The first thing Joe does when he wakes ups is breathwork. Inspired by Wim Hof, he takes 30 deep breaths into in his belly. You’ll have to do this lying down because you may feel lightheaded and that’s normal. He then baths in the red and near-infrared lights of the Hooga red light therapy rig inside Beimel Elite Athletics Los Angeles. The light penetrates the skin to excite the mitochondria of the cells, otherwise known as the powerhouse of the cells, to increase energy. And finally, he takes a dip in the cold plunge for about 5 minutes; submerging all the way under for a brief moment before sitting neck deep while focusing on his breath. It’s 39-degree water, by the way.

The cold plunge has many benefits. You get a 250% increase in dopamine for hours and increases testosterone if done before a workout. But most importantly, it makes you feel comfortable with the uncomfortable so that no situation on the mound feels difficult.

Joe’s pre-game routine is the warmup that we use inside Beimel Elite Athletics. It consists of grabbing the ArmCare unit to test your arm strength for that day after hitting the crossover symmetry bands and performing the ArmCare hip-and-core activation. And of course, it involves throwing Beimel Elite Athletics plyoballs — the only plyoballs with seams and a spin efficiency line — to get the body prepared for high-intent throwing.

Beimel’s in-game routine is unique. He goes over what he did to prepare himself while sitting in a Major League bullpen waiting to get called into the game. Visualization is the key. It gets you mentally prepared to compete, but, most importantly, the exercise increases your self-beleif and confidence. And the most confident player on the field is usually the one that succeeds.