Donovan McNabb invites Redskins teammates to Arizona ‘Hell Week’

Image Credit: Virginian-Pilot

Donovan McNabb was featured in three different news articles this month when he invited several teammates and other NFL players to join him at Fischer Sports in Phoenix for ‘Hell Week’. The stories appeared in USA Today, The Washington Post, and The Virginian-Pilot.

… The Washington Post reports that WRs Devin Thomas, Santana Moss and Malcolm Kelly are among those who will participate in the program which begins Sunday in Phoenix, where temperatures are expected to top 110 degrees this week.

“It’s a different mindset,” McNabb said. “I prepare guys the way I prepare.”

… McNabb, who was traded by Philadelphia in April, invited Redskins receivers, tight ends and running backs to the camp to be held at Fischer Sports, his trainer’s 20,000-square foot workout facility.

“I think it’s important for the specialists on the offense to have that chemistry, to have that bond, where they can trust me and I can trust them,” he said.

There’s another player who will be a constant presence this week with McNabb and the other offensive specialists: quarterback Colt Brennan. Brennan began working out with Brett Fischer of Fischer Sports back in January, several weeks before he and McNabb would share the same locker room at Redskins Park.

“The first day he was here, he came in wearing sandals. He forgot his sneakers,” Fischer said with a chuckle. “He didn’t even know Donovan then. It was one of Donovan’s first days back after the season. I asked Donovan, ‘Do you have an extra pair of shoes?’ He said, ‘Of course.’ He went and got them from the back of his car. Little did any of us know they’d be teammates later.”

Read more at USAToday.com, WashingtonPost.com and HamptonRoads.com.

Chicago White Sox Receive Ample Evidence from Pitcher JJ Putz’s Rehabilitation

A new article published this month at ChicagoBreakingSports.com about pitcher JJ Putz’s comeback from elbow surgery highlights his rehab progress at Fischer Sports.

… Putz is scheduled to throw off a mound next month, unlike the more deliberate schedule Colon was placed on last spring …

… Putz is scheduled to be ready when the Sox hold their first workout for pitchers and catchers on Feb. 21 without any restrictions after undergoing surgery last June to remove a bone spur and fragments from his right pitching elbow.

Whether Putz can regain his 2007 American League all-star form remains to be seen, but at least the Sox kept track of Putz’s rehab dating back to last season and the information made available to them through Brett Fischer, who supervised Putz’s rehabilitation in Phoenix.

Fischer has been instrumental in the longevity of five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson and the health of other top baseball players. He recently expanded his duties and now works with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

Fischer reported that Putz has thrown well recently in long toss drills in front of several teams. The plans call for Putz to take a break over Christmas before throwing off a mound for the first time since his surgery.

It’s not uncommon for pitchers to not throw off a mound until a few weeks prior to spring training, so Putz is ahead of schedule.

“We’ve had no problems,” Fischer said. “He’s working hard, whether it’s on his throwing program or his core work. He’s been a good guy to work with.”

Read more at ChicagoBreakingSports.com. Photo by Newscom.

Lack of Injuries Key for Arizona Cardinals

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals have been remarkably injury-free for the last two seasons. Last week an article at azcentral.com highlighted the impact of the team’s off-season program, their dedicated training staff and last year’s addition of physical therapist Brett Fischer:

… there is no ignoring the fact that a lack of injuries has played a large part in the Cardinals success over the past two seasons.

In 2008, not one starter finished the year on injured reserve. That trend has held this season, although starters have missed games here and there.

Coaches and players said a variety of factors have contributed to the Cardinals’ good health: the off-season program conducted by John Lott, the strength and conditioning coach; a sensible training camp with a minimal amount of hitting; and players investing time and money for extras, such as stretching coaches and massages.

“Part of it is how we operate in training camp, as far as understanding the toll it takes on our players’ bodies,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “And a large part of it is the dedication to the off-season program. I strongly believe in a strength and conditioning during the off-season, during training camp and even during the season.

Whisenhunt credits Lott, athletic trainer Tom Reed and his staff, and the addition last season of physical therapist Brett Fischer.

Inside linebacker Karlos Dansby said he learned early in his career that “you have to take care of your body.

“After practice a lot of guys go to different places and make sure they get their bodies taken care of. People to help them stretch, get massages. All kinds of stuff.”

“You look at the injury list for a lot of teams on a weekly basis, and we feel very fortunate,” Whisenhunt said.

Read the full story at azcentral.com. Photo from AZCardinals.com.

New York Jets Cornerback Darrelle Revis Trains Hard, Shuts Down Top NFL Receivers

New York Jets Cornerback Darrelle Revis spent his off-season working out in the Arizona heat with Fischer Sports trainer Will Sullivan. The results through the first two weeks of the NFL season have been thoroughly impressive.

Before Darrelle Revis shut down two of the N.F.L.’s top receivers to open this season, before he entered the discussion for the league’s top cornerback, he went to Arizona and trained like a boxer preparing for a championship bout. There, he found sweltering heat, marathon workouts and the personal torture chamber that is Will Sullivan.

Sullivan is Revis’s off-season coach. They meet at Fischer Sports in Phoenix, where Revis works on strength and conditioning for four hours each morning and trains on a field for three hours every afternoon, alongside pros like Philadelphia’s Donovan McNabb.

This was two-a-days before two-a-days, Sullivan joked.

Revis arrives in Arizona in late June, when many of his N.F.L. counterparts relax or take vacations. Everything with Revis and Sullivan is a competition, be it basketball, video games or training, filled with jawing back and forth.

But this year, as Revis sought to become the best cornerback in football, the training took on added intensity.

Revis came with a goal sheet that included, for the first time, earning top honors at his position. He brought a list of opposing receivers he would be shadowing across the field under the new defense installed by Coach Rex Ryan, with film on each.

Sullivan and Revis broke down that film together, then went about preparing for each receiver on the field. They fine-tuned Revis’s footwork, focused on his weaknesses, discussed receivers like Atlanta’s Roddy White whom Sullivan had trained.

“I’ve been training Revis since he was a junior at Pitt,” Sullivan said. “He’s always been focused. But this year, he took it to a different level.”

The Jets have bestowed the nickname Shutdown upon Revis, and on the NFL Network last weekend, Deion Sanders ranked Revis among the top three cornerbacks in football.

This came after Revis shadowed Moss and Houston’s Andre Johnson. With help on both players from his teammates, Revis held Johnson to four catches for 35 yards and Moss to four catches for 24 yards, and Revis intercepted a pass against the Patriots.

Read the full story at The New York Times. Photo from NewYorkJets.com.

Pro Bowl Tight End Todd Heap is Back on the Field & Injury Free

Baltimore Ravens Tight End Todd Heap sustained a devastating back injury before last year’s playoffs, so he came to Fischer Sports to get him back on the field in time for this season:

This was Heap’s January reality: paralyzing back pain, sleepless nights and endless painkillers to get him through the days and the nights and the games.

This was Heap’s reality last Sunday: pain-free, romping through the Kansas City Chiefs’ secondary for five catches and one big touchdown, while a repeated chorus of “HEAP” rolled through the stadium.

“It was probably the worst pain I’ve played through in my football career,” Heap said this week of last January’s playoff run. “And I’ve played with a torn ligament in my ankle, a torn labrum in my shoulder. I pretty much took whatever I needed to, to play in the game.”

The injury, which occurred in practice before the wild-card playoff game, was characterized as a lower back sprain. But it took more than three months before Heap could regain anything close to normal movement or be able to stand for as long as 10 minutes without pain.

When it refused to go away, Heap thought he might be looking at the end of his career.

“For me last year, I really had to look inside and say, ‘How’s my body, can I do this? Do I still want to put my body through that?’ It didn’t take long for me to say definitely it’s all worth it to me, or definitely I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to get back on the field because of my love for this game,” he said.

What eventually got Heap over the hump was his work at a physical therapy and conditioning center, run by Brett Fischer, near the Phoenix, Ariz., airport. Progress was slow, but steady.

He missed the majority of the team’s offseason workouts but found his legs by training camp. The more he worked in camp, the better he felt.

The results on opening day were eye-opening. Heap was back; maybe not back to his Pro Bowl form, but close enough.

Read the full story at The Baltimore Sun. Photo by Lloyd Knox for The Baltimore Sun.

Brett Fischer Working with the NFC Champs at Arizona Cardinals Training Camp

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals opened their 2009 training camp in Flagstaff, Arizona this month and Brett Fischer was there to start his second year with the team’s training staff.

Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt talked about Brett’s role at last year’s Super Bowl Press Conference.

Donovan McNabb Blogs About Fischer Sports & Off-Season Training

Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb spends the off-season training in Arizona where Fischer Sports plays an important role in getting him ready for the rigors of the NFL season.

From sun up to sun down we are taking different measures to prepare our bodies for a long, grueling season. We start at Fischer Sports for some drills and training. I’ve worked with Brett Fischer for a few years now and like the way he challenges me and trains me to be strong and flexible at the same time.

Read more on Donovan’s blog at Yard Barker. Photo from AP via PhiladelphiaEagles.com.

Athletes from High School to the Pros Benefit from Speed Training

Varsity 845 published an article earlier this month that highlights the importance of speed training for High School athletes trying to get noticed by college recruiters and pro athletes looking to raise their game.

Brett Fischer runs Fischer Sports physical training and conditioning in Phoenix and has worked with several stars, including Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, major-league pitchers Randy Johnson, Kerry Wood and Greg Maddux, and former NFL quarterback Jake Plummer. According to Fischer, back in the early-1990s, most players reported to spring training without training at all during the offseason.

“A lot of it has come down to money,” Fischer says. “People need to get a better free-agent deal and, to get that, they need to produce. If you are a .240 hitter with a good glove, you can make a lot of money.”

Before Morneau’s American League MVP season in 2006, Fischer worked on his bat speed using a weighted bat and drills to strengthen his hips and core. The slugger put up career highs in homers (34), RBI (130) and batting average (.321).

Fischer watched the College World Series on television last month and saw plenty of jacked up players. He said those muscle men likely won’t have a future in the pros.

“It made me sick, they were too bound,” Fischer says. “It’s just like the NFL. It’s great if you can bench press or squat a lot, but if you can’t move, if you’re not fast and powerful, you can’t play in the NFL.”

Want to improve your speed? We have NFL and MLB off-season training programs and a camp called Paraklete with programs for kids, teens and college athletes. Call (602) 437-5055 for more information.

Yankees Pitcher Sergio Mitre Completes Rehab, Gets Win in First Game Back

New York Yankees pitcher Sergio Mitre was called up Tuesday after completing his rehab at Fischer Sports for a Tommy John procedure on his right elbow.

Mitre, who was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before the game, allowed four runs, three earned, and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings in his first major league start since Sept. 15, 2007. It was his first win since July 29, 2007, for Florida at San Francisco.

The Yankees (56-37) moved a season-best 19 games over .500 and took a one-game lead in the AL East over Boston, which lost to Texas.

Congratulations Sergio! Quote and photo from AP News via ESPN.com

Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt Talks About Fischer at Super Bowl Press Conference

At last year’s Super Bowl Arrival Press Conference a Yahoo Sports reporter asked Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt about the impact of adding Brett Fischer to the Training/Medical team:

“You made some changes on your training staff before this season, you brought in Brett Fischer. Can you talk about why you made those moves and what did your daughter say about Brett that sort of sold you on using him?”

Ken Whisenhunt’s reply:

“Well, Brett Fischer came to us this year to help us with some of the rehab aspects of what we’ve been trying to do. There’s nothing more important than getting your football players on the field to play games, and that’s one of the greatest things that we’ve done this year. We haven’t had a number of injuries; a lot of that goes to John Lott and our strength staff, it goes to Tom Reed and obviously our training staff, but Brett’s been a great addition to that. Obviously I’ve had a history with Brett because both my daughter and my wife had gone to him for rehab, and they’ve been in this business with me for a number of years so they had an idea of how good he was, so we were very fortunate to get Brett with us and he’s done a tremendous job for us.”

You can see video of the complete press conference at NFL.com (skip to the 3:23 mark in the video).