Episode 054: The definition of sacrifice is to give up something good, for something better.  If you want to build muscle or burn fat, the key is improving your nutrition by using the power of sacrifice.

When most people try to lean out, they make the mistake of simply giving up food that doesn't align with their goals.  This isn't a long-term solution because anytime you give something up, you create a void.

If you want your nutrition and body changes to last, you must replace the good-tasting food with something even better... something that not only tastes good but also helps achieve your goals.

In this episode I share 3 sacrifices that will help you build muscle, and 3 sacrifices that will help you burn fat. 

Go to hoopcommitment.com to download your free commitment calendar.

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Episode 053: Want to increase vertical jump for basketball?  Skeptical of the claims of adding 8-12 inches to your jump height in only 6 weeks?  Listen to this week's podcast and get the truth about how to jump higher from an expert in basketball performance training.

Dr. Ramsey Nijem is Men’s Basketball Director of Sports Performance at the university of Kansas.  They finished the year ranked number 1 in the nation, pushing my Zags into the number 2 spot in all the polls… but I won’t hold that against him. 

Before coming to Kansas, Ramsey was the NBA youngest head strength & conditioning coach, working with the Sacramento Kings for 5 years.  He earned his doctorate of science in human & sports performance in 2018 after completing his masters of science & sport performance in 2013.

With all of his formal education and real world basketball experience, I wanted to pick his brain on how to increase vertical jump for basketball players.  Like you, I've seen countless jump programs online and so I wanted to hear from an expert on the best way to increase vertical.  

Listen to Dr. Ramsey Nijem and learn:

• The biggest myths of increasing vertical
• Why you need to train your brakes before stepping on the gas
• How to teach jump mechanics
• The best exercises for jumping higher
• What to do if you have knee pain

You can find Dr. Ramsey Nijem on social media @dr.ramsey.nijem

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Episode 052: Are you wondering how to get recruited to play college basketball if there aren't exposure tournaments and maybe not even a high school season?  I brought on college basketball coach and Showcase Director, Brant Minor, to share how players can get discovered. 

Coach Brant is in his second year as an assistant coach with the Pacific University men's basketball program.

Away from Pacific, Minor has established Max Hoops (MaxHoops.com) which runs camps, clinics and showcases around the country. In the summer of 2018, Minor hosted “The Exclusive” a fifty team NCAA certified tournament in Las Vegas. 

Plus, he has been involved in basketball camps throughout the country including Duke, Gonzaga, Oregon, and Tennessee, in addition to camps throughout the Northwest. 

If you want to get recruited to play college basketball, check out this week's episode and learn:

• What college coaches are really looking for
• How to stand out on and off the court
• Why you should contact coaches before going to a tournament
• How social media can help or hurt your chances of playing college hoops
• How to determine what level you should play at

You can find Brant on social media @MaxHoops3

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Episode 051: Do you want to be the story that inspires people or just another statistic showing that the odds are stacked against playing at the next level?  

In just 5 years, Dre Baldwin went from his high school team's bench to a 9-year professional basketball career. At the same time, Dre built a content publishing empire.

Blogging since 2005 and publishing videos to YouTube starting in 2006, Dre has published over 7,000 videos with his content being viewed over 73 million times. Dre's daily Work On Your Game Podcast has over 3 million listeners.

Dre has given 4 TED Talks and authored 27 books.  He joined me today to talk about overcoming failure and how to become a story instead of just becoming a statistic.  Give this episode a listen and learn:

• What failure really means
• How discipline can change your world
• The biggest mistakes high school players are making
• Advice on how to play professionally overseas
• Why should never quit

You can find Dre on Social Media @drebaldwin

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Episode 050: All basketball players need help finding flow on the court.  When you’re in the zone, the game slows down and you’re able to play at your highest ability.

Dr. Cindra Kamphoff is certified mental performance coach for leaders, businesses and championship teams. She helps them master their mindset so they can gain the high performance edge.  Cindra joins us today to explain what being in the zone means and gives helpful tips with finding flow on the basketball court.  

She has a Ph.D. in sport and performance psychology and has spoken for some of the largest companies including Target, Wal-Mart, and Verizon Wireless.  

Cindra has worked with the Minnesota Vikings for the last four years where she has worked with players one-on-one to train their mind for peak performance. She is also the CEO of Mentally Strong Consulting which provides mental training services to teams, coaches and athletes.   

Cindra published her first book and corresponding workbook titled ‘Beyond Grit: Ten Powerful Practices to Gain the High Performing Edge’ which is an Amazon Bestseller.

Listen today to learn:

• Mental mistakes players can avoid
• Why you need a personalized routine for your mental game
• How to manage anxiety before games
• What you need to do for your mindset after you finish playing
• How to create a morning routine that sets you up for success

If you want to get 50% off Dr. Cindra's Beyond Grit Academy for only $97, go to beyondgrit.com/97

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Episode 049: Do you know how to teach enthusiasm to your basketball players?  Just like shooting, enthusiasm is a skill that needs to be coached and practiced.

In today’s episode, I share exactly how we break down our 18-week leadership system and give specifics on how we teach players to live our program’s core values.

We follow the “Think, Say, Do” system that teaches players how to be leaders by sharing research on enthusiasm, telling them concrete words to say, and providing specific actions for them to do.  This takes the guess work out of leadership.

Think: “Enthusiasm is contagious!”
Say: “Let’s go!”
Do: “Give high-5’s”

Check out this week’s episode and learn:

• the research on enthusiasm done in the NBA with 294 players
• why Geno Auriemma believes its more difficult to recruit enthusiastic kids
• what my players say to be enthusiastic
• team activities that promote enthusiasm
• 10 questions you should ask your players about leadership

If you want access to my free 5-Day Leadership Course, go to hoopcommitment.com

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Episode 048: Ashleigh Beaver is the Head Sports Performance Coach for Duke Women’s Basketball and joined me on the podcast to share her philosophy on building injury and fatigue resistant players. 

She coaches out of the Krzyzewski Center weight room and practice court facilities where her responsibilities encompass all avenues athletic development. Her main duties include overall strength development, first step quickness, change of direction, maximal recovery and individualized programming for each member of the Lady Blue Devils.

Today we cover:

• How Duke structures their mobility program
• When they wear ankle braces
• How she views landing mechanics
• Why nutrition is crucial for recovering from injury

Check out Ashleigh on social media at @ashleighb6

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Episode 047: Recovery Nutrition not only involves replenishing lost nutrients, but also rebuilding tissue to help you become more explosive and durable.  Danny Lennon joined me on the show to make recovery nutrition specific to the game of basketball.

Danny is the founder of Sigma Nutrition and head of content creation for the company. Known for hosting the top-ranked podcast Sigma Nutrition Radio, Danny is also a respected educator in the field. He has spoken at conferences and events all over Europe (including London, Dublin, Amsterdam and Vienna), as well as the United States and Australia.

Danny has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, during which time Danny took classes in biochemistry, clinical nutrition, micronutrient interactions and physiology. Previous to this Danny also completed a BSc. Degree in Biology and Physics Education and spent a year teaching these subjects.

Listen to this week's show on recovery nutrition and find out:

• If athletes should practice intermittent fasting
• How protein, carbohydrates and fat aide in recovery
• Why sports nutrition is different than eating for health or weight loss
• How soon after a workout should you eat
• The best supplements for recovery

Check out SigmaNutrition.com to learn more

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Episode 046: Do you want to know how to improve HRV for hoops?  Heart Rate Variability is the measure of variation between heart beats and is a great marker for recovery.

Understanding recovery is crucial to maximizing performance because you don’t get stronger in the weight room… you actually get weaker.  If you can do 20 pull ups at the start of a workout, you might only be able to do 5 or 10 by the end.  It’s when you go home to eat, sleep and recover that you actually get stronger.

Mike Lombardi from WHOOP comes on the show to talk about the importance of measuring recovery and improving HRV so you can get the most out of your training sessions.  He explains heart rate variability, sleep cycles, and gives simple ways to optimize performance.

Listen to this week’s show to learn the answer these questions:

• Why should basketball players understand their HRV score?
• How does sleep and hydration impact HRV?
• What are key factors in determining how ready your body is to compete?
• What are the different sleep stages and what occurs during each stage?
• What research has been done in the NBA with recovery?

Check out WHOOP.com to learn more

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Episode 045: The ACL recovery journey is full of highs and lows. Unfortunately, injuries are a part of basketball and ACL tears are all too common.  

Laura Stockton was an all-league player at Gonzaga University when she tore her ACL in the first round of the conference tournament.  

She was kind enough to share the intimate details of her injury and recovery process in hopes that it helps someone have the courage and confidence to get back on the court.  Listen to hear Laura's story of:

• Why she chose Gonzaga
• How she finished the game after tearing her ACL
• The most difficult part of the rehab process
• Would she change the past
• What's she's doing now

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