Thursday, October 31, 2013

Daniel Coyle Interview

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We are extremely lucky today to have Daniel Coyle, best selling author, to talk to us about talent and how we really get better at things.  Dan is the author of many books, his most known being the Talent Code and the Little Book of Talent. 

In these books he breaks down what makes people successful.  The story behind their success and the often believed "natural" ability.  Short story - hard work, dedication, effort, and years of practice is what makes people successful.  We often see the end-product and think WOW they were born to do that, but we don't appreciate the process, the progressions, the sacrifice, the set-backs, and the hours upon hours of practice.

I think believing that genetics are the key determinate in how well you perform in any given field is a cop-out.  It's taking the easy way out for reasoning why someone may be better than you.  Ask anyone who is successful why they are successful and a common response will be work.  When others sleeping, they were working; when others were partying, they were working; when others were watching TV, they were working.  All that extra time starts to add up over the years, and this is what Dan has brought to the forefront. 

We'll let Dan take it from here, so enjoy the wise words from this great researcher and writer!



1. First off thank-you so much for doing this Daniel.  I know you're a very busy guy, so thanks for taking the time to do this.  With the popularity of your books, The Talent Code and The Little Book of Talent, could you give an overview of what contributes to talent and why these contributions can be more important than ones genes.

It's truly my pleasure, Michael -- thank you for having me! 

The overview is pretty simple, and it consists of seven words: Your genes matter less than you think
Historically, we've given a lot of influence to the idea that talented people possess some special twist of DNA that the rest of us lack. But science is showing us that this is largely a mistake. Science is showing us that talents -- especially when it comes to cognitively demanding skills -- aren't doled out at birth. They are grown in the brain through intensive practice. The only exception to this is raw athletic skills. So if you want to be a high jumper or a marathon runner, you definitely have to pick the right parents. But for most everything else, it's less about who you are, and more about what you do. Specifically, how you are motivated, coached, and above all, how effectively you practice. 

2. The 10,000 hour rule of mastery has gained a lot of recognition over the years.  For athletic or sport performance, do you feel these hours have to be specific (example basketball) - or do broad, general skills and movement/motor learning such as playing other sports also help contribute towards the 10,000 hours?  

Great question, because one of the most common reactions to the 10,000-hour rule is the strong desire to practice narrowly -- for tennis players to focus ferociously on tennis, for instance, or chess players on chess. This instinct makes sense, but it's often the wrong thing to do. The reason is that, like any structure, skills are built on other skills. A broad base -- whether it's chess or tennis or anything else -- has been shown to lead to better performance. Think of Federer (soccer player until 13); Kobe Bryant (same), Steve Nash (same). They succeeded in part because the skills of one sport (recognizing patterns, anticipation, body control) gave them an advantage over players who just trained narrowly in one sport. 

3. What steps do you recommend to learning skills, techniques, movements?
First of all, stare. Find a way to watch someone who's good -- watch them closely, and over and over, until you can feel yourself making the movement. 

Then break it down into chunks. Small pieces that you learn over and over, and combine into bigger chunks. 

All high-quality practice consists of three moves: you reach for a target. Then you evaluate the distance between your reach and the target -- what worked? What didn't? Then you reach again. Repeat. 

4. What role does the brain play in skill acquisition?
It's gigantic. We talk of "muscle memory" but the truth is that your muscles don't have any memory. They're just doing what the brain tells them to do. So whenever you see an act of great coordination -- whether it's Jordan driving to the hoop or Tiger Woods hitting a perfect shot -- what your'e really seeing is beautiful brains. Circuits that have been built, refined, and made accurate and fast through deep practice.

5. What are some traits great coaches have in common?
A couple things come to mind. First, they're able to form strong connections very quickly. They connect to the heart. Second, they don't give long inspiring speeches -- rather, they deliver vivid short bites of information in a memorable way. Third, they spend lots of time designing the practice space, and planning. 

6. Tell us the importance of cues and cueing and how to make cueing more effective?
The most important cue a person can get is when they see a vision of their future self. When they meet someone that they don't just admire and respect, but someone that they want to become. That causes a cascade of motivation energy that some scientists have actually measured. We're social animals, and we're driven by our sense of identity. When we see a vision of our future selves, our brains light up and we have a lot of energy that we can use to (you guessed it!) practice. 

7. You've talked about having your own scoreboard, can you explain this a little further?
This comes from addressing a common problem in youth sports and in business. The problem is that the scoreboard we use doesn't reflect the qualities we want to grow -- and the solution is to create your own scoreboard. For example, a soccer coach who wants to improve passing should track the number of successful passes each game, and post it -- so that that number becomes the metric the team cares about. 

8. What traits/qualities should parents and coaches strive to promote and instil in children?

Grit. Resilience. Resourcefulness. Love of learning. Which happens to be precisely the same traits they should promote in themselves. Because learning is not like waving some magical wand. It's more like a cross-country hike. It takes time, lots of energy, stubbornness, flexibility, and above all togetherness. 


Thanks again Dan!  Some great information was dished out there and for even more in-depth analysis of these topics and more be sure to check out Dan's books below.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed and they will change the way your live your life and work towards your goals.
 
     The Talent Code
     The Little Book of Talent
     Lance Armstrong's War
     Hardball

Also check out Dan's awesome website http://thetalentcode.com/

   

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Saturday Studies - 10/26/13

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Core Muscle Activation and Activity Throughout the Different Phases of the Golf Swing: A Literature Review

This great study dove deep into the research pertaining to muscle activation during the golf swing.  It looked at different phases of the swing - back swing, down swing, contact, and follow through - and the muscles active and dominant during those phases. 

They found a couple of things, some obvious, some other pretty interesting

1. Sequence Holds True - All high level golfers use the same sequence - Hips, torso, shoulder, arms, club.  Lesser golfers don't take advantage of this sequence to the degree high level golfers do.
photo credit: ketteringfitness.com

2. Glutes and Core - Overall key to golf power and club velocity is strong glutes and a strong core.  The researchers noted that improving strength in these areas can improve club distance by 6% or more.  That's pretty dang significant when we're talking about 150-250+ yards with many clubs.

3. Importance of Rotator Cuff and Scapular control and synchronization - I found this pretty interesting and probably not something a lot of golfers think about, the importance of a strong and stable shoulder.  Here's a quote from the study

       "while golf does not require an extremely demanding arm action, it does, however, entail highly synchronized rotator cuff muscle activity so as to protect the shoulder complex, especially during the downswing. These findings agree with research that also considered the activity of the scapular muscles in the upper back region (levator scapulae, rhomboid, trapezius, serratus anterior) throughout the golf swing. These data indicate that the upper, middle, and lower trapezius muscles work collectively, assisting in the retraction of the scapula throughout different sections of the swing"

4.  Professionals Don't Use DIFFERENT Muscle Activations - This should be encouraging for most golfers, to know that they guys you're watching on TV are using the same muscle activations as you - they just use them better.  They are stronger, more mobile, more efficient, and more consistent with these activation patterns.  This just reinforces the need for golfers to get into a strength and conditioning program that focuses on building the ranges of motions need, and then adding strength and stability on those patterns.

Check out our Prezi on Golf Performance HERE

http://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/Fulltext/2013/10000/Core_Muscle_Activation_and_Activity_Throughout_the.1.aspx

2. Stretch and Activation of the Human Biarticular Hamstrings Across a Range of Running Speeds

The hamstring complex is an extremely important group for athletic performance.  The hamstrings help to extend the hip, and this hip extension is key to running speed and jumping height.  The hamstrings are made up of 3 muscles - biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus.  The study looked into the amount of activation and different stretch lengths of each hamstring muscle during slow and fast running. 

The researchers found the stretch of each hamstring muscle was very similar.  This means that all 3 muscles were put through similar muscle-tendon unit stretch during all the speeds.

The researchers also noted that muscle tendon lengthening velocities were fairly similar, but as the running velocities increased especially at 6.9m/s, the biceps femoris lengthened at a velocity higher than the others.  This points to why the bicep femoris may be the most commonly injured hamstring muscle.  On the other hand, the muscle tendon unit shortening velocities were also very similar with the semitendinosus having the largest peak shortening velocity.

When looking at the EMG of the hamstring during the sprint cycle, 2 periods peaked on the activation scale

     - First was the portion of the stride from foot-strike to terminal stance
     - Second was from terminal swing to foot-strike

Both of these instances make sense as this is the hip extension portion of the gait and the hamstrings act as a key hip extensor.  Another interesting point was the medial hamstrings (semimembranosus and semitendinosus) were activated longer and more pronounced than the lateral hamstrings (biceps femoris).  What was also very important was to note that as speed increased, so did hamstring activation levels.  It's been said for a long time, the hamstring group is the most important muscle group for building speed.

This study is very interesting and may help shed some light on how to train the posterior chain specifically for sprinting.  We know certain exercises can stress the medial and lateral hamstrings more heavily and we can approach our training to mirror the same tendencies seen during actual sprinting. 

For example supine leg curls (stability ball, towel, valslide) and glute/ham raises target the lateral hamstrings more, and possibly training these more eccentrically may combat the risk of injury and better simulate the action during running.  Kettlebell swings and RDL's target the medial hamstrings more and making sure we perform dynamic efforts in both of these lifts may help simulate how they perform on the track.  These are ideas, nothing concrete, just thinking aloud.  Also "primetime's" or straight-leg bounds could simulate the actions of the posterior chain without the pounding and CNS intensiveness of sprinting. 

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-013-2713-9#page-1



Go Get 'Em!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Hip Dissociation

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When we walk, jog, jump, kick, swim, bike, or sprint, our hips have to perform two very different movements. One side of the hip is going through flexion while the other side is going through extension. This is what I call hip dissociation—the separation of the two legs and their movements at the hip joint.

When you sprint, each leg cycle consists of one leg dynamically performing hip flexion (knee drive) while the opposite leg simultaneously performs dynamic hip extension (leg extending toward the ground). The two legs are performing separate and simultaneous actions at the hip joint. When we train, we typically perform movements where both sides of the hips are performing the same movements. In typical squats, deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, kettlebell swings, glute ham raises, and hip thrusts, the legs and hips are working together on the same movement in the same plane.

Yuri Verkhoshansky (quit possibly the smartest coach ever!) was the first coach to realize these two opposite movements and he tried to implement a way to train them. He came up with some pretty innovative exercises to train both of these simultaneous movements. However, for some reason, they never really stuck, and you’d be hard pressed to find any program that trains this quality.



You might be thinking that I’m advocating switching bilateral exercises for single-leg movements, but in reality, almost all single leg work doesn’t attack this hip dissociation fully. Take a single-leg squat. One leg is performing the squat, so it’s going through hip flexion and subsequent hip extension. But the other leg is just statically staying put, not going through any range of movement. It’s performing a low intensity, isometric contraction at an almost neutral position.

While split squats, lunges, and RFESS do stress the opposite actions of extension and flexion in each leg, they don’t stress full range of motion or dynamic movement in the back leg. Think about it—the hips are in two different positions, but the back leg doesn’t go through a full range of motion, dynamic movement, or resistance, which is seen in actual movements. Most of these movements consist of one leg performing the movement while the other doesn’t move and contracts isometrically or performs only a small range of motion without any resistance.

The purpose of hip dissociation exercises is to stress, load, and mimic these movement patterns. Instead of training these qualities separately, you kill two birds with one stone. Not only that, but as Pavel Tsatsouline has been known to say, you’re “greasing the groove.” You’re teaching this separation and developing this movement pattern while in the weight room.

On top of the added mechanics and loading of a specific movement pattern, you also get a great contralateral core stabilization exercise. These movements won’t only stress your hips, but they present contralateral forces on the body in which the torso will be forced to stabilize. Your torso will be forced to act as an anti-rotator to keep the body positioned.
So overall, these exercises:
  • Provide simultaneous strengthening of hip extension and flexion
  • Develop hip and leg coordination and dissociation
  • Develop sprint/jumping mechanics
  • Allow you to engrave this very important movement pattern
  • Stress contralateral core stabilization
  • Allow loading from all different planes, vectors, and positions
Again, I’m not advocating that you drop bilateral movements in favor of these exercises. I firmly believe that the big, bilateral exercises should be at the base of a training program. What I’m saying is that maybe you should throw these in for accessory/auxiliary work, during a warm up, or in between sets.

I’m not claiming that these movements will change the way you train, but they could be of great use if you train athletes who need great movement skills. Experiment with them and see if you find some carryover into your movements. Hell, if Dr. Verkhoshansky thought to train these qualities, that right there is enough for me to think that they must be important. So let’s get to the good stuff and see what I’m talking about.

Glute bridge with isometric hip flexor:

I like to start with this progression because it helps to learn how to create simultaneous tension of hip flexion and hip extension in a more controlled, static position rather than jumping right into dynamic movements.


Band-resisted leg “scissors”:

We pick up the speed of the movement a little bit. But again, it’s still in a controlled state to engrain and stabilize the movement pattern.


Isometric glute bridge with hip flexion:

Hip extension stays under tension, and we pick up the velocity of hip flexion. This is really going to stress the posterior muscle sling to stay stable.


Single-leg glute bridge with hip flexion:

Now we fully piece together dynamic flexion and extension. An easy way to load hip extension is to use chains, sand bags, or dumbbells/kettlebells.


Single-leg hip thrust with hip flexion:

Now we progress to a greater range of motion, which will require more coordination and allow for more velocity. You can always add chains, sand bags, or dumbbells/kettlebells to the hips to further load hip extension.


Step-up with hip flexion:

Now, we move up to our feet to load more vertically rather than horizontally like in the previous movements. I find that a band is the best way to load the back leg (hip flexion), but ankle weights are another option. Adding a vest or increasing the speed or box height of the step-up will enhance the hip extension portion.


Reverse lunge with hip flexion:

Finally, another option is to use a reverse lunge into hip flexion. This hybrid loads both the horizontal and vertical vectors. Make sure the band has tension on the reverse lunge aspect. Otherwise, the band has a tendency to slip off the foot (or you could always wrap it around your ankle a couple of times to keep it tight). Again, using a vest is an easy way to load the reverse lunge.


Conclusion

There you have it—hip dissociation. I really feel that these exercises have a lot of bang for your buck and do have a place in a program (at least in mine). I really like using these during my warm up for activation or between sets or as auxiliary exercises.

As always, Go Get ‘Em!

Monday, October 14, 2013

Training for Golf

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We have put a lot time researching and piecing together the information we are presenting and feel this information is extremely beneficial for golfers of all levels. Last week we talked about how we approach our training for baseball/softball players, but what's nice is there is a lot of carryover and similarities between the two sports.

They both live in the transverse plane and need adequate rotational training principles. In that same regard they both require very similar mobility and stability demands, so the training aspects are very similar.

One major difference between the two is usually the population we work with. With my baseball athletes it's typically youth through college athletes; while the golfers we work with are typically between ages 35-60. While many of the principles are the same, how we approach this population and how aggressive we train will differ.


So let's take a quick look at 3 strategies for approaching training for golf.

1. Earn the Right to Rotate – This is something that we really try to emphasize to everybody, and it's not everybody has earned the right to go golfing. This may sound tough to choke down for many, but it's the simple truth. The golf swing is a very fast, intense, and explosive movement that requires tremendous amounts of mobility, stability, and strength. If a person cannot exhibit set standards of these qualities, they should NOT be golfing. Instead they should spend time (usually 3-4 weeks) making sure they bring up these levels of achievement before they begin golfing again. If a person golfs but isn't able to exhibit these baseline standards; it's not whether they'll get hurt, it's when will they get hurt. It's a progression, and people need to earn the physical right to golf because if they don't they're putting their body at risk.









2. Physical Restrictions WILL Effect Your Golf Game – This may seem obvious, but when we look at golfers this tends NOT to be applied. Golfers are usually quick to see a Golf Pro, Swing Coach, or watch a Pro's technique, but all of this might be a wasted effort if they have physical limitations. No matter how much technique work you do, or how much you work on your swing mechanics, if you lack thing such as hip internal/external rotation, thoracic extension and rotation, core stability, shoulder rotation, or overall strength and control, it won't matter – you physically don't meet the standards of what you're trying to accomplish. It's easy to understand why most Pro's now have Strength and Performance coaches who work personally with them. They can help attack these restrictions, imbalances, asymmetries and allow the body to meet the demands of the golf swing. Strength training is now the norm for serious golfers, and it's effect on one's golf game is immense.








3. Sequence is of Utmost Importance – All rotational movements require this specific pattern – hips, torso, shoulders, arms, club/implement. It doesn't matter if we're talking about golf, baseball, discus, or tennis – this sequence is what separates the best from the rest. Now the part that most golfers might not like to hear is that swinging a golf club is NOT the best way to learn and cement this pattern. The swing is just too fast and complex for it to be the best way to learn proper sequencing. This is where a strength/performance coach comes in. In a training setting we can breakdown the rotational movement into simpler parts, we can slow it down, we can manipulate body position, we can add resistance, and then piece is back together with the club in the hand. All of these tools allow us to better develop and learn how to pattern the rotational sequence far more effectively than just trying with a golf club alone.







Overall what we work to accomplish, as with any athlete, is attack specific mobility that golf demands; then add stability on those patterns/movements; and finally add strength, power, and speed. We do this with appropriate progressions, fundamental training methods, and programming for the unique needs of each golfer based on their assessment and evaluation. This allows us to get the best possible results and give the biggest benefit for our golfers.

For more info check out our Prezi slides we use when presenting.


Go Get 'Em!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Fruit Dip

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It's been a while since we've posted a good eats, so thought we'd give a this superwonderfulawesome recipe.  If you love fruit and love dipping that fruit into a delicious concoction, then this is for you.  Humans, cats, dogs, ewoks, robots, the whole lot love this creation and so will you.




Now to get started, let's dive into this easy recipe

   - 1/4C - Greek Yogurt
   - 2 Spoon Fulls - Natural Peanut Butter
   - Scoop of Chocolate Whey Protein (Optional but recommended)
   - Dash Cinnamon

The steps are easy, just put everything in a bowl, and start mixing until everything is smoothly blended.  Can't get much easier than that!  Slice up some apples, pineapple, or grab some grapes and start dippin'.

This easy recipe packs a big nutritional punch to go along with the benefits of the fruit.  Plus we get complete protein sources, healthy fats, quality carbs, fiber, and a good spectrum of vitamins and minerals.  Check out more in these articles (Top 10 Fruits; Top 10 Herbs/Spices). 

A typical serving of this fruit dip will provide the following.

   Fats - 30g
   Carbs - 25g
   Protein - 50g
   Calories - 575


Now go and try this delicious fruit dip and prepare to be addicted!  Also checkout the Good Eats Tab on the right side bar for more recipes!

Go Get 'Em!

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Saturday Studies

Another set of Saturday Studies for you. 

Enjoy!

1. CSCS Certification and School Enrollment Impacts Upon High School Strength Facilities, Equipment, and Safety

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a High School Strength Program under the leadership and supervision of a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.  The researchers sent out surveys asking details of their S&C Program, athlete safety, weight room set-up, quality of equipment, number of athletes that use the weight room, and overall supervision. 

The researchers heard back from 108 Midwestern high schools, and interpreted the results.  From these results the following numbers popped up

   -  Only 50 of the 108 schools had a hired S&C Coach
   -  Of those 50, only 21 of those S&C Coaches had a CSCS
   -  The Schools with a CSCS Professional had more "functional" equipment.  Free weight, squat racks, Olympic bars, bumper plates, less single-jointed machines
   -  The Schools with a CSCS Professional had larger weight room space (4283 sq/ft vs 2434 sq/ft)
   -  Schools with a CSCS Professional has a "safe capacity" of 75.7 vs 47.7 per student-athlete

There are some sort comings to this study as it's based off survey, and while 108 schools replied, the survey was sent out to 390 schools (27.7% response rate).  What we can take away from this study is that it appears to be appropriate for High Schools to hire a CSCS Professional.  The quality of the program, efficiency of the weight room, safety of the athletes, and facility use all benefit from having a qualified professional that understands not only human movement and physiology, but also athlete development, safety, and facility layout.  I hope this can help increase the trend for High Schools to hire qualified S&C professionals to run their facility and athlete programs. 

 http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2013/09000/CSCS_Certification_and_School_Enrollment_Impacts.34.aspx

2.  Influence of Sprint Acceleration Stance Kinetics on Velocity and Step Kinematics in Field Sport Athletes

Acceleration is king in team sports, it dominates over top-end speed and is a much better indicator of sport success.  The researchers of this study looked at stride frequency, stride length, and ground reaction forces as they relate to acceleration performance. 

What they found is that stride length during the 0-10m is correlated to speed.  This has been shown time and time again, and is the reason why when coaching athletes we give them these ques

   - Push the ground behind you
   - Drive!
   - Each step is like a leg press, full extension!
   - Don't be the road runner (don't spin your wheels)



The researchers also found that shorter ground contact times equated to faster acceleration speeds.  On that same note, faster athletes applied more force.  These two go hand-in-hand.  The more force you apply will equate to less time on the ground, just like Newtons 3rd law.  Bring in a higher force (action) and have a higher reaction.   Overall this leads to how we get faster - apply more force in less time.

http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2013/09000/Influence_of_Sprint_Acceleration_Stance_Kinetics.18.aspx


Go Get 'Em!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Training for Baseball/Softball

This Sunday night, Dr. Dan Johnson from Spine and Sport and myself will be giving a presentation on the Principles of Training for Baseball/Softball.  Since I do most of my work out of a baseball academy I think it's only fitting to share how to approach training for this unique sport. 


The biggest I problem I see with preparing for this sport, whether it's youth through college, is a cookie cutter approach.  Youth often over-throw and play too many games, while never prepare physically even though it is probably the most important thing they could do.  High schools mostly follow a football type of workout that has no specificity to the sport nor the athlete, it's just bench, squat, and clean.  And many colleges still use general workouts with no specific programming for different positions or each individual athlete. 

This is a problem, as baseball is unique in many different ways and requires a good grasp on the biomechanics and stresses baseball puts on the body.  A generic rotator cuff complex is short-sided and will yield limited results, the bench press, back squat, or military press probably isn't wise for most of the baseball population, and the scapula is the culprit behind about 95% of shoulder injuries, but does the average program really attack this area?

The joint speed of the shoulder during throwing is the single fastest movement in the human body.  Pretty incredible, and requires some pretty incredibly smart training.  Let's take a look at the 3 biggest areas training programs can improve.

  1. Assessment - If you're not assessing you're just guessing.  Every sport needs and in-depth, thorough assessment, but this holds especially true in baseball/softball.  With all the parts involved in this game, joint ROM, stability, strength, coordination, bone structure, tissue quality, and biomechanics all need to be evaluated.  Every athlete is different and require a different approach to their training and recovery process.  A 5'8 pitcher will need different training than a 6'4 pitcher; just as a centerfielder will need different training than a first basemen.  
  2. Training the Transverse Plane - The transverse plane in simple terms is rotational movements.  Take one look at baseball/softball and it's obvious they live on rotational movements - throwing, swinging, stealing bases.  These rotations come with a specific sequence and is a movement pattern that can be trained and improved.  But take one look at many training programs, and there is virtually no rotational movements, it's mostly up and down or lateral (which is a good start, but still need more).  Using med balls, bands, sleds, and kettlebells can all be used to train in the transverse plane and build strength and power in this essential movement.
  3. Long Distance Running - I don't know why this lives on, but why do baseball players run for distance?  To build a base is not a valid answer, as there are many other methods that can achieve mobility, stability, and strength gains while working to increasing a "base".  Baseball is an explosive, power sport; one that lives in the alactic energy system.  This means you need to be able to be powerful for multiple reps with close to max recovery between those reps.  No where does distance running fit into this realm.  Along those same lines is when I hear, "Some of those guys need to get into shape."  What shape?  Running repeat 300's, running gassers, or running poles?  Look at most major league players, you probably wouldn't classify them as being in what we think of as shape.  But what they can do is produce huge amounts of force and power, rest 20 seconds and repeat.  That's baseball shape.  Being able to run repeat 300's has no bearing on whether a guy can pitch 7 innings.  Just as football shape is different than basketball shape is different than swimming shape.  Baseball is a different type of shape and preparation.
So if you're in the Dubuque area Sunday night, come on down to Bases Loaded (3185 Hughes Ct.) at 6:30pm for a great presentation on this information and more.

Check out the PRESENTATION HERE for a look at the notes, but come on Sunday to get the in-depth stuff. 

Go Get 'Em!