There are 3 key components that one must adhere to in order to have success in the fitness arena.  As a former Marine, I like to come up with an acronym for everything I do so it’s easier for me to remember it.

Today’s acronym is F.I.T.,  This stands for Frequency, Intensity and Time.

Frequency- How often one trains.

Intensity- How hard you train during your workouts.

Time- The duration of you workouts.

If you keep all 3 of these things in mind while putting your plan together, you will prevent yourself or your client from hitting a plateau and also ensure that one gets enough rest to perform at their best when the time comes.

Now go tear it up~

Terry

Today, I thought I’d share with you one of my all time secrets from the weight room of Strength and Endurance.

As some of you may know, what you do in the weight room of your high school or college even, doesn’t always transfer onto the field or court.  However, this workout does and has delivered tremendous results not only in the conditioning of our athletes, but also in their verticals and speed.

We call it the Barbell complex.  You can change the exercises to be performed to fit your needs but to keep it simple, I’ll just use the following to explain.

Load a barbell with a weight that you can perform all three lifts with perfect technique.  ** Attention coaches…. “Never sacrifice technique for weight”

From here, perform 15 minutes of straight work on the following exercises.

8 Hang Cleans / 8 Push Press / 8 Bent Over Rows

That’s it… As the old saying goes, “Keep it simple stupid”

Now go Train!

Terry

I remember how easy things were back in the day when I was growing up with aspirations of being a professional athlete. You played the sport you wanted to excel in, and you lifted weights old school body building style. I’m sure those of you who were raised in the 80’s and early 90’s remember this, it was chest and tri’s one day, back and bi’s the next and finally legs all by themselves.

Today, it’s a whole different ball game. You see any monkey can teach your kid how to lift weights, but to actually systematically design a program, that covers everything from strength training to speed training for both linear and lateral, explosiveness, injury prevention, form and technique for all the tests that they will be performing in order to secure that scholarship. It takes education and experience to be that go to coach.

My point to all this is, if you were investing your hard earned money in the stock market, you wouldn’t just hand it off to any financial advisor, you’d hopefully check out their credentials and see what other clients they’ve worked with and check those references as well, to ensure you get a (ROI) return on your investment. The search for a performance coach that is going to be working with you or your son or daughter for some time to come, should be just as in-depth.

Finally, remember that these guys are professionals and that their prices will reflect their experience in most cases.

Got Speed~
Terry

(click on image to see bigger)

Today at Strength and Endurance Trev Faulk aka. “The Incredible Faulk” showed us some more of his impressive abilities by executing a 55″ (DCM) Double Counter Movement Box Jump while in the middle of his workout. Sure, there are other videos out there where a smaller, skinnier athlete conducts a similar jump, but I can’t find any that have someone of Trev’s statue: 6′3″ and 249lbs.

Here is the workout he completed today while showing us his impressive skills.
Roll Out-
Mini-Bands-
Dynamic W/up-

Tabata Protocol: 20 secs of work w/ 10 secs rest for 3 rounds each
1) Squat Jumps
2) Explosive Split Squats
3) DBL Glute Bridges
4) Bicycle Sits

Workout:
1) Single arm KB Snatch + OHS + SOSP (20KG)
2) DCM BOX JUMP (40″ – 55″)
3) Push-up w/lateral walk
4) Double KB Sit-up get up (16KG)

Repeat 3x’s~

Cooldown and Stretch

All in all, it was another productive day at Strength and Endurance.

In Strength,
Terry

Strength Training for Athletes should be fun regardless of what your sport is. You’ll notice that I have titled this for Endurance Athletes however, the movements I put together are beneficial for all athletes. Implementing this one into your routine (constantly increasing the weight for added benefit) will help you keep your power and endurance when everyone else is fading at the end of the race.

Keep on Tri-ing~
Terry

I figured it was only appropriate for me to talk about my secrets to success, since the end of the year is only hours away and this year has been overwhelmingly turbulent for so many. In fact, many have decided to take matters into their own hands by starting their own businesses. Over the years, I have been very successful with my different businesses and believe that even though there are ups and downs in any industry, I have developed a solid plan that if implemented will bring prosperity to all.

My top 5 secrets for success:

1) Read E-Myth by Michael Gerber

2) Have a plan and follow it, but adjust if needed.

3) Surround yourself with other successful people.

4) Work hard & don’t be afraid of failure.

5) Give GOD the reigns!

In Health,
Terry

Selecting a Personal Trainer -  The Top Three Things to Consider

If you have decided that you want to lose weight, get fit, or improve your performance in a particular sport, a personal trainer could be the best answer.

From my years of experience I have put together the top 3 things you should ask them or yourself before you sign up.

Tip 1

Check the credentials of a  any Certified Personal Trainer (CPT). Ask where and when they got their certification, and check it out online.  Don’t just believe the words that come out of a trainer’s mouth. Too many individuals have jumped on the “I want to be a Personal Trainer” bandwagon lately, with a fly by night certification along with a lack of experience.  This mentality leads to a trainer to think that everyone should be trained the same way, with no individualization being incorporated into one’s periodized training program. I have been training individuals, athletes and teams for 13 years now, and it is a passion and a way of life for me.  There are no two clients the same. Their goals and lifestyles are different. If your potential new trainer doesn’t ask about you and your goals before you sign up then take that as a warning sign.

Tip 2

Ask to speak to some of the trainers existing and previous clients. A good trainer will be happy to share names with you. Also do your own research with friends and see if you can get a true picture of who they have worked with and the results that have achieved. Don’t just look at the big box gyms, many towns now have specialized personal trainers and sports specific trainers that give much more focused results. Good trainers quickly develop good reputations.

Tip 3

Basic nutritional guidance shouldn’t come as an optional extra. Your trainer should offer a plan tailored to your specific needs. Caloric needs for an athlete are not the same as that of a 45 year old mother of 3 (although she deserves a gold medal).

I am happy if I feel as though a potential new client is checking up on me. It shows me that they are serious about starting to train with me and I know great results are likely to happen. Any trainer who acts as though you shouldn’t be checking, may just have something to hide.

As a bonus tip I would say listen to your gut. Your trainer should be approachable (even if he is tough) and listen to your needs and concerns, especially about injuries.

The bottom line is:  If you wanted a return on an investment, you wouldn’t trust a Certified Financial Planner who only had a few hours worth of experience with a thousand dollars of your money, so don’t trust just any Certified Personal Trainer with your money, body and health!