What makes your training “Excellent?”
In a recent interview on Baseball Radio, my friend- collegue and long time Yankees Second baseman Pat Kelly (now general manager of the Australian Baseball Leagues South Australian team)- spoke about what he will not only expect from his players as a general manager- but what he will demand of them. He spoke about the excellence factor- why the Yankees espouse excellence in their on-field play- extending to the way they exit the field, and even – in their treatment and respect of both opposition, support staff and each other.
Excellence is made- not born.
What is your approach to training off the field? Is it excellent?
Every repetition of an exercise should be as good as you can make it. Do you just stand in front of the dumbbell rack and do curls- shoulder slouched- one after another to get through your three sets of ten?
In the last installment- I talked about transference- understanding movement mechanics and making applications in the weight room for a variety of your training demands. For bicep curls- do you get into a stance that replicates field movement? How about a straddle step- back heel raised- which requires you to balance and stabilize your core while you perform arm exercises. Think this will impact your game? You bet it will.
The more important global fact here, however, is it accounts to your application of excellence as a player. Looking for an example? The most excellent I have worked with to date- without question- is Marlins MLB Pitcher Rick Vanden Hurk.
Rick “lives” to be a professional athlete. From the time he wakes up and drags me to the gym early during the season- to every morsel he puts in his mouth- he is thinking – will this help? Can I do better? Some might call this obsessive, but to be world class- at anything- that is what it takes.