Home Blog Random Friday Thoughts: 10/23/09

Random Friday Thoughts: 10/23/09

Written on October 23, 2009 at 3:45 am, by Eric Cressey

1. I got a question earlier this week about how I felt about swimming for pitchers.  To be honest, I’m not a huge fan for pitchers.  Swimmers actually have a lot of the same issues as pitchers in terms of adaptive changes in the shoulder: an acquired anterior scapular tilt, glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD), and generalized laxity.  I guess when it really comes down to it, I’d rather have guys actually throwing if they are going to develop imbalances.

2. Last, but not least, Mike Boyle has a good video up in conjunction with the release of his new Functional Strength Coach 3 product.  Check out The Death of Squatting.

3. Even if he never scores another goal in his life, this kid is a stud – quite possibly on par with the West Virginia Ninja from last week.

4. Tony Gentilcore just switched his blog over to a new site.  If you guys want to be entertained and learn something in the process (infotainment), check out www. TonyGentilcore.com.

5. Speaking of Tony, the two of us tested 1RM deadlifts yesterday (yes, together; it’s kind of like when women go to the bathroom together).  This came after a month-long deadlift specialization program that kicked the crap out of us (let’s just say it was 4x/week deadlifting for three weeks, then one week of rest).  Tony pulled a personal-best 550 pounds; here’s our boy in action:

6. As for me, well, there was no PR.  In fact, I got sent down to the JV team.  I got 700 about three inches off the floor, and that was it.  A subsequent attempt at 675 went only slightly better in my fatigued state.  And I put a crater in the middle of my hand when a callus ripped off.

callus

7. If you’re a strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer looking for work and are anywhere near (or willing to move to) just east of Philadelphia, please shoot me an email at ec@ericcressey.com.  I have a friend who is looking for some good coaches to work with athletes at his facility in that area.  It’s a positive, learning environment – and he’s a great dude.

8. And, last, but certainly not least: Assess and Correct will be up for sale on Monday!  Newsletter subscribers will hear about the product first, so if you aren’t subscribed already, head HERE to get signed up.

Have a great weekend!

7 Responses to “Random Friday Thoughts: 10/23/09”

  1. Timbo Slice Says:

    Eric,

    Assess and Correct ( the prerelease e-manual) is amazing! Thanks. Everyone should go to Mike’s site and buy it right now. What were you pulling during the four weeks of the program? Tony mentioned in his blog 10×1 @ 90 was that 585 for you in the first day each week.

    TE

  2. Mike Says:

    Mr. Cressey, i’m looking forward to Assess and Correct. Is there any way you could include the outline of the deadlift specialization program you and Tony did? Thanks

  3. Antwon Says:

    As a hockey player myself I am truly stunned by that video clip, but proably not because of the same reason as you. This is something that almost EVERY little kid (atleast in my club) can do.

    Ever since Rob Hisey did it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvv-4hz1hHE everone has learned to do it the easy way.

  4. Chris Says:

    Yeah, that kid was amazing but nothing…NOTHING…will ever top the WV Ninja. Ever.

  5. Steph Says:

    Hallelujah-Tony’s clothes finally match.

  6. Anthony Says:

    My favorite part is the goalie’s reaction. He was just bought and paid for.

  7. Benjamin Kusin Says:

    Eric,
    In regards to Boyle’s “Back Squatting Sucks” philosophy. With all due respect, I think he is making a fundamental error. He is talking like there is a linear relationship of a constant factor between a unilateral exercise and the closest bilateral version, ie that Player A can Bulg. Split Squat with a bar weight X for YxZ and since that weight is PP% of his back/front squat, he should therefore be able to back/front squat weight X2 for Y2xZ2 but he can’t because. . . his back is the limiting factor.

    I say he can’t because The Weight Is Heavy (and therefore more fatiguing) and the Exercises Are Different (and therefore you can’t extrapolate performance from one to the other due to different neural and metabolic demands and motor patterns). While I was rehabbing my back injury, the BSS was one of my staple exercises. I built up to 100lbs for low reps. My front squat 1RM was 205. Because I was using for a unilateral exercise a weight that was 50% of my max on a similar (as much as could be) bilateral version, I should therefore have been able to do a 205 front squat for multiple reps by Boyle’s reasoning. But I still cannot, even though my front squat at lower weights is much improved, because of the above fact that the bilateral exercise is far more fatiguing due to greater load and far more muscle involved.

    I see Mike’s position not as an argument against the back squat for developing low body strength but as an argument against having a weak back. Captain Kirk Karwaski is a perfect example of someone who developed massive leg strength and size despite squatting in a way that should have made his back a limiting factor (close stance squat 1000×2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo1tU1YqPp0) He could do this because his back was Real F’ing Strong.

    I am not saying the back is in fact not a weak link. I am saying that the possibility this is the case is not a reason to drop the back squat.
    It is a reason to do unilateral assistance work, more pulling, or a 6-week block of BSS-centered training with a ton of pulling. It is also a reason, as I know too well, not to use too damn much weight on the back squat.
    I am also saying Mike is exaggerating the effects of unilateral leg training via BSS by using performance on the BSS as a basis for attempting to predict performance on a Completely Different exercise where The Weight Is Heavy. I am sure he knows he is doing this. I can only speculate it is because his “no back squat” position is SHOCKING so he better have something to back it up – even if it’s a bit inflated.


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