Ramon Hernandez Lower Body Training

Here's a video clip of Ramon implementing our lower body training program. His SUV is 7,500#...but add the the driver, and a full tank of gas, AND Ramon was getting after about 8,000# truck push. Regardless as to how many games Ramon catches in '11, the amount of squatting behind the plate and overall log term knee stress cannot be downplayed. That being said, our off-season lower body program is designed specifically to keep his knees safe and healthy, so he arrives into spring training camp with fresh knees and ready to go. Therefore, we get after the truck and tires. The truck push is more favorable on the knees, than traditional squats, while never sacrificing strength or power. The huge PLUS to truck/tire training is the amount of real conditioning you'll get.

Get after it. Trucks are easy to find.

Go hard in the yard.

Lower Body Strength & Power

Lower body strength, lower body power and a new dimension to endurance/conditioning. Check out Florida Marlins SP, Anibal Sanchez taking care of business. 7400# SUV + full tank of fuel+ driver and we're in the range of moving 7800#. When we train he is all business with laser focus. Feel free to contact me at Adam@ihpfit.com for any baseball related questions or comments.

Go hard in the yard.

Adam-

Bull Durham

Classic scene. We have the 5 tools and then we have this scene from Bull Durham really simplifying the game

Big Red Machine

Five Tool Baseball client and Cincinnati Reds catcher, Ramon Hernandez re-signs for the 2011 season. Ramon returned to Five Tool Baseball in mid-October to resume his 4th consecutive off-season strength training program. Mid-October! This guy loves his off-season training. He looks great. Ahead of schedule.

Congrats Monie.

Go hard in the yard!

Adam

Juan Rincon

Here I am with Juan Rincon right after our last training session before he heads out to Venezuela for Winter Ball. Best of luck Juan. Good luck.

TIP on training hamstrings

Just some thoughts on hamstring training.

Stay tuned for future video blogs

AB

2010 regular season done

162 regular season games are in the books. Couple of highlights for Five Tool Baseball:

Anibal Sanchez, P, Florida Marlins made his 32nd start on the last game, last day of the season. I watched him turn in 6 innings with 1 earned run and several times topping his fastball at 94 mph to finish with his 13th win of the year (13-12). All this from a guy who had been plagued by injuries his previous 3 seasons and spending much of those three seasons on the DL. Needless to say he accumulated career highs in many categories. What a great guy, deserving of the great, healthy year he achieved.


Ramon Hernandez, C, Cincinnati Reds finished the year with a .297 batting average. His highest average of his career. This coming from a guy, while performing catching duties, who returned from 2009 knee surgery and a minor stint on the DL this year. The result for Ramon and the Reds is a trip to the 2010 post season. Great stuff for Ramon.


Go hard in the yard.

Adam

Florida's Anibal Sanchez hits milestone in loss

Another nice mention in the palm beach post regarding Anibal Sanchez and his durability this season.

Go hard in the yard.

Brewers 8, Marlins 3: Florida's Anibal Sanchez hits milestone in loss

11th WIN!!!!

Florida Marlins right hander and Five Tool Baseball client, Anibal Sanchez, benefited from an explosive offense against the NY Mets (8/26/2010) and went on to win his CAREER HIGH 11th win - surpassing his previous career high posted during his rookie season. So happy for Anibal.

Go hard in the yard.

Anibal throws his 10th

Last night I went down to Sun Life Stadium and watched Anibal throw another outstanding game. By throwing 7 shutout innings which included a 37 minute rain delay, he won his 10th game matching his career high from 2006. He also helped his own cause with an RBI single and scoring a run. He threw that heavy ball. Fantastic job.

Go hard in the yard.

Adam

It's just what I do.

This past weekend (August 12-15, 2010) I traveled from Florida to Cincinnati,Ohio to catch the series between the Florida Marlins and Reds. It was a great opportunity to see two of my off-season guys: Ramon Hernandez and Anibal Sanchez. I was able to spend some professional, quality time with the both of them - along the way I was introduced to teammates, coaches, and managers. Networking, networking and networking. You never know who can or will become part of your "training" roster.

For me, training my clients/ballplayers doesnt stop when they leave for their season. Part of my training responsibility is to support them thru their season. For the past 5+ years I have traveled from scroching heat high school and collegiate games to spring training facilities and MLB parks. It's just what I do. And it should be just what you do. It's my favorite unwritten job description - It shouldnt have to be written at all. Bottom line, if you're involved in the training of baseball players, of any level, then show your support by showing up. I promise you it will mean more than you know.

Go hard in the yard.

Adam

The Sixth Tool

Previously I posted a blog identifying baseball's 5 Tools:
1) Hitting for average
2) Hitting for power
3) Speed
4) Arm strength
5) Defensive skills

Recently I came across a great article in the June 7th, 2010 issue of Sports Illustrated. The title of the article was called: The Sixth Tool.

MLB teams(colleges should be doing the same) are taking note of this sixth tool.

Here it is:

6) Player's character & background
- teams are looking for players that have consistently made good choices in school, on the field and in the community. Teams found that such choices have a high transfer rate of success in baseball.

In addition, we cannot ignore how a player handles pressure, defeats, successes, delayed gratification as these can also speak volumes about a player's character.

All in all, the game is played on and off the field with the respect we remembered from our youth.

Go hard in the yard.

Adam

Milwaukee Brewers

It was a pleasure to have Chris Joyner, Milwaukee Brewers Strength Coach, visit me during the team's recent trip into Florida against the Marlins. We had a great time working out and talking baseball training. He is an absolute professional, class act. Thanks Chris.

Olympic Lifts for baseball strength training…Really?

Just so we’re on the same page, baseball is a rotational sport. So while recently looking over a collegiate baseball summer training program I couldn’t help but notice Olympic lifts were included. Really?

Olympic lifting is a sport in and of itself that includes lifts such as the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk. These lifts require a tremendous amount of technique, a high learning curve and demand a high level of skill specific to the sport of Olympic lifting.

So why are these movements/exercises finding their way into the world of baseball training? I know, I know Olympic lifts can create powerful hips; and they do…in the sagittal plane of motion – which is not the dominant motion in baseball. Baseball is dominated thru the transverse/rotational plane.

Structurally, Olympic lifts could create abnormal (and high) levels of joint stress - particularly thru the shoulders and wrists- (let’s not forget about the force that's placed on the knees). I think we would all agree that the knees, shoulders and wrists are important to a ball player, thus we wouldn’t want to risk an off-season injury.

I’m not against Olympic lifts – I MIGHT incorporate them (MAYBE) if the athlete has a better than average base and understanding of Olympic lifting. However, I haven’t seen too many baseball players having been properly exposed to these lifts. Therefore I have to ask myself how important is it to teach and incorporate a potentially “risky” movement in order to develop sagittal plane hip power when baseball is dominated by rotational power. What's the reward:risk ratio?

Now, Im not saying we shouldnt do any sagittal plane power training. I just believe that in order to save the shoulders, wrists and knees we can choose safer alternatives (such as box jump or reverse medicine ball toss) can be performed BUT IN CONJUNCTION with rotational power training. Lastly, you may find yourself working within a limited time frame; so wouldnt you rather spend your time on related baseball training than taking up valuable training time to teach exercises (which may not get mastered) that are unique to the sport of Olympic lifting.

Train Hard. Train Smart.

Go hard in the yard.

In the news

In his recent Fish Tank blog (posted, May 31, 2010) Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Joe Capozzi had the opportunity to catch up with my client, Marlins starting pitcher, Anibal Sanchez.

Thanks Joe.



Is Florida Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez building an All Star case?

by Joe Capozzi

Beautiful weather here on Memorial Day for the Marlins and Brewers. Before we get into today’s game, wanted to get your thoughts on Anibal Sanchez, who’s on quite a roll after beating the Phillies 1-0 yesterday.

Anibal is 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in six starts this month. (His teammate, Josh Johnson, is 3-1 with an even stingier 1.38 ERA).

If Sanchez can do in June what he did in May, we just might see him at the All Star Game in July, perhaps with JJ.

Of course, Sanchez — 5-2 with a 2.89 ERA — is in uncharted territory now.

Healthy with no shoulder problems for the first time in his major league career, this is the first time in his career he won four straight starts. He finished his rookie season of 2006 with a 5-1 record over his last six starts.

Sanchez gave credit for his strong start to Adam Brush, a trainer at the Institute Of Human Performance in Boca Raton.

During the past off-season, Sanchez said he made the 30-minute drive every day to Boca to work out with Brush. Sanchez met Brush through Reds catcher Ramon Hernandez.

The month of June will be Sanchez’s big test, a chance to prove he belongs among the game’s top starting pitchers.

Another gem...

4 and 0 in the month of May. And an over all ERA that currently stands at 2.89. Yesterday, I battled 90 degree weather, hot florida sun to watch Anibal Sanchez pitch 6 2/3 scoreless innings and take the 1-0 win over the Phillies. It has been so rewarding to see how our off-season training is having such a positive impact; from his conditioning/stamina and power developement to a healthy right shoulder and elbow. I wish Anibal Godspeed.

Go hard in the yard.


Adam

4 for 4 night

May 29th Ramon Hernandez turned in a great performance from the 8th spot. 4 for 4, two dingers, 3 RBIs, 2 runs scored and a pick-off at 3rd base.

Go hard in the yard.

Adam

Training: Old vs. New

The following is a short, and partial list of a few "out of the box", different approaches to baseball training vs. the old school, mainstream approach.

#1

Mainstream Training Approach - Limits core training by emphasizing crunches,sit ups, etc from the floor; nothing to do with throwing, hitting, or running

Out of the Box Training Approach - Incorporates core training by emphasizing the transverse plane(rotation) from standing positions; dominates throwing, hitting and running

#2

Mainstream Training Approach - trains predominately in the sagittal plane(front and back movements)

Out of the Box Training Approach - Incorporates lateral movements and diagonal patterns - opposite hip to opposite shoulder- similar to throwing, hitting, running

#3

Mainstream Training Approach - trains bilaterally - 2 legs/2 arms simultaneous movements/i.e. 2 leg squats

Out of the Box Training Approach - Incorporates unilateral training - 1 leg/1 arm movements/ i.e. 1 leg squat

#4

Mainstream Training Approach - concentrates on bodybuilding methodologies

Out of the Box Training Approach - Incorporates strength, power and functional training methodologies


As ballplayers continue to evolve so should their training.

Go hard in the yard.

Adam

Ramon Hernandez - ESPN Top 10

Click on link below. Five Tool Baseball client, Ramon Hernandez, makes an excellent play at the plate; worthy of #7 on ESPN's Top 10 plays from this past weekend (5/15/2010).

Reds right at home on game-ending play | reds.com: News

Gotta Love the Game

"We don't stop playing because we turn old,
but turn old because we stop playing"

Satchel Paige
ranked Number 19 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players,
nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Shut up and run

If you play the game of baseball long enough you'll more than likely experience a few slumps - hitting slumps and in some cases even throwing slumps. However, one slump that you will not and should not experience, barring injury or laziness, is a running slump. Time and time again I see ball players hit a weak grounder or a little pop-up and then they just "dog-it", mumbling to themself, thinking it's a sure out. Shut up and run. Nothing in baseball is a sure out. To the younger guys: you never know who is watching. Dont come across as being lazy to potential scouts who might be watching. Where have the days of Pete "Charlie Hustle" Rose gone.

Play hard, run harder.

Go hard in the yard.

Adam

Power Up...pounds down

In November 2009 Anibal Sanchez, P - Florida Marlins, begins training with Five Tool Baseball. On our first day of training, he tipped the scale at 235lbs. 3 months later he walks into Spring Training clubhouse and weighs in at a lean 205 lbs. For 3 months(4 days a week) our strength training program enabled Anibal to drop the weight while improving his strength,power and flexibility. He's is one of the more dedicated and commited players to have trained with Five Tool Baseball. It made my job not only easier but so much fun.

Good Luck Anibal.

Go hard in the yard.

Adam

Juan Rincon

Juan Rincon-P, Colorado Rockies, has teamed up with FiveToolBaseball Performace Training to power up the final phase of his off-season training.