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Recovery, Resilience & Results :Performance Unchained Insider (Ed. 15)

Welcome to Edition 15 of Performance Unchained Insider: Recovery, Resilience, & Results 💥


We’ve come a long way. When I launched this newsletter, I had one subscriber, me. Now, with each edition, more of you are joining the movement toward smarter, science-backed performance and recovery. Knowing this, motivates me to find how much can I offer, how much further can I push this knowledge that I gain to influence and make my mark on elevating athletic performance.


To every coach, clinician, researcher, and athlete who’s subscribed, liked, commented, or shared, sincerely, thank you. You’ve helped turn a solo effort into a growing community that keeps me sharp and accountable to bring you the best, cutting-edge findings in human performance.


This edition dives into powerful studies on:

  • 🔬 Recovery-enhancing interventions

  • 🧠 Resilience and neurocognitive development

  • ⚙️ Applied performance tools for real-world results


📈 If you're here to evolve as a practitioner, optimize results, or simply stay ahead of the curve, you’re in the right place.


👋 If you’re new, welcome to the squad.

🔥 If you’ve been here since the beginning, I see you.

📥 Not subscribed yet? SUBSCRIBE and get exclusive, research-backed insights sent straight to your inbox, built for performance, not fluff.


So lets dive into it!


Randy Palacios

Founder, Flexfit Wellness & Recovery

Wellness Spotlight: Top Recovery Tip of the Month



🏀 When Balance Becomes a Predictor: What Youth Athletes Can Teach Us About ACL Risk

Let’s face it, ACL injuries are the nightmares that haunt every coach, athlete, and sports parent.

Especially in young, high-performing female athletes navigating the high-speed world of basketball and floorball, one misstep can mean months off the court. But what if we told you the key to preventing these injuries might not be in how fast they run, how high they jump, or even how strong their legs are...but in how they balance?


🔍 A new study from the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports dropped a game-changing insight: subtle asymmetries in postural control, especially in dynamic balance, could predict who is more likely to suffer a non-contact ACL injury.


That’s right, the way an athlete reaches with one leg while stabilizing on the other could tell us everything we need to know!


📊 The Breakdown

Researchers tracked 189 youth female athletes across basketball and floorball over 3 seasons. They ran athletes through modified Star Excursion Balance Tests (mSEBT), think balance yoga but with a performance twist, while have watched for asymmetries.


The results?


Each 1% increase in imbalance during a posteromedial reach correlated with an 18% increased risk of ACL injury.


That’s not a typo. Just 1% of imbalance could set an athlete down a months-long rehab road.


💡 And the test is so simple, it could be done in any gym, practice facility, or training session.


"Balance is performance!" 


In the world of performance coaching and rehab, integrating dynamic balance symmetry testing should be just as standard as vertical jump height or sprint speed.


🛠️ Application for Coaches, PTs, and Athletes

  • Performance Coaches: Add the mSEBT to your pre-season and in-season testing battery. Monitor posteromedial reach symmetry as a KPI, not just injury prevention but performance stability.

  • Physical Therapists: Use this test to track ACL rehab progress and detect lingering neuromuscular imbalances that could set up a re-injury.

  • Youth Athletes & Parents: Don’t ignore “small” things like wobbles during lunges or squats. That balance instability might be the first whisper before a shout.


📣 Final Thought

In the high-stakes game of youth sports, we can’t afford to leave injury prevention to chance. If you’re a coach, PT, or team staff who wants to elevate your injury screening and athlete care protocols, I’m here to help. With over 15 years in performance and rehab, I specialize in translating cutting-edge research into real-world, athlete-ready solutions.

If you're serious about building a resilient roster or want elite insight into your athletes’ movement profiles or you are an athlete and seek that guidance, let’s connect.

Athletic Performance Spotlight: Unlock Your Edge Tip of the Month



🚀 Unlock Jump Height: It's Not Just Your Legs—It's Your Momentum

Imagine an NBA star slicing through defenders, feet blazing across the court, rising effortlessly for a two-foot dunk!


What if the secret to that game-changing leap isn’t just stronger legs or higher vertical, but smarter momentum control?


That’s the jump on science from Liu & Zaferiou’s 2025 biomechanics study.


🎯 The Big Question

How does whole-body momentum, like approach speed, planting angle, and leg-generated impulses, shape jump height when you're balancing a basketball? And does that ball change everything?


🧪 How They Tested It

  • Who: 21 basketball players (15 men, 6 women; ~22 years old)

  • What: Max-effort running two-foot jumps, once with, once without the basketball toward a hoop 4.5 meters away

  • What They Measured:Forward velocity before the jump, Plant angle at takeoff, Vertical COM ascent, & Upward and backward impulses from each leg


📊 What They Found

  • Jump height wasn’t just about leg strength, it demanded forward speed, a sharp plant, and power-packed impulses.

  • Close ties between jump height and:

  • Approach velocity (r ≈ 0.91): faster run-in = higher jump

  • COM ascent (r ≈ 0.76): more lift = better height

  • Net upward impulse (r ≈ 0.97!): almost perfect predictor

  • Even backward impulse (r ≈ 0.74): pushing off matters

  • With the ball? Same story. Carrying it didn’t derail biomechanics! It just leveled up the challenge.



💡 Why It Matters

Most drills obsess over vertical jump numbers, but this study says that doesn’t paint the full picture.

We need drills that combine speed, plant, and power, especially under game-like conditions.


🛠️ How You Can Use This Right Now

1. Auto-Regulate Approach Speed

  • Warm-up with increasing-intensity two-foot jumps.

  • Monitor consistency in run-up steps and adjust intensity based on how the athlete feels.

2. Sharpen Plant Mechanics

  • Film and adjust foot positioning, shorter, sharper plant angles equal more controlled impulse transfer.

  • Use 3-step approach jump drills with real-time feedback.

3. Train Impulse Power

  • Gym: Heavy trap-bar jump shrugs or sled pushes focusing on triple extension.

  • Court: Medicine-ball two-step jumps with dynamic load to mimic basketball grip.

Combine gym lifts and on-court drills in the same session: Transfer happens when speeds, angles, and impulses align.


Randy! What Would This Look Like?

🔩 Resistance Work Example:

Exercise: Trap Bar Deadlift with Jump (a.k.a. “Trap Bar Jump Shrugs”)

  • Purpose: Builds concentric lower-body power and rate of force development

  • Why it helps: Mimics the explosive upward impulse needed in a two-foot jump

  • How to do it:

  • Load a trap bar with 30–60% of 1RM

  • From a deadlift stance, rapidly extend hips/knees/ankles (triple extension)

  • Shrug the traps and leave the ground slightly

  • Stick the landing under control

  • Perform 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps


🏀 Sport-Specific Drill Example:

Drill: Two-Step Approach Jump with Medicine Ball Toss

  • Purpose: Reinforces approach timing, plant mechanics, and upward impulse with added upper-body load

  • Why it helps: Challenges coordination and impulse generation under a constraint (similar to holding a basketball)

  • How to do it:

  • Hold a light medicine ball (2–4 kg)

  • Take 2 running steps and jump as high as possible

  • Toss the ball upward at peak height or hold throughout

  • Land safely and reset

  • Perform 3–4 sets of 4 reps, focusing on vertical height and rhythm


📌 Final Word

If jump height is your goal, don’t just chase the numbers, chase the mechanics behind the numbers. Strength, speed, and smart loading into game-like patterns, that’s how you build next-level explosiveness.


👥 Let’s Jump Higher, Together

Want help tailoring a momentum-based jump training program for your athletes, team, or self?

With 15+ years in performance science and coaching high school to pro athletes, I design transfer-first training, from lab to hardwood. Let’s partner up and level up your vertical game. Reach out to explore athlete assessment, personalized programming, or consult-based coaching. #JumpPerformance #SportsScience #Biomechanics #BasketballTraining #StrengthAndPower #HumanPerformance #VerticalJump #MomentumMatters #SportSpecificTraining #PerformanceCoaching #AppliedScience #ExplosiveAthlete #SportsPerformanceCoach #BasketballResearch #TrainWithPurpose #AthleteDevelopment #PeakPerformance #S&CCommunity #NewsletterShare #LinkedInNewsletter

Mental Performance Spotlight: Mind Over Matter Tip of the Month



🧠 Mind Over Muscle: The Secret Weapon You’re Probably Ignoring

When we talk elite performance, our minds jump to verticals, VO₂ max, and velocity. But here’s a truth bomb: your brain might be the most undertrained muscle in the game.

A new eye-opening study by Claussen and colleagues in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports just dropped a playbook that every coach, athlete, and performance staffer needs to read.


Spoiler alert: it's all about the sports psychiatrist, and how this often-overlooked pro could be the missing link in your high-performance ecosystem.


💥 Not Just for Crisis Mode Anymore

For too long, we’ve treated sports psychiatry like a fire extinguisher, only breaking the glass when things go sideways.


But Claussen et al. flip the script:

👉 Restore performance when athletes are mentally off

👉 Maintain peak form through consistent psychological care

👉 Enhance athletic output with proactive mental tuning (ethically, of course)

And yes, that last one means helping mentally well athletes unlock new levels, without breaching integrity or antidoping rules.


🧬 Inside the High-Performance Mindset

The study breaks the role into three performance zones:

Table 1. 3 Performance Zones of the Sports Psychiatrist
Table 1. 3 Performance Zones of the Sports Psychiatrist

And this isn’t therapy lite. We’re talking top-tier clinical expertise, ethical clarity, and systems-level communication with S&C, ATCs, MDs, and coaching staff.


🔐 Want Longevity and Legacy? Bring in the Brain Coach

Every body part gets programmed, trained, recovered. But who’s coaching the mind?

Claussen’s team shows that sports psychiatrists can be performance architects, not just mental medics. From Olympic podiums to D1 arenas, the shift is happening. Is your team evolving with it?


🧠 How This Applies to You (Yes, You)

  • Athletes: If your head’s not right, your game won’t be either. It’s not weak to seek support, it’s elite to optimize.

  • Coaches: Your MVP might need more mindset support than another set of reps.

  • Support Staff: Elevate your toolkit. Advocate for integrating psychiatry into your athlete care network.


🔗 Final Word from Your Trusted Insider

Athletic performance isn’t just physical. It's emotional, cognitive, and psychological. If you're building a high-performance culture and you're not integrating mental health expertise, you’re leaving gains on the table.

And if you need help embedding these insights into your team, program, or personal routine, this is where I come in.


👋 Let’s Build Champions Beyond the Box Score

If you've been navigating your performance path solo, felt misunderstood by other professionals, or worse, gotten injured from mismanagement, don’t settle. Whether you're a team, a coach, or an individual athlete, I bring 15+ years of experience blending sports science, recovery, and mental performance into one cohesive strategy.


🔗 Partner Spotlight: Supporting Performance at Every Level

At Performance Unchained Insider, I'm proud to collaborate with brands and organizations who share my mission: to elevate athlete performance, recovery, and human potential through science, innovation, and purpose-driven tools.


🙌 Special Thanks to my Sponsor:

Garmin– Leading the way in wearable recovery tech and proud to team up and support your goal to help people be the best versions of themselves. meet their spring goals with Garmin products that support progress and accountability. From heart rate monitors to the Index™ smart scale, these tools provide deeper insights and keep clients training smarter. Many of these items are also HSA/FSA eligible, making it easier than ever to get started. #garminfitness #garminsweatleader #garminhealth #garmin


📣 Want to Partner with Me?

I'm always looking to align with companies and brands that believe in science-backed performance, innovation, and community impact.

📩 Interested in sponsoring a future edition or collaborating with Flexfit Wellness & Recovery? Reach out at flexfitwelnessco@gmail.com or message us directly on LinkedIn.

Let’s build something great, together! 💡

Thats a Wrap!

Thank you for diving into Performance Unchained Insider: Edition 15. If something in this issue made you think differently, sparked a conversation, or confirmed a hunch you’ve had in your practice — I’d love to hear it. Your comments, shares, and reactions are what push this newsletter further into the hands of those who care about moving the field forward.

👉 Know someone who works with athletes? Tag them.

💬 Have a takeaway or study that stood out? Drop it below.

🔁 Think this info could level up a colleague’s game? Hit that share.

Let’s keep turning insights into action. Let’s keep building a future where science, recovery, and performance aren’t separate conversations, they’re one unified mission.


Until next time! Stay curious, stay committed, and keep breaking limits.


Randy Palacios

Founder, Flexfit Wellness & Recovery

PUI #15
PUI #15

 
 
 

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