This one gets absolutely butchered all the time, so good form can never be hammered home often enough!
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The other day, I got to chatting with Tim Collins and Matt Kramer, two of Cressey Performance's longest tenured pro baseball guys. These two guys were among my first pro baseball guys to get back from the long season and start up training. Tim's notorious for getting back in the gym just a day or two after his season ends!
We were discussing baseball development, and one of them mentioned that one of his teammates had just commented on how he was taking a few weeks off and then was going to start training again. Keep in mind that this conversation took place on October 1, and just about every minor league baseball team wrapped things up on September 7 (playoffs excluded). While some guys were called up to play at high levels, and others shipped off to instructionals or the Arizona Fall League, most guys went straight home.
Now, "home" is a big improvement from the typical professional baseball lifestyle, which (as I described here) consists of a lot of late nights, long bus rides, unhealthy food, alcohol, and (specific to the topic at hand) erratic training.
In most cases, the weight rooms aren't even close to adequate. And, obviously, you can never have a great training stimulus in-season; guys just do what they can to "get by." Yes, they "get by" for almost seven months per year - which obviously makes the other five months incredibly important.
Now, if someone takes an extra month off after the season, he's only getting 80% of the benefit of the off-season that his teammates are getting. In a sport where only 3% of draft picks make it to the big leagues, if I'm a prospect, I don't like my chances if I only have 80% of the preparation of those around me.
Let's do the math on that for a guy who gets released after three years in the minor leagues. That's three months of preparation down the tubes. Next, consider how many guys who have COMPLETELY OVERHAULED their physiques and performance in preparing for the NFL combine in less than three months.
Last off-season, we put 17 pounds of meat on one of our pitchers (and he got leaner!) between November 11 and February 20. He looked like a completely different person - in just three months and nine days. His broad jump went up ten inches and vertical jump up 4.3 inches in spite of this big jump in body weight, meaning that he improved in both relative and absolute power. This is not uncommon at all in the baseball guys with whom I've worked, particularly those who were drafted out of high school and never got the benefit of college strength and conditioning.
All that said, in my eyes, guys should be back in the gym as soon as possible after the season ends - even if it's just a few days per week. Simply getting the ball rolling on the endocrine, immunological, and rehabilitative benefits of strength training will do wonders in itself. Getting started on improving soft tissue quality and addressing mobility/stability deficits is also tremendously valuable, as it paves the way for better training as the December-February "crunch time." These guys can take a week to gather their thoughts, and then get back to work; otherwise, they'll have more vacation time when they're out of work!
Truth be told, it's one of just a few common mistakes we see, and this could be applied to just about any professional sport; I just chose baseball because it's what I see the most. Of course, the guys who probably ought to be reading this are the ones who are probably sitting poolside sipping martinis, or cuddling up in their snuggies and then having Mom's homemade pancakes for breakfast at 1PM!
(For the record, I worked really hard to resist the temptation to insert the "In a Snuggie Rap" video here. Search for it on Youtube, if you're interested.)
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1. You may recall that last Friday, I mentioned that my staff and I had Chris Frankel from TRX come in to do a mini-seminar at Cressey Performance. This week, I'm just here to tell you that it was fantastic! We picked up some excellent new exercises and techniques that'll definitely help out our athletes. If you haven't picked up a TRX already, I'd highly recommend you check them out: TRX Suspension Training.
2. As a follow-up to my interview with Alwyn Cosgrove on the business of personal training earlier this week, you absolutely HAVE to check out this blog post from Thomas Plummer, widely regarded as the authority on the business of fitness. It's not only spot-on, but also absolutely hilarious:
The Medical Community Doesn't Get What We Do
(if you haven't read any of Thomas Plummer's stuff, I highly recommendThe Business of Fitness)
3. I never realized that left-handed pants were such a life-changer.
4. The other day, I promised A's pitching prospect Shawn Haviland that I could get him above the 60 hits per day mark with a single link to his blog. So, check him out; there is actually some excellent stuff in there if you're a baseball fan: Ivy League to MLB.
5. Enjoy the weekend; this kid's got a feeling it's going to be a good one.
Last week's video of the week was the scapular wall slide. After it was posted, I got quite a few questions in the comments section, so I figured I'd devote today's blog to answering those questions. In case you missed the original video, here it is again:
Q: In the wall slide, do you try to keep the wrists and back of the hands flush to the wall? I noticed that the demonstrator did not.
A: No, that's not mandatory. If someone lacks glenohumeral (shoulder ball-and-socket) range-of-motion or can't effectively posterior tilt/depress the scapulae, it'd require extra arching of the lower back to get the hands flush to the wall. I generally tell folks to focus solely on scapular movement; the hands-to-the-wall will come over time as flexibility improves. Scapular wall slides can still be extremely valuable even if you can't get your hands to the wall.
Q: Any advice on how much to let the small of the back round?
A: I'm assuming you mean "arch." My response would be that you should just set your body in "normal" alignment first, and then worry about the arm positioning. Those with bigger butts may have a little bit more arching, but I don't really worry too much about this, as I'm purely concerned with scapular movement. It really doesn't matter to me whether your feet are 2" from the wall or 12" as long as you're getting your lower traps firing and opening up the pec, anterior delt, and subscapularis.
Last year, I wrote a newsletter on my awesome experience at Dr. William Brady's biomechanics course in Boston, MA. It was without a doubt one of the most beneficial events I've attended in recent years (in spite of being the only non-manual therapist in attendance).
It's that time of year again; Dr. Brady's 2009 event is scheduled for October 17-18 (in Boston again). If you treat patients, it's well worth the investment. You can sign up HERE.
Now, Dr. Brady also has a new online subscription that's loaded with similarly great content. It's already a great deal, but to sweeten it even further, he hooked me up with a discount for my readers who plan to attend. Here's what he's got for you (straight from the man himself):
I went ahead and set up a discount for the guys who sign up from your site. The professionals can get $75 off and students can get $49 off the regular price of $180 and $118 - so it ends up as $105 and $69 per month, respectively. Professional (anyone not in school) can type "cresseypro" and students currently in school or graduated in the last six months (yes, we check) "cresseystudent" in the promotion code area.
Definitely check it out; you can get more information at www.IntegrativeDiagnosis.
Alwyn Cosgrove has been a great friend and mentor to me for almost five years now. I can directly attribute a lot of the success I've had to the fantastic advice he's given me on the business side of things. Since Alwyn just released a DVD (of a seminar I had the privilege of attending), I thought it'd be the perfect time to chat with him about the new product and some other thoughts he has on the state of the fitness industry. If you make a living training clients, this is must-view material.
EC: In your experience, what are the biggest mistakes aspiring fitness professionals make?AC: Here are my top four:
1) They don't understand that they are running a business!!!!
Most fitness professionals are running a hobby and trying to make money at it. That will never work long-term.
Being a great trainer is imperative in today's market. You aren't going to succeed unless your skill-set is of a high enough level.
However, it's not just training skills - that's only part of the big picture - the "client fulfillment "portion.
It's also business skills. Michael Gerber - the author of The E-myth - calls this the seven essential skills: Leadership, Marketing, Money, Management, Lead Generation, Lead Conversion and Client Fulfillment.
You have to understand how to lead and motivate your team: leadership.
You have to understand marketing, which results in lead generation.
You have to have good sales skills - which converts leads to customers.
And you have to be able to understand cash flow and operating expenses before you can create a profit.
You need to have mindset AND skill-set before you can be successful. But skill-set consists of seven areas. Make sure you are studying each area (not just training) equally.
2) They don't understand the client mindset.
Ask yourself these questions if you're a trainer:
Do you think a good fitness professional is a valuable investment?
Do you think a good fitness professional can get someone to their goals faster than they can get there on their own?
Are you personally in the greatest physical condition of your life right now?
Are you ecstatic with your own strength levels and conditioning?
I bet that 80-90% of those who answered will say - yes, yes, no, no.
So - extrapolating from that - what is YOUR trainers name? Why did you hire him or her?
I bet most trainers don't even have training partners - never mind a coach to help them with programming and getting to the next level.
In other words - if you tell me right now that you DON'T have a trainer - despite not being in the best shape of your life, not being ecstatic at your own fitness, and believing that a good trainer can get you there faster than you can alone, and is valuable --- then deep down - you don't believe that a trainer IS valuable.
What I'm getting at - is WHY, despite all the knowledge and beliefs and goals, most trainers haven't hired (or used) another trainer to help them?
It's the same reason prospects aren't hiring you -- they aren't in great shape, and maybe don't know (as we do) how much a trainer can help?
Lawyers hire other lawyers. Barbers hire other barbers. Doctors see other doctors.
So list the reasons why you didn't hire a trainer personally. That's why people don't hire you. And that's the WHY we need to figure out for your next career move: the client mindset.
"If you can see John Smith through John Smith's eyes, you can sell John Smith what John Smith buys."
3) They Don't Create TOMA.
Have you ever had a client tell you that "I'm definitely going to hire you as my trainer, but I am going to lose ten pounds first!"
I'm sure you have. But while we think it's crazy, it's a sign that you don't have weight loss TOMA in your area.
TOMA is Top Of Mind Awareness. Are you the first person or business that jumps into a client's mind when they think "weight loss?" Or "sports conditioning?"
Quick, name a soft drink company. I bet it was either Coca-Cola or Pepsi.
What is the number one sneaker brand? I bet you came up with one of three names: Nike, Adidas, or Reebok.
Your goal with all of your marketing is to position yourself, in your area, for your target market as the "top of mind awareness" obvious choice for that particular topic.
A lot of fitness businesses get hurt here by dividing their efforts and marketing to different demographics - and that's ok - but two demographics should mean two different campaigns - not two "half" campaigns.
What do you want to be known for?
This is something that you've actually done very well, Eric (probably before you actually had your business systems in place). Think baseball conditioning in Boston and Cressey Performance springs to mind.
4. They don't find mentors and coaches for the business side, and they don't mastermind with like-minded successful individuals.
Okay, this is really two for one!
Mentoring: "All successful individuals have coaches" - James Malinchak.
Think about this: boxing and MMA are probably the ultimate "one-on-one" sports. Two guys, with no equipment (or even shirts!) face one another.
But when you look back to the corner - there are usually three or more guys helping him. They include a coach (known as the "chief second") and several other teammates.
To me, a mentor is nothing more than someone who is climbing or has climbed the mountain before you, and has reached back and is helping you up, way faster and easier than you can climb yourself.
One of the fastest ways to success in any field is to find a mentor who will help you, and a "mastermind" group of likeminded people with whom to network. The key phrase there is "likeminded;" we've all had the situation of asking a family member or friend for feedback on a project and being shut down when they don't realize or understand the big picture. You need to be around people who are thinking the same way as you.
Your mind is like a garden. Be careful what you plant in there.
EC: That's fantastic stuff - and #4 certainly hits home for me, as you've been my primary mentor in getting my facility off the ground. To that end, while all my education came via email exchanges between the two of us, you've now made it easier for folks to learn what's made you successful by introducing some products.Most recently, there is "The Evolution of Personal Training" DVD, and just a few months ago, you released "55 Fitness Business Tips for Success" book. I've checked out each of them, and in my eyes, people should buy both! However, can you go into a bit of detail on the difference between the two?
AC: The DVD is a live shoot of a presentation I did for Perform Better this year where I really go into detail about how to evolve your business in today's economy. The old methods of one-on-one training, weight-training-only workouts, and charging people for a "ten-pack" of sessions are just inadequate or outdated practices. I cover a few things in more detail - like transitioning into a semi-private model, repositioning yourself as a consultant as opposed to a "rep counter," and understanding the client or prospect mindset. If you don't understand that, you're dead in the water as a business owner.
The book "55 Fitness Business Tips for Success" should have been titled "55 things that we did wrong when we opened our facility and somehow managed to survive, but make sure you don't repeat these!" It's kind of like a "pocket guide" to basic business tips for fitness professionals. And when I say "basic," I mean stuff everyone NEEDS to know and practice but usually don't! I tell my business coaching group to keep that book in their office and read a couple of pages every day to make sure you don't ignore anything crucial.
EC: Thanks for the time, Alwyn.
I'd strongly encourage those readers of mine in the fitness industry to check out these resources, as Alwyn's stuff is fantastic. You can find out more and order at Alwyn's site.
Just a quick FYI for today's blog:
Jim "Smitty" Smith is re-launching his Combat Core e-manual. As some of you know, I think it's a fantastic product that I've heartily endorsed in the past. You can read a full review I wrote HERE.
Anyway, with the relaunch, Jim's offering a ton of new bonuses - from articles to audio teleseminars. Needless to say, it's a great product independent of these bonuses, so the deal is just even sweeter for now. Check it out HERE.
1. I started a little deadlift specialization program this week. So far, it's beating me up like a rented mule - and this is just the introductory week. I don't know if it will get me to 700, but at the very least, it'll prove whether deadlifts to excess really can kill someone. I'll let you know how it goes.
(I still get a kick out of how disinterested the air conditioning repair guy in the background is during this video)
2.A big congratulations goes out to CP athlete Danny O'Connor, who ran his professional boxing record to 9-0 with a third round knockout on Thursday night. I can honestly say that I've never seen anyone get knocked out with a body shot, but let's just say that this was one for the ages. When his opponent actually regains the ability to speak, digest, and walk upright, I'm sure he'll agree.
Next up for Danny is a big fight on November 7 at the Hartford Civic Center, so we're back in the gym getting after it today.
3. My fiancee went to get her annual physical the other day, and because she started a new job with a new insurance plan, it was her first time with a new primary care doctor. Since she knew bloodwork was going to be part of the drill, I had encouraged her to ask to get her Vitamin D levels checked. The doctor replied with, "No, we won't do that. You're not post-menopausal."
Are you serious???? Um, Vitamin D isn't just about bone health. As Chris Shugart covered in a recent article, it has some pretty darn extensive roles in the body, and it's been established that a large chunk of the population has insufficient - if not deficient - levels of Vitamin D.
I find it fascinating that this doctor wouldn't hesitate to order cholesterol and glucose measurements for a second year in a row, yet would rigidly oppose testing for something that's a heck of a lot more useful (even in someone under the age of 30).
Not surprisingly, from what my fiancee (who is also a doctor) told me, she had a terrible bedside manner to go along with her complete lack of preparedness and openmindedness. She even busted out the body mass index line with a female patient who deadlifts over 250 pounds and can do ten body weight chin-ups. Women can have muscle, you know.
Needless to say, she is down one patient now.
4. Here's a great, comprehensive article on antioxidants by John Romaniello and Joel Marion; it covers what works and what doesn't, and does so in an entertaining format: Movie Stars, Blockbuster Berries, and You
5.Chris Frankel from TRX is in town to do an in-service for our staff this morning. We started using these just a few weeks ago and are excited to see all the new tricks and tips Chris has for them. Check them out for yourselfHERE.
Have a kick-ass weekend. This kid definitely will!
Here are a few good reads from a variety of disciplines:
Organic vs. Kind of Organic vs. Wait, I'm Confused - This was a great blog post by Tony Gentilcore that tells you everything you ought to know (but might not want to know) about organic food.
Clean Eating Gone Wrong - Another great post, this one from Dr. John Berardi. It just goes to show you that being on the money with your nutrition can quickly and easily hit the fan.
Blood and Chalk: Jim Wendler Talks Big Weights - Jim is a great dude and one of the most amusing guys you'll encounter in this industry; he's always got something funny, but incredibly valuable to say. Check out this interview with him at T-Muscle.
Never thought I'd turn this blog into a classified ad, but I'm looking for someone to design a few websites for me. I'm technologically illiterate, but I know training and could certainly help you out on that front. If you're up for creating a website and getting some free training programs written for you as part of the deal, please shoot me an email at ec@ericcressey.com.
PS - For those of you who don't know anything about websites and derived absolutely no benefit from the previous paragraph, here is a kangaroo kicking a dude in a pond to brighten up your day. Zing!
