Maximum Strength by Eric Cressey
One of my biggest influences when it comes to strength training is Eric Cressey. Years ago, his articles helped me fix my back & shoulder injuries by pointing me out to the importance of posture, mobility & balanced training programs.
April this year I heard Cressey had a book coming up: Maximum Strength. I was familiar with his other products like Magnificent Mobility DVD, so I pre-ordered Maximum Strength without hesitation. Here’s the review.
Who’s Eric Cressey? Eric Cressey, MS, CSCS is a strength coach and owner of Cressey Performance in Boston, MA. He’s also a competitive powerlifter: 400lbs Bench Press, 500lbs Squat and 650lbs Deadlift in the 180lbs category.
Cressey works with athletes of all kind, but mostly baseball athletes. They call him the “shoulder guy” or the “mobility guy” because he can not only get you stronger, he can also make you lift pain- and injury-free again.
Maximum Strength. Tagline reads “Get your strongest body in 16 weeks with the ultimate weight-training program”. Maximum Strength counts 12 chapters, 190 photos & 227 pages. Table of contents:
- Foreword by Dr. John Berardi (from Precision Nutrition)
- Introduction
- 1. Why Stronger is Better
- 2. Building Strength
- 3. Maximum Strength Program Overview
- 4. What to Expect
- 5. Maximum Strength Warm-ups
- 6. Phase 1: Foundation
- 7. Phase 2: Build
- 8. Phase 3: Growth
- 9. Phase 4: Peak
- 10. Nutrition for Maximum Strength
- 11. The Muscle Between Your Ears
- 12. Maximum Strength for Life
Introduction. Maximum Strength starts with Eric Cressey’s background. How he got into weight lifting doing bodybuilding routines before switching to strength training, and the changes in physique & mindset which occurred.
His point: always train for strength instead of size, even if size is your goal. Get stronger to build muscle, lose fat and live healthier. If you’re a regular reader of StrongLifts.com, this will sound familiar.
1. Why Stronger Is Better. In the 1st chapter Eric Cressey compares strength training with bodybuilding. You get 6 reasons to train for strength instead of for size, even if size is your goal.
- Why strength training is more time-efficient
- Why strength training is more useful in the real world
- Why strength training is more motivating
- Why strength training is a faster way to build muscle
- Why strength training is a better way to build self-confidence
2. Building Strength. The 2nd chapter further compares training for strength vs training for size. You get a lot of theory, but Cressey manages to explain things in layman’s terms. Some things you’ll learn inside chapter 2:
- How does strength training differ from bodybuilding in terms of training?
- The dense vs. pump look: how does your training affect your physique?
- What makes muscle grow? What makes muscle strong?
- The different methods you can use to build strength
Maximum Strength: phase I program overview
3. Maximum Strength Program Overview. Maximum Strength starts with a strength test on the Box Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Chin-up and Broad Jump. 16 weeks later you’ll end the program by doing the same test & compare.
- 4 Day Routine. Monday & Friday lower-body, Wednesday & Saturday upper-body. Each day starts with soft tissue work & mobility exercises. The workload varies from week to week: high, medium, very high, low.
- Cardio. HIIT, slow-and-steady or light-intensity exercises. Cressey explains which one you should do based on your bodytype and how.
- 4 phases. Each phase lasts 4 weeks. Phase 1 accustoms you to heavy weights. Phase 2 includes cluster training. Phase 3 increases muscle size. And phase 4 has you lift loads above 90% 1RM for single-rep sets.
Chapter 3 ends with information on what equipment you need to do Maximum Strength: Squat Rack, barbells, dumbbells, pull-up bar, bench, foam roller, …
4. What to Expect. Chapter 4 answers how much stronger Maximum Strength will get you in 16 weeks. Cressey gives you results of his past clients. This is a strength training program, so the results aren’t surprising:
- Increased Strength. Chris Paul, 31, increased his Deadlift from 385lbs to 435lbs, Box Squat 315lbs to 395lbs & Bench Press 265lbs to 295lbs.
- Increase Muscle Mass. Majority of people doing Maximum Strength gain about 7lbs muscle. Not body-weight, muscle.
- Lowered Body Fat. Ryan Gleason, 24, dropped from 244lbs to 237lbs. Body fat went from 23% to 19% while he increased his strength.
- Improved Posture & Mobility. This is thanks to the soft tissue work, mobility exercises and exercise choice. Expect old injuries to disappear.
Maximum Strength: Soft Tissue Work
5. Maximum Strength Warm-ups. Each Maximum Strength session starts with a 10-15min warm-up which consists of soft tissue work and mobility exercises. Chapter 5 starts with the benefits of both.
- Soft Tissue Work. How to do soft tissue work for 10 different muscles using the foam roller/tennis ball. Pictures & instructions included.
- +20 Mobility Exercises. Static stretches, glute activation, hip mobility, ankle mobility, shoulder-blades, … Always with pictures and technique.
- 2 Warm-up Routines. Cressey put the exercises together for you into 2 routines. Alternate between both each session.
Maximum Strength: Mobility Exercises
6-9. The 4 Phases. Chapter 6-9 of Maximum Strength counts 100 pages. Every chapter consists of training schedule and cardio recommendations for each of the 4 phases. Technique is explained using text & pictures for 84 exercises.
- Squat. Box Squat, Front Squat, Anderson Front Squat, …
- Bench Press. Close Grip Bench Press, Floor Press, Pin Press, …
- Deadlift. Rack Pulls, Snatch Grip Deadlifts, Suitcase Deadlifts, …
- Rows. 1-arm Db Row, Chest Supported Row, Inverted Rows, …
- Abs. Pallof Press, Bar Rollouts, Side Bridges, Reverse Crunches, …
- Biceps. Zottman Curls, Db Hammer Curls (Get the book to know why).
- Single Leg Work. Bulgarian Squats, Walking Db Lunges, 1-leg Squats, …
- and much, much more
Maximum Strength: Sumo Deadlift & Barbell Reverse Lunge with Front-Squat Grip
10. Nutrition for Maximum Strength. Chapter 10 is about nutrition. Cressey recommends you to follow the guidelines from Precision Nutrition when doing the Maximum Strength program.
- 10 Eating Habits. These come straight form John Berardi’s Precision Nutrition program. Eat every 3 hours, eat protein with each meal, etc
- Example Meal Plans. One meal plan in case you train in the morning, another if you train in the evening.
- Supplements. 4 supplements you can consider with Maximum Strength, and 5 you should absolutely avoid.
11. The Muscle Between Your Ears. Eric Cressey holds several state, national and world records in power lifting. Chapter 11 of Maximum Strength shares his views on building the right mindset for weight lifting.
- 5 tips to get in The Zone
- What to think about during a lift
- Your training environment: training partners, gym atmosphere, …
- How to deal with setbacks: lack of motivation, fatigue, injuries, …
12. Maximum Strength for Life. Maximum Strength takes 16 weeks. In the last chapter Eric Cressey gives you 10 tips you can apply after you’ve finished his program. Some of these tips include:
- Why you should always set quantifiable goals
- Why you should pull more than you push
- Why you should do single-leg work
What I Liked About Maximum Strength. Maximum Strength is one of the best books I’ve read so far in 2008. I picked up several things to apply to my own training, and those of the ones I train. What I liked most:
- Exercise Technique. Maximum Strength teaches you correct technique for about 100 exercises. A lot of these are not in Starting Strength.
- Soft Tissue Work. Maximum Strength is the first book I know of that explains how to use foam rollers/tennis balls for soft tissue work.
- +20 Mobility Exercises. Half come straight out of Magnificent Mobility & Inside/out DVDs. Some exercises like the Split-stance Broomstick Pec Mobilization were new to me, but already favorites.
- The Routine. Variety, focus on injury prevention and great choice of exercises: Anderson Front Squats, single leg work, external rotations, …
What I Didn’t Like About Maximum Strength. There should have been a test to see if you’re ready for this routine. Maximum Strength isn’t for beginners. If you can’t Squat 1.5x your body-weight for 1 rep, build some base strength first.
However as a beginner you could start with the soft tissue work & mobility exercises. Especially if you have nagging pains or lack flexibility. The nutrition & mindset chapters also provide good information you could use as a beginner.
How to Order Maximum Strength. There are 2 ways you can get Eric Cressey’s book. Either through Amazon at 12,95$ or through Eric Cressey at 18,95$. Why the difference? Because Amazon has a huge volume.
For you it’s more interesting to get it through Amazon: it’s cheaper. However, Eric hardly makes a nickle on his book that way. So I arranged a special deal with him that’s interesting for both you & him.
Special Offer for StrongLifts.com Readers. Here’s what you’ll get when you buy Maximum Strength through Eric Cressey instead of through Amazon.com:
- 10$ Coupon. 1x 10$ off coupon for Magnificent Mobility, The Ultimate Off-Season Training Manual or Building The Efficient Athlete.
This offer is valid for 60 days, that’s until July 30th 2008. Mention “Mehdi” in the comment box when you order Maximum Strength and you’ll get a 10$ off coupon for the product of your choice.
Click here to order Maximum Strength for 18,95$.
This book sounds really good! I’ll definitely have to pick it up, as it sounds great.
You said it’s not for beginners (and it sounds like that way from your review). If someone has been following Stronglifts 5×5 for awhile and has worked up to 1.5xBW squat (as you mentioned), is there anything else that should be tested? Deadlift, bb row, bench press, oh press, etc.? Or would the person be prepared for Maximum Strength coming off SL 5×5 with a 1.5xBW squat (because SL 5×5 works everything else as well)?
@elVarouza
If you’ve done StrongLifts 5×5 and worked yourself up to 1.5x body-weight squat (below parallel with good technique), your other lifts will be up to par too. So you would be ready to do the program. I always use the squat as guideline, if that is good your other lifts will be good too.
Awesome review of the book Medhi (very thorough). I was fortunate enough to “beta test” the whole program and all I can say is the program delivers in all aspects. The warm-up section alone is worth far more than the pennies it will cost you for this book. I gained muscle, lost fat, got stronger in all the lifts and can even jump higher. Did I mention my posture is remarkably better too? For 16 weeks of programming from Eric, this is quite frankly a steal.
Good review!
I had already ordered the book (and now glad that I did) when I got wind that Mehdi would be doing a review and that there would have been a deal on the book. I try to order direct knowing that authors get more money that way but I was already ordering other books. Shame on me.
I plan on starting this program as soon as I read the entire book. I will then reread the warmup/mobility and Phase I chapters and start. One problem is that I have a week of vacation during the 1st full week in August and will not have gym access. I would hate to wait until mid-August.
Wow that was a really great book review. Just yesterday I was thinking about starting to review my favorite training and nutrition books on Project Swole, but I’m really going to have to step it up to compete with this level of detail. No wonder you have 15k+ subscribers.
Anyway, I’ve been reading Cressey’s materials on tmag for years now, so I would also recommend this book without even having to ready it. He has some great philosophies and I have put to good use throughout the years. Thanks for the great blog.
Thanks for the very in-depth review of the book. Looks like it has some really great information and covers a wide range of topics. Definitely parallels a lot of what I’ve been reading on Stronglifts too, which is good to see.
bought the book, thanks Mehdi for the review… can’t wait to read it
Mehdi, that line about the “importance of single leg work” grabbed my attention. I am a beginner on 5X5, so no question of starting an advanced programme yet, but I would like to know — Can I substitute one squat session per week with single leg dumbell lunges? I keep stalling on my squat - I am just up to 30 kgs, though my bench press and deadlift is racing ahead. OH Press is not bad too at 30 kgs. Thanks.
@Ashwin
Point of StrongLifts 5×5 is to teach you how to squat properly, you can do that best by squatting often. Keep doing Squats, do not substitute for now, even if you stall, keep squatting.
This sounds like the kind of book I have been looking for. Up to now most of the decent material I have found are slanted heavily to bodybuilding with strength training as an afterthought. Good post.
@Mehdi
Thanks. I’ll sticks with the 3X squats then.
Just purchased this book at Tattered Cover a few hours ago, I bought it because you recommended it Mehdi. I love it, it’s very straightforward and really emphasizes strength training over bodybuilding. You guys have similar views and I love reading the site and I’m loving this book. What other books do you recommend?
@Donnie
Thanks for the kind words. There are a lot of good books/dvds out there. Starting Strength is pretty good reference on exercise technique for example. I’ll make more reviews in the future.
I actually just picked this up last week and so far I really like it. I too am a big fan of Eric Cressey’s work mainly because he’s not just telling you the same old stuff, there’s always a different angle to it.
I don’t have a ton of experience with strength training yet, at least not as much as I’d like. But you often hear things about mobility and flexibility in reading other articles but with no real coverage it’s just mentioned. Cressey’s stuff gives you that depth.