We’re always taught in life to believe in ourselves and be confident. It usually starts with our parents at an early age, and as we grow up and take on new challenges in life we’re told to be confident. They’re teaching us to put in the effort, trust our potential, and eventually we’ll succeed. If you’ve had really good teachers or coaches throughout your life, chances are that they tried to send you the same message.
Having confidence in ourselves make us achieve things we would have never been able to achieve if we would have never believed in ourselves in the first place. Perhaps it might have helped you become a great athlete, a great student or a great professional in whatever field you are working in.
Confidence is essential to build new relationships, make new contacts and get people to buy into whatever you’re saying. It is a big part of human interaction.
As a strength and conditioning professional, personal trainer, or just as someone who trains yourself, confidence plays an important part of the training programs your write or follow. Believing in your training programs, believing in your system is important to get results and achieve success.
But is it possible to be too confident?
When you think that what you’re doing, the methods you’re using are the end all be all, you probably never question yourself.
Do your system really work that great? Are your athletes and clients achieving optimal results? If you always follow your own system and the same methods, how do you know your athletes couldn’t achieve better results faster? Do you ever try new things? Do you question your methods? Do you reach out to other people and ask them questions?
I can easily see how over-confidence can become your own worst enemy. I guess you could also call that having an “ego”.
Either way, having insecurities and questioning yourself from time to time is not a bad thing. Putting things in perspective, being open to try new methods and accepting that other coaches somewhere in the world might achieve better results than you, will only open the door for potential improvements.
And all due respect to all the coaches who’ve become famous on the internet, there is probably a lot more coaches out there who are just as smart or even smarter who just aren’t interested in promoting themselves on the web. If you can find these people, more power to you. Chat with these guys, listen and compare how their system and methods differ from yours.
I have met my fair share of over-confident coaches in my life. One thing I have noticed about most of them is that this over-confidence also comes with a distorted vision of reality; they have a tendency to perceive things in a way that ultimately makes them feel better about themselves. Why did your athletes not improve as much as expected? “They didn’t work had enough…They don’t get it…etc…etc”. Sometimes those reasons are legitimate, but sometimes it might be good to question yourself.
Earning a college degree builds confidence. Gaining experience builds confidence. And most importantly, getting results builds confidence.
But never be too confident to the point of never questioning your methods. There is always a better way to do things, a way to improve.
Be open minded. Question your methods. Always re-evaluate your system. And even doubt yourself from time to time, it’ll only help you become better at what you do.
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With any exercise, at any point, form is everything. It’s basic concept behind weight lifting. If you’re not lifting with good form, you increase your risks of injuries, not only in the weight room, but also on the field. Getting stronger without consideration for perfect form is really just reinforcing bad movement pattern.
The major lifts are all occasions to reinforce good movement. This is really what the premise of strength training is about; improve the way you move, and get strong in those “good movement patterns”. All the mobility work, corrective exercises and foam rolling are tools to help you achieve that very goal. But it doesn’t need to get more complicated that that.
Whether it’s because of the physical stress that life puts on us, the overuse trauma that certain activities exert on our bodies or the sedentarity of our lifestyle in 2012, our bodies build up dysfunctions. Playing sports definitely increase the overuse stress on our body, and is really good at making dysfunctions worse. Displaying maximal effort and energy at high velocities as it is commonly seen in sports, will make your body use the path of least resistance; your body doesn’t “think” about good movement. It just does whatever it is asked to do. That’s why it’s something that needs to be reinforced.
Achieving good movement and understanding it is the first step, then you perform repetitions, and lastly you start loading to solidify those movement patterns. With practice and added strength, your brain will start to make the connections, and the automated response of quality movements under high velocities will happen.
That’s what strength training is all about. It’s not about who’s going to be able to jump on the highest box. It’s not about who can perform 50 snatches from the floor the fastest. And it’s definitely not about pushing yourself when your form becomes shitty.
I’m not pointing any fingers here.
Or maybe I am….
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I like to do this type of posts once in a while to highlight some of the good stuff you can read on the internet through the blogs of smart fitness and strength and conditioning professionals. I don’t do it more often because quite frankly Ben Bruno does a much better job than me at this, and he does it on a consistent basis every week, so make sure you check out his website!
That being said here is what caught my attention in the past week or so:
There you go! You got 8 solid blog posts that you should definitely read because….well…they’ll make you smarter, plain and simple. And that’ll give you something to enjoy until I bring you some fresh new content next Tuesday!
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It is time for another….you guessed it….Random thoughts post! Hopefully you enjoy these as much as I do! Let’s get started:
1. My friend and colleague Kevin Neeld posted on his YouTube channel 3 presentations of about 10 minutes each about hockey training; one on program design, one on speed training and one on conditioning. These were the 3 videos that he used to promote his book, which you needed to sign up for to get access to the videos. Now, you don’t even need to sign up for anything to watch these 3 awesome videos, as they are just one click away for you to see. Here’s the program design video, which I think is pretty cool:
2. Speaking of Kevin and his book, if you haven’t checked it out yet, you absolutely have to! For some reason, he hasn’t bumped the introduction price up yet. Let me remind you that this book highlights Kevin’s complete training system to building powerful and bulletproof hockey players. In fact, the principles in this book could very well apply to any athlete in any sports as well! Any book of that quality would usually price at over 80$, but Kevin is giving you Ultimate Hockey Training for less than 30$! Click HERE if you want to pick up a copy!
3. My own training for the last 6 weeks have been geared towards muscular endurance and aerobic training (probably not the type that you think) based on Joel Jamieson’s general endurance block from his book Ultimate MMA Conditioning. To say it is a nice change of pace would be an understatement. For the past 6 years, my whole training has basically been max strength and very low volumes of conditioning (always in the form of anaerobic intervals) and nothing else. My joints were kinda hating me recently and I was getting a little bored with my training, so I decided to give that general endurance thing a shot, you know, to mix things up and give my body a break. The lifting volume have been pretty low (but not necessarily easy)- hey, could have thought that doing DB chest press with 45′s could be so hard? Not me! And the conditioning volume has been pretty high for what I’m used to, but since I’m working my aerobic system I don’t feel like the intensity is killing me. The main difference I’ve noticed so far is my recovery improved drastically! I used to dread every training day because I always felt crushed from the previous one, but with this phase, even if I get pretty sore from some of that stuff, I pretty much always feel ready to go when I’m training. I also play hockey twice a week, and I noted a major recovery difference between my shifts; I pretty much feel like I can go just as hard every single shift, and it’s like that the whole game! I used to gas out after 3o minutes. I know I’m gonna need to go back to lifting heavy stuff soon, so I don’t loose too much strength, but I’m definitely going to use 8 weeks endurance blocks more often in the future.
4. As a big music fan, and having written entire blog posts about music to train to (if you missed it you can check ‘em out HERE and HERE), I feel like haven’t posted anything music related in a while. Here’s a little something to enjoy… As you may already know I’m growing more and more into a die-hard Foo Fighters fan, which is funny because I used to dislike this band a couple years ago. But the fact that they stuck with their original roots for almost 20 years, never became a foo-foo fake pop-rock band through the years like many rock bands do (huh humm…Nickelback), and because they totally kick ass in concert for almost 3 hours, I’ve become a huge fan. Here ‘s Bridges Burning, from their new album, which gets you want to smash someone in the head with a steel chair, a la Stone Cold Steve Austin:
And this next one, even though is not as high-energy, for some reason really gets me going! The band is called Chickenfoot, which is a band formed by Sammy Hagar, another guy from Van Halen and the drummer from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It has kind of an 80′s sound to it, which Coach Jorts can appreciate, but it definitely pumps me up:
5. Last but not least, I just got 2 spots that opened up on my online training clients schedule. So if you’re interested, read my ‘Services’ page to make sure you qualify and that it’s what you’re looking for, and drop me an email at the link at the bottom of the page! You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference a structured program can make, and how much faster you can reach your goals. I’ve worked with clients from all walks of life from pro athlete to completely out-of-shape 60 year-old women, so don’t be afraid and think it’s not for you! We’ll have to talk first, but chances are I can do something for you no matter what your training goal is.
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We can always try to find ways to get better at what we do, and in the fitness business it almost became a staple step in the process. Our field is in constant evolution, and if you don’t keep up you’ll end up being left behind.
You don’t want to get left behind like this guy….(how did I find a way to relate this to Alf?…go figure)
I’m constantly trying to get better, but there are always ways to do more. Which pops the question: What should I do?
Unlike Lebron James though, I’m gonna try and answer my own question. I do think there are things I could do to get better. Whether I don’t do these things (or not enough) because I don’t have enough time, not enough money or because I procrastinate too much, here’s a list of things I could do to become a better strength and conditioning coach and fitness professional:
1. Build a bigger network. I realize that it’s important to build a network of like-minded people in the business. These people can offer their guidance, you can exchange ideas on different subjects with them, get their perspectives on things or they can even put you in touch with new people. In 2012, with the help of the social networks, it makes things much easier to communicate and get in touch with new people. I do have a decent amount of facebook friends in the field, but I think I could definitely do a better job at keeping in touch with them and reach out to new people.
That might explain why I’m not more successful with Facebook
2. Attend more seminars. I already try go to about 2-3 seminars per year, but I feel like there’s room for improvement. But I’m usually confined by the ones that are within driving distance because of my restricted budget to travel. There are some live events that I would have liked to attend in the past that were either in the South or on the West Coast that I couldn’t go to because I didn’t have the money to travel there. Sometimes it only takes a little more planning and saving some money ahead of time to be able to get out there for seminars that are not available on the East Coast.
3. Visit other coaches’ facilities. This one is a little related to both of the last 2 points, and I will admit that I’m not really good at this one. I know that visiting other coaches and see how they do things, talking shop with them and just seeing things from a different perspective (because they live a different reality) can be huge in making yourself better at what you do. Most of the time there are always things you can pick up from another coach and incorporate in your own setting. I say it’s related to the last 2 points because it involves making new contacts AND traveling. This is probably the area I could improve the most. I’ve done it very sparingly in the past, but there is no reason why I couldn’t do it more; besides the cost of traveling, it doesn’t cost anything and you can spend hours exchanging on different subjects, compared to catching a quick hallway conversation with another coach at a crowded seminar.
4. Read more. I write this, not because I don’t read, but because there is always place for improvement. I actually read quite a bit, but there are just so many good resources out there, it’s hard to keep up! I was reading Mike Robertson’s post last week on his website about becoming successful in this business, and there is something that caught my attention. Mike was saying to stop reading blogs, and focus your energy on books and DVDs that you actually need to buy. He was saying that blog posts usually don’t go in-depth on any subject; people usually write blog posts to give their opinion on a given subject or just give a little bit of information about it (and I kinda realize that it’s usually what I do too with my blog). That being said, I probably won’t stop reading blog posts, (or writing them for that matter…sigh of relief: on go!) because they’re free, easy ad quick reads that can give you someone else’s perspective on a subject. I will try to use my time better to read books, and spent a little less time on blogs in the future, though.
Do these books count??
That’s what I think I can do to become a better strength and conditioning coach. But the question is:
What should YOU do?
Drop your ideas on how you can better in the comment box below!
I wrote a new program for the Endeavor staff a couple weeks ago. After reading Joel Jamieson’s Ultimate MMA Conditioning book, I realized a lot about energy system training and I wanted to experiment with some of stuff in the book. With that in mind, I wrote a general endurance block. I figured since none of us had good muscular endurance or conditioning levels right now that would be a good idea to work on some of that stuff for a couple of training cycles. Combined to the fact that I did almost exclusively max strength stuff for the past 5-6 years and my joints were starting to hate me recently, purposely lifting light weights for a little bit sounded pretty appealing.
Not THAT light, though!
That being said, we’re starting week 2 of this general endurance program and I will admit that I’m really enjoying the change of pace. I’m feeling really sore from squatting 95 pounds, which is completely crazy! But when your time under tension is 40 seconds per set, you have no pause between reps and your rest between sets is 30 seconds, the weights you’re using are ridiculously light! Other than that I feel really good!
As much as I believe in the importance of max strength in a training program, I’m also starting to think that there is a time and place for it; and the answer is not ‘all the time’! Working to improve your muscle endurance, power endurance, and other qualities can have their place in a yearly training program. You don’t have to put a focus on max strength in every training program. There are other adaptations that are gonna be beneficial that you won’t be able to get through max strength training (e.g. oxidative capacities of your muscle fibers, hypertrophy of slow twitch fibers, endurance of slow twitch fibers, etc, etc).
Right now, my body enjoys the break from the heavy weights. My joints are feeling better, it is not even close to being as CNS intensive as max strength training, and most of all, I feel completely out of my comfort zone, which is not easy, but it’s good. The aerobic conditioning part of the program is probably what pushes me out of my comfort the most because I probably never ran for more than 5 minutes in a row before! I get sore pretty easily with this program, but my body doesn’t feel crushed, if that makes any sense. Every training day, I’m ready to attack whatever is on the program that day, I don’t feel smoked form the previous session with no motivation to lift, like I’ve been feeling for the last 2-3 months. There’s something to be said about being able to kick your own ass, but there’s also something to be said about listening to your body when you keep feeling that way day in and day out.
This is how I was feeling recently…before I started foam rolling!
Get out of your comfort zone once in a while when you train, if you don’t already. It’s not easy and you might find it very hard compared to whatever you’re doing, but it’ll be good for you, it’ll change the stress on your body (which is necessary once in a while) and you’ll end up feeling good!
Everybody makes mistakes. And if you think you’re any different and you don’t make any, you’re really kidding yourself and it’s probably time for a reality check.
We all make mistakes, whether we like to admit it or not; this is human nature. It’s part of the learning process. Strength and conditioning coaches are not different. I’m no different.
This is the time of year where everybody makes resolution for the new year or highlights what they learned or changed in the last year. I’ll give my 2011 review a different flavor by giving you my top 5 mistakes I made in the last year (or the ones that have lasted up to this past year).
1. Recommending minimalist footwear for everyone. I wrote a whole blog post on the subject not too long ago (if you missed it you can check it out HERE). The idea is that for too long we have restrained our feet in footwear with a lot of cushioning, big heel lifts and support all around. That made the feet become lazy, and they stopped doing their job because they didn’t have to anymore. But the thing is that the problem can originate somewhere else; in other words, the feet are not always the source of the problem, but rather the result from a problem originating somewhere else. In our lifestyle in 2012, there is more than just our footwear that’s wrong. Sedentary lifestyles, prolonged sitting, poor posture, long commute in cars, and early development in young athletes who do too much too young are all factors that can wreak havoc on our bodies. Any of these factors (or a combination of) can lead to permanent structural changes on our bodies. Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), femoral anteversion and retroversion and other hip problems can lead to different feet position and structural variations.
Probably wouldn’t be a good idea to have this guy run in Vibrams…
Before I digress too much, it simply means that not everyone can get away with wearing Vibram Five Fingers or New Balance Minimus all day. I used to blindly recommend those type of shoes without assessing the person. Let’s just say that I’m a lot more careful about it now. As a side note, overweight and poor running mechanics are 2 other factors that would lead me to not recommend a minimalist type of shoes for physical activity.
2. Minimizing the importance of breathing. If you’ve followed my blog for some time, you should know by now the importance I pay to breathing patterns. I’ve blogged about that many times during the last year, and I must say that the more I learn about it, the more I realize how crucial it is with any movement pattern and for proper alignment (as a side note, I can improve your range of motion just by teaching you how to breathe; that’s how powerful it is). The diaphragm muscles (yes, there are 2 of them) have fascial connections with the thoraco-lumbar fascia which in turn connects with the psoas (that attaches on the spine) and the hips.
Because of that, proper diaphragm function and proficient breathing patterns are essential for optimal posture and positioning through various movement patterns. Ineffective use of the diaphragm muscles could lead to hyperextension of the thoraco-lumbar region, faulty positioning of the hips and plenty of other problems all the way up and down the chain. This is something I coach a lot now, and it has made a huge difference on our athletes at Endeavor. If you’re not familiar with proper breathing patterns and diaphragm function, I suggest you take a look at the PRI stuff (Postural Restoration Institute).
3. Mismanaging training volumes and intensities. Whether it is in my own training or the ones of my athletes, I think I have not always been good at managing fatigue and recovery. On paper, training volumes always look well managed, but the reality is that it goes far bey0nd that. For one, if you always go balls to the walls when you train and push yourself the the very limit every training session lifting maximal weights and pushing lactic conditioning ’til you puke, chances are you won’t recover properly even if the planned training volume for the week is moderate. The other thing is that there are a lot of other factors that factors in the equation (quantity and quality of sleep, nutrition, other sports and activities outside of the gym, the party factor, etc). Whether you like it or not, there aren’t that many athletes that won’t take some time to enjoy life during their off-season, which usually means spending a day at the beach not eating too well (or enough) or have a late night and a couple of beers once in a while. In their off-season, athletes not only need a physical break from their sport, but a mental one as well. Nothing wrong with that, as long as they keep it in check and don’t overdo it. It struck me this past summer when we had one of our pro hockey player return to Endeavor after a very long season in which his team ended up winning the Stanley Cup. First of all he came back from his team mid to late June, almost 2 months later than all the other guys, but he was also way more beat up physically and mentally. It was apparent that even after almost 10 days completely off, he just didn’t have the wheels he had the previous off-season (which started in April the year before- that’s a big difference). He took more days off from training than the previous off-season and the number of days he showed up hungry to get after it were definitely not as frequent. The off-season is not only about getting ready for the upcoming season, but also recovering from the previous one, especially if it was a very long and excruciating one. This is where HRV measurement tools are gonna come in handy; it allows you to measure physical and nervous system fatigue and you can manage fatigue and recovery so much better. And that technology is becoming available to us. I blogged about this before.
4. Aerobic training is not the evil I thought it was. I always stood up against aerobic training for team sports because it’s simply not the way most sports are played. After trying to prove my point for years, and I am starting to realize certain things. I still don’t think I was wrong about the fact that long slow pace aerobic training is not specific to sports, but I’m starting to realize that the pendulum may just have swung too far.
The aerobic system plays a huge role in recovery for the lactic and alactic systems and a decent amount of the energy produced in a team sports setting will come from the aerobic system. It still doesn’t mean that you should go for hour long jogs 4-5 times a week to get ready for your hockey season, but there just might be a place for steady state aerobics in a yearly training plan after all.
5. Not enough external rotation based rotator cuff exercises for my baseball players. With the importance of scapular stability, t-spine mobility, breathing patterns and working the rotator cuff in a stability role, I will admit that I neglected external rotation based exercises a little bit last off-season with my baseball players.
Shoulder injury prevention is about much more than just external rotation exercises, but it might have been another pendulum that swung too far for me because I haven’t done much of it with my baseball pitchers last off-season. The reality is that the external rotators of the shoulder still need to decelerate the crazy velocity of internal rotation that occurs at the shoulder in a pitching motion (over 7,000°/sec), so it’s still specific to do direct external rotation work with baseball pitchers, so these muscles become better at decelerating the internal rotation.
Those are the mistakes I’ve made this past year. What are the mistakes you’ve made during the last year?
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After a week of vacation in Montreal (and a week off from blogging), I feel more refreshed than ever and ready to attack 2012 with great energy! I hope you also had some time off to recharge your batteries, and that you’re looking to make the best out of this upcoming year.
As the new year rolls around, it’s usually a time to make new resolution. We all have things we want to get better at or change, and the new year always seems to be an appropriate time to do so. Whether your resolution is to get in shape, lose weight, stop smoking, be better about staying in touch with family and friends, be more positive about life, resolutions also have the reputation of not lasting very long.
Being in the fitness industry, and having worked in a commercial gym for some years, I am used to seeing people make health and fitness resolutions quite a bit. And just like any other resolution, I don’t see many of them lasting very long.
But why?
Is it that people don’t really want that change to happen? No. Is it because they are too lazy? Not really (although it might be the case sometimes). Is it a lack of determination? I don’t think so. To me the real problem is a lack of planning. Most of the time, when people fail to keep up with a resolution is because they don’t have a plan. Too many people fail to realize the importance it will have when trying to make a permanent change in their life.
I see people who want to get in shape and want to lose fat all the time. But they don’t plan anything to reach their goal or hold on to their resolution. “I want to get in shape” is a very blank and vague statement by itself, and if you want to turn that statement into a successful resolution you need to find ways to achieve it and elaborate a specific plan. Subscribing to the local gym is a good place to start, but it’s fa from being enough. You need a program that’s specific to your goals (that might mean getting yourself a trainer). You also need a schedule. You need to plan which days and what time specifically you’ll go to the gym; it needs to be put in your schedule and given the same importance as any meeting or appointment, otherwise it won’t last.
Whatever your resolution might be, you need to lay out a plan on how you will go about achieving your goal and keeping up with your new resolution. Failure to do so will invariably lead you to become just another one who doesn’t keep up with his new year resolution. It’s just like going on a road trip; you need to know what your destination is, but that by itself is not enough. If you try to get somewhere without knowing which road to use, you’ll most likely get lost and will never reach your destination. You need to know the road(s) you’re going to take there.
The bottom line is that if you make a resolution and want to hold on to it, and not drop off from it, only to make the same resolution next year, you better know what it is that you want exactly, write down an action plan on how you’re going to achieve it or keep up with it, have a schedule and be ready to follow it.
Resolutions only fall short because most people plan poorly to follow them. But with appropriate planning, this year might just be the year where you keep up with your resolution once and for all!
I’m in the middle of Joel Jamieson’s book Ultimate MMA Conditioning, and I have to say that (even being only 1/4 of the way through it) this book is about to be one that’s a COMPLETE game changer for me. Even though the title says ‘MMA Conditioning’, the book is not so much about specific MMA conditioning as it is about developing the different energy systems the right way. It’s making me rethink all of the conditioning I program for my athletes. And I’ll have more on the subject very soon.
While reading it though, I’ve come to a couple realizations about my job as a strength and conditioning coach that go beyond just conditioning stuff. As a professional who’s concerned about constantly thriving to get better and always do what’s best for his athletes, it’s quite important to reach out to new resources that will help you get better at what you do, especially in an ever-evolving industry like ours. In our quest to learn new information and get better, the internet has been more than helpful. It’s giving us free information everywhere in the form of blogs, articles, videos, webinars, podcasts, you name it. Of course there will always be information that’s of low quality and it makes it very easy for anyone to put information out there without any guarantees that it’s any good. But with a minimum of educational background and critical judgment, one can pretty easily judge of the quality of information he’s reading.
What we see happening with the age of the internet though, is some trends spreading virally, which can end up changing our perspective on things. One such trend has been pre-hab and corrective training. There is a LOT of great information out there on injury prevention, corrective exercises, and the like. It seems to be the cool thing to write about these days, and I am guilty as charged, like a lot of people. And don’t get me wrong, I do not think there is anything wrong with using injury prevention strategies or trying to learn more about how the body moves. But is this overwhelming amount of information about injury prevention been shifting the pendulum too far? Having all of this information available to you, and being aware of the importance of limiting injuries can make you obsessed with it…when in reality it’s only one part of the puzzle. Continuing education is not just about learning more about functional anatomy and new corrective exercise strategies. It’s about getting better at what you do. And I say this because I’m starting to realize that it’s one big mistake I’ve been making in the last couple of years. Functional anatomy is a very complex thing and it’s easy to get caught in just wanting to learn more and more about that only.
But there are a lot more components to our job that we need to consider and get better at. Conditioning is one of those areas. One of my bosses at a former job once said in a meeting: “the problem with you, personal trainers, is that you’re too good with the lifting part of the programs you write. Programing for cardio is by far your weakest link.” And if you’re wondering, yes, he did indeed used the word ‘cardio’. But when he said that, I didn’t listen for a couple of reason:
He started by critiquing us, which is never a good way to open the lines of communication
I was obsessed with strength at that point in my career, and thought nothing else really mattered
Conditioning was a very simple concept in my head, and if you wanted to improve it you just had to do intervals
He wasn’t really good at his job anyway
He was shaped like a pear and his training consisted of squats on a wobble board, Russian twists and machine chest press
“You should listen to me ’cause I know how to train right!”
Thinking back about what he said, he probably was right. But it’s unfortunate that he was such a close-minded indiviual because I probably could’ve learned a thing or two from him, but I was completely shut off because of his attitude in general.
What I’m trying to say here is that I’m not saying that injury prevention strategies (or any other component of a training program) are not important, but we need to take a step back and realize what our job is. We need to get better at what we do in a more general sense. We want to get better at preventing injuries, but we also need to get better at maximizing hypertrophy, developing speed, improving range of motion, and of course improving conditioning, which I think is too often overlooked in a training program.
Never forget that your clients are looking for a training effect. Let me say that again: your clients are looking for a training effect. Working AROUND limitation is as much our job (if not more) than working ON limitations. Your clients are not looking to do miniband exercises for an hour and half let you tell them how bad they move. They want to reach their fitness goal. They don’t want you to tell them what their goal is.
Not sure this is what your clients are expecting
Think about how you would feel if you were to go in store restaurant, order a pizza and 15 minutes later your waitress would bring you a salad telling you that it’s better for you to eat a salad! This might be a stupid example, but it’s just to make you realize that what we do is still in big part customer service (unless you’re working in a college or a pro team setting). Clients and athletes come to us to get results, whether it’s improved performance, fat loss, muscle gain or whatever else; they expect to get results because they’re giving you their hard-earned money! I think it’s important to always ask your clients what THEY expect out of your services. It doesn’t mean we can’t help them move and feel better along the way, but I think it’s important to always keep the client’s expectations in mind and do what you need to meet them.
Getting better at what we do is not only preventing injuries better. It’s making them lose fat faster, getting them bigger and stronger, maximizing their conditioning, and more than anything else listening to their needs and meeting (or should I say exceeding) their expectations.
Believe it or not, Christmas is already less than 2 week away! Crazy isn’t it?! But that doesn’t mean I’m not happy about it; au contraire! Christmas is by far my favorite time of year because I usually get some time off from work and that allows me to spend some time with my family and friends. The only problem with Christmas is that I always end up being late on Christmas shopping and finding presents for my loved ones. That being said, if you have a fitness or strength and conditioning enthusiast in your life, here’s a couple of gift ideas that are well worth it if you ask me!
Hearte Rate Monitor
With what the research tells us about heart rate variability (HRV) and the feedback our heart rate can give us about our training, intensity, recovery, etc. it only makes sense to keep track of your heart rate. Most monitors are very convenient to use and not very expensive (you can get a really good one for less than 100$!). I recommend the Polar RS-100. If you’re looking for the best quality/price ratio, you can’t get much better than that one. Also, with Joel Jamieson’s new HRV product coming out soon, it will be 100% compatible with the RS-100, so you’re killing 2 birds with one stone! Ultimate Hockey Training
Kevin Neeld’s new book is a great gift idea for any hockey player, parent or coach. It highlights every component of a hockey player development from the youth level to the professional level as well as going into details on the training program itself and all that should be included (foam rolling, warm up, strength and power work, conditioning, etc). It really is the most complete hockey development resource out there, and very up-to-date as well (compared to other hockey training resources I’ve read before). I’ve been spreading the word about Kevin’s book for the last 2 months for a reason. And for less than 30$, it makes for a very cheap gift idea! You can get Ultimate Hockey Training HERE.
Metabolic Cooking Cookbook
It’s no big news that nutrition is a HUGE part of the results you get from your training. Who says nutrition also says planning. If you don’t plan your meals ahead you’re setting yourself up for failure. Period. Metabolic Cooking is a great, healthy cookbook with over 250 delicious recipes that will help you achieve your health and performance goals. You’ll be taking a huge step toward planning your meals better with this resource, as there is also different sections for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snacks! For less than 50$, it was way worth it to me, and I’m sure it’ll be for you as well!
Show and Go
If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that I’m a big fan of Show and Go, as I tried it myself and gained almost 15 pounds of muscle while boosting my Deadlift and my Bench Press by 20-30 pounds; all of this in less than 4 months! It’s the best system out there of any non-athlete gym enthusiast who wants to pack on muscle, gain strength and lose bodyfat. You get a 16-week program based on your goals and the number of times per week you hit the gym. And on top of that you have full video support for all the exercises that are included in the program and Eric throws a bunch of cool bonuses with it. It takes the guess work out of writing your own program and quite frankly, the results speak for themselves. It’s the perfect gift for the fitness enthusiast in your life!
TheraCane Massager
Doing soft-tissue work is now widely accepted as part of a complete training program. I’ve raved about the benefits of foam rolling and other similar tools to promote tissue quality. A foam roller doesn’t work quite as well on the upper body as it does on the lower body, though. The theracane massager is probably the best “upper body” tool I’ve come across for soft-tissue work. I own one and I have to say that it works wonders on areas like the pecs, upper traps, rhomboids as well as the posterior neck muscles. It’s the next best thing to getting a massage! Training = Rehab, Rehab = Training
This last gift idea might be more for people who are serious about strength and conditioning and are looking for a great continuing education resource. Charlie Weingroff has a way of explaining things and giving people a different perspective on things that will make every penny you spend on this DVD set worth it. I’m not going to lie though, it’s not for everyone. The material on the DVDs is pretty advanced stuff, and I’ll even admit that I was scratching my head a couple of times while watching Charlie speaks. But it makes for a great Christmas present for any up-and-comer strength and conditioning coach; and trust me, they will appreciate it (it was my Christmas present last year, and I certainly did!). You ca get Training = Rehab, Rehab = Training on Charlie’s website HERE.
Buuuuuut, the best Christmas present of them all remains a subscription to DavidLasnier.com’s newsletter! And the best part is that it’s totally FREE!!! All you have to do is enter the contact info below, and you’ll even get 3 FREE reports on sports performance training!
