You’re a supinator. Take a few days off and then add a thick insole when you get back to it. You should be fine.
ART = Active Release. Check it out at activerelease.com and use the provider locator to find someone who is certified in your area.
[quote]poper wrote:
I just purchased all new shoes. I’ve got a light callus below my big toe and a heavier callus on the outside of my foot below my little toe. I’ve never tried heelcups and am not sure what art is.[/quote]
PS - If you’re wearing Nike Shox, you’re nuts.
EC,
I sent you another e-mail. Thanks for the feedback.
Nate
Thanks a lot Eric,
I’m really glad that I have the oppurtunity to talk to such intelligent guys.
Eric:
In an article posted awhile back by Paul Chek (http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=body_116patt), he mentioned a specific movement pattern as detrimental, despite being widely espoused by many coaches. Specifically:
"An example of faulty load sharing can be witnessed in those individuals who have been taught to adduct their scapulae prior to initiating a pull with the lats and other muscles. This faulty motor sequence disrupts load sharing by first recruiting the scapular adductors; shortening them beyond the range of their optimal length/force and length/tension relationships; which then leaves the scapulohumeral musculature to perform the remainder of the work. This often leads to strain and trigger point development of the teres major, teres minor and infraspinatus muscles, or otherwise known as pattern overload.(1, 2)
The athlete who regularly performs pulling exercises in the manner described above will likely have a shortening of the scapulohumeral musculature which eventually leads to faulty scapulothoracic rhythm. The result is scapulae that rotate prematurely during all pulling or abduction movements. Over time, this results in stretch weakness of the middle and lower trapezius, and rhomboid musculature. Individuals with this type of dysfunction will present themselves clinically as experiencing pain between the shoulder blades and often demonstrate reduced range of motion in shoulder abduction, internal rotation, and shoulder flexion."
I’ve seen you and Mike Robertson recommend this technique (if my grasp is correct). Do you think Chek is being too cautious? Is he incorrect in his theory?
-Saltman
Eric Cressey wrote:
“You don’t have to go out of your way to add it; people get enough of it with deadlift variations and their crappy posture in daily life. Can you please link me to that article? I’m curious to see the context in which JPC used it.”
The article is here: http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=05-004-training
John Paul is actually quoting Shirley Sahrmann. I, too, asked about this idea (in the article discussion), and you were kind enough to respond with your thoughts.
Saltman
Do you get the same pain when you bench normally?
[quote]Chushin wrote:
Hi Eric,
I recently bought JB’s S2B book, in which he says tall thin guys like me should bench with a narrower grip, with the elbows closer in. Problem is, when I do, I get a burning, almost disabling pain running along the outside of my right upper arm. Kind like in the area between the bi- and tricep? Any ideas? I stretch pretty regularly, but that area IS pretty chronically tight…
Thanks,
C [/quote]
I’ve never been one to advocate doing it PRIOR to the initiation of the pull, but I do think that most people do well when they’re constantly reminded that it is an integral component of the movement. It even helps to just put one’s finger between the scapulae as a cue to make scapular retraction part of the movement. Too many individuals make rows purely a humeral extension movement but don’t incorporate the simultaneous retraction.
Chek, cautious? Never…
[quote]Saltman wrote:
Eric:
"An example of faulty load sharing can be witnessed in those individuals who have been taught to adduct their scapulae prior to initiating a pull with the lats and other muscles. This faulty motor sequence disrupts load sharing by first recruiting the scapular adductors; shortening them beyond the range of their optimal length/force and length/tension relationships; which then leaves the scapulohumeral musculature to perform the remainder of the work. This often leads to strain and trigger point development of the teres major, teres minor and infraspinatus muscles, or otherwise known as pattern overload.(1, 2)
The athlete who regularly performs pulling exercises in the manner described above will likely have a shortening of the scapulohumeral musculature which eventually leads to faulty scapulothoracic rhythm. The result is scapulae that rotate prematurely during all pulling or abduction movements. Over time, this results in stretch weakness of the middle and lower trapezius, and rhomboid musculature. Individuals with this type of dysfunction will present themselves clinically as experiencing pain between the shoulder blades and often demonstrate reduced range of motion in shoulder abduction, internal rotation, and shoulder flexion."
I’ve seen you and Mike Robertson recommend this technique (if my grasp is correct). Do you think Chek is being too cautious? Is he incorrect in his theory?
-Saltman
[/quote]
Ha! Glad to know that people have been paying attention; it makes up for the fact that I’m going senile at age 24. 
[quote]Saltman wrote:
Eric Cressey wrote:
“You don’t have to go out of your way to add it; people get enough of it with deadlift variations and their crappy posture in daily life. Can you please link me to that article? I’m curious to see the context in which JPC used it.”
The article is here: http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=05-004-training
John Paul is actually quoting Shirley Sahrmann. I, too, asked about this idea (in the article discussion), and you were kind enough to respond with your thoughts.
Saltman[/quote]
Pain at night? With overhead activity? Can you palpate a spot that’s uncomfortable?
[quote]Chushin wrote:
EC
Yeah, but it wasn’t as bad, and it would go away after a few warm-up sets. Likewise for push-ups…
C
Eric Cressey wrote:
Do you get the same pain when you bench normally?
Chushin wrote:
Hi Eric,
I recently bought JB’s S2B book, in which he says tall thin guys like me should bench with a narrower grip, with the elbows closer in. Problem is, when I do, I get a burning, almost disabling pain running along the outside of my right upper arm. Kind like in the area between the bi- and tricep? Any ideas? I stretch pretty regularly, but that area IS pretty chronically tight…
Thanks,
C
[/quote]
EC, I know that you are a big advocate of training movements, not muscles when lifting. By this do you just mean horizontal push, horizontal pull, vertical push, vertical pull movements? What about the lower body movements? Could you please give a list of movements that should be encompassed in one’s training program. Obviously it would vary with goals, but maybe a basic list and its corresponding lift(s).
Thanks
Could very well be an AC joint issue (based on the pain with cross-chest adduction), but I’d still suspect it to just be referred pain from the rotator cuff.
Lay off the irritating activities for two weeks and increase your volume of rows and external rotations. Give it plenty of ice and get some ART if you have access.
[quote]Chushin wrote:
Wow! Thanks for being so thorough in asking.
No pain at night or with overhead activity, but yes, I can cause pain by pressing along the underside of the(outside of the) humeris (if that’s correct terminology). Might also be relevant that sometimes I have pain if I reach accross my body at a sharp angle (e.g. to scratch the left side of my torso). Might add that the pain seems to run into my armpit area, from the upper arm. (Geez, trying to describe this is making me feel a hypochondriac! After a while, even I’M not sure were the pain is!!)
Thanks again, sincerely,
Gotta run to teach a class…
C
Eric Cressey wrote:
Pain at night? With overhead activity? Can you palpate a spot that’s uncomfortable?
Chushin wrote:
EC
Yeah, but it wasn’t as bad, and it would go away after a few warm-up sets. Likewise for push-ups…
C
Eric Cressey wrote:
Do you get the same pain when you bench normally?
Chushin wrote:
Hi Eric,
I recently bought JB’s S2B book, in which he says tall thin guys like me should bench with a narrower grip, with the elbows closer in. Problem is, when I do, I get a burning, almost disabling pain running along the outside of my right upper arm. Kind like in the area between the bi- and tricep? Any ideas? I stretch pretty regularly, but that area IS pretty chronically tight…
Thanks,
C
[/quote]
[quote]buckeye75 wrote:
EC, I know that you are a big advocate of training movements, not muscles when lifting. By this do you just mean horizontal push, horizontal pull, vertical push, vertical pull movements?[/quote]
Yes; those are my big four upper body movements, although I also look to include internal vs. external rotation.
[quote]What about the lower body movements? Could you please give a list of movements that should be encompassed in one’s training program. Obviously it would vary with goals, but maybe a basic list and its corresponding lift(s).
[/quote]
I like Ian King’s quad vs. hip dominant movement scheme. Single-leg movement tend to take care of themselves, as they require equal contribution from the hip abductors and adductors (although you can play with how quad or hip dominant they are by varying stride length). I’ll spend some time training posterior pelvic tilt with glute activation because many individuals have issues with inappropriate lumbo-pelvic firing patterns (i.e. on deadlift lockouts, they’ll hyperextend the lumbar spine instead of posteriorly tilting the pelvis to neutral).
Hey Eric,
Hoping you can give me an idea of any strength imbalances based on my
(pathetic) powerlift numbers. I
Currently bench 185, squat 180, deadlift
240. I find my deadlift advancing the fastest, still working on my squat form before moving up, but struggling to bring me bench press up. Do these numbers (relative to each other) sound out of whack and should I work on one in particular? Or just keep trying to bring them all up?
Thanks, just trying to get an idea of what my weakest links might be.
-Luddini
Too early to tell, although your bench shouldn’t be ahead of your squat. Focus on getting stronger all over and worry about the rest down the road. Have fun with it, train around strong and experienced lifters, and the chips will fall into place.
[quote]luddini wrote:
Hey Eric,
Hoping you can give me an idea of any strength imbalances based on my
(pathetic) powerlift numbers. I
Currently bench 185, squat 180, deadlift
240. I find my deadlift advancing the fastest, still working on my squat form before moving up, but struggling to bring me bench press up. Do these numbers (relative to each other) sound out of whack and should I work on one in particular? Or just keep trying to bring them all up?
Thanks, just trying to get an idea of what my weakest links might be.
-Luddini
[/quote]
Could you give an example of setting up a workout for both the upper and lower body movements?
Thanks
EC, What would your ideal weekly training split be for a collegiate soccer team during the off season. Your work with the UConn team has peaked my curiosity as to your basic philosophy: 3 days total body & two days speed or a Defranco type split with one lower body & two upper body days. Would you be likely to use any type of strongman exercises or olympic lifts? Thanks for all of the outstanding info you have provided over the past year, it is greatly appreciated. Coach JJ