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1. I'm driving down to Connecticut today, and then going the rest of the way to Long Island for the Major League Strength Coaches Clinic this weekend. I'm excited to present, talk shop, see some old friends, and make excessive use of the phrases:
a. "You have to train ass to throw gas."
b. "You can't steal second with your foot on first."
c. "Is this thing on? Oops! Did I say that out loud?"
If you couldn't make the event, you're still in luck; you can pre-order the DVD of the seminar HERE.
2. Last weekend, my girlfriend and I moved all our tupperware to a new cabinet. I have to say: it's changed my life. There's no more cramming containers and lids into a small drawer - and there's no more searching for the long-lost-lid for the weird shaped container that doesn't seem to match.
I haven't felt this free, yet organized, since I switched from boxers to boxer-briefs. And, for the record, yes, I just became the first person in history to liken tupperware to male reproductive anatomy. If you ever need a reminder that this blog is all about trendsetting, just bookmark this post.
3. I had a pleasant experience voting on Tuesday - right up until the point at which I went to leave, and I was accosted by a 70-something-year-old women at the door insisting that I take an "I Voted" sticker. It got me to thinking on my walk home from the polls...
If 122.3 million people voted in 2004, and they expected 2008 to be even better, we'll assume 130 million people voted. I'm writing this three days early, so the final numbers will surely be slightly different - but being exact isn't important for my point.
Let's assume that each one of those stickers costs American taxpayers a penny. That's $1.3 million in stickers! Assuming a salary of $35,000 per teacher, you could hire over 37 teachers nationwide with that money. And, I'm guessing that those 37 teachers would do more good than 130 million stickers that likely went directly to the trash.
That said, by the time the 2012 election rolls around, I may very well be on the presidential ticket with the campaign slogan, "Stickers are SO 2008."
4. Twitter seems to be the new rage these days. I'll be honest: I don't know what it is, and the word "Twitter" really evokes the same kind of emotions from me as the "anal leakage" warnings on the old Olestra packages. Plus, I have to say that the minute-by-minute Twitter updates some people give are flat-out stupid:
Fred is twittering. He's going to get a drink of water.
Fred is twittering. The water wasn't cold, so he got some ice from the freezer.
Fred is twittering. The freezer made his nipples hard, and he's strangly aroused.
Fred is twittering. Is thirst a more important sensation than his nipple arousal?
Fred is twittering. Maybe if he spent less time on the internet, he might kiss a girl sometime before he dies.
Seriously, Fred; nobody cares. If you can twitter that much, you really aren't important enough for any of us to give a s**t.
5. I got so busy this week that I literally forgot what day it was - and got a parking ticket (street sweeping) at 12:30AM on Wednesday morning. And, just when you thought I couldn't get any more confused, Bill Gates decided to reformat the Hotmail set-up to make me feel hopelessly inadequate once again. Seriously, Bill - was it really that important?
For those of you who are visual learners, the following two photos should sum up my Wednesday. Please note that in both photos, I would be considered the "kickee" and not the "kicker."
6. It's nice to see that researchers and pediatricians have finally upped their recommended daily Vitamin D intake to 1,000IU+, particularly for those in northern climates during the winter months.
7. Speaking of Vitamin D and sunlight, want to know the easiest way to recognize a pro baseball player in New England in November? The tan line!
8. As I'm sure you noticed, there was very little to do with fitness in this week's blog. Fortunately, I can assure you that you burned at least two calories while reading it. Nice job, skinny.
Have a good weekend. |
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| “As someone who has both rehabbed injured athletes and trained healthy people for over 18 years, I can honestly say that Eric Cressey’s The Truth about Unstable Surface Training is a breath of fresh air.
"Being a certified athletic trainer and a strength and conditioning coach has afforded me a unique perspective in the training world. I have watched personal trainers, strength coaches, athletic trainers and physical therapists use and abuse unstable surface training.
"Eric has combined his in-the-trenches experience with research to uncover the truth behind unstable surface training. This book is a must-read for anyone that trains, rehabs, or coaches, people in anyway. Yes, that means Physical Therapists, Athletic Trainers, Personal Trainers, and Strength Coaches.
"I hope that this book will help to “Stop the madness” of a training fad that has gotten out of control and help to support the proper uses of unstable surface training.
"I know I will be referring this work to my network of athletic trainers, strength coaches, physical therapists and personal trainers.”
Keith Scott, MS, CSCS, ATC
Certified Athletic Trainer, and Strength and Conditioning Coach
www.BackToFormFitness.com
Click here to get your copy of The Truth About Unstable Surface Training. |
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| Q: I have rigid supinated feet that seem to aggravate my Achilles which keeps me from performing my HIIT on a treadmill.
What can I do to overcome this? (I am expecting you to tell me to run on a track)
By the way, I bought your Maximum Strength book and I am working my way through it. I wish I had you for a strength coach when I was in high school as I know I could have landed a full ride scholarship at a 1A school. I worked my beach muscles my whole life and now I have serious imbalances that I am working on with your help. You have really made a big difference in my life and I look forward to training since discovering you, your articles, books, etc.
A: First off, thanks for your kind words! I’m glad you enjoyed Maximum Strength.
With respect to your feet, believe it or not, one of the best things you can do is just pick up a pair of cushioned insoles. They shouldn't change the contour of the shoe; they should just offer added padding. I actually wrote about it in The Prehab Deload (toward the end).
On a related note, to be honest, I’m not a fan of HIIT on a treadmill (or much of anything on a treadmill). It just doesn’t afford the same benefits of running outside, although I do understand that weather gets in the way in the winter in many areas. At these times of year, I prefer to have clients gravitate toward rowing, cycling, and jumping rope. |
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| ....Greg Olsen of the Chicago Bears as the newest representative of the "Eric Cressey's Tight Ends Can't Score Points Club." I lost 73-72 this week and he scored me a whopping one point.
The only thing more pathetic than losing to someone who puts just 73 points on the board is delayed-onset muscle soreness from bowling. And, yes, that happened to me this week as well. I hadn't bowled in about five years, and we went on Sunday night. Sure enough, Monday morning, the DOMS had kicked in. How is it that I trap bar deadlifted 625 pounds last week and had zero soreness, yet rolling a ball could actually do that? I know non-familiarity is a part of the equation, but it's still absurd.
Oh yeah, I bowl like an uncoordinated chimp. Let's just say that I barely outscored my fantasy football team.
As with the past few weeks, if you don't like fantasy football (or bowling, for that matter), check out this week's newsletter. I go into some detail on the types of shoulder impingement and how each needs to be managed differently. |
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| Q: Mr. Cressey,
I was given your name and website from my massage therapist, who is a big fan of yours. I was wondering what your opinion is about when a child should start muscle strength training (not weight training) for baseball? I have a 10-year old son who pitches and I always worry about his shoulder since I have had to have surgery on both of mine. He is playing up in age so he is pitching from 50 feet and pitches a consistent 48 mph. I always ice him down after for 30 minutes, but what do you recommend him to do to prevent injuries?
A: This is a great question, and the timing is actually perfect (as I'll explain in the last paragraph). In a nutshell, assuming good supervision, I'd start as early as possible.
While most of our work is with athletes in the 13+ age range, we run a group of 9-12 year olds every Saturday morning at Cressey Performance. There is a lot you can to with kids at that age to foster future success - but, more importantly, have fun.
It was actually started by popular demand of some of the kids who had older brothers in our program; they wanted to jump in on the fun. Now, we look at it as a feeder program of sorts; by teaching things effectively early-on and exposing them to a wide variety of movements, it makes it easier for them to become athletes down the road.
We work on squat technique and/or deadlift technique, with the majority of the time aimed at just keep them moving by performing various circuits that include things like jumping jacks, med ball throws, lunges, and wheelbarrow medleys, etc. We also have tug-o-war battles and SUMO wrestling where we have them grab onto a SWISS ball and try to maneuver each other outside of a circle. All in all, we have fun while at the same time improving their motor skills. That is what's most important. I don't want the kids to dread coming to the gym, which is what I think happens when trainers and parents start taking it too seriously. There's going to come a time when things will get more specialized, but ages 9-12 isn't that time.
Truth be told, kids nowadays are more untrained and unprepared than ever - yet they have more opportunities that ever to participate in spite of the fact that they are preparing less. It's one of several reasons that youth sports injuries are at astronomical rates. As perhaps the best example, you can now see glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) in little leaguers, as this study shows. The GIRD isn’t the problem; that’s a natural by-product of throwing. The problem is that kids throw enough to acquire this structural and flexibility anomaly, but have no idea how to manage it to stay healthy.
So, in a nutshell, find someone who understands kids both developmentally and psychologically - and make it fun for him. Looking for someone affiliated with the IYCA (www.iyca.org) would be a good start.
Also, among the products out there, Paul Reddick's stuff is a great start if you're looking for things to do with up-and-coming baseball players.
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It's Halloween, and as you're reading this, I'm down in Georgia for baseball stuff. Because I'm actually writing this on Tuesday night, it's hard to get in the mood and be spooky, but I'll do my best.
1. I'll be doing a LOT of baseball seminars over the next few months: November 8-9 (NY), December 14-16 (TX), January 30 (MA), and February 14 (MA). For more information, check out my schedule page.
2. I actually think the Fat Tax is a good idea. While we're at it, can we institute an a**hole tax for guys who curl in the squat rack? My girlfriend was lifting at a gym down in Southern CT this week, and she told me a guy took up a squat rack all morning to do three curl variations - and then proceeded to set up two bars in the rack to do dips. The good news for him, though, is that the Horse's A** trophy he receives partially offsets the tax.
3. When dealing with athletes post-ACL reconstruction, it's obviously important to get range-of-motion back quickly. However, the direction of that ROM can actually tell you quite a bit about what is going on. When someone is struggling to get knee extension, the problems are usually do to scarring. Flexion problems, on the other hand, are usually related to graft tensioning issues. In other words, when there is loss of flexion, it is usually surgical. When there is loss of extension, it is usually rehabilitative. When there is a loss of both flexion and extension, the problem is - you guessed it - Richard Simmons.
Yes, he's spooked, spooky, and stupid. I don't want your trick or your treat, Richard; I just want you to put some pants on and get a haircut.
4. Scientists recently confirmed a virgin birth in a shark. Apparently, the baby shark (called a pup, for reasons I can't explain) carried no male genetic material. Immediately upon its birth, the shark started bitching about how it didn't want to get too bulky.
Scientists fear for the pup's survival, as it refuses to swim fast enough to catch its prey because it doesn't want to get out of the "fat burning zone."
5. I went into quite a bit of detail on why I dislike the term "shoulder impingement" in my newsletter this week. Check it out HERE.
Just five this week, as I've got lots to do. Have a great weekend! |
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| I just received this email from a happy Maximum Strength customer:
“I just did my post-testing two weeks ago after the Maximum Strength Program. I thought you might want to know the results:
OLD Lifts | NEW Lifts
Box Squat: 315 | 345
Deadlift: 365 | 385
Military Press: 160 | 175
[note from EC: I guess he opted to test this instead of his bench press]
Chin-up 3RM (total system weight): 200 | 210
Bodyweight: 175 lbs | 195 lbs
I am very happy with the results. Thanks a lot!
Ashiem"
20 pounds in four months? That's five pounds a month! Not too shabby at all...
Buy Maximum Strength now. |
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| Q: A lot of strength coaches and athletes (myself included) utilize variations of the box squat. I've heard other strength coaches (one in particular) indicate that it does not fully stimulate/activate the piriformis.
What are your thoughts on the issue of the box vs. free squat in terms of advantages and disadvantages? I currently utilize both variations however it would be nice to be able to articulate to an individual the pros/cons.
A: I don't buy it. For one, the piriformis is a tiny muscle that is typically very overused. I wish we could get more people to calm it down and used their glutes for the majority of the work!
Second, box squats are one tool in your toolbox; we use them in addition to a lot of other lower extremity exercises. In fact, they're an integral part of the Maximum Strength program. Nobody ever criticized chin-ups because they don't target the gastrocnemius - but that doesn't mean that they aren't useful for what they're intended.
Additionally, I haven't seen any EMG studies to show the piriformis argument is legit. |
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| Let's just say that I had my worst point total (79) of the year - yet still managed to defeat Tony. I was already up 53-49 going into Monday Night's game, and Reggie Wayne, LenDale White, Bo Scaife, and Adam Vinatieri didn't do much for me. So, you could say that I beat Tony with four fewer players. Effectively, you could say that Tony's fantasy football managing strategies are as stupid as THIS.
Didn't that must make you a little bit dumber?
The good news is that our baseball training seminar in early November in Long Island is going to be videoed, so you can pre-order the DVDs now. |
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| I consider myself very fortunate to not only have a good-sized newsletter list, but also to have such a knowledgeable collection of readers who share some awesome feedback with me. After last week's newsletter on the current status of the fitness industry, I got this great email from Nick Beatty, and he agreed to let me reprint it here, as I think it's right on the money.
"Eric,
"Thanks for your sharing your insightful anecdote about your and Mike's experience at the shoulder presentation. I agree that personal trainers could and should attend these education events, but the lack of trainers in the room speaks to a bigger problem- the very definition of what a personal trainer is and how you become one.
"Case in point, where would the sponsors/presenters of the event advertise in order to increase trainer attendance? Within university departments? On journal websites? At GNC and sports clubs? At your local bodybuilding competition? At yoga studios? At your local YMCA? At the tanning salon?
"The bar is set low for trainers, so to assume the lowest common denominator and expect a high-school educated personal trainer to comprehend (and more importantly contribute to) a lecture by a professional group that requires an undergraduate degree, followed by a terminal degree in physical therapy, is unfair to the trainer. So who fills the post-rehab gap? Will it be the good trainers, or a special certification (i.e. one in particular rips you off in order to call yourself a post-rehab expert) that gets lots of trainers to that point, or will Dr. Mike Jones and his MES/AAHFRP expand? Who knows, but as long as the gum-chewing dude spotting lat raises is allowed to call himself a Personal Trainer- the industry is screwed.
"I recently left my personal training job in NYC to hit the books again, and some of my thoughts from my exit interview echo your sentiments: What didn't you like about Company X?
"Regarding my dislikes, it is difficult to to determine whether they are related to Company X or to the industry that Company X is in. Company X operates on a level that is better than most companies in the industry, so it is my guess that the things I dislike about Company X are either because of the industry, or because of the nature of the business.
"I dislike personal training, and by that I mean I dislike the whole concept of a 'fitness professional' and what goes along with that. There is no licensure for 'fitness professionals,' only certifications. The high-school drop-out who eats steroids for breakfast and independently trains; the ex-athlete who trains from experience; the certified (insert cert here) trainer who trains at a gym; the highly qualified trainer; the physical therapist with a CSCS; the yoga instructor in a leotard and sneakers at the CEU event; the fitness enthusiast with a website, product, or podcast: ALL these folks are 'fitness professionals.' It is no wonder the public and the profession itself doesn't know what to make of personal training. There is a serious identity crisis in personal training, and until it's addressed, LMTs, PTs, and all other allied health professionals will be better respected- and paid!
Best,
Nick"
Nick Beatty, MS, CSCS, ACSM HFS, is a personal trainer in Manhattan and medical student at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. Feel free to drop him a line at nick@hpdp.org. |
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