Here is a review of Charlie Weingroff’s Training=Rehab, Rehab=Training DVD set by up and coming strength and conditioning coach, Cheri Pearce. Cheri interned for me last spring, and then spent the past summer interning at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning. She came back as a volunteer this fall and is heading off to intern at Cressey Performance in January. She has been extremely busy but found time to review this DVD set that I can’t recommend enough. If you haven’t picked up this set yet, you are missing out. I’ll have a link after the review on where you can pick up a copy.
B
At first glance of Charlie Weingroff’s DVD set I thought it was going to be beyond my scope of knowledge. Never judge a DVD by its cover. The first 10-15 minutes are Charlie in a nutshell. He is a WWE fan, Golf expert, fantasy sports participant and Green Lantern fanatic. He is human ladies and gentlemen, not just some ridiculously smart Physical Therapist/Strength and Conditioning Coach. He gives props to his influences such as, Gray Cook, Vladimir Janda, Shirley Sahrmann and Mike Boyle as the basis for his current philosophies on rehabilitation and training.
One point Weingroff makes clear, that no matter what field you presently reside, basic principles for the human body remain the same. This is why he is actively trying to bridge the gap of between the doctor, physical therapist and strength coach. He believes that each professional plays an integral part in the steps back to performance and encourages you to surround yourself with colleagues of similar conceptual belief systems.
Furthermore, Weingroff is not your typical boring classroom teacher. He is animated, passionate and accessible. His personality draws you in and keeps you wanting more. I found myself looking up articles he was referencing because I want to know what he knows. As I watched the lecture and practical based DVDs I was nodding in agreement with his ideas simply because they made sense. He easily explains difficult concepts in a way any one can understand. What I admire most about Charlie Weingroff, while his opinions are his own he will distinctly define what is fact and how he arrived at that conclusion because he has the knowledge to back it up. He truly wants you to be a better trainer, coach or therapist and that comes through on the DVDs.
Cheri
I am the strength coach to many high-level high school and collegiate basketball players. I am constantly researching and looking for the best and most-effective ways to design their programs to improve performance and keep injuries at bay. I can confidently say that this DVD is the most comprehensive resource on basketball strength and conditioning that I have ever seen. The templates for the weekly workouts are invaluable to a strength coach. Often times, with so much information out there, it can be very confusing as to which program is best. Coach Patel explains the best program outline based on what he has found to work over the years.
I loved the part on Coach B’s warm-ups and soft-tissue work and particular attention to loosening up the hips. Tight hips will take the explosiveness right out of a player’s game, but Coach B shows you things you would never have thought of and that can be implemented with minimal equipment, anywhere!
Coach B takes you through a program start to finish with multiple options to fit your current needs and weight room specifics. I have come across many other basketball DVDs that are not practical, take too long and just won’t work in the real world setting. I have noticed our workouts are becoming much more efficient and effective based on player feedback and the quality of the movements. I am presenting at a state basketball clinic in a few weeks and I will highly recommend Coach Patel’s DVD to all the coaches in attendance.
This DVD has it all: program templates, visual examples and explanations and more. You are getting the experience and expertise of one of the best basketball strength coaches in the world in a matter of 3 hours’ worth of highly instructive DVD! This is a ‘must have’ investment for any basketball coach, player or strength coach. I have already implemented many of the things that Coach B has in his DVD with my players. I highly recommend this DVD to any coach or player that is looking to gain a ‘secret advantage’ over their opponents!
To pick up a copy of the DVD click here and scroll down the page.
Kyle Newell, MS, CSCS, CISSN
This past week, I had the pleasure of reviewing Craig Liebenson’s new 3 DVDs. These are a precursor to his Functional Training Handbook that will be coming out in early 2012. The book is a must have as the line-up of co-authors is out of this world. I had the privilege of being asked to contribute to this book and was floored by the request. I’m very excited to be able to take a look at the final product when it comes out.
Back to the DVDs…Dr. Liebenson is one of the leading specialists when it comes to back pain and resolving this troublesome issue that so many people experience. He has been published on numerous occasions as well as being asked to speak at a number of worldwide events. He has a great blog that you can follow here.
His new DVDs are Core Stability Training DVD, Flexibility, Yoga Training and Ergonomic Postural Advice DVD, and Functional Performance DVD. These 3 are quite different but similar at the same time. All three give you insight in Dr. Liebenson’s thought process when it comes to restoring health, improving flexibility, improving posture and improving performance. The exercises that Dr. Liebenson shows cover everything from breathing assessments, to core stability training and even plyometric training. The progressions are well thought out and give the viewer exercises that they can include into their current clients and athletes programs immediately. The best part of this DVD set is that Dr. Liebenson just doesn’t show you the exercises, but common errors, what to look for and teaches you why they should not be left out in your programs.
I recommend these to any athletic trainer, physical therapist, strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer looking to give those that they work with every opportunity to become better.
You can pick them up at the following links:
Functional Performance Training DVD
Flexibility, Yoga Training, and Ergonomic Postural Advice DVD
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In November of 2009, just over 40 rehabilitation specialists, fitness professionals, and athletes gathered at Cressey Performance to spend the day learning about “everything shoulder.” This seminar bridged the gap between injured athletes looking to get healthy and those performing at high levels and looking to stay healthy. Optimal Shoulder Performance: From Rehabilitation to High Performance draws upon the expertise of two industry professionals, Mike Reinold and Eric Cressey, who have devoted countless hours to this commonly injured joint.
Eric has been kind enough to share three key things every personal trainer should know about the shoulder:
1. You should NEVER be intimidated when you hear/see the words “rotator cuff tear” or “labral tear.” Why? Because if you are training clients, you are absolutely, positively already training people who have these issues but are 100% asymptomatic. Some interesting research:
Miniaci et al. (2003) found that 79% of professional baseball pitchers – the people who put the most stress on their shoulders on the planet – actually had “abnormal labrum” features. They concluded that “magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder in asymptomatic high performance throwing athletes reveals abnormalities that may encompass a spectrum of ‘nonclinical’ findings.”
Meanwhile, rotator cuff tears often go completely unnoticed. Sher et al. (1995) took MRIs on the shoulders of 96 asymptomatic subjects, and found cuff tears in 34% of cases, and 54% of those older than 60. Meanwhile, another Miniaci study (1995) found ZERO completely normal rotator cuffs in those under the age of 50 out of a sample size of 30 shoulders.
What’s my point? Both the people who are in pain AND those who have absolutely no pain can have disastrous looking shoulder MRIs. So, in many cases, it is something other than just the structural deficit that causes certain people to experience pain. To me, that difference is how they move.
A torn labrum may become symptomatic in a thrower with poor shoulder internal rotation. Or, a partial thickness cuff tear my reach the pain threshold in a lifter who doesn’t have adequate scapular stability.
In short, a MRI report doesn’t tell you everything there is to know about a shoulder – and you need to assume that a lot of your clients are already jacked up.
2. When assessing a shoulder, everything starts with total motion. In healthy shoulders, total motion – which comes from adding internal rotation and external rotation – should be the same on the right and left side. This “arc” may occur in a different place on each shoulder, but as long as it’s symmetrical from side-to-side, you’re off to a good start – and that’s when you work further down the chain to see what’s going on with scapula stability, thoracic spine mobility, etc.
3. 100% of all shoulder problems involve scapular dysfunction. The interaction of the glenoid fossa of the scapula (socket) and humeral head (ball) is what allows the glenohumeral joint (shoulder) to do what it needs to do. However, most individuals have some form of shortness (e.g., pec minor, levator scapulae) or weakness (e.g., serratus anterior, lower trapezius) of muscles working on the scapula. These inefficiencies alter glenohumeral alignment and increases stress on the rotator cuff, biceps tendon, labrum, and glenohumeral ligaments. Identifying and addressing scapular issues is a key step in preventing shoulder pain.
I personally have learned so much about training the shoulder through these 2 guys and know that this 4 DVD set is jam packed with information that will be beneficial to everybody that helps people realize their physical and athletic goals.
Be sure to check out Optimal Shoulder Performance so you can help your clients and athletes get better.
My good friends, Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman have developed an outstanding resource that is a must have for every single fitness professional.
Assess and Correct is a new DVD project that was initiated by their 2 successful DVD’s, Magnificent Mobility and Inside-Out.
Assess and Correct is the first resource that empowers you with not only a series of self-assessments to identify your own flexibility and stability limitations, but also exercise progressions to correct those inefficiencies. In the process, you’ll take your athletic performance to all new levels and prevent injuries from creeping up on you – whether you’re a high-level athlete or someone who sits at a desk too much.
The easy-to-follow format of these DVDs takes you step-by-step to a healthy body that feels and performs well. It’s like having a coach right there with you the whole time.
Be sure to check back in the next couple days as I’ll post more info about the product.
B
We’ve often posted some tips and review from Nick Tumminello of Performance University, because we think he has a great mind in the field and has great advice to offer for all levels of fitness enthusiasts.
This month’s tip is a review of his new DVD.
Mike Boyle has just released functional strength coach vol. 3 which follows on the success of vol. 1 and 2. This DVD collection is an update of what Mike has been doing and changing over the past 5 years. If you have seen Mike or know him, he is always looking for a better way to train his athletes and clients and this DVD set goes over the new aspects of his program.
I was fortunate enough to attend the live event and can honestly tell you that you will get a lot of useful and usable information from this DVD. It outlines how Mike has changed his warm-ups, core progressions and even where he is taking his lower body strength development.
If you are serious about being a better trainer or coach, do yourself a favor and pick up this set:
Functional Strength Coach Vol. 3
Pre-exercise preparation is frequently overlooked dynamic of a training regiment which can leave workouts lacking in their potential and can even cause serious injury. Lack of warm-up or even absence of the routines is not something too far fetched. The strength and conditioning world has become much more aware of its importance, especially for individuals like Nick Tumminello. Nick Tumminello of Performance University released a pair of DVD’s which introduce an abundance of warm-up and mobilization exercises which could be vital to the world of strength and conditioning as well as the general population.
The DVD focusing on warm-up routines began with warm-up principles regarding the components of a routine. General and fundamental exercises, organization, simple and muscle activating are some of the basic principles outlined by Nick Tumminello. He then states the quote, “If it’s important, do it everyday.” He then gives complete explanations and demonstrations of about 20+ warm-up exercises, most of which have beginner, intermediate and advanced forms. The exercises would be broken down very meticulously focusing on details as simple as protraction or retraction of the scapula or hand placement. At the conclusion of every exercise which was just demonstrated was a list of the three most important skill cues to guarantee safe and effective form of every motion. The effectiveness of the demonstrations and step by step demonstrations made the exercises extremely easy to mimic. In addition the explanations of the purpose of each exercise was given extensively. In the bonus features you are given an advanced level warm-up routine in real time from start to finish which elapses only about 4:00 minutes time.
The second DVD entitled Secrets of Self Joint Mobilization is formatted almost exactly the same as the warm-up routine video. This video as the title suggests focus’s a lot of creating joint mobilization with very unsophisticated equipment. (yoga mat, wooden dowel, towel, tennis ball, taped, tennis ball, and a water bottle) Once again, Nick Tumminello gives basic principles about how to safely and effectively go about these types of motions. The number one principle entails moving through a pain free range of motion in addition to being progressive, purposeful and making sure that you are staying within your scope of practice. What I found most beneficial about this movie is that there were exercises many of us knew already but were given one extra twist to heighten the effectiveness of the movement and usually target more than one area. For example a deep diagonal squat off a physioball opens up the hip joints but while performing this movement the exerciser has their hands behind their head in the “cuffed” position pulling open the shoulder capsules. Combining movements such as this greatly increases the efficiency of your movements and decreases the time needed to perform a full routine.
Both of these video demonstrations give a great foundation for any strength coach, personal trainer or gym goer to write their own pre exercise routine. The video also encourages independent thinking and creativity by the viewers to branch off these ideas and even further improve the movements provided you keep the movements safe and effective. I personally found these videos highly educational and would recommend them to be viewed especially by fitness professionals looking to create or improve a pre-exercise regiment.
-Eric Discko
http://www.sbcoachescollege.com/TipsOfTheMonth/2009/tip6_2009_TumminelloReviews.htm
