The 4 Biggest Baseball Training Mistakes

The 4 Biggest Baseball Training Mistakes

sports performance
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Across all levels, baseball participation is on the rise. According to reports, detailed in The Wall Street Journal, nearly 15.9 million people participated in baseball from youth local leagues to the MLB in 2018. That same report documented a 21% increase in participation from 2014-2018.

As baseball is growing globally, may of the training and physical preparation methods are lagging behind. Improper training methods can lead to decreased performance, and even injury. Today, my goal is to go over the most common mistakes that we see baseball players make and how you can avoid them.

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We Are Destroying America’s Youth Athletes (Updated)

fitness
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Growing up, playing sports were some of my favorite memories.  I had the most fun,  made my most growth, and made some of my best friends playing sports.  Playing sports itself, is an inherently pure thing…After all, it’s just a game. 

As of 2018, only 38% of kids 6-12 are participating in youth sports, which is down from 45% in 2008. That decline is staggering. Many kids are now missing out on what should be, some of their best life experiences.

We clearly have a problem, and the kids are not to blame. As adults, we’ve somehow screwed this up. We are systematically destroying America’s young talented athletes.  And here’s how we’re doing it. 

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5 Factors That Affect Your Vertical Jump

sports performance
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“I want to increase my vertical”…..Easily one of the most common pain points coaches hear from athletes.  How can something as benign as how high one can jump, holds so much weight?

An impressive vertical can open up doors for athletes.  It can take a below the rim basketball player, and make them a high flyer.  It can make the difference between a volleyball player going DI, or to a smaller school.

But as important as a vertical can be, it is one of the most misunderstood and improperly trained aspects of sports performance. The internet is littered with so called “vertical coaches” and jump programs hawking promises such as, “Increase your vertical 8 inches in 4 weeks”.  Complete Snake oil….Been on instagram lately?? …Flashy Exercises with no substance or scientific basis.

So with all that being said, what exactly makes up a great vertical jump?  Today we will cut through the BS and give you the factors that affect vertical jump, and what those factors mean for training.

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How Practicing Mindfulness Can Change Your Life

Personal Development
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Mindfulness is a very hot topic in the world of psychology right now.  It’s extremely popular amongst entrepreneurs, and people who enjoy self-development.  I can speak from experience that embracing mindfulness is life changing.  I can now say I think more clearly, and am more emotionally balanced.  Mindfulness is like an emotional antidote. 

But what is mindfulness? And how can it help you be more productive?  Let’s take a look at the practice people have been using for thousands of years to improve their lives. 

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Fuel w/ Fat: 3 Ways Fat Improves Your Performance

nutrition
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Long ago people used to believe that fat was the enemy…I can distinctly remember my mom buying Fat Free Italian Dressing when I was a kid….Let me repeat that, FAT FREE Italian Dressing.  You don’t have to be a Michelin starred chef to know that Italian dressing is basically oil, vinegar, and spices…so WTF WAS IN THAT DRESSING?

Luckily, things have changed, and people are starting to wise up.  Keto diets are popping up, and Bulletproof coffees are a plenty (click here, for an awesome recipe).  However, there are still people out there that think fat is the devil. I’m here to tell you that fat is only good for you, but it can help you increase your performance.

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Warming Up: How to Do it Like an Elite Athlete, Part 2

fitness
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Welcome back to the Ignite blog!  Today, I will be showing you part 2 of “How to Warmup like an Elite Athlete”. For a recap, check out part 1 of this blog post.

In part 2, we will be covering the dynamic warmup.  The dynamic warmup is is the final part of the warmup and should properly prepare the athlete (you in this case) to train for that session. The dynamic warmup is broken down into 2 parts:  Movement Prep, and Skipping/CNS Prep.  We’ll kick things off with the movement prep.

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Warming Up: How to Do it Like an Elite Athlete, Part 1

fitness
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I’ve gotten a few people asking me lately about what I like to do and what I have my athletes do for a warmup before they train.  So I decided it would be a good idea to share that with you.  If you have ever trained w/ me before, you know how much emphasis I put on our warmup.  When people ask me why we should warm up, the analogy I usually use is:

“Well, you wouldn’t just start your car, floor it, and speed out the driveway right?”

Even though some of you crazy Arizona drivers may have answered yes to that question, you get the point.  A comprehensive and progressive warmup routine is crucial….here’s part 1 of mine. 

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Re-Thinking The Squat: 4 Biggest Squat Myths

fitness
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HAPPY #SQUATOBER everyone!….

The squat has been, and remains one of the most popular exercises the strength training.  While it is certainly a great exercise with tremendous benefits, there a lot of misconceptions out there about the squat. I think the squat is misunderstood 

Well today, my mission is to clear up some of those misconceptions and help give you a better understanding, of what the squat actually is.

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5 Ways to Train Like an Athlete

fitness
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For me, one of the hardest transitions in my life was going from competing in sports everyday, to just being a regular Joe schmo.  Being an athlete is not only an identity, it truly is a lifestyle.  But why does that lifestyle have to end when you stop playing sports at a high level?

For the rest of our lives we are all athletes.  Things like chasing after our kids, or moving furniture, all take some level of athleticism.  To stay athletic, you have to train like an athlete.  Today, we are covering 5 ways you can be train like an athlete for life! 

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Re-Think Core Training: 3 Exercises to Replace Sit Ups

fitness
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As the fitness and sports performance fields have evolved, so has the understanding of functional  exercise.  We are doing a better job of doing exercises that transfer to real life, and help us perform your best.  But one area that is still lagging behind is core training.

There is a gross misunderstanding of how your core actually works.  Tell me, how many times have you seen someone do a crunch on the football field?  Or how many times have you done a sit up as your playing with your kids?  I think it’s time we re-think core training, and start doing exercises that improve our quality of life, and our performance!

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