Bigger, Leaner, Stronger, Healthier: 1/29/09 Maximum Strength Feedback

Written on January 29, 2009 at 8:04 am, by Eric Cressey

I just received this email yesterday from a happy Maximum Strength customer:

“Eric,

“I just finished up with your Maximum Strength program and wanted to write you to let you know of the results.  Before I get to the good stuff, I wanted to thank you for writing such a comprehensive strength training program.  Not only was it challenging but it was also laid out in a format where it is easy to understand and follow.  I have not stopped talking about this program for 16 weeks and now that I have the results, I have people getting ready to jump on the Maximum Strength bandwagon.

“Not only did I see an increase across the board in lifts and movements, but the soft tissue and mobility work opened up my hips and all but eliminated any IT band issues I was having previous to this.  I started this program with the idea that the conclusion would come just in time for me to start going back to my endurance training for this summer’s triathlon circuit.  Now that I am done, I am at the strongest I have been in 12 years, I set a PR in deadlifts and I am in a frame of mind for my next race where I know I will be one of the strongest competitors in the field.

“Here are the results from the program:

Moving Day                                 Packing Day                                  Difference
Weight – 201                                        212 lbs                                        + 11 lbs
Broad Jump – 88″                                 115″                                            + 17″
Squat – 385 lbs                                     445 lbs                                        + 60 lbs
Bench – 300 lbs                                    325 lbs                                        + 25 lbs
Deadlift – 385                                        455                                             + 70 lbs
3 Rep Chin – BW +30                         BW + 60                                     30 lbs + 11 of BW

“To say I am excited about these results is an understatement.  I was a little bummed on the weight until I got my new circumference measurements done.  While I did add 11 pounds, I lost .5 inches off my waist and added 6, yes I said 6 inches to my chest/back/shoulders measurement.  The compliments I have gotten from friends and family are even more indicative of a successful program.  Not only did I set a new PR in dealift but I am most proud of the 3 rep chin max, where not only did I add muscle and body weight, I was also able to increase my strength and added additional external weight as well.

“Thanks again.  I plan on recommending this program to friends, family and soon-to-be clients!”

-Chris Bartl

Click Here to Purchase Maximum Strength!

Maximum Strength Feedback: 1/20/09

Written on January 20, 2009 at 7:37 am, by Eric Cressey

I was just checking in on how Maximum Strength is doing over at Amazon, and came across the following five-star customer review.  As the reviewer notes, sometimes you need to get outside your comfort zone – both in training and in life – to get to where you want to be.

“This book is a must-read. I heard a lot of hype about this book before purchasing, and I’m glad I finally bought it. I did the entire 4 month routine and honestly, my body feels better than it ever has in the past.

“I was used to the traditional bodybuilding bodypart split of chest on Monday, legs on Tuesday, Arms on Wednesday, etc etc. For years, I just accepted that this was the way to train your body. I just dealt with back pain and shoulder pain as part of the “price of working out.” Doing 5 exercises for your back in one day, and 5 exercises for your shoulders in one day is the absolute wrong way to train your body, unless you are an actual bodybuilder, but for the average fitness enthusiast, that just doesn’t apply.

“Eric’s book outlines splitting your routines into upper body days and lower body days. The routines are easy to follow. Full detailed pictures, and explanations. One of the most important things he advocates is varying the rep range each week within the 4 week routine. You probably never have done any exercise of 8 sets of 2 reps or 10 sets of 3 reps. You have to keep in mind Eric is a Strength & Conditioning Coach with the goal of getting you stronger. I was hesitant, but you have to open your mind and try it.

“My body feels stronger, and more balanced. There are a few non-traditional exercises that you probably have never heard of, or are hesitant to try out. My advice would be to do everything in the book to a T. It works. You may be reluctant to do so much deadlifting and squatting. You may have never hear of scapular push ups, walls slides, face pulls, or behind the neck band pull aparts. Open your mind. Follow the routines exactly and you will be glad you did. I know I am. Your body will feel so much stronger, more balanced, and your posture improves. I hope this doesn’t sound like a 3 a.m info-mercial testimonial for the latest fitness product, because it’s not. I’m a Certified Personal Trainer and a Certified Gym Rat who has been lifting for 11 years. Open your mind, try the routines, follow to a T. Your body will thank you.”

Click Here to Purchase Maximum Strength.

Frozen Ankles, Ugly Squatting

Written on December 29, 2008 at 9:25 pm, by Eric Cressey

Q: For years, I have had difficulties with acquiring any real depth in my back squats. I took on board all the thoughts some authors had about working on ankle mobility and then what others had to say about weak abdominals and how they can wreak havoc on one’s ability squatting into the hole.  However, it wasn’t until I went to get fitted for a pair of orthotics recently at the podiatrist’s that I realized that even though I have done STACKS of ankle mobility and soft tissue work, genetically, I am limited by my foot and ankle structure to ever really squat deep.

Why on earth have these authors of whom I have a great deal of respect for continued not to acknowledge that for some people, squatting DEEP is simply not an option due to structural limitations. I rate you among the best of the best out there Eric so if anyone should tackle this one and explore why genetics can dramatically improve or hinder someone’s ankle mobility it should be you!

A: I have actually seen a fair amount of high-level athletes with feet like this, and you just have to realize that you can’t put a round peg in a square hole. If you have a foot that won’t allow for much dorsiflexion (toe-to-shin range-of-motion), it just won’t let you squat deep safely. These are the guys who get better results from single-leg work in place of squatting.

And, if you are going to try squatting variations, it ought to be more sitting back (box squats or powerlifting-style free squats) where the shin is more vertical, but the spine remains in neutral. Have a look at this squatting video and you’ll see that sitting back minimizes how much dorsiflexion ROM one needs to get the benefits of squatting:

Conversely, check out this more quad-dominant, “traditional” squat. You’ll see that the knees come forward more, indicative of more dorsiflexion occurring.

Why has this become such an issue? Well, there are still a lot of coaches out there who are just “clean, squat, bench only” – and a one size fits all approach like that is sure to throw some athletes under the bus. These guys want to do what they’ve always done rather than recognize that everyone isn’t the same; otherwise, they’ve lost one-third of their training arsenal! The more open-minded guys are looking to functional mobility and stability deficits – and the guys who “get it” are realizing that some athletes are just “stuck” with the ankles they’ve got.

For more information, check out To Squat or Not to Squat, featured previously in Newsletter 91.

Another CP Intern on the Road to Diesel

Written on December 23, 2008 at 1:56 pm, by Eric Cressey

It’s become a bit of a tradition for Cressey Performance interns to not only pick up on training knowledge while they’re at CP, but also get more diesel in the process by following the program in my book, Maximum Strength.  This fall’s intern, Chris Howard, just had his Moving Day today.

Here are his results:

Body weight:  159 to 174.5
Vertical Jump:  27.1″ to 28.0″
Peak Power: 5,397 W to 5,855 W (8.5% increase)
Broad Jump: 91″ to 103″
Box Squat: 235 to 265
Bench Press: 205 to 230
Deadlift: 215 to 335
3-rep max chin-up: 224 (BW+65) to 244.5 (BW+70)

Not too shabby for just under four months of training.  Congratulations, Chris, and thanks for all your contributions to Cressey Performance!

Click here to pick up your copy of Maximum Strength!

Low Back Injuries, Rehabilitation, and Deadlifting

Written on December 18, 2008 at 10:03 am, by Eric Cressey

Q: After an injury and rehabilitation of a low back overuse/deadlifting injury, I’m finally able to deadlift and squat again. Only problem is that I am having a lot of trouble performing the deadlift correctly.

The problem is during my heavy sets, my lumbar spine starts to round early on in the pull. I’m not sure why this happening, but I’m almost positive it’s NOT due to a lack of mobility anywhere. I’m wondering if it may be an issue of having TOO much lumbar spine mobility and/or not enough core stability.

Or, maybe it’s an issue of my hamstrings being too weak and my lower back wanting to take over the pull too much. What do you think?

A: First off, I don’t think it’s as simple as “Muscle A is weak and Muscle B is tight, etc.” It has a lot more to do with you not having all the “ducks in a row” with respect to this particular movement pattern. There are a lot of people who have great stability and mobility who look awkward attempting a movement for the first time simply because it’s unfamiliar to them.

Just having good stability and mobility (which are context-specific, anyway) doesn’t imply that you can just immediately master a movement. Otherwise, we’d all be superior athletes from strength training and flexibility work without every having to practice the sports in which we want to excel!

More than anything, I suspect that your struggles are a matter of you trying to groove technique with weights that are too heavy (as noted by your “heavy sets” comment). Would you try to teach an elbows-tucked bench press technique with 275 if you knew a guy could bench press 300 with his elbows flared? No! He’d go right back to his “natural” movement pattern (the path of least resistance).

Technique work needs to be performed with submaximal weights, with the progression being:

1. multiple sets with few reps, controlled speed, light/moderate weights

2. multiple sets with few reps, FAST concentric, light/moderate weights

then…

3a. fewer sets with more reps, light/moderate weights

or

3b. few or multiple sets with few reps and heavier weights

I’m guessing that you’re just going right to 3b – and that’s where the problems set in.  Your body basically goes into panic mode.  As an example, I’ll throw myself under the bus.  Here is a video of my best competition deadlift: 650 pounds at a body weight of 174.

Now, I know it might come as a surprise to some of you, but I don’t lift 650 pounds all the time.  In fact, I’d say that I deadlift over 600 approximately 5-6 times per year between training and competitions.  This is why competition lifts are never really good measures of excellent technique; they are all essentially panic-mode (others have called it chaos training).  You can bet that I’d never let an athlete of mine attempt any weight where his form came close to this; the risk:reward ratio is completely out of whack.

Also, as a tag-along to this, some people need to have a Step 0 where they actually do a different movement in order to progress to a main movement.  In the context of the deadlift discussion, this might mean doing pull-throughs, trap bar deadlifts, or rack pulls to get the hang of the proper hip sequencing before moving down to the floor to pull with a conventional stance.  Others might be better off leaving out deadlifts for the long haul, if a previous injury is significant enough to warrant it.

New Blog Content

Random Friday Thoughts
Troubleshooting the Scapular Push-up
Training Four Days in a Row
A Good Blog Worth Reading

All the Best,

EC

Maximum Strength for Baseball

Written on December 17, 2008 at 6:46 am, by Eric Cressey

As a guy who trains a ton of baseball players – and is a competitive powerlifter (and weight-training author), I get a ton of questions from both baseball coaches/players and folks looking to get stronger (and healthier, for that matter).  And, to take it a step further, since the release of Maximum Strength, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about whether or not Maximum Strength is appropriate for baseball players.

My response is “yes” – but only  with some important modifications:

1. Substitution of dumbbell bench pressing in place of barbell bench pressing (rep count will have to come up a bit higher, as you aren’t going to be doing heavy dumbbell bench pressing singles)
2. Substitution of clap push-ups in place of speed benching
3. Substitution of front squats in place of back squats
4. Substitution of alternating low incline dumbbell press in place of 1-arm dumbbell push press
5. Really emphasize the sleeper stretch, wall triceps stretch, and elbow flexors stretches – particularly after you throw.

For more information, check out Maximum Strength.

Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive a Copy of the Exact Stretches
used by Cressey Performance Pitchers after they Throw!

Can You Gain 5 Pounds of Muscle per Month?

Written on October 30, 2008 at 1:00 pm, by Eric Cressey

I just received this email from a happy Maximum Strength customer:

“I just did my post-testing two weeks ago after the Maximum Strength Program. I thought you might want to know the results:

OLD Lifts | NEW Lifts

Box Squat: 315 | 345

Deadlift: 365 | 385

Military Press: 160 | 175
[note from EC: I guess he opted to test this instead of his bench press]

Chin-up 3RM (total system weight): 200 | 210

Bodyweight: 175 lbs | 195 lbs

I am very happy with the results. Thanks a lot!

Ashiem”

20 pounds in four months? That’s five pounds a month! Not too shabby at all…

Buy Maximum Strength now.

Box Squat and Piriformis Mumbo Jumbo

Written on October 29, 2008 at 9:00 am, by Eric Cressey

Q: A lot of strength coaches and athletes (myself included) utilize variations of the box squat. I’ve heard other strength coaches (one in particular) indicate that it does not fully stimulate/activate the piriformis.

What are your thoughts on the issue of the box vs. free squat in terms of advantages and disadvantages? I currently utilize both variations however it would be nice to be able to articulate to an individual the pros/cons.

A: I don’t buy it. For one, the piriformis is a tiny muscle that is typically very overused. I wish we could get more people to calm it down and used their glutes for the majority of the work!

Second, box squats are one tool in your toolbox; we use them in addition to a lot of other lower extremity exercises. In fact, they’re an integral part of the Maximum Strength program. Nobody ever criticized chin-ups because they don’t target the gastrocnemius – but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t useful for what they’re intended.

Additionally, I haven’t seen any EMG studies to show the piriformis argument is legit.

Random Friday Thoughts: 10/24/08

Written on October 24, 2008 at 12:00 pm, by Eric Cressey

I’m headed down to Maryland today for my longtime friend Greg’s wedding. It’ll be quite a car ride, but luckily, I’ve got my girlfriend to keep me company. Of course, I don’t know why any of you would care, but I was a little short on introductory content this week, so you had to put up with my senseless rambling. Sorry about that.

1. Speaking of Greg, I’m happy to say that I’m at least partially responsible for him being a stud in his tuxedo this weekend. You see, Greg did my Maximum Strength program over the past four months, finishing two weeks ago. Here are his pre-post numbers:

Weight: 205 to 193
Broad Jump: 81″ to 93″
Bench Press: 245 to 275
Squat: 245 to 295 (Greg is coming back from a knee surgery last year)
Deadlift: 275 to 315
3-rep max Chin-up: 250 to 263 (total system weight)

His friend Bill did the program with him, and he proved to be another example of a guy who can either maintain or decrease his weight while still improving strength appreciably:

Weight: stayed at 170
Broad Jump: 91.5″ to 105″
Bench Press: 275 to 300
Squat: 315 to 335
Deadlift: 365 to 405
3-rep max Chin-up: 260 to 285 (total system weight)

Pretty soon, when he does chin-ups, Greg will have to also include the ball and chain around his leg in his total system weight calculations. Zing!

2. I’ve come to the conclusion that it kind of weirds me out when people email me and address me as “Coach.” To be honest, nobody around the facility calls me “Coach.” And, if the people I see in person all the time don’t call me Coach, why should people I don’t train call me that? I mean, do I look like any of these guys?

While we’re at it, I’m not a fan of being called “Bro” or “Comrade.” And, the word “Yo” is stupid and really 1990s.

3. This isn’t really what I had in mind with my focus on unstable surface training, but it’s amusing nonetheless.

4. Speaking of unstable training surfaces, you see what happens with you swallow your bubble gum?

Commit that to memory, kids.

5. Someone asked me earlier this week if for someone needing extra scapular stability work would find value in doing 1-arm DB punches flat, incline, and even overhead for the serratus anterior rather than just doing them solely on a flat bench all of the time. My response was that I actually think it could potentially be worse to do it on an incline or decline. The decline would encourage a bit more scapular anterior tilt (emphasizes pec minor over serratus anterior), whereas the incline might actually irritate an already-angry shoulder injury. So much for innovation!

6. My newsletter for this week focused on the state of the fitness industry. At risk of sounding overconfident, it’s definitely worth a read.

7. I had the best steak of my life on Tuesday night. For those who haven’t been, definitely check out Abe and Louie’s on Boylston if you are ever in Boston. It was pure, succulent, dead cow bliss. If you’re a vegetarian, sorry – but you can at least take solace in the fact that the asparagus and broccoli sides were pretty good (especially since they were drenched in steak juices).

8. While on the topic of steaks, I cooked up some moose meat earlier this week – and it was great. I’m from Maine, so it’s not THAT weird-sounding to me. The secrets are to a) use a lot of spices, b) not overcook it, and c) try not to think about how it was carved on the back of a pick-up truck until after you’ve eaten it.

*For the record, I resisted the urge to post a picture of a hunter posing with his rifle in front of the moose he’d just shot. I figured I’d upset the vegetarians enough already with random thought #7. So, I’ll just upset the kiddies and cartoon fans by saying that I ate Bullwinkle.

We just have eight thoughts this Friday, as my mind’s on all the travel I have to do and programs I have to write. With all our pro baseball guys rolling or in the process of getting started, there are a lot of logistics to which I am attending. I’m psyched for a great off-season, and we’ll have plenty of blog video content for you along the way.

In the meantime, have a great weekend.

Random Friday Thoughts: 10/17/08

Written on October 17, 2008 at 8:00 am, by Eric Cressey

1. This has been quite possibly the busiest week of my career, and it won’t be slowing down over the next two weeks, as I’m heading to Baltimore, Miami, and Atlanta in three separate trips. We will persevere with this blog, though…

Factor in that I was up until the wee hours of the morning last night watching the Sox pull off without a doubt the greatest comeback I’ve ever seen in a single game in any sport, and sleep deprivation is becoming part of the equation…

2. Quite possibly the most awesome forum post directed to me ever:

I own your Magnificent Mobility DVD and Maximum Strength book. The content is revolutionary, at least to somebody like me, who’s never had professional strength and conditioning training.

Each is presented in an easy to understand format, but dive into science enough to capture the technical audience as well. The pictures and demonstrations are very valuable to illustrate the key points in each exercise.

There is one thing missing, though. The guy modeling all the exercises could look a little tougher. He absolutely needs a fu manchu moustache.

That would perfect your programs. I know it’s too late to revise the current products, but please promise me that in future products the model will be sporting some Goose Gossage handlebars.

He makes a good point. Once you’re magnificently mobile and maximally strong, you might as well be dead-sexy…

3. A lot of people mistake a big butt for anterior pelvic tilt. When the butt sticks out (known as a “badonkadonk,” if you ask Tony Gentilcore), it can give the illusion of anterior pelvic tilt when, in reality, these folks might be fine posture-wise. So, you have to look closely (but not too closely; they might slap you, pervert).

So, to recap: Big Butt = Good. Anterior Pelvic Tilt = Bad.

4. The Anti-Cressey Performance. Soooooo Lame.

5. In the upset of the week, in the “Stupidest Thing Ever Invented Bowl,” the Smith Machine Deadlift narrowly defeated the Meat-Cleaver Colonoscopy.

6. In the past week, I’ve had three different people tell me that Cressey Performance needs to get with the program and offer mentorships with me. To be honest, it’s something I’ve been pondering for the past month or so, and we’re really thinking about putting something special together. If we did it, it would be tight-knit: no more than six attendees at a time. If you’d be interested in something like this, drop us an email at cresseyperformance@gmail.com and let us know.

7. Interesting little fact for the week: 85% of ACL reconstructive surgeries are performed by surgeons who do fewer than ten ACL surgeries per year. So, ask around before you let someone stick an arthroscope in your knee! Or, better yet, pick up a copy of Bulletproof Knees and avoid the ACL injury in the first place!

8. Speaking of healthy knees, check out last week’s newsletter. I had some great knee-related content courtesy of Mike Robertson.

Lots to do. See you next week.