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Strength Development and Training for the Athletic Population

by Sean Cochran

The development of strength within the entire kinetic chain is integral for the execution of biomechanically efficient movement patterns in sport. Limitations in terms of stability, strength, or endurance within the musculature of the entire kinetic chain can severely hamper the ability of an athlete to execute proficiently the movement patterns associated within their sport of competition. "Functional" strength developed from feet to fingertips within the kinetic chain is essential for the athlete as this will provide the foundation by...

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TRX Suspension Trainer Squat

by Sean Cochran

The athletic population requires the development of strength. Progressive strength and conditioning programs will develop strength in patterns. These patterns allow for systematic progression and development of the kinetic chain in a functional manner. Strength exercises are categorized as lower body push, lower body pull, upper body push, and upper body pull. Bilateral and unilateral movement patterns are to be addressed as well as horizontal and vertical patterns in the upper body. Lower body movement patterns are classified as push and...

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External Pull Dynamic Flexibility Exercise

by Sean Cochran

The process of developing soft tissue extensibility and joint mobility within the kinetic chain requires the inclusion of a varying number of modalities. In general these modalities will address joint range of motion, soft tissue pliability, and extensibility. It is the combination of these varying modalities which will provide the kinetic chain with the appropriate joint ranges of motion to accomplish complex athletic actions associated with the sport. The process by which this goal is achieved is the implementation of flexibility...

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Integrated Performance Training for Throwers and Strikers

by Sean Cochran

The overhead throwing and striking athlete must recognize a strength and conditioning must adhere to specific training principles and include components conducive to injury prevention and athletic development. Understand the baseball, softball, golf, tennis, or volleyball athlete perform a repetitive overhead throwing and rotary action during competition. These kinetic chain patterns require the athlete to encompass certain components week in and week out in order to address all the mobility, strength, and power requirements associated with the athletic actions of...

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TRX Suspension Trainer Roll Out

by Sean Cochran

The athletic and general population must recognize the importance of developing the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex. The L-P-H (lumbo-pelvic-hip) complex commonly referred to as the core is integral in postural positioning, efficient human movement on a daily basis, execution of athletic actions in sports, and general injury prevention. One must recognize a large contingent of "mis-information" is present directing individuals in the execution of "core exercises" which are in general not conducive in the development of the core musculature. First and foremost athletes...

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Training Principles for Sport

by Sean Cochran

The development of the kinetic chain for sport requires adhering to specified training principles and underlying concepts. These concepts and principles guide the strength coach, athlete, and trainer in the development of the kinetic chain appropriately. These principles in conjunction with a structured training template will assist is a systematic approach in the development of the kinetic chain of the athlete for the sport of their choice. Provided below is a series of principles and training concepts pertinent to the...

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Single Leg TRX Suspension Trainer Lunge

by Sean Cochran

The overhead throwing and striking athlete participating in baseball, softball, tennis, golf, volleyball, and lacrosse requires the development of lower body strength. The development of functional strength in the lower body allows these athletes to execute the movement patterns of their sport efficiently, allows for the generation of speed, the development of ground reaction forces, the prevention of injury, and general improvement in their sport of choice. What the strength and conditioning coach and athlete must recognize is the development of...

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Flexibility Training for the Overhead Throwing and Striking Athlete

by Sean Cochran

The overhead throwing and striking athlete participating in baseball, softball, golf, tennis, volleyball, ice hockey, or lacrosse must recognize the importance mobility and flexibility play in these sporting activities. The execution of the athletic actions associated with these sports, the development of speed, and most importantly the reduction in injuries are contingent upon joint mobility and soft tissue flexibility. Recognize the generation of speed, the ability to change directions, and perform a repetitive movement (i.e. pitching motion, tennis serve, golf...

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Single Arm Kettle Bell Swing

by Sean Cochran

The development of power is integral in the strength and conditioning program of the overhead throwing and striking ahtlete. The development of speed in throwing and hitting by the baseball, softball, tennis, golf, volleyball, or lacrosse athlete is integral in success during competition. The process of developing the power components of the kinetic chain requires the implementation of specialized exercises within the athlete's strength and conditioning program. The specialized exercises typically classified as Olympic Lifts, Olympic Hybrids, Plyometrics, and certain Kettle...

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TRX Rip Trainer Low Strikes Performance Exercise

by Sean Cochran

The overhead throwing and striking athlete must recognize the importance of developing the rotary capacities of the kinetic chain. The baseball, softball, tennis player, golfer, volleyball, ice hockey, and lacrosse athlete generate power in a rotational movement pattern. These rotational movement patterns are what elicit bat speed, swing speed, throwing velocities, and serving speeds. In order to accentuate these capacities in addition to executing the base athletic actions within their sports requires anti-rotational and rotational capacities within the kinetic chain. These...

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Cable Press Out Performance Exercises

by Sean Cochran

The overhead throwing and striking athlete in baseball, golf, tennis, volleyball, ice hockey, and volleyball must recognize the importance of developing the stabilization capacities of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex. Recognize the L-P-H Complex commonly referred to as the core is extremely important relative to the athlete maintaining postural positioning, the execute of efficient movement patterns, limit pattern overloads, and the generation of rotational power. One component in the development of the core musculature is the ability to resist rotation commonly referenced as...

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Hip Mobility for Throwers and Strikers

by Sean Cochran

Are you an athlete participating in golf, baseball, tennis, softball, volleyball, ice hockey, or even lacrosse? If so, the execution of the athletic actions involved in your sport very much entails the hips. The hips are integral in the ability to generate rotary power, maintain postural positioning, execute overhead throwing motions, swinging of the bat, stick, or raquet, changes of direction, and acceleration. Recognize limitations in the hip complex can adversely affect every aspect of the athletic actions in your...

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Shoulder Health for the Overhead Throwing and Striking Athlete

by Sean Cochran

The glenohumeral joint receives a great deal of attention in professional baseball, and rightfully so. The pitcher and position player repetitively perform an overhead throwing motion during the course of a game. This repetitive movement is a total body action requiring optimal mobility and stability within the structures associated with the glenohumeral joint. Addressing the shoulder goes beyond the baseball athlete and comprises the tennis player, golfer, lacrosse athlete, quarterback in American football, ice hockey player, and basically any throwing or...

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Improve Your Game

by Sean Cochran

I have had  the opportunity during my career to work with top PGA Tour professionals, Major champions, LPGA tour winners, Major League Baseball All Stars, the dedicated amateur athlete, and beginner level golfer who just wants to get better. I recognize the talent levels are vastly different between the professional athlete and every day individual though they do have many similarities in common. These commonalities are both mental and physical. Generally speaking the professional athlete has the basic goals of competing...

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Horizontal Row Performance Exercise

by Sean Cochran

Program design for the recreational to professional athlete and every individual between adheres to certain training principles. This concepts holds true for every component of a strength and conditioning program. Each component within a training program should have a specific purpose and goal in terms of training response. Resistance training has the goal of increasing the strength components of the neuromuscular system. This is achieved by placing the kinetic chain under duress. This state of "duress" is achieved by challenging the...

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The 80-20 Rule of Strength and Conditioning Programs

by Sean Cochran

The 80-20 Rule is one I learned from Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Boyle. The thought process behind this rule is 80% of the components within a strength and conditioning program are interchangeable between athletes of differing sports. I would agree with this statement 100% as I have work at the top level of two professional sports and coached athletes from a variety of different sports. I can even take this 80-20 rule one step further and project it onto...

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Single Leg Box Jump Performance Exercise

by Sean Cochran

The development of power is integral in the strength and conditioning program of the athlete. A variety of different training modalities can be utilized in the development of the power capacities within the kinetic chain. Typically we can classify power training modalities into two categories: 1) Olympic Lifting and 2) Plyometrics. Olympic Lifting incorporates the utilization of the traditional Olympic weightlifting exercises the snatch and clean and jerk. Hybrids of these two basic lifts can also be included in this...

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Medicine Ball Chop Throw Performance Exercise

by Sean Cochran

The development of power in the transverse plane is very important for the rotary based athlete. The baseball, softball, golf, tennis, volleyball, and ice hockey athlete generate speed in a rotary pattern. The rotary speed developed by the kinetic chain in conjunction with speed from the biomechanics of the athletic actions of the sport are transferred into club, stick, ball, or racquet. The summation of these forces will dictate the amount of speed the athlete generates during competition. The strength and...

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Strength and Conditioning Guidelines for Pitchers

by Sean Cochran

Increasing velocity, the ability to pitch every fifth day, and how to avoid the “DL” are all questions ask by the MLB pitcher. Today’s baseball players in general are stronger, quicker, and more powerful than players even a decade ago. The workloads are high on the pitcher, the number of pitches thrown from the days of little league to the big leagues are greater, and the number of arm injuries appears to have increased dramatically at every level of the...

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