Here's a little snippet that I had in my newsletter yesterday; I'd had a lot of questions about the series itself, so here goes:

It's been a LONG time coming, but the "Building the Efficient Athlete" DVD series is officially READY FOR SALE!

I've received a lot of questions regarding the series, so instead of writing a couple thousand e-mails, here's a sneak peek at what you'll get with this amazing product:



DVD #1: Introduction

Why learn functional anatomy?

What resources do the BEST use to improve their skills?

What resources will absolutely make you regress as a trainer, coach or athlete, and how do you avoid them?

How will improved posture not only keep you healthy, but also improve your performance?

How can you use the Law of Repetitive Motion to rapidly elicit changes in posture?



DVD #2: Lower Body, Core and Upper Body Functional Anatomy

Are the hip flexors tight? If so, which one(s)? We?ll show you specific tests to figure out exactly which areas are short or stiff

Why are well functioning glutes an absolute necessity if optimal performance is your goal? How can they help us to avoid hamstring pulls, groin strains, and lower back pain!

How is it that we?ve misunderstood the role of various core muscles for so long ? and how can we modify our training to ?undo? the damage that?s been done?

How can the pectoralis major and subscapularis be both antagonists and synergists, and what are the implications on health and performance?

Have we been missing the boat on how we view rhomboids?

Why doesn?t anyone think about pectoralis minor?



DVD #3: Static Assessments

Why perform a static assessment?

What can we suspect with an elevated shoulder girdle?

How does being right or left-handed affect one?s posture?

Watch TWO LIVE ASSESSMENTS to see how posture directly influences performance and injury!



DVD #4: Dynamic Assessments

Why use a dynamic assessment?

What does Kibler?s Three-Position Scapular Screen tell us?

How many different things can a simple lunge tell us about an individual?s inefficiencies?

How does one get into the ?always assessing? mindset?

In all, learn over 20 different tests to determine how the core, upper, and lower extremities are functioning, both in isolation and integration ? along with specific recommendations to fix the flaws!



DVD #5: The Art of Hardcore Corrective Training

What is the Law of Repetitive Motion?

What?s the difference between an inefficiency and a pathology?

How are we ?missing the boat? with current corrective training practices?

What exercises are absolutely contraindicated?

How do we maintain a training effect while correcting inefficiencies?



DVDs #6 and #7: Live Exercise Assessment

Learn how to?

Squat
Bench Press
Row
Front Squat
Box Squat
Deadlift
Lunge
Step-up

Perform miscellaneous activation and control drills

Implement and perform the CORE STABILIZATION EXERCISES your body needs for optimal performance and health

Discover not only the most common errors and compensation patterns, but also what they signify, and how to fix them. This is an absolute must for any up-and-coming coach and anyone who is unsure of how to perform squats, deadlifts, bench presses, or any of 30 other exercises!



DVD #8: Neanderthal No More Revisited: What We?d Do Differently

Almost three years ago, we co-authored a five-part article series called ?Neanderthal No More.? This series outlined common postural flaws and offered corrective exercise suggestions. While people made tremendous progress with this program, we?d be lying nowadays if we said that we wouldn?t have done anything differently if we were to write that series of articles over today. On this DVD, we mercilessly rip on our own program ? with the help of those in attendance ? based largely on the principles we discussed over the course of the two-day seminar. It?s a perfect example of how learning more about functional anatomy can dramatically change what we?re doing ? and even make a good program into a great program

Needless to say, this DVD series is going to change the way you look at training! Whether you're an up-and-coming strength coach, personal trainer, or just someone who wants to better understand training and make sure you're lifting correctly, this DVD series will help get you there faster and more efficiently.

If you're interested in the program, you can check it out here:

http://www.BuildingTheEfficien...

As well, it should be ready for sale in the T-Nation store within the next three-to-four weeks.

Thanks everyone!

Stay strong
MR

www.RobertsonTrainingSystems.com

I'm not as eloquent as Mike, so I'll just post a picture. :)

Looks like a great product guys! Can't wait to get my hands on it.

Danny

Yeah, guys this looks spectacular! Another home run!

I just want to thank you for putting the seminar on a DVD set, I've learned
A LOT from it. I also purchased the Magnificent Mobility and picked up a
lot of useful exercises. However, I do have several questions.

1. When I do the Dynamic Assessment: Abducted Internal/External Rotation,
when I try to externally rotate my elbow falls down because if I keep it up
there I feel a lot of pain. How do I go about fixing this? If I didn't
describe that well, when I do the Cuban Press the same thing happens, my
elbow falls to the side and I can't externally rotate. I believe I remember Eric saying the way to go is the band external rotations and start there instead of the cuban press, but I've already been doing that and still have the problem. What is the first step to fixing this?

2. When I do rear delt flys, or something similar to this movement, my
anterior delts hurt. Is this just due to inflexibility there?

3. I've read conflicting information that a pull-up is interal rotation
and sometimes external rotation. Does this have to do with the grip?

4. "If you're a type I or type II acromion process, you can "acquire" a type III morphology due to reactive changes." Is the opposite true? Can a type III turn into a type I?

Thank you very much for answering my questions. I'm glad I got the DVDs
because I realized I was doing some things wrong.

Kreal7 wrote:

1. When I do the Dynamic Assessment: Abducted Internal/External Rotation,
when I try to externally rotate my elbow falls down because if I keep it up
there I feel a lot of pain. How do I go about fixing this? If I didn't
describe that well, when I do the Cuban Press the same thing happens, my
elbow falls to the side and I can't externally rotate. I believe I remember Eric saying the way to go is the band external rotations and start there instead of the cuban press, but I've already been doing that and still have the problem. What is the first step to fixing this?

So you have pain at end-range external rotation?

2. When I do rear delt flys, or something similar to this movement, my
anterior delts hurt. Is this just due to inflexibility there?

It could just be that your posterior deltoid has gotten knotted up from compensating for a teres minor or infraspinatus injury (likely if what you said above actually is what it sounds like). Try getting in your posterior shoulder girdle with a lacrosse ball and see what shakes free - usually lots of trigger points in there.

3. I've read conflicting information that a pull-up is interal rotation
and sometimes external rotation. Does this have to do with the grip?

They're all internal rotation, but relative contribution increases with the amount of supination (supinated = more internal rotators, pronated = more external rotators).

4. "If you're a type I or type II acromion process, you can "acquire" a type III morphology due to reactive changes." Is the opposite true? Can a type III turn into a type I?

Not without a hacksaw. :)

Thank you very much for answering my questions. I'm glad I got the DVDs
because I realized I was doing some things wrong.


Our pleasure; thanks for the kind words!

www.BuildingTheEfficientAthlete.com

During the Dynamic Assessment: Abducted Internal/External Rotation it actually hurts right when I start the external rotation. When I get to the end it does not hurt at all, its just when I initiate the movement.

I know I have overactive traps and very very tight interal rotators (I've actually been working on these things with stetching/foam rolling and have improved, but the problem is still there). I also have too much external rotation flexibility, which goes with the tight internal rotators I believe.

I also tried using a tennis ball on the posterior shoulder girdle tonight and felt some relief. I've already been foam rolling, but the tennis ball really got in there.

I just want to thank you again for putting this on dvd and everything else you publish. Before this I had read all your articles along with Mike's and incorporated a lot of ideas from the "Neanderthal No More Series". I've come a long way, but still have to fix some things. I took pictures when my posture was all messed up and the results have been great.

I just put the order in for BTEA. If the production quality and information is as good as MM was, I will be very pleased. Thanks a lot, men!

Mike Taylor

Every time I've ordered from you guys I keep thinking that shipping to Canada takes to damn long, and the solution is to move into your backyard.

Ordered as soon as it came out... cannot wait!

Thanks Eric for the text suggestions, they've made a difference for sure.

Thanks again,
Roland.

Kreal7 wrote:
I know I have overactive traps and very very tight interal rotators (I've actually been working on these things with stetching/foam rolling and have improved, but the problem is still there). I also have too much external rotation flexibility, which goes with the tight internal rotators I believe.

You can't have tight internal rotators and then too much external rotation ROM; it's basically an anatomical oxymoron.

I also tried using a tennis ball on the posterior shoulder girdle tonight and felt some relief. I've already been foam rolling, but the tennis ball really got in there.

Which means that you're probably dealing with posterior capsule stiffness and subscap shutdown. Chances are that it's just dysfunctional IR rather than excessive IR.

I just want to thank you again for putting this on dvd and everything else you publish. Before this I had read all your articles along with Mike's and incorporated a lot of ideas from the "Neanderthal No More Series". I've come a long way, but still have to fix some things. I took pictures when my posture was all messed up and the results have been great.



Thanks for the kind words!

www.BuildingTheEfficientAthlete.com

Looks like it's going to be a great resource for all of us. I'm looking forward to it.

I just realized what I previously wrote made no sense. After watching the dvd set I realized when I did low-pulley external rotations my arm started to abduct a bit. On the lift-off test I can barely push my arm off my back at all. Also, on the stretch you did while you were talking about the subscap (against the wall) when I do this I can barely internally rotate my arm.

Edit: I went back and watched dvd 2 of building the efficient athlete and know what to do now. I do have one question though. In Shoulder Savers II you recommend the prone interal rotation for the subscap. I'm having a very hard time feeling that in the right place. Is there any other exercise I can try?

Thanks again for the help.

Kreal7 wrote:
In Shoulder Savers II you recommend the prone interal rotation for the subscap. I'm having a very hard time feeling that in the right place. Is there any other exercise I can try?

1. Make sure you aren't hiking the shoulder blade and allowing the upper traps to compensate.

2. Make sure that the shoulder and elbow are both at 90 degrees throughout the movement; do not all the elbow to extend (triceps substitution).

3. While you'll never really "feel" the subscap working, it helps to have a partner dig in to your armpit while you're doing the movement to palpate that you're actually doing it correctly.

www.BuildingTheEfficientAthlete.com

Just got through all 8 DVD's and I have to say this is the real deal! This is a must-have resource, no question.
So good and so much information that I am currently watching it a second time.
Thanks Eric and Mike for the great resource.

Aaron Schwenzfeier

Hello Mike and Eric,

Since there's a good chance that by posting in this thread I'll reach both of you at the same time, I'd like to thank both of you for the help you given me.

I exchanged emails earlier with you about my knee problems, and I'm glad to say that, while still not 100% healthy, I at least am able to recover from the stress imposed on my knee from training and games a lot quicker than before.

Whereas earlier it might have taken a few days for the pain to go away, now I'm quite alright the very next day.
As for trying to at least stay a little on topic, I'd get your BTEA series if all my student loan would be spent on Rolfing sessions:)
Ah well, maybe later..

Hey guys, this looks so good I'm buying it as a belated birthday present. From me to myself ;)

Any hope of having a B-day discount?

Kidding guys, can't wait to see this stuff.

I am now moving onto dvd4.Great stuffso far!Where can i get a look at the study
of the caluses and pronation?Where are the bonus audio interviews?

Andy Schmitt wrote:
I am now moving onto dvd4.Great stuffso far!Where can i get a look at the study
of the caluses and pronation?Where are the bonus audio interviews?

Not sure that there's been a study on it; it's just something that people see all the time in the clinical realm.

You should have gotten the audio interviews with your order confirmation email. If you didn't, drop Mike an email at mike@robertsontrainingsystems.com.

www.BuildingTheEfficientAthlete.com

I thought there was a study or a paper by David Tiberio.Foirgive me if I butchered his name.

Hi Mike

I have been reading a number of your Squat articles and have a couple of Q?s if you don?t mind. My squat is my weakest lift and my form is not very good. I have squatted with heels raised for a number of years and have recently moved to flat footed. To get the required depth I have to use a sumo-like stance (although for front squats I can get down using a slightly wider than shoulder width stance).

When back squatting I lean forward and find it even harder to get below parallel with an empty bar than a loaded bar as the weight helps to ?push? me down. From reading your articles I realise I have tight hip flexors and need to work on core.

For my Leg training I am going to use Front Squats for a cycle (4 weeks minimum) and also incorporate heavy core work (good mornings, heavy ab work) and some intensive stretching for the lower body as well as Back Squat technique work (numerous light sets of 3-5 reps). When this issue has been corrected I am going to use your modified 5x5 program for my Squat.

Does this sound like a good plan?

Thanks
Dan

Andy Schmitt wrote:
I thought there was a study or a paper by David Tiberio.Foirgive me if I butchered his name.

Pathomechanics of Structural Foot Deformities.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/...l=pubmed_docsum

Sorry, but I'm computer illiterate. How do I get the article to open to full screen?
Thanks.

Andy Schmitt wrote:
Sorry, but I'm computer illiterate. How do I get the article to open to full screen?
Thanks.

Purchase it or access it on a college campus (online or in the archives).

www.BuildingTheEfficientAthlete.com

I bought BTEA/MM and I/O, UOTM is on its way too. Great products, well worth it, have learned enough to correct my imbalances/inefficiencies.

Just 2 questions. For a while i've had a bit of elbow pain, after reading EC's 13 tips I can safely say the left one is at least partially due to extensor dominance/flexor weakness. I'm wondering if lack of mobility in the wrists could lead to instability in the elbows?

This is probably a dumb question but... with reguards to neural fatigue, is the total volume of neurally intensive training a person can tolerate related solely to genetics? Or does having a greater work capacity mean more CNS intensive training can be included? And do you classify repeated efforts (to failure) as CNS intensive?

Thank you for any help and congratulations to you both on developing several excellent products to date.

James Kiely wrote:
I bought BTEA/MM and I/O, UOTM is on its way too. Great products, well worth it, have learned enough to correct my imbalances/inefficiencies.

Thanks for the kind words; I'm glad you've enjoyed everything!

Just 2 questions. For a while i've had a bit of elbow pain, after reading EC's 13 tips I can safely say the left one is at least partially due to extensor dominance/flexor weakness. I'm wondering if lack of mobility in the wrists could lead to instability in the elbows?

Definitely! In I/O, Mike and Bill outline some excellent mobilizations and stretches that you can use; get to work!

This is probably a dumb question but... with reguards to neural fatigue, is the total volume of neurally intensive training a person can tolerate related solely to genetics?

Nope. You can definitely do a lot to improve (or diminish) your ability to handle a high workload. There are lots of controllable factors that play into this.

Or does having a greater work capacity mean more CNS intensive training can be included?

Yes, it does.

And do you classify repeated efforts (to failure) as CNS intensive?

It would depend on what we're talking about. If you're missing singles, doubles, and triples, yes. If you're talking sets of 6+, no.

Thanks for your kind words.

www.BuildingTheEfficientAthlete.com