Commencement

Four weeks after I embarked on this strange trip, I walked out of the doors to the Athletes' Performance facility one final time. I will be in Baltimore less than 24 hours from now.

If this post is about the end of my trip, why did I name it "commencement"? Any stuffy college president can recite that the end of the college experience is really the beginning of something greater. Consider this post an extended simile. I've always looked at my trip to Athletes' Performance as an opportunity to change how I think and act about training and nutrition. In six weeks, I might be a varsity baseball player or Coach Mrowka may kick me to the curb. Regardless, I have the tools to live optimally. If I can maintain that lifestyle, the money spent here will be well worth it.

After my morning workout, I met with Steve (the nutritionist). He revealed that I have gained about 6 pounds of lean muscle and I've lost about 4 pounds of fat. My actual weight is trickier to measure; I weighed in at 208 and 211 at various times today, up from 205 and near our goal of 210-215. Steve also commented on my diet. He put me on a 4400 calorie diet when I arrived in late July. That diet is easy to execute during the week when the AP chefs are preparing meals, but much harder to follow on the weekends. My biggest problem has been eating far less than what he recommended. I'm sure my parents would be surprised by that result, if they even remember me. I usually eat plenty, but to maintain my weight with a rigorous workout regimen, I need tons of food. Steve gave me some tips on what to consume before, during and after workouts and competitions and easy meals to prepare at school.

Athletes' Performance allows clients to purchase EAS products at a deep discount. I walked away with a big jars each of creatine and Muscle Armour as well as some Myoplex packets. Steve gave me an order sheet so I can order more. He also gave me some Pure Encapsulations vitamins. These are supposed to be high quality vitamins that only doctors can purchase. I can also purchase these later through Athletes' Performance at a discount.

I am armed with the means to succeed. I have my vitamins and supplements from Steve. Paul, the guy who coordinates the VO2 testing and ESD program, gave me a cardio program for the next several weeks. Masa gave me a workout protocol with the assurance that he'll send me the rest of the regimen once I complete the current phase. If I fail, it will be because I lack talent, not because of my work ethic or because I didn't maximize my ability.

I've been touched by many people this month, many of whom I consider friends. Many thanks for Joe and John for coaching me gratis, Jeremy and Scott for treating my elbow, Masa, Jaclyn, Steve, Debbie and all of the AP chefs, Carl, Andria and Mary, Paul, Darryl and Graham at ASU baseball.

I've worked out with some amazing people, too. A certain camaraderie is built when many people share common goals and endure physical and mental fatigue together to achieve it. I've made friends in Caspar, Felix, Fred, Michael, Cameron, Will, Victor, Matt, Scott, Jeff, Charles, Chase, James and Koren.

I will in Baltimore until Friday and I look forward to seeing my old friends who haven't already departed for college.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Crossing paths

One of my last days was the first day for two notable baseball players. Jay Gibbons, a Baltimore Orioles' outfielder, arrived today to get physical therapy on a torn labrum. He's a nice guy, but he looks a lot bigger on TV. In real life, he's only 6'0" and under 200 lbs. The other notable player who arrived is James, the starting third baseman of the South Carolina Gamecocks. This week, I've been blown away by the talent of the people that I train with. Of the three baseball players in my training group, two of them played in the Cape Cod League and both are major contributors at top 40 programs. Crazy.

I took some more post-experience tests, including a body fat evaluation. Although I gained several pounds, I lost about 1.5% body fat (down to about 11%). Both of those results meet my goals.

I also got to take a spin in one of the most expensive cardio machines on the planet. Athletes' Performance owns a G-Trainer. The curious should follow the link, because this treadmill is hard to describe. A bag inflates under the runner's legs that makes the runner somewhat buoyant. Although I weigh 208, I was running as if I only weighed 140. If you have $70,000 burning a hole in your pocket, consider buying it. Of course, Athletes' Performance didn't pay a dime for it.

My last workout is tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing my Baltimore friends soon.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Farewell tour, continued

I finished up one of my favorite parts of the AP experience today: regeneration. My 8 am massage continues to identify tightness in my back and neck. I completed the other regeneration staples: flush (light 10-minute bike ride), foam roll and contrast (switching between the 60 degree pool and the jacuzzi) with enthusiasm.

I also started the exit process by retaking my Functional Movement Screening and Keiser tests. The FMS is a series of tests (toe touching, squat, lunge, etc) that evaluate one's flexibility. The results were merely OK; I didn't improve much on any of these drills. Jeremy, who managed the tests, suggested that I didn't do as well on these tests because we focused our time on improving my elbow. I don't make excuses, but if I can throw with limited discomfort, I'll tolerate a little inflexibility.

The Keiser tests seem simple, but are more complicated under the surface. I sat at a leg press machine sitting next to a digital display. When prompted, I completed one rep as fast as possible. The resistance gets progressively harder, making it difficult to complete the goal of 10 reps. The test is repeated on the chest press machine. The goal is to maximize force, which the hydraulic Keiser machine measures. I'll see the results (as compared to my test four weeks ago) on Friday.

That's all for now. I only have two more workouts before I return home.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Maintaining focus

As I march towards the end of my experience (3 more days, but who's counting?), one of the hardest things for me is maintaining focus. Executing every rep, every set and every exercise requires the utmost focus. Today, that focus was hard to maintain. I don't have a good excuse, but today I didn't have it consistently. Performing optimally is more than maxing out on bench press, it requires mental focus and a proper emotional state. My goal is to always be on top of my game physically, mentally and emotionally.

Masa created a new PM lifting workout for me and a few of my new companions, Charles & Chase. The brothers went to a local high school and Charles was a top recruit of a Pac-10 school last year. Charles threw 90 in high school and his brother, a rising senior, "only" throws 87. Masa's new workout applied old strategies (e.g. core stability, hip rotation, etc) to new exercises. The new twist made it easier to stay concentrated.

Jeremy scraped me again for the first time in 2 weeks. The pain is unimaginable, but the result (throwing long-toss again in minimal pain) makes every scraping worth it.

Tomorrow is my last regeneration day (and my final massage). I'm also looking forward to seeing how much progress I've made in my exit evaluation and the personalized nutrition and fitness plans the staff will provide me.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

New faces, same place

I arrived today to begin my fourth and final week. I've been here as long as nearly every current client. As Dia Clark said famously, today was the same but a little different.

For the last three weeks, Joe has trained me under the supervision of Darryl. Now, Joe is off to grad school and Darryl is spending the week training the San Francisco 49ers. Masa, a full-time AP employee (like Darryl), will train me for my final week.

The morning session was a movement workout (no surprise there). Masa added his own variation, so I did some slightly different exercises. For example, he added rotator cuff strengthening on the Keiser machine and other prehab exercises. I trained with a different partner, an ASU golfer named Victor. The afternoon session wasn't different; unlike the AM session, the PM lifting sequence is scripted.

To correct a previous post, while AP trains executives, the groups I've seen here aren't executives. One group (that left on Friday) was a collection of California fire fighters. Another was a group of "mentors": physical therapists, personal trainers and nutritionists who come to Athletes' Performance to learn the gospel.

There's more to look forward to this week. Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons, recovering from shoulder surgery, is expected on Wednesday.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

The First Goodbye

Although I train beside famous athletes, I am certainly not one of them. Famous athletes earn millions of dollars and must greet admirers wherever they go. But I do have one thing in common with them; like retiring athletes, I have a farewell tour. Only this one is virtual.

The tour started today, the final day of the interns. The interns do the majority of the menial task (towel duty, anyone?) and train most high school and collegiate athletes. Their unpaid internship ended yesterday. My trainers Joe and John are embarking on careers in athletic training. Joe will be a graduate assistant at Springfield (MA) College, assisting varsity athletes. John will have a similar role at Southern Illinois University. Next week I'll be trained by two members of the full-time staff.

I try to throw every day here and I've played catch with many different people (a rising freshman baseball player at La Salle, a high school pitcher in Nevada, a high school infielder in Texas and Joe, the former Gettysburg College captain). Koren offered to throw with me yesterday and I took him up on his offer today. His mechanics were erratic, but he became more consistent as we progressed. He told me that he was a high school outfielder/pitcher in North Carolina and was offered baseball scholarships at Kentucky and Elon, but rejected them for a football scholarship at NC State. His coach at NC State didn't allow him to walk-on the baseball team. He made the right choice in picking football.

The farewell tour continues tomorrow, my final Saturday at AP. Can't wait for regeneration.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Making strides, starting over

Today was a day of achievement, but also one that made me rethink something fundamental.

In the morning, we performed another movement workout geared towards linear speed. For weeks, I've been spinning my wheels when it comes to acceleration. The staff wants me to use my legs like pistons to propel myself forward. Instead, I've been "cycling": kicking my foot backwards and then spinning forward in a circular motion similar to one's foot on a bicycle pedal. Today, I made a big improvement in that leg motion. I still haven't perfected the technique, but I felt the difference today for the first time.

In my physical therapy session, Scott changed my throwing mechanics. First, he suggested that when I am pitching, I land with my left foot pointing at the catcher instead of rotating that foot as my hips turn. Also, he recommended that I increase my arm angle by throwing with my hand farther away from my body and that I pronate my wrist as I release the ball. I tried these changes today and felt less pain that usual. I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner.

Koren beat me in another game of Madden but I took him in ping-pong so I have something bragging rights. Koren looked like a tennis player today; he wore a pair of white shorts, a white sleeveless t-shirt and a backwards Atlanta Braves hat, entirely in white. I'm no Stacey London, but that outfit looked ridiculous.

Tomorrow is the last day for the interns, including two who train me every day, Joe and John.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Catching my breath

Today's regeneration was just in time. Monday and Tuesday's workouts left me exhausted. Today's foam roll, cold plunge and massage felt great.

This week, a different kind of client entered our consciousness. About a dozen executives descended upon the Tempe campus to work out, learn about nutrition and improve their "performance living". At first, I thought it was a little ridiculous to see forty-somethings working out among the college and pro athletes. However, it makes a lot of sense to all parties. Instead of throwing money at a fantasy camp where they can expose their athletic weaknesses and meet has-been athletes, these professionals learn how to eat right, train right and rub elbows with the best current athletes. Athletes' Performance also taps into a market that they wouldn't normally expose themselves to.

In other news, Darryl left AP yesterday to advise the San Francisco 49ers (NFL) training camp for a few days.

A shorter entry for a half-day at AP.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Trading Places

Athletes' Performance is a revolving door of athletic talent. Athletes leave on Saturdays only to be replaced by fresh faces on Monday. The machine keeps chugging along.

Today, Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) running back Larry Johnson said good-bye to the trainers, took his enormous leather backpack and departed around noon PT. At this hour, Johnson has not reported to Chiefs' training camp. As one departs, another arrives. This week, AP welcomed wide receiver Koren Robinson. As I described in an earlier post, he played for the Green Bay Packers (NFL) last year before incurring a one-year drug suspension. Robinson is more outgoing than any of the other football players here with the possible exception of Grant Irons. Koren even played a game of Madden 07 football with me. He chose the Vikings, the team in which his likeness plays in the game, and I was the Ravens. We only had time for one half before our PM workouts and he won 21-14. He scored all three touchdowns with Koren Robinson and praised himself in the third person for the accomplishment. I found Todd Heap for a touchdown and earned Jamal Lewis a rushing touchdown, too. It was awesome; I'll be practicing hard so I can win future encounters.

Since the end of the my first week, there have been two baseball players (me and a pitcher from a Las Vegas high school) and two trainers. Today, we added another: Will, a baseball player from Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas. Baseball America calls Bellaire HS "a power house" and if Athletes' Performance helps Will reach the Major Leagues like five Bellaire alumni (Jose Cruz, Jr., Jim Gideon, Chuck Knoblauch, Kelly Wunsch and Chris B. Young), he'll have gotten his money's worth.

Tomorrow is regeneration. It never comes too soon.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

The Breakthrough

Progress is usually made gradually, making it hard for even the most aware to chronicle it. Today, progress was not only quantifiable, it was obvious. These are the days that breed optimism.

The first sign of progress was in the morning workout. I've been performing box hops nearly every day for the past two weeks with limited success. Finally today, I was able to land on the box without wobbling. The adjustment? Simply landing with my off foot next to my contact foot. If only I recognized that sooner.

I made another breakthrough in the PM lift. I set personal bests in the snatch, the dumbbell bench press and the RDL and improved my technique in the other exercises. Better still, I felt limited discomfort in my throwing rehab today.

Today was a good day, but it will be wasted unless I can maintain and improve upon it. That test begins tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Halfway home

It happened so quick. But staring at another Friday night, I have come to the halfway point of my trip. Two weeks from today, I will be packing for my return flight the next morning.

The last two weeks have been an amazing experience. I've become more aware (and frustrated) by my core stability, or lack thereof. I've improved my running form and made great strides with my weightlifting. I've been able to step up the weight on my exercises. I'm still mastering the technique of the various exercises, so I expect to see even bigger improvements in the next two weeks.

I threw today, throwing at a true long-toss distance for the first time since surgery (about 120 feet). My arm responded well. There's still some soreness, but I felt 85%. That improvement should be tempered, however, because I did get scraped yesterday and I threw better last week after being scraped to regress a bit afterwards. But if I continue to feel this good, I'll be ready for fall practice.

Tomorrow is a short regeneration session followed by a relaxing weekend. I won't write again until Monday evening when I start my third week and my last with Joe.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Mecca

Athletes' Performance's main facility is here in Tempe, but there are other branches, too. We've had interns transfer from the other facilities to Tempe and it's interesting to hear their stories and compare the locations. Las Vegas attracts the NBA players (I haven't seen any in Tempe) because the facility boasts plenty of basketball courts. Los Angeles is popular with some baseball players like Chase Utley and Nomar Garciaparra in the off-season because of the proximity to their vacation homes. Because the site is in The Home Depot Center where the LA Galaxy (MLS) train, the physical therapists have rubbed elbows with David Beckham. The Gulf Breeze, Florida facility is a favorite for rehabilitating athletes (The Andrews Institute is on-site). When a recent intern arrived from Las Vegas, he was amazed by our workout room, our cafe and our outdoor rubber court. Having been here for nearly two weeks, that new car smell has worn off a little. Of course, we're blessed to be using the newest equipment and to be learning from great coaches and interns. But we shuttle between only a few main rooms: the workout room, the lounge/cafe and the locker room. There isn't a ton of acreage. Joe likes to say, "There's everything here an athlete could need." He's right and that's a credit to the efficiency of the facility.

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On Thursdays, I have two physical therapy sessions. The first was a good ol' scraping. Jeremy realigned my scar tissue for the second time in as many weeks. It's still a painful procedure, but it hurt less than last week. Scott worked out some neural tension in the afternoon session. Thanks to their help, my arm is feeling better.

The workouts was the same I had last Monday and Thursday. Now that I understand each exercise's technique, my focus is channeled into perfect execution. Easier said than done, especially when it comes to core stability.

Tomorrow is my final workout of the week. It will also mark the halfway point of my experience.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Relaxing Painfully

Today was a regeneration day. Unlike most days, my instructor today was Darryl Eto, just back from an Adidas Basketball Camp (he's a consultant for Adidas). Eto is also a Senior Performance Specialist at AP, one of the elite trainers handpicked by President Mark Verstagen. His expertise shows. He led us through a series of foam roll exercises, sprinkling knowledge about different kinds of muscle tension. He even diagnosed a balky tendon in my knee as a result of my lack of core stability.

The massage I was looking forward to was more painful than relaxing. The masseuse, Andria, tried to relax my tight shoulders. I think she made some progress, but it wasn't soothing. Speaking of pain, I can look forward to 2 physical therapy sessions tomorrow. I also have the normal AM movement workout and the PM strength workout.

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W. Mark Felt once famously told Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward to "follow the money" when Woodward was covering the Watergate scandal. While I'm not claiming there is a scandal here at AP, it is useful to talk about where the money goes. Pro athletes pay nearly $1500 per week; Collegians are out about $900 per week. Meals and physical therapy cost extra. However, 90% of my interactions so far are with unpaid college graduates who train us. AP is sponsored by EAS, Gatorade, Keiser and many others. EAS gives AP a ton of free supplements. Equipment manufacturers donate high-tech machines. Of course, there are expenses, including a full-time staff with which I interact daily. I don't mean to complain; I'm having a great time and it has been worth every penny. But either this company has great margins or their overhead costs rival the Taj Mahal's.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Quinn Signs, Leaves AP

It's hard to avoid the big news today at the gym, big enough to lead the 3 pm PT version of SportsCenter. Brady Quinn has signed.

Quinn signed a 5-year, $20.2 million contract with the Cleveland Browns today, according to the Associated Press. Quinn worked out a 9:30 am PT today (a half-hour earlier than usual) and left quickly. Larry Johnson, the other NFL player here, will likely be here for two more weeks as he continues to hold out from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Today is the one-week mark from my first workout here. There are only two types of workouts that I'm doing, so instead of learning new exercises everyday, I'm trying to execute each exercise better. I also got some physical therapy attention today. The therapist (Scott) diagnosed my forearm spasms as a side effect of my ulnar and medial nerves being irritated. The solution? More physical therapy. Fortunately, I'll have plenty more of that in the next 2 1/2 weeks.

Tomorrow is another regeneration session. I'm looking forward to the massage.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Week 2

I guess I broke my pledge about writing every day, but very little happened this weekend that relates to this blog. We had a brief (90 minute) regeneration session on Saturday, most of which was filled by a game of pickup basketball. Athletes' Performance is closed on Sunday.

Today was a reasonably normal day. Two of the four people in my workout group have left, so the trainer to client ratio is 1:1.

My biggest challenge now is core strength and awareness. I'm learning how to respond to a command from a trainer (tighten your shoulders while lifting your pelvis) and execute it. I am able to do nearly everything the trainers ask, but I'm not always able to do it the way they want. For example, while doing RDLs I lower the weight with my lower back instead of supporting it with my hamstrings. Achieving that goal will be an important benchmark to watch for the remaining three weeks.

I've mentioned before that NFL holdouts Brady Quinn and Larry Johnson have been working out here as they negotiate new contracts. We're expecting a third NFL player this week: receiver Koren Robinson. Robinson has played for Seattle, Minnesota and Green Bay before violating the NFL's substance abuse policy (and receiving a one-year suspension) last season. Robinson did not appear at AP today.

I threw again at 90 feet today. My arm is holding up OK and I'm getting a lot of attention from the physical therapists here.

Tonight, Athletes' Performance appears on ESPN's SportsCenter. Tomorrow, I have two more workouts.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Just Another Day in Paradise

I am reminded of Phil Vassar's "Just Another Day in Paradise":

Yeah it's ok. It's so nice.
It's just another day in paradise.
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be

And who said country music had to be pessimistic? At any rate, today was another day of hard work, but there's no place I'd rather be.

Today's workout was almost identical to Tuesdays. Of the four workout days (Wednesdays and Saturdays are regeneration days), Monday and Thursday workouts are similar and Tuesdays are paired with Fridays. So today, I was finally doing something familiar.

The AM movement prep workout wasn't any to write home about (so I won't), except that ESPN brought a film crew for the second straight day to film Brady Quinn and Larry Johnson working out. Watching Quinn and L.J. throw weight around is a constant reminder of why I'm not a pro athlete. As I passed by Quinn, I heard him say (and I'm paraphrasing): "Tiger's probably better known world-wide, but I'm from Cleveland so I'll take LeBron". I assume he was referencing the final of the Sportscenter segment Who Cares? (sic). I reminded the crew as I was leaving today, "Didn't Schlereth say that Quinn should get his butt in camp on NFL Live?" I guess Brady takes no revenge against the network.

I advanced to the 90-foot stage of my throwing program today. I still feel some discomfort but my forearm didn't spasm on me, which is its own mini-victory (and perhaps another reason that Jeremy will continue his torture chamber).

The PM workout was similar to Tuesday's and we're making progress. I spent the first few days here learning the positioning of the exercises and correcting my posture. As I'm internalizing those things, I've been able to execute the exercises better.

Tomorrow is a regeneration day followed by a much needed off day on Sunday.

I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

Blood & Sweat

Today was an exhausting day. If I had more energy, I would think of a better lead.

We had another morning movement prep workout (like Tuesday). Today, we focused on linear speed. The workout was packed with running form drills and core stabilization. The workout wasn't particularly hard, but we were outside (in the shade), so we worked up a good sweat in this 100+ degree heat.

I had a 10:30 am physical therapy appointment scheduled with a therapist named Jeremy. As I found out too late, Jeremy is notorious for inflicting pain on his patients. His technique involved scraping over a previously injured area with a blunt instrument. The idea is that the scar tissue needs to be aligned in such a way as to increase blood flow to the affected area. I can truthfully say that I have never felt more pain than that 30 minutes of hell (including the experience of blowing out my UCL). Jeremy does this to plenty of pro athletes (the pro football player sitting next to me shook his head in empathy as I was being scraped). My arm is red and tender right now, but it was worth it if it speeds up my recovery.

I threw again today, 75 throws from 60 feet. My arm feels OK but I'm still feeling discomfort and a spasmed muscle in my forearm makes occasional throws painful. Therapists here have cleared me to continue throwing and I'm getting plenty of care.

A few more celebrity athletes passed through the doors today as Athletes' Performance welcomed an old friend, NHL goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. Khabibulin joined aboot a dozen fellow NHLers on elliptical and stationary bikes.

The PM workout included a brief medicine ball warmup followed by a lift. We started the lift with a dumbbell snatch and some dumbbell RDLs (Romanian Deadlift). We alternate these lifts with mobility exercises. Joe remarked that I have much better mobility than strength. I trust that he'll correct the latter.

After the workout, I had another therapy session with a different therapist who doesn't use torture techniques on her patients. I wasn't out of AP until 4:45 pm but I wasn't done. I hit another 150 balls over at ASU's batting cages.

I'm very ... very ... tired.

Thanks for reading,
Ben

R & R, Athletes' Performance Style

I mentioned yesterday that Wednesdays are special here. That's because Wednesdays (and Saturdays) are designated "regeneration" days.

After a quick bike warmup (where I was sandwiched between Brady Quinn and Larry Johnson), we relieved some tension in our muscles. The tool of choice was a foam roll, a cylindrical piece of styrofoam, which we rolled over various muscles to work out knots. For those who want to relief achy muscles on a budget, I definitely recommend a foam roll.

For those who aren't on a budget, I recommend a one-hour deep tissue massage. And that's exactly what I had (after a brief hot/cold plunge). We get one every week here and it's something I'm going to try to maintain when I get home. It's a bit painful when the masseuse is leaning on your back, but it relieved a lot of tension and hopefully will help improve my posture.

The folks at AP arranged for me to hit 150 balls off a tee at nearby Packard Stadium, home of the Arizona State Sun Devil baseball team. The facility is amazing and the players and coaches generous. I hope to post some pictures tomorrow; the complex is on par with McKethan Stadium at the University of Florida. I'm going to hit at Packard Stadium Monday through Friday for the rest of my stay.

Starting tomorrow, I'll have my first consecutive workout days. We're making progress every day!

Thanks for reading,
Ben