I hope you've had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend. To kick it off, here's a little recommended reading and listening:

Relationship Between Range of Motion, Strength, Motor Control, Power, and the Tennis Serve in Competitive-Level Tennis Players: A Pilot Study - This research study was just published in the past few months, and it once again demonstrates that sagittal plane power exercises (e.g., broad jump) don't predict performance in rotational sport activities (e.g., tennis serve). I've been saying this for close to a decade: power is plane-specific! If you're looking for more details on this topic, here's where I first put it out there: What I Learned in 2010.

Andy McCloy on the Physical Preparation Podcast - I was a huge fan of Andy's first appearance on Mike Robertson's podcast, and this sequel didn't disappoint, either.

Frank Duffy on the Robby Row Show - Cressey Sports Performance coach Frank Duffy was a guest on Robby Rowland's podcast to discuss Functional Range Conditioning concepts and how we apply them with our baseball players.

Top Tweet of the Week

This is the point in the offseason when some players realize that "Just rest it" turned out to be bad advice. Rest might help to resolve the medical diagnosis (pathology), but it won't do anything to resolve the underlying movement diagnosis that actually caused the pathology.

— Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) November 19, 2018

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When it comes to scapulohumeral rhythm (how the shoulder blade and upper arm collaborate), “smooth” is the name of the game. This is why we want our yoga push-ups to be one polished movement instead of two separate segments (push-up to downward dog). Thanks to @mattsolter for the demo! #cspfamily

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Nov 25, 2018 at 10:18am PST

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I hope your weekend is off to a good start. It's been a while since I published a compilation here, so there was quite a bit to sift through. Here's a little recommended reading and listening from around the 'net.

10 Tips for Better Sleep - This solid article from the crew at Examine.com includes a lot of strategies that are easy to implement.

Kelly Starrett on Building the Mobility WOD Empire - I'm a big fan of both Kelly and Mike Robertson (who interviewed him), so this podcast was a win/win for me.

How Environment Shapes Training Success - An interaction with a client earlier this week reminded me of this post I wrote up last year.

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If I had to estimate, I’d say the landmine press offers 90% of the benefits of overhead pressing - plus some unique benefits of its own. And, it does so at a fraction of the shoulder health risk. And contrary to popular belief, you can load it up for some heavier work w/low reps. pic.twitter.com/SLXh4f7HcQ

— Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) October 20, 2018

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The hips deliver the hand. @tylerbeede15 #cspfamily

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Oct 26, 2018 at 8:06am PDT

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It's been pretty quiet here on the blog of late, as we've been really crazy with the CSP Fall Seminar, our Business Building Mentorship, loads of pro baseball guys starting up their offseason, and us moving the family down to Florida for the offseason. While there hasn't been a lot of time for new content, I do have some good recommendations from around the 'Net for you:

CSP Fall Seminar Live Tweet Stream - Andrew Lysy (one of our coaches at CSP-MA) live Tweeting bits and pieces of the presentations from this past weekend, and there are some great nuggets in there. You can follow along with them at https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSPFS2018?src=hash

How to Build an Aerobic Base with Mobility Circuits - I wrote this blog three years ago, and it seemed like a good time to reincarnate it, as this is the time of year when we're incorporating these strategies with a lot of our MLB guys as they get back in action in the weight room.

EC on the Robby Row Show - If you're interested in baseball development, check out this podcast I did with Robby Rowland.

3 Loading Types You've Likely Never Heard Of - This was an awesome guest post from Chris Merritt for Mike Robertson's website.

Top Tweet of the Week

I dislike the "take a month off" recommendation for athletes at season's end. Training shouldn't be an "all in" or "all out" decision; there are many levels of involvement, & the lowest tiers can be very impactful. Pick the lowest hanging fruit in the 1st month of the offseason.

— Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) October 4, 2018

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The steel clubs are a great option for training pronation and supination both concentrically and eccentrically. It’s an important inclusion for building up some of the soft tissue structures that protect the throwing elbow. Thanks to #nationals prospect @datdude_ster for the great demo. 💪 #cspfamily

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Sep 28, 2018 at 2:50pm PDT

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Happy Labor Day! I hope you're enjoying a long weekend with family and friends. In case you get a few quite minutes to catch up on some reading and listening, here are some good things to check out:

International Youth Conditioning Association High School Strength and Conditioning Certification - I was one of the contributors on this resource, and it's on sale for $100 off using the coupon code HSSCSFLASH through Tuesday at midnight.

9 Ways to Help People Change While Staying Within Your Scope - I thought Krista Scott-Dixon did an excellent job with this article for Precision Nutrition. As she notes, sometimes, the line between "coach" and "therapist" gets very blurred.

Stacey Hardin on Purposeful Collaboration in Pro Sports - I loved this podcast from Mike Robertson, who interviewed Stacey Hardin of the Minnesota United soccer club. There was some great information on how sports medicine teams should collaborate for the best care for the athletes they serve.

Forget About Squat Depth - This was an excellent JL Holdsworth article about why squat depth should be individualized to each lifter.

Top Tweet of the Week

Putting a baseball team through a bunch of military training to try to build mental toughness doesn’t make you a good leader. On the contrary, it actually makes you an underwhelming exercise physiologist, biomechanist, and sports psychologist. So much for specificity of training.

— Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) September 1, 2018

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The adductors (groin muscles) have a complex structure, but a solid knowledge of functional anatomy in two specific regards can help you to keep these tissues healthy. 👇 First, stretching into abduction alone isn't enough. You have adductors that flex the hip, and others that extend the hip - so you have to account for both in your mobility work. Second, they have a large cross sectional area that runs from just above the knee all the way up to the pelvis, so you need to use both broad and specific approaches to self myofascial release. Swipe left to check out some approaches you can implement to cover all your bases. 👍 1️⃣Adductor Rolling w/Med Ball on Table: Just don’t make eye contact with anyone while doing this one. 2️⃣Adductor/Ab Rolling on Lacrosse Ball: You’re working on the adductor tendons as they attach on the pubis (bottom of the pelvis). 3️⃣Split-Stance Kneeling Adductor Mobilizations: Stretch the hip into both flexion and extension without substituting low back motion. 4️⃣Half-Kneeling Adductor Dips: This “open” position can be more comfortable for those with limitations to hip internal rotation. This option also provides ankle mobility benefits. 5️⃣Split-Stance Hip Abduction End-Range Lift-offs: Here’s a good @functionalrangeconditioning inspired movement to build some motor control at end-range hip abduction to make ROM changes “stick.” Don’t let the hip “fall out.” 6️⃣Lateral Lunge w/Band Overhead Reach: Get the arms overhead without arching the lower back to integrate some core stability with your hip mobility changes. 💪 Give these a shot and let me know how they went in the comments below! #cspfamily

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Aug 22, 2018 at 5:43am PDT

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I hope you had a great week. Just in case you didn't, here's some good recommended reading/listening to kick off your weekend on the right foot.

So You're Considering Putting Your Name on Your Business? - This is awesome stuff from my business partner, Pete Dupuis, who discusses why having the name "Cressey" in "Cressey Sports Performance" has led to some challenges.

Max Scherzer wasn't predestined for greatness but has a hard-earned Hall of Fame Case - Chelsea Janes wrote this outstanding piece on CSP athlete Max Scherzer for the Washington Post. There are loads of great lessons in there for up-and-coming athletes.

Joe Kenn on Coaching in the NFL and Chasing Simplicity - Mike Robertson recorded this outstanding podcast with one of the most experienced guys in the strength and conditioning field today.

Top Tweet of the Week

At @CresseySP, we’ve seen athletes from midddle school all the way through to pro careers. Huge differentiating factor w/these guys? Consistency. They train during the season & never miss training sessions. Might not always be steady linear progress, but there’s never regression.

— Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) July 17, 2018

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Parenting tip: if you kid is slow, don’t put up a sign advertising it. Instead, get him to start lifting, doing plyos, and sprinting. And clean up that terrible jazz hands arm action. 😂 #cspfamily #hudsonma #semicolonneeded #grammarpolice

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Jul 12, 2018 at 5:16am PDT

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I hope you all had a great holiday week. Here's some recommended reading and listening from around the 'net over the past week:

The Best Team Wins - This was an awesome recommendation from my buddy Josh Bonhothal. Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton provide some outstanding strategies for both sports team settings and businesses alike. The section on Baby Boomers vs. Generation Xers vs. Millenials was particularly fascinating.

Matej Hocevar on the Physical Preparation Podcast - Matej is an absolutely awesome guy with a wealth of information to share, and this podcast is an excellent example. He was also an amazing host to my wife and me when we visited Slovenia a few years ago.

7 Ways to Increase Your Training Density - I reincarnated this post from the archives earlier in the week and it was a hit, so I wanted to give it a mention here as well.

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If throwers try too hard to drive early arm speed, they may give up the core create a late arm action that sprays balls up & arm side (or accidental cutters). We coach athletes: “allow the hips to deliver the hand.” Here’s one of our favorite exercises to teach this patterning. pic.twitter.com/vKRTCsCcFr

— Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) July 5, 2018

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Lat strains don't happen because the lats are weak. They happen because they're heavily overused with imbalanced lifting programs, poorly executed arm care, everyday breathing, and faulty core stabilization patterns. And guys are throwing wicked hard. Lat pulldowns won't fix this. #cspfamily

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Jun 28, 2018 at 4:39am PDT

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It's been a quiet week here on the blog because I'm still recovering from last week's Sturdy Shoulder Solutions product launch and the barrage of college athletes who are all starting up at CSP at the same time. Luckily, I do have some good content from around the 'net for you:

Pat Rigsby on Building Your Ideal Fitness Business - Pat Rigsby is the man. I got this email from Mike Robertson in my inbox this morning and cleared time in my schedule to listen to this podcast right away. He always has great business insights for fitness professionals.

10 Strength and Conditioning Lessons from Friends, Mentors, and Colleagues - This is a great compilation from my buddy Todd Hamer, who's been a mainstay in the college strength and conditioning field for as long as I can remember.

Lessons Learned from a Bum Elbow - I posted this story on my Facebook page the other day, and there are a lot of lessons in here for fitness professionals and rehabilitation specialists, especially those who deal with throwing athletes.

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If the shoulder blade is going one way while the arm goes in the other direction, you're going to run into problems. This athlete's shoulder discomfort goes away when the shoulder blade is guided away from the spine and into upward rotation. Learn more: https://t.co/ZOKzZlG02e pic.twitter.com/FaVKzWclmk

— Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) June 10, 2018

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First trip to Yankee Stadium. Great to see the guys. Thanks to @oneilstrength for being a stellar tour guide and elite Yankee historian. #cspfamily

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Jun 13, 2018 at 3:34pm PDT

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I hope you're having a great week. Stay tuned to EricCressey.com, as we started up my spring sale yesterday and will be running it for a good chunk of May. The first product featured is...

Understanding and Coaching the Anterior Core - This presentation covers an incredibly important topic, and is now on sale for 40% off. Just enter the coupon code SPRING (all CAPS) at checkout to apply the discount. This is some great continuing education material for under $9.

The Physical Preparation Podcast with John O'Neil - Cressey Sports Performance - Massachusetts Director of Performance John O'Neil hopped on Mike Robertson's podcast to long-term athletic development in baseball players. There are some great pearls of wisdom for anyone who works with middle and high school athletes.

Caffeine Consumption: How Much is Safe? - The crew at Examine.com pulled together some of the latest research on caffeine consumption to outline how much is considered safe for various individuals across the population.

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How to Win 99% of High School Baseball Games: https://t.co/FDjbLCQbVw pic.twitter.com/xOR02rkc1z

— Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) May 7, 2018

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Half-kneeling adductor dips are a good way to work on groin mobility in those who might not have great hip internal rotation. You can also try it with a kettlebell or dumbbell in the goblet set-up position as a counterbalance. #cspfamily

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on May 5, 2018 at 10:08am PDT

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I hope you're having a great week. Here's some recommended reading from around the 'net to finish it off on a high note.

11 Deadlifting Tips - I contributed to this deadlift compilation for T-Nation, and it covers this big lift from a number of different perspectives.

The Biggest Change in Strength Coaching - This quick post from Dave Tate was spot-on with where I see the industry headed in future years.

Vernon Griffith on Communication, Mindset, and Lasting Impact in Youth Athletics - I love learning from coaches who understand how to get through to athletes and create long-term positive changes. This podcast is a great example.

Top Tweet of the Week

Kluber's used weighted balls for 8 yrs. Scherzer's never thrown one. That's 5 Cy Youngs respectfully at odds on a hot topic in the baseball world - & they're different in other ways, too. There's no one way to become the best pitcher on the planet; find what works best for YOU. pic.twitter.com/B0iwjQ1qjz

— Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) April 25, 2018

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When we coach our overhead medicine ball stomp variations, I never want athletes to try to "deaden" the rebound by catching the ball as it comes right off the floor. This approach is shown in the video on the right, and you'll notice that I'm already in deceleration mode (in anticipation of "protecting" against the rebound) rather than powering through the entire range of motion. Contrast it to the better technique on the left, where I just "let it eat" and then "regroup" with a catch at torso height. 👇 Another downside to trying to stop the rebound closer to the floor is that it markedly increases the likelihood that you'll jam a thumb. And, where there really aren't any benefits to stopping the rebound lower down, it's really not worth the risk. #cspfamily

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Apr 30, 2018 at 5:03pm PDT

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I hope you're having a great week. Just in case you need some help getting over Hump Day, here's some good reading to brighten your mood:

Should You Squat Tall Athletes? - This was an absolutely outstanding blog from Mike Robertson.

Practical Solutions for Back Pain Relief - My good friend Dana Santas recently released this user friendly book that draws on decades of experience of incorporating yoga the right way.

Three Awesome Mobility Drills That Will Make You a Pain-Free Golfer - This is some excellent stuff from Cressey Sports Performance coach Frank Duffy, who heads up not only our strength camps, but also our weekly Kinstretch classes.

Top Tweet of the Week

Want a better vertical jump? 3 ways to improve:
A) put more force into ground
B) put force into ground quicker
C) be less fat
Most people only focus on "A" & "B" - & they're often the athletes w/brutal diets. Lean out while maintaining peak power & you'll jump through the roof.

— Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) April 8, 2018

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Hey @benbrunotraining, I wore this for my training session today, but still felt mediocre. Is my shirt defective? #brunostrong #cspfamily

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Apr 9, 2018 at 9:15am PDT

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