Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, Increase Strength, Be More Awesome: Live Q&A #6
Written on February 9, 2013 at 8:25 am, by Eric Cressey
It’s time for another live Q&A here at EricCressey.com! I figured that it’s a great time to do this, as I’m currently snowed in! This is the view of my mailbox right now, in fact:
To get your questions answered, just post your inquiry in the comments section below, and I’ll approve it and then reply.
My only rule is that your question must be limited to five sentences or less. I’ll answer the first 25 that are posted, so please don’t bother posting questions if you come to this post days, weeks, or months after it was originally posted.
With that said, head on down to the comments section below and ask away!
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February 9th, 2013 at 8:29 am
What is the best way to mobilise/release the subscap?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:30 am
Hi Eric,
Hope all is well with you. What does one trap higher than the the other indicate? What corrective methods can be used to remedy this problem?
Thanks 🙂
February 9th, 2013 at 8:31 am
@EC
1. What is the quad growth potential of trap bar deadlifts compared to squats?
2. Do you see any benefit in learning front levers, back levers or the maltese?
Thank you
February 9th, 2013 at 8:31 am
Hey Eric,
In your opinion, how much rotator cuff work is “too much” in the baseball off season?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:32 am
My daughter wants to combine nutrition and training as a career. She is planning on majoring in nutrition. What minor or double major would you recommend to best prepare her for the training side?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:33 am
Hey Eric, I love following your work and have picked up a lot over the years. Do you know of anyone or any resources for golf similar to yours for baseball?
Thanks
February 9th, 2013 at 8:33 am
I bought your and Mike’s Magnificent Mobility DVD years ago. I followed it for a bit, and then let it collect dust. I was thinking of giving it another go for a bit. With your now expanded knowledge base, are there any exercises in that DVD you would alter or remove altogether?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:33 am
Nick,
1. I don’t think you’re going to get much quad growth from any deadlift variation. Much better ways to skin that cat.
2. For the average gym rat, I don’t think it’s necessary. If you want to be able to do cool tricks, though…
🙂
February 9th, 2013 at 8:34 am
Hi, I was just wondering ideally how much time each day should you be working on improving your baseball skills if you want to play at the college level?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:34 am
Eric,
Do you program static stretches for the majority of your clients? If so, when are they performed and for how long and for which muscle groups (is those trained that day, antagonists etc.)?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:34 am
Besides diet advice if a baseball player came into you overweight what would you do to get him into shape? Circuits?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:34 am
When you do your prehab/warmup work for the rotator cuff do you perform exercises to strengthen (e.g. banded external rotations) or exercises to stabilize the humerus (e.g. locked in scap/humerus figure 8s)? Though I believe the function of the cuff is to stabilize, its hard to believe that some strengthening wont be beneficial as some PTs are beginning to claim. Thanks EC.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:35 am
Why is a proper baseball workout so hard to come by? In our area (Oklahoma) there are many who say they can, but ultimately they are modified football or bodybuilding routines. So, my question is can the “do’s” and “don’t movements be summarized easily for a position player for those of us that have to put our kids workout together on our own. (By the way, the kid is 17 years old)
February 9th, 2013 at 8:35 am
Chris,
It depends on what we consider “cuff work.” In our loose guys, we’ll do rhythmic stabilization stuff just about every day as part of their warm-up; we treat it like an activation exercise. Might only be one set, though.
That said, most of our guys do more aggressive manuals/cable/band stuff 2x/week. Then, they’ll do another two days of motor control/rhythmic stabilization work along with their scapular control drills. I certainly don’t think every day is necessary.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:36 am
In your experience Eric is overall body strength a important factor in balance( unilatetal work, standing on one let etc)Hope you survive the storm buddy.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:36 am
George,
I think I’d tell her to do athletic training and then just get a CSCS when she’s done. One of our staff members (Chris Howard) does both for us, and this is his bio:
Chris Howard is the newest addition to the CP team. Chris has his Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Science and Masters of Science in Nutrition Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Chris spent the 2008 Off-Season and Training Camp as an intern with the Buffalo Bills before joining the Cressey Performance team during the fall of 2008. His main coaching experience has been with baseball players ranging from high school all the way up to the professional level. Currently, Chris is certified as a Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT), Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) and a Licensed Massage Therapist in the state of Massachusetts.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:37 am
In maximum strength, when you say to do pull-ups do you want them weighted
February 9th, 2013 at 8:37 am
I had Subacromial Decompression surgery in december on my rt shoulder, and currently about 1.5 months into the prescribed PT (resistance bands, stretches). At which point can I safely start implementing some of the exercises described in your Overhead Shoulder Performance dvds?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:38 am
Kedric,
Usually, it’s the right shoulder that is lower. Could be several things:
1. Poor right thoracic rotation.
2. Adducted right hip.
3. Scapular anterior tilt.
4. Scapular depression.
Most folks are a combination of all of the above. Particularly common in right handed throwers. Check out http://www.posturalrestoration.com for some thoughts on this pattern (left AIC/right BC).
February 9th, 2013 at 8:38 am
What major differences have you seen in programming and recovery for trainees who are over 35, vs under 35? A lot of times I see people blindly recommending intense sessions, with no regard for the age or recovery status of the trainee.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:38 am
Speedy,
No substitute for Active Release treatments. It’s the most focal and effective modality.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:39 am
John,
There’s quite a bit of good stuff through the Titliest Performance Institute, particularly on the assessment side of things. Dr. Greg Rose is fantastic.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:40 am
Hey Eric. 30 year old male intermediate training primarily to build muscle using a 3 day upper/lower program. Staying in 6-15 rep range, avoiding failure 99% of the time.
On average, how often would you recommend a deload in general?
Thanks.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:40 am
Shane,
I’d scale back a bit on the lumbar rotation work and just coach it through a much smaller ROM to ensure that it’s just the hip moving. That said, we updated a lot of the stuff four years later in our Assess and Correct product: http://www.assessandcorrect.com
February 9th, 2013 at 8:41 am
What are your thoughts on training the eccentric portion of a movement (squat, bench, etc) and do you feel it is a valid way of manipulating reversible muscle action? Or, if it all, how do you manipulate reversible muscle actions ( stretch-shortening cycle)?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:42 am
Melissa,
It really depends on the individual. Some players are very developed talent-wise and just need to get bigger/stronger/faster/more flexible – so that should be a greater focus. Others may be great athletes, but not as good on the technical aspects of the game.
And, the focus may change throughout the year….more baseball activities Jan-Aug, and more strength and conditioning activities Sep-Dec.
Hope this helps!
February 9th, 2013 at 8:42 am
Thank you Eric. Always always great learning from you. Keep kicking ass 🙂
February 9th, 2013 at 8:43 am
Nick,
Most of our clients do some sort of static stretching. Our congenitally lax folks don’t, though – and that is a good chunk of our clientele, given our involvement with baseball players, where the incidence of really loose joints is much higher.
It’s usually done at the end. If someone is really stiff/short, though, we may do some pre-training.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:44 am
Jeff,
I would train him just like I train every other baseball player: we’d prepare for the demands of the game and address his movement quality. He’d be getting plenty of activity from lifting, sprinting, agility, med ball, and all his baseball activities. I will never use extra conditioning to make up for poor diet.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:46 am
Ramsey,
The goal is not to actually strengthen the cuff during the warm-up period; it’s to turn it on and make sure it’s firing at the right time. You don’t want to fatigue it before guys through.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to “lock” the scap in during warm-ups; that’s not how it functions dynamically.
We do our strength work as part of our strength programs after throwing.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:46 am
Eric I have an old ankle injury (fractured tib/fib) and I have really poor dorsiflexion from scar tissue of 3 surgeries. I have been working on it for quite some time with little effect. My question is, when I do an OH squat assessment I see the arms fall forward and a unilateral weight shift to the side opposite the injured ankle. When I elevate my heels an inch both compensation patterns go away. Do you think the compensations are actual muscular imbalances or simple due to a lack of dorsiflexion in the ankle?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:46 am
What are your go to stretches for the pectoralis major and minor? Also do you have any stretches for the levator scapula and upper traps?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:48 am
Chris,
This is exactly why we do our Elite Baseball Mentorships! The problem is that most trainers don’t take the time to understand how the body works – so they certainly won’t understand how the body works in the single-fastest motion in all of sports. Throwing a baseball is a unique challenge; there is absolutely nothing like it in one’s everyday life.
Additionally, we don’t get much to work with from professional baseball, as there is so much staff turnover and bureaucratic crap that nothing cutting edge is every implemented or achieved.
At CP, we’re working to change that.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:50 am
Shane,
Strength is a key component of one’s balancing proficiency, which affects stability in a given position.
However, balance is very skill specific. We’ve known that since research in the 1960s. Just because you’re strong on two legs doesn’t mean that you’ll have good balance on one leg. So, it’s important that we get people strong in different positions. This is one reason I’m not a fan of programs that are just “squat, bench, clean.” People need to stand on one leg.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:50 am
Sal,
If you can, absolutely!
February 9th, 2013 at 8:50 am
Pete,
I’d check with your physical therapist. We outlined a lot of exercises in that DVD, and while some would be okay, a lot of them wouldn’t. Good luck with your rehab!
February 9th, 2013 at 8:51 am
Eric,
Am I correct in saying that people who work desk jobs need more upward rotation? If so, can you explain why?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:52 am
George,
Great question – and one that could be an entire book! I’d say that with respect to volume/intensity manipulation, the highs can’t be as high, and the lows need to be a bit lower. In other words, you can’t overreach as much, and you have to give more time for supercompensation to occur.
I also think they need longer warm-ups, more regular soft tissue work, and more “true” days off instead of just doing extra movement/conditioning.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:53 am
Neil,
Everyone needs more upward rotation! Folks at desks need more scapular posterior tilt – which engages lower traps and helps to achieve that upward rotation.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:54 am
Do you think Tim Lincecum’s troubles last year, and more importantly his drop in velocity, could very likely be the result of wear on his body given his highly unorthodox delivery? Can he really sustain that type of delivery long term?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:54 am
Rick,
Two good articles on this front:
http://www.mikereinold.com/2010/02/pectoralis-minor-stretch.html
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/the_right_way_to_stretch_the_pecs
February 9th, 2013 at 8:54 am
What are some steps you would take for someone in anterior pelvic tilt that’s very lumbar erector dominant?
February 9th, 2013 at 8:54 am
Hey Eric, hope you’re keeping well in the storm.
My question concerns training splits; I’m presently employing a strategy where I work my whole body twice in a week over 4 days, one session focusing on maximal strength with low reps, the other focusing on bar speed with slighter higher reps.
I train deadlift variations & pressing exercises together, then train leg exercises with pulling variations.
Is there anything you would tweak about this strategy?
My goal is strength & hypertrophy, and my diet is presently loosely based on paleo with a 8 hour I.F. feeding window which I open post training. Sleep quality is good.
Any tips you could offer would be much appreciated, thank you.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:54 am
Hi from Canada!
Should the range of motion of the shoulder in external rotation be trained? If so, what are the best ways to do so? I feel like I try to compensate for a lack of ability to externally rotate sometimes when I throw and my arm is going into layback.
Thanks!
February 9th, 2013 at 8:54 am
Jeff,
I think that for most folks, every 4th week is the right fit. I wrote a whole e-book about this:
http://ecressey.wpengine.com/artofthedeloadhtml
February 9th, 2013 at 8:55 am
Billy,
I think it can be helpful, but I think the whole “you’re 120% stronger eccentrically” stuff is complete and utter crap. Otherwise, we’d see more elite lifters training that way. Use it, but don’t abuse it!
February 9th, 2013 at 8:56 am
Chris,
Probably a combination of a gross anterior-weight-bearing pattern (lumbar extension, anterior tilt) and the specific limitations of that ankle. Get some manual therapy in there.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:57 am
Mike,
I think a lot of Lincecum’s issues are extremely correctable with the right training. Will he pitch into his 40s? I doubt it. However, he’s still got another good 5-7 years in him if he dials it in.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:59 am
Mitch,
Step 1 is to stop standing in so much extension! All the exercise in the world isn’t going to help if your resting posture sucks and it’s reaffirmed with every breathing you take.
Some thoughts here: http://ecressey.wpengine.com/strength-training-programs-pull-ups-essential
Work to strengthen anterior core, activate glutes, educate on posterior weight shift (toe touch variations), and you’re off to a good start.
February 9th, 2013 at 9:00 am
Dean,
If it’s me, I probably go two lower body sessions and two upper body sessions instead of trying to cram both into each session.