Today's a really exciting day for Mike Robertson, Bill Hartman, and I - and hopefully for you, too!
You see, after months of planning, filming, and editing, our new product, Assess and Correct, is now available at www.AssessAndCorrect.com. And, for the first week ONLY, we're making the product available for $30 off what will be the normal retail price.
Assess and Correct is the first resource that empowers you with not only a series of self-assessments to identify your own flexibility and stability limitations, but also exercise progressions to correct those inefficiencies. In the process, you'll take your athletic performance to all new levelsandprevent injuries from creeping up on you - whether you're a high-level athlete or someone who sits at a desk too much.
With 27 self-assessments and 78 corresponding exercises, you'll cover virtually everything you need to feel and perform well. And, you'll have plenty of variety to use for many years to come! And, while the DVDs alone are really comprehensive, the bonuses we've added to this really sweeten the deal. Included in this package are:
DVD #1:Your Comprehensive Guide to Self-Assessment
DVD #2:Your Individualized Corrective Exercise Progressions
Bonus #1:The Assess and Correct Assessment E-Manual, which is a guide to which you can refer to in conjunction with DVD #1.
Bonus #2:The Assess and Correct E-Manual, which includes written cues and photos for each recommended drill in DVD #2 so that you'll have a resource you can take to the gym with you.
Bonus #3: "The Great Eight Static Stretches" E-Manual, which shows you eight additional flexibility drills that we use on a regular basis in addition to the drills featured in the DVDs.
Bonus #4:The "Optimal Self Myofascial Release" E-Manual, which shows you the soft tissue methods and techniques we use with our clients and athletes.
Bonus #5: "Warm-ups for Every Body" E-Manual, which is a collection of two sample warm-up templates for 19 different sports/scenarios.
Again, this introductory offer will end next Sunday, November 1 at midnight EST. For now, though, I'd encourage you to head over to www.AssessAndCorrect.com to check out some of the sample videos from the DVDs - including the introduction in which we discuss our rationale for creating the product.
In my strength and conditioning writing, I throw the term "efficient" around quite a bit; in fact, it's even in the title of our Building the Efficient Athlete DVD set. I'm sure that some people have taken this to mean that we're always looking for efficiency in our movement. And, certainly, when it comes to getting from point A to point B in the context of sporting challenges, the most efficient way is generally the best.
And, just think about strength training programs where lifters simply squat, bench press, and deadlift to improve powerlifting performance. The goal is to get as efficient in those three movements as possible.
And, you can look at NFL combine preparation programs as another example. Guys will spend months practicing picture-perfect technique for the 40-yard dash. They might not even get faster in the context of applicable game speed, but they get super efficient at the test.
However, the most "efficient" way is not always the right way.
In everyday life, efficiency for someone with poor posture means picking up a heavy box with a rounded back, as it's the pattern to which they're accustomed, and therefore less "energy expensive." This would simply prove to be an efficient way to get injured! I'd rather lift things safely and inefficiently.
And, take those who run long distances in hopes of losing fat as another example. The research has actually shown that runners burn fewer calories for the same given distance after years of running improves their efficiency. While this improvement is relatively small, it absolutely stands to reason that folks would be smart to get as inefficient as possible in their training to achieve faster fat loss. In other words, change modalities, intensities, durations, and other acute programming variables.
Training exclusively for efficiency on a few lifts might make you better at those lifts, but it's also going to markedly increase your risk of overuse injuries. I can say without wavering that we'd see a lot fewer knee and lower back injuries in powerlifters if more of them would just mix in some inefficient single-leg training into their strength training programs. And, shoulders would get a lot healthier if these specialists would include more inefficient rowing variations and rotator cuff strength exercises.
In the world of training for athletic performance, it's important to remember that many (but not all) athletes perform in unpredictable environments - so simply training them to be efficient on a few lifts fails to fully prepare them for what they're actually face in competition. A strength and conditioning program complete with exercise variety and different ranges-of-motion, speeds of motion, and magnitudes of loading provides athletes with a richer proprioceptive environment.
In other words, inefficiency in strength and conditioning programs can actually facilitate better performance and a reduced risk of injury.
Taken all together, it's safe to say that we want inefficiency in our training, but efficiency in our performance - provided that this efficiency doesn't involve potentially injurous movement patterns.
Related PostsWhy I Don't Like 5x5 Strength Training ProgramsWeight Training Programs: The Basics, but with VarietySign-up Today for our FREE Newsletter and receive a four-part video series on how to deadlift!
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.
Getting Geeky with AC Joints: Part 2
In my last newsletter, I went into great detail on the types of acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries we see, and some of the common inefficiencies that cause some folks to become symptomatic. I also outlined some corrective exercise strategies to expedite recovery time. This week, though, I discuss a very important - yet often-overlooked - piece of the puzzle: how to maintain a training effect in spite of these injuries.
Ask anyone who has ever had an AC joint injury, and they'll tell you three things to avoid if you don't want to irritate it:
1. Avoid direct pressure to the area (particularly because it has very little muscle mass to cushion it)2. Avoid reaching across the body (horizontal adduction)
3. Avoid reaching behind the body (full extension)
We can use these three guidelines to get moving in the right direction with respect to maintaining a training effect in spite of the AC joint injury.
With respect to #1 from above, front squats are an absolute no-no. The pressure on the bar across the shoulder girdle can really take an upset AC joint and make it markedly worse. And, since this is in many cases an injury that we're just "waiting out," simply training through it will only makes things worse long-term. So, deadlift variations, single-leg variations, and back squats (assuming no other related problems) are likely better bets. That said, we generally use the safety squat bar and giant cambered bar exclusively with those who present with AC joint problems.
Another important consideration in this regard is overhead pressing. Believe it or not, many individuals with AC joint problems will actually tolerate overhead pressing quite well, as direct trauma to the AC joint won't really compromise scapulohumeral rhythm very much. However, you have to consider two things.
First, as I mentioned in my previous newsletter, some folks might have developed the AC joint issue over time due to a scapular anterior tilt causing the acromion and clavicle to sit differently. This dyskinesis would also make overhead work less safe - so the individual would actually be training through a faulty movement pattern, and potentially injuring the rotator cuff, biceps tendon, bursa, and labrum.
Second, if the individual is okay to overhead press from a movement standpoint, one needs to make sure that the bar, dumbbell, or kettlebell does not come down directly on the AC joint in the bottom position.
With respect to #2 from above, obviously, dumbbell flyes and cable crossovers are out (not sure why they'd be "in" in the first place, but that's a whole different newsletter). However, close-grip bench pressing variations will generally cause pain as well. You also have to be careful with cable and medicine ball variations that may position the arm across the body.
Moving on to #3, full extension of the humerus will light up an AC joint pretty quickly. So, dips are out - and, honestly, I generally tell folks they're out for good after one has experienced any kind of AC joint issue. Full range-of-motion (ROM) bench pressing and push-ups are generally issues as well, so I tend to start folks with more partial ROM work. Examples would include dumbbell and barbell floor presses and board presses. Here's a 3-board press:
As the shoulder starts to feel better, one can move down to 2-board, 1-board, and eventually full ROM bench press. Remember, a medium or wide grip will generally be tolerated better than a close grip.
I also really like push-up iso holds at a pain-free ROM for these individuals because closed-chain exercises are always going to be a bit more shoulder friendly than open-chain variations. This is really quite simple: set up as if you are going to do a push-up, and go down as far as you can with no pain. When you reach your pain-free end-range, hold there while bracing the core, locking the shoulder blades down and back, and tightening the glutes; do not let the elbows flare out or hips sag! We'll hold for anywhere from 10-60s, depending on fitness levels. Over the course of time, increase the ROM as your symptoms reduce.
There you have it: acromioclavicular joints - from onset to corrective exercise - in a nutshell. Obviously, make sure you seek out a qualified professional if you think you may have these issues, but keep this progression in mind as you return to (or just try to stay in) the iron game.
Feedback on Building the Efficient Athlete
"In my ten years in the fitness industry, I have been to many seminars and conferences - but the Building the Efficient Athlete Seminar was by far the most informative and comprehensive event I have attended in as long as I can remember. The amount of knowledge you get when you combine Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson is unparalleled. The seminar was filled with great classroom information, hands-on assessments, and on-site training tips. I highly recommend this DVD set to any coach, trainer, or athlete who is looking to get a leg up on the competition."
Mike Hanley, USAW, RKC
Morganville, NJ
www.HanleyStrength.com
Q: I'm finally recovered from my deadlifting injury, which was a strain of my right lumbar erector spinae. I would like to start trying to deadlift again, but what's the best way to start? With rack pulls? Isolated lower back machines? Hyperextensions? Or, straight into deadlifts?
A: The answer would be "E: None of the above." Of course, it depends on the person, as always!
First, you need to make sure that your body is ready to get back to deadlifting in any capacity. That's something I can't tell you without knowing more about your situation, but you should address it with a qualified professional before you get back to the activity that originally injured you.
Second, in terms of maintaining a training effect while you're on the shelf, I generally stick purely with single-leg variations with recent back issues. They allow us to gradually reintroduce compressive loading in a situation where the center of gravity is maintained within the base of support. In other words, we minimize shear stress, and we make sure that the spine is in neutral, where it's in the best position to handle compression. I usually start with body weight variations, then progress to variations loaded with dumbbells, and then move to a barbell reverse lunge with a front squat grip. Depending on the person, we may also use glute-ham variations and sled pushing/pulling.
Down the road, I prefer pull-throughs and trap bar deadlifts as early progressions, with sumo deadlifts and rack pulls following before any progression to conventional deadlifts from the floor. This, of course, assumes that you have a body that's even capable of doing a deadlift correctly. A lot of people have functional (poor ankle or hip mobility) or structural (long femurs or short arms) that make conventional deadlifting unsafe. They may be better with other variations (as noted above) or no deadlifting at all.
When the time is right, we generally start people off with speed deadlifts - emphasizing perfect technique - at 50-60% of estimated one-rep max.
Of course, everyone is different - so you should get checked out and listen to your body.
Recommended Reading:Lower Back Savers: Part 1Lower Back Savers: Part 2Lower Back Savers: Part 3
This post marks the first of a new series where I'll give credit to a lot of the people who in one way or another have made me better at what I do. In most cases, they'll be quick tips that I've taken away and applied immediately into my existing methodology. Very few of them will require more than a few sentences to explain - and I'll usually give you some recommended reading at the end of the entry.
Today's tip was one I picked up from Bill Hartman on a recent trip to Indianapolis. Keep in mind that this is more along the lines of "knowledge for the sake of being smart," not because many of these provocative tests are ones that should be used by those who aren't trained as physical therapists.
Anyway, We were talking about the high frequency of lumbar spine disc herniations and bulges on MRIthat are not accompanied with any symptoms.
Taking it a step further, though, you'll also see people who have back pain plus these issues on diagnostic imaging, yet that doesn't necessarily mean that the imaging finding is clinical significant (the pain might be coming from something else). One classic test that's been used to test for neural tension in this regard is the slump test.
As is the case with most physical assessments, though, a good test should simulate the injury mechanism, and while the slump test gets things rolling in the right direction, Bill actually mentioned that he favors a McKenzie-influenced repeated flexion test (slump test only involves a single "bout" of flexion) - which essentially simulates how you'd herniate a disc in a laboratory setting. If someone has a one of these findings on the MRI, plus back pain, but this repeated flexion test doesn't provoke their symptoms, chances are that the pain is coming from somewhere else (muscular, etc.). If symptoms are exacerbated, it's probably related to the disc issue. Of course, repeated extension would apply to more posterior issue.
Of course, check with a qualified physical therapist for issues along these lines; you don't want to be self-diagnosing or provoking something on your own. However, the trainers and strength and conditioning coaches in the crowd can use this information attained by physical therapists to classify folks as extension-based or flexion-based back pain and program exercise accordingly alongside rehabilitation initiatives. I covered this in some detail in Lower Back Savers: Part I.
Recommended Reading:Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, by Stuart McGill
Day in and day out, I see loads of athletes and regular fitness enthusiasts who have hit plateaus in their quest to get stronger, bigger, and leaner - or run into injury issues. Each situation is unique, but one thing that I am always especially attentive to is learning whether someone has recently altogether overhauled their approach to training.
As is the case in so many things in life, "Slow and steady wins the race," "Rome wasn't built in a day," and "Don't run sideways on treadmills while wearing jeans." Actually, that last one wasn't all that applicable to what I'm getting at, but it's probably still good advice to heed for some of our easily distracted teenage readers.
I come across a lot of "program hoppers" in what I do. These are individuals who might do four weeks of Sheiko, four weeks of 5x5 workouts, four weeks of Crossfit, four weeks of German Volume Training, and then four weeks of Tae-Bo DVDs in spandex. At the end of this five month journey, they are somehow more fit - but literally have no idea what training principles were key in them achieving that end. Everything was too muddled; they overhauled the entire strength and conditioning program rather than keeping the valuable stuff.
About 8,000 strength coaches before me have used the line, "The best program is the one you aren't on." Well, I would agree with that - unless, of course, it means that this new strength and conditioning program leaves out all the important stuff that you learned from previous training experiences.
I mean, honestly, I've heard of guys going to strength training programs where they only squat, bench, and deadlift. They don't even do warm-ups; nothing else stays! Then, after six weeks of this program, they email me to ask why their shoulders, back, and knees hurt. Uh, maybe become the only thing they kept from your old program was specificity? With no single-leg work, no horizontal pulling, and no mobility work, it's a surprise that they have only been diagnosed with a musculoskeletal injuries - because they probably should have been institutionalized for being so dumb that they're a harm to those around him.
For instance, rather than tell this individual to stop squatting (he actually kept a pretty good neutral spine on the way down), I'd encourage him to a) get a squat rack, b) get a training partner/spotter, and c) put on some clothes.
Major kudos for rocking "The Final Countdown," though; seriously.
Where am I going with this, and how does it apply to you? Well, the message is very simple: never overhaul. Instead, tinker, fine-tune, adjust, or whatever else your thesaurus recommends as a synonym. Good strength and conditioning programs all share certain things in common, and anything that deviates from those qualities isn't worth it. It's something that I really tried to take into account when I wrote Show and Go: High Performance Training to Look, Feel, and Move Better.
To take it a step further, I encourage you to be leery of those who encourage you to adapt an entire discipline and change everything that you're doing. I find that even in the most injured and hopelessly weak folks that come to me for help, I can always find several things that they're doing correctly that deserve to stay. This is something I've seen in some of the best physical therapists and strength and conditioning coaches with whom I've worked in the past, too. A good professional should work with athletes and clients to meet halfway on what works, not simply pass judgment on a strength training program and overhaul it altogether.
Sign-up Today for our FREE Newsletter and receive a four-part video series on how to deadlift!
Here I sit at my desk on a Friday morning in an empty, 100% quiet Cressey Performance. I'm not sure that's ever happened before - and it won't last long, as clients start rolling in about 23 minutes from now. In other words, there goes my opportunity to create a well thought-out, organized, and relevant blog post. Let the randomness begin.
1. Here's an interesting journal article looking at those with functional ankle instability also presented with delayed trunk reflexes. In other words, if you've had an ankle sprain without thorough rehabilitation, it relates to a later onset of trunk muscle activation. This closely parallels a lot of the stuff I covered in The Truth About Unstable Surface Training E-Book, as unstable surface training has been tremendously effective in correcting the proprioceptive delay we see in the peroneals following ankle sprains.
I guess you could say that this is one more "yea" vote in favor of the whole kinetic chain concept. Mess up an ankle and you very might be dealing with a knee, hip, or lower back issue sooner than later.
2. For the second year in a row, I'll be speaking at Fantasy Day at Fenway Park. If you're looking for a good time to benefit a great cause (The Jimmy Fund), click here for more information. The event is July 18.
3. Random fact: when preparing for the new DVD, Mike Robertson and I realized that Magnificent Mobility has sold in over 50 countries. Apparently, the Norwegians and Indonesians really dig Mike's smooth Midwestern drawl.
4. Speaking of Mike, check out this great blog post from him: The Starving Artist
That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!
Tis the Season...for Spondylolysis?
I've written previously about the prevalence of spondylolysis (lumbar fractures) in young athletes - and particularly those in rotational sports. You can read my in-depth newsletter on the problem HERE. It's a huge problem in young athletes; I'd estimate that I've trained more than 15 athletes since 2006 through their entire 12-16 week back-bracing periods.
Now, while July is usually recognized for barbecues, baseball, and beaches (and anything else that's exciting and begins with a "B"), I've begun to recognize it as "back-bracing season." What gives?
Well, for starters, I've seen two new spondy cases come through our door in the past week. Considering that prevalance is estimated at anywhere from 15-63% in the general population, it isn't a huge surprise. However, why would more present with symptoms at this time of year?
Think about the sports we play in the spring and summer: baseball, tennis, and lacrosse. And, many soccer and hockey players have been going non-stop since the fall. In other words, rotational sports have been going on for a long time, and kids are getting more and more detrained - with less flexibility and strength - as these neverending seasons go on.
Likewise, as a great article in the Portland Press Herald observed this past weekend, many high school athletes are riding multiple horses with one saddle. In other words, now that they're out of school, you've got kids participating in basketball/hockey (winter) and lacrosse/baseball at the same time - and doing their best to attend fall sports (field hockey, soccer, football) practices. And, just when they are ready for a day off, they're going to play golf with Dad on Sunday. When are these kids removing the rotational challenges and preparing themselves physically with good strength, stability, and flexibility training?
Anybody who says that the era of the three-sport athlete is dead doesn't know his arse from his elbow. While early sports specialization has definitely taken off, now, multi-sport athletes are expected to "specialize" in three different sports at once. They compete all the time, but never prepare their bodies to compete - or play at all.
In The Ultimate Off-Season Training Manual, I go into great detail on how those athletes who do choose to specialize should do so.
However, in younger populations, a lot of these guidelines don't apply, as they're balancing multiple sports. They need to hang out with their friends, play multiple sports, and get involved in less organized physical activity. And, most importantly, they need to participate in strength training and flexibility programs, as these exercise modalities are different than traditional sports because they can be fluctuated on a regular basis to avoid imbalances.
I know there are a lot of parents who read this newsletter and are trying to do the right thing for their kids. It isn't fair to condemn them for signing their kids up for another travel team, as that's the game as it's played with respect to player development and college recruiting nowadays. However, I would encourage those parents to "undo" some of the early specialization damage by encouraging sons and daughters to participate in training to prepare their bodies for this specialization.
Lastly, for those of you who are looking to learn more about low back pain, I can't say enough great things about Dr. Stuart McGill's Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance book. It's a great investment.
I have the normal weekly newsletter posted below, but first a quick announcement: Mike Robertson, Bill Hartman, and I just filmed a new DVD set! Those of you who have enjoyed all of our products individually can now see what happens when the three of us collaborate. For more information, check out today's blog post: A Sneak Peak at the New Project.
The Law of Repetitive Motion: Part 2
In last week's newsletter, I talked about the first three component of the law of repetitive motion: "I" (injury/insult), "N" (number of repetitions), and "F" (the force of each repetition, expressed as a percentage of maximal strength).
This week, I'll discuss the "A" and the "R" of this equation. To begin, amplitude, stated simply, is range of motion. If we spend our entire lives in limited ranges of motion, we run into problems.
Obviously, this refers to those who sit too often and too long - particularly in poor postures. I'm a big believer that the best posture is the one that is constantly changing, so I always encourage people to try to get up and move around every 20-30 minutes whenever possible. If not, I love the idea of simply "shuffling" positions at your computer. Complement this constant fluctuation of posture with some good training to open up the hips and thoracic spine, and strengthen the upper back and glutes, and you'll find that being stuck in a job with a small amplitude is a "manageable" problem.
Amplitude can also refer to only doing certain exercises in the gym, particularly those who exercise through a partial range of motion. It might be people who simply press too often and pull too infrequently, or those who perform a lot of bilateral exercises, but nothing unilateral. We aren't just talking about ranges of motion at the joints; we are also talking about the muscles recruited and type of muscle action - concentric, eccentric, isometric - that takes place.
Lastly, working at a specific task for extended periods of time can be a huge issue for some. Just ask musicians, factory line workers, and even baseball pitchers. These issues can all impose huge asymmetries that must be addressed both directly (soft tissue work, flexibility training) and indirectly (training the contralateral side, or just exposing the individual to a broader excursion of movement outside this specific task).
So, all that in mind, improving amplitude is all about increasing range of motion in one's daily life. Of course, this must be specific range of motion. You wouldn't, for instance, want to increase lumbar spine range of motion in most back pain patients, but you would want to optimize hip and thoracic spine mobility.
Rest, the "R" in our equation, is pretty straight-forward: if a tissue is angry, you need to give it time to settle down. However, just stopping all exercise isn't always the best bet.
Often, it's simply a matter of keeping the stress on the tissue below its capacity for loading. As a great example, a lot of manual therapists with whom I've worked actually like people to go out and lightly load tissues that have just been worked in order to teach the tissue to "deform" properly. For instance, I got a little "Graston Loving" on my biceps a while back, and spent the rest of the day lightly loading the tissues and doing some prolonged stretching sets. It worked like a charm.
Taking it a step further, though, much of the time, it's about redistributing stress. For instance, someone with anterior knee pain may not be able to do a more quad-dominant squat, but instructing that same lifter to sit back into the glutes and hamstrings more can markedly take down the stress on the anterior knee. Sure, it changes the muscular recruitment of the exercise, but the lifter derives great benefit and keeps the loading on the affected tissues below capacity. And, in this particular case, he's strengthening the posterior chain muscles that almost always help to prevent anterior knee pain in the first place.
That wraps up our look at the law of repetitive motion. It's certainly not an exhaustive review, but my hope is that it got you thinking just enough to consider how this law applies to the issues you see on a daily basis, as well as those you want to prevent from ever reaching threshold. For more information, check out the Building the Efficient Athlete DVD Set.
