheels and settling for thrown-together ineffective off-season programming, simply because the location is convenient, or they’re feeling pressure from the travel team they play with to train with them.  The reality is that often they’re experiencing mediocre gains or no gains at all when they should be improving dramatically. They’re settling for acceptable when they should be expecting optimal. Bottom line is if your velo has stayed the same year-over-year your training probably SUCKS! Continue reading “Customized Strength Training at RPP; The Why and How it Works”

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Command and Control – Case Study: Butler’s Josh Loeschorn

By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)

As strength coaches, our goal is to not only improve an athlete’s performance but also keeping our athletes healthy during the season. This is not unlike a race car that comes out of the gate blazing and after 100 laps requires a “pit stop” to try to address wear and tear. Continue reading “Command and Control — Case Study: Butler’s Josh Loeschorn”

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Training the Force-Velocity Curve with VBT… How it Works – Part 2

By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)

As far as athletic performance goes, it’s getting clearer and clearer that strength, speed and power are king (click here for Part 1). That’s why maximizing training protocols for a sport with movements as quick and explosive as baseball is paramount. Increasing strength and power involves:

    • Increasing muscle fiber size and structure
    • Increasing the activation and rate of firing time of motor units

Continue reading “Training the Force-Velocity Curve with VBT… How it Works — Part 2”

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In-Season Training… Starting Hard, Finishing Harder

By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)

Baseball In-Season Training

Getting strong in the off-season to prepare for great performance on the field is paramount, but let’s not forget that it’s the athlete that finishes the season as strong as he started that usually reaps the most reward. Drops in velo, both on the mound and off the bat, as well as injuries, can all be a result of not training in-season. So, you basically are the creator of your own destiny. Continue reading “In-Season Training… Starting Hard, Finishing Harder”