Ep 415 Elite Athlete Secrets: Recovery, Longevity & Concussion Rehab ft. Ben Velazquez

Send us a text Today on Strong By Design, we’re joined by Ben Velazquez, an award-winning strength and conditioning coach and one of the nation’s top experts in concussion recovery and corrective movement.  As the founder of Grey Matters Sports Group, Ben has worked with elite athletes from the MLB, NFL, and NHL — including legends like Mariano Rivera and Connor McDavid — helping them recover from injuries, correct imbalances, and extend their careers. In this episode, Ben shares the science behind his five-tier concussion recovery system, reveals the most common movement imbalances that lead to injury, and explains how small corrections can create major performance breakthroughs. He also discusses what separates good athletes from great ones and why understanding the brain-body connection is essential for true athletic longevity. If you want to move better, stay injury-free, and perform at your best for years to come, you will not want to miss this conversation.  Learn more about Ben’s work at benvelazquez.com   Time Stamps 01:02 – Welcome to the "Strong by Design" podcast 02:42 – Join Coach Chris along with our special guest Ben Velazquez 04:00 – Sharing memories with their old friend & mentor Ben Prentiss 07:42 – Ben"s memorable success from working with a pro athlete 11:47 – What inspired a career as a strength coach & movement specialist? 17:55 – What your body needs before getting stronger 23:53 – Comparing force production: Pro football vs Pro hockey 24:05 – #1 issue Ben sees with older high-level athletes 27:14 – Strength blueprint: Steps before targeting a body part 29:51 – Sharing insights about various elite athletes 45:24 – How teams and athletes often misjudge concussions or injuries 51:27 – Key factors to perform at your highest level 55:20 – What causes early retirement among athletes? 1:00:27 – Spotting and addressing concussions early in Youth sports 1:06:02 – The importance of combining postural and movement training 1:08:38 – Stay connected beyond the episode with Ben Velazquez 1:09:42 – Please share and leave ratings & reviews for the SBD podcast     Resources: BenVelazquez.com   Connect with Ben: Instagram   Connect with Chris: Instagram Support the show Connect w/ CriticalBench: Youtube Facebook Instagram CriticalBench.com StrongByDesignPodcast.com