The other day, I received an email from a Show and Go customer who noticed that the scapular wall slide and the doorway slide were two similar, but not identical shoulder mobility drills included in the program. He asked if I could talk a bit more about the differences between the two - and when to use both.
First, let's have a look at the two exercises. Here's the scapular wall slide:
And, here's the doorway slide:
As the voice-over on the video above notes, the scapular wall slide is an acceptable fit for just about any workout routine. The only exceptions would be those who have upper extremity pain with overhead motions (rotator cuff tears, etc.).
However, we can utilize the doorway slide in certain folks to get to where we want to be a bit faster. More specifically, these folks are the ones who are REALLY immobile in their upper extremity and wouldn't even be able to get their arms back even close to the wall on the wall slides. So, in addition to not making them feel bad about their "tight shoulders", the doorway slide actually allows us to use the doorway as a stretching implement to get a gentle stretch across the anterior shoulder girdle (predominantly pec major and minor). There are three very important coaching points:
1. Don't let the head poke forward, as a forward head posture is simply a substitution for not retracting/depressing the scapulae or horizontally adducting the humerus.
2. Don't crank too aggressively on the shoulders; it should be a subtle stretch. And, it shouldn't be used with those (particularly overhead throwing athletes) who already have increased external rotation and, in turn, more anterior laxity.
3. Make sure to focus on pulling the shoulder blades down and back as the elbows are lowered. You shouldn't have movement of the humerus without movement of the scapula.
Can I just add some sets and reps of direct arm work?
How about cardio? Would a few 30 minutes interval training sessions work?
What if I did extra rotator cuff stuff every day? Just a little tubing, you know?
I’m going to add two extra days of calves, abs, and forearms. It shouldn’t be a problem, right?
These are just a few of the common questions I receive from people for whom I write strength training programs (plus all the other components of a comprehensive program). And, it's these kind of questions that make me appreciate just how challenging it is to teach someone how to effectively write strength and conditioning programs - and why everyone gets all flustered when they first start writing training plans.
Very simply, most people don't understand the concept of competing demands. Everybody wants to add something to their weight training program - but not everyone is willing to take something away in order to do so.
How many elite powerlifters or Olympic lifters do you know who regularly do interval training as part of their quest to get strong?
How many elite triathletes do you know who just want to add a few sets of biceps curls along the road to improving endurance performance?
The answer is, of course, none. And, it's because - whether they appreciated it or not - these high-level athletes were effectively managing competing demands.
In some cases, different fitness qualities compete with one another; an example would be extensive aerobic training while trying to increase strength. You can't get strong quickly if you're doing hours of cardio each week. Somewhat similarly, in an overhead throwing population, it's challenging to regain shoulder internal rotation and flexion range of motion (ROM) and pec minor length when an athlete is throwing - so you have to do your best to get the ROM during down-time in their training year.
In other cases, you may have multiple qualities that contribute to an overall training effect, but you can't prioritize all of them at once. For example, my professional baseball clients need a host of different qualities to be successful, but the body has limited recovery capacity, so their training programs have to target their most readily apparent weaknesses - and do so at the right time of year. We cut back on the medicine ball and upper body strength exercises and volume when their throwing volume increases.
And, we can't do as much lower body strength exercises when guys are doing more sprinting and change-of-direction work. Stress is stress, so you have to apply it judiciously.
Taking this into consideration, I think that one of the best drills for someone looking to get better at writing programs is to take a full-on comprehensive weight training program with supplemental conditioning/movement training where someone is training 6x/week - and then cut it back to 3x/week. Assume that there is a whole lot of of "other" stress in this athlete/client's life - whether it's work, illness, family issues, or just being an in-season athlete - and figure out how to scale a program back in order to make it productive and safe for that individual.
Lots of factors have to be taken into account: the volume and intensity that individual can handle, how long each session can last, and what specific factors one needs to address most. A good example to check out would be the differences between the 4x/week, 3x/week, and 2x/week weight training programs (and accompanying optional supplemental sessions) in The High Performance Handbook.
There are loads of factors you have to take into account when you write a comprehensive training plan - from the weight training program, to soft tissue work, to mobility work, to movement training, to energy systems training. The most important consideration, though, is how they all fit together synergistically to make the program as a whole effective.
So, try the challenge I listed above and see how you do; I think you'll find that it's a lot harder to subtract than it is to add to your weight training programs.
Sign-up Today for our FREE Newsletter and receive a detailed deadlift technique tutorial!
In yesterday's post, I outlined the importance of including pushup variations in your strength training program and introduced five ways to progress this basic exercise. Today, I've got six more pushup variations for you.
Pushup Variation #6: Yoga Pushups
I like Yoga pushups not because they are a subtle increase in difficulty over a regular pushup, but because they afford some extra mobility benefits at the ankles, hips, and thoracic spine. They're a great addition to a dynamic warm-up.
Pushup Variation #7: Spiderman Pushups
While it increases the difficulty a bit more than a yoga pushup, the spiderman pushup still affords some great hip mobility benefits.
One word of caution, though; it's my experience that folks tend to "slip" into a forward head posture more often with the spiderman pushup than any other pushup variation, so make sure that you don't let the head poke forward as the elevated leg's hip goes into flexion and abduction.
Pushup Variation #8: Slideboard Pushup Variations
We utilize the slideboard a ton at Cressey Performance - and pushups are no exception. Two of our favorites are slideboard pushups with band and slideboard bodysaw pushups.
In the case of the former, we take a 1/2" band and wrap it around the wrists. This band wants to pull you into internal rotation and horizontal adduction at the shoulder, so you have to activate the posterior rotator cuff and scapular retractors to hold the ideal pushup position.
The bodysaw pushups really take things up a notch on the difficulty scale, as they not only make the hand positioning dynamic, but also increase the anti-extension core challenge.
Pushup Variation #9: Pushup Iso Hold w/Perturbations
In our DVD set, Optimal Shoulder Performance, Mike Reinold and I spend quite a bit of time talking about the value of rhythmic stabilization drills to train the true function of the rotator cuff. I'm also a big fan of pushup isometric holds to teach proper scapular positioning and educate athletes on ideal posture. In the 1-leg pushup iso hold with perturbations, we get all those benefits - plus some added instability training because there are only three points of contact with the ground.
Pushup Variation #10: TRX Pushups
The TRX is probably the most versatile piece of equipment out there other than the barbell and the functional trainer - and one of its most basic uses is pushup variations.
As I alluded to in my e-book, The Truth About Unstable Surface Training, the instability created by the TRX likely allows you to maintain muscle activation in the upper extremity even though less loading is needed. This means that when performed correctly, TRX pushups may have a place in a return-to-function protocol after rehab, or even simply as a deloading strategy in a strength and conditioning program.
Pushup Variation #11: T-Pushups
Last, but certainly not least, we have the T-Pushup. This pushup variation is great because it not only involves constant changing of the points of stability, but also because it requires thoracic spine rotation. To increase the challenge, you can hold dumbbells in your hands.
I've listed 11 variations in the past two posts, but I know that a lot of you out there have some innovative pushup variations to suggest as well. Let's hear 'em in the comment section!
Sign up for our FREE Newsletter today and and receive this deadlift technique video!
I've written several times in the past about how it's important to not only balance your upper body pushing and pulling exercises, but also make sure that you have a similar volume of open- and closed-chain exercises in the pushing component. In other words, you need to have plenty of pushup variations to "cancel out" all the bench pressing variations in your strength training program.
There's a problem, though; most of you can do a ton of pushups, and are in need of something more challenging that can take this beyond simply a warm-up. With that in mind, I wanted to use today's post to highlight some pushup variations we use quite frequently at Cressey Performance. While a few might require some of the cooler amenities (e.g., chains, slideboard) we've got at our fingertips, most are drills you'll be able to perform without them. Without further ado, here are five pushup variations to throw some variety in your strength and conditioning program.
Pushup Variations #1 and #2: Feet Elevated and Band Resisted Pushups
I combine these two not only because they were both in the same video that I'd taken for Show and Go, but also because they represent two of the most convenient solutions for the typical lifter.
Elevating the feet not only makes the movement a bit more challenging from an anti-extension core training perspective, but it also increases activity of the serratus anterior, as I wrote HERE. Believe it or not, while this modification makes the movement harder as a whole, it can often take away symptoms completely in some folks with shoulder pain.
In the case of the band-resisted pushup variation, the resistance accommodates the strength curve. In other words, the band deloads at the bottom of the movement where you're the weakest, and picks up resistance as you go further up toward the top of the movement, where you're the strongest.
Pushup Variation #3: Chain Pushups
Okay, this one will require you to have some equipment, but trust me when I say that if you do decide to get some for your home gym set-up, you'll use them over and over again - and not just for pushup variations! As with the bands progression above, chain pushups are a form of accommodating resistance; the load is heavier where you're strongest. I also like chains because they allow you to quickly and easily modify resistance on the fly for drop sets or to simply make the exercise easier as a set progresses. And, they can be pretty challenging:
Let's assume conservatively that you're lifting 60% of your body weight with a pushup. At 190 pounds, that's 114 pounds for me. When you combine it with 10 chains at 15 pounds each, you're looking at about 264 pounds of resistance. Who says you can't load up a pushup?
Pushup Variation #4: 1-leg Pushup Variations
One quick and easy way to make any exercise harder is to reduce the number of ground contact points. On a normal pushup, you have four (both hands and feet). Simply taking one foot off the floor not only increases the loading on the upper body, but also imposes a subtle anti-rotation challenge to your core. You can do it feet-elevated, too:
Of course, you can combine the 1-leg pushup with external loading, too:
Pushup Variation #5: 1-arm Push-ups
Sticking with the theme of reducing the numbers of points of stability, you can go to one-arm pushup variations as well. You don't have to be diesel enough to do these from the floor to get the benefits, though; you can simply press from a pin in a power rack.
As you get stronger and more comfortable with the movement, you can move the pin down to increase the challenge.
Start thinking about how you can integrate these in your strength training program, and I'll be back soon with five more pushup variations you can use to take things even further.
Sign-up Today for our FREE Newsletter and receive a detailed deadlift technique tutorial!
As a business owner, I can say without wavering that there are a lot of times when I admittedly get stressed out and wish there were more hours in the day to get everything I have on my plate done - and still have time left over to spend with my wife and family.
And, while I haven't managed to figure out how to add more than 24 hours to the day, I have started to find a few ways to better manage my time - and, more specifically, my strength training program.
You see, many people use exercise as a means of relieving stress - and I think that's absolutely awesome. Unfortunately, when you already work 10 hours a day on your feet in a gym, it's hard to see things that way even when all the equipment is right at your fingertips. To that end, the stressed-out strength training tips I note below will be applicable to folks in any occupation, not just the fitness industry.
Tip #1: Increase training frequency, but reduce training duration.
I find that when I'm busy, I can find 30 minutes here and there, but getting 60-75 minutes free at a convenient time is tougher. One thing I'll do is simply up my training frequency to 5-6 times per week instead of just four sessions. Rather than having sessions that include four pairings (7-8 strength exercises), I'll just have two pairings (3-4 exercises).
If you've read anything from Chad Waterbury or Joel Marion, you'll find that both of these guys are fans of strength training as frequently as possible, provided that you can recover from those sessions. Somewhat coincidentally, sometimes the best way to utilize this frequent strength training approach is when you're already stressed and recovery is compromised! I still get in all my "work" over the course of the week, but it's spread out a bit more so that it's convenient and less taxing.
Tip #2: Leave the gym feeling refreshed.
Also on the "less taxing" front, I think it's important to leave the gym feeling "refreshed," not exhausted. While it might feel good when your legs are trashed at the end of a training session, you really don't know how well you're going to recover from that challenge until the days that follow. Doing 15 sets of 9 reps might have sounded like a good stress buster at the time, but when you can't walk up the steps to work the following day and are falling asleep at your desk at 11am because you couldn't sleep with your legs cramping all night, hindsight definitely becomes 20/20.
Don't get me wrong; there's a time and a place for doing crazy stuff. Your most stressful days aren't that time, though.
Tip #3: Train early.
This is something that I've grown to love with the baseball off-season in full swing and my day starting earlier. Normally, I'd train alongside the rest of our staff at 10:30AM, but at that time of year, I may have athletes at 9:30AM MoTuThFr. So, I get in at 8:15AM to get my lifting session in. Why?
First, lifting early requires planning. You need to go to bed early and prepare your stuff for the next day. So, in the process, you make time instead of finding time. That's huge at a stressful time when you're inclined to miss a session altogether.
Second, most people I know (at least the adults out there) have better energy in the morning than after a long day of work. That said, many people take a few weeks to warm up to the idea (and feeling) of training early. If you're going to make the switch, give it a few weeks and be consistent with it; you'll find that you get more and more comfortable with morning training with each new session.
Third, I'm a firm believer in the adage that one hour of sleep before midnight is worth two hours of sleep after midnight. When you train in the morning, you've got to get to bed earlier or else it simply isn't going to happen.
Get better sleep quality and just about everything else in your life will improve.
Tip #4: Outsource things to keep training fun.
I'll admit that many times, after a long day in a strength and conditioning facility, the last thing I want to do is follow my own weight training program. I spend all day getting other people organized on that front, so a bit of chaos in my own strength training is sometimes welcomed relief.
About two months ago, believe it or not, I asked one of my pro baseball players (who was hanging out in the office at 7pm one night) to put a lower body program up on the dry erase board for me. It turned out to be one of the better training sessions I'd had in weeks. The same goes for any conditioning I may do; often, I'll just pull Robert Dos Remedios' book, Cardio Strength Training, off the shelf and give something a shot.
Variety may be the spice of life, but when it comes to training, that variety usually needs to come from someone else. It might be why so many fitness professionals have really enjoyed my Show and Go program; it not only demonstrates some of my programming approaches, but also gives them a change of pace in their own training, as a recent blog post showed.
Tip #5: Use less variety.
Normally, I am all about strength exercise variety within a training session. However, when you're pinched for time, sometimes you can just throw that out the window and it's the best decision.
Think about it: for every additional exercise in a day's session, I add a warm-up set as well as the need for equipment set-up. If I keep my training day to 2-3 strength exercises and just increase the volume on each, I can usually do just as much (if not more) work in less time. You get variety over the course of a training phase and career; you get a training effect within a single session.
In other words, don't be shy about doing 5 sets of 3 on deadlifts, then 4 sets of 8 on dumbbell reverse lunges from a deficit - and then calling it a day for your lower body training - especially if you're trying out the frequency recommendations I noted earlier.
Tip #6: Use deloading periods.
At the end of the day, when it really comes down to it, stress is stress. Sometimes, when life is beating you down, adding training stress to that personal/professional stress is the worst that you can do. As a general rule of thumb, the more training experience you have, the more likely you are to need some down time from the gym when the rest of your life gets super hectic. If you're new to the iron game, though, chances are that some exercise will help you manage the stress much more effectively.
For more information on how to attack deloading periods, check out my e-book, The Art of the Deload.
These six strength training tips are obviously just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exercise and stress, but hopefully they'll be enough to get you headed in the right direction. Additionally, what strategies have those of you out there implemented for training during stressful times?
Sign-up Today for our FREE Newsletter and receive a detailed deadlift technique tutorial!
I received this Show and Go Review via email the other day and thought I'd share it with those of you who might be on the fence about whether or not this product is a good fit for you.
"I just read your recent blog post in which you mentioned sending Show and Go testimonials. Well...it would be a travesty if I didn't give you a shout out.
"I'm a personal trainer myself. And after over 23 years of training myself and 16 years of training others, to say I grow "bored" with conventional weight training programs would be an understatement. I first trained to augment sport (football), then I got into powerlifting, and really became addicted to it when I started bodybuilding. I competed for eight years in the sport and did very well. But...I outgrew it. Yes...I was bored.
"I, like many others that I train, look to other sources to not only motivate me in my own training (mentally more than physically), but also to broaden my horizons as a trainer. That is what led me to purchase your Show & Go program. I have to say, Eric, it is the most comprehensive, integrated program I have ever used. From the warm-ups, to the strength exercises, to the stretching, to the cardio enhancement....my strength, flexibility, conditioning, and muscularity all improved ten-fold. And my bodyfat level went noticeably down without me tweaking my normal diet. I even had nagging shoulder and low back pain that inhibited me from doing certain movements that are now gone. I was able to deadlift weight I haven't been able to use since my powerlifting days. Plus, a couple of the core movements you include are ones I have never seen or done and I loved them! I now use many of them with my own clients.
"One last thing to note...I very rarely get through a 16 week program. I tend to grow bored and need a different style of training. That never happened. Not only that...I am starting a second go-round this week of it with a few of my own personal tweaks to it. Great product, Eric! Thank you so much!"
James Cipriani - CFT, CSCS, NS
Brookfield, CT
With the new year upon us, I got to thinking about how excited I am for all that 2011 has in store for me – and thought that it’d make for a good post to kick off the year. Here’s why I’m excited:
1. Being Married – My wife, Anna, and I got married on October 3, and it was just the tip of the iceberg in a whirlwind year (new job for her, wedding planning, new house, new puppy). Both of us are pretty excited for a low-key 2011 where we can just hang out and enjoy one another’s company! And, we left our honeymoon for this year (I couldn’t escape for that long during the baseball off-season), so we’re excited about that.
2. The Continued Growth of EricCressey.com - I really enjoy writing, and each year, this website grows – which means I get to share my passion and interact with some very cool people. Here were 2011’s year-end statistics for EricCressey.com:
450,791 unique visitors
1,106,748 visits
2,901,970 pages
2,730,922 hits
Thanks to everyone who visited the site this year!
3. The book I’m reading now: The 4-Hour Body. Tim Ferriss has become a good friend, and I was fortunate enough to be one of those who received an advanced copy of The 4-Hour Body prior to publication. With the crazy goings-on at CP as well as the holidays, I’m just now getting a chance to read through it and give it the time it deserves – and I must say that it’s fantastic. Tim does an awesome job of providing “info-tainment;” his entertaining writing style will keep you reading, and the background research he put in to this book will guarantee that you walk away with some ideas that will immediately benefit you.
4. The book I’m reading next: The New Rules of Lifting for Abs. As with Tim’s book, I got a copy of The New Rules of Lifting for Abs in advance, but haven’t even had a chance to open it up. As with any Cosgrove/Schuler collaboration, though, I’m sure it’ll be high quality and a huge hit. I’m looking forward to checking it out.
5. Cutting Back on Travel – 2010 was a crazy busy year for me personally – from buying a house, to moving, to planning a wedding, to getting married, to getting a puppy. These “firsts” wouldn’t have been tough to pull off normally, but it seemed like every time my wife and I encountered one of them, I was getting ready to hop on a plane to go do a seminar somewhere. As such, I’ve started turning down a lot more seminar opportunities not because I don’t enjoy doing them, but simply because the travel wore me out in 2010. I will, however, still be traveling some – but this year, it’ll be with my wife…and we’ll be traveling for fun!
6. Another Year on the Perform Better Tour – While I may be cutting back on seminar travel, I wouldn’t miss the Perform Better Summits for the world. I’m still waiting on final confirmation of which cities I’ll get in 2011, but I can say definitively that these are some of the best continuing education opportunities in the fitness business and that I thoroughly enjoy all of them – from the information to the great people I always wind up meeting. Hopefully, I’ll get to meet some of you in person thanks to Perform Better this year.
7. Continuing on my Postural Restoration Institute Journey – I’ve spoken a bit in the past about the Postural Restoration Institute and how it dramatically impacted the way we evaluate and program for many of our athletes and clients. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it has been some of the best continuing education money I’ve ever spent. I’ve only gone through two of their seven courses, though, and am excited to learn more. I’ve covered Myokinematic Restoration and Postural Respiration, and already on the agenda for 2011 is Impingement and Instability. If you’re a physical therapist, athletic trainer, or fitness professional and haven’t seen any of their stuff already, I’d highly encourage you to check it out.
8. The New Cressey Performance – I’ll have pictures of the newly-renovated Cressey Performance soon, but suffice it to say that adding 1,000 square-feet can go a very long way. I’ve finally got my own office at the facility, which I know will make things a lot easier moving forward, but even beyond that, just getting a bit more space can really change the “flow” of the facility to make it more coaching friendly. We see all sorts of articles and presentations on how to coach, but nobody ever considers how the set-up of your facility can make your coaching duties remarkably easier or more difficult.
On top of that, Cressey Performance is busier than ever, with double digit percentage growth again in 2010. Thanks to everyone for your continued support!
9. Relishing my Fantasy Football Championship – In the most impressive managerial run in Cressey Performance Fantasy Football history, I crushed the competition this year. This trophy will reside on my desk for the entire year. Those of you who visit CP can have your picture taken with it, if you’d like.
10. Doing more charity work – I’ve helped out here and there with various charities since I moved to Boston in 2006, but in 2011, I’m excited to do much more – and I’m in a position to do more now, too. Nowadays, I can use my exposure and expertise a lot more to help – and thanks to my work with Kevin Youkilis, I can work directly with his great charity, Youk’s Hits for Kids.
Along those lines, those of you in New England might be interested to check out his February 3 event at the State Room in Boston. The CP staff will be there along with a bunch of pro athletes, Tony Gentilcore, actors, Tony Gentilcore, musicians, Tony Gentilcore, comedians, and Tony Gentilcore. For more information, check out YouksKids.org.
11. The New Sports Rehab to Sports Performance Teleseminar – Joe Heiler has done a great job the past few years in bringing in great minds to contribute to his Sports Rehab to Sports Performance teleseminar series – and this year is no exception. I’m really excited about this line-up:
1. Sue Falsone – PT, Athletes' Performance
2. Ron Hruska - PT, Postural Restoration Institute
3. Dr. Mike Leahy - Sports Chiropractor and inventor of ART
4. Thomas Myers - Anatomy Trains author
5. Brian Grasso – IYCA Founder
6. Greg Roskopf - Muscle Activation Technique
7. Brian Mulligan – PT, Mulligan Technique/Joint Mobilizations with Movement
8. Dr. Warren Hammer - Chiropractor, Graston Technique Instructor, Fascial Manipulation
9. Dan John - Strength Coach, author, Never Let Go
10. Gray Cook - PT, FMS
Click here for more information.
12. New Projects – In 2010, I introduced two products: Optimal Shoulder Performance and Show and Go: High Performance Training to Look, Feel, and Move Better. For me, a product every six months is a pretty good “pace,” as I don’t want to become one of those guys who puts out mediocre stuff every single week. As of right now, the only confirmed project for 2011 is a collaborative one with Mike Reinold and Mike Robertson. I am thinking, however, that this is the year that I finally create a baseball-specific product in light of the fact that it’s 80-85% of our clientele and what I do all-day, every day! Only time will tell!
13. Continued Show & Go Feedback – Speaking of Show and Go, it was released in late September, and since it’s a four-month strength and conditioning program, we’re coming up on the point in time where I start getting loads of emails from those who have wrapped up the program and have results to report. I get a lot of feedback along the way, but it’s awesome to hear where things end up when the entire program is complete. So, to those of you doing the program, please pass along your results!
14. More Writing at T-Nation – I only published two articles at T-Nation in 2010, and I don’t plan to repeat that poor output! I’ve already been contacted by them about doing a monthly piece, and while I’m not sure that my schedule will allow me to get one to them every month, I definitely expect to be blowing that 2010 total out of the water. I’ve already submitted one and have two more in the works. I owe a lot to the folks at T-Nation and Biotest for the opportunities and exposure they’ve afforded me and hope to continue to return the favor with good content for years to come.
15. Watching Tank grow up – Our puppy, Tank, is about five months old right now, and he’s awesome. He is pretty much housebroken, and definitely man’s best friend. As you can tell, he loves hording his toys.
16. The 2011 MLB Season - In addition to the fact that my team (the Red Sox) is looking good, we have quite a few clients who are on the cusp of big league debuts, so I am excited to get out to see them play in the show and enjoy the fruits of their off-season labor.
17. The 2011 MLB Draft - Let's just say that I very well might just stay home and hit refresh on my computer over and over again during the two days in June that make up the MLB draft. We have a lot of talent athletes - both high school and college - training at Cressey Performance who will be getting calls.
There are quite a few other things that get me excited for 2011, but this is a good start – and probably all that you care to read! Speaking of YOU, what are YOU looking forward to in 2011? Got a big goal for the year? Share it in the comments section.
Happy New Year!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Newsletter and receive a detailed deadlift technique tutorial!
Show and Go: High Performance Training to Look, Feel, and Move Better - This was obviously my biggest project of 2010. I actually began writing the strength and conditioning programs and filming the exercise demonstration videos in 2009, and put all the "guinea pigs" through the four-month program beginning in February. When they completed it as the start of the summer rolled around, I made some modifications based on their feedback and then got cracking on writing up all the tag along resources. Finally, in September, Show and Go was ready to roll. So, in effect, it took 10-11 months to take this product from start to finish - a lot of hard work, to say the least. My reward has been well worth it, though, as the feedback has been awesome. Thanks so much to everyone who has picked up a copy.
Optimal Shoulder Performance - This was a seminar that Mike Reinold and I filmed in November of 2009, and our goal was to create a resource that brought together concepts from both the shoulder rehabilitation and shoulder performance training fields to effectively bridge the gap for those looking to prevent and/or treat shoulder pain. In the process, I learned a lot from Mike, and I think that together, we brought rehabilitation specialists and fitness professionals closer to being on the same page.
Why President Obama Throws Like a Girl - A lot of people took this as a political commentary, but to be honest, it was really just me talking about the concept of retroversion as it applies to a throwing shoulder - with a little humor thrown in, of course!
Overbearing Dads and Kids Who Throw Cheddar - This one was remarkably easy to write because I've received a lot of emails from overbearing Dads asking about increasing throwing velocity in their kids.
What I Learned in 2009 - I wrote this article for T-Nation back at the beginning of the year, and always enjoy these yearly pieces. In fact, I'm working on my 2010 one for them now!
The Skinny on Strasburg's Injury - I hate to make blog content out of someone else's misfortune, but it was a good opportunity to make some points that I think are very valid to the discussion of not only Stephen Strasburg's elbow injury, but a lot of the pitching injuries we see in youth baseball.
Surely, there are many more to list, but I don't want this to run too long! Have a safe and happy new year, and keep an eye out for the first content of 2011, which is coming very soon!
With 2010 winding down, I thought I'd use this last week of the year to direct you to some of the most popular content of the past 12 months here at EricCressey.com, as this "series" was quite popular last year. Today, we start with the most popular articles of the year; these are the pieces that received the most traffic, according to my hosting statistics.
5 Reasons You Aren't Getting Stronger - This post came during the launch week of Show and Go: High Performance Training to Look, Feel, and Move Better. With some of the unique programming strategies outlined in Show and Go, it seemed like a good opportunity to outline some of the common mistakes folks make that I really sought to avoid when writing the program.
How to Find Your Fitness Niche - The popularity of this post surprised me. I suppose it means that I have more fitness professionals (and aspiring fitness professionals) reading my blog than I'd previously thought. This piece discusses how I "fell" into my baseball training niche.
Make My Kid Run Faster - Apparently, I'm not the only one who has to deal with the occasional crazy father who tells me how to train his kid!
Clearing Up the Rotator Cuff Controversy - This post discusses my approach to structuring rotator cuff exercises throughout the training week.
The Fascial Knock on Distance Running for Pitchers - This was a fun article to write because it combined a review (of Thomas Myers' presentation at Perform Better) with a summary of my own experiences training pitchers. It's always great to take the perspective of another and see how it meshes with your own philosophy - whether it confirms or refutes what you're doing.
High Performance Training without the Equipment (Installment 1) - I'm glad that I checked back on my statistics to find that this was so popular, as I haven't gotten around to writing any subsequent installments. I'll pick it up soon.
I'll be back soon with the top product reviews of 2010.
Sign-up Today for our FREE Newsletter:
This wraps up a four part series on key points to consider and techniques to utilize for correcting bad posture. In case you missed them, check out the previous three installments of this series:
Strategies for Correcting Bad Posture - Part 1Strategies for Correcting Bad Posture - Part 2Strategies for Correcting Bad Posture - Part 3
We'll pick this up with tips 13-16.
13. Look further down the kinetic chain.
I spent much of the last installment discussing the role of the thoracic spine and glenohumeral joint in distorting upper body posture. However, the truth is that it goes much further down than this, in many cases, and isn't quite as predictable. As the picture below shows, a posteriorly rotated pelvis (swayback posture - third from left)) can kick off a nasty thoracic kyphosis, but an excessively lordotic posture (second from left) can do the exact same thing; it really just comes down to where folks compensate.
In the swayback posture, we see more flexion-based back pain (in addition to the classic upper body injuries/conditions), whereas the lordotic posture kicks off extension-based back pain. Stretching the hip flexors a ton will help the lordotic folks, but usually have minimal effect for the swayback folks. So, you really have to assess the hips individually and contemplate how they impact what goes on further up.
Likewise, you can look even further down the chain. Overpronation at the foot and ankle kicks on excessive tibial and femoral internal rotation, which encourages more anterior pelvic tilt - which goes hand-in-hand with a lordotic posture. Further up, we may compensate for this lordosis by getting more kyphotic to reposition our center of mass and remain "functional" and looking straight ahead.
14. Get ergonomic...conservatively.
While some ergonomic adjustments to your work station can be extremely valuable, simple modifications often yield the quickest and most profound results. I've known folks who have gotten symptomatic relief by going to a standing or kneeling desk to get away from extended periods of time in hip flexion - and by getting the computer screen up to eye level.
Likewise, I always remind people that the best posture is the one that is constantly changing. So, regardless of how "correct' your posture may be, it should always be a transient thing.
If you're doing the program, chance are that you've noticed that there are quite a few unilateral upper body strength exercises - often one in each upper body training session. The reason is pretty simple; you train thoracic rotation and scapular protraction/retraction on each and every rep.
If we are doing thoracic mobility work and lower trap/serratus anterior activation drills in our warm-ups, this is a perfect opportunity to create stability within that new ROM and solidify the neural patterns we've hoping to establish (and get an added core training benefit). You simply can't get this with bilateral exercise, particularly in a supine (bench presses) or prone (chest-supported rows) position.
16. Add range of motion - not just load - to your weight training program.
This note is one that anyone with a decent power of observation could make. Walk in to any gym, and notice the people with the absolute worse posture as they go through their workout routines. What do they do?
They move as little as possible on every single rep. They squat high, don't go anywhere near the chest on bench presses, or just make up "strength exercises" that amount to violent spasms. And that's just the ignorant folks.
Among advanced lifters, you'll see a lot of folks with terrible shoulder mobility and posture sticking with board presses and floor presses (which are certainly justified in limited volumes at specific training times), and doing rows with crazy heavy weights that force them to substitute forward head posture in place of anything even remotely close to scapular retraction.
In short, these folks keep working to add load, when they really should be maintaining or even lowering the load while adding range of motion to their weight training programs.
Wrap-up
Hopefully, this series brought to light some concepts that you can put into action right away. Down the road, I may "reincarnate" this series as I think up some more strategies - or based on reader feedback. Are there other areas you'd like covered? If so, post in the comments section and there may be a Part 5 afterall!
Sign-up Today for our FREE Newsletter and receive a deadlift technique tutorial!
