513 Performance Training & Physical Therapy, Blue Ash, OH (2026)

02/11/2026

📊 Relative Age Effect in Youth Basketball 🏀

A large study of 728 elite Chinese adolescent male basketball players examined how relative age — being older or younger within the same age group — influences performance and selection.

👶 What is Relative Age Effect (RAE)?
Players born earlier in the selection year often have physical and performance advantages over those born later — even with the same training age.

🔍 Key Findings:
• In U-16 teams, birthdates were skewed toward older quarters, and older players scored more points, had more assists, and higher player efficiency ratings (PER).
• In U-18, birthdate distribution was more balanced, and only assists showed positive association with relative age.
• At the team level, relative age wasn’t significantly tied to overall team success (e.g., win rates or efficiency).
• These patterns suggest selection bias where older youth in younger brackets may be favored due to early physical or cognitive advantages.

📌 Takeaways for Coaches & Athletes:
✔️ Early born players may appear more “talented” simply due to maturity differences
✔️ Talent ID & development systems should account for RAE to avoid losing late-born athletes
✔️ Fair evaluation means looking beyond physical advantage

📚 Understanding RAE helps build more equitable sport systems and better long-term athlete development. 🏀💡

02/10/2026

Ever heard of the Thomas Test and wondered why PTs and performance coaches care so much about it? 👀🧠

Here’s the quick breakdown ⬇️

🛏️ What is the Thomas Test?
A simple assessment done lying on your back that helps us look at hip mobility—specifically how your hip flexors behave when your pelvis is controlled.

🔍 What are we testing?
Primarily:
• Hip flexor length (iliopsoas)
• Re**us femoris (one of your quads)
• Pelvic control and positioning

If your thigh pops up, your knee shoots straight, or your low back arches? That tells us a LOT.

🏃‍♂️ Why does it matter?
Because limited hip extension can:
• Alter running mechanics
• Steal power from sprinting and jumping
• Increase stress on the low back and knees
• Show up as “tight hips” that stretching alone never fixes

In PT 👉 it helps guide rehab decisions and identify contributors to pain.
In performance 👉 it tells us whether mobility, strength, or motor control is the real limiter.

💡 Big takeaway:
The Thomas Test isn’t about labeling something “tight” or “bad”—it’s about understanding how your hips interact with your pelvis and trunk so we can train smarter, not just harder.

Mobility without context is just guessing.
Assess → Interpret → Train. 🔁

02/10/2026

Flexibility is how far a muscle can stretch. Mobility is how well you can control that range of motion.

You can be flexible and still move poorly, and that’s often where pain, compensation, and injuries show up. True mobility requires strength, stability, and coordination, not just longer muscles.

At 513PT2, we focus on teaching your body how to own its range of motion so movement translates to better performance and long-term health.

02/10/2026

📈 How fast do athletes REALLY improve with training?

A 1.5-year longitudinal study in adolescent athletes followed strength and performance changes over time—and the pattern was clear 👇

🔥 YEAR 1 = BIG WINS
• Large increases in strength and body mass
• Rapid adaptations from a new training stimulus
• Progress comes “easier” early on

⏳ YEAR 2 = DIFFERENT GAME
• Strength continues to improve… but slower
• Returns start to diminish
• Simply “showing up” is no longer enough

💡 Key takeaway:
Year 2 is where athletes separate themselves.
Progress now requires:
✔️ Smarter programming
✔️ Greater intent and consistency
✔️ Better recovery and monitoring

Early gains build the foundation.
Long-term success is about who stays disciplined when progress slows.

📚 Evidence: longitudinal resistance training study in adolescent athletes (1.5 years)

02/06/2026

It’s cold. The snow days are draining, and your motivation dips. February may be the shortest month, but that doesn't make it the easiest.

Real results are built in the hardest months by continuing to show up for yourself when it would be easier not to. Small efforts, done consistently now, set the tone.

If you’re ready to keep building momentum, our PT-led group classes are here to help you stay consistent, train smart, and keep moving forward.

👉 Join a group class and keep showing up. https://513ptandpt.janeapp.com/ #/group-classes

02/05/2026

More muscle growth?
It may matter where you load the muscle. 👀💪

Research suggests that training a muscle hard while it’s in a long (stretched) position can produce equal or even greater hypertrophy than emphasizing shorter muscle lengths.

Here’s what the science says 👇

⸻

🔬 1. What do reviews & meta-analyses show?

• Training at longer muscle lengths often leads to greater hypertrophy than short-length training 📈
• Full vs partial ROM differences are usually small…
• BUT partials performed in the stretched range may have an edge 🟢

👉 Big picture:
The benefit shows up most when muscles are heavily loaded in the bottom range, not just “moving through ROM.”

⸻

🏋️ 2. Human training studies

Studies comparing lengthened partials vs full or shortened ROM show:

• Calves: Greater hypertrophy with long-length partial reps 🦵
• Biceps: Modest regional growth advantages at long muscle lengths 💪
• Eccentrics: Long-length lowering can increase fascicle length (muscle architecture) ⏬

⸻

🔗 3. Why might this work? (Stretch-mediated hypertrophy)

• High mechanical tension at long lengths
• Greater stretch under load
• Activation of hypertrophy signaling pathways (mTOR / MAPK) ⚡

⚠️ Passive stretching alone = inconsistent results
✔️ Stretch + load = much stronger stimulus

⸻

🧬 4. Muscle architecture bonus

Loading muscles at long lengths—especially eccentrics—may increase
fascicle length ➡️ possibly more sarcomeres in series

This could support:
• Strength across range
• Tissue resilience
• Complementary hypertrophy adaptations

⸻

✅ Practical takeaways

• Use full ROM as your foundation
• Add lengthened partials where safe
• Emphasize slow, controlled eccentrics
• ❌ Don’t force stretch into pain

⸻

Bottom line:
📌 Where you load the muscle matters.
Long-length tension appears to be a powerful driver of hypertrophy.

Save this 🔖 | Share with your training partner 🤝

02/04/2026

Today, we celebrate the strength and resilience of girls and women of all ages.

At 513PT2, we’re proud to support female athletes by helping them move better, stay healthy, and perform with confidence for the long run. To the athletes, coaches, teammates, and role models pushing the game forward, thank you! 👏

02/02/2026

Meet Kirk Willig! 👋

As a Personal Trainer at 513PT2 and a true veteran in the performance training world, he brings a deep well of experience working with athletes of all ages and levels. Kirk specializes in speed, agility, and sports performance training.

He holds a BA in Exercise Physiology from Hanover College, where he competed in varsity soccer and track, and went on to compete professionally in track & field as a Long Jumper with USA Track & Field from 2003–2019.

Outside the gym, Kirk is a proud dad of two and a big kid at heart, and that energy and enthusiasm show up in every session he coaches.

01/31/2026

🎯 What Makes Adolescent Golfers Better?

New research shows that junior golfers with lower handicaps tend to have stronger bodies and advantageous body measurements compared to peers with higher handicaps. 🏌️‍♂️💪 Teens with greater strength and explosive power, plus bigger limb and shoulder size, were linked with better on-course performance (lower handicap). Insights like this can help coaches and young athletes shape smarter training plans. 📈

💥 Swipe to learn which physical traits matter most!

01/31/2026

🌟 Which PE Curriculum Helps Kids THRIVE Most?
A 12-Week Preschool Study (Teal, Black & White)

⸻

What They Studied

📚 Design:
94 preschoolers (ages 4–6) randomly assigned to 4 groups:
🎾 Tennis Curriculum
⚽ Soccer Curriculum
🧠 Sensory Integration Curriculum
📘 Traditional PE Curriculum

All trained 3×/week for 12 weeks.

⸻

What They Measured

📏 Outcomes:
• Gross Motor Development
• Fine Motor Development
• Social & Language Skills
• Adaptability
• Balance Ability
Tests were standardized and age-appropriate.

⸻

All Groups Improved

✔️ All four groups improved across developmental measures — so physical activity in any form helped kids grow!

Visual: Simple line bars showing pre- vs post growth for each group.

⸻

Sensory Integration Shines

🌟 The Sensory Integration Group had the largest gains in:
• Gross Motor DQ
• Fine Motor DQ
• Total development scores
compared to tennis, football, and traditional PE.

Visual: Highlighted bar charts with teal emphasis on SIG group.

⸻

More Balance, Better Behavior

🧠 Kids with better motor development also showed stronger balance ability, especially in the sensory integration group — connecting physical skills with overall behavioral growth.

Visual: Correlation arrows between motor skills icons and balance icon.

⸻

Why It Matters

📣 Takeaway: Structured, sensory-rich PE — not just traditional play — can boost brain + body development in preschoolers, setting them up for long-term success.
✨ Great for educators, parents, and coaches!

Qiao, M., Yu, X., Shi, Y., Wang, Z., Li, H., Wan, B., & Lu, T. (2025). A comparative study of four physical education curricula on the developmental behavior of Chinese preschool children aged 4 to 6 years and its correlation with balance ability. Frontiers in Public Health. Advance online publication. PMCID: PMC11930833; PMID: 40129582.

01/30/2026

When parents ask WHY our Youth Long Term athletic development classes are built this way - studies like this are the answer

🌟 Which PE Curriculum Helps Kids THRIVE Most?
A 12-Week Preschool Study (Teal, Black & White)

⸻

What They Studied

📚 Design:
94 preschoolers (ages 4–6) randomly assigned to 4 groups:
🎾 Tennis Curriculum
⚽ Soccer Curriculum
🧠 Sensory Integration Curriculum
📘 Traditional PE Curriculum

All trained 3×/week for 12 weeks.

⸻

What They Measured

📏 Outcomes:
• Gross Motor Development
• Fine Motor Development
• Social & Language Skills
• Adaptability
• Balance Ability
Tests were standardized and age-appropriate.

⸻

All Groups Improved

✔️ All four groups improved across developmental measures — so physical activity in any form helped kids grow!

⸻

Sensory Integration Shines

🌟 The Sensory Integration Group had the largest gains in:
• Gross Motor DQ
• Fine Motor DQ
• Total development scores
compared to tennis, football, and traditional PE.

⸻

More Balance, Better Behavior

🧠 Kids with better motor development also showed stronger balance ability, especially in the sensory integration group — connecting physical skills with overall behavioral growth.

⸻

Why It Matters

📣 Takeaway: Structured, sensory-rich PE — not just traditional play — can boost brain + body development in preschoolers, setting them up for long-term success.

✨ Great for educators, parents, and coaches!

Qiao, M., Yu, X., Shi, Y., Wang, Z., Li, H., Wan, B., & Lu, T. (2025). A comparative study of four physical education curricula on the developmental behavior of Chinese preschool children aged 4 to 6 years and its correlation with balance ability. Frontiers in Public Health. Advance online publication. PMCID: PMC11930833; PMID: 40129582.

01/30/2026

⛳ Golf Power Metrics That Actually Predict Better Shots
Touring Professional Female Players
(Teal & Black title over simple golf course graphic)

What They Did

📋 19 female touring professionals underwent physical testing and Trackman data capture at a Ladies European Tour event.
Data included: clubhead speed, ball speed, carry distance, and smash factor.

Physical Tests

🏋️ Physical battery included:
• Countermovement Jump (CMJ)
• Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull (IMTP)
• Medicine Ball Throws
• Thoracic Rotation
• Bench Press strength
(visual icons)

Big Finding #1

💥 Lower-Body Explosive Power Matters Most!
CMJ showed the strongest & most consistent link with shot metrics (r = 0.51–0.60).

Big Finding #2

⚡ Rapid Force Production Counts Too
IMTP force at 100 ms also correlated strongly with carry distance (r = 0.59).

Training Takeaway

🏌️‍♀️ For stronger drives, focus on:
✔️ Plyometrics
✔️ Explosive lower-body strength
✔️ Rapid force training
(Brief bullets + icons)

Save & Share

💾 Save this post for your next training block!
❤️ Double-tap if you love sport science.

513 Performance Training & Physical Therapy

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