Cybernetic Periodization: Modifying Strength Training Programs on the Fly

Written on July 22, 2011 at 7:53 am, by Eric Cressey

As I noted in my post earlier this week, I’m doing the Superhero Workout for a nice little change of pace in my training program – and simply because it’s nice to be able to outsource my training here and there to other qualified fitness professionals.

Yesterday’s strength training program included ten sets of three reps on a wide stance squat, and it was all going smoothly until the seventh set, when I started to get a little tight in my right adductor.  It wasn’t too bad, but I’m a firm believer in “better safe than sorry,” so I cut back on the weight by 50 pounds, narrowed my stance, and finished my last three sets with no problem at all.

Sure, I deviated from the program, but I completed the session just fine, and have zero issues in the adductor today.  I avoided taking an unnecessary risk that could have become a setback in my training, and as a result, I’ll be continuing with the program as-is today.

It got me to thinking about this question for my readers: what would you have done in this situation?  It’s a tough – and confusing – decision.

Would you have done what I did?  Would you have simply dropped the weight and tried another set with a wide stance?  Would you have canned the final sets and reps and moved on to the next strength exercise pairing? Would you have just pushed through it?  Or, would you just have taken your ball and gone home altogether?

The answers to these questions – whether they are correct or not – parallel something called cybernetic periodization.  I first came across the topic when Mel Siff wrote about it in Supertraining as he referred to programs not always taking “into account the athlete’s subjective perception of the intensity and overall effects of the loading.”  Siff went on to say that with cybernetic periodization, “the original preplanned periodisation scheme is regularly modified by subjective and objective feedback obtained from the lifter’s current performance state.”

Traditionally, at least from what I have read, cybernetic periodization has referred almost strictly to load, volume, and training frequency.  However, the question I pose today is: why can’t it also refer to exercise selection?

As an example, I’ve switched folks from conventional deadlifts to trap bar deadlifts or sumo deadlifts when they just couldn’t find their groove on the conventional version.  And, some people can do feet-elevated push-ups when regular push-ups hurt.  Exercise selection absolutely matters as much as any other strength training program variable.

I’m a firm believer that there is always something folks can do in a gym to get better, regardless of their injury or state of mind.  Folks may be wildy excited to train, but have physical limitations that need to be taken into account on the fly in the context of exercise selection.  To that end, I think it’s important to know what to watch for in this regard if you’re trying to determine whether you should change a day’s training program:

1. Is there a performance drop from previous weeks?

2. Do warm-up sets feel heavier than normal?

3. Do you find that you’re having a hard time getting warmed-up?

4. Did you get poor sleep quality the night before?

5. Do you have unusual tightness, or something you’d term an injury?

These are all questions you can ask yourself on the fly in your strength training program to determine whether you need to change things up.  The modification may be an exercise substitution or reduction in volume or intensity.  Regardless of the change, it’s extremely rare that the answer is to push through it, as it’s your body’s way of telling you something is wrong – and the correct cybernetic periodization approach is the way to “get things right.”

On a related note, the early-bird special price on the Superhero Workout ends Saturday at midnight.  Head HERE for more information.

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Stuff You Should Read: 10/5/2010

Written on October 5, 2010 at 4:16 am, by Eric Cressey

As you read this, I’m probably in a post-wedding stupor somewhere in Maine – but luckily, I had the foresight to take care of blog posts for Mon-Wed before I departed for the big weekend.  With that said, check out today’s list of recommended reading:

Troubleshooting the Scapular Push-up – Here’s a video-based blog that goes over a common technical mistake on this population scapular stabilization exercise.  It also leads right into another great blog: A Quick Fix for Painful Push-ups.

Consumer Reports on Dangerous Supplements – Here’s a great blog by Dr. Jonny Bowden that talks about Consumer Reports‘ September issue, which highlighted the most dangerous supplements – and those that it recommended.

An Interview with Dr. Charlie Weingroff - This is an excellent interview that focuses on the foot, and Charlie doesn’t disappoint; he is a machine when it comes to kicking out great content.

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Stuff You Should Read: 6/17/10

Written on June 17, 2010 at 7:44 am, by Eric Cressey

Here are a few blogs/articles you might want to read over:

A Quick Fix for Painful Push-ups – This one comes from the EricCressey.com archives; I was reminded of it by a reader inquiry yesterday and thought I’d bring it back to the forefront, as it’s valuable information.

Adapting Vertical Pulls – Here’s an innovative idea from Bill Hartman.  I tried it out, and it seems to work pretty well.  We’ll be experimenting with it more with our new clients with shoulder pain moving forward.

Jays’ Odd Couple are a Mound of Trouble – This is a great – and entertaining – article about CP athlete and Blue Jays prospect Tim Collins and his teammate Trystan Magnuson.

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The Best of 2009: Videos

Written on January 6, 2010 at 11:23 am, by Eric Cressey

This week, we’ve already covered the most popular articles and product reviews from EricCressey.com in 2009.  Next up are the popular videos.

One of my goals for 2009 with this site was to include a lot more video content – whether it was “built in” to the text, or serving as a stand-alone content source in itself.  Here were some of the most popular ones for the year:

Correct Push-up Technique – This one got over 9,000 views in spite of the fact that I never even included it in a blog post (that I can remember).  I guess my theory that most people really need to learn how to do good push-ups was right on the money.

My 660 Deadlift – I guess lifting heavy stuff is only about 89% as cool as body weight push-ups.

Tim Collins Can Jump – Great guy, stud athlete, bright future.  Gotta’ love him.

16×16 Sled Madness – This sled masochism was popular among our staff early in the year.  There is more info on it HERE.

Rollouts: Friend or Foe – This video went hand-in-hand with this newsletter.

Anterior Core Progressions – This video was a follow-up to the previous one, and was found in this newsletter.

Measuring Hip Internal Rotation – This video was featured as part of this newsletter.

Lastly, there were a few newsletters that included a ton of video content.  Here’s my personal favorite, a follow-up from Mike Reinold and my shoulder seminar (available soon on DVD): Recap: Testing, Treating, and Training the Shoulder.

Tomorrow, we’ll cover the top guest submissions for the year at EricCressey.com.

Strength Exercise of the Week: Push-ups

Written on October 6, 2009 at 1:14 pm, by Eric Cressey

This one gets absolutely butchered all the time, so good form can never be hammered home often enough!

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Getting Geeky with AC Joints: Part 2

Written on September 9, 2009 at 6:29 am, by Eric Cressey

Getting Geeky with AC Joints: Part 2

In my last newsletter, I went into great detail on the types of acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries we see, and some of the common inefficiencies that cause some folks to become symptomatic.  I also outlined some corrective exercise strategies to expedite recovery time.  This week, though, I discuss a very important – yet often-overlooked – piece of the puzzle: how to maintain a training effect in spite of these injuries.

Ask anyone who has ever had an AC joint injury, and they’ll tell you three things to avoid if you don’t want to irritate it:

1. Avoid direct pressure to the area (particularly because it has very little muscle mass to cushion it)

2. Avoid reaching across the body (horizontal adduction)

3. Avoid reaching behind the body (full extension)

We can use these three guidelines to get moving in the right direction with respect to maintaining a training effect in spite of the AC joint injury.

With respect to #1 from above, front squats are an absolute no-no.  The pressure on the bar across the shoulder girdle can really take an upset AC joint and make it markedly worse.  And, since this is in many cases an injury that we’re just “waiting out,” simply training through it will only makes things worse long-term.  So, deadlift variations, single-leg variations, and back squats (assuming no other related problems) are likely better bets.  That said, we generally use the safety squat bar and giant cambered bar exclusively with those who present with AC joint problems.

Another important consideration in this regard is overhead pressing.  Believe it or not, many individuals with AC joint problems will actually tolerate overhead pressing quite well, as direct trauma to the AC joint won’t really compromise scapulohumeral rhythm very much.  However, you have to consider two things.

First, as I mentioned in my previous newsletter, some folks might have developed the AC joint issue over time due to a scapular anterior tilt causing the acromion and clavicle to sit differently.  This dyskinesis would also make overhead work less safe – so the individual would actually be training through a faulty movement pattern, and potentially injuring the rotator cuff, biceps tendon, bursa, and labrum.

Second, if the individual is okay to overhead press from a movement standpoint, one needs to make sure that the bar, dumbbell, or kettlebell does not come down directly on the AC joint in the bottom position.

With respect to #2 from above, obviously, dumbbell flyes and cable crossovers are out (not sure why they’d be “in” in the first place, but that’s a whole different newsletter).  However, close-grip bench pressing variations will generally cause pain as well.  You also have to be careful with cable and medicine ball variations that may position the arm across the body.

Moving on to #3, full extension of the humerus will light up an AC joint pretty quickly.  So, dips are out – and, honestly, I generally tell folks they’re out for good after one has experienced any kind of AC joint issue.  Full range-of-motion (ROM) bench pressing and push-ups are generally issues as well, so I tend to start folks with more partial ROM work.  Examples would include dumbbell and barbell floor presses and board presses.  Here’s a 3-board press:

As the shoulder starts to feel better, one can move down to 2-board, 1-board, and eventually full ROM bench press.  Remember, a medium or wide grip will generally be tolerated better than a close grip.

I also really like push-up iso holds at a pain-free ROM for these individuals because closed-chain exercises are always going to be a bit more shoulder friendly than open-chain variations.  This is really quite simple: set up as if you are going to do a push-up, and go down as far as you can with no pain.  When you reach your pain-free end-range, hold there while bracing the core, locking the shoulder blades down and back, and tightening the glutes; do not let the elbows flare out or hips sag!  We’ll hold for anywhere from 10-60s, depending on fitness levels.  Over the course of time, increase the ROM as your symptoms reduce.

There you have it: acromioclavicular joints – from onset to corrective exercise – in a nutshell.  Obviously, make sure you seek out a qualified professional if you think you may have these issues, but keep this progression in mind as you return to (or just try to stay in) the iron game.

Feedback on Building the Efficient Athlete

“In my ten years in the fitness industry, I have been to many seminars and conferences – but the Building the Efficient Athlete Seminar was by far the most informative and comprehensive event I have attended in as long as I can remember.  The amount of knowledge you get when you combine Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson is unparalleled.  The seminar was filled with great classroom information, hands-on assessments, and on-site training tips.  I highly recommend this DVD set to any coach, trainer, or athlete who is looking to get a leg up on the competition.”

Mike Hanley, USAW, RKC
Morganville, NJ
www.HanleyStrength.com

Pick up your copy of Building the Efficient Athlete today!

New Blog Content

Exercise of the Week
Stuff You Should Read
Jays Prospect Collins a Surprising Strikeout Machine
Random Friday Thoughts
How to Progress Back to Deadlifting After a Back Injury

Have a great week!

EC

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Strength Training Programs: A Quick Fix for Painful Push-ups

Written on July 28, 2009 at 6:48 pm, by Eric Cressey

Q: I’ve read a lot from you, Robertson, and Hartman about including push-up variations in strength training programs is really important for shoulder health.  Unfortunately, whenever I do them, I have pain in my bum shoulder.  Any ideas what to do?

A: Well, obviously, there are two things we need to rule out:

1. You may simply have a really irritated shoulder, which (in most cases) means that any sort of approximation or protraction movement could get it angrier, even if it is a closed-chain movement like the push-up that is normally pretty shoulder-friendly.  Likewise, if you have a significant acromioclavicular joint injury, the extension range-of-motion at the bottom of a push-up could exacerbate your symptoms.  So, obviously, the first step is to rule out if something is structurally wrong with your shoulder, and if so, if the push-up even belongs in your strength training program.

2. Your technique might just be atrocious.  If the elbows are flared out, hips are sagging, and/or you’re in a forward head posture, simply changing your technique may very well alleviate those symptoms.  In a good push-up, the elbows should be tucked to a 45-degree angle to the body, with the hips, torso, neck, and head in a straight line.  The muscles of the upper back should essentially “pull” you down into the bottom position:

Once you’ve ruled out those two issues and still have some annoying issues, there is one more thing you can try: simply elevate the feet.  Looking to the research, Lear and Gross found that performing push-ups with the feet elevated significantly increased activation of the serratus anterior (SA).

If we can get more SA recruitment and less pectoralis minor contribution, it keeps us out of a position of scapular anterior tilt, which mechanically decreases the subacromial space through which the rotator cuff tendons pass.  In the picture below, think of the area just below the word “acromion” being smaller, and then picture what would happen to the tendons that pass through that region; they get impinged.  Serratus anterior (along with lower trapezius) can help prevent that.

That said, I’ve seen quite a few folks with persistent shoulder pain with bench pressing variations (barbell and DBs) and regular push-ups who were able to do the feet-elevated versions completely pain free in their strength training programs.  Obviously, begin with just body weight and see how it goes, but over time, you can start to add resistance and use the single-leg version.

Related Posts
High Performance Training without the Equipment: 5 Pushup Variations
High Performance Training without the Equipment: 6 More Pushup Variations

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Stuff You Should Read: 6/4/09

Written on June 4, 2009 at 5:01 am, by Eric Cressey

Some reading recommendations for the week:

Why You Don’t Need Bottled Water – This blog post from my good friend, Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, will definitely make you think twice about the containers in which you keep your drinks.

Max Push-ups and Upper-Body Strength – A perspective on the use of the push-up in females.

Regaining Shoulder Mobility for Back Squatting – This recent newsletter outlines some tips for getting under the bar to back squat, if you’ve got flexibility deficits at the shoulder.

A Little Different Push-up Flavor Around Cressey Performance

Written on March 3, 2009 at 9:00 am, by Eric Cressey

Never a dull moment at CP.  Here are a couple of Wellesley guys getting down (or, in the second instance, getting upside-down).

Push-ups for Baseball Players

Written on January 13, 2009 at 5:45 am, by Eric Cressey

Q: I attended the baseball strength training clinic you gave in Long Island.  I have a question for you about push-ups for pitchers.  I am using push-ups with all player, and one of the parents has been concerned that push-ups are not good for pitchers.  I was wondering if you could help me explain why push-ups are good for pitchers.

A: No problem.  The two big “players” in scapular dysfunction are lower trapezius and serratus anterior.  These muscles work in conjunction with the upper trapezius to upwardly rotate the scapula, which allows for safe overhead movements.  Research has shown that baseball pitchers have less scapular upward rotation compared with position players and non-athletes – so it’s definitely an adaptive change that we need to work to address.

Push-ups (when done correctly) can be useful for activating the serratus anterior, and as a closed-chain exercise, it has proprioceptive benefits at the shoulder girdle.  Plus, you get a considerable effect in terms of core stability training, as you’re resisting the effects of gravity in the “plank” position where the lumbar spine wants to slip into extension.

That said, if you’re dealing with high school athletes, I’ll warn you that over 90% of them (in my experience) need to be coached on how to do a push-up correctly.  It isn’t as simple as “just do this,” as most of them will resort to incorrect technique.  With a good pushup, the upper arms should be tucked to a 45-degree angle to the torso, and the athlete should actively “pull” himself down to the bottom position with the scapular retractors.  The hips shouldn’t sag, and there shouldn’t be a forward head posture.  Essentially, the chest – not the chin or hips – should get to the ground first.

For more information, check out Optimal Shoulder Performance.

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