I hope you're safe and sound in spite of the crazy times in the world today - and I hope some recommended reading and listening helps pass the time!
Upstream - For me, anything from Chip and Dan Heath is must-read material, and this solo project from Dan proved to be no exception. He looks closely at proactive concepts to reduce the need for reactive measures, and there are definitely applicable lessons for the strength and conditioning and rehabilitation communities.
Certified Speed and Agility Coach course - Lee Taft's outstanding certification is on sale through this Sunday at midnight. It's absolutely outstanding - and serves as mandatory viewing for all Cressey Sports Performance staff members.
Young athletes: want an at-home strategy to guarantee long-term training results during and after this hiatus from competition? Ask your parents to teach you how to cook. Learn it now, and use it for a lifetime.
It's been several weeks since I published one of these recommended reading/listening lists; luckily (?), having both facilities closed has freed up some time to pull one together. Check these out:
Niched Podcast - My business partner, Pete Dupuis, just launched his own entrepreneurship podcast. The guests don't all come from the fitness industry, but given Pete's presence, he does an outstanding job of bringing the lessons back to relate to owning a gym or managing a clientele.
Chasing the Sun - I just finished up this book on the benefits of sunlight by Linda Geddes. It ties in nicely with Why We Sleep, by Dr. Matthew Walker, if you've already checked that out.
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I’ve gotten several inquiries along the lines of, “How do I train if the gym is closed?” Here are some quick thoughts to hopefully help put things in a bit of perspective. Regardless, stay safe, everyone! pic.twitter.com/Rb2tx0pnju
When and How Static Stretching Can Actually Work - Dean Somerset kicked off 2020 with an outstanding post that highlights just how challenging it can be to get static stretching to work for you. Hint: set aside a loooooooong time.
Power Moves - I just finished up this quick audiobook by Adam Grant, and it was outstanding. I'd highly recommend it regardless of the industry in which you work. It's only available as a listen, and I actually think it's better in this medium than as a book.
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The best load management strategy is to actually load in the offseason so that you aren't a delicate little flower by midseason. I'm not saying there's no merit to strategic rest; rather, there are a lot of athletes who are fundamentally unprepared for the stress they encounter.
Training the Hypermobile Client - I've features multiple articles about training hypermobile individuals on this site over the years, and Dean Somerset puts out some good information to complement those materials (you can find them here and here, if interested).
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If you give the same exercise to five different individuals, you might have to coach it five different ways - from the movement corrections needed, to the cues necessary to elicit the desired change. Don't try to make coaching one-size-fits-all.
I hope you had a great weekend. We were super busy with the fall seminar at our MA location, and yesterday (Monday) was our business mentorship. While I didn't have time to pull together new content, I did curate some content from around the 'net for you.
Even More Complete Shoulder and Hip Blueprint - Dean Somerset and Tony Gentilcore's new product is on sale at a great price. The first installment had some really good nuggets, and I'm working my wife through the second one now; it's definitely living up to the hype as well. It's on sale for $70 off this week and comes with CEUs.
Tackling the Cranky Local Football Coach Conundrum - I spent all day yesterday hearing Pete Dupuis talk during our business mentorship, so you'd think that I'd be tired of him by now. Nope! This content is that important to coaches in the private sector.
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Recent quote from a pro guy:
"Our training in college was excessive and absurd. Our training in pro ball has been insufficient and absurd."
Development doesn't happen at extremes. It happens at the sweet spot in the middle where work capacity is challenged, but not overwhelmed.
I hope you're having a great week. Here's a little recommended reading and listening to get you through your Wednesday!
7 Tips for Training Around Lower Back Pain - Mike Robertson outlines some great suggestions for anyone (which is most people) who has struggled with lower back pain at some point or another.
Atomic Habits - I just finished up this audiobook by James Clear. If you've read "The Power of Habit," this is a good follow-up that builds on its concepts. I particularly like the "Habits + Deliberate Practice = Mastery" equation.
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This offseason video from @Max_Scherzer is a reminder that actively pulling into the front hip is a big part of driving elite rotational power. Back hip loading + good direction + hip/shoulder separation + solid core control + front leg bracing = 🔥 @FlatgroundApp@PitchingNinjapic.twitter.com/SOkqX8DbUu
I hope you've had a great week. To kick off the weekend, here's a little recommended reading and listening from around the strength and conditioning world.
9 Ways to Survive Off Days - This audio blog from Mike Robertson shares some good strategies for making the most of non-training days.
Cleaning Up Thoracic Rotation - Dean Somerset offers some great insights on optimizing thoracic spine mobility training.
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A mistake you’ll see in stiff-leg deadlift technique is slamming the knees into hyperextension on the lowering portion. This limits hip hinging and instead put stress on passive restraints of the knee. The kneecap shouldn’t be behind the heel; it’s a stiff (not straight) leg DL. pic.twitter.com/rWnhVxt2tt
I hope you've had a good week. To kick off your weekend on the right foot, I've got some good reading from around the strength and conditioning world.
First, though, I just wanted to give you a heads-up that I'll be speaking at Pitchapalooza near Nashville in early December as part of an awesome lineup. You can learn more HERE.
Maximum Strength Training for Tennis: Why You Should Do It - Matt Kuzdub authored a great guest post for EricCressey.com a few months ago, and this was another recent post of his in the tennis world. Much it it could be applied to other sports as well.
5 Great Analogies for Training Baseball Players - A big part of getting results is clearing communicating with athletes, and analogies are an invaluable way of doing so. This article outlines some of my favorites for working with a baseball population.
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Trying to build rotator cuff strength and scapular control while optimizing range of motion while you're still throwing is like trying to change the tire on a car that's still moving. Take advantage of periods of low/no throwing volume to build your foundation on this front.
I hope you had a good weekend. We're back on our normal Monday schedule with this recommended reading collection after being a bit erratic over the past few weeks.
Divergent Thinking: Inside John O'Malley - This is a lengthy interview, but definitely worth the time. While the interview is with an accomplished cross country/track coach, the lessons are applicable across many disciplines. Thanks to former CSP intern Mike Boykin for sending this my way.
Transformer Bar Overview - I'm a big fan of the transformer Bar from Kabuki Strength, and this video outlines my thoughts (as well as those of Stuart McGill and Kelly Starrett) on why that's the case.
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Biggest regret I hear from college athletes? They should've started strength training sooner. Getting stronger is a game changer for performance AND the ability to acquire new skills. If you're 21 and just gaining strength you should have had when at age 16, you're way behind.
I hope you're having a great week. Here is some recommended reading and listening from the strength and conditioning world over the past week:
EC on the Athlete CEO Podcast - I joined the Athlete CEO podcast to talk about everything from entrepreneurship, to the origins of Cressey Sports Performance, to off-field habits that athletes can employ for success in their sport. This is a great new podcast that I'll be following closely myself.
Tone and Message in Coaching - The Resilient Performance crew never disappoints with their writing, and while this is a quick read, it's an excellent one.
Top Tweet of the Week
Always ask, “where do you feel this?” Good movement is good movement, so if individuals feel it in the right places and are asymptomatic, it’s probably correct. Trust your eyes - but use your ears, too. pic.twitter.com/kMUquhaci2