So important to read and understand your program. Don’t just jump on cruise control. If you screw up in my gym you do that set again and you do it properly. ... See MoreSee Less
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3 ways the right posture will improve your youth athletes performance
First off I wanted to thank all of the newbies that have jumped on the home workout solution and being part of an informative email list! I’ll try to inundate you with info, free odds and ends, and of course great promos that keep this gym going forward responsibly! Alright then, onto our regularly scheduled blog...
I was assessing Field Hockey’s Legacy Academy yesterday for a friend, as I’ve been invited to collaborate with them by bringing the strength and conditioning side to their camp. And enhancing their overall experience and performance levels.
This is a youth girls camp that ranges from 15 - 18 years of age so it is important to understand that there will be quite a difference in performance levels between the age ranges. Remember, we’re not all cardboard cut-outs.
That being said, there are some bad habits you see in the older girls and some bad habits already developing in the younger girls. But, before we get into the nuances of habits and changes needed let’s start by discussing the importance of posture in all athletes and how it “generally’ correlates with their sport-specific performance.
Linear movement: In this regard, posture is king as it directly correlates to athletic performance, power, and speed generation. Yesterday’s practice showed me a natural slouch, shoulders rolled forward, with a rounded spine, mostly focusing on the ground. When it was time to turn on the next gear, there were many that lacked that 3rd or 4th gear, and as you know, in all sports, the older and better your youth athlete becomes, the game is played in a much faster as well as much more efficient movement pattern. Take a sprinter, lean him forward, roll his shoulders forward, look at the ground, and his foot contact will cause more of quad-dominant activation. This, in turn, will be less efficient, they might lack the energy to maintain the pace for 100m, and also risk may types of injuries. Posture equals balance, stability, mobility, and speed.
Change of direction: Let’s continue with this last example, and I will combine it with the inability to change direction in a timely fashion. That’s right unless you’re a Curler or Golfer, or any of the other sports out there that don’t need the ability to change direction ignore this; but wait… Posture also applies to these sports… interesting. Bad posture equals bad positioning as well as slow body decision making and movement. This means that although you know that you need to be quicker within a particular play, your body is just not responding fast enough and this is due to bad posture and position. A sport like Field Hockey requires most competitors to be lower to the ground, at time a wider stance is generally used, therefore the athlete needs to teach their body’s to move within this paradigm as quickly as possible.
Reaction time: That’s right, most athletes’ reaction time is generally faster than the regular Jills and Joes of the world. As they master their sport they can increase this trait exponentially. Unfortunately, we’ve all heard the term, “they were left flat-footed.” This simply means that they were not in an athletic position of dominance, which means they can be left eating dust, fail to defend, fail to react or fail to play their sport at it’s most competitive and efficient. There’s that word again, efficient. The efficiency of movement means they are not wasting energy on recovering movement. This will slow their reaction time and it would all be due to bad posture. Reaction time equals great posture for the efficiency of movement.
So, what did I learn yesterday from assessing the Field Hockey camp? That although there are different nuances to each individual player that delves from bad habits, running skills, passing, or shooting deficiencies; it all comes back to their posture. I have a saying, “If I look at your posture, I can confidently find your strengths as well as your weaknesses.”
And although this isn’t a new subject for me specifically as I’ve always tried to profess the importance of posture in my youth athletes, it’s even more important in all of us Jills and Joes. Even more so because of the way the world has slowly moved us into offices. Says I as I sit here writing this and many more research projects after it just for today...
I look forward to my contribution of strength and conditioning to the Legacy Academy and their Elite Field Hockey Camp. Not only does this give me the opportunity to add a new sport to COGO Performance Developments’ repertoire, but I also get back to some “Real Dryland Training,” Ok I’ll stop picking on you guys. What I mean though, is that I get to help mold young minds once again, teach them to move better, more efficiently, and become greater assets to their teams.
Until next time, stay healthy my friends…
Coach Gomez
P.S. Well my friends, September is upon us and I’ve put together Promos for my Semi-private (Wolfpack training system), Hybrid training as well as my Online Fitness and Performance Coaching.
These are all recurring Subscriptions so I’ve decided to throw them out there for 70% OFF your first month for any NEW members interested in making positive changes to their health.
Have a look at the flyer below, and if any interest you simply write ‘70’ in the subject line, and we’ll get you started on your individual assessment and programming. ... See MoreSee Less
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When it comes to training whether it’s fitness or performance based, there’s two categories we look at; how many reps and how many sets. They both have a purpose and they both require a question: WHY? Ask yourself why are you doing this much volume? Why are you doing this type of volume? How do they pertain to your milestones? Enjoy!#education #trainingvolume #askwhy ... See MoreSee Less
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When it comes to training whether it’s fitness or performance based, there’s two categories we look at; how many reps and how many sets. They both have a purpose and they both require a question: WHY? Ask yourself why are you doing this much volume? Why are you doing this type of volume? How do they pertain to your milestones? Enjoy!#education #trainingvolume #askwhy ... See MoreSee Less
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@carissalouisee Is one of the hardest working clients that I have! Always pushing always forcing herself to work harder. She finally listens to me in regards to her eating and the proof is in the pudding she’s really starting to lean out and all of her hard work is starting to show... even though she hates wheeling backwards up a slope for reps... Just look at that back! I mean, she must be one of those rap guys training partners! LOL! Even though you make me listen to a lot of Drake I still love you buddy keep training hard you’re an inspiration to so many, even to me. #inspiration #hardwork #capable #adaptiveathlete #cogoperformance #fridaymotivation #yyctrainer #yycathlete #rollback #yycfitness #whydrake ... See MoreSee Less
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Make me look like like that Instagram model clown!!!
Well, they’re not that aggressive, but it’s a very common question. Whether it’s looking like a model or looking like an athlete or looking like an actor. The reality is it’s never a 12 week program it’s a complete change of habits and it’s a complete change of lifestyle. If you’re willing to do that and not look at them as a sacrifice but actually as a lifestyle, then you will be well on your way. My greatest enjoyment has always been to teach youth athletes and it’s usually because it’s not a question of can you make me look like that particular person, but can you help me get to college? Or can you help me get on that team? The answer is I can and it’s I can to both the regular Jill, the regular Joe, or the youth athlete, my question back though is what are you willing to do? What changes are you willing to make? #lifestyle #habits #whatwillyoudo #cogoperformance #yyc #yycfitness #motivation #beyourchange #itsyourjourney ... See MoreSee Less
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Rule #5: Everything Matters
Sorry guys, I took some time off from writing as I had to get some construction on the way in the gym here, and this is a one-man show... For now! Please accept my apology, and enjoy the last rule of the 5, for lasting weight loss!
Everything matters! What I mean by this is that every single choice or action you take is either moving you TOWARDS or AWAY FROM your goal…
We’re all a product of our choices. So, how have your choices been? Just look in the mirror to find out.
Our lives are a direct reflection of the actions we did or didn’t take.
Are you getting the results you want?
If not, it’s almost always a reflection of the choices you’ve been making:
Missing workouts
Eating things that aren’t congruent with getting the results you want
Too many drinks on the weekend
Not enough sleep
Every day we have the option to plan tomorrow or to simply wake up and react to what comes our way.
Every day we choose how we’re feeding our mind - what we’re reading/watching/listening to.
Every day we decide how we’re going to engage (or fail to engage) with the people in our lives.
Every day we decide if we’re going to take specific actions to move toward our goal or put them off until tomorrow.
In truth, we decide whether we believe success is even possible. Our self-talk is often the first domino for many of the choices we’ll make…
We decide who we spend time with... and I’ll tell you, without a doubt, that if you spend your time with negative people... you’re going to be negative and you're going to get negative results!
If you surround yourself with others who play it safe and play small... so will you!
And, you don’t really get to pick and choose which decisions actually matter, which choices will be important in the long run.
You just never know how you treat someone on a given day that will impact you, your relationships, or even your life down the road…
You never know when the seminar you attend or the email newsletter your readers will read, be the one that changes everything for you…
I’ve seen people’s lives ruined... or even ended... by a poor choice.
I’ve seen people’s lives forever improved by single, seemingly simple choices as well. :-)
It’s a powerful reminder that everything we choose (to do or not to do, to be or not to be... ya, I just said that) affects us…
Sometimes we just become numb to it; we don’t realize how powerful an effect it’s really having on us and how we’re moving toward or away from our goals.
EVERY SINGLE THING MATTERS.
So, here again, are the 5 Rules to LASTING Weight Loss:
Get Clear
Work
Embrace Simplicity
Be Bold
Everything Matters
They’re not tactical.
They’re not magic bullets or quick fixes.
They’re the foundation that ANY success you want to have can and will be built on...
Embrace them and virtually any goal you set out to achieve will ultimately be yours!
I know that we've gotten new readers recently so their behind on the 8 ball, but feel free to email me if you want the last 4 rules.
In the meantime, stay healthy my friends;
Coach Gomez
P.S. September is upon us and it begins! I'm running a campaign for 70% OFF your first month on any subscription-based memberships. Look below and see if there's a way I can help you or the athlete in your house!
Hybrid Wolfpack Training System - The GYM is finally OPEN and of course, under safe COVID protocols. Because of this, the Hybrid Wolfpack Training System is working great and a popular way for clients to get the best of both worlds. Once a week of coaching in our facility, online coaching that you can do in the comfort of your home or your very own gym facility you’re used to training at (Goodlife, Muvment, etc). This is a cost-effective choice that merges online training with semi-private training, Regular monthly pricing is $214/month, your first month $64.20! If this is something that interests you, please put ‘Hybrid’ in the subject line. (One caveat, This is recommended for clients that are independent and need a little coaching but are very good at movement and training on their own)
Online Fitness and Performance Coaching - After a phone assessment to see if we’re a good fit for each other, I can get you started on a 4-week program that you will do on your own in the comfort of your own home or gym facility of your choice. All exercises come hyperlinked with short videos for your viewing education. This is an accountability-based training program! There are 3 mandatory phone calls/month, unlimited texting, and email communications in regards to your program’s progress or questions. Regular monthly pricing is $197/month, your first month $59.10! If this is something that fits with your day and schedule, you have at least a year of consistent training and are extremely independent and comfortably train on your own, then just write ‘Online’ in the subject line.
Wolfpack Training System - A premium semi-private training facility that because of COVID-19 doesn't take more than 3 individuals at a time. In our training system, you get your very own program suited to your needs, capabilities, and performance base. All exercises have hyperlinked videos for viewing and knowledge on how to perform the exercises. You have me by your side coaching your movements, sets, reps, tempos and recoveries, and you do this alongside goal-oriented individuals. Whether it's time to change your lifestyle or you're looking at the next level in your sport, COGO Performance Development is your answer. 70% OFF the first month on any of the 3 options, 6-month, 3-month, or Monthly. If it's time to make that change just write 'Wolfpack' in the subject line. ... See MoreSee Less
Sad/happy day, my big boy #rugby extraordinaire @emiliocarranza_ and back to #soccer little brother @chriscrrz__ are leaving!! I’ve trained @emiliocarranza_ on and off since he was a lanky little 13 year old wanting to see the @allblacks win another World Cup. 2 cups later and this young man is now heading south of the border for school and rugby at Notre Dame Cleveland OH. Good luck young man, kick some ass and make a difference! @chriscrrz__ I’ll see you back in September for in season training mister! We have a tradition, when a young athlete is about to leave for something big, he chooses his pizza, thank you @pizzorama #yyc #sportsforeducation #strengthandconditioning #performance #hardworkpaysoffs #congratulations #cogoperformance ... See MoreSee Less
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Are you ready for Rule #4 of LASTING Weight Loss?
Rule #4 is pretty awesome...but it’s a scary one: BE BOLD
Most people lead average lives because they aren’t bold.
To achieve anything extraordinary you HAVE to be bold.
You have to be willing to get a little uncomfortable and challenge the norms.
I remember when I did a South American backpack trip, and my friend Allen suggested we climb a mountain in Bolivia (Huayna Potosi, please try no to butcher the name when you read this)…
The thought of climbing a mountain with a newfound travel buddy sounded exciting. But then the reality sinks in and the struggle begins. We practice one day of ice climbing and the next day we climb to base camp and then we wait for midnight; yes, midnight. The reason was that climbing during the day was dangerous due to snowmelt! Needless to say 6088m, 6 hours, frostbite, frustration, a few laughs, and finally the most beautiful site I had ever seen up to that point in my life.
I did something outside my comfort zone, something that was never on my radar or my bucket list, and here comes a new friend with a new idea and a new experience.
I was willing to challenge myself and step WAY outside of my comfort zone to accomplish a goal I had never dreamed about.
For starters, signing up for the climb and then actually showing up on the day of was a BOLD choice.
By the way, when you step out, don’t play it safe, and do something bold...sometimes you’re going to miss. I won’t say fail, because I don’t believe anything is a failure - so long as you made some progress and/or you learned from it for next time.
So, my advice for you today and my Rule #4 for LASTING weight loss is BE BOLD!
Instead of playing it safe and avoiding risks (“failure”), commit yourself to your goal and get after it!!
Oh, and besides the challenges and struggles, you’ll also get weird looks and probably some not so supportive comments from your closest friends & family, too - weird how that works; sometimes, sadly, the people who you love and love you the most are often the LEAST supportive… because they’re not willing/ready to be BOLD themselves!
Now, the secret to being bold actually goes back to RULE #1: Get Clear.
Getting clear is CRITICAL because when you have a mission/WHY/purpose that’s truly meaningful to you, you’ll be able to push through/over/around the obstacles/naysayers/setbacks that you’ll inevitably encounter along your way.
I can assure you that the rewards of being bold FAR outweigh any benefit that comes with playing it safe.
When you’re crystal clear, everything else unfolds…
You get the willingness, the drive to STAY CONSISTENT & TAKE ACTION!™, the ability to make the right decisions, and you’re able to get past the obstacles in your way.
If you've been following my emails from last week you know this is the week we start the promos at our facility. We are going to be running new promos every day to compliment our Free At Home Workout Solution on social media, so feel free to share this email to a friend or family member who needs a little bump to get started or isn’t following me on social media click the link below, and shake some of that rust off on me.
www.the-fitness-experts.com/cogo-performance-at-home-workout-solution-signup
Stay healthy my friends,
Coach Gomez
P.S. See if any of these promos interest you below, I’m sure I’ll be able to help you get to those athletic or fitness milestones in no time!
1. Hybrid Training - The GYM is finally OPEN and of course, under safe COVID protocols. The Hybrid system is working great and a popular way for clients to get the best of both worlds. I combine one day of coaching with 2 more days of online coaching that you can do in the comfort of your home or your very own facility you’re used to training at (Goodlife, Muvment, etc). This is an excellent cost-effective choice that merges online training with small group personal training, only your first 2-weeks are on me. If this is something that interests you, please put ‘Hybrid’ in the subject line. (One caveat, This is recommended for clients that are independent and need a little coaching but are very good at movement and training on their own)
2. Online Coaching - Try a month of online coaching for $1. No strings attached. After a phone assessment to see if we’re a good fit for each other, I can get you started on a 4-week program that you will do on your own in the comfort of your own home or gym facility. All exercises come hyperlinked with short videos for your viewing education and weekly communication in regards to your program’s progress. If this is something that fits with your day and time then just write ‘Online’ in the subject line. (One caveat, This is recommended for clients that are independent and need a little coaching but are very good at movement and training on their own)
3. Virtual Personal Training - For those that are fans of personal training but continue to stay safe within your homes, I am positive I can help you continue with your training. It’s even better now, NO MORE - fighting traffic, busy gyms, late show ups. Your session is a click away. You will still receive a program with hyperlinked videos for days you can’t make it and for your own viewing education. If this interests you, please put ‘Virtual’ in the subject line. ... See MoreSee Less
Rule #3 is The Simplest of the 5 Rules of LASTING Weight Loss
Are you ready for Rule #3 of my 5 Rules of LASTING Weight Loss?
So far we covered:
Rule #1: Get Clear
Rule #2: WORK!
Now, let’s talk about a SIMPLE - but not always EASY - rule…
Rule #3: Embrace Simplicity
If you want to achieve your weight loss goal and have LASTING success, then you need to simplify things.
If you make things too complicated, you won’t consistently execute, and you’ll get frustrated, burnt out and ultimately quit… Have you ever done that before? ;-)
Sure, you need to make educated decisions and follow a well-designed program, but you can’t let the burden of too much (too much information and/or too much on your to-do list) slow you down…
It’s the same thing in life and business -You have a choice…
You can either be overwhelmed and struggle to get your massive list of things done or you can do a few things extraordinarily well.
Sure, the human body is a very complex machine and scientists and far smarter people than me have been studying weight loss for longer than I’ve been alive, but at the end of the day it really just comes down to consistently doing a few simple things really well.
In fact, we teach our clients to focus on 3 things:
Participate in an Efficient & Effective Exercise (Training) Program
Follow a Realistic & Simple to Implement Meal Plan
Surround Yourself with a Community of Like-Minded People
Of course, each of these has its complexities and it’s taken us years of practice and implementation to figure just what works best, but at the end of the day you can start by asking yourself:
Did I exercise and/or get in enough movement today?
Did I eat real, unprocessed, whole-foods focusing primarily on protein, veggies, and water today?
Did I put myself in a positive environment that supports my goals AND makes me feel good about what I’m doing? At the same time, was I able to provide support or lift someone else up who has the same goal as me?
If you lose focus and become distracted by overwhelm, you can’t be the best version of you.
So, SIMPLIFY!
Here’s another part of simplification...one that’s going to sound strange coming from me…
Clear out the information overload!
You can’t study a dozen different “experts” or jump from one program to the next.
Pick 2-3 experts in the field that really resonate with you. Follow one program that actually makes sense and feels right in your gut...then stick with it!
At the same time, consider pausing your learning/following/reading/watching other non-weight loss goal-oriented information. Simplify your life and focus on a few key things that are most important to you. By the way, your health & happiness should be at the TOP of the list...especially, if you want to be a great provider/supporter to your family & friends - you’re not good to them when you’re sick, tired, unhealthy...dead.
So, put all that other stuff on hold for a while...
Ignore them.
Put them in a folder or on the shelf.
DVRTV shows...see if you really miss them.
Unsubscribe from email lists - hey, if I’m not providing you the information you need to achieve your goals then I encourage you to unsubscribe from this newsletter - there’s a link at the bottom of every email I send out.
Identify what success looks like to you and come up with a plan to achieve it - COMMIT to that plan. You can certainly refine it and update it...or better yet...simplify it. Then it’s time to focus on execution.
Simplicity will lead to Clarity, which will lead to the ability to take rapid, decisive action…
Anything else will slow or even kill your progress!
Keep it simple, "TRUST THE PROCESS & TAKE ACTION!™
If you've been following my emails from last week you know this is the week we start the promos at our facility. We are going to be running new promos every day to compliment our Free At Home Workout Solution on social media, so feel free to share this email to a friend or family member who needs a little bump to get started or isn’t following me on social media click the link below, and shake some of that rust off on me.
www.the-fitness-experts.com/cogo-performance-at-home-workout-solution-signup
Stay healthy my friends,
Coach Gomez
P.S. See if any of these promos interest you below, I’m sure I’ll be able to help you get to those athletic or fitness milestones in no time!
1. Hybrid Training - The GYM is finally OPEN and of course, under safe COVID protocols. The Hybrid system is working great and a popular way for clients to get the best of both worlds. I combine one day of coaching with 2 more days of online coaching that you can do in the comfort of your home or your very own facility you’re used to training at (Goodlife, Muvment, etc). This is an excellent cost-effective choice that merges online training with small group personal training, only your first 2-weeks are on me. If this is something that interests you, please put ‘Hybrid’ in the subject line. (One caveat, This is recommended for clients that are independent and need a little coaching but are very good at movement and training on their own)
2. Online Coaching - Try a month of online coaching for $1. No strings attached. After a phone assessment to see if we’re a good fit for each other, I can get you started on a 4-week program that you will do on your own in the comfort of your own home or gym facility. All exercises come hyperlinked with short videos for your viewing education and weekly communication in regards to your program’s progress. If this is something that fits with your day and time then just write ‘Online’ in the subject line. (One caveat, This is recommended for clients that are independent and need a little coaching but are very good at movement and training on their own)
3. Virtual Personal Training - For those that are fans of personal training but continue to stay safe within your homes, I am positive I can help you continue with your training. It’s even better now, NO MORE - fighting traffic, busy gyms, late show ups. Your session is a click away. You will still receive a program with hyperlinked videos for days you can’t make it and for your own viewing education. If this interests you, please put ‘Virtual’ in the subject line. ... See MoreSee Less
Rule #2 (The 5 Rules of LASTING Weight Loss)
This week I’m covering my 5 Rules of LASTING weight loss.
Last time, I discussed Rule #1. Check your email if you missed it. The subject line was “The 5 Rules of LASTING Weight Loss.”
Here’s Rule #2: WORK!
Just about every infomercial out there about weight loss tries to sell you on not having to do any actual hard work.
Sorry, it just doesn’t work (there’s that word again) that way.
Anything worth having requires work.
No exceptions.
But, most people want to find a loophole and savvy marketers will be happy to sell it to you.
If you’re not willing to work at it, then don’t bother.
Also, don’t get “paralysis by analysis” either. That’s where you spend so much time researching that you never actually implement…
I’ve also heard the excuse, “I’ll start your program when I get in a little bit better shape.”
WHAT?! Do you realize how silly that sounds?
So, Rule #2; be ready to work. Better yet, be EXCITED to work. :-)
You already know things you can take action on right now (drink more water, eat more veggies, get 15,000 steps in per day). Here’s why it’s so important you do so:
When you take action you begin to build confidence. Action breeds more action…You feel even better about yourself and your ability to succeed... so you keep taking action towards success...
If you want to feel unstoppable, do something that moves you towards your goals.NOW!
If not for the immediate results, do it for what happens in your mind - you build self-confidence and move from thinking to doing. You’re making progress...no matter how small.
As you do this, your identity becomes about being a “doer” and the positive action starts to become routine…
Once it becomes routine it leads to expansion for more action…
And, the only way to achieving LASTING weight loss is through constant action!
You have more potential than you can probably imagine (I see this all the time with clients & 6-week Challengers), but unless that potential is fed by the best beliefs, attitudes, and resources...then followed up by consistent action...it remains untapped.
Tony Robbins has a Success Cycle that I think is spot on.
Here’s how it works:
You have a (perceived) level of potential, and based on that, you take action.
The action naturally yields a result.
The result you achieve enforce or reinforce your belief about your potential.
An improvement at any point in the cycle will create improvement in all parts following…
The problem is most people have a limited belief about their potential and therefore don’t take action (CONSISTENTLY) to change the results they see in their life.
So, start taking action now. You’ll start to get the results you want, and those results will feed the whole cycle.
Also, when you take action, it gives you confidence so when you’re confronted with negativity or even temporary defeat, you can withstand it and not get derailed. You learn to push through and stay on target…
Begin now by investing time in daily activities/practices that move you towards your goal...LASTING weight loss. Plan your day/week ahead, and schedule time to work (cook, eat, train, sleep, etc.) on building the healthy and fit athletic body you want…
If you've been following my emails from last week you know this is the week we start the promos at our facility. We are going to be running new promos every day to compliment our Free At Home Workout Solution on social media, so feel free to share this email to a friend or family member who needs a little bump to get started or isn’t following me on social media click the link below, and shake some of that rust off on me.
www.the-fitness-experts.com/cogo-performance-at-home-workout-solution-signup
Stay healthy my friends,
Coach Gomez
P.S. See if any of these promos interest you below, I’m sure I’ll be able to help you get to those athletic or fitness milestones in no time!
1. Hybrid Training - The GYM is finally OPEN and of course, under safe COVID protocols. The Hybrid system is working great and a popular way for clients to get the best of both worlds. I combine one day of coaching with 2 more days of online coaching that you can do in the comfort of your home or your very own facility you’re used to training at (Goodlife, Muvment, etc). This is an excellent cost-effective choice that merges online training with small group personal training, only your first 2-weeks are on me. If this is something that interests you, please put ‘Hybrid’ in the subject line.
2. Online Coaching - Try a month of online coaching for $1. No strings attached. After a phone assessment to see if we’re a good fit for each other, I can get you started on a 4 week program that you will do on your own in the comfort of your own home or gym facility. All exercises come hyperlinked with short videos for your viewing education, and weekly communication in regards to your program’s progress. If this is something that fits with your day and time then just write ‘Online’ in the subject line.
3. Virtual Personal Training - For those that are fans of personal training but continue to stay safe within your homes, I am positive I can help you continue with your training. It’s even better now, NO MORE - fighting traffic, busy gyms, late show ups. Your session is a click away. You will still receive a program with hyperlinked videos for days you can’t make it and for your own viewing education. If this interests you, please put ‘Virtual’ in the subject line. ... See MoreSee Less
3 Simple Ways For Your Milestones To Equal Success
It’s no secret that most trainers and coaches push a little harder at times so that the client or athlete can achieve fitness or performance success.
Over the years I’ve had many clients walk in with goals that some might consider ridiculous. Others aimed way too low. It’s interesting to me because most of the general population is occasionally heard discussing so-and-so's body from this or that team. What they don’t realize is that athletes’ aren’t trying to attain a look. Their goals aren’t led by thigh gaps or washboard abs. Their goals are dictated by triumphs and defeats, which determine the plan they need to set forth.
Athletes have always impressed me in the fact that their eyes on the prize delve mainly into the success needed to get that trophy, that position, onto that team, beat that record, score this many goals, etc.
Examples of simple and succinct milestones that require a hell of a lot of work!
So, let’s do this, let’s align our milestones through the eyes of some of my youth athletes, and let’s see what the recipe to success looks like. Today, I’m going to do this through the eyes of one particular athlete who’s journey I was privileged to be a part of.
#1 - Simplicity
Unfortunately as adults, we tend to think we know it all. But our minds, and our lives can get so busy that even though we think we know what we want we tend to complicate things to get there and finishing with nothing instead.
As I said before, I’ve had clients that are going to go to a wedding in Mexico and they need to lose 30 Lbs, and they need to do it in 3 weeks time.
Ridiculous? Absolutely! And I’m not your trainer for that. 5 - 10 Lbs, is hard in 3 weeks if done properly and healthy, 30 Lbs is simply unprofessional.
Let’s take a karate black belt that I got about 4 years ago. She was 17 years old and was fighting at 52kg. She was about 5 ft tall and a spit fire on the mat. Her goal was simple, She wanted to get to Nationals, and she wanted to podium or if possible, get a gold medal in her weight category.
An athlete and a coach have to build a linear path from where they begin to where they need to get to. I sit down with all of my athletes and we discuss this linear path so that we both have the understanding of what it takes to get there.
After this we build a plan. I need to know her karate schedule, within it I need specifics. Classes, competitive training, Alberta team training, and their infamous fight club training. I also need to know extra-curricular sports, in her case soccer (the thorn in my spine). I need to know her eating habits and dietary intake so that she can maintain her weight. And after all of this I build a periodization for her training so that she can peak at Nationals.
Although this sounds complicated, it’s needed to keep things simple and your eyes on the prize. Nationals in 6 months, and we podium!
Simple.
#2 - Stay On Course
The things that take us off our game and allow us to fall off course, is rarely circumstantial, in most cases, it’s you the individual.
Some of the hardest battles I’ve experienced as a coach is keeping an athlete in line so that he doesn’t forget why they came to me in the first place. Remember that I usually get an athlete in their early teens. This means, lot’s of hormones, lot’s of attitude, lot’s of know-it-alls, lot’s of lots.
In the case of my lovely young karate spitfire, she also had a knack for soccer. Unfortunately, as we all know in the training industry, soccer comes with a lot of bumps and bruises and some can be very detrimental to a sport you’re focussing on and others can be career ending, sitting at your desk chatting about the glory days in community soccer 10 years later.
She came to me with a knee injury about 4 weeks into our training, this of course pissed me off because part of the planning meeting, we discussed that soccer should be shelved until after Nationals. Unfortunately there’s always external influences and a young mind can be veered in the wrong direction. Needless to say I wasn’t too happy and neither were her karate coaches.
This is an example of NOT staying the course, and a situation like this can slow progress. Thankfully, I’ve got great physios in the city I tap into to help out time and again.
Sometimes a youth athlete doesn’t realize how vested their coaches are. I’m not a cold hearted robot training and testing the soviets with steroid cocktails in my basement. I care about all the kids I’ve trained. Am I a hard ass sometimes? Absolutely, but everything is dependent on the environment, the attitude, and sometimes just to give a little push.
In the end, I was their to consider her talent, and her safety, and when she realized this, that’s when the real work began.
So your lesson from this is to stay on course!
#3 - Mindset
Ours is a life of mastery, live a lifetime and you may or may not master anything. To be a black belt in any martial art, is to begin a journey. It’s like the Navy SEALS, your colored belts are like your intense 24 week BUDs training. If you pass, you still have to have to do your 26 week qualifiers, and then you learn every day how to be a Navy SEAL for the rest of your life.
A black belt is that, they spend the rest of their lives trying to figure it out, while giving back.
To ask a 17 year old to do this, is a statement to her character. She was tenacious and one of the hardest working athletes I’ve ever had the privilege to train. That had a lot to do with her mindset.
Mindset is huge in the athletic community, it is the sword that you continue to sharpen daily. It is the tool that pushes you to levels you never thought you could get to, and all of it is due to training it alongside your performance training.
Take for a moment, every exceptional moment you witnessed in sports, and it was due to an unwavering mindset.
Tiger Woods' dad once said that he would employ military mind tactics to train his son. Some would be considered questionable, but I always remember the story of Tiger as a boy on the driving range and his father berating him over and over again in a manner that would today be considered abusive; Tiger stops and looks at his father and smiles. His dad said he knew right there and then that nothing would break his son…
Questionable? I think so, I think his father got lucky and hopefully didn’t scar his son with long term insecurities. Or did he? Only the ladies will tell… Wait, that might be another Blog.
I never did any such things to any of my athletes or I might’ve landed in jail, but I like to think that I consistently challenged them, questioned them, pushed and inspired them to work past their fears.
Remember that as coaches we are not just fitness or performance, we are also the people that help strengthen our athletes’ mindset.
Summary
At the end of all this, you ask yourself, “ how does this help my fitness journey?”
Simplify your goals, make the journey attainable, and don’t put ridiculous expectations on yourself as it is a recipe to fail.
Once you’ve decided what you want from your fitness journey, stay the course. Life will get busy, some people will use words for excuses like, priorities, but the truth is, your health is a huge priority usually with demands running around the house causing havoc.
Set a plan of action, and stick to your guns. On this journey you have to be kind to yourself so that you understand there will be days you might fall off. But stay the course and you will always see your milestones in front of you ready to be had.
Finally, mindset. This always goes hand in hand with staying the course as it requires you to have the strength of mind as well as body to stay on track to hit those milestones. We are not robots and situations occur that are out of our control, but if we stay aware and cognisant that we’ve put a challenge ahead of ourselves, then I’m positive that in tough times, your engine will only idle and never shut down.
Finally when it comes to milestones, my recommendation is to build them small, as they can become bigger wins over time.
You take a sprinter; all we see is a fast runner in one race, and it’s usually a big one, world championships, olympics, etc. I like this analogy, because it’s a linear path without the nuances of the sport or the training.
We don’t see the hard work put in for their first city meet. We don’t see the failures within the race, the analysis of biomechanics, start, stride, gait, push, endurance, kick or finish. We just see a race, they see themselves heading back to the drawing board, win, lose or draw. One milestone down, however many to go for World’s or Olympic qualifiers.
That young lady placed 6th the year prior. The next year she came to me with the goal of making the podium with hopes for a gold medal. We had some ups and downs on the way, as any relationship would have, but I put the plan and the challenges together and she worked her butt off. She won a silver medal that year, I am forever proud of her because I know the journey she had to get there. She set her goals high, and never took her eyes off of them. Today she studies nursing and very successful at it, I know she will make one hell of a professional when she gets her degree,
You’re a gold medalist in my book young lady.
Stay healthy my friends,
Coach, Gomez
P.S. If in these still very interesting times, you find yourself lost when it comes to your young athletes or your very own training and are wondering what you can do to solve this issue. Here are a few ways I know I can help!
Hybrid Training - The GYM is finally, slowly opening and of course, under COVID protocols. The Hybrid system is working great and I offer with it an open gym pass membership where you combine one day of coaching with 2 more days of online coaching that can be trained within the facility. This is an excellent cost effective choice that merges online training with personal training, and your first 2-weeks are on me. If this is something that interests you, please put ‘Hybrid’ in the subject line.
Online Coaching - Try a month of online coaching for $1. No strings attached. After a phone assessment to see if we’re a good fit for each other, the equipment you have or need, I can get you started on a 4 week program that you will do on your own in the comfort of your own home. All exercises come hyperlinked with short videos for your viewing education, and weekly chats or texts in regards to your program progress. If this is something that fits with your day and time then just write ‘Online” in the subject line.
Virtual Training - For those that are fans of personal training and are missing the gym, I am positive I can help. It’s even better now, your time slot is not one that you have to hurry to anymore. Book your time and your session starts straight away! You will still receive a program with hyperlinked videos for days you can’t make it and for your own viewing education. If this interests you, please put ‘Virtual’ in the subject line. ... See MoreSee Less
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