The sliding leg curl is a good, closed chain, hip dominant exercise that simultaneously works the muscles involved in knee flexion and hip extension, increases strength and improves coordination among the muscles of the posterior chain. This is a complex and extremely functional exercise when performed correctly in...

During the off-season, I try different activities and think about how I might be able to use a few of these new exercises and drills with my players. Two years ago, I attended a “barre class” that used non-impact, small movement exercises to isolate individual muscle groups. One muscle group that these exercises...

The most important thing to remember about getting faster is: “In order to improve speed, you must run fast in training.” So, running up and down a track or field at 60-70% of max effort will not make you a faster runner. Research indicates that you must run at 95-100% of max speed to increase sprinting speed. In...

In the words Yogi Berra, “you can see a lot by watching”. Over the years, I have learned a lot by talking with and watching opposing strength and conditioning coaches as they put their teams through pre- and post-game warm-ups and workouts. The following is a good, multi-plane, multi-joint, total body, warm-up...

We’ve all been handed advice about food and its effects on the body, on how certain foods are good while others are pure evil. Here’s the scoop on six of my favorite nutrition myths. MYTH #1: There are good foods and bad foods. TRUTH: The only bad food is one you are allergic to, can’t tolerate, or just don’t...

For years, athletes and strength coaches both within and outside the sport of baseball believed that the best way to increase core strength and reduce the risk of low back injuries was to perform multiple sets and reps of exercises in which the athlete flexed and/or rotated the lumbar spine. Now, due in part, to the...

Track and field coaches divide sprint training into three components; acceleration, maximum velocity, and speed endurance. Acceleration is the process of increasing your velocity. Maximum velocity is running all out. Speed endurance is your ability to maintain your maximum velocity. For a sprinter, all three are...

In exercise science, the principle of specificity says that “you get what you train for”.  Thus, if you train by doing a lot of long distance, jogging, cycling or other forms of “cardio” work you will improve your aerobic fitness, but you won’t improve your ability to perform on the field. Why? Because the...

Everyone in the game of baseball understands the importance of core strength and stability. Hitting and pitching coaches empirically know that the core is where power comes from. Scientists have shown that core strength and stability are necessary to prevent injuries, improve mobility and optimize performance (1, 2)....

The baseball season is a marathon. Major League teams play 162 games in approximately 180 days and minor league teams play 142 games in approximately 160 days. The length of the season, frequency of games, rigors of travel, interruptions of sleep, inconsistencies in quality of nourishment, etc. make it almost...