"As a collegiate triathlete and cyclist, I am constantly wondering  how I can get leaner, faster, and stronger.  Then, I ask myself how I  can train harder and smarter given the little amount of time I have  available for strength and conditioning.  I came to Eric in light of  the expansive knowledge he displayed in his articles. Six months later, with Eric's help, not only have I realized just how reconstructed my training is, but I have also managed to be in the  best shape of my life.  My VO2 Max increased from 50.6 ml/kg/min to  73.1 ml/kg min, my anaerobic threshold from 60%-75% of VO2 Max, and  my max HR stayed at 212 BPM.  I've worked with four triathlon  coaches, most for over six months and some as much as a full year. Being the best on race day is as much about hard training as it is about smart training and injury prevention; I'm happy to have found a coach who considers all factors.  Eric will have to kick me out; I'm not leaving."   Jonathan Boyle Ironman Triathlete George Washington University Cyclist

“Last year, I thought that my powerlifting career was over due to a back injury. I had been to several doctors and tried multiple medications to fix the problem; it seemed like every road led to a dead end.  I contacted Eric Cressey, and he wrote me a rehab program that allowed me to not only live pain-free again, but also post a PR total in my next meet.”   Greg Panora Westside Barbell Club – Columbus, Ohio 2485 total at 242 pounds (World Record)

“When I first came to South Side gym, I had very little knowledge on how to squat, deadlift, and bench correctly, and a chronic shoulder problem was really bothering me.  I was lucky enough to have Eric invite me to train with him.  He assessed my shoulder problem and set up a program to correct it.  In a matter of eight weeks, my shoulder felt better than it had in eight years.  Ever since, I have continued to get stronger and better technically in all my lifts under Eric’s guidance.  Had I not met Eric, I would still have shoulder pain and would not be nearly as strong as I am now.  Eric is a great training partner and coach; he helps me get PRs and knows when to hold me back so that I'll be stronger when the right time comes.  He is the most knowledgeable person I have met and I’m fortunate to be training with him.”   Carl LaRovera South Side Gym - Stratford, Connecticut

“After reading several of Eric’s insightful articles, I contacted him via email to see if he could design a program that would make me stronger, faster, and more explosive.  I have trained under Eric’s programming for three months, and I have not only become stronger on all of my lifts – including approximately 70 pounds on my squat – but I’ve also gained four inches on my vertical jump.  I recently “threw it down” for the first time at a height of 5-8 to fulfill my long-time dream of dunking a basketball.  In working with Eric, I have also developed a new understanding of flexibility and mobility work and the importance of dynamic flexibility and recovery/regeneration sessions that were absent from my old training programs.  Eric is not only very knowledgeable in just about everything within the field, but he also truly cares for the health and well-being of his clients.  With the new knowledge I obtained while training with Eric, there is no doubt in my mind that I will continue to grow as an athlete and get healthier at the same time.” Frank Yang Rockville, Maryland

"I first came in contact with Eric’s writing on T-Nation, and when I saw his contact information at the end of the article, I emailed him right away.  Over the next several months, I relentlessly picked his brain for knowledge of training, nutrition, and supplementation as he wrote my programs.  Eric stuck with me through the worst of conditions, as I was deployed overseas in the Navy Special Warfare Units with limited access to food and dealt with sleep deprivation; a broken foot; a rocky, unpredictable schedule, and sometimes poorly-equipped gyms.  Nonetheless, Eric managed to correct my posture, address all my weak links, and dramatically increase my strength as I packed on 25 pounds of muscle and learned a ton about how to program for myself.  I’m back in the U.S. now, but I still work with Eric to continue on the road to getting my skinny ass strong and ripped.  Eric is a superb trainer and coach."   David C. San Diego, California     "For the past ten years, I’ve battled a natural fusion of my fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae.  Up until six months ago, I was seriously considering giving up my weightlifting pursuits.  I had consulted numerous physicians and specialists, from general practitioners to neurosurgeons.  All of them told me that I’d never be able to gain strength or be as strong as I once was.  They all recommended that I focus on light-weight/high-rep training.  I came across EC on T-Nation and started as one of his clients.  He assured me that my weightlifting career was not over and designed several programs to correct years of training imbalances.  Now, I’m lifting heavier weights virtually pain free, and I’m stronger on all my lifts than I was before the injury.  As an added bonus, I’ve learned more about exercise selection, programming, recovery methods, and nutrition in the past six months than I did in the previous fifteen years.  EC is hands down the best coach I’ve ever worked with, period."   Craig Patzel Hastings, Nebraska

“I’ve been training under Eric for five months now, and I am now bigger, stronger, more defined, and vascular than I have ever been – even moreso than when I was in boot camp as a Marine 23 years ago and competing as a bodybuilder in previous decades.  My chronic lower back pain is gone, my posture has improved, I’ve learned dozens of new movements, and I’ve gained muscle and lost fat to the point that friends are constantly asking me if I’m going to compete again.  Perhaps the most amazing thing is that I’m eating more calories than I ever have and they’re all going to just the right places.  Forget about declining testosterone levels and any other excuses that you can conjure up; Coach Cressey will show you the way.”   Dale Allen, 46 year-old bodybuilder Cordell, Oklahoma     "I was initially drawn to Eric because he was not only extremely intelligent, but also strong in his own regard.  He is truly someone who walks the walk and this demeanor really comes through in his communications and program design.   "It goes without saying that chronic injuries can be extremely frustrated for the dedicated lifter; I can speak from first-hand experience.  I thought I was doing everything right and was at the end of my rope with my bad lower back when I finally gave EC a shout.  In the last few months, I have realized how little I knew and I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.  EC is not only getting me healthy, but he is also giving me to the tools to continue to be healthy for years of hard lifting to come.  I have sat through my share of biomechanics lectures, but EC has been one of the best ‘teachers’ I have ever had; I wish I had found Eric a long time ago.  Regardless of your goals and whether you are healthy or not, Eric teaches you how to get healthy and stay healthy while moving closer to those goals.  In my quest to get healthy, I have personally spent money on EVERYTHING: chiropractors, physiotherapists, local personal trainers, and self-help material.  Without a doubt, Eric has been the best investment I’ve made in this regard."   Justin Toupin Winnipeg, Manitoba     "I have only been working with Eric for a short period of time, but after just a few months I can safely say the decision to utilize his services has been THE most valuable investment I’ve made in my training career.  I came to Eric with a few injuries that I had chalked up to regular ol’ ‘wear and tear.’  My assumption was that injuries were inevitable for those committing themselves to a life under the iron; little did I know that the majority of pain through which I was suffering could have easily been prevented had I received proper coaching at the beginning of my lifting career.  Eric has done a tremendous job in not only helping me fix my injuries, but also in providing me with the skills and knowledge base to ensure that they never spring up again.  To make things even better, despite placing a priority on simply ‘getting healthy, I’ve ben able to maintain regular heavy lifting and have even managed to simultaneously get bigger and stronger.  Eric’s extensive scientific background, practical experience as an accomplished lifter, and genuine passion for the field make him an outstanding choice for any athlete looking to take his performance to all new levels."   Andrew S. Los Angeles, California      "After 12 years of suffering from chronic pain in my knees and hips, my joint problems had become so severe that I couldn’t squat, deadlift or even use an elliptical machine.   Eric identified weaknesses throughout my whole body that were leading to the problems, and then designed a personalized program that incorporated lifting, mobility drills, and stretching.  In less than two months, my knees and hips have improved to levels that I never thought were possible.  I am back to performing deadlift and squat variations and even getting in some cardiovascular conditioning – all without soreness or pain.  Not only did my injuries improve, but I also experienced increases in strength and muscle mass.  Eric has been available for all of my questions and provided detailed examples of the exercises he prescribed.  I fully anticipate that with Eric’s help, I will be able to take my training to all-new levels."   Greg R. San Jose, California     “Working with Eric has been great.  After he helped me several times with spot-on advice for some health issues I had, I took the plunge and started working him personally to prevent further major injuries and cure the nagging ones I still had.  I'm happy to report that not only do I lift pain free, but my overall quality of life has improved.  No more stiff achy knees that take forever to warm up, no tight and painful shoulders in the morning, no pain at all.   “In addition to feeling better daily, I have seen great results with his programs, improving quickly in both my numbers and my physically appearance, not to mention enjoying the time I used to spend agonizing over how to best create an effective program for myself.   “If that isn't enough, Eric himself is a great guy.  He answers all questions quickly, explains everything he does (in a way anyone can understand), and gives you a program that does what YOU want.”   Collin Ashmore Laporte, Indiana “I’m a 43 year old physician and ‘wannabe’ bench presser.   “In October 2005, I underwent surgery in my left shoulder due to a labral tear in my glenohumeral joint.  Although my colleagues told me that my days of heavy weight- training were over, I really couldn’t accept this ‘fact.’  I went through the standard rehabilitation scheme and attained a reasonably good function in my shoulder. Still, almost every time I tried to approach weight training, I just wound up with shoulder pain and frustration.   “The information I was seeking was something that could bridge the gap between rehabilitation and a return to heavy weight training.  For me, Eric Cressey has been this bridge; this man’s knowledge really impresses me.  Combined with his own experience as a powerlifter, his knowledge has enabled him to put things together in a way that has gotten me healthy without allowing me to detrain.  I’ve been fortunate to train under his guidance since October 2006 and I’ve made fantastic progress.  The only thing I now regret is that I didn’t contact him sooner.”   Yves Florelius, M.D. Chief Physician, Rehabilitation Unit, SSR Rehabilitation Hospital Stavern, Norway

 
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