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Strength and Stability

  • Let's Get Nerdy!


    First I want to tell you real quickly why I am doing this. Here lately the numbers of studies on baseball and sports have dramatically increased, and while I have no problem with studies, I just am not sure if all of these are really helping you get better. I wanted to present things from an anatomical or body perspective. We have a good grasp on the muscles in the body and how they work. This hasn’t really changed much in the last few years if not longer. I wanted to present something to you that would be simple enough that you can implement today to improve your performance! Do not get me wrong, the body is not simple by any means, but there are some ways to start and advance from there.

    Now let’s talk about the Gluteus Medius. It can be found lateral aspect of the upper buttock. It is responsible for abduction and medial rotation of the hip. Hip rotation is critical in creating power in rotational athletes and also serves as a way to stabilize during other activities or sports.

    Here are a few examples on how coaches train this with their athletes:

    Exercise Band Activation: Band just above the knee. Knees are forced outward in order to gain tension in the gluteus medius. Wes Johnson presented this at the ABCA where he stated he tried to implement this with as many drills as he could like wall ball series, squats, hip bridges, clams, and etc…

    Donley Hip Spin: This is different than most products because it actually places the tension on hip and not the waist. It also works unilaterally so the athlete is not able to compensate.

    Pummel Ball Throws: This incorporates and integrates the full body while still keeping the primary focus on hip rotation. The ball tosses are commonly referred to by Eric Cressey, Lee Fiocci, and others as a great way work on full body rotation and power transfer. The pummel ball is ideal for this as it was made to be slammed into walls or the ground and is very durable.

    These are just a few exercises that can be used to activate and strengthen the Gluteus Medius. It may be important to stretch or work on tissue quality in this area as well. This is why you should consult with your instructor or therapist to make sure you are getting the right balance of strengthening, stretching, and tissue maintenance.

    Hopefully this gave you an insight to a powerful muscle utilized in rotational activities, and showed you how some of the greatest strength conditioning coaches train this in a holistic approach. As I stated before, one muscle is not everything, but it provides and good basis to start with and advance further. Make sure to tune in for the next video for another look into the anatomy of the human body.

    Remember to be unique And


  • What Is a Growth Plate Injury? What Do Our Baseball Training Programs Do To Fix Them? by Randy Sullivan, MPT, CSCS

    At our baseball training programs camps, we work with players of every age and experience level. It’s not uncommon to have a major league client on site, but it’s also not unusual to see a cool 9 year-old running around .

    Spring Training is beginning soon for major and minor league professionals, college and high school seasons are rolling and the young guys — middle schoolers and below — are launching into their rec and travel ball campaigns.
    About this time of year, as the arm pain management division of the Baseball Ranch® consortium, I field a lot of questions about growth plate injuries.

    So what are growth plate injuries, and how do they occur?

    First let me tell you what they are not… usually they are not catastrophic. So when you find that your son or daughter, or one of your players has suffered a growth plate injury there is no need to panic. Most of the time, a simple period of rest is all they need to get back on track.
    eliminating arm pain with baseball training camps
    Think of growth plates as little factories, manufacturing bone cells and depositing them on the bone to make it longer. There are several growth plates in the shoulder and the elbow. When an athlete is fully grown, these growth plates fuse and the factory shuts down. At younger ages, growth plates are highly active and vulnerable to stress.

    When exposed to abnormal stress, the body will usually break at its weakest link. In older athletes, the weak link is the connective tissue (rotator cuff, labrum, UCL). In the younger population the weak link is the growth plate.

    Not all growth plate injuries are the same. In our baseball training camps and programs, we treat growth plate injuries very differently depending on the type of injury. If you’re dealing with a growth plate injury, it’s good to understand the classifications.

    The Nature Of Different Growth Plate Injuries

    The Salter-Harris classification is a simple and easy to remember system to identify the nature and severity of a growth plate injury. It uses the name “Salter” as a pneumonic memory jogger. According to, it goes like this:

    2. Fracture ABOVE the growth plate
    3. Fracture LOWER than (below) the growth plate – fracture extends to the articular surface
    4. Fracture THROUGH the growth plate
    5. Fracture ERASING/compressing/squashing the growth plate – this is the worst kind because with disruption of the growth plate comes disruption of growth. Type “ER” injuries are usually caused by rare occurrences such as frostbite, electric shock and irradiation. They’re hard to see on x-rays but show up on MRIs.

    baseball training programs to eliminate arm pain

    Depending on the classification of the injury, treatment could range from simple rest, to casting, to surgery.

    Most of the growth plate injuries we see are of the “S” variety — the growth plate becomes separated, and manifests itself in the form of pain. This type of injury may or may not be seen on x-ray. But, if a young athlete experiences persistent pain in the shoulder or the elbow, you should be suspicious of a growth plate injury.

    The same variables that contribute to soft tissue injuries in the older athlete, also place the growth plates at risk. I discussed these factors at great length in my book, Start With The Pain: The Complete Guide To Managing Arm Pain In The Elite Throwing Athlete, but as a review, here they are again in order of significance:

    Type 1 contributors: structural/physical related (tightness, weakness, asymmetries, imbalances, etc…)
    Type 2 contributors: movement pattern related.
    Type 3 contributors: tissue preparation and recovery.
    Type 4 contributors: training related factors.
    Type 5 contributors: workload (pitch counts, innings limits).
    Type 6 contributors: nutrition, hydration, sleep, and psychological stress.

    What We Do For Growth Plate Injuries

    Coaches at our baseball training camps know that, when you have a soft tissue injury (UCL, labrum, rotor cuff) that doesn’t result in catastrophic failure, it’s very important during the rehab process that you provide controlled stress to organize the healing tissue along the line of resistance. It’s a concept known as Davis’s Law – a physiologic precept stating that all connective tissue in the human body organizes itself to resist the stresses under which it is placed. For this reason, in the case of soft tissue injuries to the throwing athlete, rest may be the worst thing you can do. If the tissue is not completely disrupted, it needs a mechanical signal to guide reorganization as it heals. This is when we recommend light throwing or throwing in the Durathro® Training Sock for players in our baseball training programs.

    What To Do While Healing

    But when it comes to growth plate injuries, tissue reorganization is not the primary goal. Protecting the growth plate and preventing the injury from progressing to a more serious situation is the order at hand. In that regard, the growth plate injury is one of the few throwing disorders for which I would indeed prescribe total rest. An acceptable amount of rest could range from 2-8 weeks depending on the nature and severity of the injury. By “rest”, we mean avoidance of throwing, not complete cessation of all training activities.

    When working with injured players in our baseball training camps, one of our mantras is, “Never let what you can’t do keep you from doing what you can.” While the athlete is waiting for his growth plate aggravation to subside, he should work to eliminate any possible constraints in stability and/or mobility that might be contributing to the problem. He may also be able to work on improving lower half power and efficiency – traits that will help him attenuate stress on the arm once he’s read to resume throwing. During this time, the young athlete can also learn a quality warm-up and recovery process that will serve him well when he eventually resumes throwing activities.

    After Rest Period

    After the appropriate rest period has elapsed, it is extremely important to address all the movement pattern related variables that might have contributed to the injury. A video analysis of the throwing pattern should reveal any arm action of lower half inefficiencies that might have combined with structural, preparation, recovery, or training related factors that could have created an environment for his injury to occur. From this analysis, an individualized corrective throwing plan can be designed and executed.

    Frequency, intensity and volume of throwing should always be ramped up gradually, monitoring the athlete for any report of pain.

    If you are the parent or coach of a young thrower, awareness of the possibility of a growth plate injury could lead to early detection, intervention and avoidance of a more severe injury.

    Do you need to get an x-ray or a MRI immediately if your adolescent thrower reports pain? Probably not.

    Most growth plate injuries are relatively benign and respond well to brief rest. However, in the case of intense, intolerable pain, or if the pain persists even after a couple of weeks of rest, it may be helpful to seek out imaging to get a more clear picture of the situation and possible treatment options.

    Are you having arm pain? If you are, I’m sure you’d like to get it settled. If you don’t take care of it now, at best it could nag you throughout the rest of the year and at worst it could evolve into something more serious.

    We literally wrote the book on arm pain management. Learn more about how we eliminate arm pain. Then give us a call at 866-STRIKE3 (866-787-4533) and let us set you up with a Precision Strike One Day, One-on-One Evaluation and Training Plan.

    We’ll do a total body physical exam and a video analysis to identify any variable that might be contributing to your pain. We’ll work with you to develop a training plan tailored to your specific need and we’ll help you return to pain free throwing quickly and safely.

    We can’t wait to see you at The Ranch.

    Baseball training programs that eliminate arm pain
    Randy Sullivan, MPT, CSCS
    CEO, Florida Baseball Ranch

  • The Top 4 Ways Pitchers Become Disconnected - By Randy Sullivan, MPT, CSCS

    “Overhand throwing is an unnatural movement.”

    That’s what “they” say.
    Who says that?
    You know, the ubiquitous yet ever-elusive “they” who reign supreme as the self-appointed authority on just about everything.

    Well… not surprisingly, “they” are wrong again.

    According to a June 2013 report published in the journal Nature, throwing has been “natural” since our Homo Erectus ancestors began chucking rocks and sticks at large prey about 1.9 million years ago.

    Humans are born to throw.It’s in our DNA. And when left to our own devices, most throwers learn to do so without the need for any coaching or guidance. Yet, despite the natural nature (that’s redundant and repetitive) of throwing, injury rates continue to climb and although most players desire to throw at a high level, many never achieve it.

    How can this be?

    As I reflect on this question, I am guided toward yet another stroke of brilliance from Coach Ron Wolforth of The Texas Baseball Ranch. Sometime around 2015, Coach Wolforth presented a list of 11 of the most common “disconnections” that limit a player’s ability to throw hard, demonstrate elite level command, developed high caliber secondary stuff and/or recover on schedule. At the risk of sounding like a slobbering lap dog, I am frequently impressed by Ron’s ability to see through complex problems and pare them down to comprehensible, manageable categories. Hyper-individualization of training plans across multiple dimensions is the hallmark and the desired endpoint of the TBR/FBR consortium but without categorization there can be no systemized path to customization.

    Categorize, then customize.
    That’s the formula and in my opinion it’s brilliant.

    Throwing at a superior level is about being “connected”. When a delivery is connected all the body parts are acting in timing and synergy with one another. Every part is playing its proper role and performing in concert with all the other body parts and those parts are operating around a stable spine.
    Disconnections are defined as instances when a body part acts independently, away from the natural synergy of the rest of the body or apart from a stable spine. Disconnections add stress to connective tissue that can result in injury, premature fatigue and/or difficulty with recovery. Disconnections can also limit an athlete’s ability to summate the forces in the kinetic chain, thereby limiting the ability to achieve optimal velocity. And finally, disconnections can lead to early unraveling of the movement pattern, resulting in command issues and substandard secondary stuff
    Being connected is natural. Disconnections are unnatural.

    So, why do some throwing athletes become disconnected?

    In my experience there are 4 reasons a throwing athlete develops disconnections (and these are listed in order from the most common to the least common).

    • Their disconnections are taught. Through the years, I’ve studied throwing more than most and I’ve screwed some things up along the way. Frankly, many of the concepts I espoused as a young coach probably did more harm than good. There are about 1000 kids I should find and offer my apologies. I taught what I knew… and I was wrong. Like me, there are many well-meaning coaches who unfortunately possess incomplete or in correct information. I’ve never met a coach who intentionally made a player worse, or chose to put him at risk for injury. Nonetheless, many of the standard teaching points in traditional pitching instruction are simply wrong and they encourage disconnections. “Get your elbow up”. “Point the ball to second base.” “Tall and fall.” “Push off the rubber.” All of these well intentioned commands can lead to disconnections that add stress to connective tissue, rob a pitcher of velocity and negatively impact command and secondary stuff. Yes, indeed… many times disconnections are taught.
    • They are desperately seeking energy in the wrong places. When inefficiencies present themselves, they tend to disrupt the kinetic chain such that a player attempting to maximize production subconsciously searches for motor patterns that might be counterproductive or might even put him at risk for injury. This is most commonly demonstrated in the disconnection that is the highly debated inverted W. Defined as any time the throwing athlete moves one or both elbows into extreme abduction with internal rotation of the shoulder. Typically, athletes who demonstrate this disconnection also exhibit poor lower half efficiency. Lacking support from the ground, they look to their upper bodies to produce the energy needed to approach elite level throwing. In my experience, many times if you can improve the lower half movement pattern, this upper half problem goes away.
    • They have mobility or stability constraints that force them to adopt a particular movement pattern. I say this quite often. Mobility and stability constraints are intimately interwoven. Often one will spawn the other. For example, if you have tight quads or you have poor ankle mobility, you’ll probably have a hard time getting into a glute load. Your mobility restrictions will force you to shift your weight toward the ball of your foot and you’ll become quad dominant. This will project the direction of your load toward the on deck circle on your arm side. From this point, unless you have crazy hip internal rotation mobility and motor control, you’ll either land across your body and throw hook shots toward home plate (significantly stressing your connective tissue in the process), or you’ll disconnect with a lead leg opening early, premature torso rotation, leaning hard to the glove side with your posture, you’ll push or leap with your back leg, instead of rotating, in a move that will cause you to release the ball with your back foot in the air – effectively eliminating any further contribution from your lower half. Mobility and/or stability constraint are often major contributors to disconnection and they’re frequently ignored. If you hope to change a pitchers biomechanical patter, you must assess for contributory physical constraints concurrently with a high-speed video analysis.
    • Their body randomly selects an inefficient pathway as they are learning their movement pattern. One of the fundamental principles in motor learning is known as Bernstein Principle #1 and it states, “The body will organize itself in accordance to the overall goal of the activity.” If given a clear goal, the body will find a way to accomplish the task. Note, however that we said the body will find “a way.” That doesn’t necessarily mean it will always choose the safest or the most efficient way. That’s where master teaching/coaching can play the most significant role in player development. As players begin to self-organize new movements we can use motor learning strategies to maximize efficiency and safety, increase the rate of learning for the student and improve transfer to game performance.

    As a master teacher or coach, it is our responsibility to design and execute training protocols that take advantage of all the available motor learning science principle to suppress, improve or eliminate disconnections. And, it seems to me that it would be a whole lot easier to catch them before they became a problem. Get your athlete connected first. Then add energy. That is the Ranch formula and so far it’s going pretty well… and getting better all the time.

    If you’re a throwing athlete who needs to get connected, here’s how you can connect with us, here are 3 links to get you there:

    • Come spend a week or two with us at our incredible Complete Game Winter Training Program. Stay anywhere from 1-6 weeks and train up to 5 hours per day, 5 days per week. Get connected and ramped up for the best season of your life. Click Here to learn more.
    • Schedule a Precision Strike, One-day, One-on-One evaluation and training session. We’ll spend up to 5 hours in a one-on-one experience assessing you for inefficiencies and physical constrain. Then we’ll take that information and design a custom-made training plan that will leave no stone unturned and you’ll leave not only with a world-class comprehensive training plan but you’ll also be offered a process to stay connected with us so we can help you continue your improvement. Click Here to learn more or call us a 866-787-4533 (866-STRIKE3) to schedule an appointment.
    • Come to a weekend Elite Performance Boot Camp. In what can only be considered 2 days of amazing, we’ll conduct a full court press assessment, teach you all the drills and exercises necessary to correct your inefficiencies. You’ll learn about our leading edge motor learning approach and we’ll teach you all you need to know about strength and conditioning, tissue preparation and recovery. You’ll leave with a plan that will make the complex subject of elite thrower training simple and easy to implement.

    We can’t wait to see you at The Ranch®.

    Randy Sullivan, MPT, CSCS
    CEO, Florida Baseball Ranch


    Wait… What?


    I was perusing through twitter last week and saw this blast.


    It was accompanied by this infograph.




    Both are true…


    Ok. So lets go through this again:

    We’ll start with the “increases stress” argument.






    Let me explain.




    Three key attractors I have found in throwing are:








    The “repeatable delivery” does not exist.




    That is the beauty of long toss!



    My sentiments exactly!




    @ me if you want.

    Let's Discuss!

    Randy Sullivan, MPT, CSCS

    CEO, Florida Baseball Ranch


    In my last blog, I discussed several things a baseball player can learn from powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters. As with anything, there are pros and cons to consider before implementing programs effectively. In this article, I will outline some of the cons with both of these training modalities as it applies to baseball players (more specifically pitchers). I do not mean to make a blanket statement that powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting is a bad form of training. Instead, I simply take into account specific considerations that affect the baseball population.

    Before we get into the specifics of the two programs, let us look at the things to consider when training overhead throwing athletes. The first common issue in overhead throwing athletes is laxity in the shoulder. Laxity is a term describing looseness of connective tissue around a joint. This is important to have when throwing a baseball, as the shoulder externally and internally rotates at extreme ranges of motion and high speeds. However, laxity also means the shoulder lacks stability, which makes it harder to protect the joint under high stress. The next common issue amongst pitchers is a valgus carry in their throwing elbow. This puts extra stress on the structure of the athletes’ arms. Lastly, you will find that most pitcher’s have scapula winging. This means the base level of strength in the athlete’s upper back is not present.  With this in mind, Olympic lifting requires a tremendous amount of stability when performing a lift, the precise stability that much of the baseball population does not have. Powerlifting requires a larger than normal amount of muscularity in the upper back. Most people would be surprised that the two key areas that work in the bench press is the triceps and upper back.  Given the above, it would be much riskier than any resulting reward to have the athlete performing these two programs. That does not mean that all baseball athletes have these issues, or that they should never work up to this type of training, but it is certain something to consider before an athlete jumps into such a program.

    Let’s also take a deeper look into the programs. There is a common misconception that Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting increases explosive power. This is not an accurate statement. If you are performing a squat, and you are doing 60% or more of your one rep max, you will not be moving at a speed that will build explosive power or plyometric power. Instead, you are building strength-speed which is not “specific” to the demands of throwing a baseball. Now take a snatch or power clean. You are still using a weight of 60% or more of one rep max, and you are building the same strength-speed. The velocity of the bar will not change as the percentage will be the same. What Olympic weightlifting does train is quick deceleration, as the athlete tries to quickly dive under the bar to catch it. Again, this is not specific to baseball pitchers, since they are accelerating at a quicker rate. Professor Yuri Verkhoshansky devised the formula to build plyometric explosiveness.  This formula requires that the load be around 20% or less. This is extremely tough to do with powerlifting or weightlifting since the bar already weighs 45lbs. It would be hard to find an athlete who can snatch 225lbs which would make the bar the appropriate weight to train for explosiveness. Take one look on Instagram, and you will be hard pressed to find someone doing just the bar. I mean it is just not cool!

    Lastly, these programs work in the sagittal and frontal planes. Delivering a pitch or swinging a bat works in the transverse plane. It would only make sense to train in the same plane that the competition is performed in. This does not mean that there is not a time and place for anti-rotation, anti-flexion, or anti-extension. It just means there is a better chance for carry-over to the game when performing activities as similar as possible to the activities in the game. This is why medicine ball throws, slams, and tosses are key in training rotational athletes. And this is why Oates Specialties carries several implements that when used properly increases the likelihood of power transfer.

    In conclusion, implementing any type of training is a risk verses reward analysis. One must consider the adaptations that each athletic population deals with, and also the specific demands of the sport. Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting programs can sometimes add too much risk while not adding enough reward. Remember that regardless of which of these training programs you are looking at, it is geared toward strength and not explosiveness. You must ask yourself which do you need more of to be a successful baseball player?


    Be unique and #BeELITE

  • What Can Baseball Players Learn from Powerlifters and Olympic Weightlifters?

    Let me start off by saying that I will not be debating on whether or not baseball athletes should use powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting programs. Instead, in this two part series, I will identify the things that one can take away from each and apply to their own program to make them better, as well as mentioning the negative effects each one has on baseball specific activities. For the first part of my series, I will stick with the benefits each ideology can have on creating a well-rounded program.

    Let’s start with powerlifting. You will not find ordinary Olympic size weight plates, dumbbells, or rigs on Oates Specialties' website because we believe in providing you with specialty items that are unique, different, and highly functional. This does not mean that we are anti-weight room. Instead, we believe people spend too much time under the barbell. Which brings me to the first thing we can learn from powerlifters: Louie Simmons, owner of Westside Barbell, trains the strongest powerlifters in the world, yet he adheres to the belief that his lifters should only be doing barbell training 20% of the time. That’s right, the strongest lifters on the planet, whose sport is lifting barbells, are only under the bar 20% of the time. This is telling, considering lifting heavy barbells isn’t required for the sport of baseball, but a lot of programs are centered around the weight room.  The other 80% of the time he has his athletes performing accessory movements which focus on their weaknesses. Most people would attempt to fix weaknesses through stretching or isolated muscle building, but this often doesn't solve the problem.  What if a baseball pitcher had trouble with the speed and power of their hip rotation? It is important to train weak movements as well as weak body parts.

    Powerlifters also use a wide stance on squats and push their feet out like they are tearing a piece of paper from the floor so that they can increase tension in their abductors and glute medius. The glute medius is crucial for hip rotation. If you will watch a powerlifter, they do not jump from side to side. They simply use the abductors to hold tension but not provide movement. Elite baseball pitchers and hitters do very similar things. They are not creating a push off the mound, but they are instead creating tension through the entire leg so they can rotate faster. While on the subject of creating and keeping tension, think about what a powerlifter does immediately before lifting a heavy barbell. They take a big breath to fill their stomach and chest with air. This increases the intraabdominal pressure (increasing pressure around the spine in the stomach) which acts like a brace on the spine protecting it from damage. This pressure build up is critical for keeping the spine healthy during maximum effort attempts. For those of you that have read Brian Oates’ blog “   “Max Effort” Pitchers       “ you already know that to throw a pitch in the mid 90’s, it takes a max effort delivery. If this bracing is important for the health of the spine during maximum effort lifts, it only makes sense that it be important during a maximum effort pitch or swing. The other benefit of bracing the core is to provide stability in a joint that is supposed to be stable, thereby unlocking mobility in the hips and thoracic spine. If you look at an elite athlete pitching or swinging a bat, the movement requires an incredible amount of mobility in their movement pattern.

    Now moving on to what we can learn from weightlifting programs. The soviet, Bulgarian, and Chinese weightlifting programs change loads and exercises every workout to keep the body adapting to new stress. The Law of Accommodation states that by handling the same load and same exercises consistently, the body adapts then stops progressing. In fact it can even regress. Now what can baseball players take away from this law? That the load and exercises they perform should be ever changing. This is not a new concept. Frans Bosch, a world renowned exercise physiologist from the Netherlands who works with Olympic javelin throwers, stated as much during his speech at Ron Wolforth’s Ultimate Pitching Coaches Boot Camp a couple years ago. We adhere to this philosophy through the use of weighted balls, weighted bats, differing drills, uneven training implements like water based tools, and the use of uneven surfaces so that we can efficiently keep adding stimulus to the body so it never stops progressing. Most opponents of weighted implements do not understand this principle.

    Next, the use of bands and chains is very common in powerlifting and foreign weightlifting programs. Why do they use bands and chains for added tension? It prolongs the amount of time the athlete has to accelerate. They cannot use momentum which would stop the acceleration and would actually force them to decelerate sooner. Again, in the baseball world, weighted implements, as well as tubing, can be used to extend the acceleration phase which would increase the amount of total force put out. Resistance tubing is often thought to be great for shoulder warm-ups or arm specific movements, but we develop our tubing so that they can be used through a dynamic full range of motion which includes emulating the pitching motion.

    The last thing I will discuss in this post is how strength is actually gained in powerlifting and weightlifting programs. The answer is simple, concise, and easy to understand. VOLUME. Total volume is what really determines strength. Louie Simmons focuses on total volume during dynamic effort or speed-strength days. It is crucial that his athletes meet the minimum volume for that day. In the baseball community, we look at volume in a bad way. How many pitches has Johnny thrown today? This week? This Season? We seem to go back to normal when it comes to batting. How many swings did Johnny take today? It doesn't make sense to think of volume as a good thing in every movement except for pitching/throwing. I place throwing in there because coaches are even concerned how many warm-up throws, bullpen pitches, or training throws they make each day. Why is volume bad? It increases stress. Why is Volume good? It increases stress. Do you believe too much stress is bad? Of course! Do you think too little stress will prevent gains? Absolutely! We should stop looking at volume as a bad thing, and we should take a point from Louise in that we should train optimally. There is an optimum amount of volume/stress for each athlete, and each person will require a different amount because of their own unique make-up.

    In concluding, you can see simple things that we can take away from a community that is not necessarily in close relation to what the game of baseball requires of its athletes. Why did I choose weightlifting and powerlifting? They are some of the oldest competitive sports in the world. Almost everything has been tried and tested, and only the successful parts are still in use today. The next time you watch these sports, do not focus on the fact that the athletes are under a bar. Instead, I challenge you to watch them as they perform their accessory work, prepare for the lift, and recover from the lift. You can see pieces that can help you in your search to become an elite baseball athlete. In the second part of this blog, I will detail a few negative aspects of these sports, and why baseball athletes should not be necessarily too eager to jump into doing the same lifts.

    Be unique and #BeELITE!





    Any moron can make you sore.


    One problem…

    Sore does not equal good!











    you consider “pear” a shape.




    but maybe not.









    Let me explain.






    Specificity and load characteristics can be divided into 3 categories:

    Type 1: High specificity, low/no load

    Type 2: Moderate specificity, moderate load

    Type 3: Low specificity, heavy load



    15% Type 1: high specificity, no/low load

    70% Type 2: moderate specificity, moderate load

    15% Type 3: low specificity, heavy load













    Changing The Athlete:


    Changing The Task:


    Changing The Environment:



    Attractors and Fluxuators:




    contraction of all the muscles around the back hip.















    We’ll see you at the Ranch!

    Randy Sullivan, MPT, CSCS










  • Athletes' Performance Pyramid

    Having on-the-field success is the ultimate goal for all athletes. But how is that achieved? The vast majority of people focus on (1) sport specific training and/or (2) athletic abilities, such as strength and speed. Yet, there are more factors that contribute to success than just those two. We all know people with tremendous physical abilities that never achieve success on the field. I think the following graphic is a great example of the building block components that make up a successful athletic performance.

    Continue reading

  • How to Implement Khaos Training in Your Program By: Gunnar Thompson, NASM-CPT, PES

    By now you know that unpredictable training is the missing link in the majority of performance training programs, and you know some of the tools that can help you train using this potent method which will result in a greater transfer to on the field performance. If you have not read the first and second part in this series of blogs about “Khaos Training,” I recommend you start with those first ("Khaos" Training Old But Becoming New Again, and "Khaotic Equipment" - Unpredictable Training Equipment, Part Two). For those that have read these blogs, it has probably left a question in your mind: “How can I implement this into my programs?”  These are the questions that I will answer in this post.

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  • "Khaotic Equipment" - Unpredictable Training Equipment Part Two, by Gunnar Thompson

    “Khaos Training,” or unpredictable training, is a key component that is often missing when developing a training program for athletes. The demand for players to adapt and make adjustments in their sport is critical for success. It is really easy for coaches to say “make an adjustment,” but the words are meaningless unless athletes have trained to thrive in a chaotic environment.

    Continue reading

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Oates Specialties LLC
