Thanks to Cressey Performance Coach Greg Robins, here are five nutrition and strength and conditioning tips to kick off your weekend on the right foot.
1. Train upward rotation without true vertical pressing.
At Cressey Performance, the majority of our athletes are overhead throwers. Training overhead athletes means that you need to train upward rotation of the scapula. While pressing overhead could serve as one option, we find that it isn’t always the best option. Too often, people are unable to achieve an overhead position, while also keeping the rest of the body in correct alignment. Namely, most folks will have considerable amounts of rib flare and lumbar spine extension.
Instead, it would be advantageous to train upward rotation with exercises that allow for considerable shoulder flexion, but also promote better overall positioning. So how is that done? A few of our favorite exercises are as follows:
Yoga push ups: These offer a close chained pressing movement that allows a person to get shoulder flexion, and when cued correctly, a considerable amount of upward scapular rotation. Make sure when performing this variation that you press directly into the upwardly rotated position, while shrugging and protracting the shoulder blades. One nice cue is to “push the floor away completely.”
Landmine presses: These exercises are my favorite class of open chain pressing movement to stress upward rotation. Instead of completing the movement with the shoulder blade still packed back, shrug and protract the shoulder blade a bit. A perfect cue with this one is to “reach out” when pressing.
Obviously, if you're already someone who is shrugged up and protracted all day (desk jockey), it's not a good fit for you. In a more athletic population, though, it's usually a very good fit.
2.Use the “stir the pot” exercise...safely.
Anterior core weakness is something we combat on a daily basis here at CP. With the plethora of overly extended athletes that come through our door, we are always looking for new ways to challenge their core stability. While the standard prone bridge is a staple, after some training, we need to progress individuals to something more challenging.
Stir the pot is a fantastic way to do just that. The added demands of both the stability ball, and the small amount of movement from the shoulders adds a difficult variation to the aforementioned prone bridge.
Please note that even with former Division 1, high caliber athletes, this exercise may be a little too advanced. We recommend that you wipe the sweat off your forearms before doing this drill, and be sure to dismount the ball safely - or just omit this exercise until you're prepared to do so. Watch the video below (all the way through) to see exactly what I mean:
3. Make your “fillers” more effective
The idea of “fillers” has become quite popular, and for good reason: everyone is busy, and utilizing them is a terrific way to maximize training efficiency. So, what’s a filler?
Most commonly, fillers are low-level activation, mobility, stability, and motor control drills. They should not be strenuous enough to take away from your program, but when used correctly, they can aid in improving movement quality, outputs, and results. In order to make them the most effective, fillers should be personalized to fit your body type.
Hypermobile (excessively “loose”) people should spend time getting stable, and hypomobile (“stiff”) people should spend time getting loose.
Loose people are already able to get to just about any range of motion they desire. In fact, they are generally able to get to some ranges that are not desirable. Therefore, they are better served doing low-level activation and stability based drills between sets. This will help them “own” positions better and promote better control within their ranges of motion.
Stiff people, on the other hand, need to fit in some extra mobility work as often whenever possible. Their time is best spent working on various mobility drills, as well as some low level activation drills. Doing so will help them to move better in general, and get into more advantageous positions when performing the exercises in their program.
The drills each population chooses can be individualized based on the needs of the person and / or the demands of the exercise with which they are paired.
Many hypermobile people need better core, hip, and shoulder stability. So, drills like dead bugs, bowler squats, wall slides, body weight Turkish get-ups, and rotator cuff activation drills work great.
Many stiff people could use more thoracic spine (upper back) mobility, hip mobility, and ankle mobility. Drills like ankle, hip, and thoracic spine mobilizations are solid options.
Regardless of your body type, choose variations that don’t compete too heavily with the exercises with which they are paired. Furthermore, choose variations that hit areas which need extra attention for YOU, or that will aid in YOUR ability to reach good positioning with the exercise in question.
4. Put your lacrosse ball in an old tube sock.
If you use lacrosse ball to roll out against the wall, chances are you have a heck of a time getting the thing not to slip, and fall to the ground. Next thing you know, it’s like the meatball from the old nursery rhyme, rolling across the floor and out the door - or however it goes.
One tip I picked up while reviewing the book The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Claire Davies was to place your ball in a long tube sock. By doing so you can keep your hand on the sock and make sure the ball stays up the entire time. Give it a try!
5. Try an Icee for a Refreshing Treat!
With a few days well over 90 degrees here in Massachusetts, I’ve been pulling out every trick I know to stay cool. It’s a well known fact that 80% of my shirts are black to conceal the mass amount of sweating I do on a regular basis. One of my favorite tricks also happens to be great way to curb hunger and keep my sweet tooth at bay. If you’re looking for an easy, low-calorie way to cool off and stay satiated try out this recipe:
Ingredients:
4-6 oz of water
5 or so large ice cubes
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 fresh squeezed lemon
(optional: add stevia for sweetness)
Directions: Place all these ingredients in a blender, blend, and enjoy.
This strawberry lemonade ice will hit the spot on a hot day, or any day, where you need to quiet the groan of your hungry belly!
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I generally perform 8-10 new evaluations per week. They may be individuals who plan to train with us at Cressey Performance for the long haul, or they may just be popping in for a one-time consultation regarding a particular issue or training technique concern. Sometimes, they'll be rehabbing with one of the physical therapists with whom we work closely, and seeking us out to maintain a training effect in spite of their injury.
Regardless of the scenario, I'm fortunate to see a lot of variety in a typical week of evaluations, and it has led to me thinking outside the box and appreciating a few things that are commonly overlooked by trainers and rehabilitation specialists. With that in mind, today, I wanted to kick off a new series about these under-appreciated observations that can really make a difference in your takeaways from an evaluation.
1. Standing/Sitting Posture
There are a lot of trainers who'll observe this in passing, but in many cases, they'll only note something if it's something really dramatic. My suggestion along these lines would be to note not just what's going on in the sagittal plane (kyphosis, lordosis, forward head posture), but also what's happening in the frontal and transverse plan. Do they always cross one leg over the other? Does one shoulder sit markedly lower than the other? Do they sink into one hip and carry more weight on that side?
As an aside, Greg Robins recently wrote up a great posture blog about some of the most common aberrant patterns we see.
2. Handshake
Believe it or not, a handshake can tell you a ton. If it goes like this, it's safe to say that you probably won't need to do any direct arm work with this individual, who'll quickly become either the coolest (or most awkward) client of all time.
Joking aside, handshakes can tell you a lot, particularly with respect to joint hypermobility. First off, what's the feeling of the fingers? Are they more rigid or "pliable?" If they're more pliable, chances are that you're going to be dealing with someone who has considerable congenital laxity (loose joints). Second, are the hands cold, even in the middle of the summer? Chances are their circulation is poor - another common symptoms of those with considerable joint hypermobility.
To test these theories, here's a challenge for you. Go shake the hands of ten of your friends/colleagues today. Note the feel of the hands, and then follow up the handshake with a Beighton Hypermobility Test. The screen consists of five tests (four of which are unilateral), and is scored out of 9:
1. Elbow hyperextension > 10° (left and right sides)
2. Knee hyperextension > 10° (left and right sides)
3. Flex the thumb to contact with the forearm (left and right sides)
4. Extend the pinky to >90° angle with the rest of the hand (left and right sides)
5. Place both palms flat on the floor without flexing the knees
I'm sure you'll find that the coldest hands with the most pliable fingers are the ones who have high scores on the Beighton test. When you have folks like this, they need more stability work than mobility training. And, if an individual has a noteworthy injury history, you need to ask if he/she has been stretched aggressively in previous training or rehabilitation scenarios - particularly if he/she had negative outcomes with those experiences.
Also, if a young athlete gives you a lame, limp-wristed handshake, it's a sign that he's going to need to step up his game if he doesn't want to live in his parents' basement for the rest of this life. I recommend introducing him to the foundation of the Ron Swanson Pyramid of Greatness to get the ball rolling (definitely worth a zoom-in):
3. Medications
It is absolutely shocking to me how many people in the fitness industry overlook medications on an initial evaluation. Perhaps it is the new era of bootcamps and semi-private training leading to a less individualized approach (particularly with respect to assessment), but you can learn so much about what a client needs by reviewing medications. And, it's one reason why we have an initial one-on-one assessment with every new client at Cressey Performance.
Of course, you're looking for the obvious stuff - beta-blockers, prescription inhalers, etc. - that have definite impacts on how someone will respond to exercise. Taking it a step further, though, there are hundreds of other medications that can impact how you program for and coach a client. The problem is that not everyone views the term "medication" the same - so people will generally underreport on their health histories. In other words, you need to "pry" and ask if there really aren't any pills they take. Recently, there was even an instance when I was able to guess a medication a kid was on just by asking his mom after observing his habits during the evaluation.
As an obvious example, there are loads of people out there who pop non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) pills like candy because they've got chronic low back, shoulder problems, or any of a number of other issues. In their eyes, though, these "get-me-by" pills don't count as drugs because they can be bought over the counter. They can mask pain during exercises, and obviously have significant side effects. It's a trainer's responsibility to be "in the loop" with a client, his doctor, and a rehabilitation specialist to determine what the right course of action is to get this individual off those NSAIDs over time.
In a youth athlete population, we've had three kids who have had extensive and prolonged negative reactions to the Isotretinoin (Accutane) that was prescribed to treat acne. In two of these cases, the kids were excellent D1-caliber athletes who gradually felt worse and worse over the course of months in spite of no change to training volume or lifestyle factors. We were all stumped because they had never reported that they'd started taking the medication.
Once we found out the cause, their parents got them off the Accutate right away, and symptoms resolved over the course of a month. However, these experiences led me to look further into the side effects of this prescription medication. I was astounded. There are reports of depression, muscle weakness, joint pain, vision problems, dry skin skin dryness, and several other side effects. The FDA even warns, "Accutane may stop long bone growth in teenagers who are still growing." I'm not a dermatologist, so it's not my place to say that it's right or wrong. However, it absolutely, positively is something you need to inquire about on a health history if you see it listed - or even if you suspect that a kid might be a candidate for it. That said, I've known a lot of kids whose acne has improved considerably once they've gotten all the crap out of their diet, but that's a conversation for another day!
If you see a sleep aid listed on a health history, you may need to think twice about programming high-volume training for an client, and spend some extra time discussing recovery methods. If you see anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, or ADHD medications on a health history, it may change the way you approach coaching this individual. These are really just the tip of the iceberg; you have to keep your eyes open and consider/discuss the implications when appropriate.
I'll be back soon with more assessments you might be overlooking. In the meantime, if you'd like to learn more about some of our approaches to assessment, I'd encourage you to check out Assess and Correct: Breaking Barriers to Unlock Performance.
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Today's guest post comes from my business partner, Pete Dupuis.
I’m pleased to say that tomorrow marks the 6-year anniversary of Cressey Performance being in business. This also happens to be the 5th consecutive year that I have brought the upcoming date to Eric’s attention, only to learn that he was completely unaware of the occasion. I guess time flies when you're having fun!
In years past, Eric has been thankful for the reminder and eager to pull together his annual “lessons learned” blog post. This time around, he told me that our 6th anniversary is “just about as cool as turning 22”, and that I was welcome to take the annual write-up off his hands. I’ve decided to run with it, but will be taking a different approach.
Instead of presenting a collection of lessons learned, I’d like to highlight the six moments and/or accomplishments I am most proud of during CP’s brief history. Please note that this list is absolutely not prioritized in any specific order. I’d be perfectly fine with each and every one of these six topics being #1 on this list. Here goes!
1. 2,320 in 2,190
CP has worked with 2,320 different athletes during the 2,190 days we’ve been in business. This means that I’ve had the pleasure of outlining our price points and training model so many times that I can effectively give the pitch on auto-pilot. I have also spent a considerable amount of time fine-tuning the answer to the question “so what do you do?” that pops up every time I sit down next to a stranger at a wedding. You’d be surprised how difficult it can be to articulate what we do without just taking the easy way out and saying “I own a gym”.
Most importantly to me, this statistic means that we have managed to generate more than one lead a day over a 6-year span without ever spending a dollar on conventional advertising. Instead, we focus on results, and never say no when someone asks if they can get their hands on a CP t-shirt to wear around their baseball clubhouse. I couldn’t tell you what the industry standard is supposed to be for successful lead generation, but I am proud of this number.
2. Our Dream Facility
As we’ve mentioned before, our first facility was smaller than the footprint of our current offices. Upon opening our doors during the summer of 2007, we were in a space that could be best described as “bare-bones”. The windows were broken, the space was dusty, and the bathrooms were questionable at best. With this being said, I was every bit as proud of that first unit as I am of our current facility.
On August 26, 2012, we opened the doors to a training space that fits our needs perfectly. I spent the majority of the three months leading up to this event preparing the layout for the space, installing carpet tiles for the warm-up area with our resident handy-man Pickles, and painting accent walls in the office. During that same time, Eric, Tony, Chris, Greg and Michelle were keeping CP cranking at a record-setting pace so that the bank account was getting replenished while I spent aggressively at Home Depot and Perform Better!
I think I speak for our entire team when I say that we are thrilled with our new-look gym.
3. Productive Internship Program
At last count, CP had had the pleasure of working with over 70 different interns. These 70 individuals not only worked hard to become better coaches during their time with us, but they also helped to create a training experience for our clients that kept them excited about training, and eager to be part of the CP community.
It seems that all of our former interns have gone on to be great professionals within our field, and many have successfully transitioned to being influential contributors to the world of health and fitness. I am pleased every single day to see them doing big things throughout this constantly evolving industry.
In six years, I have reviewed more than 500 internship applications, executed roughly 200 telephone interviews, and sent out over 400 emails notifying applicants that they have not been accepted (least favorite part of my job). When all was said and done, the 70 accepted applicants rose to the top of the list, and we’ve been very fortunate to have their help in cultivating the CP Family. Which leads me to…
4. CP Family
A couple of years back, we had an intern who was truly flustered when I told him that my biggest piece of advice for making the most of his experience with us was to focus on creating relationships with our clients. He had just completed an internship at a strength & conditioning facility where he’d been specifically told, “you’re not here to make friends…you’re here to coach."
This couldn’t possibly be further from the mentality we have when it comes to creating a family atmosphere within the walls of CP. I am fortunate enough to wake up excited to go to work every single day, and it is because I’m going to a place where my job is to make friends and facilitate an environment that people are excited to visit. We take this component of our business very seriously, and there are many CP clients who I consider to be part of my inner circle of friends.
Most importantly, this type of environment is one that can’t exist without employing a staff that truly cares about its clients. While I haven’t gone ahead and given the CP team it’s own spot on this list of achievements, I can say with confidence that you will not find a staff in this industry that cares more about being great at what they do.
5. Seeing the System Come Full Circle
Following the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Eric wrote a fantastic post about the accomplishments and work ethic of current Chicago Cubs prospect, Kevin Brown. Kevin has been a regular at CP since the end of his sophomore year of high school. In the time since we’ve been working with him, we’ve watched Kevin transition from scrappy middle infielder on his high school varsity baseball team, to a division one baseball player who set multiple school records at Bryant University, to a 22nd round draft pick who has since signed his first professional contract.
Kevin is, in fact, one of just a few athletes we have seen make this progression in their baseball careers (Travis Dean being another), and it has been rewarding to be able to observe the process first-hand. I am proud of the fact that both of these athletes have been with us since the very first few months we were in business, and I’m proud of the fact that they both made it a priority to get a training session in at CP on the day that they each left to report to their first day as professional athletes. As you can see, they did not hesitate to sign the Pro Athlete Autograph Wall at CP.
6. The Fact that We're Just Hitting Our Stride
In a way, I’m more excited about what we’re going to accomplish, than what we have so far. I’m excited about the career prospects of the 40 CP athletes who have been taken in the last three MLB First-Year Player Drafts. I’m excited about the coming 2014 Draft. I’m excited about our relationship with the good people at New Balance Baseball. I’m excited for our college ballplayers to return to fall-ball ready to reap the benefits of a summer of hard work. I’m excited to chat with the next person who calls to inquire about our services.
When finally stopped to think about it, I realized that I’m just plain excited about what we’re doing here. And that’s pretty exciting.
To learn more about Cressey Performance, check out our website, or watch this video to learn more about our Elite Baseball Development Program.
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It goes without saying that push-up variations are among the best exercises you can incorporate for athletes for a number of reasons. One problem with them, however, is that some athletes eventually get to the point that they can't progress them to make them challenging enough to provide an ample training effect. That's why I like the slideboard bodysaw push-up; check out the video below to learn why:
Looking for more exercise tutorials like this? Be sure to check out Elite Training Mentorship, where several coaches (myself included) upload these on a monthly basis - in addition to staff in-services, webinars, articles, and case studies.
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Here's this week's list of recommended strength and conditioning reading:
Sports Rehab Expert Interview - Yesterday, Joe Heiler interviewed me about the new Functional Stability Training of the Lower Body product, although we actually covered a number of topics. The interview is free. Also, if you're interested in checking out FST - Lower, you can do so here.
Elite Training Mentorship - The July update was just posted last week, and (along with an article and two exercise demonstrations), I did a webinar on evaluating scapular positioning to determine if the bench press is contraindicated for your clients, particularly those with a history of shoulder pain.
Groin Injuries in Hockey Players - This was an awesome post from Peter Nelson on Mike Reinold's blog - even if you have no interest whatsoever in hockey. It parallels one of my presentations (Preparing the Adductors for Health and Performance) from the FST - Lower DVD set, and also leads in to some of Mike's material. You'll get a little taste of the Postural Restoration Institute in this article, too.
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Thanks for CP coach Greg Robins, here are this week's list of tips to fine-tune your nutrition and strength and conditioning programs.
1. Use old wrist wraps to rig up chains.
While there are some very solid products out there to rig up chains for deadlifts, sometimes you just don’t want to spend the cash. In my case it is especially true when you only need them once every four months or so. Some people may get by just fine draping the chains over a bar, but I find they tend to move around and fall off too often when using them for reps.
There is one very simple solution. You can use an old set of wrist wraps (or new ones, if you prefer), to hold the chains in place. It works out great, and is as easy as just tying the wrap around the top of the chains. If you find yourself having a similar issue getting the chains to stay in place, give this a try next time you pull against chains!
2. Avoid elbow hyperextension on pressing exercises.
Many people, especially females, have significant joint laxity. When a joint has the ability to reach undesired ranges of motion, you will often find that folks use this end range as the preferred method of getting “stable.” Instead of actively holding positions, they will continue to move until they run out of room, and rely on a les than ideal positioning. As an example, check out this picture of one of our boot camp clients on her first day doing push ups.
Without assessing for this, or keeping an eye out for it, you will find many clients performing push-ups and other pressing exercises like this. Now that you are aware of it, fix it! If you notice them hyperextending the elbows, coach them to stop at neutral!
3. Consider these tips to make Turkish get-ups less tedious.
I like the Turkish get-up. It’s a great exercise, and it makes its way, in some form or another, into most of my programs. The only issue I have with it is that it can be very tedious. While the mind numbing length of doing multiple reps per side is one turn off, there is also another issue. Due to its drawn-out nature, many of our athletes will hit one rep with great technique and then rush through the next 2 or 3. While keeping an eye on every rep and ensuring proper technique is one solution, it isn’t always feasible, especially in a semi-private setting. Instead, consider these alternatives:
a. Program a single repetition per side: I like working the get up with only one rep at a time. It allows you to go heavier, which has the benefit of forcing you to be strict with your positioning. If you go heavy enough a single rep can easily last over 30-45sec. That length has a similar time under tension to other, more common, rep schemes. When you consider there are fourteen steps to a complete get up, doing one rep is actually a lot more involved than it may seem.
b. Litter the get-up within other exercises: One thing I love to do is start and end other exercises with a Turkish get up. Some examples include doing the first half of the exercise and continuing into an overhead carry. When you reach your desired carry length you can perform the other half. Another option is to perform a certain amount of overhead presses in the standing position, half kneeling position, or floor presses in the supine position.
4. Eat more raisins.
Raisins are chalked up to be a “kid snack.” However, they are a pretty darn good option for the active population as well, especially athletes who may be looking to bulk up with a convenient, calorically dense option. Raisins provide a great source of readily usable energy for intense training sessions. Furthermore, they are an excellent source of anti-oxidants. Furthermore, they are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. Not to mention they provide a decent amount of fiber as well.
As noted in Jonny Bowden’s book The 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth, the grapes raisins originate as are often highly saturated in pesticides. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to look for organic varieties. Next time you are looking for a good source of fast acting carbohydrates, consider eating a handful or two of raisins!
5. Stay basic and specific when you’re unsure how long you have an athlete.
With all the information available today, it’s easy for us to jump ahead to more complex training protocols. There is no shortage of excellent programming out there, formulated by some of the brightest minds in strength and conditioning. However, many of these programs are not the right choice for the majority of the population.
While these methods have evidence to support their effectiveness, they are often used with highly trained individuals, and carried out over an extended/known period of time. In the private sector of S&C you aren’t always sure how long you’ll have an athlete.
Before you hop into contrast training, tempo training, or any other complex method, consider tapping out your potential with a more basic approach first. In many cases your end goal will be most greatly improved with a more basic approach that is specific to your desired outcome.
Take this recent study, for example. The School of Health Sciences, at The University of Ballarat in Australia studied “The Acute Effects of Conventional, Complex and Contrast Protocols on Lower Body Power.” The study looked at three different approaches to improving peak power output. The traditional approach included only counter-movement jumping. The other two included a mix of jumping and resistance training. The result favored the traditional approach for an acute improvement of peak power. This isn’t to say the other approaches wouldn’t be superior long term, but as I stated before, often times you will not have an athlete long enough to make changes with a more complex approach.
The take away is that you need to identify what you want to give an athlete by training with you. When he or she is only under your guidance for a short period of time, make that item a priority, do it often and do it well. That item may not be very specific to their sport, but the training needs to be specific to that item. In order to get an acute change in a certain quality your best bet is to give that quality the most attention.
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Here's this week's list of recommended strength and conditioning reading:
I Throw, Therefore I Am - Thisewas a great Boston Globe article on the evolution of throwing - and there was a similar piece written in the New York Times, as they both reported on the same study results.
Massage Tools: Gua Sha and The Like - This is an outstanding blog from Patrick Ward on the effects of various instrument-assisted soft tissue treatment approaches.
The Truth About Overhead Pressing - My business partner, Tony Gentilcore, authored this article on reevaluating your shoulder function and strength and conditioning programming over at T-Nation.
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A few weeks ago, I was chatting with an athletic trainer friend of mine who used to work with one of our athletes. He was joking with me about how when he'd brought up the concept of postural awareness to this athlete years ago, the athlete had really shrugged it off as being unimportant. Now, years later, that athlete is taking posture more seriously and reaping the benefits in terms of health and performance.
This conversation got me to thinking about what it takes to get athletes to "buy in" to what you're saying to them or doing with them. Obviously, in this instance, it's likely heavily influenced by this young athlete simply getting older and more mature. However, I often wonder how we can accelerate the process of having athletes commit 100% to the approach we're employing. Below, I've listed a few areas I've found to be particularly important in expediting the process of athlete "buy-in."
1. Deliver a consistent message.
Remember when you were a kid and wanted something you know you didn't have a chance of getting? First, you'd ask your Mom and get shot down - and then you'd go to your Dad and try to sell him on it (or vice versa). If your Dad didn't back your Mom 100%, it usually meant that Dad was sleeping on the couch you thought you still had a fighting chance to get your way. The message had to be consistent for them to get you to buy in to their rules.
In the gym, it has to be the same way - and not just in terms of rules. There needs to be a consistent message in terms of programming, nomenclature (i.e., what you call exercises), coaching cues, and what is deemed "acceptable" technique. If any of these factors don't line up along all members of your staff, athletes get mixed messages and begin to second guess you.
2. Start off with one-on-one interaction.
Every notice what happens when a coach yells at an entire team at once? Usually, the entire team "wears it" - and then proceeds to gossip about the coach after the fact and shrug off the message he was trying to deliver. In fact, he usually loses them a little (or a lot) more with each tirade.
Conversely, think about what happens when a coach pulls aside a player individually and lets him know his conduct, attitude, or effort level hasn't been satisfactory. Usually, that turns out to be a big kick in the pants for an athlete to step up his game and carry himself the right way.
This one-on-one interaction doesn't have to just be reserved for when something is going wrong, though. It's tremendously important when you first meet with an athlete to discuss his/her goals and go through an evaluation. I often video scapular screens with my baseball guys and discuss how their shoulder blades move relative to how we want them to move. It educates them, but also makes them realized how individualized their programming and overall training experience will be.
3. Individualize coaching cues to the athlete's learning style.
Taking the individualization theme a bit further, it's important to realize that all athletes have different learning styles when it comes to acquiring new movement pattern. Some are kinesthetic (need to be put in a position), some are auditory (just need to be told what to do), and others are visual (need to watch you demonstrate it). Being able to taylor your coaching style to their learning style - and not the other way around - is a great way to build rapport with athletes early on.
4. Overdeliver.
My good friend Pat Rigsby always talks about how the most successful long-term businesses are built on the concept of value addition rather than value extraction. In other words, it's always best to find ways to go above and beyond to improve a client or athlete's experience. As an example in the Cressey Performance world, I have a very good network in the college baseball world. And, while we would never advertise that we help kids find schools, I've lost count of how many times I've put kids in touch with coaching staffs at schools that interest them. Having a go-between expedites the recruiting process and helps them to get their questions answered. We've donated training sessions to charity auctions, hosted BBQs for clients, and even written letters of recommendation for jobs, college, and med school for clients. We aren't expected to do so; we're happy to do so. And, doing nice things for others makes you feel a lot better about yourself than just sitting around trying to figure out ways that you can raise your prices.
5. Build a team.
Building a team is the ultimate sign of humility, which is a quality that I think just about everyone on this planet admires. In surrounding yourself with people who have complementary skill sets to your own, you're recognizing that you aren't a genuis on every single topic, but will always go out of your way to find the best possible answer to their questions. People who try to "go it alone" often think that they're offering a superior service, but in reality, they just haven't recognized how much better their offering could be if they surround themselves with bright people who can bring the collective "brain power" up a notch. Athletes don't want to hang out with people who think they know everything; they'd rather be surrounded by a team that'll help them get to where they want to be.
6. Be a friend - and that means being accessible.
I once heard a story about a training facility owner telling one of his staff members, "You're not here to make friends." It made me want to vomit.
If you want to be successful in the world of training athletes, don't just expect to be a guy who can punch the clock and still thrive. Remember that in the training world, we work while others play - so that means others work while we play. In other words, you might get phone calls, text messages, or emails from athletes with questions when you don't think you're "on the clock." And, while you don't need to be available at 3AM every night just in case, you should appreciate that making time for athletes outside of your normal "hours" can often pay off 100-fold down the road in terms of their buy-in to your programs. If they know you're heavily invested in their success, they'll be invested in it, too.
These are obviously only six thoughts that first came to mind on the topic, but I'd love to hear your comments below. What other ways can coaches and trainers increase the likelihood that athletes and clients "buy in?"
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I'm a firm believer that deloads - or planned periods of reduced training volume or intensity - are an important concept to understand if you're looking to get optimal results with your strength and conditioning programs. In fact, I thought it was so important that I wrote an entire 20-page e-book on the subject.
That's not to say, however, that I think absolutely everyone needs to worry about incorporating deloading periods, though. In fact, I think there are several scenarios in which they aren't necessary. Read on.
1. You train less than three times per week.
If you want to deload, you actually need to load first. That's hard to do when you're only getting to the gym 1-2 times per week.
A while back, Dr. John Berardi talked about the importance of getting in six hours of activity each week even just for general health and maintaining or enhancing one's fitness; I've definitely seen this duration to be an appropriate target for folks. If you're a 4x/week strength training guy, you usually hit this number, if you figure 75 minutes per training session, plus a bit of additional activity throughout the week. And, even if you only lift 3x/week, you're still going to get very close, as the full-body sessions tend to run a bit longer. If you're only 2x/week, you're going to be at least three hours short on the week. Adding in more deload time to an already deloaded schedule would be silly.
The obvious exception to this rule would be in-season athletes doing their strength training at a reduced frequency. These individuals are, of course, accumulating a lot of other physical activity from their sports. They'd still want to reduce volume or intensity a bit in the weight room every 4-6 weeks, because you can't count on your "sporting volume" ever dropping predictably during the season.
2. You're a complete beginner.
The great thing about being a beginner is that just about everything works. You could show up to the gym, do one set of preacher curls, then bang your head against the wall for 45 minutes and you'd still probably get bigger and stronger as long as you eat enough. My feeling is that if you can do "anything" to improve, you might as well do a lot of "anything" while you still can. Just dropping volume for the sake of dropping volume every few weeks isn't a good move, as you're likely missing out on a big window of adaptation.
Beginning lifters really aren't neurally efficient enough to impose a lot of fatigue. And, just as importantly, they actually need a lot of volume early on so that they can practice new movement patterns. Finally, on the psychology side of things, you never want to hold someone back too much when they're first starting with an exercise program. The immediate results are incredibly motivating, and if you cut volume back substantially, you run the risk fo them not coming back after a period away from the gym. Don't give them a chance to get disinterested.
In my e-book, The Art of the Deload, I outline a strategy for beginners to "deload without deloading." I call it the "Introduction Week Deload:"
This is best suited to beginners who need a chance to learn the movements with light weights.
It’s very simple: the set/rep parameters stay the same for the entire month, and the only thing that changes is the load utilized (lifter gets stronger). At the end of the month, you change exercises and stick with the same approach. You’ll find that in Week 1 of the new program, the beginner will be using markedly less intensity, as he or she will be cautious in feeling out the new movements.
You can “ease” into this transition by using “variation without change.” In other words, change the exercises, but don’t completely overhaul the nature of the movements. An example might be to switch from a neutral grip pull-up to a chin-up (supinated grip), or moving from dumbbell reverse lunges to walking dumbbell lunges.
3. Your program is predominantly corrective or rehabilitative in nature.
I know this might come as a shocker, and I really hate to burst your bubble, but side-lying clams don't impose enough fatigue to require a deload. Stop overthinking things!
Now, don't get me wrong: I'm a firm believer that lifting heavy stuff can be tremendously "corrective" in nature as long as it's done with correct technique. However, there are going to be times when it just isn't feasible to maintain a training effect in full. Imagine, for instance, what happens shortly after a shoulder surgery. If you're in a sling, you obviously can't do anything to load the affected side. You also can't deadlift or squat, and just getting into positions for exercises like barbell hip thrusts isn't going to happen. You have to be careful about exercises with arm swing, so dragging the sled (if you even have the equipment or space to do so) is potentially out. In other words, you're basically left training the other arm and then doing glute ham raises, leg curls, and leg extensions. We can do more at Cressey Performance because of our equipment selection, but most folks don't have that luxury at their commercial or home gyms.
That said, it would be incredibly hard to overtrain - or even overreach - with those implements and restrictions. So, there's no reason to cut back every fourth week just because you're supposed to do so. Besides, if you have surgery, you're going to be on the shelf for 10-14 days anyway, as you'll be hopped up on pain killers, short on sleep, and likely restricted from going to the gym in the short-term to minimize the risk of infection. There's no need to take more time off!
4. You have deloads within the week, rather than within the month.
This point actually piggybacks somewhat on point #1. Some lifters will have two more challenging training days during the week, and then supplement them with 2-3 lower intensity and volume sessions during that same week. In other words, rather than deload for an entire week every three weeks (7 out of 28 days), they'll deload a few days within each week (2/3 out of 7). With this approach, the "supercompensation" curve is less "up and down;" the highs aren't as high, and the lows aren't as low. However, this often yields a consistent upward and more linear trend in fitness gains.
In my opinion, it is an approach that is much more sensitive to outside factors. Getting poor sleep, or adding in travel demands can quickly throw you for a loop, whereas you can plan around these things a bit more when you deload for an extended period of time. You can either move the week-long deload up a bit, push it back slightly, or shorten it because you don't feel like you've loaded enough going into it. It's harder to have that same "loading flexiblity" within the week, as opposed to within the month.
Wrap-up
To reiterate, I think implementing strategic deloads is incredibly important for the intermediate and advanced lifter, and there are certainly many different ways to implement these periods. However, as you can tell, there are also definitely some scenarios when it's best to skip the deload period and keep on getting after it in the gym. Take a good look at your training program and experience - and then ask yourself how you're feeling - and you'll have your answer.
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Growing Left, Growing Right - I enjoyed this piece in the New York Times, as it was a sign that the mainstream media is catching on to the "normal asymmetries" discussions that are taking place in the fields of health and human performance.
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