Here are a few good reads from a variety of disciplines:
Organic vs. Kind of Organic vs. Wait, I'm Confused - This was a great blog post by Tony Gentilcore that tells you everything you ought to know (but might not want to know) about organic food.
Clean Eating Gone Wrong - Another great post, this one from Dr. John Berardi. It just goes to show you that being on the money with your nutrition can quickly and easily hit the fan.
Blood and Chalk: Jim Wendler Talks Big Weights - Jim is a great dude and one of the most amusing guys you'll encounter in this industry; he's always got something funny, but incredibly valuable to say. Check out this interview with him at T-Muscle.
What the experts are saying about The Truth About Unstable Surface Training…
“Unstable surface training is many times misunderstood and misinterpeted in both the physical therapy and athletic performance fields. The Truth About Unstable Surface Training e-book greatly clarifies where unstable surface training strategically fits into an overall program of injury prevention, warm-up/activation, and increasing whole body strength. If you are a physical therapist, athletic trainer, or strength training professional, The Truth About Unstable Surface Training gives you a massive amount of evidence-based ammunition for your treatment stockpile.”
Shon Grosse PT, ATC, CSCS
Comprehensive Physical Therapy
Colmar, PA
Click here for more information on The Truth About Unstable Surface Training.
Subscriber-Only Q&AQ: I have a question about your 22 More Random Thoughts article from October of 2008 on T-Nation. In the stretch for the hips found above #10, I can't tell is that athlete bridging or are the hips on the ground. Also, can you please explain exactly what is stretched and how a little bit about how it corrects out-toeing of the feet?
A: Sure, no problem. Here's the lying knee-to-knee stretch, for those readers who missed the original article:
First off, it's a stretch for the hip external rotators, and the athlete is not bridging up. However, it's also useful to do the stretch in a more hips-extended position, as a small percentage of athletes will feel it more in that position. To perform this stretch, we'll do the exact same position, but have the athlete set up atop a stability ball (which keeps the femurs in a more extended position).
Poor hip internal rotation range-of-motion is something you'll see quite frequently in soccer players, hockey players, and powerlifters, as all spend a considerable amount of time in hip external rotation. Likewise, I monitor this closely with all my baseball pitchers, as front leg hip internal rotation deficit is a huge problem for pitchers. When the front hip opens up too soon because of these muscular restrictions, the arm lags behind the body (out of the scapular plane). As such, it isn't uncommon for pitchers with elbow and/or shoulder pain to present with a significant hip internal rotation deficit.
There is also a considerable amount of research to suggest that hip rotation deficits - and particularly, hip internal rotation deficits - are highly correlated with low back pain. There was a great guest blog post at Mike Reinold's blog recently that highlights all this research; you can check it out HERE. My personal experience with hundreds of people who have come my way with back pain overwhelmingly supports this "theory" (if you can even call it that). It's my firm belief that this is one of the primary reasons Mike Robertson and I have gotten so much great feedback on our Magnificent Mobility DVD from folks who have seen a reduction (or altogether elmination) in back pain. Teach folks to move at the hips (particularly in rotation) instead of the lumbar spine, and whatever's going on in their low backs calms down.
Our goal is a minimum of 40 degrees of hip internal rotation. This is measured in the seated position (hips flexed to 90 degrees).
In addition to the classes of athletes I mentioned earlier, we also need to watch out for hip internal rotation deficit (HIRD) in the general population because of what happens further down the kinetic chain. We all know that overpronation at the subtalar join is a big problem for a lot of folks. This can occur because of a collection of factors, from poor footwear (too much heel lift), to muscular weakness (more on this in a second), to mobility deficits (particularly at the ankle), to congenital factors (flat feet). To understand how pronation affects the hip external rotators, you'll need to listen to a brief synopsis of subtalar joint function...
During the gait cycle, the subtalar joint pronates, to aid in deceleration. Basically, the foot flattens out to give us a bigger base of support from which to cushion impact, and from there, we switch back over to supination to get a rigid foot from which to propel. The picture below shows what our foot looks like when we have too much pronation.
Here's where our hip gets involved. Physical therapist John Pallof once called the subtalar joint a "torque converter," and it really stuck with me. What that means is that while the subtalar joint allows motion in three planes for pronation/supination, it converts this motion into transverse plan motion where it interacts with the tibia. And, as you can imagine based on the picture above, when you pronate, you increase tibial internal rotation. This, in turn, increased femoral internal rotation. Taken all together, we realize that increasing pronation means that there is more tibial and femoral internal rotation to decelerate with each step, stride, or jump landing.
The hip external rotators are strong muscles with a big cross sectional area, so they can take on this burden. However, over time, they can get balled up from overuse. As a result, the hip will sit in a more externally rotated position all the time - and the feet simply come along for the ride. That said, as I wrote HERE, it isn't the only cause of this foot position, so be sure to assess thoroughly and individualize your recommendations.
Also, a quick side note, be careful using this stretch with individuals who have previously experienced medial knee injuries, as the valgus stress can be a bit too much for some folks.
New Blog ContentRandom Friday ThoughtsFor High School Pitchers, No Grace PeriodDoga? Seriously?CP Athlete Featured at Precision Nutrition
I encourage you to check out this Precision Nutrition Athlete Profile on Cressey Performance athlete and Oakland A's minor league pitcher Shawn Haviland. Shawn completely changed his body this off-season and had a nice velocity jump from 87-89 to 91-93mph - and he's off to a good start for the Kane County Cougars. A lot of this can be attributed to him making huge strides with improving his nutrition.
Have a great week!
EC
We see everything at Cressey Performance. While just about 70% of our clients are baseball players, we also have everything from Olympic bobsledders and boxers, to pro hockey players and triathletes, to 69-year-old men who bang out pull-ups like nobody's business.
Obviously, certain athletic populations have specific weaknesses that need to be addressed. Soccer and hockey players and powerlifters tend to have poor hip internal rotation. Basketball players don't have enough ankle mobility. Baseball pitchers need to pay more attention to scapular stability, posterior rotator cuff strength, and glenohumeral (shoulder) internal rotation range of motion.
Continue Reading...
In my line of work, I get to see a lot of pitching instructors and hitting coaches. Some have the unbelievable ability to really get through to kids and make them great. On the other hand, there are some that flat-out suck.
As I've seen these two ends of the spectrum, I've come to realize that the best guy to teach you a curveball is rarely the one who has had a dirty 12-to-6 breaking ball since he was in seventh grade. Rather, the guy that can teach you the most is the one who struggled with his curveball for years and tried everything to even turn it into a mediocre pitch.
Continue Reading...
I just received this email yesterday from a happy Maximum Strength customer:
"Eric,
"I just finished up with your Maximum Strength program and wanted to write you to let you know of the results. Before I get to the good stuff, I wanted to thank you for writing such a comprehensive strength training program. Not only was it challenging but it was also laid out in a format where it is easy to understand and follow. I have not stopped talking about this program for 16 weeks and now that I have the results, I have people getting ready to jump on the Maximum Strength bandwagon.
"Not only did I see an increase across the board in lifts and movements, but the soft tissue and mobility work opened up my hips and all but eliminated any IT band issues I was having previous to this. I started this program with the idea that the conclusion would come just in time for me to start going back to my endurance training for this summer's triathlon circuit. Now that I am done, I am at the strongest I have been in 12 years, I set a PR in deadlifts and I am in a frame of mind for my next race where I know I will be one of the strongest competitors in the field.
"Here are the results from the program:
Moving Day Packing Day Difference
Weight - 201 212 lbs + 11 lbs
Broad Jump - 88" 115" + 17"
Squat - 385 lbs 445 lbs + 60 lbs
Bench - 300 lbs 325 lbs + 25 lbs
Deadlift - 385 455 + 70 lbs
3 Rep Chin - BW +30 BW + 60 30 lbs + 11 of BW
"To say I am excited about these results is an understatement. I was a little bummed on the weight until I got my new circumference measurements done. While I did add 11 pounds, I lost .5 inches off my waist and added 6, yes I said 6 inches to my chest/back/shoulders measurement. The compliments I have gotten from friends and family are even more indicative of a successful program. Not only did I set a new PR in dealift but I am most proud of the 3 rep chin max, where not only did I add muscle and body weight, I was also able to increase my strength and added additional external weight as well.
"Thanks again. I plan on recommending this program to friends, family and soon-to-be clients!"
-Chris Bartl
I was just checking in on how Maximum Strength is doing over at Amazon, and came across the following five-star customer review. As the reviewer notes, sometimes you need to get outside your comfort zone - both in training and in life - to get to where you want to be.
"This book is a must-read. I heard a lot of hype about this book before purchasing, and I'm glad I finally bought it. I did the entire 4 month routine and honestly, my body feels better than it ever has in the past."I was used to the traditional bodybuilding bodypart split of chest on Monday, legs on Tuesday, Arms on Wednesday, etc etc. For years, I just accepted that this was the way to train your body. I just dealt with back pain and shoulder pain as part of the "price of working out." Doing 5 exercises for your back in one day, and 5 exercises for your shoulders in one day is the absolute wrong way to train your body, unless you are an actual bodybuilder, but for the average fitness enthusiast, that just doesn't apply."Eric's book outlines splitting your routines into upper body days and lower body days. The routines are easy to follow. Full detailed pictures, and explanations. One of the most important things he advocates is varying the rep range each week within the 4 week routine. You probably never have done any exercise of 8 sets of 2 reps or 10 sets of 3 reps. You have to keep in mind Eric is a Strength & Conditioning Coach with the goal of getting you stronger. I was hesitant, but you have to open your mind and try it."My body feels stronger, and more balanced. There are a few non-traditional exercises that you probably have never heard of, or are hesitant to try out. My advice would be to do everything in the book to a T. It works. You may be reluctant to do so much deadlifting and squatting. You may have never hear of scapular push ups, walls slides, face pulls, or behind the neck band pull aparts. Open your mind. Follow the routines exactly and you will be glad you did. I know I am. Your body will feel so much stronger, more balanced, and your posture improves. I hope this doesn't sound like a 3 a.m info-mercial testimonial for the latest fitness product, because it's not. I'm a Certified Personal Trainer and a Certified Gym Rat who has been lifting for 11 years. Open your mind, try the routines, follow to a T. Your body will thank you."Click Here to Purchase Maximum Strength.
Q: For years, I have had difficulties with acquiring any real depth in my back squats. I took on board all the thoughts some authors had about working on ankle mobility and then what others had to say about weak abdominals and how they can wreak havoc on one's ability squatting into the hole. However, it wasn't until I went to get fitted for a pair of orthotics recently at the podiatrist's that I realized that even though I have done STACKS of ankle mobility and soft tissue work, genetically, I am limited by my foot and ankle structure to ever really squat deep.Why on earth have these authors of whom I have a great deal of respect for continued not to acknowledge that for some people, squatting DEEP is simply not an option due to structural limitations. I rate you among the best of the best out there Eric so if anyone should tackle this one and explore why genetics can dramatically improve or hinder someone's ankle mobility it should be you!
A: I have actually seen a fair amount of high-level athletes with feet like this, and you just have to realize that you can't put a round peg in a square hole. If you have a foot that won't allow for much dorsiflexion (toe-to-shin range-of-motion), it just won't let you squat deep safely. These are the guys who get better results from single-leg work in place of squatting.
And, if you are going to try squatting variations, it ought to be more sitting back (box squats or powerlifting-style free squats) where the shin is more vertical, but the spine remains in neutral. Have a look at this squatting video and you'll see that sitting back minimizes how much dorsiflexion ROM one needs to get the benefits of squatting:
Conversely, check out this more quad-dominant, "traditional" squat. You'll see that the knees come forward more, indicative of more dorsiflexion occurring.
Why has this become such an issue? Well, there are still a lot of coaches out there who are just "clean, squat, bench only" - and a one size fits all approach like that is sure to throw some athletes under the bus. These guys want to do what they've always done rather than recognize that everyone isn't the same; otherwise, they've lost one-third of their training arsenal! The more open-minded guys are looking to functional mobility and stability deficits - and the guys who "get it" are realizing that some athletes are just "stuck" with the ankles they've got.
For more information, check out To Squat or Not to Squat, featured previously in Newsletter 91.
It's become a bit of a tradition for Cressey Performance interns to not only pick up on training knowledge while they're at CP, but also get more diesel in the process by following the program in my book, Maximum Strength. This fall's intern, Chris Howard, just had his Moving Day today.
Here are his results:
Body weight: 159 to 174.5
Vertical Jump: 27.1" to 28.0"
Peak Power: 5,397 W to 5,855 W (8.5% increase)
Broad Jump: 91" to 103"
Box Squat: 235 to 265
Bench Press: 205 to 230
Deadlift: 215 to 335
3-rep max chin-up: 224 (BW+65) to 244.5 (BW+70)
Not too shabby for just under four months of training. Congratulations, Chris, and thanks for all your contributions to Cressey Performance!
Click here to pick up your copy of Maximum Strength!
Q: After an injury and rehabilitation of a low back overuse/deadlifting injury, I’m finally able to deadlift and squat again. Only problem is that I am having a lot of trouble performing the deadlift correctly.
The problem is during my heavy sets, my lumbar spine starts to round early on in the pull. I’m not sure why this happening, but I’m almost positive it’s NOT due to a lack of mobility anywhere. I’m wondering if it may be an issue of having TOO much lumbar spine mobility and/or not enough core stability.
Or, maybe it’s an issue of my hamstrings being too weak and my lower back wanting to take over the pull too much. What do you think?
A: First off, I don’t think it’s as simple as “Muscle A is weak and Muscle B is tight, etc.”It has a lot more to do with you not having all the “ducks in a row” with respect to this particular movement pattern.There are a lot of people who have great stability and mobility who look awkward attempting a movement for the first time simply because it’s unfamiliar to them.
Just having good stability and mobility (which are context-specific, anyway) doesn’t imply that you can just immediately master a movement.Otherwise, we’d all be superior athletes from strength training and flexibility work without every having to practice the sports in which we want to excel!
More than anything, I suspect that your struggles are a matter of you trying to groove technique with weights that are too heavy (as noted by your “heavy sets” comment).Would you try to teach an elbows-tucked bench press technique with 275 if you knew a guy could bench press 300 with his elbows flared?No!He'd go right back to his "natural" movement pattern (the path of least resistance).
Technique work needs to be performed with submaximal weights, with the progression being:
1. multiple sets with few reps, controlled speed, light/moderate weights
2. multiple sets with few reps, FAST concentric, light/moderate weights
then...
3a. fewer sets with more reps, light/moderate weights
or
3b. few or multiple sets with few reps and heavier weights
I'm guessing that you're just going right to 3b – and that’s where the problems set in. Your body basically goes into panic mode. As an example, I'll throw myself under the bus. Here is a video of my best competition deadlift: 650 pounds at a body weight of 174.
Now, I know it might come as a surprise to some of you, but I don't lift 650 pounds all the time. In fact, I'd say that I deadlift over 600 approximately 5-6 times per year between training and competitions. This is why competition lifts are never really good measures of excellent technique; they are all essentially panic-mode (others have called it chaos training). You can bet that I'd never let an athlete of mine attempt any weight where his form came close to this; the risk:reward ratio is completely out of whack.
Also, as a tag-along to this, some people need to have a Step 0 where they actually do a different movement in order to progress to a main movement. In the context of the deadlift discussion, this might mean doing pull-throughs, trap bar deadlifts, or rack pulls to get the hang of the proper hip sequencing before moving down to the floor to pull with a conventional stance. Others might be better off leaving out deadlifts for the long haul, if a previous injury is significant enough to warrant it.
New Blog ContentRandom Friday ThoughtsTroubleshooting the Scapular Push-upTraining Four Days in a RowA Good Blog Worth Reading
All the Best,
EC
As a guy who trains a ton of baseball players - and is a competitive powerlifter (and weight-training author), I get a ton of questions from both baseball coaches/players and folks looking to get stronger (and healthier, for that matter). And, to take it a step further, since the release of Maximum Strength, I've gotten a lot of questions about whether or not Maximum Strength is appropriate for baseball players.
My response is "yes" - but only with some important modifications:
1. Substitution of dumbbell bench pressing in place of barbell bench pressing (rep count will have to come up a bit higher, as you aren't going to be doing heavy dumbbell bench pressing singles)
2. Substitution of clap push-ups in place of speed benching
3. Substitution of front squats in place of back squats
4. Substitution of alternating low incline dumbbell press in place of 1-arm dumbbell push press
5. Really emphasize the sleeper stretch, wall triceps stretch, and elbow flexors stretches - particularly after you throw.
Here are his results:
Body weight: 159 to 174.5
Vertical Jump: 27.1" to 28.0"
Peak Power: 5,397 W to 5,855 W (8.5% increase)
Broad Jump: 91" to 103"
Box Squat: 235 to 265
Bench Press: 205 to 230
Deadlift: 215 to 335
3-rep max chin-up: 224 (BW+65) to 244.5 (BW+70)
Not too shabby for just under four months of training. Congratulations, Chris, and thanks for all your contributions to Cressey Performance!
