In life in general not just within the area of training, sometimes you will be bowled a googly. That one delivery that looks like its a leg spinner but is really an off-spinner, and you get beaten all ends up. Bowled out, and off you go back to the pavilion to figure out what happened.
You might be wondering why the blatant cricketing references, well the googly in question is an inguinal hernia. Still confused? Let me explain. Roughly 4 years ago whilst playing cricket I turned to chase a firmly hit cover drive to the boundary. Back then I was a damn sight fatter than I am now and I had the turning circle of the Bismarck. As I pushed off I felt something go in the right side of my groin. It was agony, I could hardly walk. So I had pretty badly injured myself playing one of the most sedate sports around. Such is my luck.
At the time I went to see a physiotherapist who treated me for various potential groin related injuries and one by one she eliminated them until she concluded that a hernia it must be. So she referred me to a colleague of hers who undertook an ultrasound scan of the area and discovered the presence of not one but two hernia's (not sure if this is the correct plural term). I wasn't in a position to fund a repair surgery privately so off to my doctor I went. I presented him with the medical information I had and he chose not to look at it. Instead he decided it was a muscle strain and wanted to prescribe Ibuprofen and rest. I refused to leave the treatment room until he had agreed to refer me to a consultant. Roughly 2 weeks later I was speaking to the consultant. He elected to undertake an MRI scan. This was utterly pointless as unless the injury was under pressure the hole isn't visible. This was explained to me when I had the ultrasound. So the consultant decided that whilst it could well be an inguinal hernia they would not investigate further nor perform an operation as it clearly wasn't interfering with my everyday life, only my sport. This is something that is very very wrong with the NHS. If you injure yourself participating in sport it is regarded as self inflicted and no priority is given. In my view those who injure themselves trying to be healthier should be given priority for these type of things (obviously behind people with life threatening or severely debilitating conditions). So I plodded on. In time the pain subsided and I just got on with things.
Then in December 2012 I started lifting weights again. After a pretty lengthy absence I had changed my lifestyle earlier last year and this was the natural progression. Then after talking to my old mate Andy Rutland I decided to give powerlifting a shot and started training for that. Things were going pretty well and by March I had my Squat up to 215kg Bench press (always my weakest lift) was at 100kg and my deadlift was up at 225kg. Then it happened. Bang went the hernia again. Lovely!! I figured there was little point going back to the doctors as I would get the same dose of bullshit and rest. So I carried on training, altering things to manage the situation. A couple of months later and I was feeling no pain and I started very slowly to increase the weight on Squats. Deadlift and bench seemed completely unaffected. It was only when starting to come back out of the hole on a squat that the pressure was such it caused pain.
So fast forward to this week. Things were going really well. I had pulled 311kg rack pull at the end of August and my deadlift was now up to 240kg for 2rm with a max test happening just next week. Squat had come back up to 185kg with no issues and bench now sat at 112.5kg paused; I was happy. So Tuesday came and I was to work up to a heavy single on squat. I worked my way up 170kg no problems, it flew up, 180kg same again, 185kg slower but nice and easy, 190kg I lowered slowly as is my way, dropped below parallel and started to drive back up out of the hole and booooom! a searing, tearing kind of pain deep in my groin. I dumped the bar dragged myself up using the rack for support and once I was upright, yet more pain. I was swearing under my breath. A couple of people came across to see if I was ok and in my annoyance, disappointment, upset, I may have told them where to go. I will apologise next time I see them, but I was not in a good place. I am 7 weeks out from my first comp, one I have worked the last year for and this happens. To say I was devastated is something of an understatement. I actually felt like crying and that isn't me. I sat on one of the benches and once the pain had subsided a little I decided I needed to know if it was totally game over. I knew squat was out of the question but what about Bench and Deadlift. I benched up to 110kg paused and no problems, then deadlift and I went up to 230kg again with no issue at all. So all is not lost. I can still compete in December. I have no chance of qualifying for nationals in full power, but I can still make it for single lift Deads.
So after feeling very sorry for myself for the rest of Tuesday and maybe a little bit of Wednesday, I finally got to talk to my coach and explain the situation. So it was agreed we remove squat and related lifts from my programme and move things around a bit to accommodate more deadlift and bench. Also I' m introducing more hypertrophy. Might as well try and get an improvement in shape whilst I have space in my schedule right? And that is the plan. Following strict orders from a certain someone who I will not argue with (she may send special ops round) I have an appointment to see the doctor on Monday and I will be once again demanding a referral. This time I will be pushing that it happened at work and it is therefore affecting my ability to do my job. they just have to do something this time. I know it needs an op and I wont stop until they concede and do it. Hopefully they will just agree to it and get it sorted quickly. If it comes through before my comp then clearly I wont be competing and will look to next year for that, in an ideal world it would come through for the week immediately following the meet and I can compete then get fixed, but we just have to wait and see.
One thing I know for certain though is that I will not be leaving it here. I have goals to reach. This is a setback, that is all it is. I'm not going to chuck in the towel this time like I did for so many years after injury finished my hammer career. I am not that person anymore. All this has done is strengthen my resolve. The silver lining?
I get to bodybuild for a bit, strip some fat and not worry about not making huge strength gains. I can work on aesthetics. That cant be a bad thing. Who knows I may even see some evidence of abs hahahaha (unlikely). So I guess maybe things do happen for a reason. Maybe you cant see the reason staring you in the face but its there. Sometimes you just have to look hard to find the silver lining but I'll bet you can find it if you really try.
Friday, 18 October 2013
Friday, 9 August 2013
Where I'm at
After reading a blog today by my coach and great friend (@rutty1301) I decided to update where Im at with things.
I've written a few posts recently, which often alluded to certain events taking place in my life I figured I would bring an end to that bad chapter of my life by bastardising a quote from Sherlock Holmes.
"Once you have removed the unwelcome, the unnecessary and the unworthy from your life, whatever you are left with; however hard it may seem at first, must be right"
So that is that....
Any of you who follow my blogs or follow me on twitter will know that I'm training to compete in powerlifting. I refuse to call myself a powerlifter, as until I set foot on that platform in a bona fide competition, then a powerlifter I am not. I am merely someone who lifts heavy in the gym. I have always believed that you cannot call yourself something until you have done it. Its like all these jumped up little pricks these days who call themselves cage fighters. Most of them have never set foot in a cage let alone had a proper fight. Or 'boxers' who have never been in the ring. Anyway, I digress. So a month ago I changed my training programme and embarked on something called The Cube. This is a powerlifting training template devised by Brandon Lilly. On paper this thing looks like it will be a breeze, nothing too demanding. In reality however, it is brutal. And I mean BRUTAL. For the first 3 weeks I was following the programme exactly as it was laid out by Lilly, but this week (week 4) my coach has tweaked it and added his own little twist to it and the brutality has stepped up more than just a notch. At times I swear he doesnt actually like me much, but then I look at some of the programmes he has written for himself and unless he hates himself too, I know deep down thats not true.
The basic principle of the cube is that you train the big three (squat/bench/deadlift) once a week with a fourth session devoted to hypertrophy. The way you train each of the big three is different each week (reps/explosive/heavy) until all three have been trained in each of the three ways. So fundamentally it looks like this.
Week 1
Deadlift (reps) Bench (Heavy) Squat (explosive)
Week 2
Deadlift (Heavy) Bench (Explosive) Squat (reps)
Week 3
Deadlift Explosive Bench (reps) Squat (heavy)
Week 4/5/6 are a repeat of this as are weeks 7/8/9 but with increased loads in each 3 week cycle.
I have to say Im enjoying this way of training, brutal as it is, there is something very motivating to know you are pushing yourself in every session. There are no places for hiding with this. It is all full on and intense. The only setback of the whole thing is that I am still having to manage a long standing groin injury, well actually its a hernia. By some strange quirk it only seems to affect my squatting. I can still deadlift heavy with no discomfort. I did recently attempt to switch to sumo deadlift but that caused pain. Mainly I think due to the wide open stance. This upset me a little as I have long been a fan of sumo deads. my lifetime best of 280kg was pulled this way. However I am still making good progress with conventional style. 170kg 1RM in December is now a 235kg 1RM although that was a couple of months ago and I'm pretty sure I could pull maybe 10kg more than that now, but I wont be attempting that until I complete the full 9 week cycle. Happily, 235kg will see me qualify for nationals in single lifts for Deads. (BDFPA). It will be much tougher to qualify in all 3 due to the groin restricting my squatting and bench being my weak lift generally.
It feels good to have my head back in the game after what has been a pretty turbulent few months. Im concentrating hard on myself. I have eaten pretty badly this last 2 weeks and I can feel it so I will put that right immediately. Throughout my life I have always highlighted major changes or big events by getting a new tattoo. This is no different and next weekend will see the 10th addition to my family of ink.
So that's where I'm at, things are going well, moving in the right direction and mentally, emotionally, and 95% physically (groin is the other 5%) I'm back in the game. I'm excited to see what I achieve at the end of this cycle as it will give me some indication of where I may be come competition time in December. All being well, by the end of 2013 I will be able to call myself a powerlifter.
I've written a few posts recently, which often alluded to certain events taking place in my life I figured I would bring an end to that bad chapter of my life by bastardising a quote from Sherlock Holmes.
"Once you have removed the unwelcome, the unnecessary and the unworthy from your life, whatever you are left with; however hard it may seem at first, must be right"
So that is that....
Any of you who follow my blogs or follow me on twitter will know that I'm training to compete in powerlifting. I refuse to call myself a powerlifter, as until I set foot on that platform in a bona fide competition, then a powerlifter I am not. I am merely someone who lifts heavy in the gym. I have always believed that you cannot call yourself something until you have done it. Its like all these jumped up little pricks these days who call themselves cage fighters. Most of them have never set foot in a cage let alone had a proper fight. Or 'boxers' who have never been in the ring. Anyway, I digress. So a month ago I changed my training programme and embarked on something called The Cube. This is a powerlifting training template devised by Brandon Lilly. On paper this thing looks like it will be a breeze, nothing too demanding. In reality however, it is brutal. And I mean BRUTAL. For the first 3 weeks I was following the programme exactly as it was laid out by Lilly, but this week (week 4) my coach has tweaked it and added his own little twist to it and the brutality has stepped up more than just a notch. At times I swear he doesnt actually like me much, but then I look at some of the programmes he has written for himself and unless he hates himself too, I know deep down thats not true.
The basic principle of the cube is that you train the big three (squat/bench/deadlift) once a week with a fourth session devoted to hypertrophy. The way you train each of the big three is different each week (reps/explosive/heavy) until all three have been trained in each of the three ways. So fundamentally it looks like this.
Week 1
Deadlift (reps) Bench (Heavy) Squat (explosive)
Week 2
Deadlift (Heavy) Bench (Explosive) Squat (reps)
Week 3
Deadlift Explosive Bench (reps) Squat (heavy)
Week 4/5/6 are a repeat of this as are weeks 7/8/9 but with increased loads in each 3 week cycle.
I have to say Im enjoying this way of training, brutal as it is, there is something very motivating to know you are pushing yourself in every session. There are no places for hiding with this. It is all full on and intense. The only setback of the whole thing is that I am still having to manage a long standing groin injury, well actually its a hernia. By some strange quirk it only seems to affect my squatting. I can still deadlift heavy with no discomfort. I did recently attempt to switch to sumo deadlift but that caused pain. Mainly I think due to the wide open stance. This upset me a little as I have long been a fan of sumo deads. my lifetime best of 280kg was pulled this way. However I am still making good progress with conventional style. 170kg 1RM in December is now a 235kg 1RM although that was a couple of months ago and I'm pretty sure I could pull maybe 10kg more than that now, but I wont be attempting that until I complete the full 9 week cycle. Happily, 235kg will see me qualify for nationals in single lifts for Deads. (BDFPA). It will be much tougher to qualify in all 3 due to the groin restricting my squatting and bench being my weak lift generally.
It feels good to have my head back in the game after what has been a pretty turbulent few months. Im concentrating hard on myself. I have eaten pretty badly this last 2 weeks and I can feel it so I will put that right immediately. Throughout my life I have always highlighted major changes or big events by getting a new tattoo. This is no different and next weekend will see the 10th addition to my family of ink.
So that's where I'm at, things are going well, moving in the right direction and mentally, emotionally, and 95% physically (groin is the other 5%) I'm back in the game. I'm excited to see what I achieve at the end of this cycle as it will give me some indication of where I may be come competition time in December. All being well, by the end of 2013 I will be able to call myself a powerlifter.
Sunday, 23 June 2013
The Problem with being a coach
After a recent chat about the coach and athlete relationship I decided
to write a blog about the difficulties of being a coach and to get a flip side
perspective. Laura (on twitter she is called @lauralittlest) who I'm 'coaching'
decided to write one from the athletes’ viewpoint. She suggested we do it
independently so it’s not a collaboration. You can read her blog here http://littlestruns.blogspot.co.uk/
I've never really considered myself to be a coach. I have no formal qualifications. No piece of paper that says I have undertaken a course of study or completed any training and therefore any credibility I may have is often not taken seriously, particularly by those who feel that having said letters chasing their name means everything somehow.
Whilst I have respect for anyone who has committed time and energy to gaining knowledge in this way, I also know that it is not the be all and end all of things.
I regard myself as someone who merely assists. If my assistance has a positive effect then I have achieved my aim. If it does not then I will accept this and try to change things or respectfully bow out and allow someone else to take up the mantle. After all, if you're helping someone to achieve their goals, then surely their best interests have to be paramount. Anything you want to achieve personally must be put to one side.
In my lifetime so far I have worked with 11 athletes across 4 sports. Some I have helped with the technical side of their sport, some with the strength and conditioning side and some with both. One thing I have helped them all with is the mental side of it. I have helped athletes at a very high level (international level) and some not so advanced. Now I'm not saying I'm the font of all knowledge, but then again the coach who believes they are is likely not a very good coach at all. If I had to pinpoint one quality of a coach which I believe is the most important one, it is this..... The desire to acquire greater knowledge. For me the best coaches are the ones who are prepared to listen and learn.
I've never really considered myself to be a coach. I have no formal qualifications. No piece of paper that says I have undertaken a course of study or completed any training and therefore any credibility I may have is often not taken seriously, particularly by those who feel that having said letters chasing their name means everything somehow.
Whilst I have respect for anyone who has committed time and energy to gaining knowledge in this way, I also know that it is not the be all and end all of things.
I regard myself as someone who merely assists. If my assistance has a positive effect then I have achieved my aim. If it does not then I will accept this and try to change things or respectfully bow out and allow someone else to take up the mantle. After all, if you're helping someone to achieve their goals, then surely their best interests have to be paramount. Anything you want to achieve personally must be put to one side.
In my lifetime so far I have worked with 11 athletes across 4 sports. Some I have helped with the technical side of their sport, some with the strength and conditioning side and some with both. One thing I have helped them all with is the mental side of it. I have helped athletes at a very high level (international level) and some not so advanced. Now I'm not saying I'm the font of all knowledge, but then again the coach who believes they are is likely not a very good coach at all. If I had to pinpoint one quality of a coach which I believe is the most important one, it is this..... The desire to acquire greater knowledge. For me the best coaches are the ones who are prepared to listen and learn.
“Good teachers are those who know how
little they know, bad teachers are those who think they know more than they
don’t know”
R Verdi
I have been an athlete myself, competing in a number of sports to a standard I'm proud to have achieved, but I know I was often difficult to coach. Why? Because I questioned everything. Why do you want me to do that? What is the value in it? How will that improve my performance? Why is that better than any other way of doing it? Etc etc...
Some athletes can be easy to work with, doing simply as they are asked to do, never questioning, trusting implicitly in their coaches’ judgement. I've helped out athletes like this, and whilst they are indeed very easy to work with, I can honestly say they aren't the dream you would think.
Some people will think I'm crazy when I say I'd much rather work with an athlete who challenges me, questions me; forces me to think outside the box. I think it's entirely possible for a coach to become stale, blindly following the same old routines, the same practices and philosophies they have always followed. Where is the learning in that? Where has the challenge gone? I WANT that challenge. I want to be pushed to find answers, new ways of approaching old problems.
I have been an athlete myself, competing in a number of sports to a standard I'm proud to have achieved, but I know I was often difficult to coach. Why? Because I questioned everything. Why do you want me to do that? What is the value in it? How will that improve my performance? Why is that better than any other way of doing it? Etc etc...
Some athletes can be easy to work with, doing simply as they are asked to do, never questioning, trusting implicitly in their coaches’ judgement. I've helped out athletes like this, and whilst they are indeed very easy to work with, I can honestly say they aren't the dream you would think.
Some people will think I'm crazy when I say I'd much rather work with an athlete who challenges me, questions me; forces me to think outside the box. I think it's entirely possible for a coach to become stale, blindly following the same old routines, the same practices and philosophies they have always followed. Where is the learning in that? Where has the challenge gone? I WANT that challenge. I want to be pushed to find answers, new ways of approaching old problems.
“Men learn while they teach”
Seneca
I said in the beginning of this post that I have no formal qualifications, what I do have is experience, a lot of experience. But despite this, I still need to speak to others for information, sometimes just to fire questions at and bounce ideas off. I power-lift now and I have a coach myself. Andy is an awesome coach too. His knowledge is immense, and his patience with me is saintly. It helps that he is a friend from way back in our athletics days. He is my coach for a number of reasons. Not because I have no idea what I'm doing. But primarily because I need that support mechanism. I need to know someone will write me a programme that pushes me more than one I would write myself, for myself; one that takes me outside of my comfort zone. I could write a programme to do this pretty easily of course but I wouldn't trust myself to make it demanding enough because I'm writing it for me. Also if I have a question or problem with my training, I need an outlet and a source of knowledge. As I said earlier, no one knows everything. For me I can think of no one better than Andy. It is also a huge factor that he is one of my truly best friends. This means I trust his judgement implicitly. Andy is a competitor, he has participated in a variety of sports and whatever he does he does with no less than 100% dedication. He is very much the kind of guy that will give it all or what is the point.
Recently I started working with Laura. I first met her almost a year ago. At that time, she had never even set foot in a weights room but now she has taken up power-lifting I can honestly say that of all the people I have worked with she is unique among them. To say she presents a challenge is a massive understatement. At times she can be emotional, anxious, demanding, requires a ton of support, encouragement and praise. Laura questions everything and I mean everything. She wants to know the reason behind schedules and technical points, it's a constant case of why? Outside of the gym she needs a lot of encouragement, not in the sense that she isn't committed, far from it, her level of commitment borders on fanaticism. It’s more to convince her that she really is capable of the things I know she is. After a month of working with her, I know she still doesn't believe it fully, but I'm working on that. I know she won't mind me saying this but at times she can be a fucking nightmare to work with. She demands so much of herself that if the slightest thing doesn't work she can pretty much lose the plot. She will kick off with me, blame me, hate me, but I know that she really doesn't mean any of it. I know that when this happens what she is letting me know is that she needs reassurance that, you know..... “It's not such a big deal”. Laura runs best on positivity. I openly admit that at times she winds me up almost to the point of snapping. But thankfully I'm pretty good at turning that around. We both know each other better than we like to admit sometimes but that's why it works.
This week has been the toughest. Early in the week Laura was struck down with food poisoning and was a wreck, in a great deal of pain, crying on the phone, not in a good place at all. But I managed to help a little I think. Tuesday was really much of the same, Wednesday she was feeling a little better and by Friday she wanted to be back in the gym despite feeling weak and exhausted from doing some basic chores in her apartment. She wanted to gym, she wanted to go climbing, and I didn't want her to because I knew she wasn't physically up to it, but at times Laura thinks she is invincible. She also hates being given orders with a passion. I tried being reasonable, tried to give the rational viewpoint, but in the end I had to put my foot down. I didn't like it one bit but it was my last resort. To say she wasn't happy is putting it mildly. But when she calmed down she admitted that it was the right thing to do. It would be so easy for me to say you know what? Fuck it! I'm done! But that would say more about me than it would about her. I've never quit anything. I've recognised when it’s time to back away from some things but thrown in the towel? No!
She has come a very long way from being the girl who too scared to set foot in a gym less than a year ago to one who will happily find the biggest ugliest guy in there and ask them for a spot.
My life would be a lot easier if I was helping someone less demanding, less in need of assurance, less questioning, but it would also be less interesting. The fact that we are close friends means we can both overstep the mark without it being a big problem. Yes we argue about things and there are times we annoy each other. Times when talking would be a bad idea and times when a conversation about anything other than training is needed. The fact is Laura challenges me. The majority of questions she asks me, I can answer, but from time to time she comes up with a belter. That’s when my work really starts. She knows I hate not knowing something and will always find out the answer. But I like the fact that I’m learning the whole time too. I don’t want to stagnate. From her perspective she has a need to know that whoever is working with her is not just asking things of her that they either haven’t done or know nothing about. I think it helps that I also lift heavy and she respects that, there is a trust there. Sometimes I want to just say to her “Laura, man the fuck up and get it done”. But she isn't a person that would work with. The reason being, that phrase is exactly what she is saying in her own head so there is no need for anyone external to put it into stereo. It's going to be an interesting journey with plenty of ups and downs. Laura needs to learn how to be coached as much as she needs to learn what she is being shown. I know she trusts me and I know the respect is there (grudgingly at times) but it’s there nonetheless.
For those of you who may think, yeah yeah but you're earning money from her for doing this so that's why you persevere. I can tell you that money has nothing to do with it. Laura pays me nothing and I wouldn't take a penny if she offered. The reason I do it is because it’s a symbiotic arrangement. She benefits from my knowledge and support, I benefit from the demands she places upon me. Added to that, is the fact that I love working with her, she reminds me of a younger me in many ways and her potential actually scares me a little.
There are plenty of people out there who are in it for the money, plenty who teach shit form and who you can see have no interest in those they are coaching or helping. By the same token there are many great coaches who are doing it right, for the right reasons and doing a fantastic job.
I said in the beginning of this post that I have no formal qualifications, what I do have is experience, a lot of experience. But despite this, I still need to speak to others for information, sometimes just to fire questions at and bounce ideas off. I power-lift now and I have a coach myself. Andy is an awesome coach too. His knowledge is immense, and his patience with me is saintly. It helps that he is a friend from way back in our athletics days. He is my coach for a number of reasons. Not because I have no idea what I'm doing. But primarily because I need that support mechanism. I need to know someone will write me a programme that pushes me more than one I would write myself, for myself; one that takes me outside of my comfort zone. I could write a programme to do this pretty easily of course but I wouldn't trust myself to make it demanding enough because I'm writing it for me. Also if I have a question or problem with my training, I need an outlet and a source of knowledge. As I said earlier, no one knows everything. For me I can think of no one better than Andy. It is also a huge factor that he is one of my truly best friends. This means I trust his judgement implicitly. Andy is a competitor, he has participated in a variety of sports and whatever he does he does with no less than 100% dedication. He is very much the kind of guy that will give it all or what is the point.
Recently I started working with Laura. I first met her almost a year ago. At that time, she had never even set foot in a weights room but now she has taken up power-lifting I can honestly say that of all the people I have worked with she is unique among them. To say she presents a challenge is a massive understatement. At times she can be emotional, anxious, demanding, requires a ton of support, encouragement and praise. Laura questions everything and I mean everything. She wants to know the reason behind schedules and technical points, it's a constant case of why? Outside of the gym she needs a lot of encouragement, not in the sense that she isn't committed, far from it, her level of commitment borders on fanaticism. It’s more to convince her that she really is capable of the things I know she is. After a month of working with her, I know she still doesn't believe it fully, but I'm working on that. I know she won't mind me saying this but at times she can be a fucking nightmare to work with. She demands so much of herself that if the slightest thing doesn't work she can pretty much lose the plot. She will kick off with me, blame me, hate me, but I know that she really doesn't mean any of it. I know that when this happens what she is letting me know is that she needs reassurance that, you know..... “It's not such a big deal”. Laura runs best on positivity. I openly admit that at times she winds me up almost to the point of snapping. But thankfully I'm pretty good at turning that around. We both know each other better than we like to admit sometimes but that's why it works.
This week has been the toughest. Early in the week Laura was struck down with food poisoning and was a wreck, in a great deal of pain, crying on the phone, not in a good place at all. But I managed to help a little I think. Tuesday was really much of the same, Wednesday she was feeling a little better and by Friday she wanted to be back in the gym despite feeling weak and exhausted from doing some basic chores in her apartment. She wanted to gym, she wanted to go climbing, and I didn't want her to because I knew she wasn't physically up to it, but at times Laura thinks she is invincible. She also hates being given orders with a passion. I tried being reasonable, tried to give the rational viewpoint, but in the end I had to put my foot down. I didn't like it one bit but it was my last resort. To say she wasn't happy is putting it mildly. But when she calmed down she admitted that it was the right thing to do. It would be so easy for me to say you know what? Fuck it! I'm done! But that would say more about me than it would about her. I've never quit anything. I've recognised when it’s time to back away from some things but thrown in the towel? No!
She has come a very long way from being the girl who too scared to set foot in a gym less than a year ago to one who will happily find the biggest ugliest guy in there and ask them for a spot.
My life would be a lot easier if I was helping someone less demanding, less in need of assurance, less questioning, but it would also be less interesting. The fact that we are close friends means we can both overstep the mark without it being a big problem. Yes we argue about things and there are times we annoy each other. Times when talking would be a bad idea and times when a conversation about anything other than training is needed. The fact is Laura challenges me. The majority of questions she asks me, I can answer, but from time to time she comes up with a belter. That’s when my work really starts. She knows I hate not knowing something and will always find out the answer. But I like the fact that I’m learning the whole time too. I don’t want to stagnate. From her perspective she has a need to know that whoever is working with her is not just asking things of her that they either haven’t done or know nothing about. I think it helps that I also lift heavy and she respects that, there is a trust there. Sometimes I want to just say to her “Laura, man the fuck up and get it done”. But she isn't a person that would work with. The reason being, that phrase is exactly what she is saying in her own head so there is no need for anyone external to put it into stereo. It's going to be an interesting journey with plenty of ups and downs. Laura needs to learn how to be coached as much as she needs to learn what she is being shown. I know she trusts me and I know the respect is there (grudgingly at times) but it’s there nonetheless.
For those of you who may think, yeah yeah but you're earning money from her for doing this so that's why you persevere. I can tell you that money has nothing to do with it. Laura pays me nothing and I wouldn't take a penny if she offered. The reason I do it is because it’s a symbiotic arrangement. She benefits from my knowledge and support, I benefit from the demands she places upon me. Added to that, is the fact that I love working with her, she reminds me of a younger me in many ways and her potential actually scares me a little.
There are plenty of people out there who are in it for the money, plenty who teach shit form and who you can see have no interest in those they are coaching or helping. By the same token there are many great coaches who are doing it right, for the right reasons and doing a fantastic job.
What really sets the great coach apart from the average ones is the
willingness to listen to those they coach and seize the opportunity to learn
that is presented by every athlete they work with.
Being a coach isn't easy, but that's fine with me because I'm not a coach. I'm just helping someone out.
Being a coach isn't easy, but that's fine with me because I'm not a coach. I'm just helping someone out.
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
PT's
On the subject of P.T.'s
This can be a potential minefield for anyone starting out on the fitness journey. Who do you select, how do you pick one, will they be any good, how can you know. There are many questions you should ask when deciding who you are going to allow into your life to guide you towards your goals.
I've seen a lot of P.T.'s on social networking sites talking a lot of nonsense about diet and training. I've seen some who are a font of knowledge and are more than willing to share, and more importantly explain the rationale behind their methodology. The good ones can back up their argument with sound evidence, the bad ones really cant.
Would you select the guy on the left as your PT?
One big mistake people often make is that they select a PT based on looks. If the PT is fit then they must be good right? Wrong. Someones outward physical appearance is no guideline of their knowledge, experience or ability. Just because someone isn't fit, doesn't mean they don't know their stuff. Some of the best and most knowledgeable fitness professionals are out of shape. Consider this. They may have been world class athletes who had given up many many things in their life to succeed. Then after they have achieved their success and decided to retire from competition, many choose to abandon training altogether as they feel they have earned an easy life and time to enjoy themselves. Now I'm not saying go look for a fat PT. I'm just presenting an alternative explanation. Some of the fittest PT's I've seen should not be allowed to PT. They are completely lacking in knowledge, professionalism and technical know how. I've seen PT's teaching appalling form in various lifts. I cringe when I see this. The poor unsuspecting client believes they are being shown the correct technique. Sad when they discover they will have to unlearn then re-learn the correct form, usually after an injury.
I think the point I'm trying to make here is that looks are no gauge of whether a PT will be good or useless. So what should you look for? I would suggest the following research is a must.
1) What qualifications do they have? Ask to see the certificate/diploma
2) Are they registered with a regulatory/professional organisation? Ask to see proof
3) Are they continually updating their knowledge? ask them how they do this.
4) Ask to speak to current clients rather than rely on "testimonials"
5) Ask if it would be possible for you to observe them taking a client.
6) Tell them your goals and ask them how they will help you achieve this, when they respond, ask why that will work, how it will work.
7) Ask them their sporting/fitness background (is everything from a textbook or have they gained practical experience)
8) Do they specialise in any particular area of fitness?
9) What is their knowledge base regarding nutrition?
10) Do this all over again with a number of PT's to find the one you feel most confidence in and who you feel you can work with.
Treat each one like your interviewing them for a job, because after all, that's exactly what it is. You are hiring them. They should prove to you why they are the best for the job. I would suggest that any PT who isn't prepared to surrender this information should be disregarded immediately. What are they hiding. Its your money, health and fitness after all.
So in short. Don't go rushing into PT selection. chose carefully and choose wisely. Consider everything that you feel is important, because in the end it is a big decision.
By the way, those of you who are interested in weightlifting should have said YES to having the guy on the left in the above picture as your trainer. Why?
That guy happens to be the late Vasily Alexeev who set 80 world records in his career, won 2 Olympic golds, 8 world titles and 8 European titles, and coached 5 Olympic champions. He was a fat guy who knew his stuff.
This can be a potential minefield for anyone starting out on the fitness journey. Who do you select, how do you pick one, will they be any good, how can you know. There are many questions you should ask when deciding who you are going to allow into your life to guide you towards your goals.
I've seen a lot of P.T.'s on social networking sites talking a lot of nonsense about diet and training. I've seen some who are a font of knowledge and are more than willing to share, and more importantly explain the rationale behind their methodology. The good ones can back up their argument with sound evidence, the bad ones really cant.
Would you select the guy on the left as your PT?
One big mistake people often make is that they select a PT based on looks. If the PT is fit then they must be good right? Wrong. Someones outward physical appearance is no guideline of their knowledge, experience or ability. Just because someone isn't fit, doesn't mean they don't know their stuff. Some of the best and most knowledgeable fitness professionals are out of shape. Consider this. They may have been world class athletes who had given up many many things in their life to succeed. Then after they have achieved their success and decided to retire from competition, many choose to abandon training altogether as they feel they have earned an easy life and time to enjoy themselves. Now I'm not saying go look for a fat PT. I'm just presenting an alternative explanation. Some of the fittest PT's I've seen should not be allowed to PT. They are completely lacking in knowledge, professionalism and technical know how. I've seen PT's teaching appalling form in various lifts. I cringe when I see this. The poor unsuspecting client believes they are being shown the correct technique. Sad when they discover they will have to unlearn then re-learn the correct form, usually after an injury.
I think the point I'm trying to make here is that looks are no gauge of whether a PT will be good or useless. So what should you look for? I would suggest the following research is a must.
1) What qualifications do they have? Ask to see the certificate/diploma
2) Are they registered with a regulatory/professional organisation? Ask to see proof
3) Are they continually updating their knowledge? ask them how they do this.
4) Ask to speak to current clients rather than rely on "testimonials"
5) Ask if it would be possible for you to observe them taking a client.
6) Tell them your goals and ask them how they will help you achieve this, when they respond, ask why that will work, how it will work.
7) Ask them their sporting/fitness background (is everything from a textbook or have they gained practical experience)
8) Do they specialise in any particular area of fitness?
9) What is their knowledge base regarding nutrition?
10) Do this all over again with a number of PT's to find the one you feel most confidence in and who you feel you can work with.
Treat each one like your interviewing them for a job, because after all, that's exactly what it is. You are hiring them. They should prove to you why they are the best for the job. I would suggest that any PT who isn't prepared to surrender this information should be disregarded immediately. What are they hiding. Its your money, health and fitness after all.
So in short. Don't go rushing into PT selection. chose carefully and choose wisely. Consider everything that you feel is important, because in the end it is a big decision.
By the way, those of you who are interested in weightlifting should have said YES to having the guy on the left in the above picture as your trainer. Why?
That guy happens to be the late Vasily Alexeev who set 80 world records in his career, won 2 Olympic golds, 8 world titles and 8 European titles, and coached 5 Olympic champions. He was a fat guy who knew his stuff.
Monday, 21 January 2013
Winning
This blog is something of a rant or maybe a venting of an opinion I have held for a considerable time. I will say at the outset that this is my own view and I make no apology for holding it, and if it offends anyone, frankly I couldn't care less. But then again, if I did care, that would be a little out of character for me.
So.....
A phrase that is commonly spouted in schools, sports clubs and from friends and family attempting to be supportive is this little gem... "Its not the winning, its the taking part"
Cutting to the chase, this is the most fundamentally flawed piece of advice it is possible to impart upon anyone. There are a number of reasons why. Chiefly, if winning wasn't important then why do we measure performance? In a power-lifting competition we wouldn't record the weight lifted, we wouldn't have such a thing as a "no-lift". In athletics, cycling and swimming there would be no use for stopwatches and tape measures or finishing tapes. There would be no trophies or medals for the best competitor or team, no gold silver or bronze. We simply wouldn't bother with any of that. Imagine The Olympics with no winners or losers, just a group of individuals who complete rather than compete. "Well done lads and lasses, you ran well, all of you, was great to watch everyone just running and hats off, you all did the full 100 metres of it. It would be the most boring and tedious of affairs. Personally, this kind of thinking and the attitudes it engenders, angers me.
From a pretty young age I recognised that the taking part (whilst fun and enjoyable) IS NOT the ultimate aim. The aim is to win. To be the best and to be acknowledged as such. True champions have the belief that winning is everything. It's what they train long and hard for. Nothing beats the ecstasy of a victory that has been earned. Winning by luck is nice but you haven't invested anything in that. Training for something specific and having that commitment and dedication pay off, well, there's nothing quite like it.
In every sport I have participated, I have never lost. Sincerely I have never ever lost. To me, if you lose, it is your own fault. YOU have lost it. Now I'll qualify that by adding that I have not always won. I have been second, third, fourth, even dead last. But I still have never lost. I have been beaten. There is an enormous difference. If you are beaten, someone has done that to you. You may well have tried your best but your best was bested by another competitor. Learning the difference is important. If you take part but do not really apply yourself to the best of your abilities and you dont win, then you have lost and you are a loser. If you give everything you have and despite giving that 100% it's just not enough, you have been beaten and there is no disgrace in being beaten. To lose however deserves no respect at all. It deserves derision.
In the UK today sadly the doo-gooders and the bleeding hearts have taken a hold. They have infected kids with the "Its not the winning, its the taking part" mentality. What with so called "non competitive sports days".
What are they hoping to achieve by this? What kind of person are they trying to nurture? Lets give every child the same medal just for taking part, whether they push themselves to win or just give up and make no effort.
Consider this.....
Hypothesis 1.
Little Lisa who didn't care about the egg and spoon race and just walks to the finish and comes in last, gets a medal the same as little Clare who has pushed herself with all of her concentration not to drop the egg and has won the race. So Lisa quickly learns that there is no point in making an effort, the rewards are the same. Years later later she somehow manages to get a job and is working alongside Clare and they have a job which is paid based on performance, she doesn't make as much effort in her work and therefore does not get the same salary and promotions as Clare who really works hard and makes the effort to do her job well. Lisa is astounded by this and will most likely be the type to take a case against the company for victimisation as she is being paid less. She has come to expect the same rewards regardless of the level of effort she applies.
Hypothesis 2.
Little David didn't care about the shot putt he finishes last having made no effort to even get a valid throw. Yet he still gets a medal the same as Little James who had practiced for weeks before hand and broke the school record to win it. Years later David and James both apply to the same company for a job. James has done his research into the company and has worked hard to get his CV up to standard so he knows he is what the company are looking for and ultimately he is hired and David has put no effort into his attempt to get the job and as a result is not. David, expects to get the job despite making no real effort. This is because he has become accustomed to getting reward regardless of whether he makes an effort or not.
Now whether you believe these hypotheses are extreme or oversimplified I frankly don't care. I've actually seen this kind of thing happen in the real world. Our schools and institutions are giving rise to a generation filled with apathy, but its apathy loaded with expectation.
I'm frankly astounded we did so well in last years Olympics. Clearly there are still enough enlightened souls out there who know that winning is the ONLY thing that matters. We are animals at the end of the day and across all species there is competition. Whether it is two bull elephants fighting for the right to mate with the females in the herd, or a cheetah competing with the gazelle to see who eats tonight, it is all competition. There can be only one winner ultimately. In those situations its life or death. Within the realms of human competition it is rarely so. But as we dont have that, we compete in sports and disciplines we have invented as we realise we NEED competition in order to thrive, to improve, to succeed. Without it we stand still or even regress.
I know this is just my rant but I firmly believe that winning is EVERYTHING. Anyone who thinks otherwise has never and will never achieve anything for which they deserve to be remembered.
Saturday, 5 January 2013
Rant
I'm in the mood to have a rant about something. This happens fairly frequently. So I've decided to start blogging them.
If you're offended by anything I write, I make no apologies its just tough and its your problem not mine.
So today's rant...
The way society has changed because of pathetic political correctness.
Today, living in England is shit. It really is. Political correctness has turned it into a place where although you have a so called freedom of speech, you actually have to be very guarded about what you say and how you say it. Actually even the words you use aren't always the problem, its how it is perceived or its assumed connotations.
There are places where you are not allowed to ask for a black coffee (ironically its ok to ask for a white coffee) in case you offend black people. There are always reports of traditional customs or celebrations being toned down or banned in case you offend people. The problem really lies in the fact that the law is set up in such a way as to allow these ridiculous things to happen. I have been subject to racism but wasn't taken seriously because I am white and racism is exclusively a white on black/Asian thing right?
Take sexism for example. A friend of mine recently told me that whilst waiting in a queue to get into his works Christmas function he offered for a female colleague to go in ahead of him and she actually replied saying "That's sexist". How fucking pathetic. Its called being gentlemanly. Now if that had happened to me I would have counted by saying "technically YOU are being sexist by making that accusation, if I was female and made the same offer you would not be in a position to say that, you're only saying it because I'm a man and therefore that is sexual victimisation". And to be honest if she had made any response I would have taken it further. People like this need to be taken to task. The issue I forsee is that I wouldn't be taken seriously. Why? because I'm a man and as everyone knows, men cant be subjected to sexual discrimination or victimisation.
This country has got it very very wrong. We pander to the minorities when our government is elected by the majority. Immigrants coming to England should respect our customs and traditions and if they are offended by them, then that is their problem not ours to change to suit. They should find another country that doesnt offend them.
Now whilst I accept that there are situations where sexism occurs and people are discriminated against on the basis of gender, I would just like to point out that this happens both ways. The women who complain and act like it only happens to their gender need to wake the fuck up and stop being a victim. It happens to men too. An interesting stat I read recently was that 24% of girls between the age of 16-24 had been a victim of violence or abuse from their partner. I don't know if anyone remembers the series of TV adverts highlighting this issue? It was quite prominent. Showing girls suffering verbal and implied physical abuse. Interestingly there was no campaign showing guys suffering the same abuse, this despite the stats showing that 22% of boys in the same age group have suffered similarly. So because of that extra 2% we highlight the problems girls have but not the ones that boys have. Gender inequality right there.
This brings me on nicely to recent developments in the motor insurance industry. Particularly that following a recent court ruling it is now illegal for insurance companies to offer discounted motor insurance to women. Funny that so many of the women shouting for gender equality, suddenly are up in arms because their desire suddenly costs them money. Well just suck it up. You're getting what you asked for. There's going to be hell to pay when it finally becomes a legal requirement that new fathers paternity leave matches maternity leave entitlement. But, maternity will no doubt be reduced to allow for this.
Now I've said all of this and no doubt some people will think I myself am a sexist man. Untrue! Im all for gender equality. Provided it is actually exactly that. EQUALITY. And in every single aspect of life, without exception. This even has to apply to things like police fitness tests for new applicants. Currently women have a reduced amount of the required sit ups, press ups etc and a slower time for the 1.5 mile run. That has to change. It should be on a par, otherwise equality isn't there.
One of the main problems today is that it has reached such a point whereby any man who questions equality policy or practice, is demonised. or labelled as being fearful of change or a dinosaur holding on to the past. That is another untruth. Its about time men were allowed to legitimately question these policies and stand up for their beliefs and defend their own rights. If that doesnt happen then we are no better than we were 50 years ago, 100 years ago and more.
I could actually go on all day about this but I think I've made my point.
Rant over!!
If you're offended by anything I write, I make no apologies its just tough and its your problem not mine.
So today's rant...
The way society has changed because of pathetic political correctness.
Today, living in England is shit. It really is. Political correctness has turned it into a place where although you have a so called freedom of speech, you actually have to be very guarded about what you say and how you say it. Actually even the words you use aren't always the problem, its how it is perceived or its assumed connotations.
There are places where you are not allowed to ask for a black coffee (ironically its ok to ask for a white coffee) in case you offend black people. There are always reports of traditional customs or celebrations being toned down or banned in case you offend people. The problem really lies in the fact that the law is set up in such a way as to allow these ridiculous things to happen. I have been subject to racism but wasn't taken seriously because I am white and racism is exclusively a white on black/Asian thing right?
Take sexism for example. A friend of mine recently told me that whilst waiting in a queue to get into his works Christmas function he offered for a female colleague to go in ahead of him and she actually replied saying "That's sexist". How fucking pathetic. Its called being gentlemanly. Now if that had happened to me I would have counted by saying "technically YOU are being sexist by making that accusation, if I was female and made the same offer you would not be in a position to say that, you're only saying it because I'm a man and therefore that is sexual victimisation". And to be honest if she had made any response I would have taken it further. People like this need to be taken to task. The issue I forsee is that I wouldn't be taken seriously. Why? because I'm a man and as everyone knows, men cant be subjected to sexual discrimination or victimisation.
This country has got it very very wrong. We pander to the minorities when our government is elected by the majority. Immigrants coming to England should respect our customs and traditions and if they are offended by them, then that is their problem not ours to change to suit. They should find another country that doesnt offend them.
Now whilst I accept that there are situations where sexism occurs and people are discriminated against on the basis of gender, I would just like to point out that this happens both ways. The women who complain and act like it only happens to their gender need to wake the fuck up and stop being a victim. It happens to men too. An interesting stat I read recently was that 24% of girls between the age of 16-24 had been a victim of violence or abuse from their partner. I don't know if anyone remembers the series of TV adverts highlighting this issue? It was quite prominent. Showing girls suffering verbal and implied physical abuse. Interestingly there was no campaign showing guys suffering the same abuse, this despite the stats showing that 22% of boys in the same age group have suffered similarly. So because of that extra 2% we highlight the problems girls have but not the ones that boys have. Gender inequality right there.
This brings me on nicely to recent developments in the motor insurance industry. Particularly that following a recent court ruling it is now illegal for insurance companies to offer discounted motor insurance to women. Funny that so many of the women shouting for gender equality, suddenly are up in arms because their desire suddenly costs them money. Well just suck it up. You're getting what you asked for. There's going to be hell to pay when it finally becomes a legal requirement that new fathers paternity leave matches maternity leave entitlement. But, maternity will no doubt be reduced to allow for this.
Now I've said all of this and no doubt some people will think I myself am a sexist man. Untrue! Im all for gender equality. Provided it is actually exactly that. EQUALITY. And in every single aspect of life, without exception. This even has to apply to things like police fitness tests for new applicants. Currently women have a reduced amount of the required sit ups, press ups etc and a slower time for the 1.5 mile run. That has to change. It should be on a par, otherwise equality isn't there.
One of the main problems today is that it has reached such a point whereby any man who questions equality policy or practice, is demonised. or labelled as being fearful of change or a dinosaur holding on to the past. That is another untruth. Its about time men were allowed to legitimately question these policies and stand up for their beliefs and defend their own rights. If that doesnt happen then we are no better than we were 50 years ago, 100 years ago and more.
I could actually go on all day about this but I think I've made my point.
Rant over!!
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