Today's blog post should kick off your week with some good reading recommendations:
1. Collins Brings New Meaning to Short Relief - This article from Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports has been one of the best features on Tim Collins that I've seen thus far - and he gets bonus points for the shout-out to Cressey Performance in there (even links to some videos of Tim training on my YouTube page).
2. Something to Watch: CP athlete Danny O'Connor will be fighting on Showtime tonight (Friday), so be sure to check it out if you're surfing channels and you've got it in your programming lineup.
3.Metabolic Cooking - Just a friendly reminder that the 52% off introductory price on this great healthy recipe resource ends tonight (Friday) at midnight. Several people have purchased it after my review earlier this week and have actually emailed me to say thank you for the recommendation.
4. The Truth about Real Butter - While on the topic of nutrition, here's a solid blog post from Brian St. Pierre on why butter isn't as bad as you probably thought in the past.
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I turn 29 today. And, while a lot of people look at birthdays as a reason to feel badly about getting old, I like to think of them as a reason to reflect on the cool stuff that's happened in the past year. Or, at the very least, I look at a birthday as good blog content! So, without further ado, here are 29 reasons I'm smiling on my 29th birthday.
1. I'm still not as old as Tony! (okay, that was wrong).
2. Several of our high school athletes have gone off to college and been among the strongest (if not the strongest) in the weight room. The really rewarding aspect of it, though, is that they have an appreciation for the fact that it isn't just about strength; it's about combining that strength with a host of other factors - flexibility, soft tissue quality, etc. - to stay healthy. I just love that they are informed consumers and advocates for themselves.
3. Lincoln-Sudbury Baseball has been #1 in the state, according to the Boston Globe Rankings. We train over 30 players who are currently in the LS program, plus quite a few younger guys and LS alumni.
4. Along those lines, LS junior Carl Anderson was batting .500 with 6HR and 21 RBIs through the first 11 games. He was also 4-0 with a 0.78 ERA and 25K in 18 innings pitched.
5.
Enough said.
6. A reader sent me a great article in response to myIs Pitching Velocity Really that Important?Blog: Change-up has become Great Equalizer. Awesome article!
7. CP athlete and Toronto Blue Jays prospect Tim Collins has 32 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting just .206 against him. He also made a surprise cameo in the office at CP the other day on his only off-day of the month and hung out for the whole afternoon. Tim, one of our college prospects, and I all went over to watch a high school game in which a lot of our guys were playing. It's pretty cool to see pro and college ballplayers coming back to watch high school kids' games when it's usually the other way around! It makes me really proud of the camaraderie we've built among all our clients at Cressey Performance.
8. A buddy of mine is involved with Humblecock clothing (www.humblecock.com), so he sent me some free goodies. I like this stuff! I passed out a few samples to my pro guys and they loved it.
9. Brian St. Pierre, our first employee at Cressey Performance, is unfortunately leaving us at the end of this week as he returns to school to do his master's degree. While we're really bummed to be losing him, I can say that I'm really proud of how tremendous a job he's done for us since early 2008, when we first hired him. He's improved tremendously as a coach and really turned himself into an industry leader (actually just had his first article published at T-Muscle HERE). It's funny how good things happen for great people who work hard. Check him out at BrianStPierreTraining.com.
10. Recently, a local scout informed me that the Massachusetts baseball class of 2011 was ranked as the 5th best in the country. In other words, our juniors here in little ol' Massachusetts are competing with the likes of Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina - where the populations are not only bigger, but they can also play baseball year-round. Whoever said that early sports specialization was necessary to compete with these big dogs doesn't understand development at all. While the Southern boys are having Tommy Johns and labral repairs in the winter, our guys are training their butts off and attacking things with a specific plan.
The results? At Cressey Performance alone, we have eight juniors verbally committed to play for Division 1 baseball programs - including Virginia, Vanderbilt, Boston College, and UCONN. And, there should be at least a half-dozen more on that list by the time everyone signs national letters of intent this fall.
11. Head over to Amazon.com and check out the reviews on Maximum Strength HERE. This sucker is getting more stars than an astronomy textbook!
12. It gets even better than that. In the next few months, I'll release a new product that'll blow the doors off of what I did with Maximum Strength. If you liked Maximum Strength, you'll LOVE this one. Subscribe to my newsletter at the right of this screen to be among the first notified.
13. Awesome!
By the way, when I was watching this video on YouTube, one of the recommended videos was Will Ferrell's 2003 Harvard Commencement speech. It is absolutely hilarious; talk about a way to make a graduation actually interesting!
14. In the past few months, I've gotten invitations to present in both St. Thomas and South Africa. For those of you who prefer visual representations of how sweet this is, please take note (respectively):
We still have to plan our honeymoon soon as well, so it's going to be a very sunny year for a couple of Bostonians!
15. It's getting to be that time of year when pitchers come in and act all surprised that they are hitting homeruns now. It just goes to show you that when you get more athletic, a lot of things fall into place - and not just in terms of pitching! Rotational power is rotational power; the hitting just requires more hand-eye coordination.
16. I've got my own office now! Unfortunately, it's still buried under boxes and clutter from the move, but it is nice to know that I have a little bit more organization coming to my life soon!
17. I am pretty darn proud of the Cressey Performance website. It's a huge improvement from our old one, and I'm psyched to have an online presence that reflects how much hard work we put into making CP a special place to train.
18. CP athlete and San Diego Padres prospect Will Inman has a 3.03 ERA through 38.2 innings pitched in AAA. Opponents are hitting just .221 against him. For those who aren't familiar with the Pacific Coast League, this is the single-hardest league in which one can pitch at any level of professional baseball. There are small ballparks and insane winds that turn pop-ups into 450-foot HRs. Will is doing awesome and we're all really happy for him; it's a lot of hard work rewarded.
19. This one really cracks me up. We uploaded this video of CP athlete Sahil Bloom back in October of 2007, and it's become the second most popular of all-time. The funniest part is all the 13-year-olds arguing in the comments section about how this is "just good for football players" and how they all throw 97mph at age 13.
The funniest part is that Sahil is now pitching consistently over 90mph - and doing so at Stanford. He's 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA through six outings in his freshman year. It's amazing that he's had this success just "training for football!"
20. The past year has brought some collaborative efforts for me that have been absolutely tremendous in not only enhancing my productivity, but also educating me (and my readers/customers). Matt Blake has brought a great new dimension to Cressey Performance with his pitching instruction and video analysis, and to EricCressey.com with his blog contributions. Nate Tiplady has been a huge addition to our programs with the Graston and ART services he provides to our clients. It was also great to collaborate with both Mike Reinold and Bill Hartman on projects for the first time, with Optimal Shoulder Performance and Assess & Correct, respectively.
At the end of the day, you are only as strong as your network, so I'd encourage you all to seek out collaborative efforts with other professionals who complement your skill set as well.
21. Slacker.com. This thing is an awesome source for music; I listen to it all the time when I'm at the computer writing programs.
22. Just got this feedback from a very happy Optimal Shoulder Performance customer:
"Awesome job on the OptimalShoulderPerformance DVDs with Reinold. I just finished watching them this past weekend (I need to get a life) and I found them extremely educational and helpful. I really thought the information you both provided complimented each other well. There were some variations to some movements that I will definitely be implementing into some of my programs."
While the financial side of things with product sales is nice, the thing that I actually enjoy the most is knowing that the information we're putting out is helping people to improve their bodies and stay out of pain. It's even better when I know it is helping a fellow fitness professional or some rehabilitation specialist, as it means that they're taking that knowledge to help more people beyond just themselves. At the end of my career, I really want to be known most for the always putting my athletes first and always doing my best to contribute to the body of knowledge.
23. On Tuesday morning, I had an absolutely terrible training session. I felt weak the entire time, and couldn't even stomach a shake post-training. About an hour later, every joint in my body hurt and I had a raging headache. That night, I was in bed early and was pouring sweat in my sleep.
I almost never get sick. We are taking once every 3-4 years. My attendance is so good at work that my business partner, Pete, has to force me to take days off. Surely, there is something to the idea that regular exercise and proper diet reduces one's likelihood of getting sick - and this is certainly demonstrated in the reduced absenteeism
Wednesday morning, I woke up feeling a ton better. It turned out to be a really productive day. This little experience reminds me that taking care of your body doesn't just prevent you from getting sick; it also helps you to bounce back quickly when the unavoidable illness happens.
24. CP athlete Danny O'Connor looks to run his professional boxing record to 12-0 this weekend at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. A huge CP contingent will be out to support him. Danny works his butt off five days a week at CP in addition to all his boxing training, and deserves all the success that comes to him.
25. Chris Howard is the newest addition to the Cressey Performance staff, and we're excited to have him on board. A former CP intern, Chris went on to massage therapy school and is now a LMT - on top of his CSCS and master's degree in nutrition. Needless to say, we're lucky to have a guy who brings so much versatility to our facility. I especially like Chris right now because he's motivated me to brush up on my anatomy knowledge since he just retook it all in school!
26. Bill Hartman is in town for a seminar at Northeastern this weekend, so it'll be a nice birthday present to catch up with him. He's joining us at CP today for the day. His blog is always full of good stuff, but chatting with him in person is even better!
27. Tony Gentilcore wrote a great two-part series called "It All Starts in the Kitchen." There are some great tips in there for those of you who might struggle on the diet side of things. Check out Part 1 and Part 2.
28. One of our pro baseball guys told me to check out the "Baseball Made Easy" series on YouTube, and it's absolutely hilarious. Check a few of them out:
29. I already knew I had the greatest girl in the world, but when she took me to a Sox game last night for my birthday for the third year in a row, I was reminded once again! Here we were last year - when I had more hair.
1. I thought I'd kick this post off with a little technique troubleshooting. Yesterday, one of the "guinea pigs" for my new project emailed this video to me and asked for some suggestions on bench press technique:
BP from Caleb Chiu on Vimeo.
My suggestions to him were as follows:
a. Your feet are antsy and jumping all over the place. Get them pulled up a bit more under you so that they can't move around. Then, focus on pushing them into the floor the entire set.
b. Get more air in your belly. Notice how the stomach sinks in? That's because you don't have any air in it!
c. Get a handoff. The #1 reason guys flair the elbows out is that they lose scapular stability - and you lose that the second you hand off to yourself.
2. I'm headed to a Postural Restoration Institute Myokinematic Restoration Seminar this weekend up in Portland, ME - while my fiancee and my mother work on stuff for the wedding. It is amazing what lengths guys will go to in order to escape wedding planning, huh?
Just kidding; I'm actually really excited about it. Neil Rampe of the Arizona Diamondbacks turned me on to the PRI stuff and it's really intrigued me from the get-go.
3. It's been a fun week around here with the start of the high school baseball season. I got over to help out with some warm-ups and movement training with the Lincoln-Sudbury guys during tryouts on Mon-Tue. In all, we saw 33 Lincoln-Sudbury high school baseball players - from freshman to seniors - this off-season, so it was pretty easy to pick up where we left off with them in the weight room. There was great energy, and lots of excitement about the new season.
4. Here's a great feature on Blue Jays prospect Tim Collins and his training at Cressey Performance.
5. I was interviewed last week for an article about pitch counts. It's now featured HERE.
"I was pretty excited when I received an e-mail from Eric and Mike saying that I was getting an advanced copy of their new Assess and Correct product. Mike and Eric have had a history of putting out top notch information and products and when I saw that Bill Hartman was also involved in this new product I knew that this was going to be even more special.
"Since I own a fitness facility, I'm always looking for cutting edge information that I can recommend to my trainers. After viewing the DVDs and reading through the manuals, my first thought was, 'Wow, a home run!'
"Finally, a product that I could wholeheartedly recommend to all of my trainers as an excellent go-to reference tool to enhance their abilities in assessing their clients needs; pinpointing their weakness &/or imbalances and then effectively addressing these findings to make sure their clients can achieve their goals safely."
Joe Dowdell, CSCS - Founder & Co-owner of Peak Performance, NYC
www.peakperformancenyc.com
Click here to pick up a copy of Assess and Correct.
7. Last, but certainly not least, CP athlete Danny O'Connor aims to run his professional boxing record to 11-o tonight with a bout at Twin River Casino in Rhode Island. Good luck, Danny!
1. Exciting week around here, as it's getting to be that time of the year when our high school ballplayers - both 2010 and 2011 - finalize some of their plans.
Last weekend, RHP Barrett O'Neill (2011) verbally committed to the University of Virginia on a baseball scholarship, and on Tuesday, RHP Travis Dean (2010) signed his letter of intent to pitch at Kennesaw St. University in Georgia. A few weeks earlier, RHP/3B Joe Napolitano (2011) had verbally committed to Boston College. These three comprise 3/8 of our current 90mph+ high school crew - and I suspect that the other five will be following soon!
Also this week, 2B Erik Watkins (2010) committed to Skidmore and CF Billy Bereszniewicz (2010) committed to Binghampton. Previously, catcher James Alfonso (2010) had accepted a scholarship to play at the University of Hartford. Plenty more to come soon, no doubt...
2. Speaking of Travis, here is something I love about him: he has INTENT on every single medicine ball throw he makes. It isn't just about "tossing" a ball to a wall and rotating your hips. It's about getting your entire body into the effort - to the point that you're trying to break the ball (or wall!) on every single drill.
Once we have taught our guys the technique for the drill, it's about getting after it. If you aren't training rotation aggressively, you might as well not do it at all.
3. I got a lot of great comments from readers on my A Few Days in Arizona on Monday; I'd encourage you to check it out.
4. One of the key points I made was that respiratory function was essential for ideal performance and posture, and I recognize that the concept might be completely foreign for a lot of my readers. To that end, I'd encourage you check out The Anatomy of Breathing.
It's a pretty quick read that gives you good insights into the anatomy of the respiratory system and common dysfunctions that occur. Once you start getting an appreciation for the muscles involved, you can start to see how poor diaphragmatic function can easily lead to overactivity of sternocleidomastoid, scalene, pec minor, intercostals - basically, a lot of muscles commonly implicated in upper extremity dysfunction. You can just stretch and massage those areas, but it's just like putting a bucket on the floor when the roof is leaking; it's better to just fix the roof (aberrant breathing patterns).
5. I also touched on breathing patterns a bit in my seminar this past weekend. Check out a few great reviews of the event:
6. Some interesting findings HERE that shows that there may be a strong link between childhood obesity and the development of multiple sclerosis later on in life. One hypothesis is that it may be linked to the low levels of Vitamin D that one sees in overweight kids, and another that it could be related to the fatty tissue itself. One more reason to take Vitamin D!
7. We're all headed to Providence tonight to watch CP client and pro boxer Danny O'Connor try to run his professional record to 10-0. I think we'll be setting a world record for the number of professional baseball players in attendance at a boxing match. Let's go, Danny!
1. I got an interesting surprise the other day when I all of a sudden noticed that Cressey Performance had pictures like this posted all over the place:
It turns out that CP athlete and boxer Danny O'Connor had posted pictures of world title belts all over the facility as motivation. You've got to love a guy who makes sure that the goal is never out of sight!
2. On a semi-related note, the only thing more dangerous than a professional boxer might be a West Virginia Ninja (as promised, Ryan and Evelyne):
3. For those who missed it, I contributed on a pretty cool new compilation over at T-Nation. Check out In the Trenches: Volume 1.
4. I came to a bit of a shocking realization the other day about just how many so-called experts in the field - those writing books, giving seminars, and making television show appearances - actually train few (if any) actual clients. As I thought about it, this would never work for me (regardless of how many years of experience I'd have accumulated by that point) simply because I view interaction with athletes as one of my primary means of continuing my education. Simply coaching athletes, getting their feedback on things, and watching the adaptation process take place is a great way to enhance one's perspective.
Right now, I'm out there coaching about 35 hours per week, and it'll pick up a bit more as our pro baseball training group fills up in the next few weeks - and that will last through the third Monday in March. Interestingly, this kicks off the time of year when my writing is always the most creative and prolific. In other words, as I digest those 5-6 months of training, it's very easy to put a lot of new ideas on paper.
Had I just been sitting at a computer that entire time, there's no way I'd have that perspective. Just some food for thought: the next time you are about to buy a book, DVD, or attend a seminar, ask yourself whether the "expert" in question actually interacts with athletes/clients/patients on a weekly basis.
5. After Wednesday's blog post about shoulder health drills, I got several questions from folks asking what I thought the best few shoulder education resources were. Here are my top three (the first two are for the more geeky of you out there, and the third is more readily usable drills):
1. I started a little deadlift specialization program this week. So far, it's beating me up like a rented mule - and this is just the introductory week. I don't know if it will get me to 700, but at the very least, it'll prove whether deadlifts to excess really can kill someone. I'll let you know how it goes.
(I still get a kick out of how disinterested the air conditioning repair guy in the background is during this video)
2.A big congratulations goes out to CP athlete Danny O'Connor, who ran his professional boxing record to 9-0 with a third round knockout on Thursday night. I can honestly say that I've never seen anyone get knocked out with a body shot, but let's just say that this was one for the ages. When his opponent actually regains the ability to speak, digest, and walk upright, I'm sure he'll agree.
Next up for Danny is a big fight on November 7 at the Hartford Civic Center, so we're back in the gym getting after it today.
3. My fiancee went to get her annual physical the other day, and because she started a new job with a new insurance plan, it was her first time with a new primary care doctor. Since she knew bloodwork was going to be part of the drill, I had encouraged her to ask to get her Vitamin D levels checked. The doctor replied with, "No, we won't do that. You're not post-menopausal."
Are you serious???? Um, Vitamin D isn't just about bone health. As Chris Shugart covered in a recent article, it has some pretty darn extensive roles in the body, and it's been established that a large chunk of the population has insufficient - if not deficient - levels of Vitamin D.
I find it fascinating that this doctor wouldn't hesitate to order cholesterol and glucose measurements for a second year in a row, yet would rigidly oppose testing for something that's a heck of a lot more useful (even in someone under the age of 30).
Not surprisingly, from what my fiancee (who is also a doctor) told me, she had a terrible bedside manner to go along with her complete lack of preparedness and openmindedness. She even busted out the body mass index line with a female patient who deadlifts over 250 pounds and can do ten body weight chin-ups. Women can have muscle, you know.
Needless to say, she is down one patient now.
4. Here's a great, comprehensive article on antioxidants by John Romaniello and Joel Marion; it covers what works and what doesn't, and does so in an entertaining format: Movie Stars, Blockbuster Berries, and You
5.Chris Frankel from TRX is in town to do an in-service for our staff this morning. We started using these just a few weeks ago and are excited to see all the new tricks and tips Chris has for them. Check them out for yourselfHERE.
Have a kick-ass weekend. This kid definitely will!
1. As you read this blog, I'll be taking in (and presenting at) the Perform Better Summit in Long Beach, CA. You, on the other hand, will be missing out on the fun. Sorry, dude.
Actually, the next best thing for you would be to check out the Perform Better website, as they have their big end-of-summer sale going on right now. You can get everything from massage tools, to med balls, to kettlebells at big discounts.
You can't buy people to throw around as weights, but let's be honest; that's soooo British.
2. Cressey Performance athlete Danny O'Connor will be boxing tonight on ESPN's Friday Night Fights. Danny is looking to run his professional record to 8-0. I know I'll be looking all over on Friday night to find a TV to check out our man in action, and I'd encourage you to do the same, too.
3. Congratulations to CP athlete Mitch Perez, who threw a no-hitter in the opening game of the Central Mass Senior Babe Ruth World Series. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, another CP athlete, Eric Reale, threw a one-hitter the same day, and Matt McGavick threw a complete game shutout to win the series. Nice work, fellas!
4. Those of you who (like me) deal with young athletes on a daily basis have probably come across loads of parents who wonder whether resistance training is bad for kids who are still developing. Obviously, we know that isn't the case - but relating it to these parents isn't always as easy as you might think. Fortunately, the NSCA just updated its position statement on Youth Resistance Training. You can check it out HERE.
5. In case you missed this week's newsletter (and you should be subscribed!), here it is - complete with a look how to avoid shoulder pain during push-ups.
Have a great weekend!
Looking at some relatively recent research, you'll find that the US Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that 34% of small business start-ups are no longer in existence two years after their inception. So, the logical assumption is that we're automatically more awesome than at least 1/3 of the small business world (we stole their lunch money and gave them wedgies, in fact).
Kidding aside, you don't just start a business so that you can "not fail." You do it so that you can thrive - and CP has done just that. I owe a huge thanks to our clients and staff for all their dedication to helping making CP what it is today: a place where....
...an Olympic boxer can share a stability ball with Pete in the office while getting awkwardly close to another man's meatloaf lunch
...it's considered perfectly acceptable to foam roll in catcher's gear.
...ladies and 68-year-old men alike bang out pull-ups like nobody's business.
...the average lifespan of a medicine ball is about seven minutes.
...it isn't uncommon for old clients to come back, handcuff Tony, and leave him for dead (out of love, for the record).
Interestingly, we haven't spent a penny on advertising over the two years; the business has grown purely by word of mouth. Is it any wonder when you can see stuff like this almost every time you enter the facility?
Thanks again to everyone involved for making my job so fun and for sharing my vision.
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.
Check out this article on Cressey Performance athlete Danny O'Connor in today's Boston Globe. Danny ran his professional boxing record to 7-0 this past weekend, and the story talks a bit about our work with him.
Punching his Ticket in the Pros
