What I Learned in 2007
by Eric Cressey

I kicked off my 2007 writing campaign with a recap of what I learned in
2006. Now I'm a year older, wiser, more cynical, and maybe even a
little more eloquent. Here goes...
1. Need an easy way to get someone lean who's too stubborn to eat more frequently? Give 'em six BCAA
tablets as mid-morning and mid-afternoon meals. Is it ideal for the
long-term? Probably not. Does it get them into the habit of consuming
something at a certain time of day, something that might eventually
evolve into a healthy, complete meal? Yes. And, does it get them
leaner? Without fail. 2. I never thought the day would come, but I've actually become desensitized to Rage Against the Machine. Those Testosterone members who only spend 4-6 hours a week in the gym probably can't really relate, as a little Rage will never get old in that time period. I, however, spend roughly eight hours a day in a gym, seven days a week — and Rage comes on a lot. Nowadays, I go to "rally 'round the family with a pocketful of shells," and it just isn't there. Fortunately, there's plenty of good stuff on which to fall back — from Jay-Z to Linkin' Park (or Collision Course, the combination of the two). If Tony Gentilcore tries to pass A Tribe Called Quest off as lifting music one more time, though, I might choke him with a mini-band. For those of you looking for some new flavor, check out Diecast. Admittedly, I'm a bit biased; I grew up with their guitarist (Jon Kita). Here are two singles our athletes like: Fade Away Nothing I Could Say 3.
Apparently, Vitamin B12 injections will help you hit 50 home runs and
play baseball at a high level well into your 60s. After all, that's what they were all injecting. Riiiiiight. 4. People
are starting to pay attention to hip mobility (finally), but very few
people have looked at the ankle effectively. And, of those who have, I
can't say that anyone has really "mastered" the ankle yet. Some people
have jammed joints and respond to Z-Health-type mobilizations and
manual adjustments. Others have typical Achilles and
gastrocnemius/soleus tightness and responded well to basic ankle
mobilizations. The last group has decent range of motion, but enough
soft tissue barnacles growing that their lower leg could be mistaken
for an anchor from the Titanic. There are two things to which they all respond, though:
A) Footwear Modifications
B) Barefoot training (even if it's entry-level) 5.
A little ol' baseball or lacrosse ball will fix a ton: calves, butt,
and posterior shoulder girdle. Foam rollers are great, but not always
"focal" enough to get the job done on these areas. Go work on these
areas with a tennis ball and see if you get discomfort. If you do, keep
at it — and then progress to the firmer implement.
Cressey: A Pain in the Ass, Literally and Figuratively 6.
Knowing that I was going to write this article, I kept tabs over the
past four weeks on how many emails I got about shoulder problems. I
averaged 11.5 per week — and this doesn't even include how many forum
inquiries I receive on the subject in the Author's Locker Room. I've
actually come up with a basic "auto-response" that works well for most
T-Nation "types" (i.e., those who lift but aren't necessarily involved
in dynamic upper body activities like throwing, swimming, etc.): What you need to do: A. Go to T-Nation, and read all of the following articles: Cracking the Rotator Cuff Conundrum (don't do the program)
Shoulder Savers: Part I
Shoulder Savers: Part II
Shoulder Savers: Part III
Push-ups, Face Pulls, and Shrugs
It Looked Good on Paper (only the third issue addressed) B. Rules for the next two weeks:

• Swap back squats for front squats
• Drop benching
• Lots of seated rows (pay attention to the technique in "Shoulder Savers Part I")
• Check internal vs. external rotation range of motion (as in "It Looked Good on Paper")
• Lots of prone cobras and prone trap raises
• No overhead pressing or lateral raises.
• Drop chin-ups if they hurt. Keep 'em if they don't.
•
Basically, your upper body days will consist of rowing variations (NOT
upright rows), push-up variations, direct arm work, and scapular
stability work
• Gentle stretches for the pecs, lats, anterior delts, upper traps, and levator scapulae
• Read "Feel Better for $10" and use a foam roller on your lats, pecs, rhomboids, and thoracic spine. Read "Soft Tissue Work for Tough Guys" and use a tennis or lacrosse ball on your infraspinatus (posterior shoulder girdle).
Don't do these if your shoulders are ailin'. C. Pick up a copy of one or both of these:
Inside-Out by Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman
Secrets of the Shoulder by Gray Cook Both
will keep you healthy for the long haul. I can't say enough great
things about how fantastic a job Mike, Bill, and Gray did with these
products.
D. Lather, rinse, repeat. 7. If you want to run for president, get Chuck Norris in your corner and hope for the "Terrified Vote."
I'm almost afraid to vote for McCain. 8.
While nutrition takes the cake, I would put sleep quality on par with
program design in considering what makes or breaks one's success. I
know I'm always going to train my butt off and eat ridiculously clean,
so the only thing that ever has dramatic short-term impacts on how I
look in the mirror and feel is sleep quality. The more total sleep I
get, the better. And, to take it a step further, the more hours I get before
midnight, the better. So, if you're reading this at 3AM, go to bed. I'm
really not that fascinating, and I'll guarantee this article will be
here in the morning, afternoon, or whenever it is you wake up. 9.
With all that sleep talk out of the way, I will say that Spike is an
entrepreneur's best friend. All I need to make it to my 30s is Spike in
IV form. If I can get it in one of those beer-tube hats, I will make it
to 35 — and probably have a lot more fun in the process.
Insert Spike Here? 10. I learned how to travel smart in 2007. During the year, I traveled from Boston to:
• Birmingham/Oxford/London
• Montreal
• Providence
• Chicago
• Atlanta
• Washington, DC
• Tucson
• New York City
• Ocean City, MD In
the process, I picked up some excellent tips for not blowing your diet
when you travel. First and foremost, an empty shaker bottle and a tub
of Low-Carb Metabolic Drive are your best friends. As long as you don't
mix the shake up before you go through the security checkpoints, you're
all set. Just add water from a water fountain once you're through to
the waiting area. Pack a bag of mixed nuts and some fish oil and you've
got some calories to get you by in a pinch. Metabolic Drive bars and
beef jerky are also good options. Once Biotest's new "greens" product
is out, you'll have everything you need. Sure, we aren't
talking about the whole food meals that we'd like to consume normally,
but let's be honest: the grilled chicken in the salads you buy at those
stands tastes like rubber and it was probably cooked when Bill Clinton
was still in office. For the record, they will confiscate your
Spike cans if you put them in your carry-on. Clearly, they're threats
to national security that belong in your checked baggage. 11. Here
are a few tips for up-and-comers in the strength and conditioning
field. I'm writing these with a new perspective this year as I'm now a
facility owner — or the kind of person you'd like to employ you.
•
Show up on time, clean-shaven and showered. If you walk in ten minutes
late with a serious case of bed-head, you might as well not bother
applying.
• More important than your knowledge is
your ability to communicate and have positive interactions with
athletes/clients. If you're working with female clients, don't lean in,
lift one eyebrow, and say "Sooooooo, you're lifting some weights today,
huh?" That's creepy, dude. And wipe the mayonnaise off the corner of
your mouth.
• To this end, you should model the
positive features you hope to instill in your athletes/clients. Look
like you lift, and don't eat candy bars and pizza. And definitely don't
be a child molesting alcoholic with a crack addiction if you plan to
work with kids (or anyone, for that matter).
• Do not type the words "ur" or "lol" in emails — and certainly not on your resume.
•
Don't call me "bro" unless you are, in fact, my brother. (And, even if
you are my brother, you're a freakin' accountant; stop talking like
that!)
• Remember that there's a difference
between "lose" and "loose;" "to," "too," and "two;" and "they're,"
"their," and "there."
• As Mike Boyle pointed out in an old interview, if your email address is biggunz6969@yahoo.com, don't bother submitting an application — unless you're hoping to apply to be one of Dr. Kevorkian's guinea pigs. 12. Many people really don't know the difference between Mike Robertson and I.