#675: 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

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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 has a free blog and a free newsletter on his website, EricCressey.com, and has a podcast at EliteBaseballPodcast.com.

Please enjoy!

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[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.

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