So you most likely know that I’ve worked directly with Eric Cressey on the top-selling and highly regarded Assess and Correct, so any review of his new Show and Go: High Performance Training to Look, Feel, and Move Better is going to contain some level of bias. I admit this up front.
You’ve probably already seen a lot of the great info that Eric’s put out over the last week in these videos:
http://www.showandgotraining.com/simple-squat-fixes.html
http://showandgotraining.com/simple-squat-fixes.html
http://showandgotraining.com/mastering-the-squat.html
If you haven’t seen them I suggest you take the time to do so now. They’re really great.
I haven’t reviewed Eric’s new Show and Go until now because I really haven’t had time to look over all the information until this past weekend, and I didn’t want to give an uninformed recommendation.
Let me start of by saying that if you’re looking for a program that’s been tested in the real world, in a real high end training facility, and with real results, you shouldn’t hesitate to follow the links and get this program for yourself (or if you’re a coach, get it for your athletes!). I was out in Boston this past May and saw this program in action. Based on what I saw, if you’re trying to get big, lean, and strong, you’re going to want this program.
Let’s talk about the 16-week program.
It’s built in 4 phases each building upon the previous. Each phase has all the essential components you’ll find in an effectively designed program: mobility and warm-ups, progressive program design, movement pattern balance, necessary bilateral and unilateral exercises, and fluctuating training stress (a key to progress).
There were two things I really like about the programming. If you followed Eric’s program in his book Maximal Strength, then you know you had to follow a four day per week program. This time Eric’s giving you options. If you can’t hit the gym for the four day per week program in Show and Go, Eric’s giving you a kick-ass 3-day option (there’s also a bonus 2 times per week option that’s perfect for an in-season athlete). The other thing I like about the programming, and by far the most powerful concept, is that the program is adaptable to your goals. With most programs you’re pretty much stuck with whatever goal is intended by the programmer. Eric’s done a great job of taking a effective base program and then giving you options to adapt the program to your goals.
If you’re an athlete, bodybuilder, powerlifter, or perform some other type of physical activity, there’s an option for you. He’s even addressed issues for those who have limited availability to certain equipment or addressing specific mobility issues such as improving your squat depth.
To make this an even stronger program, Eric has included the following bonuses from some other top professionals.
1. Five Fantastic Finishers by Tony Gentilcore
These are some great ideas to “top off” your programming. Some geared toward athletes and some for those looking to improve body composition. I’ll be stealing, or, uh, borrowing these for our clients at IFAST.
2. The Top Five Glute Exercises by Bret Contreras
Bret’s become known as “the glute guy” and he offers up his top 5 most effective exercises. Glutes are implicated in a variety of ailments from knee pain to lower back pain, so you’ll definitely find some use here.
3. Innovative Soft Tissue Strategies for Health and Performance by Chris Howard
Hard training often results in an accumulation of undesirable soft-tissue adaptations that can ultimately limit performance. Keep your shoulders, back, hips, knees, and ankles in great condition by keeping your soft-tissues in great condition with this info. Chris includes detailed videos of each technique to help you apply each technique optimally.
4. The Show and Go Quick Exercise Reference Guide by Eric Cressey
This contains every link to each of 175+ videos of all the exercises included in the program. You can even access these at the gym via your iPhone or Blackberry for a quick reference.
5. 2x/week Show and Go Training Programs for all four phases also from Eric Cressey
This is the programming bonus I mentioned before. Use this program when you’re short on gym time (great for vacations) or if you’re an athlete in-season.
Everything is inserted in the same template that Eric uses with his clients at Cressey Performance for easy management. I really think that Eric has created a program that will impact a lot people looking the next step in their programming.
If you’ve got some training under your belt and are looking to take your training to the next level, Show and Go IS your next step. You can get it starting at Midnight tonight. Don’t wait. Get it tonight!
Bill