When you walk into Wright Physical Therapy in Twin Falls, Idaho, the first thing you notice is how tall everybody is....

I'm not talking about the staff or the patients. I'm talking about the physical therapists. They're huge! They're all so freeeeking tall!

Well, there's a good reason for it. They're all former basketball players. Therapists Tyler Billings PT, DPT and Michael Sprague PT, DPT both top out at a miniscule six feet eight inches. The owner, Bryan Wright PT, DPT, Cert. MDT, comes in at a wee six foot five (he's just a little guy in the clinic). 

Shrinking with age, I'm still trying to claim my high school height of six foot even. Standing next to the Wright PT therapists, I felt like a regular pygmy.

But, at least I knew that when it came to the game of basketball, these guys would know what they're talking about.

That's why one of the featured services offered at Wright PT is jump training. And, that's why they have a Shuttle MVP. They use it to help their basketball (and volleyball and all the other explosive sports) clients improve their jumping skills.

But, they also focus on developing good jump mechanics, helping their clients develop the technique and strength to avoid injury. Michael Boyle has talked about how with athletes, jumping is not the problem. Landing is the problem.

Well, Bryan Wright was kind enough to show me how they teach their athletes to land - how to land soft:

So, to all the tall people at Wright Physical Therapy - just want to say thanks. Thanks for using the Shuttle MVP. Thanks for sharing your expertise. (And thanks for not challenging me to a game of one-on-one.)

Although, I did read something about a free throw contest on your website... and Bryan maintains the current Wright PT free throw record at 59 in a row.

You guys letting the boss win, or what? 

We're pretty excited that more and more MMA fighters are using the Shuttle MVP. Most would agree that these fighters are some of the toughest athletes in all of sports.

And with all the body slams, chokeholds, and elbow smashes to the face - it can be pretty heady stuff!

It's rough, it's tough.... in a word, it's sexy!

And we admit, we do have a tendency to focus on the sexy when it comes to marketing Shuttle. That's why we get a tad twitterpated when Larry Kaplan of Varsity Fitness guarantees a three inch increase in vertical jump in nine sessions with the MVP. A chill goes down our leg when Ursula Grobler smashes the world record for indoor rowing by a full two seconds and credits at least some of it to her training on the MVP.

That's sexy stuff!

But then Ultimate Fighting comes along and roundhouse kicks our marketing libido....

When the UFC purchased Strikeforce last week - they brought some famous Shuttle fighters into their fold. Some of the more wellknown are Jason "Mayhem" Miller and King Mo Lawal. We hadn't visited with these guys in a while, and when we tried to catch up with them, we found out that King Mo was off training in Holland. We found Mayhem, along with his business manager Ryan Parson, on the set of a movie being filmed in Boston (they had their MVP with them).  

It was in an exchange of emails with Parson that we began to see how these fighters are really using their Shuttle MVP - and it wasn't exactly stimulating. While, yes, they were using it to increase their explosiveness; truth be told, both Mayhem and Mo had suffered knee injuries previously, and they really liked how the Shuttle MVP allowed them to train while protecting their vulnerable joints.

They used words like "gentle," "kind," and "soft" to describe their Shuttle.

Them ain't exactly fightin' words!

So much for the macho marketing. We had to face some facts. While Shuttle CAN do the sexy stuff - the leg strengthening, the explosive vertical jump, the world record rowing - perhaps where it truly shines is in the kinder, gentler form of performance.

Maybe that's why Michael Boyle talks so much about the Shuttle MVP's versatility, it's ability to assist three types of clients. It can help the debilitated client who can't develop explosive power in the vertical plane. It can help the humongous athlete who can't handle the eccentric loading in normal box jumping. It can help the athlete who simply doesn't like squats.

Hmmmmmm..... that's it! We can be known as "the love machine for athletes who hate squats." (Sorry, just trying to get "sexy" in there, somehow).

Oh well, I guess we're just meant to be more of the "velvet hammer" type. You know, the soft-spoken piece of machinery that quietly goes about its job getting clients back on the field, court, diamond, and into the Octagon so they can kill one another.

Call it the new Shuttle Sexy!

If you think your Shuttle's sexy, tell us about it on our Facebook page....

We've always liked how Michael Boyle thinks....

(ok, it doesn't hurt that Mike thinks the Shuttle MVP is a great product). 

But we, like many others in the strength coach/personal training field, feel that Michael Boyle is a man rich in wisdom, insight, and education. 

Well, there are other people who are also rich in wisdom and expertise - and Michael Boyle is recommending that you steal from them. He calls it Robin Hood Training. Everybody else knows it by the more common name of Continuing Education.

Think about it. By taking advantage of CE, you can steal from the rich (in expertise) and give to the poor (your clients who are looking for your help and guidance). And you end up playing the hero - you get to play Robin Hood!

Well, we've decided to be your "merry men" and let you know when a rich plum is in sight - someone who's worthy of your educational consideration - someone who's ripe for the intellectual picking. 

Just watch for our Shuttle Facebook and Twitter updates. You'll notice them when we use the secret password: ROBIN HOOD ALERT.

Oodalolly!

"Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."

Muhammad Ali

A couple days ago, I posted the above inspirational quote on our Facebook page....

As expected, it got a variety of "likes". I mean, who wouldn't like such a quote coming from such a man?

But in preparing the post I found a picture of the champ posing with his former nemisis, Joe Frazier. It was a recent photo, both of them pictured in their boxing robes. The photographer described how these two former enemies were able to ham it up for the camera - and he ended his description of the experience by calling them "two battered warriors who'd left their lives in the ring."

Photo by: Cliffords Photography
 

As I studied the picture, I began to wonder if the photographer said more than he knew....

Joe Frazier now suffers from diabetes; Muhammad Ali from Parkinson's. I don't know about Frazier, but there are more than a few who believe there's a credible link between Ali's former boxing career and his current suffering. For them, the cause may not be the sport of boxing, but more particularly, the fact that Ali boxed "way past his prime."

Did Muhammad Ali stay in too long? Did he take an unnecessary beating at the end of his career? Consequently, did he lose the best part of his life in the ring?

I know, we could argue about it all day - and it seems to stab at the very heart of our "life-as-a-champion" culture.

But, we've got parents getting their kids into sports at an increasingly earlier age. They're encouraged to choose a sport and stick with it year round - lest they fall behind. Consequently, we're seeing more and more young athletes sporting knee and ankle braces from repetitive overuse. Michael Boyle reminds us that these kids don't need to see a doctor as much as their parents need to see a shrink!

The majority of football deaths in the NCAA over the last 10 years did not occur during the game - they occurred during conditioning. Iowa football just sent thirteen players to the hospital with rhabdomyolisis. But, if you're a professional quarterback and suffer a sprained MCL in a big game, you better suck-it-up because this is the "game of your life." 

Well, is it, really?

We all know that champions pay the price - but are we putting that price too high?

Photo: Sukanto Debnath

Uh, yes, you heard me right.

The basketball history of Shuttle Systems had its debut with the Houston Oilers.

In 1988, Steve Watterson, Strength & Conditioning coach for the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans), conducted a vertical jump experiment with his players using the Shuttle CMC 2000 (which later morphed into the Shuttle MVP). Steve selected twelve players to use the Shuttle and twelve players to use traditional weight training methods.  

The players using the Shuttle completed a total of 15 workouts – 3 workouts a week – lasting just 34 days.

By the time the study was complete, the Shuttle players averaged a 3.5 inch increase in their vertical jump. Four of the Shuttle players had improved their vertical by over five inches - and that was just in 34 days! The traditional weight training.athletes had an average increase in their vertical jump of just 1.08 inches. 

Here's the Shuttle MVP Protocol those players used:

Steve Watterson Vertical Jump study (PDF Link)

The Duke University Vertical Jump Study

Leave it to Duke to see the basketball potential of the Shuttle....

Two Duke University graduate students conducted research to determine the Shuttles' ability to change quadricep strength and increase vertical jump. With a training group exercising over a six week period, they found "moderate increases in quadriceps strength." However, in vertical jump the research "training group showed an increase of 10.9% between pre- and post-test measurements."  

If you're into big words and lots of documentation, you can preruse the Duke study:

Research on Strength Changes of the Quadriceps and Alterations in Vertical Leap Measurements Following Six Weeks of Training on the Shuttle 2000 (PDF Link)

"Now, Back To Football...."

Trainers and athletes were asking for more resistance load in the Shuttle equipment. Thus was born the Shuttle MVP.

While versatile in its capabilities, elite trainers and athletes used the MVP to increase explosiveness while preserving joints and ligaments. It became particularly popular as a way to help football players prepare for the NFL combine by increasing their vertical jump. Warren Anderson, owner of RehabPlus and MakePlays.com, shared with us the results he was getting:

"This year we had 5 first round draft picks and they all recorded the highest vertical jumps of their respective careers. One player in particular showed tremendous improvements. He moved up from a projected third round pick to a become a first round selection. I honestly have to credit the Shuttle MVP for the bulk of his improvement in the vertical jump....nothing replaces jumping like jumping, especially in a loaded, horizontal plane with minimal joint forces."

Here's how Warren achieves his MVP results using his Triple Extension Protocol:

The Shuttle According To Michael Boyle

Michael Boyle of StrengthCoach.com has always been a game-changer - and so it was with the Shuttle MVP. While any athlete would appreciate an increase in vertical jump, Michael noticed the challenge that came with trying to achieve that increased explosiveness when using traditional training methods. It wasn't the jumping, it was the landing that was causing the problems with these big athletes - that's where most injuries occurred.

Working with the Boston University basketball team, Michael started using his Shuttle MVP to help the players develop increased eccentric strength for better injury-free landing.

Watch as Michael teaches eccentric jumping on the Shuttle MVP (and, please, no comments about his period glasses....).

Using A Zone Defense

When asked what are the key benefits of the Shuttle MVP for basketball, Charlie Melton, Strength & Conditioning Coach for Baylor University's Men's Basketball team, says he appreciates the MVP for its injury-prevention capabilities. An athlete can have awesome performance skills, but if an injury is keeping them out of the game, that talent lies dormant.

Melton uses the MVP to train his players in proper body mechanics, addressing body imbalances through unilateral training, as well as incorporating neuromuscular training to increase his players' speed and explosiveness. Here is his five zone Force Velocity training that he uses on the Shuttle MVP (please forgive the silence - there's no sound or commentary. Oh, and he's wearing a dress at the end of the video - but I ain't gonna say anything to him about it....):

James Madison Likes It For Rehab

Of course, injuries do happen and then the challenge becomes how to get the athlete back into the game as fast as possible. With the MVP, you can have the injured athlete rehab with their back, hips and spine completely supported using single leg loads with less-than-bodyweight. This micro-gravity environment and the ability to focus on the injured area - combined with the athlete's comfort and confidence – gives them a greater willingness to move, to exercise, to progress, leading to a faster recovery.

In this video, athletic trainer John Kaltenborn of James Madison University demonstrate a sports-specific protocol they are using to bring one of their star basketball players back from an ACL injury:

the NBA is warming up

Twenty of the thirty NBA teams own a Shuttle MVP. Bob Medina, Strength & Conditioning coach for the Portland Trailblazers, describes how his players use the MVP:

"Most of our guards come in an hour, hour-and-a-half before the game and do this same type of warm-up before every game. Pretty much every NBA city that we go to has an MVP in there, too. So, we use that as a pregame workout. It's a good way to get their legs energized and ready to go for the game."

Here, Bob takes Steve Blake through a typical warm-up on the MVP:

But the Vertical Jump Is Still too doggone sexy....

True story! A couple years back, Bill Murray - the actor - purchased a Shuttle MVP and told us, "I’ve always wanted to dunk...."

So, when it comes to basketball, Shuttle equipment can develop eccentric strength in landing, prevent injury, strengthen weaknesses and body imbalances, train the neuromuscular system, speed injury recovery, and facilitate pre-game warm-ups. It can do all that, but it's still the explosiveness and vertical jump sizzle that seems to be selling a lot of the Shuttle steak!

I guess if you can guarantee a three inch increase in vertical jump in just nine sessions with the Shuttle MVP - why wouldn't you jump on it?

 

Larry Kaplan of Varsity Fitness - showing us how it's done - thanks!

Hey, you made it all the way to the end of the article - you deserve some kind of a prize. Well, if you head over to our facebook page and "like" us - you can learn more and play more. Do it! We'll be glad you did!

Thanks for reading, watching, and thinking Shuttle!

Team Shuttle: Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Coach Boyle: I'm a strength coach, a writer, and an educator. I am the strength and conditioning coach for Ice Hockey at Boston University as well as the owner of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning with two facilities outside of Boston, MA. Recently Mens Health named us one of the top 10 gyms in the US.

What fascinates you right now?

 I'm fascinated by how little we know. I've been questioning everything lately. How to get bigger, how to get stronger, how to get in shape. I think the questions far outnumber the answers.

 You had a run-in with the NSCA - what's the permanent solution to that problem?

 I don't know if there is a solution. I can't get a straight answer. I hear I am unqualified, that I was uninvited. I think the real solution is full disclosure. I'd like to know what happened, who was behind it and why was it done.

I think you've described yourself as "old school". What are some trends you see in sports that you wish would stop - or go back to the way it was in the good ol' days?

Number one, early specialization. Everyone wants the next Tiger Woods or Maria Sharapova. Kids should be kids first and foremost, not little science projects for parents. Next would be all the AAU, ODP etc. This is just an outgrowth of the early specialization thing. Kids need time to become athletes. Just because they are smart we don't send them to med school at 10.

Who are you learning from? Who's doing some really cool stuff right now?

Good question. Lots of people. Alwyn Cosgrove always makes me think as does Gray Cook. The Perform Better tour has some of the best thinkers on the planet. I'm reading more about the mind, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin, and Nutrition stuff by Michael Pollan.

Who is the best athlete you've ever worked with - and why?

If you want Biggest Heart and Greatest Drive I might have to go with Chris Drury, captain of the NY Rangers. Jay Pandolfo of the New Jersey Devils is also in the same category as is Mike Grier of the Buffalo Sabres.

Most talented is interesting. There have been so many. Ray Bourque, Nomar Garciaparra, Mia Hamm, Marcellus Wiley. Keith Tkachuk and Tony Amonte established themselves as two of the greatest players in US Hockey history, Bill Guerin is still playing on a line with Sydney Crosby at 39. Too tough to call.

What's your best piece of advice to someone just starting out in the profession?

No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

If you were forced to make a different career choice - what would you be?

I'd probably be a carpenter. I love working on houses.

With all the demands on your time - how do you maintain balance in your life?

One I have a great wife. Two, I'm learning to say no more. Three, I work while everyone else is asleep.

For the record: One year from today you will have accomplished - what?

I will have streamlined my life. I'm trying to be able to spend more time with my kids.

At the end of your career, where do you want to say that you made your "Dent in the Universe"?

I hope I will have trained and influenced those who will take my place. When I see my "kids", the people I have coached and mentored do such great things, I know I have a legacy. I hope that is the way that Al Vermeil, Johnnie Parker, Rusty Jones and Mike Woicek feel about me.

One more.... How do you use your Shuttle MVP? Any tips or suggestions on how to get the most out of your machine?

We use the Shuttle MVP for power development and rehab across a broad range of clients. You guys already have a great video on your site that shows how we use it.

Be sure to check out the video of the new MBSC Winchester Facility.

If you would like us to feature you on Shuttlesystems.com please contact us and tell us your story!

The Fascinating Five of 2009

Ursula Grobler & Carlos Dinares:

     Innovative coach and humble, determined athlete prepare for a run at the 2012 London Olympics.

Michael Boyle:

     Always learning, growing, and teaching about human excellence.

Coach Curt Kramme:

     Back-to-Back state football champions - and it's all about family.

Dr. Mark Sanders:

     Letting injured athletes know that there is a faster way back.

Kenji Carp, PT, OCS, ATC:

     Helping Vertigo, Vestibular, Neck & Cervical injury patients with Perturbation Therapy.

You can meet all these fascinating people on our blog - Happy New Year!

He's always learning and willing to learn....

There's no sense of agenda with Mike. He seems to just go where the research and his practical experience working with thousands of athletes takes him. Consequently, he's not afraid to be a bit controversial when needed (ala Death of the Squat below).  

He can also reverse course when he learns something that doesn't jive with previous understanding (ala Jump and Stick below).

Mike uses our Shuttle MVP in his MBSC facility emphasizing its versatile nature. He uses it with his: 1) personal training clients to develop and maintain explosive power; 2) injured athletes to start them on less-than-body-weight exercises; and 3) overweight or large athletes that need a safe environment to develop their lower body eccentric strength.

The other thing we find fascinating - and refreshing - is that while being on the forefront of Strength and Conditioning, Mike doesn't feel the need to make sure everyone's aware of the fact. In a world where too often the loud, the crass, and the egotistical seem to grab all the spotlight, Mike is content to learn, to grow, to teach so countless others can do the same. His latest thinking is contained in his DVD set Functional Strength Coach 3.0 and new book Advances in Functional Training. 

Coming from his beloved state of Massachusetts, Mike can appreciate the advice of President John Adams. Toward the end of his life, President Adams was visiting with a young Ralph Waldo Emerson who had been studying at Harvard. President Adams said that he would to God that there was more ambition in the land. Not the ambition to have more money or power or fame, but the laudable kind -- the ambition to excel.

Because of who he is and what he teaches, Michael Boyle reminds us of why this industry is so wonderful to work in - we're all in the business of pursuing human excellence.

Meet the Fascinating Five of 2009»

Michael Boyle demonstrates how he uses his Shuttle MVPs in working with the: 1) Personal Training client; 2) Injured Athlete; and 3) Large Client/Athlete. Because of its unique features, the MVP allows you to assist the personal training client in regaining explosive power, re-introduce the injured athlete to velocity specific work, and assist the large client/athlete to develop eccentric strength while reducing their risk of injury. To view the video please follow this link....