Home Posts tagged "Corrective Exercise" (Page 6)

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Random Friday Thoughts: 9/11/09

1. First off, I hope everyone takes a moment our of their day today to remember all those who lost their lives in 2001. 2. I'd encourage you guys to check out a great article from Chris Shugart at T-Muscle on the topic of Vitamin D: "D" is for Doping A lot of you know that I've been a huge advocate of supplemental Vitamin D for about two years now, and this article outlines a lot of reasons why I'm such a fan. 3. It was a great night in Double A playoffs for a few CP athletes last night. Huntsville Star Steffan Wilson - just one day after a call-up from High A - hit a game-winning 3-run homerun in the opener of a five-game playoff series.  Steffan is a corner infielder in the Brewers System. At the same time, CP athlete and San Antonio (Padres AA) pitcher Will Inman picked up the win to even up their playoff series at 1-1. 4. Along those same lines, here are a few recent articles about some CP athletes: Quinn Begins Southern Quest Size Doesn't Matter: A Conversation with Blue Jays Pitching Prospect Tim Collins 5. Check out this study, which reported a markedly different neuromuscular pattern in those athletes who ruptured ACLs as compared to those who didn't. In a nutshell, at pre-screening, prior to a cutting maneuver, all five players who went on to rupture ACLs actually recruited more vastus lateralis (quads) and less semitendinosis (hamstrings).  It isn't surprising that this would be an injury predisposition, as the hamstrings work synergistically with the ACL.  Reduce hamstrings activity, and the ACL has to take on more of the stress.  It's the same old Active vs. Passive Restraints discussion we've had in the past. The bigger question, in my eyes, is why certain individuals showed this tendencies.  Was it their builds (greater Q angles)?  Prior training programs that may have omitted things?  A combination of the two? Interested in learning more?  I highly recommend checking out Bulletproof Knees; Mike Robertson did a fantastic job with it.

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Have a great weekend!

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Getting Geeky with AC Joints: Part 2

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

Pick up your copy of Building the Efficient Athlete today!

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New Blog Content Exercise of the Week Stuff You Should Read Jays Prospect Collins a Surprising Strikeout Machine Random Friday Thoughts How to Progress Back to Deadlifting After a Back Injury Have a great week! EC

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Strength Exercise of the Week: Stability Ball Rollouts

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Strength Training Programs: Front vs. Back Squats

A topic of interest that seems to get thrown around quite a bit nowadays is whether front squats are a "safer" exercise than back squats.  We don't do much back squatting at Cressey Performance, so a lot of people automatically assume that I'm against the idea of back squatting.  This couldn't be further from the truth, as my answer to the question "which is safer?" is a resounding "IT DEPENDS!" At last check, 74% of the Cressey Performance clientele is baseball players.  The majority of these athletes have acquired actual structural changes to their shoulders that make the back squat set-up more of an at-risk position than in non-overhead-throwing athletes.  To make a long story short, in this externally rotated, abducted position of the shoulder girdle, the biceps tendon pulls awkwardly on the superior labrum.  This peel-back mechanism is exacerbated in the presence of a glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) and scapular instability - two features extremely common in baseball players.  So, for these folks, the front squat is a much safer alternative.  We also use giant cambered bar and safety squat bar squat and lunge variations. Conversely, take an athlete with either traumatic or chronic acromioclavicular joint problems, and the front squat will really irritate his shoulder because of the bar's position atop the shoulder girdle.  Move this bar to the upper back, and the pain is avoided altogether.  So, for AC joint pain suffers, the back squat is a safer bet. Let's be honest, though; the entire front vs. back squat argument is about lumbar spine health.  So, we'll attack it from that perspective. To kick things off, I've got a little announcement that may surprise you: I haven't back squatted in almost two years, and my back squat form isn't very good. I know what you're thinking: "You're a strength coach, Cressey; you must really suck at what you do if you can't even back squat." Well, I guess that would depend who you ask.  I regularly squat well over 400 pounds with the giant cambered bar. Front squatting isn't a problem, and I can use the safety squat bar, too.

The issue for me with back squats is a bum shoulder from back in my high school tennis days - similar to what I outlined earlier.  Because my shoulder doesn't like the externally rotated, abducted position, the only way I can get under a bar pain-free is to use an ultra-wide grip - which means my scapulae are winged out and my upper back is rounded over.  My shoulder range-of-motion is just fine, but the structural flaws I have (partial thickness tear, bone spurring, and likely labral fraying) means that if I want to back squat pain-free, I have to do so like someone who lacks external rotation. Who lacks external rotation?  Well, just about everyone who sits at a computer all day, and every athlete who has spent too much time bench-pressing.    Combine this with poor scapular stability and a lack of thoracic spine extension, and you realize that a large chunk of the weight-training population simply can't effectively put a bar on the upper back, let alone actually stabilize it. Let's be honest: if you have poor hip and/or ankle mobility, both your front and back squats are going to look pretty ugly.  You'll go into lumbar flexion or come up on your toes to get your range of motion, in most cases.  You'd think that one potentially protective factor would be that in the back squat, the lifter can better utilize the latissimus dorsi  (in a more shortened position) to help stabilize the spine. The main problem with the back squat, in my eyes, is that not everyone has sufficient upper body mobility to position and stabilize the bar properly.  As a result, it can "roll forward" on people - and that's where more of the forward lean problems come about.  More forward lean equates to more shear stress, and an increased risk of going into lumbar flexion under compressive load.  The front squat - even under heavier loads - keeps a lifter more upright, or else he'll simply dump the bar.

So, with all that in mind, while it may be a bit of a bold statement, I'd say that for individuals with excellent whole-body mobility and no upper extremity pain, a back squat is no more dangerous than a front squat. While the extra stabilization contribution from lats may reduce some of this risk, the simple fact that one can move more weight with a back squat probably "cancels out" this advantage in this comparison. All that said, regardless of whether you front or back squat, I'd encourage you to regularly get video of yourself lifting - or find an experienced coach - to give you feedback on your technique.

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Random Friday Thoughts: 1/2/09

I'm back after the holiday hiatus from blogging.  Over the Christmas holiday, I actually slept in three states (MA, CT, and ME) in three days  and four different houses in five days in light of all sorts of gatherings in different places.  Needless to say, it was quite a bit of travel, but well worth it.  I'm back and feeling pretty refreshed as 2009 gets underway.  So, without further ado, it's back to the madness. 1. Today's music selection goes back quite a few years, but it's a classic that's gotten some play around the gym recently: Only by Anthrax.  Press play, if you want: I'm really not an angry person, I swear. 2. I got an I-Pod for Christmas and finally caught up with the 12-year-olds of the world.  If I can actually figure out how to use it, I suppose that I'll be considered an adult. 3. On Christmas Eve, my older brother commented on how I was getting "thin up top" - confirming a suspicion that I'm gradually losing my hair (my girlfriend thinks I'm nuts when I say it).  I mentioned it to Brian St. Pierre the other day, and he told me to bump up my flaxseed intake.  I guess it can't hurt.  Hmm... 4. Speaking of Brian, he was the inaugural Cressey Performance Fantasy Football League Champion.  Thanks for keeping the hardware in the family, dude, and congratulations. brian_fftrophy 5.  I was asked the other day what I thought of online master's programs, and here was my response: "My first recommendation, above all, is that if you want to do graduate school, you should absolutely, positively do it IN-PERSON, if possible.  There are a lot of online master's programs, but none of them hold a candle to the experience that is graduate school.  At UCONN, I had daily interactions varsity athletes, the best professors in the country, and experienced researchers in the human performance lab.  The coursework was valuable, but was secondary to the tremendous benefit I got from those opportunities.  You just can't get that online. "The online master's route may be appropriate for someone who is already working in a position - such as collegiate or professional sports - where those experiences are already taking place.  If you opt to go the online master's route, I'd also highly recommend you apply for an internship somewhere under someone who is doing what you'd like to do." 6. Here's an old article of mine that deserves a mention in light of all the New Year's Resolutions that are going around: Rotten Resolutions The goals might be outdated, but the message isn't. 7. My girlfriend and I asked for a food processor for Christmas, and my grandparents came through with a nice one.  Of course, I chose to christen it by gashing open my thumb as I took the blade out of the box.  Luckily for us, the Gourmet Nutrition Apple-Cinnamon Bars we made with the new toy (once I had clotted) turned out great. 8.  I coined a new term today: scromelette.  A scromelette is what results when you screw up while making an omelette, and after some cursing, wind up with scrambled eggs and vegetables. 9. Another great article (this one more recent) from Mike Robertson worth reading: Facts and Fallacies of Corrective Exercise. That's all for today.  Have a great weekend!
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Cyber Monday Sale!

Mike Robertson just brought to my attention that the Monday after Thanksgiving is known as Cyber Monday because it's the biggest day of the year for online sales.  So, particularly with the economy the way it is, we decided to put most of our products up for sale for today ONLY. For the fitness professionals in the crowd, keep in mind you can also purchase NSCA CEUs for the majority of these products, and those CEUs will come in handy at this time of year as you're up for renewal of your certification.  The products with the asterisk after their names below are eligible. Simply head on over to the Robertson Training Systems Products Page, add a product (or a bunch of products) to your shopping cart, and enter the coupon code CYBER at checkout to receive 15% off on your purchase.  Eligible products include the Building the Efficient Athlete DVD Set*, Magnificent Mobility DVD*, Inside-Out DVD*, 2008 Indianapolis Performance Enhancement Seminar DVD Set*, and Bulletproof Knees Manual*. Also, through my shopping cart, this same offer (same CYBER coupon code) is available for The Ultimate Off-Season Training Manual and The Art of the Deload E-Book.  You can purchase those on my Products Page. Don't miss out on this great chance to purchase our stuff at an excellent discount just in time for the holidays!
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Warpspeed Fat Loss

In my newsletter earlier this week, I introduced you to Danny, a Cressey Performance client who had made some awesome progress on the Warpspeed Fat Loss diet over the course of 28 days. In reality, though, there’s quite a bit more to that story. You see, Danny had actually made a lot more progress than that since December of 2007 when he really committed to kicking a** and taking names. As was the case on Monday, a picture is worth a thousand words; here are the ten-month progress pictures:

In my last newsletter, I told you that this wasn’t just about “Hooray for Danny” or “Horray for Warpspeed Fat Loss” – although both definitely deserve all the credit in the world! Rather, I’m a firm believer that anytime someone is successful, you have to look at what they’ve done right – and these are the three things so important for Danny’s success.
1. Danny got involved with a great training crew. I don’t care who you are: a training crew will always yield better results. Danny actually lifts quite a bit with our staff nowadays. Hell, with all he’s learned, he’d be a great addition to our staff!
Obviously, I firmly believe that our job is to hammer on technique in a coaching-intensive set-up early on when someone trains at CP. However, I think that our longer-term responsibility is to create the most motivating environment possible in which to carry out our programming. Additionally, Danny had a great “crew” at home in the form of a very supportive wife who helped him on the diet side of things. It always helps to have someone along for the ride at home; I’ve seen a lot of people “sabotaged” by unsupportive family members. 2. Danny’s goal from the get-go was always performance. The physique stuff took care of itself when he just focused on getting stronger with each session and attended to his nutrition. Along the way, he got his first 300-pound bench and deadlifted well into the 400s. I have said it before and I’ll say it again: train for performance, put the right stuff in your mouth, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the physique improvements you see. It’s a theme that resounded in my Maximum Strength book. 3. Danny realized that you can always get a training effect in spite of injuries. When he first came to us, Danny had been dealing with some pretty significant neck spasms. In fact, when we went to work on some bench press technique the first night, he was pretty nervous that 95 pounds on the bar would trigger a spasm. Toss in a testy lower back, shoulder, hamstrings, and adductor strain, and you’d think that Danny would have been on the shelf for months. In reality, he didn’t miss a training session, as he appreciated that there was always something he could do to get better around those issues – and get better he did! These factors for success are just the tip of the iceberg, and they'll be different for everyone.  However, it's important to recognize them early-on and use them to your advantage, as getting leaner, stronger, faster, and healthier isn't always peaches and cream. The Truth About Unstable Surface Training: An Athletic Trainer's Perspective
“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
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Feedback: Building The Efficient Athlete

More Stellar Feedback for Building the Efficient Athlete

When we made the Building the Efficient Athlete 8-DVD set, Mike Robertson and I – by our own admission and intentions – barbecued some sacred cows in in the fitness industry with some of our non-traditional ideas.  Moreover, given that Mike and I interact with a ton of physical therapists, doctors, athletic trainers, and other health care professionals – and do a lot of writing with respect to corrective exercise – it’s safe to say that this DVD set has turned some heads in the medical community as well.  I thought you might be interested in the following testimonial sent to us by Hector Lopez on behalf of Physicians Pioneering Performance, LLC: “Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson’s BTEA raises the bar and sets a new standard for applying functional anatomy, biomechanical assessment, and corrective exercise to athletes at all levels.  Congratulations on fine work that addresses many limiting factors of human performance, while enabling the athlete/client to progress and experience a training effect.  Just one pass through this DVD set, and it stands to make us all more critical and active in thinking through the patient/client/athlete’s pain, dysfunction, impairments and inefficiencies. “A fantastic resource that we (Physicians Pioneering Performance) would recommend without reservation, not only for athletes, strength coaches and fitness professionals, but also for musculoskeletal/sports medicine practitioners and many of their patients." Hector Lopez, MD, CSCS Co-Founder, Physicians Pioneering Performance, LLC Northwestern University – Feinberg School of Medicine Pick up your copy of the DVD set at www.BuildingTheEfficientAthlete.com.

New Article

I just had a new article posted yesterday at T-Nation; check it out: Are You Doing Stupid Stuff in the Gym? All the Best, EC
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Alwyn Cosgrove: Mobility Training

This week, we've got Part 2 of the Alwyn Cosgrove fat loss interview along with a few quick announcements. Just a quick note, first: I had my first article published at Active.com just recently.  Check it out: Must-Have Weight Room Movements for Cyclists: Part 1 EricCressey.com Exclusive Interview with Alwyn Cosgrove: Part 2 Last week, Alwyn tossed out a ton of great information with respect to fat loss programming, but he's not done yet!  Without further ado, let's get to it... EC: As a mobility geek, I was intrigued when I heard you mention that you felt that corrective exercise - especially in the form of mobility and activation work - had merits with respect to utilizing compound movements to create a metabolic disturbance.  Could you elaborate? AC: If you think about the fiber recruitment potential, the answer is pretty obvious.  Even if you're using compound movements to create that metabolic disturbance, if your muscles were not activated like they should be, you still are not creating as big as a disturbance as you could. For example, squats and deadlifts will give you more bang for your buck if your glutes are active than if they aren't.  Many of the movements from your Magnificent Mobility DVD - supine bridges and birddogs, for example, with respect to the glutes - are great pairings for more of these compound lifts if you're looking to create more of a metabolic disturbances.  In the upper body, you might pair chin-ups with scap pushups, or bench presses with scapular wall slides.

And, to add on the above points, you can ignore the value of that mobility and activation work when it comes to preventing injury.  Many times, form will start to break down with some of the longer time-under-tension prescriptions in more metabolically demanding resistance training protocols.  When you get things firing the way they should, you immediately make these complexes and circuits safer.

EC: Great points.  Now, you bust my chops for being a guy that reads the research on a regular basis, but we both know that you’re as much of a “research bloodhound” as I am.  As such, I know that you’ve got some ideas on the “next big thing” when it comes to fat loss.  Where do you feel the industry will be going along these lines in the years to come?  Here’s your chance to make a bold prediction, you cocky bastard. AC: Ok – you’re putting me on the spot here. If you don’t drink water – what happens? Your body immediately tries to maintain homeostasis by retaining water – doing the opposite. Does weight training build muscle? No. It destroys muscle and the body adapts by growing new muscle. The body adapts by homeostasis – trying to regain balance by doing the opposite. If we look at aerobic training – and look at fat oxidation – we can see that fat oxidation increases at 63% V02 max. We burn fat during the activity.  How does that EXACT SAME BODY respond? Hmmmm... What cavemen survived the famine in the winters? The cavemen that stored bodyfat efficiently. We have evolved into a race of fat storing machines. We are aerobic all day. If aerobic training worked – then we wouldn’t need to work harder would we? When we work harder we see a trend – we lose fat – but is it because we are moving towards anaerobics? My prediction is that as we understand more and more about the science of losing fat (which in reality we haven’t really studied in any depth) I think we’ll find that  excessive aerobic training may retard fat loss in some way. I’ve been saying for years that I don’t think it helps much. And the studies support that. I’m now starting to feel that it may hurt. How many more studies have to come out that show NO effect of aerobic training to a fat loss program before we’ll recognize it? DISCLAIMER – I work with endurance athletes. I work with fighters. I am recovering from an autologous stem cell transplant and high dose chemotherapy. I think aerobic training is extremely helpful. But not as a fat loss tool. EC: Excellent stuff as always, Alwyn.  Thanks for taking the time. I can't say enough great things the fat loss resources Alwyn has pulled together; I would strongly encourage you all to check them out: Afterburn. All the Best, EC
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