I haven't "blogged" in quite some time, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been some interesting stuff going on in my little world. I've learned a lot about what it takes to be successful in the strength and conditioning field, debunked some common myths in nutrition, and have really achieved overall happiness in my profession and personal life.
Here's a quick run down on some things that have taken place over the past year:
-Left my job at Emery Wellness Center (Personal Trainer) to take a job at The Chamber (Sports Performance Coach)
-Took a leave of absence (sabbatical) from the Broward County School Board (PE Coach) to work full-time at The Chamber.
-Bought a House
-Worked 12+ hour days at The Chamber coaching adult fitness, high school athletes, and youth groups.
-Assisted with the NFL combine / pro day preparation program at The Chamber and also worked with some Professional Baseball and NFL athletes.
-Decided to go back to work with the School Board (benefits, pension, and other incentives were too important to pass up)
-I am Currently working at The Chamber from 5-8am then I'm off to teach at Hallandale Adult Community School. (I teach weight training to high school students on track to receive a GED)
Of course a lot more interesting stuff has gone on, and I could and will go into more detail on the above listed events- but all in all, life has been pretty damn interesting......
Over the past year I have learned some new things relating to sports performance training. I have also reevaluated the way I look at setting up training programs for strength gains and for fat loss. It seems the more I read and study nutrition I realize it's not that complex, but so many people are being misinformed by the mainstream media.
Here are some things that have caught my attention over the past year:
*Most people don't work hard enough to "overtrain". The human body and CNS can really take a pounding before any sort of "overtraining" effect actually takes place. That being said, recovery and regeneration are the missing piece of the puzzle in most training programs. You can train hard as hell, as long as you train smart as well!!!
*Strength should be the foundation of most sports performance training programs.........However, to be a great athlete actually PLAYING and EXCELLING at your sport trumps all other factors. Being STRONG is extremely important, but don't neglect that all sports (except powerlifting) require other factors that will determine your athletic ability and skill level.
For example, you could be training a basketball player who can squat 400lbs. but can't jump efficiently off their left leg. A training program that focused on single leg plyometric exercises and skipping drills would have more carryover on the court. Tyrann Mathieu, The Honey Badger, is another example. Mathieu only benched 225 for 4 reps at the NFL combine. According to NFL, College, and even High School standards, he's week as hell! However, he DOMINATES on the playing field.
*The titles "speed coach", "performance coach", and "athletic know-it-all coach" have been used and abused over the past few years. Speed and Agility camps and Clinics are a great way to make some money, but in all honesty a novice athlete can improve their 40 time in about 30 min by getting into a proper stance. Too many of these coaches also don't take into consideration that in sports like lacrosse and basketball, you are running with an object in your hands. According to "sprinting technique 101" your arm movement might not be perfect and you can still excel at your sport. Most sports require the ability to move laterally and decelerate, areas most Track coaches don't have exceptional knowledge.
*I really hate the term DIET. The terms "eating clean" and "paleo" have also been exhausted and become so cliche. People get way too worked up about what foods are considered clean or "from the earth", when it comes down to the nitty gritty just focus on caloric intake/expenditure. There are some strong/shredded people out there that have never even considered a "paleo" style diet and just eat whatever they're craving and look phenomenal - lucky bastards. If you're not that lucky, it might be time to start setting up some goals for daily calorie consumption and also lift some heavy sh$t with intensity. Life is too short to argue about "food", eat whatever you like, just remember that if you can't see your toes- your doing something wrong!
*For the record, most people could care less about seeing your pictures of your food on Instagram, just sayin'......
Well that's about it for today, it's good to be back and I'm sure these posts will get more entertaining as I get back into a blogging groove......
