Are Athletes Really Getting Faster, Better, Stronger?
This was an excellent TED Talks with Dave Epstein that I caught on Dr. Craig Liebenson’s blog. Dave Epstein writes about sports science and medicine, Olympic sports, and is an investigative reporter. His book The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance is a favorite of mine.
In this video Epstein analyzes and compares some of the greatest athletic performances of today with those of the past and discuss why athletes have gotten so much better far faster than the human gene pool could have changed. You have to listen to this!
Dynamic Warm Up for Sports
Sadly, there are still too many warm ups that consist of a 3 minute jog with some isolated stretching. This is another topic on which we receive a lot of questions, so I wanted to get out a video for those that may be training or coaching young athletes.
A properly designed warm up has been proven to reduce injuries and have an impact on an athletes performance. It can increase blood flow, elevate the body’s core temperature and activate the nervous system and muscles needed to perform. At DSP. we put just as much attention into our warm up as we do our strength training work.
In this weeks video installment, UVA Pitching Recruit takes you through one of our dynamic warm ups. Check it out!
Exercise of the Week – TRX Eccentric Push-up
We love Pushups and we also love eccentric training at DSP. In my opinion, the eccentric phase is the most overlooked principle in performance enhancement training. It’s the first phase in our training cycle. We use it to lay the foundation for our 13 week programs. Without this phase, most athletes will be unable to truly maximize their performance. Force production and absorption can not be trained properly.
In this week’s Exercise of the Week, we have footage of 3 DSP youngsters performing TRX Eccentric Push-ups with a 5 second negative. This exercise is perfect for developing upper body strength and reflexive core stability. One repetition is enough for most to scream Uncle!
This is truly an advanced exercise that. Watch these youngsters make it look easy!
Coaching Is the Key
Another one of my favorite books was written about John Wooden by his former player Swen Nater. This Facebook post from IYCA (International Youth Conditioning Association) CEO Pat Rigsby. reminded me of the book. I couldn’t have said it any better!
More than anything else, coaching is your difference maker.
It’s not equipment – anyone can go and stock a facility with equipment.
And in spite of what many want to believe – it’s not knowledge either.
Sure, that matters…without a doubt. Your clients won’t know what you know…but the information is available to your clients that if they want enough knowledge to yield the results they want…they can get it.
No, the one thing that big box clubs stuffed with equipment won’t ever match you in…the one area that buying infoproducts and books can’t ever compete…is coaching.
You can bring out the best in people.
You can help them achieve things they would never do on their own.
Accountability.
Motivation.
Problem solving.
Personal attention.
These are things that 99% of of the fitness solutions out there will never provide.
Yes, 99%. That number seems high doesn’t it?
It’s high because most fitness professionals settle for hosting workouts and passing along information. They’ve settled for being little more than the group exercise class at the local YMCA.
But the shortcomings of most is your gain if you want it to be.
You can be that person who helps people become the best version of themselves.
You can be the person who coaches someone to unlock their true potential…potential that they likely didn’t even realize they had.
You just have to be willing to do what most won’t do…truly coach.
I’ve been coaching since 1993 (yes, it’s been a while) and I’ve studied countless things to get better…I’ve read books on leadership and biographies of great coaches. I’ve attended seminars and conferences. I’ve sought out great coaches to learn directly from them.
And while the goals my clients have these days are different than the goals your clients have in most cases, coaching is still coaching.
In fact – I’d attribute my business success to relationships and coaching – that’s pretty much it.
Sure – I am always trying to get better at tactical stuff and develop my knowledge in a number of areas…but I know that most people offering business coaching, licenses and franchises in our industry are more like the equivalent of folks delivering workouts or big box clubs…so my competitive advantage is the same as yours…
…coaching.
It’s our edge.
Don’t overlook it…build on it and create so much distance between yourself and the competition that they’ll never be able to close the gap.
That’s my plan:)
Dedicated to Your Success,
Pat
Get Certified at DSP’s Alexandria Hardstyle Certification July 22nd
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