Just Like Your iPhone: How Pro Athletes Recharge Their Body After Each Game

Friday, March 10, 2023

In the early part of my career, I worked as a Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League System. Every year, like clockwork, our pitching coach would come storming into my office a few weeks into the season in a panic.

He was always rattled that the pitchers weren’t going long enough in the game. They were getting pulled after four or five innings (starting pitchers are aiming to go at least seven innings).

Now, in my eyes, the pitchers just came out of a grueling six-week Spring Training and were still getting settled into the season. Many of them weren’t exactly high achievers during the offseason, so they were still getting into shape.

“These guys need to run harder and longer!” the pitching coach would say to me, “Back in my day we would run five miles after every start! That’s what these guys should be doing.”

I would nod my head and smile. I would play the game.

But I knew something he didn’t. I knew science.

I knew that the Aerobic System was in charge of two things in the body. It was in charge of producing long-sustaining energy and it was responsible for recharging your batteries (recovery). Both were CRITICAL to the endurance of the athlete.

I would turn to the pitching coach and snap back, “YOU’RE RIGHT! THESE GUYS ARE SOFT! WE NEED TO GRIND THEM TO A PULP! Tomorrow, when it’s time to work out, I’ll take ‘em behind the stadium and THEY WON’T KNOW WHAT HIT ‘EM!”

We would high five or do some sort of other ridiculous celebration and we would head our separate ways.

The next day, when it was time to crack some skulls, I would parade the pitchers past the pitching coach (with a mean scowl on my face), I’d walk the group right out of the centerfield wall, slam the door behind me, and then proceed to “crack those skulls.”

DBacks Goldy Spring Training Anthem jpg

Only, I didn’t.

Running longer and harder wasn’t the answer. I needed to be smarter than that.

So, I would strap each pitcher up with a heart rate monitor and we would go for a brisk walk around the surrounding neighborhoods.
We made sure that we kept their heart rates between 130-150 for the entire walk and then we headed back to the field.

Here’s what you gotta know about the Aerobic System. It’s the only system capable of producing energy for longer than sixty seconds. Just like you need a lot of energy to get through the day, professional pitchers need a lot of energy for seven innings of a professional baseball game.

But there’s also a little secret that you don’t know about the Aerobic System. It’s also the only system in your body in charge of your recovery.

Think of it like this, when you’re done using your phone for the day, what do you do?

You throw it on the charger and let it juice up!

Well, if you have a crappy charger, you could leave it on there for 8 hours and it will only get up to 50%

Well, if your aerobic system is a crappy charger, you could sleep for 8 hours and it will only get up to 50%.

I knew THIS was the secret sauce for my pitchers.

I needed to get them brand-new batteries and charge them up to full strength.

The Science

fcvm-08-669335-g001 jpg

Imagine the picture of the heart above is a cup. Do you see how the bottom right picture (Eccentric Ventricular Hypertrophy) would be able to hold more fluid. That's where we are headed.

When you exercise at a consistent heart rate between 130 and 150 beats-per-minute for 30 to 90 minutes, your heart will begin to fill with blood. As it fills up, the heart will expand. Just like filling a balloon with water.

In the business, we call this Eccentric Ventricular Contraction. But that’s just a fancy way of saying your heart can now hold more blood.

When your heart can hold more blood, that means more energy, oxygen and resources can get pumped out to your muscles.

You know what this means, right? You’re going to have more energy.

With the same clockwork-style predictability of the pitching coach storming into my office, I could predict the sudden spike in innings pitched by pitchers.

It happened every year.

Without fail, a few days after beginning this routine, all the pitchers would start pitching 7+ innings.

These training sessions were a scientific approach to athletic performance.

This approach maximized their body’s ability to produce energy and recharge between pitches and between games.

Recharging

This is how I discovered the secrets of recharging your system.

During an NBA season, the team has an 82-game schedule.

On the first day of the season, everyone feels great. They are fresh, full of energy and strength and are fully ready to go.

But each game after that, the season begins to take its toll. The guys get tired, worn down and beat up from the grueling schedule.

If they had a 45-inch vertical leap at the beginning of the season, it may only be 38-inches at game 40.

My job was to keep them at full strength every single night. They needed to be jumping 45-inches on Game 1 AND Game 82.

So, I developed a “Recharging System” that the players would do every day, so their batteries were always fully charged at the start of each game.

This system has three parts…

#1 Re-Program the Brain

storage googleapis com-486681944373284 jpg

Look at all the different states your brain goes through during the day. The key is to put yourself in the right state at the right time. This is something most humans have a hard time doing.

You know how when you wake-up in the morning, you’re still really sleepy but after your first cup of coffee, you’re buzzing and ready to go? Well, the brain goes through different states throughout your day.

Each state corresponds to different activities. Some are hyperactive and stressful states. While others are relaxing and restful states.

What I found, through studying our players brain waves, was that they would get stuck in the stressful states.

Sound Familiar? Do you find yourself getting stuck in an anxious or stressful state thinking about everything that’s going on in your life? This isn’t accidental, this is neuroscience!

So, we developed a blueprint and used some advanced technology (that we will give you!) to literally change our athletes brain waves to get them into a “recharging” state.

#2 Aerobic Strength Training

IMG_1346 JPG

NBA Star, Nick "Swaggy P" Young doing our famous incline treadmill walk before a game in San Antonio

As you learned above, the aerobic system is our target for recharging. This system gives us the energy we need and finely tunes our recovery system.

During our fitness sessions, we make tweaks to the number of sets and reps our athletes do. We also focus on particular muscles that have the secret ability to pull your Central Nervous System out of a stressful state (this stuff will blow your mind, and I promise to teach you everything).

Finally, we arm our athletes with heart rate monitors to eliminate any guesswork and ensure that you are in the proper heart rate zone. Each athlete will have different levels of intensity and this technology will guarantee that you’re using the right one.

#3 Recharge

The final component of the recharge system is, well, recharging! We consulted with sleep scientists, dieticians, exercise physiologists and neuroscience experts to figure out how to turn your body in a SUPERCHARGER!

Your body’s ability to recharge itself comes down to one data point…your Heart Rate Variability.

To keep it simple, your Heart Rate Variability or HRV, is the measure of how much stress is in your body at any given time.

If you have high stress, recharging will be very difficult.

If you have low stress, you will be in SUPERCHARGER mode.


We use wearable technology, like your Apple Watch, Oura Ring and WHOOP Band, to monitor your HRV (and some other key points).

Check Your HRV Now...

You can actually check your HRV right now if you have an Apple Watch. Simply open the Apple Health App on your iPhone and scroll down to the Heart Rate Variability section. We like to see HRV scores above 100. If you’re below, you’ve got some work to do.

hrv-health-apps-iphone-hero jpeg

Based on your numbers, our team of Sport Scientists and Strength and Conditioning Coaches can adjust your work volume and workouts to give you the best dose of exercise at the perfect time.

This is how we turn your body into a SUPERCHARGER!


Imagine a world where you woke up everyday bursting with energy…

Imagine what your business could do if you were never running on empty…

Imagine the life you could create if you could transform your body into a SUPERCHARGER!

Ready to start SUPERCHARGING? Click the Link Below to Start Training with Us!

In the early part of my career, I worked as a Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League System. Every year, like clockwork, our pitching coach would come storming into my office a few weeks into the season in a panic.

He was always rattled that the pitchers weren’t going long enough in the game. They were getting pulled after four or five innings (starting pitchers are aiming to go at least seven innings).

Now, in my eyes, the pitchers just came out of a grueling six-week Spring Training and were still getting settled into the season. Many of them weren’t exactly high achievers during the offseason, so they were still getting into shape.

“These guys need to run harder and longer!” the pitching coach would say to me, “Back in my day we would run five miles after every start! That’s what these guys should be doing.”

I would nod my head and smile. I would play the game.

But I knew something he didn’t. I knew science.

I knew that the Aerobic System was in charge of two things in the body. It was in charge of producing long-sustaining energy and it was responsible for recharging your batteries (recovery). Both were CRITICAL to the endurance of the athlete.

I would turn to the pitching coach and snap back, “YOU’RE RIGHT! THESE GUYS ARE SOFT! WE NEED TO GRIND THEM TO A PULP! Tomorrow, when it’s time to work out, I’ll take ‘em behind the stadium and THEY WON’T KNOW WHAT HIT ‘EM!”

We would high five or do some sort of other ridiculous celebration and we would head our separate ways.

The next day, when it was time to crack some skulls, I would parade the pitchers past the pitching coach (with a mean scowl on my face), I’d walk the group right out of the centerfield wall, slam the door behind me, and then proceed to “crack those skulls.”

DBacks Goldy Spring Training Anthem jpg

Only, I didn’t.

Running longer and harder wasn’t the answer. I needed to be smarter than that.

So, I would strap each pitcher up with a heart rate monitor and we would go for a brisk walk around the surrounding neighborhoods.
We made sure that we kept their heart rates between 130-150 for the entire walk and then we headed back to the field.

Here’s what you gotta know about the Aerobic System. It’s the only system capable of producing energy for longer than sixty seconds. Just like you need a lot of energy to get through the day, professional pitchers need a lot of energy for seven innings of a professional baseball game.

But there’s also a little secret that you don’t know about the Aerobic System. It’s also the only system in your body in charge of your recovery.

Think of it like this, when you’re done using your phone for the day, what do you do?

You throw it on the charger and let it juice up!

Well, if you have a crappy charger, you could leave it on there for 8 hours and it will only get up to 50%

Well, if your aerobic system is a crappy charger, you could sleep for 8 hours and it will only get up to 50%.

I knew THIS was the secret sauce for my pitchers.

I needed to get them brand-new batteries and charge them up to full strength.

The Science

fcvm-08-669335-g001 jpg

Imagine the picture of the heart above is a cup. Do you see how the bottom right picture (Eccentric Ventricular Hypertrophy) would be able to hold more fluid. That's where we are headed.

When you exercise at a consistent heart rate between 130 and 150 beats-per-minute for 30 to 90 minutes, your heart will begin to fill with blood. As it fills up, the heart will expand. Just like filling a balloon with water.

In the business, we call this Eccentric Ventricular Contraction. But that’s just a fancy way of saying your heart can now hold more blood.

When your heart can hold more blood, that means more energy, oxygen and resources can get pumped out to your muscles.

You know what this means, right? You’re going to have more energy.

With the same clockwork-style predictability of the pitching coach storming into my office, I could predict the sudden spike in innings pitched by pitchers.

It happened every year.

Without fail, a few days after beginning this routine, all the pitchers would start pitching 7+ innings.

These training sessions were a scientific approach to athletic performance.

This approach maximized their body’s ability to produce energy and recharge between pitches and between games.

Recharging

This is how I discovered the secrets of recharging your system.

During an NBA season, the team has an 82-game schedule.

On the first day of the season, everyone feels great. They are fresh, full of energy and strength and are fully ready to go.

But each game after that, the season begins to take its toll. The guys get tired, worn down and beat up from the grueling schedule.

If they had a 45-inch vertical leap at the beginning of the season, it may only be 38-inches at game 40.

My job was to keep them at full strength every single night. They needed to be jumping 45-inches on Game 1 AND Game 82.

So, I developed a “Recharging System” that the players would do every day, so their batteries were always fully charged at the start of each game.

This system has three parts…

#1 Re-Program the Brain

storage googleapis com-486681944373284 jpg

Look at all the different states your brain goes through during the day. The key is to put yourself in the right state at the right time. This is something most humans have a hard time doing.

You know how when you wake-up in the morning, you’re still really sleepy but after your first cup of coffee, you’re buzzing and ready to go? Well, the brain goes through different states throughout your day.

Each state corresponds to different activities. Some are hyperactive and stressful states. While others are relaxing and restful states.

What I found, through studying our players brain waves, was that they would get stuck in the stressful states.

Sound Familiar? Do you find yourself getting stuck in an anxious or stressful state thinking about everything that’s going on in your life? This isn’t accidental, this is neuroscience!

So, we developed a blueprint and used some advanced technology (that we will give you!) to literally change our athletes brain waves to get them into a “recharging” state.

#2 Aerobic Strength Training

IMG_1346 JPG

NBA Star, Nick "Swaggy P" Young doing our famous incline treadmill walk before a game in San Antonio

As you learned above, the aerobic system is our target for recharging. This system gives us the energy we need and finely tunes our recovery system.

During our fitness sessions, we make tweaks to the number of sets and reps our athletes do. We also focus on particular muscles that have the secret ability to pull your Central Nervous System out of a stressful state (this stuff will blow your mind, and I promise to teach you everything).

Finally, we arm our athletes with heart rate monitors to eliminate any guesswork and ensure that you are in the proper heart rate zone. Each athlete will have different levels of intensity and this technology will guarantee that you’re using the right one.

#3 Recharge

The final component of the recharge system is, well, recharging! We consulted with sleep scientists, dieticians, exercise physiologists and neuroscience experts to figure out how to turn your body in a SUPERCHARGER!

Your body’s ability to recharge itself comes down to one data point…your Heart Rate Variability.

To keep it simple, your Heart Rate Variability or HRV, is the measure of how much stress is in your body at any given time.

If you have high stress, recharging will be very difficult.

If you have low stress, you will be in SUPERCHARGER mode.


We use wearable technology, like your Apple Watch, Oura Ring and WHOOP Band, to monitor your HRV (and some other key points).

Check Your HRV Now...

You can actually check your HRV right now if you have an Apple Watch. Simply open the Apple Health App on your iPhone and scroll down to the Heart Rate Variability section. We like to see HRV scores above 100. If you’re below, you’ve got some work to do.

hrv-health-apps-iphone-hero jpeg

Based on your numbers, our team of Sport Scientists and Strength and Conditioning Coaches can adjust your work volume and workouts to give you the best dose of exercise at the perfect time.

This is how we turn your body into a SUPERCHARGER!


Imagine a world where you woke up everyday bursting with energy…

Imagine what your business could do if you were never running on empty…

Imagine the life you could create if you could transform your body into a SUPERCHARGER!

Ready to start SUPERCHARGING? Click the Link Below to Start Training with Us!

IMG_5044 PNG

Sean Light

PRT, CSCS, LMT

Sean is the Founder and CEO of Weight Room Wealth, 4A Health & Performance Sciences Investment Group and former Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Recharge With Us for Just $3/day!

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Want me to personally coach you? Join RECHARGE for just $3/day and I will Write Your Fitness Programs, Hand-Deliver Your Neuroscience Technology and Grant You Access to All of our Performance Education.

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