Thus far this week, we've covered the top articles, product reviews, videos, and guest submissions of the year. Today, I just wanted to cover the stuff that was fun for me to write (or film) - and it isn't just exclusive to EricCressey.com.
Birthday Blogging: 28 Years, 28 Favorites - I just remember that this thing rolled off my fingertips as I wrote it on my 28th birthday.
What Folks are Saying about the Cressey Performance Majestic Fleece - I just remember that we had to film this about 47 times because none of us could stop laughing.
The Opportunity Cost of Your Time - I don't know why this one was fun to write, but it was. I suppose it might have something to do with the fact that I started out at business school, and then moved over to the exercise science world to complete my undergraduate degree.
The Truth About Unstable Surface Training - This was actually introduced at the end of 2008 (and written in sections between 2005 and 2008), but deserves mention in light of its first full year of availability. I'm most proud of this work because it took a ton of time to compile both the literature and our original research, which was the first of its kind. Nobody had looked at how a long-term training lower-body unstable surface training intervention would affect healthy, trained athletes' performance. This book presents not only those results, but a series of practical application recommendations that are of value to any strength coach, personal trainer, or other fitness professional.
Lower Back Savers Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 - Featured at T-Muscle, these were really fun to write because I had a chance to be dorky and practical at the same time, blending research with what we've anecdotally seen in those with lower back issues. Honestly, I still have enough content to write a part 4, and that may come around in the next few months.
This week's list of recommended reading:
Build Your Balance - This article at Experience Life Magazine is based on a series of interviews with me in light of my research on unstable surface training. For the more in-depth background and practical applications, you'll want to check out my e-book, The Truth About Unstable Surface Training.
Pasteurization: Awesome or Complete Garbage? - This blog post from Brian St. Pierre is very well research and presented. Let's just say you won't ever want to drink warm milk again after reading this.
Assess and Correct - Uh, duh. We introduced it earlier this week. What are you waiting for?
I got this question in person from the parent of a new athlete the other day and thought I'd turn it into a blog post, as I've received the email before on many occasions.
Q: I read with great interest your blog on Crossfit for Baseball, but my question would be what your response would be to a coach that insists that baseball players shouldn't lift weights PERIOD? My son's baseball coach is completely against it.
A: This is definitely going to be one of those "where to even begin" responses, but I'll do my best. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I'll start with a quote directly from my e-book, The Truth About Unstable Surface Training:
"...resistance training exercises performed on stable surfaces have been demonstrated effective in numerous research studies with respect to improving a variety of athletic qualities, including:
muscular strength (5)
power (5)
aerobic endurance (53)
running efficiency (54)
anaerobic endurance (5)
rate of force development (66,90)
hypertrophy (5)
reactive strength (66,90)
agility (47)
These qualities transfer to improved performance in a variety of sporting tasks, including vertical jump (74), throwing velocity (79), sprinting speed (22), and running economy (53)."
(FYI, these numbers are references from the e-book, so if any of you would like the exact studies, please just request them in the comments section)
Now, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that your coach IS NOT looking to field a team that lacks agility, sprinting speed, jumping prowess, throwing velocity, rate of force development (think of a catcher's pop time). In fact, even those who are clinging to a worthless training initiative like long-distance running for pitchers can get closer to their chosen training effect (as silly as it is) from lifting!
Taking this a step further, we know that resistance training can enhance immune and endocrine function, so players will get sick less often and feel better when game time rolls around.
And, just as importantly, remember that resistance training is one of the foundations of modern physical therapy. Would your coach tell a physical therapist that resistance training as part of a rehabilitation program was inappropriate? Of course not! How in the world it is within his scope of practice to tell a kid that lifting is bad for him - either in terms of increasing injury potential or decreasing performance - is completely beyond me. Throwing a baseball is the single-fastest motion in sports; you simply don't decelerate 7,500 degrees/second of humeral internal rotation without at least a bit of muscular contribution.
And, let's not forget that an ideal strength and conditioning program encompasses a lot more than just strength exercises. It includes good self massage work (foam rollers, etc), mobility training, sprinting/agility/plyos, and much, much more. It begins with a detailed assessment to determine what mobility or stability deficits may lead to injury down the road. It may also be the only avenue through which an athlete learns proper nutrition.
The fundamental problem is that many baseball coaches think of garbage like this when they hear the words "lifting weights:"
Can someone please tell me how my "biceps will develop" with this? Only at "Expert Village" does the biceps EXTEND the elbow. Yikes.
Ouch.
The take-home message is that a lot of coaches think that lifting programs are either a) a waste of time or b) flat-out dangerous. Sadly, as the videos above demonstrate, in many cases, they're right. However, completely contraindicating lifting can really stunt the development of players and predispose them to injuries. Throwing is dangerous when done incorrectly, and so are sprinting, fielding ground balls, and taking batting practice. We don't contraindicate those, though, do we? We educate athletes on how to participate in these training initiatives properly.
I can tell you that at Cressey Performance, each one of our pro baseball players lifts four times a week, throws the medicine ball 2-3 times a week, and does supplemental movement training 2-3 days per week during the off-season - and they continue lifting during the season (at a lower frequency and volume). This is true of both position players and pitchers.
Our high school guys get after it as well; I don't know of many other private sector facilities in the country who have eight high school guys throwing 90mph+ before the age of 18 (with several more right on the cusp of this milestone). Something is working.
And, beyond just the direct training benefits of this system, there is something to be said for the camaraderie strength and conditioning does for teammates on top of regular practices. The fact that kids actually requested this says volumes!
Hopefully, blogs like this - and bright coaches who are "in the know" - will help to spread the word about what safe, effective training is - and where to get it.
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1. Just got this email from a satisfied customer of The Truth About Unstable Surface Training:
"Just wanted to drop a quick note to say outstanding work on 'TAUST!' It was truly comprehensive and head and shoulders above anything else written on the topic. The evidence was very well presented and you did a bang-up job on analyzing the available data and making a very evenhanded thesis."
Mike Howard
Vancouver, British Columbia
2. Here is yet ANOTHER study supporting the huge role of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is very important in processing cholesterol, and in the absence of it, more is stored in blood vessels.
3. I've been getting quite a few emails asking me when the new product from Bill, Mike, and I will be ready. Well, I can tell you that we've spent the week reviewing footage and making some adjustments, so we are, in fact, getting close! It will definitely be September; I can promise you that. Keep an eye out for an announcement in this blog and my newsletter.
4. In last week's random thoughts, I mentioned that I'd been getting multiple daily invites to join a Facebook group about fat loss for the general population - and I'd ignored each one. Well, I got five more invitations this week, bringing the total to 15 invites in 13 days. This guy really doesn't take "NO" for an answer, huh? Or, maybe I'm just a popular guy...
5. In case you missed this week's newsletter, check it out HERE. There are several videos and a rotator cuff stregthening progression that I frequently use. And, if you aren't subscribed already, you ought to be! The sign-up for the free weekly newsletter can be found to the top right of this screen.
6. Thanks to everyone who voted in yesterday's poll. I'm pretty sure our boy (or girl?) got the message that strength coaches don't wear capris...
Here I sit at my desk on a Friday morning in an empty, 100% quiet Cressey Performance. I'm not sure that's ever happened before - and it won't last long, as clients start rolling in about 23 minutes from now. In other words, there goes my opportunity to create a well thought-out, organized, and relevant blog post. Let the randomness begin.
1. Here's an interesting journal article looking at those with functional ankle instability also presented with delayed trunk reflexes. In other words, if you've had an ankle sprain without thorough rehabilitation, it relates to a later onset of trunk muscle activation. This closely parallels a lot of the stuff I covered in The Truth About Unstable Surface Training E-Book, as unstable surface training has been tremendously effective in correcting the proprioceptive delay we see in the peroneals following ankle sprains.
I guess you could say that this is one more "yea" vote in favor of the whole kinetic chain concept. Mess up an ankle and you very might be dealing with a knee, hip, or lower back issue sooner than later.
2. For the second year in a row, I'll be speaking at Fantasy Day at Fenway Park. If you're looking for a good time to benefit a great cause (The Jimmy Fund), click here for more information. The event is July 18.
3. Random fact: when preparing for the new DVD, Mike Robertson and I realized that Magnificent Mobility has sold in over 50 countries. Apparently, the Norwegians and Indonesians really dig Mike's smooth Midwestern drawl.
4. Speaking of Mike, check out this great blog post from him: The Starving Artist
That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!
What do you think of...
I got the question again this week:
What do you think of yoga?
Don't get me wrong; this newsletter isn't going to be about yoga. To be honest, I already wrote an article about my thoughts on yoga a while back. Admittedly, I probably should have taken a more impartial standpoint, but I wrote it more for shock value to outline some of the fundamental problems with some practices that I felt were becoming universally accepted without question.
That said, with respect to this newsletter, the word "yoga" in the question above could easily be replaced with "lifting weights," "static stretching," "weighted balls," "Chinese food," "owning your own business," or "curling in the squat rack."
Lifting weights is generally great. Deadlifting with a rounded back isn't. Doing 150 sets of pull-ups as fast as possible probably isn't going to make your shoulders and elbows happy. Overhead pressing two weeks after you had a rotator cuff repair isn't a good idea.
Static stretching can be of huge benefit if you've got muscles that are legitimately short. If you're an individual with crazy congenital laxity on top of ten-years of gymnastics, then static stretching will probably chew up your joints really quickly.
Weighted balls have worked wonders for some of my athletes, particularly those who have already built a great foundation of velocity with long tossing and optimization of on-the-mound mechanics. For others, they're premature and inappropriate.
I like water chestnuts, but not mushrooms. I guess the jury is out on whether Chinese food is good or not in my book, huh? I never met General Tso, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Owning my own business is fantastic. I get a lot of autonomy, set my own schedule, and have my name on a t-shirt. I also get a lot of hours and the last paycheck of the month - for whatever is left over.
Curling in the squat rack is the most annoying thing in the world if you are the guy waiting to squat. If you're the guy curling, though, it's a great way to impress your frat buddies. If looking like a complete tool is your goal, there is no better way to do it.
Where am I going with all this? Yoga isn't good or bad. Some lifts aren't appropriate for some people. Static stretching can help or hurt. There is good and bad Chinese food, depending on the person and restaurant. Owning a business has its perks and drawbacks; it isn't for everyone. There are no absolutes. Okay, maybe there is just one: curling in the squat rack is always dumb, but I digress...
One of my primary goals in writing over the past eight years has been to empower folks with knowledge. in fact, it was the entire premise behind Mike Robertson and my Building the Efficient Athlete DVD set; rather than simply handing people fish and telling them it's good for them, we tried to teach people how to fish.
"Dumbing things down" can certainly be valuable when dealing with clients (particularly those with no injuries). However, as fitness and strength and conditioning professionals, it's important to not do the same with our own education. You can't dumb something down until you've fully understood it.
That, I feel, is where the industry has gone a bit astray. Resistance training research really didn't even start up until the 1980s; there is still a ton we have to learn. And, to be honest, there is much better information coming out of experimentation in the trenches than there is in any research lab out there. There are new methods to be discovered, and old methods that can better be leveraged in (or removed from) certain scenarios.
In short, this is a very dynamic field. If things just keep getting dumbed down to "good and bad" and "just do this," though, then we're really selling ourselves short.
Or maybe I don't know anything. I guess it depends on who you ask.
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Today, we've got the first ever Cressey Performance Intern Hazing Poll. Here's how it works....
Posted below are three videos of our interns getting dominated by a delightful assortment of torturous exercises. We really didn't expect them to look good doing this, but hey, that's the whole point, right? Anyway, you, the readers of EricCressey.com get to rank the interns from 1 to 3 (1=first place, 2=second place, 3=third place) based on the following criteria:
1. Artistic Mastery
2. Fashion (nice shoes, Roger)
3. Proximity to Vomiting
4. Time to Completion
5. Number of breaks in action
6. Inferiority to Mike Roncarati, the most diesel CP intern of all time, who could eat these kiddies for breakfast (way to be, Mike!)
7. Inspiration (someone out there was having a bad day until they watched these videos and realized that things could have been a lot worse).
Voting will be closed Monday night, June 15th at midnight. The winner really won't receive anything, but futility is really the name of the game anyway. Oh, feel free to suggest some torture for next Thursday for these guys.
Without further ado, the candidates:
Candidate #1: Phil "The Thrill" Gauthier
EC Commentary: He plays the grunting card nicely. Good speed...compared with a 12-year-old girl's performance on this medley. Push-up technique was probably the best of the bunch, although I don't think it's going to get him any Cirque Du Soleil tryouts.
Candidate #2: Alex Nash "and Burn"
EC Commentary: Admittedly, I was stretching out one of our pitchers while he was doing this, so I'm shooting from the hip on his on-camera presence rather than relying on my experience on Thursday. Eyewitnesses reported that he demonstrated the worst push-ups in CP history. I would have liked to see a jog back to the sled after finishing the overhead keg lunges, too. I will give him some credit for not losing his breakfast, as the omelet and oatmeal was flying after pushing the sled last week.
Candidate #3: Roger "Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun" Lawson
(Note: Roger took so long that the first camera's battery died, and we had to rush to grab a second digital camera in the office. There was a good two minutes of grunting, sweating, and weird spasm-like movement during this brief hiatus)
EC Commentary: Roger certainly took the grunting to a whole new level; in fact, was he crying at one point? I think I actually heard him blurt out, "My mother didn't love me, and I never learned to read!" I can't be sure, though. I'll give him some style points for managing to get caught in the batting cage net like a tuna; that was graceful. He also earned some drama points for the repeated collapses on the keg lunges, not to mention an artistic mastery bonus with the swift sniper roll during the sled-to-keg transition.
So what do you think, world? Cast your votes as replies to this blog, ranking these guys from 1 to 3 (1 being the best). And, don't forget to suggest some torture for Installment 3.
If you asked my fiancee (or anyone who knows me well, for that matter), she would tell you that I work all the time. If I'm not training athletes, I'm training myself, reading research, or writing programs or articles about training. My life pretty much revolves around it - and I'd be lying if I didn't say that it is challenging to get to everything.
To be very honest with you, I'd probably make more money if I just stayed home and wrote articles and books all day. It's a direction quite a few folks in this industry have taken, in fact. You'd be surprised at how many well-known internet personalities in the exercise world don't see athletes anymore; they just stay home and write about what life would be like if they actually did train people. Or, they talk about what they used to do when they worked with folks, or what they've seen in the research of late.
Now, I'm all for research. And, given my articles, books, and DVDs, I'm all for sharing knowledge that I've gained. However, I'm a huge believer that you can't add to the body of knowledge unless you are out in the trenches working with people. You'd be surprised at how many researchers and writers could never get results in the real world. Why? Because people - attitudes, emotions, individual differences, etc. - get in the way.
This is why I have so much respect for those who are "in the trenches" and derive a significant portion of their income from in-person training. I enjoy articles, blogs, seminars, and products from guys like Alwyn Cosgrove, Mike Boyle, Mike Robertson, Bill Hartman, Mike Reinold, Jim Smith, Brijesh Patel, Nick Tumminello, and dozens others because these are all guys who are in the real world working to help people. Unlike those who just write, they are constantly getting feedback from clients/athletes on what works and what doesn't; theories don't go untested. If I was a consumer, I'd actually go out of my way to make sure the person writing a book or article was actually seeing clients/athletes before purchasing it.
A few years ago, I never would have even thought to make this promise, but the internet certainly changes things. And, that's why I'm promising today that I'll be training athletes for a long time, and the day I stop training athletes is the day that I stop writing and speaking about training, too.
