Here’s this week’s list of recommended strength and conditioning reading:

9 Reasons Pitching Velocity Increases Over the Course of a Season – One of the big stories of the first month of the MLB season is that Justin Verlander’s velocity is down. It’s to be expected, given that he he started his off-season throwing program later in light of the heavy workload during last year’s season and playoffs. Still, it’s good to know why some pitchers see their velocity go up during the season.

Not Your Average B.S. Core Training – Ben Bruno offers some great new core stability exercises you can incorporate in your strength training programs.

The Sagittal Plane Still Matters – Here’s a great piece from Mike Robertson that’ll teach you a ton about the knee, including a discussion of the “Should you train the VMO?” question.