I get asked about how my local sessions go, or how I teach, using the latest in empirical research on learning. This video is a Ball Exit Speed challenge that I put on in Fresno, CA. It’s a practical look into how I teach hitting mechanics. What follows is the local news coverage this challenge received, and afterward you’ll see the session itself.
Please post any comments or questions below…Enjoy!
I’ve been doing research on an upcoming project called The Science Of Sticky Coaching. I did an interview with legendary Coach Bob Bennett (my coach at Fresno State from 2000-2002), and Thomari-Story Harden (founder of Team Avenue Travel Baseball, and an 8-year Los Angeles Dodger Pro), and just thought I’d share it with you.
Sorry, the interview audio may not be the best because we did it in a semi-noisy restaurant over lunch…
Here’s a rundown of the questions I asked Thomari and Coach Bennett:
This interview really cuts to the core of what baseball and softball coaches should be focusing their time on in practice. Taking notes is a MUST!
Here are Coach Bob Bennett’s credentials (from Wikipedia):
“Bennett took a break from Bullard in 1967 to coach Fresno State when Pete Beiden took a sabbatical; the team went 38-10. When Beiden retired after 1969, Bennett became head coach, a job he held until his retirement in 2002. He would go 1,302-759-4 to finish 7th in NCAA Division history in career victories; he only had two losing seasons in his career. He won 14 Conference Coach of the Year honors and was named NCAA Coach of the Year in 1988 by The Sporting News.
Bob coached for Team USA in 1977 and 1979 and managed the team in the 1983 Intercontinental Cup (when they won a Silver Medal) and 1986 Amateur World Series.
Bennett took Fresno State to the 1988 College World Series and 1991 College World Series.
He helped develop Dick Ruthven, Ron Johnson, Terry Pendleton, Eric Fox, Mark Gardner, Tom Goodwin, Steve Hosey, Bobby Jones, Todd Johnson, Jeff Weaver, Dan Gladden, Adam Pettyjohn and Dennis Springer among other major leaguers.
Bennett retired with a 1,302-759-4 win-loss record. #26 was the first number ever retired by Fresno State. He was once president of the American Baseball Coaches Association as well. He was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame and College Baseball Hall of Fame (2010).”
The “Mad Scientist” photo courtesy: KCHitter.com
This is the third in a 3-part interview series…
I call KC, or Ken Carswell, the “mad scientist” when it comes to vision and tracking training for hitters. He’s had the Air Force come into his facility in Kansas City, Missouri to pick his brain!
Over the last couple years, he’s consulted with top vision Doctors, and has done a ton of research and study in the field of vision and tracking.
KC and his brother have played baseball at the collegiate and professional levels, so he understands the demands of trying to hit a 95-mph fast-ball…or a twelve-to-six curveball.
KC is a good friend of mine who not only understands our hitting philosophy, but uses technology to “melt-down” his hitters’ vision and tracking skills, then build them up as unknown pitch crushing machines.
He works out of his facility, but also develops software and technologies that will soon be mobile to train hitters in the comforts of your own home or academy.
I hope you enjoy the following insight into KC’s world as I have…
4 – 8 week preparation period. Get extra batting gloves (plenty) and maybe some pine tar. You will have more reps than anyone else in that tournament. We will emphasize “approach”.
When you arrive you are going to show up knowing 2 things from our training:
We’re going to make a schedule. We will do vision work 4-7 days a week, before and after we swing. This is what it’s going to look like…
We will start you on vision training and “eye food”. Yes. I said, “eye food”.
You can expect to spend a tremendous amount of time in the dark. We will be using the KC Hitter facility and our “BatterzEye” training system exclusively.
You can also expect to see the baseball like you haven’t before. You’re going to pick up rotation earlier than you ever have. Velocity will appear slower, both release point and the baseball (laces) will be clearer and easier to see.
Your anticipation of the off-speed will also be enhanced. The longer we train, the more you will “see”. The quicker you will become and the more confidence you will develop.
Oh, and you will hit the ball harder and far more consistently than in the past. We can enhance your vision from 15% – 154%.
“Let’s go get that money!!”
When KC first reached out to me, I “trolled” his website and found this picture…at the time, I had just competed in Jose Canseco’s Home Run Derby Challenge Tour. Small world!
What makes me different? I am different because I know that whatever you think you are seeing, isn’t nearly your potential and in 4-8 weeks (earlier), you’re going to be amazed. What’s really important is that the scouts will be too. I am different because I can help you change what you see.
My influences? I learn something from every player/coach I encounter. I include youth players, as well.
The first four years of my career I was fortunate enough to manage a facility in KC where MLB/Minor league players trained prior to spring training. I was more fortunate to be invited to participate in their pre-season preparation. By being the first full time non MLB hitting guy in Kansas City, I was also afforded the opportunity to work with some legit young hitters.
CLICK HERE to see a list of KC’s influences.
Beginning in 1983 I started my hitting library. I’m still partial to “The Art of Hitting .300“, possibly because it was one of my 1st.
I don’t have a good answer here. In reality, Joey mentioned many of the books I like on his previous site. I have read many hitting books but in my latter career, the books I read are about human aptitude, the power of the brain and achieving positive outcomes despite physical limitations. Since I’ve gone down this vision path, I have more on my mind than hitting. This technology applies if you drive a car or wear glasses. Human Performance.
“Hit the curveball before it breaks.” That’s the most recent bad one I’ve heard (yesterday, by a high school hitter). Possibly not the worst, but it is bad.
There still seem to be a lot of “pull 1st” hitters out there too. Some other myths I see:
Wastes of time?
You can reach KC at the following spots (visit, “Like”, and Follow him):
Coach Lee Taft: “The Speed Guy”. Photo courtesy: LeeTaft.com
This is the second in a 3-part interview series…
The more I coach youth hitters and athletes, the more I realize that coaching isn’t about coaching (or telling), but listening. This year, I’ve really grown in asking my hitters and athletes better questions.
My next guest will get into this more in a moment, but for now, it’s my honor to introduce…
Lee Taft, known to most simple as “The Speed Guy”, is highly respected as one of the top athletic movement specialist in the world. The last 25 years he has devoted the majority of his time training multi-directional speed to all ages and ability. He has spent much of this time teaching his multi-directional speed methods to top performance coaches and fitness professionals all over the world. Lee has also dedicated countless hours mentoring up and coming sports performance trainers, many who have gone into the profession and made a big impact themselves.
Here’s Speed Coach Lee…
Functional Movement Screen (FMS). Photo courtesy: FunctionalMovement.com
With only 4 weeks to get you ready we are going to take a three pronged approach. First we will address the needs based off your assessment. I will assess you using the Functional Movement Screen, basic mobility and flexibility to test range of motion in key joints like; ankles, hips, T and cervical spine, shoulder, and wrists, etc…, and Athletic Movement Screen where we would look at acceleration in all direction, ability to get through hips, speed, and overall agility.
The second area we will train is speed and agility. The approach here is to improve explosive acceleration to be better at getting a jump offensively and defensively, overall agility so you can effectively move in any direction and open your hips to make a play.
The final area we would attack is strength and stability. I can make more improvement in your overall stability of the major joints, spine, pelvis in a short 4 weeks than I can in overall maximal strength- but I can make some some neuromuscular changes due to the strength training.
So here we go with a program…
Week #1-#4:
Photo courtesy: LeeTaft.com
If we move to an eight week program the biggest change will come in the strength training and corrective and stability work. The speed and agility will obviously focus on need and overall athletic movement. The strength training will shift from a basic 4 week introductory program to a 3 blocks…
A philosophy of mine is to constantly be willing to change according to how the athletes are doing day to day. Baseball and softball athletes require constant supervision due to the explosiveness of the sport and the high repetition through the shoulder and core regions.
The biggest influences for me were my father and two brothers. They were coaches and teachers. What, I feel, makes me different is my strong background as a teacher. Today it is common to see performance coaches skip steps and coach to the DRILL versus focusing on the SKILL. My approach has always been to identify the skills that need to be improved and attach drills that fit the solution- not the other way around.
I think one of the major difference I have than many coaches is my willingness to watch and learn from my athletes. What I mean is I don’t just start teaching my athletes. I watch them move and allow them to show me what they do well and what dysfunction they have. This approach makes my teaching stronger because I don’t waste time on things that aren’t pertinent to their success.
Many of the training techniques I endorsed years ago were based on innate human movement. There are reasons athletes move the way they do. Much of it can be related to our nervous systems “Fight or Flight” reactions. This means athlete have innate reactions based on if they are being chased or chasing. In either case, the athlete will move into an acceleration posture as quickly as possible to make a play.
An example of this would be an infielder quickly accelerating after a bunt. You will notice how they reposition their feet into an acceleration posture. One foot will drop back (which I coined a plyo step). When this occurs the use of elastic energy increases the acceleration. There are many examples of this fight or flight reaction to help athletes move quicker and more effectively.
My approach of allowing these reactions to occur naturally then supporting the movement with proper posture build a more efficient athlete.
There are two primary resources I feel novice coaches should use. Complete Speed Training and Ground 
Breaking 2.
Complete Speed Training is a resource coaches can learn about many areas of speed, agility, strength, power, conditioning, and warming up.
Ground Breaking 2 is an indepth look at multi-directional speed techniques and how to teach them. Both are great products for coaches to gain valuable knowledge into the world of speed and agility and more.
I think it is important for coaches to use resources that solve their needs from a foundational standpoint first. This means, don’t overshoot your knowledge level. Too many coaches try to be jack of all trades when simply understanding the foundational information will take them far.
One of the biggest waste of times is when I see dads bring the heavy bat for their 9 year old- I cringe. Far too often strategies that are used at the highest levels trickle down. When a young kid uses a heavy bat the timing of the swing is distorted. The swing, at a young age, needs to be built with timing and feel. When the bat is too heavy, even for training purposes, the swing changes from the feet all the way to the hands. The youngsters try to muscle the swing rather than using proper mechanics.
…
Thanks Coach Lee!
Here’s how you can stay updated with Speed Coach Lee Taft:
Please direct any questions or comments for Coach Lee below…
David v. Goliath photo courtesy: Blog.HeatSpring.com
Question…
How do you defeat a man who stands 9-feet, 9-inches tall? What if this man had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing 125-pounds; on his legs he wears bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin is slung on his back. His spear shaft is like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighs 15-pounds.
I’ve just described Goliath from 1 Samuel 17. So how does David, a boy shepherd, defeat this huge man with one blow?
Besides young David being a man of God, he was an expert marksman with the sling shot…
“Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.” – 1 Samuel 49
3-times NY Bestselling author Tim Ferriss said that being effective is doing the right things. And being efficient is doing things right.
Unmatched physically, and standing up to Goliath, David was “effective” by using a slingshot. And being an expert marksman (efficient) with the weapon, made Goliath look like he brought a knife to a gun fight!
So what do baseball batting tips and Wilin Rosario from the Colorado Rockies have to do with the story of David & Goliath?
Wilin (pronounced Wil-een) “Baby Bull” Rosario is a small hitter compared to behemoths like Albert Pujols (6’3″, 230-pounds), Giancarlo Stanton (6’6″, 240-pounds), and Miguel Cabrera (6’4″, 255-pounds).
Rosario stands 5-foot, 11-inches, and weighs in at 220-pounds, according to FanGraphs.com.
Sure, 220-pounds isn’t tiny by any stretch. But 5-foot, 11-inches sure is, especially by today’s standards…hence the nickname “Baby Bull”.
Just for fun, let’s compare specific offensive metrics between Wilin Rosario to Miguel Cabrera. Metrics are according to ESPN’s HitTracker.com…
Look at the difference between their average True Distance and Ball Exit Speed homers in 2012…
A couple things to note:
But surprisingly, on paper, Wilin Rosario shouldn’t even be in the same room with Miguel Cabrera! So what is empowering a small slugger like Rosario to compete with the Goliaths of baseball?
Proven human movement science.
Look at the vertical yellow line, and how far forward Wilin Rosario gets before he makes his turn…
One thing Wilin Rosario does really well is he “un-weights” the bat.
There are two ways he does this:
CLICK HERE to see the results of a Zepp swing experiment when I tested a longer stride against a wide no-stride approach.
Watch how Wilin Rosario: 1) Shows his numbers to the pitcher, 2) Hides his hands from the pitcher, and 3) Creates a downhill shoulder angle before front foot hits the ground.
Spinal engine mechanics are key!
Here’s how Wilin Rosario uses his skeleton, by:
I call this the Catapult Loading System. CLICK HERE to see the results of another Zepp swing experiment when I tested showing the numbers versus NOT showing the numbers.
So how does a small slugger compete with a big one?
Being effective is strictly following human movement rules proven by science. And then being efficient within those guidelines.
Just like David was effective using the sling shot against a foe twice his size. And, only needed one shot (efficient) to take the BIG guy down.
The problem for us small hitters (I’m 5’10”, 175-pounds) would be when the big sluggers start doing this stuff 😉 lol
August 2014 Stephen Vogt (21) hits a solo home run. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Stephen Vogt side note: CLICK HERE to watch video of him doing referee impersonations, he’s apparently known for, on Intentional Talk. That’s Johnny Gomes in the background 😀
Using the Zepp (Labs) Baseball app
, I wanted to use the Scientific Method to analyze the effect the back leg angle has on ground balls, line drives, and fly balls.
Two posts I’ve written that talk about the back leg angle:
In the above posts, pay particular attention to what Homer Kelly says about Knee Action.
As of the beginning of May 2015, Stephen Vogt of the Oakland Athletics, is ranked 2nd overall in OPS at 1.179 (according to MLB.com’s sortable stats). Can he hold this up all year? Maybe, maybe not. But the metrics I’m about to reveal have a solid base in his back leg angle mechanics.
He has a very distinct back leg angle during the Final Turn and follow through (see image above). Here’s how his metrics stacks up over four seasons, against the league average (according to FanGraphs.com):
So he’s well below the league average in ground-balls, slightly higher in line drives, and has a 0.5% higher home-run to fly-ball percentage. The latter meaning what percentage of his fly-balls go over the fence. Lastly, as you can clearly see, Stephen Vogt has an above average fly-ball percentage. Remember, fly-balls aren’t always bad. Most times, they’re more productive than ground-balls in sacrificing runners over or bringing them in to score.
Based on the above research and with my own experience, I think that having the back leg angle bent in an “L” (or 90-degree angle) during the Final Turn and follow through will produce more elevated line drives and fly balls. Whereas a straighter back leg angle (closer to 180-degrees) will produce more low level line drives and ground balls.
Here was how I setup the experiment “work station”
Equipment Used:
,
and Tripod, andSetup:
Data Collected (Zepp Baseball App Screenshots):
Fig.1: Here are the averages of both sessions. Pay particular attention to the “Bat Vertical Angle at Impact” and “Attack Angle” preferences…
According to the Zepp app user guide, let’s define the following terms:
Check out the ground-ball, line drive, and fly-ball comparison:
Fig.2: Check out the difference in ball flight between the two sessions. Pay particular attention to the ground-ball percentages.
I wasn’t paying too much attention to bat and hand speed on this experiment. I only focused on the metrics indicating a change in ball flight.
This were the rules I used for ball flight in the cage during the Experiment.
So the back knee angle during the Final Turn does have a significant impact on ball flight. More bend equals, more airtime for the ball. I’ve seen Little Leaguers to Pro hitters straightening out their back legs. And they often wonder why they aren’t driving the ball.
In terms of driving the ball like Stephen Vogt, think of the back leg angle as angling your body like a “ramp”. Also, take a look at smaller sluggers (6’0″, 225-lbs on down) like: Adrian Beltre, Stephen Vogt, Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, and Andrew McCutchen as great examples of back knee bend.
Photo courtesy: Perry Husband YouTube channel
One of my readers sent me this Perry Husband video…
Interesting how he compares the impact positions of bunting to the swing.
He mentions some things in this video:
What are your thoughts on any one of the above points? Please comment in the “Leave a Reply” section below…
This is Part 3 of a 3-part series on gaining power faster through nutrition:
Hey guys,
Welcome back to the third post of this series.
Those previous post give great context to this post, so make sure to read them. Then come back here.
As a baseball player who understands the game, I know strength does not always equal skill. If you are reading this post, you are probably working extremely hard to achieve your goals, or you are coaching young guys who have big goals. Some of you have sons that just want to play in college. That is an awesome pursuit. You should have big goals. And you should pursue them with everything possible.
Ask this question to players, “Do you work hard?” Across the board, everyone says yes. Every player assumes they are doing everything they can to achieve their goals. This holds true until you meet someone who works way harder than you.
Then you step up your game, refocus and change your standards. Similar to the story of the 4 minute mile. Nobody thought it could be done, until Roger Bannister made it happen. Now 10+ people have run a 4 minute mile.
Once one guy pioneered it, it became possible to everyone. You have to be the nutrition pioneer for your team. Pushing the boundaries of what is possible. This is how players change their teams and how you can change your future.
Sports nutrition is a great example of a missing piece. If you get this right, everything in your game will benefit. You will recover faster, grow more lean muscle and output more power at the batter’s box. I can’t help you make contact, but I can dang sure promise you faster growth and more strength. So what should you do?
Do not just “eat right.” When someone tells you to eat right, but they do not define what that means, your action steps get diluted. Most nutrition advice is for losing weight, getting 6 pack abs and increasing overall health. Those are great things for the average person, but that’s not you.
You are a high performance athlete. You may take 100 hacks in the cage then go right to the weight room. You should optimize your nutrition as a high performance athlete. You can get a six pack later….
The natural bad response to a workout leads to muscle damage that occurs during and after exercise, activates an immune response which causes muscle inflammation and pain to the muscles that further damages the muscle fiber.
This slows down the reconstruction and growth of the muscle fiber. Some amino acids like glutamine and other branch chain amino acids (also known as BCAA’s) are also depleted after exercise. These amino acids are used up in vital processes during high intensity exercise.
These negative responses to muscle damage can actually result in a net protein loss. The original intention of your training, to gain strength (and hit bombs), is not the natural reaction of your muscles. This potential reduction in muscle mass and strength can hinder your bat speed and hurt your performance goals. Nobody wants this catabolic response.
There is good news. With proper nutritional intervention, the right nutrients at the right time, you can flip this catabolic state (breakdown) to an anabolic state (building). Which reduces the negative effects of muscle damage, and stimulates a greater protein production resulting in muscle growth and increased strength. The results: you get stronger and recover faster.
Your timing is vital. If not taken serious, you will not see the benefits. Literally “every minute matters.”
We discussed previously the vital importance turning on the anabolic switch after a workout. If you tried this, you should have seen a benefit already in your training. If you haven’t tried it, why not?
The anabolic switch is the most important action step to take serious right now. Everything revolves around you making sure this happens. Keep in mind, you can set up your muscles and training before you train. And you can optimize appropriate nutrition availability throughout the rest of your recovery process.
As an athlete who trains regularly, you will use muscle for energy, there is a spike in response, then you will initiate recovery. The Throw Cheese Nutrient System separates your muscle development into three different stages:
During this phase, the primary objective of the muscle is to release enough energy to sufficiently propel muscle contraction. Either during training or while you are pitching. Most players recognize the importance of consuming carbohydrates during training. Carbohydrates prevent the depletion of muscle glycogen (which extends your endurance) and helps maintain blood glucose levels (which delays fatigue).
The Throw Cheese Nutrient System will tell you more than to just consume carbohydrates during exercise. Research shows, that when you consume carbohydrates with protein, specific amino acids and vitamins, you will experience greater gains than just consuming these nutrients separately.
You will be able to spare muscle glycogen (Your back-up energy storage) and accomplish greater muscle stamina, limit the rise of the hormone cortisol (Reducing muscle damage – I touch on hormones more later VERY IMPORTANT) and help prepare enzymes for faster recovery following your workout.
[Basically, your teammates will be wondering where you get all your energy to keep going and why you are growing so strong. In turn, you will quickly gain velocity on your fastball and have greater stamina on the mound. After a awhile, you will acquire nicknames like “machine” and “super-man.” That is when it gets fun. You will smile and be thanking me.]The next phase in muscle growth, the Anabolic stage…
This phase of muscle growth is the 45 minute window 
following a workout. With the right combination of nutrients, this phase initiates repair of the damaged muscle protein, and replenishes muscle glycogen stores (where muscle energy is stored).
Right after you finish a workout, your muscles are extremely sensitive to a hormone called insulin. Insulin is key to muscle growth. Although this muscle sensitivity is high immediately after your workout, this sensitivity declines rapidly. Within a few hours your muscle cells can become insulin resistant (NOT good). If your muscle become insulin resistant you see dramatic slows in muscle glycogen recovery, muscle repair, and creation of new muscle. Don’t let this happen.
As you go through the Throw Cheese Nutrient System, you will learn why the consumption of carbohydrates during this 45 minute window is so important. You will learn about driving muscle glycogen recovery, muscle tissue repair and creation of new muscle (protein synthesis). Also you will learn how protein, consumed without carbohydrates, is less effective! And you will learn why specific antioxidants can boost muscle recovery.
This stage begins at the end of the Anabolic Stage and continues until your next workout. During this stage the muscle enzymes (proteins that speed up chemical reactions ) help increase the number of contractile proteins (what causes the muscle to flex ) and help increase the size of the muscle fibers (why you look so jacked). These enzymes also help replenish muscle glycogen storage (muscle energy storage) used up during the Power Stage.
The Rebuild Stage is just as vital as the previous two stages. During this phase, you must continue to eat carbohydrates and proteins to maintain optimal muscle growth. Including the correct intervals between consumption. Protein consumed at the right time pays off with huge increases for any strength athlete. Especially pitchers looking to throw gas (Or as a hitter, drop bombs).
If you follow the Throw Cheese Nutrient System, you will be able to sustain a high “anabolic state”, restore muscle energy, repair the damaged muscle tissue, create new muscle, and see fastball velocity gains that will light up radar guns.
The amount of protein you consume each day is SO important to your overall muscle gain and muscle recovery. There are many studies that measure the exact amount of protein for athletes to maximize performance. Here are two mentioned in the Rebuild Stage…
“In a 4 week study by Fern and associates, they found a greater gain in total muscle mass for body builders who consumed 3.3 grams per 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of body weight of protein versus those who consumed 1.2 grams per 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of body weight per day. So at first glance we see a higher amount of daily protein and a higher amount of muscle mass. But this study also showed a measureable amount of protein that was not retained. Most likely, the group that consumed 3.3 grams of protein per 2.2 pounds of body weight had exceeded the amount of protein that can be used for protein synthesis.”
“A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology by Tarnopolsky and colleagues measured athlete’s entire body protein synthesis based on per day protein consumption. The athletes consumed either consumed .9 to 1.4 grams per 2.2 pounds of body weight. Or they consumed an increased 2.4 grams per 2.2 pounds of body weight. In this study, they did NOT observe an increase in protein synthesis.”
These examples are only 2 out of 5 examples shown in the rebuild stage. The great thing about studies like this, is you can learn from them and test them on yourself.
So how much protein should you consume each day?
It depends on your weight and your performance goals. A full comprehensive guideline for your recovery and macronutrient profile is laid out clearly in the Throw Cheese Nutrient System.
You need to try out this course and start to implement the findings. Joey asked me to write these posts because he cares about you guys. He actually wants you to get better. After lots of discussion, it’s clear to me, you are all in good hands.
There is two types of responses to an educational course like this one.
The simplest way to know if you are doing the right thing for your athletic career, is to try it. Test it out. Call me out if you do not learn something. I believe in these courses and I know it will help you.
Click the link below, scroll down to the bottom of the page and buy the course and start to change your nutrition optimization today.
-Zach
P.S.: If you want more information about me, check out www.pitchersthrowcheese.com and sign up to my newsletter. Or email me at zach [at] pitchersthrowcheese [dot] com
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P.P.P.S.: What are you waiting for, grab your own copy of the Throw Cheese Nutrient System–> Click here
This is Part 2 of a 3-part series on gaining power faster through nutrition:
Last post, we talked about timing your nutrition. But why? How does changing a few minutes of nutrition intake make any difference in your recovery and training? The answer revolves around your bodies hormonal response and an idea called the “Anabolic window.”
Anabolic response is a fancy word for building. When you see the word anabolic, think to build, when you see the word catabolic, think breaking down.
X-axis is time after workout
This graph is showing the anabolic response to nutrients after you exercise. There is a sharp anabolic response to nutrients immediately after your workout. But as you wait, your muscles are less responsive to anabolic activates and less responsive to nutrition.
Why is this the case? This is because of an important hormone called insulin. Insulin is released by your pancreases into your bloodstream when your body detects certain foods in your system. The most popular function of insulin is the regulation of glucose. If your bloodstream has a glucose level that is too high, then this can be toxic and lead to death. So insulin helps lower your blood sugar. Thus you stay alive. Good!
Check this out, the presence of insulin after a workout has been shown to boost recovery and increase muscle gain.
There have been many studies proving the effect of insulin on protein synthesis (the creation of new muscle). Penn State University Medical School researchers found that insulin stimulated ribosomes (cellular machinery) involved in the creation of muscle protein.
In a different study, researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Galveston found that, after an insulin infusion, new muscle creation (protein synthesis) in the muscle cell increased by approximately 67 percent post workout.
I took advantage of this insulin response to glucose right after workouts. This recovery tool, aided my fastball increase from 88 mph to 95 mph in less than a year. When you take your nutrient intervention serious. Big things happen. You accomplish performance goals you never thought possible. I want this same success for you.
I teach a lot of pitchers how to train harder and recover fast (to throw harder). So I call nutrient intervention “Throw Cheese Intervention.” These same principals apply to hitters.
Here is an example of a normal insulin response to exercise without nutrient intervention:
Insulin promotes fat syntheses and decreases fat breakdown when your body is in a sedentary state. Over a long period of time, high insulin levels and buildup of body fat have been linked to type 2 diabetes. This is true and scary for a lot of people out there. But keep in mind. The sensitivity of your fat cells to insulin to store fat, is highly dependent on your bodies anabolic state.
The degree at which insulin promotes fat storage (bad), or carbohydrate storage, or protein syntheses (good) depends on which cells are sensitive to the insulin. Different cells (muscle cells or fat cells etc.) are sensitive to insulin based on the timing of your nutrients in regards to when your body was stressed during training.
We detail this very important, nutrition time sensitive characteristic, in the Throw Cheese Nutrient System. The timing and effectiveness of your nutrient intervention has a huge effect on your hormonal and biochemical response to workouts. An elite athlete (who is training everyday) muscle cells responds positively to insulin, especially right after your workout.
Right after your workouts your muscle cells are the most sensitive to insulin and glucose. There is a 15 to 45 minute window that your body is starving for nutrient intervention. During this time you need to consume a protein/carbohydrate beverage (in a liquid form). The carbohydrate I want you to consume is sugar.
This will “open” the gates for amino acids, creatine and glucose for new muscle creation, limit muscle damage and blunt negative hormone response from training. The ratio of carbohydrates to protein is 3/1 or 4/1 carbohydrates to protein. For a post-workout supplementation, a 200 pound athlete should consume approximately 15 – 20 grams of whey protein and 50 – 60 grams of high-glycemic carbohydrates (dextrose) immediately after training.
Here is a picture of my shake after a workout:
More precise calculation of your pre-training, during training and post training nutrition is something we will lay out for you later. So stay tuned bro and bro-ettes!
Keep in mind, carbohydrates and protein are both good by themselves. But when you add them together, carbohydrates are complimentary to protein in training recovery and strength gains. Immediately following your workout, is the “Prime time” to get protein/carbohydrates into your system. The faster the better!
The below graph shows a large anabolic difference when nutrient intervention takes place.
From the Throw Cheese Nutrient System:
Not all sugars are a strong stimulator of insulin. Avoid products with high fructose or galactose. For example, many fruits (bananas, apples, citrus fruits ) and all vegetables (asparagus, artichoke, beans, broccoli) contain high fructose levels. They are not ideal immediately after your workout (Plus they are slower to digest). Strong insulin driving carbohydrates include sucrose, maltodextrin and dextrose.
I prefer the carbohydrate dextrose (order Dextrose Powder
on Amazon). It is derived entirely from corn, making it natural, effective, and easily utilized by the body. You can scoop this into your shaker along-side your whey protein (whey protein is also very insulinogenic).
2 hours after your workout, your muscle can actually become insulin resistant. What this means is your muscle cells will not use the nutrients needed to build and repair the damage you caused during training. In other words, all the work you put into training is wasted. (what a crying shame!)
Do not waste your workouts by limiting your fuel intake. Every minute counts, literally.
Stay tuned for the next blog post, and keep working hard.
-Zach
PS: I wrote a a free course called “5 Nutrition Shortcuts To A 90+ MPH Fastball” grab your own copy —> click here
P.P.S.: Thanks for reading. Share this with a friend.
References:
Gleeson, M., Lancaster, G.I., and Bishop, N.C., “Nutritional strategies to minimize exercise induced Immuno suppression in athletes,” Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, 26(Suppl):S23-S35, 2001.
Levenhagen, D.K., Carr, C., Carlson, M.G., et al., “Post exercise protein intake enhances
whole-body and leg protein accretion in humans,” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34:828-837, 2002.
Ivy, J.L., Katz, A.L., Cutler, C.L., et al., “Muscle glycogen synthesis after exercise: effect of
time on carbohydrate ingestion,” Journal of Applied Physiology, 64:1480-1485, 1988.
Ivy, J.L., “Dietary strategies to promote glycogen synthesis after exercise,” Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, 26(Suppl):S236-S245, 2001.
Suzuki, M., Doi, T., Lee, S.J., et al., “Effect of meal timing after resistance exercise on hind limb muscle mass and fat accumulation in trained rats,” Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 45:401-409, 1999.
Disclaimer: Always consult a medical professional before taking any nutrition supplements.
This is Part 1 of a 3-part series on gaining power faster through nutrition:
Zach contacted me over email one day,
…and said he increased his throwing speed by 10-mph,
Eventually topping out at 95-mph using nutrition and hard work.
(enter brakes screeching sound effect)…
I said to Zach, “Hold on, so it wasn’t mechanics? It wasn’t PED use? It was nutrition?!”
It wasn’t a total shocker to me,
Because I’m not new to the power of nutrition…
I’ve spent a decade in the fitness training world.
And I know how powerful an athlete’s nutrition can be to recovery, muscle building, etc.
So I told him to send over what he was selling because I was curious about his process.
In the following 3-Part series, Zach is going to outline his journey of self-discovery. The best part is, he used proven science to get there!
And please note, just because this worked for him pitching, doesn’t mean it won’t work for increasing bat and ball exit speeds.
I just want to warn you though, some of what Zach talks about can get a little technical, so take your time and read over the material a couple times, till you can synthesize it.
Rest assured, it’ll be worth the extra work.
Enter Zach Calhoon…
The Moment Everything Changed…
I will never forget this moment. I looked up from a book I was reading and had this thought “Everything will change from this day forward…”
On a bus, on my way to the next 3 game series. We stopped at a parking lot for lunch. I snuck away to the bookstore and grabbed a couple books on nutrition and sports science. This day started my journey towards what I call the “secret” to success – research.
In high school, I was an average pitcher throwing 84 MPH. I was over 6 feet tall, but besides that, I wasn’t that good.
I always knew, deep down inside, I could be great one day. I knew that I could throw 90 MPH and be a pitching stud. But I didn’t know how to get there (Or that eventually, I would throw 95 MPH).
So I worked. And worked hard. Which led to some success and I eventually got a small scholarship to a division 1 school in San Antonio – The University of Texas at San Antonio.
But I still threw about 85 MPH. So how did my fastball increase by 10 mph all the way to 95 MPH?
Question: If I told you that I could triple your muscle gain with one tip, would you believe me?
Probably not.
I’m going to show you multiple published controlled studies that show the timing of protein increasing protein synthesis by 3 times.
Heavy research has been done regarding your bodies reaction to when you put nutrients into your body. Check out some of these studies about amino acid uptake and protein synthesis:
“Multiple studies confirm that the supplementing amino acids immediately following a workout, greatly benefits the athlete. Okamure and associates found that immediately following a workout (the Anabolic Stage) that protein synthesis increased 25% and amino acid uptake doubled when a carbohydrate/protein supplement was administered. Biolo and colleagues tested resistance training athlete’s response to post workout supplementation. They saw an amino acid uptake and protein synthesis 3-4 times greater in tested subjects supplementing immediately after exercise.
The critical timing of protein is best represented in a study conducted by Levenhagen and colleagues at Vanderbilt University. This study looked at the effect on protein synthesis comparing protein/carbohydrate supplementation immediately following exercise or protein/carbohydrate supplementation waiting 3 hours after exercise. He tested 10 subjects. 5 male and 5 female. Each subject was tested after 60 minutes of exercise. The subjects given a protein/carbohydrate supplement immediately following exercise experience protein synthesis 3 times greater than the subjects who waited 3 hours. The immediate group saw a considerable net protein gain. While the 3 hour delayed subjects actually saw a net protein loss.“
See the above chart for a visual
Research studies are compelling. But they are crowded with jargon and limited to certain controls. I use research studies to start the process of thinking critically about my assumptions. Then I test those assumptions on my own. I measure the output and see how I feel.
In this case, I had an ignorant assumption that timing of my nutrients did not matter. I read about this research and immediately tested, and kept testing (you should too). I went from an average 86 to 87 MPH fastball my sophomore year of college to 95 MPH in 8 months. I never changed my training, just my nutrient intake at the right times.
Mike Trout robbing a homer. Photo courtesy: NJ.com
You just learned that timing your protein can lead to faster recovery and better results. So what does that mean for you? Well if you are reading this, there is a good chance you are a hitter. You want to increase your average, and drop bombs.
Check out the photo on the right of Trout robbing a home run. He looks cool here. But if you are the hitter who just hit that ball, this has to make you extremely angry. All the work you put in, and just a few more feet would be a big league home-run.
I want you to have success. I am about to share with you knowledge all revolving around nutrition’s ability to make you 10% to 20% more powerful. Even if I only increase your power by 5 %. That small increase in power will send the baseball out of the park and keep Mike Trout empty handed. And that’s a great thing. Champions are made one inch at a time.
In the next few post we are going to talk about a variety of nutrition shortcuts to power. Whey protein, dextrose corn sugar, glucose, insulin, anabolic windows and many other things. All of which helped me become an elite athlete. I truly believe you can be a great baseball player. But you have to put in the work. That means maximizing every aspect of your training. Especially nutrition.
In the past few years, most elite athlete knowledge has been limited to the big boys in the MLB. Now some of the greatest research is making its way to college, high school and little league athletes. But it is taking time. Lets grow the knowledge of baseball players everywhere, and lets get better in less time.
Stay tuned, there is a lot to come.
-Zach
P.S.: I wrote a a free course called “5 Nutrition Shortcuts To A 90+ MPH Fastball” grab your own copy —> click here
P.P.S.: Thanks for reading. Share this with a friend.
Biolo, G., Tipton, K.D., Klein, S., et al., “An abundant supply of amino acids enhances the metabolic effect of exercise on muscle protein,” American Journal of Physiology, 273:E122-E119, 1997
Levenhagen, D.K., Carr, C., Carlson, M.G., et al., “Post exercise protein intake enhances whole-body and leg protein accretion in humans,” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34:828-837, 2002.
Levenhagen, D.K., Gresham, J.D., Carlson, M.G., et al., “Postexercise nutrient intake timing in humans is critical to recovery of leg glucose and protein homeostasis,” American Journal of Physiology, 280:E982-E993, 2001.
Okamura, K., Doi, T., Hamada, K., et al., “Effect of amino acid and glucose administration during post-exercise recovery on protein kinetics in dogs,” American Journal of Physiology, 272:E1023-E1030, 1997.
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