Home Posts tagged "Workout Routine" (Page 5)

The Most Important Thing for Rookie Trainers

Earlier this week, we had a gentleman stop by our facility to observe Tony, Brian, and I in action.  He is new to the industry - less than one year under his belt, in fact - but has a solid roster of clients of all ages and ability levels.  I give the guy a ton of credit for coming all the way to MA from across the country to get better at what he does; I wish more people were passionate enough about helping their clients to do so. Anyway, while he had quite a few questions, he asked me flat-out what I think the most important thing to do is for an up-and-coming personal trainer or strength and conditioning coach.  My answer was simple: learn functional anatomy.  Very simply, everything you do with a client or athlete comes down to understanding how their body is built.  And, if you know how the body is built (statically), you can start to understand how it functions (or malfunctions) dynamically.  This is a skip that, in my opinion, far too many trainers and coaches overlook.  It may be boring to memorize all this stuff, but it's incredibly important. I mean, honestly, have you ever met a mechanic who didn't know what a radiator did or where it was located?  A car's anatomy is probably just as expansive as the human body, but you don't see mechanics fixing car troubles before they learn where all the parts are - or what they're supposed to do.  Sadly, I think that if I asked every trainer on the planet what a coracobrachialis was, only half could even tell me where it's located, and even fewer would be able to relate its functions. At risk of sounding overconfident, this is one reason why I'm so proud of our Building the Efficient Athlete DVD Set.  In my experience, there isn't a single product out there that delves into functional anatomy in as detailed a fashion as Mike Robertson and I do, and there certainly isn't anything that relates that anatomy to what you see when your clients and athletes perform exercises, encounter injuries, or struggle to grasp some new technique.

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Here's a little sample of what you can find on the first two (of eight) DVDs in the set: DVD #1: Introduction
  • Why learn functional anatomy?
  • What resources do the BEST use to improve their skills?
  • What resources will absolutely make you regress as a trainer, coach or athlete, and how do you avoid them?
  • How will improved posture not only keep you healthy, but also improve your performance?
  • How can you use the Law of Repetitive Motion to rapidly elicit changes in posture?
DVD #2: Lower Body, Core and Upper Body Functional Anatomy
  • Are the hip flexors tight? If so, which one(s)? We show you specific tests to figure out exactly which areas are short or stiff.
  • Why are well functioning glutes an absolute necessity if optimal performance is your goal? How can they help us to avoid hamstring pulls, groin strains, and lower back pain!
  • How is it that we've misunderstood the role of various core muscles for so long? And, how can we modify our training to "undo" the damage that's been done?
  • How can the pectoralis major and subscapularis be both antagonists and synergists, and what are the implications on health and performance?
  • Have we been missing the boat on how we view rhomboids?
  • Why doesn't anyone think about pectoralis minor?
Again, this is just the tip of the iceberg.  There is a whole lot more on the other six DVDs, including live static and dynamic assessments, programming strategies, and loads of troubleshooting for common resistance training exercises. For more information, check out Building the Efficient Athlete.
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Stuff You Should Read: 2/10/09

Here is this week's list of stuff worth checking out - both from me and others: Just One Missing Piece Active vs. Passive Restraints 38Pitches.com: Curt Schilling's Official Blog - I've been fortunate to work with Curt over the past month, and in the process, I've been privileged to get to know a genuinely good guy who is overwhelmingly passionate about everything in his life - from his family, to baseball, to politics, to his gaming company.  As all my other pro guys will agree, he has loads to teach and a unique perspective on the world of baseball - particularly in light of the events of the past few weeks.  This is always a great read that I check in on daily.
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Elbow Pain in Pitchers

One of the most common causes of elbow pain in pitchers - and even some folks in the regular population - is a loss of elbow extension range-of-motion over time.  With pitching, there is extremely high-velocity elbow extension that must be decelerated (eccentric action) by all the elbow flexors (biceps, brachialis, etc). Because eccentrics are the most damaging types of muscle actions, the muscle can shorten over time, leaving the elbow in a flexed position.  Research has shown that the muscles shorten acutely (after a pitching bout) - and it isn't a stretch to assume (particularly based on my anecdotal experience from the pitchers I've seen) that if these ROM deficits aren't addressed right away, they'll become chronic (over the course of a competitive season). For this reason, we encourage all our pitchers to work hard at regaining elbow extension ROM immediately after a start with this stretch.

elbow extension

When we get a guy who comes to use with chronically restricted elbow extension ROM, soft tissue work - be it general massage, Graston techniques, and/or ART - are important immediate inclusions.  As the picture below shows, they can leave some marks, at times, but in this guy's case, just five minutes of soft tissue work and the above stretch got him over 10 degrees of ROM back.  He probably won't get all his ROM back, but he'll certainly get a lot closer to it.

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For more information on screening baseball athletes for issues like these, I strongly encourage you to check out the 2008 Ultimate Pitching Coaches Bootcamp DVD set.

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Random Friday Thoughts: 2/6/09

1. First thing's first: in a newsletter last year, I told you all about Sarah Neukom, who works with the Jimmy Fund in organizing special events.  Sarah raised over $8,000 for cancer research last year in running the Boston Marathon, and a lot of you generously donated to the cause through the mention in this newsletter.  This year, Sarah's running again, and she'd love your support - this time to raise over $10,000 for a lot of people who could really use it.  I encourage you to check out www.SarahSaidSheWould.com and make a tax-deductible donation to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. 2. Tomorrow, I'm headed back to my old stomping grounds - Storrs, CT - to see my first UCONN men's basketball of the year.  The seniors on this year's squad were freshman when I was last in campus, so I'm still bleeding some Husky Blue.

3. While we're on the topic of big verticals, a lot of our pro guys are wrapping up their off-season training at Cressey Performance before heading out to spring training, so we're doing some post-testing to gauge the progress they've made.  Probably the most impressive of the bunch jumping-wise has been Blue Jays prospect Tim Collins, Baseball America's Low A Reliever of the Year in 2008.  Tim added 10.8 inches to his vertical jump in just four months to get it up to 38.7 inches.

4. Someone asked me yesterday if I felt that it was necessary to be on a caloric surplus on the Maximum Strength program.   My response was, "That'll work, but a big surplus isn't necessarily. You'll actually notice that the resounding them within the book with respect to my own progress over the years is that I've built relative strength, not just absolute strength. So, you could still see excellent results just eating at maintenance - particularly if the volume is lower than your recent programs."

5. If you are near the Philadelphia/ New Jersey area and interested in bodyweight training (and if you are a regular reader of this blog, chances are that you are), consider checking out a great one day seminar given by Beast Skills' Jim Bathurst.  The date is March 1st, and the seminar is actually two parts (one basic and one advanced), so anyone can attend and participate fully.  Jim knows his stuff (check out his impressive YouTube clips on the Beast Skills site) and the seminar will help anyone who wants to develop full body strength and stability.  Check out Jim's site for details.  The seminar is hosted by my good buddy, Shon Grosse, who is a great physical therapist in Colmar, PA.

6. Just a quick happy birthday shoutout to Padres prospect Will Inman.  Will's up in Boston from Virginia to get down with us this off-season before heading out to Phoenix on Monday for spring training.  Everyone give Will some love and check him out at WilliamInman.com.

Have a great weekend!

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The Best Baseball Resource Out There

This is a bold subject line, I know, but I really do feel that strongly about it.  And, I'm honored to be one of the speakers featured on the "ticket" for this DVD set.  In fact, I feel so strongly that I'm going to kick in a sweet bonus for anyone who purchases, so read on. Multiple times each week, I have someone ask me why I haven't gotten my act together and put together a baseball product.  My response is always the same: "There is a ton to cover, and just when I feel like I'm ready to put something in writing and on tape, I evolve a little bit more.  Plus, I just don't have time right now because I'm so busy actually training players that I don't have the time to give such a project the attention it deserves." Fortunately for me, though, Ron Wolforth brought together some of the best minds in the business at his Ultimate Pitching Coaches Bootcamp in December - and what resulted was a great product that should be a part of the libraries of EVERY baseball coach, baseball strength coach, and baseball parent.  This DVD set really is that good simply because it's so versatile.  Here is what you get: Brent Strom- St. Louis Cardinals- The Histrionics of Pitching Mechanics- Separating Fact from Fiction: a Return to 'Classic Mechanics'. The Key Mechanical Efficiencies: Intent, Momentum, Rhythm and Tempo, Arm Action & Pelvic Loading Ron Wolforth-Pitching Central- Neuromuscular Blending- Getting your Drills to transfer over to the Game  & Pitchers on the Ropes - Assisting your pitchers to be explosive, dynamic and durable using ropes and chains Eric Cressey- Cressey Performance- Building The Complete and Superior Pitching Athlete- The Common Myths and misconceptions regarding strength development and conditioning of the pitching athlete which actually inhibit or constrain their performance and development. Phil Donley- What is GIRD? Why is it a problem for pitchers? How to prevent it and treat it!-What is a Sick Scapula? Why is it a problem for pitchers? How to prevent it and treat it!-What are common Mobility and Asymmetry Issues for Pitchers? Why every pitching coach in America should pay attention to their pitcher's mobility and core asymmetries? How to identify issues, prevent them and correct them. Perry Husband- Understanding the Concept of Effective Velocity Joe Fletcher-The Recovery Process for Pitchers. How one can greatly enhance a pitcher's recovery via nutrition, the food/ fuel you consume, the type and duration of your workouts, your mechanical efficiencies and your mental/emotional states Tom Hanson-The Mental Side of Pitching Andy Whitney- Using Kettlebells in Baseball Essentially, you've got an exhaustive research for dealing with baseball players - and pitchers, in particular.  The majority of us presenters were involved in hands-on sessions where we went over assessments and training strategies - and the panel Q&A sessions were great as well. I can tell you that the stuff in my presentation is a lot of information that I hadn't put in writing or seminar format prior to this date, and it details a lot of what I do with my high school, college, and professional ballplayers. And, if you are interested in preventing elbow and shoulder issues, you absolutely have to see Phil Donley speak.  It should be "required viewing" for any coach, trainer, and physical therapist that deals with baseball players.  A long-time rehabilitation consultant for the Phillies, Phil is absolutely brilliant and has rehabilitated loads of multi-million dollar arms. Ron and Brent are the guys pushing the envelope for pitching coaches to think outside the box and do special things with athletes.  Ron's Baseball Ranch down in Houston has produced LOADS of guys throwing 90+mph in recent years. Perry Husband's presentation absolutely blew me away.  This guy charted every pitch in Major League Baseball in 2004 and came up with some awesome conclusions that can really dictate pitch selection. So, effectively, you've got a resource that will teach you performance enhancement, injury prevention, strategic planning, and regeneration.  It's already an incredible value, but I'm going to sweeten the deal: From now until midnight on Saturday February 14, if you purchase the Ultimate Pitching Coaches Bootcamp DVD set and forward your email confirmation receipt to ec@ericcressey.com, I'll send you a free e-version of my Ultimate Off-Season Manual, which has never been available as an e-book - until now.  This is a $99 value and the offer won't be around for long, so pick up a copy of the UPCBC DVD Set now!

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Deloading in Maximum Strength

Q: I am just finishing up Phase 1 of Maximum Strength, and I have a few questions about the loading. 1. When we have deload weeks, like in week 4, do we decrease the load or  is the decreased volume you prescribed the actual deload? I find myself increasing the load on weeks 2 and 4 to compensate for the decreased volume, but I have a feeling I am defeating the whole purpose of the deload. 2. When we are doing our sets, should we try to keep the same load for each set, or do we work up to a RM on our last set? A:  With respect to your first question, you are definitely doing the right thing. The best answer I can give is to get stronger! And, you will! So, if the reps go down, the weights should go up. And, if the reps stay the same, the weights should still (hopefully) go up. There are exceptions to this rule, of course - particularly as you get more and more advanced or have a previous history of injury. It'd be worth picking up a copy of my Art of the Deload e-book for details for only $12.99:

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As for your second question, I'd keep working up and only count the stuff that's at or above 90% of your best working weight for the day.  So, let's say you're doing three sets of three reps on front squats, and your progression goes something like this:

45x5, 95x3, 135x3, 165x3, 185x3, 200x3 (heaviest you can go, you discover)

So, you work backward from that 200 pounds to find that 90% of it is 180 pounds.  So, the only two sets that have "counted" thus far are 185 and 200 - so you need to do one more set between 180 and 200 pounds to finish up the 3x3.

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Is the Glass Half-Empty or Half-Full?

Next time you set up to bench press, think about what you ask for: a. a spot b. a hand-off I don't know about you, but I'm asking for the hand-off, because there's no way I'm thinking that I'll need a spot.  How's that for a thought of the day? Remember that this is half-full...

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Back Squatting with a Posterior Labral Tear?

Q:  I'm a baseball pitcher who was diagnosed with a posterior labral tear.  Since I was young and the doctor didn't feel that the tear was too extensive, he recommended physical therapy and not surgery.  I'm still training the rest of my body hard, but am finding that I can't back squat because it causes pain in the shoulder.  Any idea why and what I can do to work around this? A: It isn't surprising at all, given the typical SLAP injury mechanism in overhead throwing athletes.  If there is posterior cuff tightness (and possibly capsule tightness, depending on who you ask), the humeral head will translate upward in that abducted/externally rotated position.  In other words, the extreme cocking position and back squat bar position readily provoke labral problems once they are in place. The apprehension test is often used to check for issues like this, as they are commonly associated with anterior instability.  Not surprisingly, it's a test that involves maximal external rotation to provoke pain:

apprehension-test

The relocation aspect of the test involves the clinician pushing the humeral head posteriorly to relieve pain.  If that relocation relieves pain, the test is positive, and you're dealing with someone who has anterior instability.  So, you can see why back squatting can irritate a shoulder with a posterior labrum problem: it may be the associated anterior instability, the labrum itself, or a combination of those two factors (and others!). On a related note, most pitchers report that when they feel their SLAP lesion occur on a specific pitch, it takes place right as they transition from maximal external rotation to forward acceleration.  This is where the peel-back mechanism (via the biceps tendon on the labrum) is most prominent.  That's one more knock against back squatting overhead athletes. If you're interested in reading further, Mike Reinold has some excellent information on SLAP lesions in overhead throwing athletes in two great blog posts: Top 5 Things You Need to Know about a Superior Labral Tear Clinical Examination of Superior Labral Tears The solutions are pretty simple: work with front squats, single-leg work (dumbbells or front squat grip), and deadlift variations. If you have access to specialty bars like the giant cambered bar and/or safety squat bar, feel free to incorporate work with them.

And, alongside that, work in a solid rehabilitation program that focuses not only on the glenohumeral joint, but also scapular stability and thoracic spine mobility. Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive a Copy of the Exact Stretches used by Cressey Performance Pitchers after they Throw!

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What Really Constitutes Functional Balance Training?

Just a few days ago, a friend of mine passed along the link for a Reuters article reporting on a study that found that a 12-week Tai Chi intervention did not reduce the risk of falls in the elderly.

This might be surprising to some, as one would think that any sort of physical activity would benefit untrained elderly individuals.  However, I wasn't surprised at the results at all, given all the research I'd done to prepare for The Truth About Unstable Surface Training.  And, I wasn't surprised at all when I realized that this had significant parallels to how we train balancing proficiency in athletes.

It's important to understand first and foremost that balance and proprioception (and, therefore, stability at a certain point in time) are skill-specific.  In particular, one must appreciate that static balance - which is typical of Tai Chi - is markedly difference from dynamic balance, which we encounter all the time in everyday life and in the world of athletics.

For proof, one mustn't look any further than when Drowatzky and Zuccato (1966) found little carryover from static to dynamic balance (1).  Tsigilis et al. confirmed this finding 35 years later (2). And, it's one reason why I feel so strongly that we have to qualify our unstable surface training (UST) recommendations.  UST necessitates a significant amount of static balance that may not transfer to sporting movements, which typically are more dependent on dynamic balancing proficiency.

From my e-book on the subject, "Previous research has demonstrated that scores on static balance tests are not useful information when attempting to predict inversion ankle injuries in soccer players (3). This lack of correlation implies that methods to improve static balance may not be effective training approaches to prevent injuries in dynamic sporting contexts - especially when dealing with athletes with no recent history of lower extremity injury."

Now, we know that we can't train complete specificity 100% of the time.  Otherwise, in the elderly, we'd be trying to simulate every kind of fall that is possible.  And, in a football player, for instance, we'd be trying to simulate every kind of tackle a running back could possibly encounter.  So, what do we do?  Once again, we look to the research!

In a study by Bruhn et al., a high-intensity strength training group actually outperformed the unstable surface training (static balance training) group on measures of static balance (4).  In other words, one group trained static balance, and the other didn't - and the one who didn't train static balance directly actually improved the most overall.  Maybe muscle cross-sectional area played into it?  Maybe it occurred because of increased stabilization via enhanced intra- and intermuscular coordination that would allow for more rapid and effective force production (strength and rate of force development)?  Maybe true specificity isn't as important as we thought?

Click here to purchase The Truth About Unstable Surface Training.


References

1. DROWATZKY, J.N., AND F.C. ZUCCATO. Interrelationships between selected measures of static and dynamic balance. Res. Q. 38:(3) 509-510. 1966.

2. TSIGILIS, N., E. ZACHOPOULOU, T. MAVRIDIS. Evaluation of the specificity of selected dynamic balance tests. Percept Mot Skills. 92(3 Pt 1):827-33. 2001.

3. KONRADSEN, L. Factors Contributing to Chronic Ankle Instability: Kinesthesia and Joint Position Sense. J Athl Train. 37(4):381-385. 2002.

4. BRUHN, S., N. KULLMANN, AND A. GOLLHOFER. The effects of a sensorimotor training and a strength training on postural stabilisation, maximum isometric contraction and jump performance. Int J Sports Med. 25(1):56-60. 2004.

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Plyometrics and Unstable Surface Training

Two weeks ago, I made it clear that a lot of folks were missing the boat with respect to baseball strength and conditioning by insisting that "plyos are all you need." And, last week, I discussed how strength and reactive ability have interacted in some successful players in professional baseball, and how those qualities should dictate how an athlete trains. This week, though, I'm going to throw you for a little loop and tell you that the static-spring continuum means absolutely NOTHING for a lot of athletes.  Why? You must first understand that each stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) activity involves three distinct phases: 1. eccentric (deceleration, preloading) 2. amortization (isometric, pause) 3. concentric (propulsion) phases. As I discussed in great detail in The Truth About Unstable Surface Training, Komi (2003) outlined three fundamental conditions required for an effective SSC action (1): 1. "a well-timed preactivation of the muscles before the eccentric phase" [we need our muscles to be ready to go to decelerate] 2. "a short and fast eccentric phase" [deceleration has to occur quickly, as the faster the rate of stretch, the more energy the musculotendon complex stores] 3. "immediate transition (short delay) between stretch and shortening (concentric) phases." [if we spend too much time paused at the bottom, the stored energy is lost as heat instead of being used for subsequent force production] So, what I'm really saying is that if you don't have a decent foundation of strength, training reactive ability - or even considering where you stand on the static-spring continuum - is a waste of time.  Weak athletes need to have the strength (and rate of force development, for that matter) to decelerate with control in order to allow for fast eccentric and amoritization phases to occur. I'd estimate that 60% of the young athletes who walk through my door on their first day to train are nowhere near strong enough to derive considerable benefit from "classic" plyos.  Sure, they need to learn deceleration and landing mechanics and pick up some sprinting techniques, but the true progress comes from the resistance training they do. Now, let's apply this to baseball, a sport where good strength and conditioning is still yet to be appreciated - and many athletes go directly from high school to the professional ranks without ever having touched a weight in their lives.  As a result, many baseball athletes don't have the underlying strength to effectively make use of the reactive training that typifies the training presented to them. And, in many cases, it will take a long time to get it during the season in the minor leagues, where they'll have competing demands (games, practice, travel) and limited equipment access.  It's why I've seen several professional baseball players come my way with vertical jumps of less than 20".  As a frame of reference, you need to be over 28.5" to be in the top 13 on my HIGH SCHOOL record board. Pro athletes?  Really? These guys can be conundrums from a training standpoint, as you have to realize that sprinting is possibly the single-most reactive/plyometric training drill there is; we are talking roughly four times body weight in ground reaction forces with each stride - and that's in single-leg stance.  So, we have somewhat of an injury predisposition, but more important, it comes down to training economy.  They aren't strong enough (relative to their body weight) to get much out of the sprinting, and would benefit more from strength training, bilateral jumping variations, and single-leg low hops.  However, they need to jump and sprint as part of their profession, so we've got to prepare them for that as well.

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All that in mind, the problem isn't traditional strength and conditioning, in my eyes.  It builds a solid base of strength for many athletes and helps to increase body weight, which in itself is a predictive factor for velocity.  However, the shortcomings of this S&C occur when coaches don't understand how to modify traditional strength and conditioning to suit the needs of the baseball athlete.  And, problems kick in when folks don't appreciate that even just a little bit of strength goes a long way. New Blog Content Random Friday Thoughts Inverted Row Ignorance Maximum Strength Feedback: 1/20/09 Stuff You Should Read: 1/22/09 All the Best, EC References 1. Komi, PV. Stretch-shortening cycle. In: Strength and Power in Sport (2nd Ed.) P.V. Komi, ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 2003: 184-202. Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive a Copy of the Exact Stretches used by Cressey Performance Pitchers after they Throw!
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