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| EC: Let’s face it, Alwyn: everyone on this newsletter list knows who you are, so we won’t waste time with me asking about your background or favorite color. Let’s get to the meat and potatoes – or lack thereof – with respect to fat loss.
You’ve become an authority on getting people lean fast – and continued success along these lines has led to the release of several fat loss products (in the form of the Afterburn) that have gotten thousands of people leaner and healthier.
Conversely, we all know that there are a lot of trainers out there who aren’t getting the job done in this regard; you’ve even noted that less than 0.5% of personal trainers are financially independent, an indirect sign of them not satisfying a booming fat loss market. Where, in your mind, are they failing?
AC: It’s essentially a complete misunderstanding of how fat loss even occurs. Ask a trainer how to burn fat and they’ll reply with “aerobics”. They have been brainwashed to think that aerobic exercise = fat loss. It doesn’t. It simply means that your energy needs are being met by the aerobic energy system.
Currently in the early part of the 21st century we are in the middle of an obesity epidemic. In the United States alone approximately one-third of the adult population is estimated to be obese. People are finally turning to the fitness industry for help.
However, despite fat loss, body composition and physique transformation being the number one goal of most people who enter into the gym, this type of exercise programming is actually a new concept; to be honest, it just wasn’t needed in the past. People were leaner. People moved more. The purpose of an exercise program twenty years ago was to enhance your already active lifestyle. Now, in an almost completely automated time-crunched society, we have had to create exercise programs specifically to induce fat loss - and we weren’t ready.
Despite the overwhelming amount of research on aerobic training and exercise for health – none of it had the goal of fat loss. In fact, the very thought of training solely to produce a loss of fat was an alien concept just a few years ago.
So, the fitness industry has failed. We recognized the need to create fat loss programs. We just didn’t know where to start. We originally designed fat loss programs by copying what endurance athletes were doing, and hoping that somehow the training program of a marathon runner would work for fat loss for an obese lady, even when we cut it down to 20 minutes, three times per week. But fat loss was never the goal of an endurance athlete; it was a side effect.
Then the fitness industry turned to bodybuilding for ideas. This was the height of the Body-For-Life physique transformation contests. And we failed again. To take the programs of drug using full-time professional genetic freak bodybuilders and use them to model fat loss programs for the general population was nonsensical.
But we tried.
And the supplement companies jumped right on board, to try to convince us that taking Brand Rx-o-plex would provide the same benefits as the drugs that bodybuilders were using.
We failed again.
But we were getting closer. Fat loss, at least was a goal for bodybuilders, but the low levels of body fat percentage a contest bodybuilder achieved was largely a result of their increased muscle mass and therefore their metabolism. However it would be naïve of us to ignore the impact that steroid use has had on bodybuilding physiques. There is very little information a drug-free trainee training three to four times per week can take from the program of a drug-using professional bodybuilder and apply that effectively to his own efforts.
It is my belief that before we start to program fat loss, we have to understand exactly how it occurs. Then, we design a program based on those principles and not on tradition, junk science, or outdated beliefs.
The biggest mistake that trainers have made, Eric, is that - despite advances in the methods of training - the fitness industry has yet to truly provide a complete fat loss solution. We have regurgitated programs for other goals, recommended the wrong diets and ineffective exercises plans, all the while never questioning where this information originated.
If you look at the research, you’ll be struggling to come up with much research that shows aerobic training to be effective, and NONE that shows it to be more effective than intervals or resistance training.
It’s time to think about fat loss as a separate goal in itself – instead of a side effect of other training.
EC: That's a great new paradigm that you've obviously applied with great success, but what about gender specificity? For instance, you’ve spoken in some detail about the different psychological approach you have to take with males and females with fat loss approaches; can you elaborate a bit for our readers?
AC: There are differences, of course, but in general, males will respond to comparison to “norms” or to other males – e.g., "good for a male is x% body fat and you are at Y," "The average client loses X per week," etc. Males are driven to be the alpha male. They respond well to comparisons.
That will destroy females. DESTROY them.
I only ever compare females to their goals and their progress. And it’s always positive. I don’t mean that you need to “baby” them – you can train them hard – but you have to keep positive reinforcement at the forefront.
Overall, females want to train hard and not feel intimidated. They want to look great, but almost as a contradiction – they don’t want to stand out in the gym. We joke that most females show up to train the first time in an oversized sweatshirt and baggy pants. It’s like they are hiding.
Males – just want to be one of the boys – with the underlying desire to be number one.
Once you master that – and more importantly understand it - you're a master coach.
EC: Those are fantastic points - and it even carries over to elite sport. Having worked with national championship squads in both men's and women's basketball, I can say without hesitation that you're right on the money. Female athletes are all about getting the job done; it's one of the reasons that they tend to race through programs (and we actually need to make a point of slowing them down a bit). Male athletes, on the other hand, won't hesitate to drag their heels a bit if it means they can talk some smack to a buddy between sets in order to get each other fired up. But let's move on...
“Metabolic disturbance” is a term you’ve thrown around for quite some time; what do you mean, and how do you integrate it in your programming?
AC: The goal of a serious fat loss program is to optimize energy expenditure. In other words – it’s STILL about calories-in vs. calories-out in the big picture.
So we are trying to burn as many calories as possible. This occurs in two ways: directly and indirectly. Direct energy expenditure is obvious; that’s the calories you burn running on the treadmill, for instance. Perform X amount of exercise to burn X amount of calories.
Indirect energy expenditure, on the other hand, isn’t quite as obvious – but for simplicity’s sake – it’s governed by your lean muscle mass and is commonly referred to as “resting metabolism” and includes EPOC – the recovery of metabolic rate back to pre-exercise levels.
The important thing to consider is that your indirect expenditure is the bigger contributor overall – getting the “metabolism up” is the key.
For example – aerobic training can burn a lot of calories – but it doesn’t really create much in the way of EPOC or raising your metabolism outside of the exercise session.
Resistance training and interval training may not burn many more calories while you are doing it – but they both create that metabolic disturbance that burns more calories the “other 23 hours” of the day. Every study that ever compares interval training to steady state training shows an enhanced effect in terms of fat loss with the higher intensity group – even when they actually burn less calories during the session. It’s that powerful a tool.
EC: This is awesome stuff, Alwyn - and all stuff that has been verified repeatedly in our facility, too. Let's give our readers a few days to ponder - and hopefully start to implement - these ideas. We'll be back with Part Two of this interview next week. In the meantime, for more information on Alwyn's innovative, no-bull fat loss strategies, check out:
Afterburn
All the Best,
EC |
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UK Trip Follow-up
I’m back in the US after a great trip to the UK. A huge thanks go out to Dave Fleming and Nick Grantham for all their hard work in organizing the weekend event in Birmingham and to playing such great hosts to me over the course of my visit. Likewise, I want to extend my thanks to Scott White and Daniele Selmi for pulling together an outstanding seminar in Oxford, showing me around town, and all the hospitality. And, above all, I want to thank everyone who came out to the seminars. I really appreciate your continued support and hope that you enjoyed the seminar as much as I enjoyed interacting with you. I look forward to visiting again soon!
Keep an eye out for some pictures and more thoughts on the trip as soon as I’m caught up on work and sleep.
All Kinds of Writing
It's been a wild week in terms of publications for me. You can check out an article I had published locally (Required Reading for Parents of Young Athletes), nationally (Men's Fitness May Issue - on newsstands April 1), and on the internet (Seven Simple Analogies). Next week, I'll be publishing in different solar systems, and in early May, I'll be going back in time to chisel an article into the wall of a cave in Ancient Egypt...
A Great Read
One of the few perks of long flights is that they give you a chance to get a ton of reading done. On this trip, I read Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, by Chip and Dan Heath. My good friend Joel Marion recommended the book to me, and he was right on the money; there is a tremendous amount of useful information in there for people in a wide variety of professions. It doesn't have anything to do with fitness, but who cares? You'll never get dumber from reading a great book full of excellent insights. Check it out: Made to Stick.
It's hard to believe that we made it to 50 newsletters, huh? There are plenty more to come, so stay tuned!
All the Best,
EC |
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Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
Last January, while at the T-Fest in Washington, D.C., I met this “kid.” At first, he was kind of pesky; he asked a lot of questions, and was really clingy. Over the course of the weekend, though, he started to grow on me – from unwanted pest to welcomed guest.
Here was a “kid” who had taken out a line of credit just so that he could take the next step as a fitness professional. This “kid” had flown cross-country from Montana to learn from some of the best in the business and expand his professional network. I wasn’t the only one who was impressed; guys like Alwyn Cosgrove, Mike Robertson, TC Luoma, Ryan Lee, Mike Boyle, Craig Ballantyne, Jason Ferruggia, and Bill Hartman have taken a liking to him, too.
Now, 15 months later, he can call or email any of us anytime he wants advice about the business of fitness or a client of his who has issues outside of his scope of expertise. AND, his clientele has grown exponentially (including some solid athletes and well-to-do clients), enabling him to open his own training studio. AND, he’s published several articles online at (among other sites) T-Nation, and is on the advisory board for a major print magazine. AND, he’s gone from some “kid” to a legitimate force in the training world who is going to be successful for a long time.
Remember the name: Nate Green.
Not too toot my own horn, but I’ve done quite a bit in the fitness industry for only being 25 – and Nate is well on his way to doing the same because he learned from the mistakes I made – and the mistakes all the guys I listed above made. To that end, I get a ton of emails from up-and-comers about what it was that I did to get to where I am – and I pass along a lot of the advice that I’ve given to Nate.
Bright guy that he is, Nate recognized the value of all the information he’d accumulated from several mentors, and decided to pull it all together in the form of a ten audio interview: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants. This set includes interviews with some of the brightest minds in the industry:
-Ryan Lee
-Jim Labadie
-Alwyn Cosgrove
-Mike Boyle
-Lou Schuler
-Susan Hill
-Pat Rigsby and Nick Berry
-Craig Ballantyne
-Bill Hartman
-Chris Shugart
I have over 150 business-related emails from Alwyn Cosgrove saved on my computer right now, and I can assure you that Alwyn’s interview alone is worth the entire price of this DVD set.
If that isn’t enough, through Monday, you’ll also get $147 in free bonuses in the form of audio interviews with Jason Ferruggia, TC Luoma, and I.
If you’re a fitness professional, this isn’t just any old purchase; it’s an investment. I’ve listened to every one of the interviews, and they’re all fantastic.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
All the Best,
EC |
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| After another weekend on the road, we're back on track with the next installment of the EricCressey.com newsletter. This past weekend, I had the good fortune of heading out to Tucson, AZ to talk shop with the strength and conditioning department at the University of Arizona. Coach Cory Edmond and his staff clearly "get it" and do a fantastic job with their athletes; it was a great experience for everyone involved.
Ultimate Program Design Now Available
A few months ago, AJ Roberts rounded up some of the best in the business and picked their brains for his Ultimate Program Design project. The names in this group speak for themselves:
Mike Boyle
Brijesh Patel
Jimmy Smith
Julia Ladewski
Eric Cressey
Brian Grasso
Kelly Baggett
James Smith
Zach Even-Esh
Mike Robertson
Jim "Smitty" Smith
Lee Taft
This outstanding collection of audio interviews is available now through Thursday for only $77 - and then the price goes up. I would highly recommend you pick up a set; I've previewed it and there is a ton of great stuff in there.
Ultimate Program Design
Until next time, train hard and have fun!
EC |
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| In light of the fact that I was delayed nine hours in the snow at Reagan Airport in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, this week's newsletter will be a quick one. Fortunately, all that downtime gave me an opportunity to reflect on a few things and organize my thoughts for this newsletter!
Mid-Atlantic Strength Symposium Wrap-up
I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who came out on Saturday for the seminar at George Mason; it was great to meet all of you.
For those who couldn't make it, here's an interesting aside. I evaluated six people at the seminar who had various aches and pains in their lower body, and of the six, four were severely lacking in ankle mobility. Coincidence? I think not. Get to training more barefoot and doing more ankle mobility work while taping your ankles less and getting rid of your high-top sneakers, high-heels, and any other shoe that dramatically elevates your heels. You'll feel like a million bucks in no time.
A Great Read
The bright side of my delay in D.C. was that I got a chance to read over Kelly Baggett's Ultimate No-Bull Speed Development Manual. I'd glanced it over when Kelly sent it to me, but only now got the chance to give it the time it deserves. To say that I am impressed would be an understatement; Kelly really has a knack for making the complex seem simple - and telling people how it is rather than just telling them what they want to hear.
This is a fantastic product for anyone who works with athletes; I would highly recommend checking it out:
The Ultimate No-Bull Speed Development Manual
New Article
For those who missed it, I had a new article published at T-Nation last week; check it out:
The Ten Rules of Corrective Lifting
That's all for this week. We'll be back next week with all new content.
All the Best,
EC |
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Q&A rant that deserves a newsletter of its own...
Q: I have received a golf fitness program designed specifically for my injury history. This program came from the <Insert Noteworthy Golf Trainer’s Name Here>. I have concerns about this program.
Some of the exercises I am concerned about involve:
1. mimicking my golf swing on an unstable surface
2. performing one legged golf stance with my eyes closed
3. hollow my stomach for 30 second holds
4. upright rows
Correct me if I'm wrong but your advice on various T-Nation articles and your #6 Newsletter go against these practices. Should I look elsewhere for my golf fitness program?
A: Where do I even begin? That's simply atrocious!
I've "fixed" a lot of golfers and trained some to high levels, and we've never done any of that namby-pamby junk. In a nutshell...
1. I did my Master's thesis on unstable surface training, and it will be featured in the August issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Let’s just say that if the ground ever moves on YOU instead of you moving on the ground, you have bigger things to worry about than your golf conditioning; you’re in the middle of an earthquake!
2. There is considerable anecdotal evidence to support the assertion that attempting to replicate sporting tasks on unstable surfaces actually IMPAIRS the learning of the actual skill (think of competing motor learning demands). In a technical sport like golf, this is absolutely unacceptable.
3. Eyes closed, fine - but first show me that you can be stable with your eyes open! Most golfers are so hopelessly deconditioned that they can’t even brush their teeth on one foot (sadly, I’m not joking).
4. Abdominal hollowing is "five years ago" and has been completely debunked. Whoever wrote this program (or copied and pasted it from when they gave it to 5,000 other people) ought to read some of Stuart McGill's work - and actually start to train so that he/she gets a frame of reference.
I’m sorry to say that you got ripped off. The fact of the matter is the overwhelming majority of golfers are either too lazy to condition, or too scared that it’ll mess up their swing mechanics (might be the silliest assumption in the world of sports). So, said “Performance Institute” (and I use the word “performance” very loosely) puts out programs that won’t intimidate the Average Joe or his 80-year-old recreational golfer grandmother. For the record, Gram, I would never let you do this program, either (or Gramp, for that matter). On a semi-related note, Happy 85th Birthday, Gramp!
In short, I’m a firm believer in building the athlete first and the golfer later – and many golfers are so unathletic and untrained that it isn’t even funny. Do your mobility/activation to improve your efficiency, and then apply that efficiency and stability throughout a full range of motion to a solid strength training program that develops reactive ability, rate of force development, maximal strength, and speed-strength. Leave the unstable surface training, Body Blade frolicking, and four-exercise 3x10 band circuits for the suckers in the crowd.
Yours Cynically,
EC |
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| Before we get going with this week’s newsletter, I want to extend my thanks to everyone who made it out for the seminar at Mike Boyle’s facility last weekend. I know I can speak for John Pallof, Brijesh Patel, and Mike when I say that we appreciate the large and enthusiastic crowd.
Lifting for Lymphoma
For those of you who haven’t heard already, my good friend Alwyn Cosgrove has compiled an incredible resource for a tremendous cause. Over the past few months, Alwyn has pulled together 57 of the brightest minds in the industry to each write a section for this manual, which will be released March 1st. All of the proceeds will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society.
I exchanged emails with Alwyn yesterday, and he informed me that this project has surpassed 700 pages of material. Considering it’s priced at $30 and will benefit a tremendous cause, I would hope that nobody on this newsletter list would even hesitate to pick up a copy. I, for one, was honored to be included, and thrilled to be able to write for charity. As Dave Tate wrote last week, “The material is worth 100 times the price, but is not where the REAL value is.”
Start saving a dollar a day for the next few weeks, and you’ll be in a good position to help a great cause.
EricCressey.com Exclusive Q&A
Q: I am an undergraduate student and was hoping for your input on one thing. I am fond of corrective training, training to prevent injury, mobility/activation training, body weight workouts, using bands/power metrics and would love to focus more so on these types of training than anything else. I really want to specialize in training people with the least amount of weights as possible, nothing against weight training, but I want to be the guy that people go to prior to commencing a weight training program/lifestyle to make sure that they are as strong as they can be/as prepared as possible prior to ever picking up any weights. My passion is really centered on training kids (middle school/high school) and is why all this injury preventive/corrective training appeals to me so much. I highly enjoy reading your articles on injury prevention/mobility and feel that any recommendations that you could provide as to what my educational focus should be most on would be invaluable. I am currently considering exercise biomechanics/physiology to be the two main areas that I should be focusing on. Is there a field that would better accommodate my aspirations in sports training? Or is exercise biomechanics and physiology what I need to be focusing on?
A: Thanks for your email. While your enthusiasm is certainly admirable, your logic is flawed.
Think of modern physical therapy; the exercise component is largely based on resistance training with some sort of external load. While there is a lot to be gained from training with body weight only and doing so properly, you have to load people (especially if you consider the bone density benefits of structural exercises).
So, in a nutshell, you have to resistance train to prepare to resistance train!
And, in an athletic population, realize that you’re going to have to train people with both open- and closed-chain movements for optimal functional carryover. Body weight only stuff is only useful for the latter – and most of those require significant external loading sooner than later.
I think you're in the right line of thought with your education, but remember that it's experiences and interactions with others that will facilitate success more than regular ol' book smarts.
Q: I saw you write somewhere recently that subscapularis dysfunction was generally associated with posterior capsule tightness? Is there a causal relationship?
A: The subscapularis, infraspinatus, and teres minor work together to depress the humeral head during dynamic shoulder activities.
The subscapularis posteriorly pulls the humeral head in the joint (counteracts pectoralis major), while the other two anteriorly pull it (counteract posterior deltoid).
So, they're antagonists and synergists at the same time.
If subscapularis shuts down, infraspinatus and teres minor fire overtime as depressors - but you don't get subscapularis’ posterior humeral head pull. Tightness kicks in with the posterior capsule, and you can also get anterior humeral glide issues. This is a big no-no in overhead throwing, as they’ll look to the elbow to get range of motion – and that’s when you start to see ulnar collateral ligament ruptures, ulnar nerve compression, etc.
Q: For the sake of the sport of rowing, what's your take on off-season training? I own your Ultimate Off-Season Training Manual, and though I agree with cutting back on metabolic work during the off season for most sports, I'm wondering if it'd be different for rowing, since it's still quite demanding metabolically (more so than most sports in the black hole), and in my opinion, too much to just let go.
That said, my guess is that we shouldn't stop metabolic conditioning, just scale it back a whole lot, properly planning the harder interval or high tempo work on the same days as hard training, to keep whole days of recovery. What's your take?
A: I would do more short sprints (interval work) and anaerobic threshold work in the 20-25 minute range (at most) above race pace. Only do longer slow stuff below 70% of max heart rate, and only every 7-10 days (view it more as recovery work that maintains aerobic adaptations). Build strength, power, and anaerobic threshold, and add volume as the late off-season approaches.
It's also a good idea to cross-train a bit. Get them off the rowers/out of the boat and do some other modalities.
Until next week, train hard and have fun!
All the Best,
EC |
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Building the Efficient Athlete Feedback
It’s been just almost three weeks since our 8-DVD set was released, and I thought you’d be interested to hear what one customer had to say about the set:
Each year I try to expand my knowledge with everything from functional anatomy, program design, rehabilitation, regeneration techniques, nutrition, and business – anything to make me better at what I do. Each time Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson come out with a new article, product, whatever, I am blown away by how little I truly know and how much I have yet to learn.
Eric and Mike are quickly raising the standard in this industry. From Eric’s Ultimate Off-Season Training Manual, Mike and Bill Hartman’s Inside-Out: The Ultimate Upper Body Warm-up DVD, to both Eric and Mike’s Magnificent Mobility DVD, these guys are quickly changing the landscape of how we train the human body for ultimate performance.
Now, enter the Building the Efficient Athlete DVD set. Eric and Mike have once again raised the bar. I don’t recommend you think about getting this DVD set; you need it. If you’re an athlete, trainer, strength coach, or a weekend warrior, you can’t go wrong with the loads of information Eric and Mike packed into this 2-day seminar. Eric and Mike covered everything from functional anatomy, assessing posture and movement, exercise technique, common errors and how to correct them. This is one of the most comprehensive training products on the market.
In an era when the fitness industry is watered down with hundreds of certifications and an overall lack of professionalism, Eric and Mike keep it afloat by putting out top-notch resources that should be required for anybody currently training athletes and clients or looking to enter the fitness industry!
I just spent the last week viewing all eight DVDs and each day this week I implemented something new with the athletes and clients I train and in my own training. The Building the Efficient Athlete DVD set is the real deal.
Aaron Schwenzfeier
Performance Fitness Systems
Alexandria, Minnesota
What are you waiting for?
www.BuildingTheEfficientAthlete.com
New Article at Perform Better
For those who don’t subscribe to Perform Better’s newsletter, I had an article published there yesterday. It’s hard to believe that a powerlifter like me actually knows a thing or two about training endurance athletes, huh?
Five Resistance Training Myths in the Running World
A special thanks goes out to everyone who donated to Steph Holland-Brodney's Boston Marathon fundraising efforts last week. For those who may have missed it, you can catch up on back reading HERE. We’ll be back next week with some all new content. Until then, train hard and have fun!
All the Best,
EC |
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Last day for WorkoutPass bonuses!
Just a reminder that Tuesday is the last day that you can take advantage of 74 free bonuses at WorkoutPass.com. Feedback on the site has been great so far, and it should come as no surprise, given the big names Ryan Lee has brought on board. Check it out for yourself: WorkoutPass.com.
I’ll soon be uploading another month of programming – including 16 total training sessions – geared toward building maximal strength.
New Interview with EC
It’s been really busy up here with lots of projects and upcoming seminars on top of my normal workload, but fortunately, Myles Kantor recently interviewed me with a specific focus on the deadlift; the interview was just published by John Berardi at Precision Nutrition to give you some great content for this week. Check it out:
Defending the Deadlift: An Interview with Coach and Powerlifter Eric Cressey
Until next week, train hard and have fun!
All the Best,
EC |
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| It was a tough loss for the Patriots last night, and everyone in Boston is pretty down today, but the show must go on! Only a month or so until spring training kicks off for the Red Sox, so the stormy clouds are parting already. And, of course, the updates at EricCressey.com roll on...
Thousands of Training Programs at your Fingertips!
Tomorrow, Ryan Lee's newest venture, Workout Pass, will officially launched. It was an honor when Ryan contacted me last fall to contribute to this project, as it put me in some great company, including Alwyn Cosgrove, Mike Boyle, Craig Ballantyne, and several more bright minds from the industry. For a very reasonable monthly fee, you can get access to thousands of the actual programs we've used with our clients and athletes in our respective specialities. My programs will focus on maximal strength development and improving athletic performance. I've already uploaded 32 training sessions plus complete warm-ups for those interested in taking their strength to the next level - and there is plenty more to come.
As an added bonus, Ryan is giving away 73 bonus special reports and e-books valued at $1,681 to those who sign-up prior to tomorrow's 9AM launch. This is going to be huge, and I'm psyched to be a part of it. Check it out for yourself:
Workout Pass
Early Registration Deadlines Fast Approaching
Time is running out to sign up at the early-registration rate for the two seminars at which I'll be speaking in February - one in Winchester, MA (2/10), and one in Fairfax, VA (2/24). Check out my Schedule page for information.
Now Available: Powerlifting: A FitCast Insider Exclusive Interview with Eric Cressey
About two months ago, I did a two-part interview with Kevin Larrabee for the FitCast Insider, and you can now pick up a copy for just $4.99. The discussion covers several topics, including nutrition for relative strength athletes, fluctuation of training stress, and deloading strategies prior to competition. You can find out more HERE.
EricCressey.com Subscriber-only Q&A
I get a ton of email inquiries on a weekly basis, so every so often, I like to make a Q&A out of some of the more detailed dialogues. Enjoy!
Q: I am a first year physical therapy student in college, and I have a real passion for strength and conditioning. I have been reading some of your articles and they are great. The reason I am contacting you is to ask a question about having athletes warm up barefoot, as you recommended in your last article. I understand your reason for doing this, but if we are so focused on doing things “functionally,” why barefoot? Most athletes compete in some form of shoe, so shouldn't we have them perform exercises in shoes? I am really into orthopedics, so the foot and ankle joints are really of interest to me. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.
A: Thanks for your email and the kind words. I think the response is that the functional movement craze goes a bit too far in some instances. In this case, the addition of inappropriate footwear has actually created a weakness in the smaller muscles of the foot and lower leg. And, barefoot is as functional as you get, if you consider the way we "should" have evolved. I don't like the idea of altogether ignoring a glaring weakness; we lose a ton of dexterity in our feet as we age.
As an aside, most Americans sit on their fat a**es all day, yet we advocate doing as much training as possible standing up because it's more "functional." Acting counterintuitively isn’t always a bad thing. Food for thought!
Q: I used to do both front and back squats with my athletes, and have found since eliminating back squats our complaints of lower back pain are fewer. Although I don't hear it much, I am getting complaints of pain on release of the bar back to the rack across the scapular-thoracic area sometimes shooting to the front of the chest. They literally put the bar back and then stand there for a second for the pain to pass. I tested the last two kids with an inverted row and neither one could touch their chest to the bar. Am I looking at weak scapular stabilizers? Do you have any thoughts on this? Their form looks good.
A: Have you checked for regular ol' acromioclavicular joint pathology? Front squats can really destroy athletes who have irritated AC joints - both acute and chronic. A lot of times, you'll see a humeral anterior glide syndrome with posterior capsule stiffness, subscap shutdown, and levator tightness – and this will lead to the AC joint problems. The tricky thing is that it can also be linked to pain posteriorly as you've described.
Additionally, you have some guys who just lack the scapular stability to rack the bar correctly. Believe it or not, I RARELY use the clean-grip with athletes; it's usually the cross-face or straps version on front squats. I'm training athletes, not O-lifters, and I find that thoracic posture is much better with a cross-face set-up. This is especially important when I'm dealing with athletes in grip-intensive sports; I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize their wrists.
Q: What is your opinion of front versus back squat? I question with my football players whether I should be doing back squat with some of my older kids; they all go off to college and do them. Recently I've run into a problem with kids going to the gyms to do back squat because we're not doing them at the school. I struggle between sticking to my guns and continuing to educate the kids on why we do front squat and feeling like If their going to back squat I'd rather have them lifting with me under supervision. Can you offer any guidance on this?
A: I don't do any full Olympic back squats anymore. All our quad dominant squatting is either front squats or Anderson front squats. When we're looking for more posterior chain emphasis while squatting, I will box squat them. Box squats get crucified by a lot of coaches simply because they don't know how to teach them - or they've watched someone else teach them poorly. I'm an accomplished powerlifter who has been around them long enough to know how to teach them very well, so they're a mainstay in my program. We go regular box squats, box squats with a front squat grip (awesome exercise), and safety squat bar box squats. The concerns with forward lean isn't as bad when you're only squatting to slightly below parallel and not giving the kid wiggle room to good morning the weight up out of the hole.
Q: Do you consider the DB snatch to be an "overhead" lift? I use it with my baseball players because of the "pulling" action, the eccentric lowering and the stabilization they get on the catch. So far, I've never had an injury to any of my pitchers as a result of the DB snatch.
A: Yes, I consider it one. You have to remember that many shoulder injuries are the result of cumulative trauma (e.g., bone spurs on the acromion process that take years to develop - which is why we see more impingement in older populations). Additionally, kids are very resilient; you can basically get away with anything with high school kids - often because the joints are so lax. Just because you can get away with it doesn't mean that it might not be contributing to long-term problems - especially in an overhead athlete scenario. There are much better ways to develop power safely in these populations, so I'd leave it out.
That'll do it for this week. Don't forget: our Building the Efficient Athlete DVD set won't be around at the introductory price forever; pick up a copy today! Until next week, train hard and have fun!
All the Best,
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