Strength in Numbers - 253 Most players think warming up before hitting means taking more swings. But one of the fastest ways to improve bat speed, barrel control, and arm readiness may actually come from not moving at all. That's where isometrics come in. An isometric contraction occurs when muscles activate forcefully without visible movement.…

Strength in Numbers - 252 Tommy John surgery has become common in baseball...but returning from three Tommy John surgeries is almost unheard of. Only three players in MLB history have made it all the way back after undergoing the procedure three separate times. One of them is Tejay Antone. Over the years, I've worked with…

Strength in Numbers - 251 When most people think about jumping, they picture going straight up. But when it comes to throwing velocity, the real separator is how well you produce force forward. Research I've been working on with our team at Louisiana Tech, alongside Dr. Ryan Lis, uncovered something worth paying attention to. For…

Strength in Numbers - 250 There is a sad reality in baseball, but in this case, we have avoided a major problem. I recently advised a pitcher whose arm was worn down. We examined everything thoroughly and constructed a tight plan, but there was still a wildcard... The pitcher was uncertain when he was counted…

Strength in Numbers - 249 I've reviewed hundreds of training histories from athletes—especially those coming off surgery. And there's a consistent pattern... Forearm training is either missing or incomplete. Even when it's included, most athletes focus heavily on wrist flexion (curls, grip work) while overlooking a critical piece…Pronation. That matters because the forearm isn't just…

Strength in Numbers #248 One of the biggest contributors to velocity and arm speed is the latissimus dorsi…which is better known as your lats. If you're not training them correctly, you're likely compensating and pulling your arm through with your pecs and asking your rotator cuff to do more than it should. That's where problems…

Strength in Numbers #247 After years of studying the throwing arm and working with athletes at the D1 and MLB levels, I've seen a consistent pattern emerge. You can build arm strength…but if you don't manage the right variables, the risk doesn't go away. Over and over again, I've seen athletes improve force output while…

Strength in Numbers #246 I have worked with many athletes across all competitive levels. Amongst all of them, they think fatigue only comes from training, games, or throwing volume. But, at the college and high school level, there's another source of fatigue that can quietly affect throwing performance and arm health...that's mental stress. No question,…

Strength in Numbers #245 I work with a lot of athletes who have elbow injuries of all kinds, from elbow chips, olecranon fractures, TJ surgeries, ulnar nerve transpositions, biceps ruptures, flexor strains...you name it, I have seen it. However, it may sound surprising, but one muscle that plays a key role in protecting the elbow…

Strength in Numbers #244 Most traditional arm care programs are built with good intentions — but they rely on very light bands, cuff weights, and low-load exercises that focus almost entirely on the back of the shoulder, with very little attention to the elbow. This type of training can activate muscles, but it rarely creates…