I hope you're having a great holiday week. I'm long overdue with a list of recommended reading, so I've luckily got some good stuff stockpiled.
Keeping the Fun in Children's Sports - This was a great piece in the New York Times that summarizes some new findings from an American Academy of Pediatrics report on organized sports.
Why We Sleep - Brandon Marcello recommended this book when he came on the podcast (listen to his interview here), and it hasn't disappointed. I'd highly recommend it.
The Language of Coaching - Nick Winkelman put up his slides from this year's Perform Better presentations, and he's got some great information on optimizing coaching cues.
Top Tweet of the Week
Crazy. The next time you blurt out that a player “sucks” because he made an error, struck out, or gave up a HR, remember that he’s likely the best athlete in the history of his hometown. And, there are a lot of other really good athletes who'd love to “suck” as much as he does. https://t.co/HOdKGhQjCl
We're excited to welcome an astonishingly accomplished and influential researcher and clinician, Dr. Stuart McGill, to the podcast for Episode #16 for an in-depth discussion on sparing the spine in rotational sport athletes. A special thanks goes out to this show's sponsor, Acumobility. Their products have been absolute game changers for our mobility approaches at Cressey Sports Performance. You can pick one up HERE.
Show Outline
How Dr. McGill has become a prominent figure in the world of spine health
What the key considerations are for understanding the spine demands in rotational athletes
How the anatomical structure of the spine drives an individual’s movement capabilities
What qualities should be prioritized in elastic rotational athletes – and how much strength is enough?
Why power is plane specific and how this impacts rotational athletes expression of power in the three planes of motion
What spondylolsis is, how this injury occurs, and whether a back brace should be utilized
How fascial slings impact athletic performance and spine health
How effective is manual therapy in changing tissue quality and aiding in transforming movement capabilities
How clinicians can more effectively interpret scientific research and why they find value in variance rather than averages
How to differentiate between a “scar” and a “wound” on diagnostic imaging
How Dr. McGill preserves the human element in patient management
What has changed over the last 10 years in his understanding of the spine
This episode is brought to you by Acumobility. While their product line is super expansive, the implement I use the most on a daily basis is the Acumobility ball, a patented flat based mobility ball that keeps the ball in contact with a trigger point so you can do active mobility. You can can use it against a wall, rack, or any floor surface and it won't roll away. As a result, it allows you to do incorporate some innovative and advanced active mobility exercises, including on hard to reach areas like the neck and shoulders. Perhaps most importantly, the folks at Acumobility do an awesome job with educational initiatives to accompany their products; this way, you can assess AND correct movement problems to improve performance. Head to https://csp.acumobility.com/podcast and enter coupon code CSP10 to save 10% on your order.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
I’m excited to announce that we've got two new colors of the CSP Elite Baseball Development t-shirts (powered by New Balance Baseball) available for sale. Here's the design - now available in heather grey and white:
These shirts are insanely comfortable and run true to size.
Each shirt is $24.99 + S&H. Click the links below to add shirts to your cart - and please just let us know in the Order Notes section whether you'd like a white or grey one:
We're excited to welcome a well-respected and accomplished hitting coach, Bobby Tewksbary, to the podcast for Episode #15 for an in-depth discussion on the evolution of hitting. A special thanks goes out to this show's sponsor, VersaPulley. It's an awesome option for challenging deceleration in multiple planes of motion, and has been an excellent addition to our training at Cressey Sports Performance. They've got a great 10% off offer going for our podcast listeners through June 30 at http://www.VersaPulley.com/Cressey10.
Show Outline
How Bobby’s experience as a hitter inspired him to become a knowledgeable coach
What the old school mindset surrounding hitting was and why ballplayers used to be reluctant to discuss their swing
What concepts of hitting are constant and true regardless of the individual
How new trends towards the utilization of technology and data are impacting the next generation of batters
How the collection of data offers measurable and diagnostic feedback to help manage the swing, identify what athletes need, and conceptualize information to allow hitters to make meaningful changes
How the game of baseball is more openminded than ever and how the private sector is taking advantage of this revolution in baseball
What qualities players should look for in their hitting coaches and what common mistakes young hitting coaches should avoid
Why hitters need to be exposed to failure at a young age to avoid developing an ego-centric, highlight-focused mindset
How executing a swing and learning how to hit are very different things – and why this distinction is vital for hitters
Why having confidence in the batter’s box is superior to any mechanical factor in a hitter’s swing
How Bobby expects hitting to change in the years ahead
How Bobby is working to improve his ability to impact hitters with a new project
This episode is brought to you by VersaPulley. The VersaPulley offers flywheel training and one benefit of training with a flywheel is inertia. The faster the flywheel is moving, the more the user must decelerate the inertia that is created - and we know training deceleration is a huge piece of preventing athletic injuries and enhancing performance. While there are a few flywheel training options on the market, the VersaPulley is the only one that that allows you to train at any point along the force/velocity curve, and in multiple planes of movement. If you want to train at any speed, any load, and any direction, the VersaPulley has got you covered. They've set up a great discount of 10% for our listeners; you can learn more at http://www.VersaPulley.com/Cressey10.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
We're excited to welcome sports scientist Dr. Brandon Marcello to the podcast for Episode #14 for an in-depth discussion on sleep. A special thanks goes out to this show's sponsor, VersaPulley. It's an awesome option for challenging deceleration in multiple planes of motion, and has been an excellent addition to our training at Cressey Sports Performance. They've got a great 10% off offer going for our podcast listeners at http://www.VersaPulley.com/Cressey10.
Show Outline
What the four major components of recovery are, and how sleep influences these domains
Why sleep is vital for human performance and what the negative implications are for ignoring its importance
How individuals are actually born as early birds or night owls, and what strategies people should utilize to maximize their sleep regardless of their tendencies
Why routine is king when establishing quality sleep habits
What is sleep debt and why it is significant for people to avoid the accumulation of sleep debt over time
How impactful are naps for overcoming the accumulation of sleep debt, and how to best incorporate them
Why not all sleep supplements are everything they claim to be
What easy adjustments athletes can implement to improve their sleep beyond the well-known strategies already commonly practiced
How athletes can combat the negative implications of their current sleep situation
Why coaches should encourage their athletes to value their sleep, and what strategies they can use to aid in their players accumulation of quality sleep
This episode is brought to you by VersaPulley. The VersaPulley offers flywheel training and one benefit of training with a flywheel is inertia. The faster the flywheel is moving, the more the user must decelerate the inertia that is created - and we know training deceleration is a huge piece of preventing athletic injuries and enhancing performance. While there are a few flywheel training options on the market, the VersaPulley is the only one that that allows you to train at any point along the force/velocity curve, and in multiple planes of movement. If you want to train at any speed, any load, and any direction, the VersaPulley has got you covered. They've set up a great discount of 10% for our listeners; you can learn more at http://www.VersaPulley.com/Cressey10.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
This go-round of the Exercise of the Week comes from Cressey Sports Performance - Massachusetts coach, Cole Russo. Before we get to it, though, just a quick heads-up that I'm running a weekend flash sale on my Understanding and Coaching the Anterior Core presentation. You can get 30% off with the coupon code CORE30 at checkout; just head HERE to get more information and purchase.
Key Coaching Points
1. This could simply be a progression from the traditional side bridge, in that there is less stability and more stress on the lateral core.
2. In terms of pitching, sometimes lateral flexion of the trunk will be a compensation for abduction of the pelvis to create force and generate momentum from the stretch. Similarly, a traditional side bridge can accomplish the same thing. This is more specific to the joint actions of pitching because the lead leg moves to hip flexion (just like the top leg in the exercise). CSP pitching coordinator shared an awesome post on this a while back:
3. During the gait cycle, it is common to see what is referred to as the Trendelenburg Gait. This happens when the hip abductors are weak and the pelvis falls downward relative to the femur; usually accompanied with another compensation of lateral trunk tilt. The exercise emphasizes hip abduction, anti-lateral flexion, and hip flexion against gravitational forces that relate to the same weaknesses associated with the Trendelenburg Gait.
4. The positions of this exercise resemble the “figure-4” position that is assumed during the sprint cycle. When sprinting, it is necessary for the trunk to transfer force and stabilize the body against multiplanar forces so that the center of mass can directed linearly. Training the trunk to resist lateral flexion can help with this. Training the trunk to resist lateral flexion in biomechanically relevant joint positions can make you Usain Bolt. Core exercises eventually need to be progressed to something more dynamic. Once motor control and appropriate stability are demonstrated, progression to a quicker leg action action will make it more of a reactive stimulus for the nervous system.
5. Never underestimate the value of variety! Subtle additions like this to exercises that have already been rehearsed are a novel stimulus for the brain and can really enrich the motor learning process. The right amount of struggle is a good thing. Consistent patterns with minimal struggles and errors means there is a need for a new stimulus.
6. We'll usually program this as a 10-15 second isometric hold in the first few weeks of doing this exercise, and then progress to marching in subsequent weeks. It'll be sets of 8 per side in those who are more highly trained. This can be done as a warm-up, or used for multiple sets later in the training session.
About the Author
Cole Russo is a strength and conditioning coach at CSP-MA. You can follow him on Instagram at @SwoleThomas.
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We're excited to welcome St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas to the podcast for Episode #13. A special thanks goes out to this show's sponsor, Versaclimber. It's my absolute favorite conditioning option, and they've got a great 10% off offer going for our podcast listeners at http://www.Versaclimber.com/Cressey.
Show Outline
Why Miles decided to stay close to home and attend Division 2 powerhouse Nova Southeastern in FL
How adding weight, gaining strength in the right places, and improving body awareness while in college allowed Miles to make a velocity jump and become an MLB draft pick
How Miles quickly ascended through the minor leagues, but realized the consistency needed to be a mainstay in MLB
How he worked to become a more consistent pitcher in all facets of his game as a result
How Miles transitioned from a reliever to a starter
Why Miles added a slider to his pitch arsenal as a starter and how this shorter, harder breaking ball complements his big, loopy curveball to challenge hitters in a different dimension
Why Miles chose to bet on himself and leave MLB after the 2014 season to play in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan
How being exposed to the Japanese style of baseball taught Miles many invaluable lessons
How Miles refined his arm action in 2015 to 2016 to take unnecessary stress off his arm
Why Miles values first pitch strikes and works to play the percentages to efficiently get hitters out
How Miles models his throwing and lifting program in season on a 5-day rotation
What it is like for Miles to pitch to one of the greatest catchers of all-time, Yadier Molina, and what young catchers can take away from this legend’s unbelievable knowledge and skill set
This episode is brought to you by Versaclimber. In addition to being a phenomenal option for training all across the energy systems continuum, the Versaclimber exposes individuals to important fundamental movement patterns: scapular upward rotation, hip extension, and a synced-up crawling pattern. It's also non-impact, and can therefore be used with a wider variety of clients than other conditioning modalities. They've set up a great discount of 10% for our listeners; you can learn more at http://www.Versaclimber.com/Cressey.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
It's been a quiet week on the blog in light of my travel commitments and the onboarding of a lot of college athletes at both CSP facilities over the past week. Luckily, there's some good content from around the 'Net for me to share with you:
EC on the OPEX Podcast - Robbie Bourke interviewed me for this podcast about a month ago, and we honed in on long-term athletic development in particular.
EricCressey.com Interview with Dr. Jason Hodges - I gave a presentation to our staff about diagnostic imaging in the throwing shoulder, and it reminded me to "reincarnate" this interview I did with radiologist Jason Hodges a while back. Check it out and you might never look at MRIs and x-rays the same way.
47 Lessons from Pat Rigsby - This post is a few weeks old, but I've been meaning to work it into one of these recommended reading compilations. Pat does a lot of consulting on the business side of fitness, and this post shares a lot of the potential avenues through which he can help fitness professionals.
Top Tweet of the Week
Friendly reminder to this week's draft picks: spending a signing bonus on fancy cars and jewelry will in no way improve your chances of becoming a big leaguer. Doing so can, however, markedly interfere w/your chances of getting to that level. Invest in yourself, not just "stuff."
We're excited to welcome Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder AJ Pollock to the podcast for Episode #12. A special thanks goes out to this show's sponsor, Versaclimber. It's my absolute favorite conditioning option, and they've got a great 10% off offer going for our podcast listeners at http://www.Versaclimber.com/Cressey.
Show Outline
How AJ’s experience as a multi-sport athlete growing up in Connecticut allowed him to enjoy being a kid and develop into a well-rounded athlete
How AJ went from an unnoticed player his junior year of high school to a star on the Connecticut baseball scene by the end his senior season
What the college recruiting process was like for AJ as a standout hitter from the Northeast
How AJ remained a successful hitter as he seamlessly transitioned from high school baseball to Division 1 competition at Notre Dame
How the game of baseball has changed since AJ was drafted a decade ago
How AJ has been able to utilize the influx of data in baseball to shorten the learning curve in his game and make meaningful adjustments to his hitting approach
How AJ balances trusting his instincts and sticking to what works for him with the data revolution in baseball
Why self-awareness, attention to detail, and continuous refinement have allowed AJ to remain consistent over the course of his career regardless of the level of competition
What AJ’s typical batting practice routine is to prepare for a game
How AJ has become one of most consistent defensive outfielders in the MLB
How AJ has learned to manage his emotions daily and how he trains mentally to remain positive through the ups and downs of the game of baseball
This episode is brought to you by Versaclimber. In addition to being a phenomenal option for training all across the energy systems continuum, the Versaclimber exposes individuals to important fundamental movement patterns: scapular upward rotation, hip extension, and a synced-up crawling pattern. It's also non-impact, and can therefore be used with a wider variety of clients than other conditioning modalities. They've set up a great discount of 10% for our listeners; you can learn more at http://www.Versaclimber.com/Cressey.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive Instant Access to a 47-minute Presentation from Eric Cressey on Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes!
I hope you had a great week. Let's kick off the weekend with some good recommendations from around the 'Net:
Connor Ryan on Training, Therapy, and Working to Blend the Model - Connor is a former CSP intern who now works as a physical therapist for the Phoenix Coyotes. He always offers great insights into how to help people get better, and he's less married to particular philosophies than he is to getting results. That makes for a great educator, and this chat with Mike Robertson is a good example.
Joel Jamieson on the Vigor Life Podcast with Luka Hocevar - The information Joel shares in this podcast with Luka Hocevar is invaluable for every coach and trainer. I don't normally share podcasts with so much swearing, but the knowledge shared in this one overcomes it!
