Home Posts tagged "Mike Reinold"

Making Movement Better: Positions vs. Pressures

About 15 years ago, I attended a two-day course with Dr. William Brady, a well respected chiropractor and manual therapist in the Boston area. During the event, he said this:

"Biomechanics is a combination of physics and biology. Put another way, it is the study of load applied to human tissue."

It was the most succinct and encompassing definition of biomechanics that I'd heard, so I frantically scribbled it down in my notes - and I've had it in the back of my mind to this day each time I've evaluated movement.

Assessments are very important. However, they're always limited in their scope, especially when an assessment is scaled back to a quicker "screen."

Just because someone has good passive range of motion on a table doesn't mean that they'll be able to pick that ROM up actively or demonstrate it in a weight-bearing athletic movement at higher speeds with higher forces.

Further, just because they look good at higher speeds with higher forces doesn't mean that there isn't an element of stress in the system that we can't appreciate.

And finally, that stress may be highly variable based on a wide variety of factors, both intrinsic (e.g., accumulated fatigue, growth spurts) and extrinsic (e.g., environmental conditions, terrain).

Tons of athletes can get to positions like this, but how many can do so safely - and repeatedly?

When I talk with athletes and review video, I always make sure that I'm discussing both positions and pressures. Range-of-motion is part of the discussion, but ground reaction forces and how we create stiffness via airflow/intra-abdominal pressure, neuromuscular recruitment, and the fascial system can't be overlooked.

This is why the industry-wide trend toward more comprehensive information gathering is invaluable. We've always had our classic orthopedic posture and ROM tests, usually paired with less-than-functional dynamometer strength measurements and some provocative tests to rule out the bad stuff. Now, though, we've got things like force plates to look at how we interact with the ground. And we've got the Proteus, which I've called a "rotational force plate" to help us determine how those ground reaction forces eventually work their way up the chain.

We've got far more tools for evaluating body composition, sleep quality, heart rate, fatigue status, workload, and much, much more. So, it's a very exciting time - but only if we appreciate that both positions and pressures matter.

Many of these principles are espoused in Mike Reinold and my Functional Stability Training series, so I'd encourage you to check them out if you'd like to dig deeper.

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The Best of 2020: Podcasts

We launched the Elite Baseball Development Podcast in 2019, but 2020 was the first full year we had it available. In all, we released 41 episodes in 2020 - and I learned a ton from some great guests. That said, here are our top five episodes from the year:

1. Optimizing Rotational Power with Dr. Greg Rose - Greg talks about evaluating and training rotational power across multiple sports. We also delve into programming and coaching strategies, and long-term athletic development in different athletic populations.

2. Mobility Methods with Dana Santas - Dana speaks about how to fine-tune methods of improving mobility. She also highlights common mistakes baseball players make when implementing yoga.

3. Helping Hitters to Higher Ground with Doug Latta - Doug contributes some great thoughts on hitting set-up, mechanics, and approach.

4. Speed Training in Baseball with Lee Taft - Lee discusses baseball movement competencies and how to coach them. CSP-MA Director of Performance John O'Neil takes the lead as a guest host.

5. Tackling Controversial Throwing Topics with Mike Reinold - In this episode, Mike and I take on two controversial topics in the world of managing throwers: the sleeper stretch and weighted baseballs. Mike and I collaborate to discuss whether they belong in your training and rehabilitation programs, and if so, how?

We're back to the regular EricCressey.com content this upcoming week. Thanks for all your support in 2020! We've got some great stuff planned for 2021.

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CSP Elite Baseball Development Podcast: Tackling Controversial Throwing Topics with Mike Reinold

We're excited to welcome physical therapist Mike Reinold to this week's podcast. Mike has extensive experience working with baseball players. In this episode, we take on two controversial topics in the world of managing throwers: the sleeper stretch and weighted baseballs. Mike and I collaborate to discuss whether they belong in your training and rehabilitation programs, and if so, how?

In lieu of a sponsor for this podcast, we're instead going to highlight our Functional Stability Training sale that's ongoing. Through this Sunday at midnight, you can get 25% off on this popular series with coupon code ALLSTAR2022 at www.FunctionalStability.com.

Show Outline

  • Why baseball players lose internal rotation in their throwing shoulder
  • Why professionals should care more about total range of motion at the shoulder as opposed to just ER vs. IR
  • How Mike teaches professionals to assess shoulder range of motion and what common mistakes are being made when testing for this information
  • How clinical research has progressed our understanding of the loss of IR in throwing shoulders and how previous notions (such as a thickening of the posterior capsule) could not be further from the truth
  • Why giving baseball players more internal rotation may not be the answer for building healthy arms and why this strategy may cause more harm than good in throwing populations
  • What Mike’s thoughts on the sleeper stretch are and how his perspective on the drill have evolved since the beginning of his career
  • What is happening mechanically at the shoulder joint during the sleeper stretch
  • What the true occurrence of internal rotation deficit cases in Mike’s practice is and how he goes about resolving the issue
  • Why there is so much hype about weighted balls and how can we implement them safely in athletes’ throwing programs
  • What Mike’s research demonstrated with respect to weighted balls and what insights can we gain from Mike’s breakdown of the study and its execution
  • What specific physical adaptations throwing weighted balls creates and how the weight of the balls thrown impacts these outcomes
  • What immediate physical changes throwing weighted balls creates and how these changes may increase the risk for injury
  • Why athletes need to be well-trained and prepared to withstand the stress of throwing weighted balls before looking to push the limits of their physiology
  • How injuries in baseball have evolved from repetitive to traumatic and why the next generation of baseball is in danger
  • Why the answer for the abuse of arms across baseball calls for the education of coaches and how we can continue to find the right balance in throwing volume, frequency, and intensity for our athletes

You can follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeReinold and on Instagram at @MikeReinold, and learn more about Functional Stability Training at www.FunctionalStability.com. Again, the coupon code for 25% off is MLB2020EC.

Podcast Feedback

If you like what you hear, we'd be thrilled if you'd consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.

And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.

Thank you for your continued support!

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Movement vs. Medical Diagnoses

Recently, during my weekly Instagram Q&A, I received this question:

"Have you ever dealt with valgus extension overload syndrome and how?"

My initial response was, "Absolutely - and with every single overhead throwing athlete I've ever encountered."

You see, "valgus extension overload" simply described the two most common injury mechanisms in throwers. Your elbow can get hurt at lay-back (max shoulder external rotation) or full elbow extension. This terminology doesn't describe a specific tissue pathology, nor an underlying movement competency that is insufficient and therefore allowing an individual to become symptomatic. To me, it's a completely incomplete "diagnosis." Let's dig deeper.

You have medical diagnoses and movement diagnoses. Both are important.

A medical diagnosis might be a rotator cuff tear, MCL sprain, or tibial fracture. These deviations speak directly to the damaged tissue and relate the severity of this structural change.

A movement diagnosis (popularized by physical therapist Shirley Sahrmann) might be scapular downward rotation syndrome, femoral anterior glide syndrome, or lumbar extension-rotation syndrome. These diagnoses speak to the deviation from normal movement that’s observed.

At times, both types of diagnoses are bastardized.

On the medical side, examples would include “shoulder impingement,” “shin splints,” and “valgus-extension overload.” All of these flawed medical diagnoses speak to a region of the body, but not a specific structure.

On the movement side, examples would be vague things like “weak posterior chain,” “scapular dyskinesis,” or “poor stability.” They don’t speak to the specific movement competencies that need to be improved.

I'm all for simplifying things as much as possible. However, diagnosis is an area where oversimplifying is completely inappropriate. Diagnosis is what establishes the road map for the journey you're about to begin - so make sure to eliminate any guesswork in this regard, whether it's on the medical or movement side of things.

Perhaps nowhere in the sports medicine world is the movement vs. medical diagnosis discussion more of a consideration than in the discussion of thoracic outlet syndrome, a challenging "diagnosis of exclusion." I recently released a course discussing this complex topic, and I'd strongly encourage you to check it out if you'd like to take a deep dive into upper extremity functional anatomy. You can learn more HERE.

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Strength and Conditioning Stuff You Should Read: 7/13/18

Happy Friday the 13th! Hopefully none of this recommended reading is bad luck.

ASMI Injuries in Baseball Course - Mike Reinold just put this great course on sale, and it's an absolute steal compared to what you would have had to pay to travel and attend it. There's some excellent information from some of the top baseball sports medicine professionals in the world, so I'd call it "must watch" for anyone who trains or treats baseball players. It's on sale for 50% off through this Sunday (the discount is automatically applied). You can check it out HERE.

The 11 Best Books for Smart Meatheads - T-Nation pulled together this compilation of reading recommendations from several of its contributions. My recommendation was (without hesitation) Legacy

Make the Back Squat Feel and Look Better - This was an outstanding guest post from Dr. Nicholas Licameli for Tony Gentilcore's site. It's a longer read, but well worth it, as it's super thorough and links out to some good additional reading/viewing.

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I used my last set of pull-ups the other day as a tutorial on one of the most common mistakes I see. 👇 Compare the first four reps (correct) with the last four reps (intentionally incorrect). 🤔 You'll notice that on the good ones, there is good scapular movement on the rib cage through upward and downward rotation, and no forward head posture. The elbows don't dive behind the midline of the body, either. 👍 On the last four reps, notice how the elbows dive back and the scapula "dumps" forward into anterior tilt. This puts a lot more stress on the front of the shoulder. Additionally, this goes hand-in-hand with the head jutting forward (upper cervical extension). This faulty head/neck/scapula positioning under load is one reason why you'll frequently see people tweak their necks doing pull-ups. 👎 Pull-ups can be an amazing exercise, but just make sure 1️⃣the neck is in neutral; 2️⃣the shoulder blades are rotating up/down and not tilting forward/back; and 3️⃣the elbows aren't shooting too far back.👏#cspfamily #sturdyshouldersolutions

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The Best of 2017: Product Reviews

To wrap up my “Best of 2017″ series, I’ll highlight the top product reviews I did at this site in the last year. Here they are:

1. Complete Sports Conditioning - This resource from Mike Boyle is top notch, and he does a great job of simplifying complex topics for up-and-coming strength and conditioning coaches. Since it was the most popular product I reviewed this year, I reached out to Mike to see if he'd be up for running a quick promo sale for my readers, and he kindly agreed. From now through January 3, you can get $100 off on the resource. No coupon code is needed; just head HERE.

2. American Sports Medicine Institute Injuries in Baseball Course - Mike Reinold compiled this great list of webinars from accomplished surgeons and rehabilitation specialists to create an excellent sports medicine resource for those in the baseball world.

3. L2 Fitness Summit Video Series - Dean Somerset and Dr. Mike Israetel released this video of a one-day seminar back in November, Dean offers a nice glimpse into some assessment components that go beyond typical movement screens, and Mike's presentation on hypertrophy mechanisms and strategies was insightful as well. These are some seemingly minimally-related topics, but they did a good job of pulling everything together.

Also in 2017, the Cressey Sports Performance team released CSP Innovations. This resource highlighted a collection of different topics from the CSP staff, so there's something for everyone at a price much cheaper than attending a seminar.

We're back to the regular EricCressey.com content this week. Thanks for all your support in 2017!

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Making Sense of Bad Rehab and Fitness Advice

"Don't assume; it makes an ASS out of U and ME." It's one of the most hackneyed expressions of all time, but it's a lesson many folks in the fitness industry - and casual observers to this industry - will never seem to learn. Assuming an exercise or methodology will help or hurt someone is one of the biggest mistakes I see across all training programs. Perhaps the most readily apparent example is in individuals with back pain.

“Your back hurts? You should try yoga.”

“Back pain? Just give up squats and deadlifts and only do single-leg work instead.”

"Your low back is cranky? Try McKenzie press-ups and it'll fix you right up."

You know what? I’ve seen people whose back pain got considerably worse when they took up yoga. I’ve also seen people whose low backs feel better when they avoid single-leg work and stay with bilateral exercises like the deadlift. And I've seen extension-intolerant individuals integrate McKenzie press-ups on a friend's recommendation and flare up their symptoms.

That doesn't mean any of these recommendations are inherently bad, or that the ones giving the recommendations aren't well intentioned. It's just that you're going to a podiatrist to get dental advice; it isn't a qualified recommendation, nor is it backed by a solid sample size of success.

Sometimes, the exercise selection is the problem (the wrong yoga poses).

Other times, it’s the technique is the problem (your squat form is horrific).

Occasionally, the timing is the problem (disc pain is worst first thing in the morning, so it's probably not the time to test out deadlifting for the first time in six months.

Often, the volume is the problem (maybe it would have been good to run 1/2 mile pain-free before trying to jog ten miles).

Rarely does an entire discipline (ALL of yoga or ALL of strength training) need to be contraindicated.

We need to avoid assuming that all back pain is the same and instead dig deeper to find out what works for each individual. The same can be said for shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, necks, and just about every other musculoskeletal malady we encounter. Good assessment and a solid library of knowledge from which to draw both help to solidify recommendations as sound.

 

Here, we basically have a missing infraspinatus. That's your largest - and likely most important - rotator cuff muscle. It's secondary to a suprascapular cyst. I usually see 1-2 of these in professional pitchers each offseason, and while most are usually completely asymptomatic, it has a dramatic impact on the way we approach their offseason arm care programs. We want to them to REMAIN pain-free. 😮 Here, we also have a friendly reminder of why you should always, always, always do upper extremity assessments shirtless (or in a tank top/sports bra, with females) if you deal with overhead athletes. 🤔 Never miss a big rock with your assessments. Know your population. #cspfamily #shoulderhealth #shoulderpain #rotatorcuff #SportsMedicine

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Injuries and conditions are usually very multifactorial. We rarely hurt simply from an isolated traumatic incident; rather, it's the accumulation of various aberrant movements over the course of time that bring us to a symptomatic threshold. And that's why we need to build broad skillsets that encompass assessments, programming strategies, coaching cues, and an appreciation for how all the pieces fit together in determining whether someone hurts or not.

That's what Mike Reinold and I aimed to do with our Functional Stability Training resources; give both rehabilitation specialists and strength and conditioning professionals the tools they need to help keep people healthy - or, in the clinical sense, help them get healthy in the first place. This four-part series is on sale for 25% off through Monday at midnight by using the coupon code BF2022 at checkout; for more information, check out www.FunctionalStability.com.


 

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Strength and Conditioning Stuff You Should Read: 11/20/17

I hope you had a great weekend. Before I get to the recommended reading for the week, I wanted to give you a heads-up that with it being Thanksgiving week, we're kicking off our Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales early so that you have an entire week to take advantage of them. From now though Monday, November 27, you can get 25% off on any (or all) of the Functional Stability Training resources from Mike Reinold and me. You can check them out at www.FunctionalStability.com. No coupon code is necessary.

6 Principles to Improve Your Coaching - Speaking of Functional Stability Training, here's an excerpt from the latest offering on this front, FST: Optimizing Movement.

NFL Teams Address Fatigue Factor - We've worked a lot with Fatigue Science to monitor sleep quantity and quality with our athletes, and this article goes into detail on how they're impacted NFL teams as well.

Why We Use End-Range Lift-off - Cressey Sports Performance coach Frank Duffy discusses how to build active control of your passive range of motion.

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Strength and Conditioning Stuff You Should Read: 6/19/17

I hope you all had a great Father's Day! It was my third one as a Dad, and I was fortunate to get in some reading and viewing during nap time so that I had material for this week's recommended resources! Check them out:

ASMI Injuries in Baseball Course - Mike Reinold just made this great course available online, and it's an absolute steal compared to what you would have to pay to travel and attend it. There's some excellent information from some of the top baseball sports medicine professionals in the world, so I'd call it "must watch" for anyone who trains or treats baseball players. It's on sale for $100 off through this weekend.  

Why are there so many MLB hamstrings injuries? - Lindsay Berra of MLB.com tackled this big injury topic with some help from Cressey Sports Performance - Florida's co-founder, Shane Rye.

4 Ways to Build Confidence for Powerlifting - I loved this article from Tony Bonvechio, who works with the women's powerlifting team at CSP. So few people pay attention to the mental side of lifting success, but this article delves into it nicely. I'll add another recommendation to go with it: Rookie Reminders is an interview withs several successful powerlifters on all the things to remember before your first meet. Picking the brains of those who've competed before you is one more way to build confidence in this regard. 

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Strength and Conditioning Stuff You Should Read: 3/31/17

It's almost MLB Opening Day, which is just about my favorite "holiday" of the year. With that in mind, Mike Reinold and I decided to put our Functional Stability Training products on sale for 20% off. Using the coupon code MLBFST, you can pick up the individual components or get an even bigger discount on the entire bundle.

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This sale runs through Monday at midnight; head to www.FunctionalStability.com to take advantage of it.

Good vs. Bad Stiffness - With FST on sale, I thought it would be a good time to "reincarnate" this webinar except from my presentation in the Optimizing Movement component. Relative stiffness is an important concept for all fitness and rehabilitation professionals to understand.

Cryotherapy Doesn't Work - This was an excellent post from Dean Somerset on the topic of icing. It's a great follow-up to the two-part series Tavis Bruce authored up for us last year, too, so be sure to check those out: Cryotherapy and Exercise Recovery: Part 1 and Part 2.

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Work, Sleep, Family, Fitness, or Friends: Pick 3 - This was an interesting article at Inc.com on the topic of balancing life's demands. It resonated with me because it was another good reminder that it's our job as fitness professionals to make people realize they CAN still be fit even if they don't have a ton of time. And, fitness might be a great avenue through which to spend time with family and friends, so it can "check a few boxes" in folks' busy lives.

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LEARN HOW TO DEADLIFT
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