Elite Performance Institute

Pain on the inside of a young baseball or softball player’s elbow should not be ignored.

It could be Little League elbow, an overuse injury caused by repetitive throwing. Although rest is important, rest alone may not address why the elbow was taking on too much stress.

Shoulder mobility, thoracic rotation, strength, throwing mechanics, and whole-body movement can all influence the amount of stress placed on the elbow. A complete return-to-throwing plan should evaluate and treat the entire athlete—not just the painful area.

Jaw pain, clicking, and tightness can involve more than just the TMJ itself. The jaw works closely with the neck, shoulders, posture, and breathing, which is why a full evaluation should look at how everything works together.

I played college baseball and wish someone had shown me this sooner. Power is not just about getting stronger in the weight room. It also depends on how well your body transfers force. If your upper back does not rotate well, you can lose power and increase stress on your shoulder and throwing arm. Don’t just train harder. Move better.

Your spine is not fragile. Neutral spine can be useful, especially when lifting something heavy or learning a new movement, but your spine is also designed to move. It should be able to flex, extend, rotate, and bend depending on what life, training, or sport asks of it. The goal is not to avoid movement forever. The goal is to build enough strength, control, and capacity that your body can handle different positions confidently.

Calf raises are simple, but there are a lot of ways to progress them depending on your strength, control, and goals.

This progression moves from easier to harder:

Level 1: Isometric Calf Raise
Level 2: Eccentric Calf Raise
Level 3: Double-Leg Calf Raise
Level 4: Single-Leg Isometric Calf Raise
Level 5: Single-Leg Calf Raise
Level 6: Single-Leg Isometric Wiggle

Start with the level you can control well, then progress from there. The goal is clean movement, strong calf control, and staying stable through the foot and ankle.

Always feel tight?

The answer is not always to stretch more.

Sometimes that tight feeling is not a true muscle length problem. It can come from neural tension, stress, inactivity, weakness, or your body trying to create stability in a position you do not control well.

Mobility is not just flexibility. It is strength and control through a range of motion.

So instead of asking, “What should I stretch?” start asking, “What do I need to control?”