Initial examination revealed dramatic weakness in his right (push off) leg, unresolved issues with his right ankle, low back instability, extreme tenderness in his left trapezius, and weakness in his right delt and bicep. I won’t bore you with the medical terminology that describes these conditions but suffice to say that Rob had compensated for all of his past injuries and it had thrown his Neurological systems off. His original injuries had never been properly addressed and resolved.

With the help of Denis Thompson at ARP Headquarters, we devised a prioritized course of treatment to resolve all of Rob Semerano’s health issues. It should be noted that Rob was willing to follow the protocols and directions for recovery to a T. He was very disciplined in his approach and the results bear the fruit.

We met 9 times over the course of 20 days. Because of the distance he had to travel, we treated multiple body parts on the same day. He was also re-tested 5 times as well.
His results were nothing short of spectacular and he transitioned into the Ultra-Fit Rehabilitation Program under the direction of myself and Jay Schroeder.

While doing the prescribed Ultra-Fit protocols over the ensuing 32 days, Rob lost 2 pounds of fat, gained 5 pounds of muscle and was able to throw pain-free for the 1st time since high school. His winter throwing program was with a football.

At a videotaping session, I asked Rob how he would normally warm-up his arm to pitch. He said it would take about 15 minutes to get loose enough to start throwing a ball. After a month on Ultra-Fit not only was he remarkably stronger but his flexibility went through the roof as well. On a cold winter day in New Jersey, Rob was loose and ready to throw in about 60 seconds.

By the 2nd week of December, Rob graduated to the next level of Ultra-Fit. He continues to progress in strength and flexibility and has begun his pre-season baseball throwing. As of January 10, 2008 he is throwing completely pain-free and eagerly awaits the upcoming season.

At his point, Rob’s Ultra-Fit workouts are 4 days a week and last about 35 minutes. Please note that it’s 35 minutes of total focus and effort while performing only 4 different exercises.

Rob Semerano is a great role-model for athletes of all ages who want to get to the highest levels of human performance. He understands the need for ‘natural’ athletes to carefully monitor intense training, nutrition, and recuperation. He has been convinced by the dramatic results. – Russell Jones

“Since I’ve been working withthe ARPwaveNJ Team, I've noticed a big improvement in my body feeling healthier and lighter. My muscles feel much more functional for what I’m doing as a professional baseball player. My body recovers a lot quicker after throwing sessions and I’m eager to see how this all plays out in the upcoming season.

In addition, I’m able to get to a ‘performance ready’ state much quicker than ever before. I’ve learned that it’s not about stretching the muscles out to get ready but about relaxing and loosening them. This comes about by training my neurological system to ‘fire’ my muscles at the highest speed possible while my antagonist muscles simultaneously turn off."

Yankees get SMART

A few months ago I wrote about a young man named Rob Semerano (www.powerworkshop.org/archive.htm then see Training Results).

He is a 99 mph baseball pitcher who we helped overcome a myriad of injuries. I think you might enjoy the ‘rest of the story’.

Just after the 1st of this year, Rob was cut by the Oakland A’s baseball team citing his history of injury and having not completed 1 full pro season without having to go on the DL (disabled list). Even though Rob had completely recovered and was in the best shape of his life using ARPwave and UltraFit, he was released.

As you can imagine, this was a tremendous blow to Rob Semerano. He had worked his tail off getting healthy and getting SMART about taking care of his body. Now he was without a job.

Someone from a local independent baseball team offered him a contract but it was nothing compared to what the big leagues could pay. For the love of the game Rob signed with the condition being that if the Major League Baseball came calling—he could sign with them.

Well in mid-February Rob was invited to Florida for a tryout with the Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched flawlessly but they were sorting out their rosters and they told him ‘we’ll call you’.

A few weeks later he went out to Tucson, Arizona at the request of the Colorado Rockies. He had another terrific tryout but they didn’t sign him citing ‘concerns about his history of injuries’.

Rob came home for a week and got a call from the LA/California Angels for him to come to their spring training camp in Tempe, Arizona. They kept him there for a week and the coaches raved about his performance. The day he was to sign he was told that there was a problem.

Someone in the front office had raised some concerns about Rob Semerano’s health history and they sent him home. We talked about how he had to create a NEW history. I chronicled his miraculous journey back to health and then addressed how Rob had worked himself into world-class physical condition. AND we talked about Big Picture issues that transcended baseball.

Then just as Rob was resigned to pitching for the local independent league team, he got a surprise call from the New York Yankees. His dad had talked to someone who knew someone who casually mentioned to a Yankee scout about this kid from Port Jervis, NY and Fordham University (Rob) who was throwing extreme heat and was very healthy.

After looking at him in the Bronx, the Yanks shipped him to headquarters- Tampa, Florida. They checked him out for a few days and then the Yankees got SMART. Instead of going by his medical HISTORY, their team of Doctors and Medical Professionals went by what they found. They found a young man in fantastic physical condition- strong, quick, flexible and JACKED!!

So this past Tuesday the Bronx Bombers signed Rob Semerano to a contract. Then they sent him to the Strength and Conditioning Coach to be further evaluated. Rob readily explained the UltraFit Training System to the coach but by the time he was finished all the coach could say was,”Well, you ARE in incredible shape so just keep doin’ what you’ve been doin’”. That’s right coach!!!
Was Rob ‘lucky’ to be signed by the team he has loved since birth? Is he just another prima donna athlete that is ‘lucky’ to be able to play games when the rest of us have to get a real job? I guess that depends on YOUR perspective.

A wise person once told me that the more I prepared… the more luck I would have. You see LUCK is no more than the convergence of 2 powerful forces- Preparation and Opportunity.

So even though Rob Semerano had to seek out a place that he could get healed and a training system that would keep him healthy and he had to train harder than he ever did before- he still got cut because of HISTORY. But he kept Preparing all through the weeks of no calls and the reminders of his past failures and then through all the tryouts without getting signed.

And we would talk and pray and he would get encouraged for the moment and I wondered how long he could keep hope alive. Then the most storied sports team in history- the NEW YORK YANKEES came callin’. And he was ready. Funny how some people have all the LUCK….