Taylor Burns

Thursday Three: 3 Quotes

“If he had any sorrow ‘it sat with its head under its wing,’ and he turned only his sunny side to the world.” – Louisa May Alcott (Little Women) “In your pursuit to become a great man, don’t forget to be a good one.” – Unknown “There is a solitude within

How I Train Baseball Players In-Season

Today’s going to be a quick post on how I structure the week of our baseball players while they’re in-season. First, a couple of overarching guiding principles: 1. If you stay ready you never have to get ready. Muscle soreness in-season is detrimental. However, novelty more than anything

6 Quick Hits on Growing A Business

6 years ago I incorporated AHP. Here are 6 quick hits on growing a business: 1) Be obsessed 2) Money can’t be the goal. It’s a byproduct of excellence 3) You CAN mix family & business 4) Get the right people on the bus 5) Create a vision & work

How To Evaluate Pitching Mechanics

1. Don’t Cookie Cut! Think of the best pitchers to ever toe the rubber. Pedro Martinez. Sandy Koufax. Greg Maddux. Randy Johnson. Mariano Rivera. Walter Johnson. Nolan Ryan. Clayton Kershaw. Roger Clemens. Bob Gibson. Tom Seaver. Justin Verlander. They all were very different in how they moved. It’s

Technique Vs. Mechanics: Integrating S&C And Skill Work

If you are a sport skills coach, a strength & conditioning coach, rehab practitioner, or any combination of the aforementioned, you are a movement coach. I want you to think of the best athletes regardless of their sport. They’re elite movers. They’re powerful; efficient; explosive. Often times their movements

Guest Blog Post: Driving Intent With High School Hitters

This is a guest blog post from AHP’s Hitting Coordinator (who also happens to be my brother) Connor Burns. In my still young hitting coach career one of my biggest combatants with players has absolutely nothing to do with mechanics. It actually has everything to do with the mind.

Stuff to Check Out: March Edition

1. Musashi (novel by Eiji Yoshikawa) “Please test the lowly Musashi with hardship. Let him become the greatest swordsman in the land, or let him die.” This nearly 1,000 page epic about the legendary Japenese swordsman, Musashi, is now one of my favourite five books of all time. Why?

5 Programming Strategies For Developing Athlete's Power In the Weight Room

No matter the sport, the ability to express power is the great separator. Connor McDavid is the greatest hockey player we have ever witnessed. Justin Verlander is arguably the greatest pitcher of his generation. Rory McIlroy is arguably the greatest golfer of his generation. Mike Trout is the greatest hitter.

Lessons I Learned From The Rustlers Baseball Academy

My two years with the Rustlers Baseball Academy in tenth and eleventh grade were arguably the most pivotal in my life. It was at this time I decided I wanted to play college baseball, developed a belief that I could, and really started to figure out what kind of person

In-Season Training Strategies For Hockey Players

This particular article is geared towards 15U, 18U, and Junior/College Hockey Players. 1. Prioritize Performance This is two-fold. On one hand, we need to ensure we are striking a balance between doing enough work to maintain the athlete’s strength and power, but on the flip side, not too

Why "Absolute" Human Performance

The maxima of all maxima. Sounds cool right? The maxima of ALL maxima. Have you ever wondered why AHP is named what it’s named? In 2017 when I knew I was going to open my own training facility I was obviously searching for the right name, but was kind

7 Principles on The Assessment Process

“Assess, don’t guess.” The assessment is the crucial first step to optimizing the training of your athletes. Here are seven ideas to help you crush your assessment. 1. The Assessment Is Your Opportunity to Build Rapport The assessment is the first impression. Ask questions and take a genuine interest

My Favourite Rolling Stones Lyrics

Send me dead flowers every morning Send me dead flowers by the mail Send me dead flowers to my wedding And I won’t forget to put roses on your grave Be the bigger person. Strive and be a better person. Try and see the good and past the bad.

Stuff to Check Out: December Edition

First up, is the book I’ve enjoyed the most in a long time: The Talent Code. I had read The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it, but this one was exceptional. It’s a little bit Malcolm Gladwell-esque (that’s a compliment.

4 Lessons After 4 Years of Gym Ownership

Almost exactly two years ago, to the day, AHP moved into its own facility. And just over four years ago, AHP began (Nov 1, 2017). A lot has changed in the past two years. Back then the business was essentially still just a one person operation. Now we have two

Random Thoughts on Planning & Programming, Part 2

5. To Have Great Outputs You Need Great Inputs. In order to write great programs, you need to be constantly seeking to improve your craft through various forms of study. It’s akin to being a great writer – you need to have been extremely well read. For me I try

Random Thoughts on Planning & Programming, Part 1

1. Great Coaching and Execution Are More Important Than The Program A good program coached really well and executed with precision is FAR more effective than the BEST program that is coached lazily and executed haphazardly. It’s important to understand and remind yourself of this both when you’re

Eulogy for My Mother; Lynne Burns

I cannot put into words the depths of, nor the layers of, what my mother meant to me – what she taught me – and who she was FOR me; for my dad; for my brother; and for all those that loved her – and were loved by her. I think that when

What's The Difference Between Hitting .250 and .300?

“Do you know what the difference between hitting .250 and .300 is? It’s 25 hits. 25 hits in 500 at-bats is 50 points, okay? There’s six months in a season. That’s about 25 weeks that means if you get just one extra flare a week, just one

Stuff To Check Out: June Edition

Why You Should Lift Heavy Weights, Yes Even in Season – Tony Gentilcore Tony is one of the best in the industry and lays out the importance of still lifting heavy in-season for athletes. Why You Should Lift Heavy Weights. Yes, Even In Season 4 Lessons From Shoulder Surgery, 10 Years

4 Lessons From Shoulder Surgery 10 Years Ago

A decade ago, just after my junior season of my college baseball career ended, I had shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. In some ways it feels like it was just yesterday; but really it feels like an entire lifetime ago. I think (and hope) I’ve learned and

Stuff to Check Out: May Edition

May the 9th. As I sat down to write this post it dawned on me that tomorrow will be the 10 year anniversary of my shoulder surgery following my junior season. A decade. Crazy. Man does time fly. I think the 21 year old me would be happy with where

Let's Talk About Self-Organization

The term ‘self-organization’ gets thrown around a lot. What does it mean? I think we can define it simply: the idea that if left alone with proper constraint drills, the athlete’s movements will improve without the need for external coaching cues. First, let’s preface this by saying that

Stuff to Check Out: April Edition

Hey guys, here’s my monthly instalment of podcasts, books, articles, etc. I think are worth checking out! Dr. Jim Loehr on The Tim Ferriss Show “The power broker in your life is the voice that no one hears. How well you revisit the tone and content of your private

Stuff To Check Out: March Edition

Stillness is the Key, Ryan Holiday I had already read Ryan Holiday’s other books: Ego is the Enemy, and The Obstacle is the Way, and enjoyed them but this is definitely my favourite of the three. Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink I don’t know why it took me so