Eric Cressey, Cressey Sports Performance — Tactical Deep Dive on Back Pain, Movement Diagnosis, Training Principles, Developing Mobility, Building Power, Fascial Manipulation, and Rules for Athletes (#675)

“You screw up your taxes, there’s a way out of it. You screw up your body, you might have a lifetime of pain.”

— Eric Cressey

Eric Cressey (@EricCressey), MA, CSCS, is president and co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance, with facilities in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and Hudson, Massachusetts. He has worked with clients from youth sports to the professional and Olympic ranks but is best known for his extensive work with baseball players; more than 100 professional players train at CSP each offseason. He also serves as Director of Player Health and Performance for the New York Yankees.

Eric double-majored in exercise science and sports and fitness management at the University of New England and then received his master’s degree in kinesiology with a concentration in exercise science at the University of Connecticut. He has published books and video resources that have been sold in more than 60 countries. He regularly lectures both nationally and internationally, and his research has been published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. He serves as a consultant to New Balance, Proteus Motion, and Athletic Greens.

Eric’s free blog and newsletter can be found at EricCressey.com. You can also find Eric’s podcast at EliteBaseballPodcast.com.

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Want to hear another episode with someone who understands the magic of movement and mobility? Listen to my most recent conversation with Dr. Kelly Starrett in which we discussed how our environment shapes us, optimizing vital signs and range of motion as we age, why we should be walking and fidgeting more, why balance training isn’t just for “old” people, how to extend the end range of motion, simple corrective exercises, cultivating timeless movement in a busy world, breath as a mobilization device, and much more.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

• Connect with Eric Cressey:

Website | Training Facilities | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

• Elite Baseball Development Podcast with Eric Cressey
• New York Yankees | MLB.com
• Carl R. Rogers: “What Is Most Personal Is Most Universal.” | Goodreads
• Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #661
• Strength Exercise of the Week: Trap Bar Deadlift vs. Band | Eric Cressey
• 660 Deadlift | Eric Cressey
• Muscles of the Back: Video, Anatomy, and Definition | Osmosis
• A Patient’s Guide to Anatomy and Function of the Spine | University of Maryland Medical Center
• The Five Types of Back Pain | Cornerstone Physiotherapy
• The Use of Imaging in Management of Patients with Low Back Pain | Journal of Clinical Imaging Science
• Imaging Strategies for Low-Back Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | The Lancet
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine in People without Back Pain | NEJM
• The Prevalence of Spondylolysis in the Spanish Elite Athlete | The American Journal of Sports Medicine
• Don’t Take Back Pain Sitting Down | Harvard Health
• Preventing Lower Back Pain: Assuming is Okay | Eric Cressey
• Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance by Stuart McGill, PhD | Amazon
• Is Your Low Back Pain Flexion Biased or Extension Biased? | Cioffredi & Associates
• Pinched Nerve Symptoms and Causes | Mayo Clinic
• The Heel Drop Test | Advanced Physical Therapy Education Institute
• The Fascial Manipulation Technique and Its Biomechanical Model: A Guide to the Human Fascial System | International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
• Accutane | American Osteopathic College of Dermatology
• Statin Side Effects: Weigh the Benefits and Risks | Mayo Clinic
• Health Sciences Researchers Study How Common Antibiotics Weaken Tendons | Health Sciences Connect
• The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
• Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully by Kelly Starrett and Juliet Starrett | Amazon
• Dr. Kelly Starrett — The Magic of Movement and Mobility, Training for Range of Motion, Breathing for Back Pain, Improving Your Balance, and More (#664) – The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
• Dean Somerset Interviews Me – Part 1 | Eric Cressey
• Postural Restoration Institute
• The Painful Lumbar Spine by Stuart McGill, PhD | IDEA Health & Fitness Association
• Prevalence of Abnormal Findings in 230 Knees of Asymptomatic Adults Using 3.0 T MRI | Skeletal Radiology
• Patellar Tendinopathy in Junior Basketball Players: A Controlled Clinical and Ultrasonographic Study of 268 Patellar Tendons in Players Aged 14-18 Years | Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
• How Chronic, Prolonged Sitting Impacts Your Body — And What to Do About It | Eric Cressey
• The Anatomy of a Strength Coach’s Desk | Eric Cressey
• Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World by by Kelly Starrett, Juliet Starrett, and Glen Cordoza | Amazon
• Cressey’s Favorite Exercises | T Nation
• Exercise(s) of the Week: Making the Most of Rotational Rows | Eric Cressey
• Fascia | Physiopedia
• 15 Ways to Foam Roll — Self-Myofascial Release: No Doctor Required! | T Nation
• Foam Rollers | Amazon
• Acumobility Massage Balls | Amazon
• Kieba Massage Lacrosse Balls for Myofascial Release | Amazon
• PRI Breathing Techniques | Postural Restoration Institute
• Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual Therapists and Movement Professionals by Thomas W. Myers | Amazon
• Four Yoga Push-Up Progression Strategies | Eric Cressey
• Correcting Common Landmine Press Mistakes | Eric Cressey
• Back Pain from Axial Loading | Sports Chiropractic
• The Three Categories of Exercise: Isometric, Concentric, and Eccentric | Invictus Fitness
• Creative Conditioning: Installment 1 – Medicine Ball Medleys | Eric Cressey
• Measure Strength & Power With Every Movement | Proteus
• Cupping Aftermath | Tim Ferriss, Instagram
• Fascia and Extra-Cellular Matrix (ECM): Defining Fascia | Anatomy Trains
• Tommy John Surgery (Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction) | Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Lateral Intermuscular Septum of Arm | IMAIOS
• Dan Pfaff on the SOMA Matrix, Fascia Slings, and Trains | SpeedEndurance
• Making Sense of Manual Therapy with Shane Rye | Elite Baseball Development Podcast
• What Is Dry Needling? | Cleveland Clinic
• Pin and Stretch Manual Therapy Technique for Stretching | Learn Muscles
• Active Release Techniques (ART) | Physiopedia
• Cupping, Scraping, and Dry Needling Therapy | Dusty Hanshaw
• A Brief History of Massage Therapy | Prohealthsys
• WTF Is Gluteal Amnesia and How to Know If You Have It | SELF
• Five Warm-up Options to Improve Hip Extension | Eric Cressey
• All About the Posterior Chain: Five Posterior Chain Exercises | MasterClass
• Fixing the Flaws: Weak Posterior Chain | Eric Cressey
• Mastering the Deadlift: Part 1 by Eric Cressey | T Nation
• Mastering the Deadlift: Part 2 by Eric Cressey | T Nation
• Mastering the Deadlift: Part 3 by Eric Cressey | T Nation
• Tip: Master the Kettlebell Deadlift by Dr John Rusin | T Nation
• How to Really Do a Kettlebell Swing by Dr John Rusin | T Nation
• Single Leg Romanian Deadlift: How, When, and Why It Should Be in Your Training | BarBend
• What’s More Important: Strength or Power? | Athletic Lab
• Why Hip Fractures in the Elderly Are Often a Death Sentence | The Conversation
• Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes by Shirley Sahrmann | Amazon
• Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath | Amazon
• Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia | Amazon
• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath | Amazon
• The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss | Amazon
• Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip Heath and Dan Heath | Amazon
• Partial Rotator Cuff Tear | Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Shoulder Labrum Tear | Johns Hopkins Medicine
• PNF Shoulder Internal Rotation | CFU Esportes
• Cracking the Rotator Cuff Conundrum by Eric Cressey | T Nation
• Most Throwers Demonstrate Considerable Humeral Retroversion | Eric Cressey, Twitter
• Athlete Body Size Changes Over Time | Topend Sports
• Hip Flexors | Physiopedia
• Ulnar Nerve Subluxation: Clinical Anatomy | Kenhub
• Ulnar Nerve Transposition at the Elbow | Birmingham, AL – Spine and Neurosurgery
• Posterior Labral Tear: Shoulder & Elbow | Orthobullets
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) Symptoms and Treatment | Cleveland Clinic
• Achilles Tendon Rupture Symptoms and Causes | Mayo Clinic
• The Dating App Designed to Be Deleted | Hinge
• Quantifying the Farmer’s Walk by Shon Grosse | T Nation
• What Is Discogenic Pain? | Denver Spine Specialists
• My New Obsession, the Infrasternal Angle | Alexis Booth
• How to Measure the Infrasternal Angle to determine a Wide ISA or a Narrow ISA | Bill Hartman
• Why You Struggle to Train Overhead — And What to Do About It | Eric Cressey
• Coach Chris Sommer — The Secrets of Gymnastic Strength Training, Part Two: Home Equipment, Weighted Stretches, and Muscle-Ups | The Tim Ferriss Show #180
• Dorsiflexion | Healthline
• Hookgrip | Instagram
• Walking Spiderman with Hip Lift and Overhead Reach | Eric Cressey
• Meniscus Surgery: Who Needs It, What to Expect Before and After | Cleveland Clinic
• Crossover Training Effects of Three Different Rehabilitation Programs After Arthroscopic Meniscectomy | International Journal of Sports Medicine
• Nick Grantham: Bulletproof Athletes | Eric Cressey
• The Joint-By-Joint Approach | OTP Books
• Expanding on the Joint-By-Joint Approach | OTP Books
• Follow Your Passion Is Terrible Advice | Robert Greene
• So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport | Amazon
• Isometric Training | Sport Manitoba
• Split Squat Iso Hold — Heel Pressed to Wall | Eric Cressey
• Thoughts on Dead Hang | Eric Cressey, Instagram
• Arm Care Lesson 10: Don’t Lose Tension in the “Dead Hang” Position on Pull-Ups | Eric Cressey
• (Vitamin) “D” is for Doping by Chris Shugart | T Nation
• Sagittal Plane: Definition and Examples | Biology Online Dictionary
• Five Reasons You Have Tight Hamstrings | Eric Cressey
• Become a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) | NSCA
• Certified Functional Strength Coach
• Complete Coach Certification

SHOW NOTES

• [06:08] The email responsible for this conversation.
• [09:19] Why pinpointing the cause of lower back pain can be so challenging.
• [20:22] Initial diagnosis through movement.
• [22:59] How seemingly unrelated meds can exacerbate pain.
• [24:38] Posture considerations.
• [26:55] Addressing and correcting suboptimal patterns of movement.
• [28:55] Resources for understanding movement screens.
• [30:00] Ingredients that make up a lower back pain cocktail.
• [34:42] Even with the greatest care, wear and tear over time is normal.
• [40:19] Improving thoracic mobility.
• [43:56] Conquering Quasimodo.
• [45:14] Defusing deskbound damage.
• [48:25] Practical exercises.
• [53:37] Shocking controversies surrounding fascial manipulation.
• [1:02:18] Role of the glutes.
• [1:04:02] Strengthening the posterior chain.
• [1:06:06] Power and strength vs. aging.
• [1:08:57] Recommended reading.
• [1:12:21] Medical diagnosis vs. movement diagnosis.
• [1:24:53] How to ask the right questions when seeking treatment.
• [1:34:00] Overrated exercises?
• [1:35:39] What a movement diagnosis will look like for me.
• [1:36:23] Infrasternal angle.
• [1:39:06] Age and injury predisposition.
• [1:41:58] “Get long, get strong, train hard.”
• [1:45:34] The downstream effects of orthopedic interventions.
• [1:48:21] Creating bulletproof athletes.
• [1:52:42] Worst advice given often.
• [1:55:29] What has Eric recently changed his mind about?
• [2:00:06] Important upstream variables.
• [2:02:38] Good stiffness. (Oh, behave!)
• [2:04:49] Vetting reliable sources of information.
• [2:11:39] How Brijesh Patel changed Eric’s career perspective and other parting thoughts.

MORE ERIC CRESSEY QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“We are big bags of water. And probably what’s happening with fascial interventions is that we’re changing the way that fluids move so that folks do have better gliding of tissues that are adjacent to one another.”
— Eric Cressey

“I hate it when people say, ‘I failed rehab.’ It’s like, ‘No, sometimes rehab failed you. You were trying and you just didn’t get the right coaching cue or the right intervention that you needed.’”
— Eric Cressey

“The hardest part is sometimes you have to counsel athletes away from something that they might really enjoy.”
— Eric Cressey

“Don’t specialize young.”
— Eric Cressey

“Try to find a way to do a wide variety of movements well into adulthood.”
— Eric Cressey

“You screw up your taxes, there’s a way out of it. You screw up your body, you might have a lifetime of pain.”
— Eric Cressey

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