Mailbag #46: Bill Burniston

RALEIGH, NC. -Whether you're a new fan of the Canes or you've been in tune since he started with the team in 2013, odds are that you may have heard the phrase, "Finish your day with Billy!"
In case you don't know what that's about, it's pointing the players in the direction of the organization's Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Bill Burniston.
This week he was kind enough to answer some of your questions.

(Note: Some questions and answers have been edited for clarity.)
How did you get into the profession and what is your favorite part about it? - @sweet\_rose37 / @MHirsh21
Interestingly enough, I knew what I wanted to do, from the sports medicine aspect of it, in probably my sophomore year in high school.
Once I got into athletic training, more like what Dougie Bennett (Head Athletic Trainer) and Matt Aiello (Assistant Athletic Trainer) do, I knew I wanted to get more into the injury prevention side of it. I knew that you could do that through strength conditioning.
My programming is based on injury prevention models, but you also have carryover into performance as well.
We all have a dream, right? My dream was always to be a professional athlete, just like most kids, but at some point when that dream dies. We realize that we're not good enough from a talent standpoint, but for me, my dream never died.
My dream was when I went to Yankee Stadium and I watched the players, I thought, "that's going to be me."
Then, at some point, after you realize that, your mind switches. You see the strength coach and the athletic trainer and you see them on the field and you're like, oh, that's gonna be me someday. My dream never died, it just changed roles.
The best part of my job is being around the players and feeling like you're contributing. You're using your talents to help them get better.
What's a typical road game day schedule like for you? - @johnnybolla
Generally, I'm in the gym by 6:30-7 a.m. Then we meet as a staff in the lobby between 8:30 and 9 a.m. before we go to the rink. We go in and get all the hydration setup for the guys before they come in for the morning skate.
After the skate, depending on the city we're in, we then work out the guys that aren't playing that night. Then it's back to the hotel by 1-2 p.m. and we try and find something local for lunch. Try and sneak in a 30-minute nap after that and then it's time to get ready to go back to the rink.
3:30 meeting in the lobby to head back over and get everything set up and ready for the game.
After the game, most games, we work out. It's situational, we obviously won't do it on back-to-backs, but then after the workout, we have to pack everything up quickly, get on the bus to get to the plane and head to the next city, or come home.
What's the most stressful part of all of that for you?
I guess the good part is I have to think about it, right? That means that nothing is too stressful.
As long as the players have what they need and you're giving them enough to maintain or make small gains in the weight room in-season, you're doing your job.
What does "Finish your day with Billy" involve after a game? - @MPS721
It's just our post-game workout, that's all it is.
Is it really though?
Well, it's us getting ready for the next game. A recovery workout to best set ourselves up for the next game. As soon as that last one is finished, we're already thinking about the next one. That game is over, done with, finished. You can't change anything that's happened.
Whether it was a positive or a negative result, good play or bad play, it's over.
So, we're finishing our day to get ready for the next one.

How intimidating is it being a Strength & Conditioning Coach for someone nicknamed "The Bod"? - @BTNemeth
\laughs\
No, he's incredible. He's an incredible human. Forget him being a good coach, he's a good human.
He's easy to talk to. If you have an issue, it's okay to butt heads with him. He doesn't hold a grudge. We can have hard conversations. It's not intimidating at all.
In fact, the very first day he had the head coaching job he talked to me and Head Athletic Trainer Dougie Bennett], and he said, 'Look, if you have something to say, say it. I don't care if it's in a meeting, come in. You'll never be interrupting.'
He made it very clear that whatever Dougie and I have to say is just as, if not more, important than whatever is going on.
When a guy goes out of his way to come and say that to you on his first day on the job, it's hard to be intimidated.
He's so consistent in everything he does. That's what the guy is all about. Everyone wants to talk about his workouts but you know what's really impressive? His consistency.
**Is there any player that sticks out to you, good or bad, when it comes to strength and conditioning? - [@Vioola\_86
C'mon, you don't think I'm going to say anything bad about anyone, did you?
There are too many guys that do it right and do it well.
Jordan Staal just does it right over and over. Day after day. He's so powerful. He's strong.
It's impressive to watch guys like Max Pacioretty, too. He's laser-focused on his body and making sure that he's going to be ready when the bell rings.
Jaccob Slavin is another one. He stays here all summer and he doesn't mess around.
Sebastian Aho, too. There's a reason why guys like Jordo and Max have been around for as long as they have. I see Seabass and Slavo as guys that will play for that long too because they do it right.
When a player like Pacioretty injures himself during an off-ice workout, how do you come up with a rehab plan that will get him back into shape without risking re-injury? - @IronCaniac
Well, with Patches, it's more about knowing when to pull back a guy like that as opposed to pushing him. He doesn't need to be pushed. He wants to do more and do more to get back as fast as he can.
And that's the fun part of my job. When you have guys that would rather be pushing hard to come back and help the team as soon as possible, it's awesome. I don't have to motivate them or come up with anything crazy.
I'd much rather have to justify why we're pulling him back than have to tell somebody to get their butt moving.
A guy like Max that's been around, all I really have to do is make sure he has what he needs and make sure that he knows we're here to help him. We know he wants to be out there and we want to help him get to where he needs to be. He's one of the easiest guys I've ever worked with because of his motivation. He does a great job.
What's the difference between what you have goalies do vs the skaters as far as exercises or health routines? - @hteschler87
That's a good question.
I think the conditioning aspect is the biggest part. We all have anatomical differences, right? This guy's hips might be shaped a little differently than the next guy, so you may have to make certain adjustments for certain players, but specifically, I'd say that with goalies we focus more on their aerobic system than anything.
Mobility is extremely important for them, so it's on us to make sure that their functional range of motion is where it needs to be because of the positions they have to be in.
Any fitness tips for the average Caniacs to remember throughout the day? - @Erich\_K8
It's all the simple stuff that everybody knows. Diet and exercise. Can you do those things consistently?
Can you make sure you're moving every single day? Are you doing resistance training three times per week?
Everyone thinks they need these elaborate programs, but they really don't. Anybody that asks me for a program, I would ask if they're able to get in the gym for one hour for seven days straight.
There's no magic program. It's all about habits.
Drink lots of water too, maybe put that in there.

Have you ever gone 0-1 on a given day? Or is it always 1-0? - @CaniacZach
Do you actually want to hear a funny story?
I just had to renew my North Carolina driver's registration and so I requested new vanity plates that read "1 AND 0". I don't know if it's going to get approved, maybe it's not available, but I hope it does. My front license plate already says 1-0, so now I'm hoping to get one to match the back as well.
But in all seriousness, yes, of course, you go 0-1 sometimes. But the next day you have to go 1-0. Every day you wake up 0-0 and the mentality is that you want to go 1-0. You want to win the day. Now of course there are going to be times when you don't, and sometimes you lose.
I don't remember the last time I went 0-1, but it has happened.
You have to have a short memory in life. You get up every day trying to be a little bit better than you were yesterday.
Favorite restaurant on the road? Favorite food city? - @MichaelSmithNC
I don't answer questions from quitters.
Why are you so bald? - @PaceSagester
I don't answer questions from quitters.
Not a member of Twitter? We're always happy to take questions at [email protected] as well!
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