Upcoming Reinold and Cressey Seminar

Written on October 3, 2011 at 5:07 am, by Eric Cressey

I thrilled to announce that I’ll be collaborating with Mike Reinold once again – this time on a seminar, Functional Stability Training, to take place on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at Cressey Performance in Hudson, MA.

Here’s the agenda for the day:

• Functional Stability Training – An integrated approach to rehabilitation and performance training – Reinold
• Recent Advances in Core Performance - Understand the concept of Functional Stability Training for the Core, true function of the spine, and how this impacts injuries, rehab, and training – Reinold
• Maintaining a Training Effect in Spite of Common Lumbar Spine and Lower Extremity Injuries – Outlines the causes and symptoms of several common injuries encountered in the lower extremity, and how to train around these issues to keep clients/athletes fit during rehabilitation – Cressey
• Understanding and Controlling Extension in Athletes – Looks into the causes of and problems with excessive lumbar extension, anterior pelvic tilt, and rib flairs in athletes – Cressey
• Lunch (Provided)
• LAB – Assessing Core Movement Quality:  Understanding where to begin with Functional Stability Training exercises for the core – Reinold
• LAB – A Dynamic Progression of Core Performance Exercises  - Progression from simple core control to advanced rehab and training techniques – Reinold
• LAB – Understanding and Controlling Extension in Athletes – Progresses on the previous lecture with specific technique and coaching cues for exercises aimed toward those with these common issues – Cressey
• LAB – Advanced Stability: Training Power Outside the Sagittal Plane – Traditional power training programs are predominantly focused on the sagittal plane, but in most athletic endeavors – especially rotational sports – power must be displayed in other planes of motion – Cressey

It’s our goal to optimize the learning environment and have lots of interaction with all of those in attendance, so to that end, we’ll be keeping the seminar to 50 people or less.  Given that our Optimal Shoulder Performance seminar in 2009 sold out in under a week, this one is sure to do the same – so don’t delay in registering, if this is of interest.

For more information, or to sign up, check out www.FunctionalStability.com.

Here’s what some of our previous seminar attendees have had to say about their experiences seeing us live:

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Bracing in a Strength Training Program: When to Turn Up the Volume

Written on July 8, 2011 at 9:32 am, by Eric Cressey

Today, we’ve got a guest blog from Jim “Smitty” Smith.

I was speaking with Mike Robertson the other day about life and we started talking about our next career moves.  He was contemplating a run with Chippendales after his idol, Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees, made a comeback. And I was telling him about my idea to get on the Deadliest Catch show and live my dream of being a fisherman.  Both ideas were great and we are continuing to take steps forward to achieve our dreams — a little bit every day.

After that 3 hour discussion, we started talking about bracing.

Just Like the Volume Dial

I was telling Mike how I was going through Charlie Weingroff’s Training=Rehab | Rehab=Training and I had some questions about how he defines or explains bracing.  I, of course, understand bracing as a whole and teach it for our max efforts and loaded means, but Charlie introduced me to the idea of the importance of the “inner core”.  That is what I wanted to discuss with Mike.  Charlie stated that the inner core must fire first, neurologically, to setup up the foundation for the more intense loading or more sophisticated movements — this is when the “outer core” should kick in.

Mike told me to imagine the volume dial on your stereo. He asked me on the volume scale, where would planks come in?  I stated “1″, and smiled like I just stole something.  He then asked, “Where would the dial be for max efforts squats?”  I was catching on and said “10″!  Duh WINNING!

But Charlie and Mike threw up a caution flag.

If we brace at “10″ all the time (force and brace our abdomen outward, anterior and laterally to create tension or irradiation to buttress shear and stabilize the torso) , it could “shut down” the inner core and leave us susceptible to injury.  This is especially true if the establishment of bracing is not preceded by diaphragmatic breathing.  The long term inhibition of diaphragmatic breathing can affect a whole host of things like pelvic alignment => which can inhibit and shorten certain muscles groups (lower cross and upper cross syndromes) => create kyphosis and lordosis and much more.  The ramifications will be seen up and down the kinetic chain.

Turning Up the Intensity

There is a time for “breathing over the brace” at the lower intensities and there is a time for serious tension — take max effort strength exercises.  If you look in most commercial gyms today, you might think talking on the cell phone or getting a drink at the water fountain is a max effort lift, especially with all of the cinched up velcro belts popping off.  In reality, we’re talking about heavy compound movements performed with loads upwards of 80% + 1RM.  These components of your strength training program require serious intramuscular and intermuscular coordination and full body engagement to remain injury free, stable and strong throughout the full execution of the lift.  Also many times you’ll see novice, and sometimes experienced, lifters start the movement with a good brace, but lose it during the decent or accent.  It is definitely a skill to keep “the brace” the whole time you are under load.  Verbal and physical cues can be used to drill this technique.  Training with an injury or other compensations will also directly impact your ability to keep the brace throughout.

Bracing for Max Attempts

If you talk to any elite powerlifter, bracing for max efforts involves not only keeping the tension (sequenced isometric contractions on the primary / synergistic / antagonistic muscle groups) but also holding your air.  The air is taken (breathing through the belly) and held, and the abdominals are pressed outward forcibly.  If you are pressing out against a stationary object (i.e. the belt) it will further secure the brace and improve torso rigidity.  This is volume level “10″.  As you can see this is much different than the bracing required for a plank.  Also remember, heavy bracing is not limited to just max effort attempts.  Any high intensity movements could require sequenced bracing, if only for an instant.

The Ah-Ha Stuff

During simple, basic movements we should drill and become proficient at simply creating tension (bracing level “1″) across the entire kinetic chain and “breathing over the brace” (Weingroff) through active diaphragmatic breathing.  This will help to engage intra-abdominal pressure and lay the foundation for all of our movements.  And as we progress, more intense bracing can allow for heavier loads and more powerful movements to be introduced safely.

It was very enlightening for me to understand how breathing incorrectly could have just as much of an impact on posture, strength and performance as injuries, immobility, instability, high volume | short ROM movements or even too much load with poorly performed exercises.

All this talk of volume has got me reaching for my glow sticks.  Off to battle with Tony Gentilcore!

Jim Smith “Smitty” is the head strength and conditioning coach at Diesel Strength and Conditioning in Elmira, NY.  Smitty has been called “one of the most innovative coaches in the industry” and has written for most major national fitness publications. He is also a featured writer for LIVESTRONG.com and on the EliteFTS Q/A staff.  Check out some killer FREE gifts and his site at dieselsc.com.

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Oblique Strains in Baseball: 2011 Update

Written on March 29, 2011 at 6:56 am, by Eric Cressey

Just over three years ago, during a period where oblique strains were on the rise in professional baseball and the USA Today profiled this “new” injury, I wrote an article on what I perceived to be the causes of the issue.  Check it out: Oblique Strains and Rotational Power.

This year, the topic has come back to the forefront, as players like Joba Chamberlain, Sergio Mitre, Curtis Granderson, and Brian Wilson have experienced the injury this spring training alone.

While my thoughts from the initial article are still very much applicable, I do have some additional thoughts on the matter for 2011:

1. Is anyone surprised that the rise in oblique injuries in baseball is paralleled by the exponential rise in hip injuries and lower back pain? I don’t care whether you work in a factory or play a professional sport; violent, repetitive, and persistently unilateral-dominant rotation (especially if it is uncontrolled) will eventually chew up a hip, low back, or oblique; it’s just a matter of where people break down.

In other words, pro athletes are generating a tremendous amount of power from the hips – moreso, in fact, than they ever have before thanks to the advances in strength training, nutrition, supplementation, and, unfortunately, in some cases, illegal “pharmaceutical interventions.”  Assuming mechanics are relative good (as they should be in a professional athlete), rotate a hip faster and you’ll improve bat speed and throwing velocity; it’s that simple.  This force production alone is enough to chew up a labrum, irritate a hip capsule, and deliver enough localized eccentric stress to cause a loss in range of motion.  The Cliff’s Notes version is that we’ve increased hip strength and power (more on this in a bit), but most folks have overlooked tissue quality (foam rolling, massage, and more focal approaches like Active Release and Graston) and mobility training.

If the hips stiffen up, the lumbar spine will move excessively in all planes of motion – and, in turn, affect the positioning of the thoracic spine.  Throw off the thoracic spine, and you’ll negatively impact scapular (and shoulder), respiratory (via the rib cage), and cervical spine.  Hips that are strong – but have short or stiff musculature can throw off the whole shebang.

2. “Strong” isn’t a detailed enough description. I think that it goes beyond that, as you have to consider that a big part of this is a discrepancy between concentric and eccentric strength.  Concentrically, you have the trailing leg hip generating tremendous rotational power, and eccentrically, you have the lead leg musculature decelerating that rotation.

Moreover, because the front hip can’t be expected to dissipate all that rotational velocity – and because the thoracic spine is rotating from the drive of the upper extremities – you put the muscles acting at the lumbar spine in a situation where they must provide incredible stiffness to resist rotation.  It is essentially the opposite of being between a rock and a hard place; they are the rock between two moving parts.  Structurally, though, they’re well equipped to handle this responsibility; just look at how the line of pull of each of these muscles (as well as the tendinous inscriptions of the rectus abdominus) runs horizontally to resist rotation.  That’s eccentric control.

How do we train it?  Definitely not with sit-ups, crunches, or sidebends.  The former are too sagittal plane oriented and not particularly functional at all.  The latter really doesn’t reflect the stability-oriented nature of our “core.”  The bulk of our oblique strain prevention core training program should be movements that resist rotation:

While on the topic, it’s also important to resist lumbar hypextension, as poor anterior core strength can allow the rib cage to flare up (increases the stretch on the most commonly injured area of the obliques: at the attachment to the 11th rib on the non-throwing side) and even interfere with ideal respiratory function (the diaphragm can’t take  on its optimal dome shape, so we overuse accessory breathing muscles like pec minor, sternocleidomastoid, scalenes, etc).

So, to recap: I don’t think oblique strains are a new injury epidemic or the result of team doctors just getting better with diagnostics.  Rather, I think that we’re talking about a movement dysfunction that has been prevalent for quite some time – but we just happen to have had several of them in a short amount of time that has made the media more alert to the issue.  The truth is that if we worried more about “inefficiency” and not pathology,” journalists could have “broken” this story a long time ago.

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Stuff You Should Read: 1/31/11

Written on January 31, 2011 at 6:07 am, by Eric Cressey

Testing, Treating, and Training the Shoulder – This recap of my seminar with Mike Reinold features ten important takeaways from the day.

You Are What You Absorb – I thought this was an excellent article from John Meadows – both in terms of the background information he provides and the corrective strategies he advocates.

Rollouts: Friend or Foe and Two Anterior Core Progressions – These two video blogs were quite popular when they ran back in 2009.

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Charlie Weingroff’s Rehab=Training, Training=Rehab: Far from Just “Another DVD”

Written on December 14, 2010 at 8:07 am, by Eric Cressey

As EricCressey.com has grown in popularity and my professional network has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, the amount of free stuff that’s mailed my way has become borderline absurd.  From $1,000+ fitness equipment, to books and DVDs, to gift cards, I’ve seen it all.  And, in a big chunk of those cases, I’ve seen items go right in the garbage – either because they were so wretched in theory and appearance that they didn’t deserve my time, or because I got nauseous only a few minutes into using/watching them.

Usually, the problem is that some schmuck just wanted to make a quick buck and really didn’t care about the quality, accuracy, or utility of the product he/she created.  Or, that person was simply too flat-out unqualified to create anything of value.  Sad, but true.

Every once in a while, though, a diamond in the rough arrives and I’m glued to it excitedly like a little kid on Christmas.  And, instead of a used car salesman pushing snake oil on me, it’s someone with some credibility, innovation, passion, and perspective – all of which can make me better at helping my athletes, clients, and readers. Last week, one such product arrived.  It was called “Rehab=Training, Training=Rehab” – and my “Santa Claus” was Charlie Weingroff.

This is no jolly old fat man, though.  In reality, he’s a super intelligent physical therapist and strength coach who has a knack for taking complex terms and relating them in understandable terms for up-and-coming fitness professionals.  Oh, and he’s strong as an ox – to the tune of an 800-pound squat, 510-pound bench press, and 605-pound deadlift.

Beyond just the passion and knack for lifting heavy stuff, Charlie and I have conversed in the past about how similar our overall perspectives are with respect to the “blending” that takes place in the gray area between healthy training and physical therapy.  So, I can say without wavering that if you enjoy reading my stuff (and have liked products from Robertson, Hartman, and I), then Rehab=Training, Training=Rehab will be right up your alley, as I watched it straight through (first time I have done that with a DVD set in years).

And, if you want a chance to get a feel for Charlie’s perspective, he’s offering a free webinar called “The Core Pendulum Theory” on Wednesday night at 6pm; click here for details.  The product will then “go live” at 7pm – right after the webinar is complete – at an introductory rate of $147 (through Monday night only).

Introductions and product information aside, I asked Charlie what he thought the top eight general things were that one could take away from the DVD set, which lasts right about 12 hours – and these were his responses:

1.  The only difference between “Training” and “Rehab” is the clinician’s skill set.  The goals are really all the same.

2.  If you don’t know how to treat someone in pain, team up with someone who can.

3.  The Joint by Joint Theory tells you if the exercise has integrity.

4.  The Core Pendulum Theory tells you why some positions are okay to establish movement, but not okay for exercise.

5.  Creating Intra-Abdominal Pressure is the objective criterion for a “strong core.”

6.  The Functional Movement Screen is a screen, not an assessment.  The Selective Functional Movement Assessment is not useful for someone without pain.

7.  The body does not react reliably in the presence of pain.

8.  Restoring mobility in the painful patient/client is the key to total body integrity.

Again, these are all very general principles – but over the next few days, I’m going to bring to light some of the outstanding “impact” points that Charlie made in Rehab=Training, Training=Rehab.  For now, though, I’d encourage you to sign up for the free webinar HERE; you won’t be disappointed.

CP Intern Blog by Conor Nordengren: Up the “Ab Ante”

Written on October 5, 2010 at 7:44 am, by Eric Cressey

Today’s guest blog comes from current Cressey Performance intern, Conor Nordgren.

We’ve all heard those stories about the training regimens of celebrities and how they do 500 crunches first thing in the morning and 500 more right before bed to get that perfect six-pack of abs.  Many of you have probably also seen that infamous video of T.O. performing crunches while conducting an interview with reporters.

While exercises like crunches and sit-ups can bring out those abs and sculpt a nice six-pack, is this the safest method to train the core? Top strength and conditioning coaches like Eric Cressey, Tony Gentilcore, Mike Robertson, Mike Boyle, and Jason Nunn have recently written and talked on the subject and say that it is not.

As an intern at Cressey Performance, I’ve been exposed to a ton of programs and not a single one of them has included a crunch or a sit-up. Here’s why:

If you’re familiar with Mike Boyle’s joint by joint approach to training, you know that the lumbar spine requires stability as opposed to mobility. Think about the execution of a conventional sit-up: what is your lumbar spine doing? That’s right, it’s flexing. The lumbar spine is not designed for a great deal of movement (whether it is flexion or extension), let alone repetitive movement. Our spine as a whole is not meant for a ton of flexion or extension, either. While you may “feel the burn” in your abs when performing a set of crunches, you are essentially training spinal flexion. World-renowned low-back researcher Dr. Stuart McGill says that we have a finite number of flexion/extension cycles in our back until injury is caused. That number is different for every person, but the bottom line is that by performing exercises like crunches and sit-ups, you’re increasing your risk for injury with every rep! Dr. McGill has actually done experiments where he’s put pig spines in a crunch machine and after a certain number of crunches, or flexes, spinal disks explode.

Crunches and sit-ups also promote a kyphotic, or rounded back, posture. Visualize someone in the top position of a crunch or a sit-up. Now, keep that visual of their upper-back, but picture them standing up. Hello Quasimodo!

Would you consider this good posture? Of course you wouldn’t (well, hopefully not). So why would we want to reinforce it?

James Porterfield and Carl DeRosa have written that the core musculature is primarily designed to transmit force, not to produce it. While crunches and sit-ups are promoting flexion of the spine, our core should instead be trained in preventing movement. If we train our core to be rigid and prevent movement, the stronger it will be; this translates to more overall force production throughout the whole body which will allow for bigger lifts. Sounds pretty good, huh?

Thanks in large part to Mike Robertson, we’ve been introduced to four acceptable movement patterns that should be utilized when training the core. They are anti-rotation, anti-extension, anti-lateral flexion, and hip flexion with a neutral spine. While there are several variations of the following exercises, here are some of my favorites:

Anti-rotation: Tall Kneeling Pallof Press – the kneeling version really forces you to use your glutes and your core, since your quads are taken out of the picture (this exercise can also be done on a cable machine).

Anti-extension: Ab Wheel Rollouts – progress to band-resisted or off of a box for added difficulty.

Anti-lateral flexion: Waiter Carries – can also be done with a kettlebell.

Hip Flexion with a Neutral Spine: Prone Jackknifes with a stability ball – you may find this to be one of the more challenging movements, so really focus on keeping that core tight!

Some of you may have a hard time imagining your workout without any crunches or sit-ups. You might be skeptical that the above exercises may not get you the results that you desire. Well, Tony “The Situation” Gentilcore performs these movements on a regular basis, and when he voluntarily and superfluously flashes his abs at us interns every day, let me tell you, I could wash my clothes on those things! But seriously, change is hard and not an easy thing to accept. However, the good thing about change is that it can be for the better. I’m not demanding that you immediately stop performing crunches and/or sit-ups; that choice is yours. It’s my hope that you think about how you’re currently training your core and ask yourself if this is the most optimal, functional, and above all else, SAFEST way to do so. This may help to keep you injury-free down the road so you can continue hitting the iron hard.

Conor Nordengren can be reached at cnordengren@gmail.com.

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Cressey Performance Interns Eat Nails and Crap Lightning

Written on August 18, 2010 at 4:49 am, by Eric Cressey

Today, I’ve got some video flavor of our interns getting down.

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Stuff You Should Read: 2/25/10

Written on February 25, 2010 at 7:04 am, by Eric Cressey

Here’s some recommended reading for the week…

Effective Abdominal Training – I linked to a Bill Hartman post last week, and I’m going to do it again this week, because he puts out great stuff!  Check out this post, which features a video on core control.

Youk’s Diary: Good, Bad of Spring Training – CP client Kevin Youkilis will be keeping a blog on ESPN.com this season, and he gave us a little shoutout in the first one.  In addition to checking out Youk’s blog, I’d strongly encourage you to visit and donate to Youk’s Hits for Kids, a charity Kevin founded that does some awesome stuff for underprivileged kids.

7 Habits of Highly Defective Benchers – This was one of the most popular articles I’ve ever written, so I figured it’d be worth a “rerun.”

Last, but not least, don’t forget that our spring training sale ends TONIGHT at midnight.  Don’t miss out on your chance to get 30% off!  Click here for more information.

The Best of 2009: Stuff that was Fun to Write

Written on January 8, 2010 at 12:11 pm, by Eric Cressey

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.

The Best of 2009: Guest Submissions

Written on January 7, 2010 at 12:38 pm, by Eric Cressey

This week, I’ve already featured our top articles, product reviews, and videos of 2009.  I was also really lucky to have some bright minds as guest contributors this year, and today I’ll feature a few of their submissions.

The Rocker Inferior Capsule Stretch – This excellent submission from physical therapist Tim DiFrancesco shows a shoulder mobility exercises we’ve used with some of our guys with excellent results.  It includes some great videos like this:

So What Does a Pitching Coach Do, Anyway? – I love this guest blog from Matt Blake, a great pitching guy with whom I get to work daily.  It just goes to show you that there is a lot more to understand than mechanics when it comes to developing elite pitchers.

21st Century Nutrition: Talking Shop with Dr. John Berardi – This was more of an interview than a guest submission, but let’s be honest: JB provided most of the content here!  He discusses the future of nutrition and the success of Precision Nutrition.

The Be-All, End-All Throwing Program from Your Favorite Snake Oil Salesman – Here’s another post from Matt Blake.  I like this one because it’s entertaining thanks to the cynical tone that kicks it off, but educational because of the justification for that cynicism.  It’s classic “info-tainment.”

Real Activation: Modifying a Classic Core Movement – Jim Smith is perhaps best known for being a true innovator when it comes to exercise selection, and this post was an excellent one for that very reason.

Interval Training: HIIT or Miss? – A great guest submission from Mike Boyle; enough said!

Building Vibrant Health Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 – Eric Talmant presented a comprehensive look at his involvement with Metabolic Typing(R).

Thanks to everyone for the time they spent on creating these pieces, and the expertise they shared!