Most people could use a coach or a group of coaches to help make progress or see progress of sorts. Could be the person just trying to get off the couch or the 15-year gym vet that’s been around the block a time or 5. Some don’t want them or need them and that’s OK too. For those that don’t fall into such categories, even loosely, the best reasons to have a coach are.
Accountability- Without a doubt the number one thing I’ve heard from my folks at Team First XV is they love the accountability. Many of them could absolutely do their own thing to this point and find success but knowing that my goofy face is waiting for them to walk through the door is what helps keep them on track. Even better, the accountability is what helps get them back into the swing when they’ve taken time off for their own reasons (forced or not so much). Technique- Even a coach that’s been training themselves needs help with technique on SOMETHING. We all have our own tendencies, biases, and flaws to clean up. Without a coach, it’s really hard to see as many as you can with one. I have a coach, who doesn’t stop kicking me in the ass with certain things, and that’s probably the only reason I still have one. That and I’d probably just do deadlifts and rows for the entirety of my training. Exercise or Weight Selection- As I alluded to above, everyone has their own favorites and things they would rather do than say a Turkish Get Up or 90/90 Hip Switches and so on… That is why you get someone to help you bring those biases back to the middle to round out your training just a bit better. To a lesser extent, having someone to help know when to push the weight (or difficulty) and when to reign it back in keeps things moving along nicely and consistently. That Final Support Team Member- For me, I’ve seen this make more impact than some realize. I’ve worked with folks that have 0 support in their training endeavors and I have worked with folks that I’m just one of many that help along the journey. In either case, it’s valuable to the client or athlete to have a person or another person that is on their side looking out for them. Yes, you know, the saying about the wolf and the pack, you’re welcome. Should this post give you some inspiration to find your own coach, feel free to reach out to me with any and all questions. Thanks for your attention today friends and have a good one.
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How's it going friends? I've got a topic that's a bit more in left field than you might expect from me. Then again, this might be right on brand for those that know me well enough... In any case it should provide some entertainment for you just the same, enjoy!. When someone is winded, what’s the go to for how to breathe? In your nose and out your mouth, right? Here’s the fun news, I’m not here to change that, that’s worked well for a long time, not about mess with it, I’m not that foolish. What I am here to tell you is that nasal breathing (breathing in and out of your nose only) can help one determine where they are at with their effort, recovery, heart rate in general and cardiovascular health. Here’s a few ways I use nasal breathing in training; Recovery- When I coach the high schoolers, during some fitness activities, I ask them to wait until they are recovered to go again. Sometimes when they think they are ready, I ask them to try breathing in and out of their nose only, is it that uncomfortable or comfortable (hard or easy)? If it’s comfortable, off they go for another rep, sprint or whatever I’ve come up with for the day. Another easy one for this is can they carry on the conversation easily, also a green light. Otherwise, they stay put and hang with the coaches for a bit longer.
Steady state cardio- I will often program some folks to hit X number of meters on the assault bike (everyone’s worst nightmare at CORE) and only do nasal breathing for the entire length. This usually means that the person never leaves that magical zone 2 state that steady state cardio works well for. Still pushes the system a bit but doesn’t leave people feeling absolutely destroyed after. Of course, it can be tricky to make sure they are pushing just to the brink of that threshold and not sandbagging it. If I believe this to be the case I'll push them until they are just past it, then pull them back to help them understand where that sweet spot is. Circuits or density sets- Sometimes I’ll compile an appropriate series of exercises or movements and challenge those doing it to breath only through their nose. This certainly throws folks for a loop the first few times they do it, but eventually they find a good grove and are able to press on. By the end of the training block, their capacity is much higher and if we are ever to take the shackles off and go without nasal breathing only, they are really able to crush such a circuit. I do want to just keep in mind for all, this is a very imperfect tool, but in the absence of spending oodles of dough on heart rate monitors (especially 50-60 of them for the high school), it does the job well enough. Perhaps one day that could happen, but for now this will do the job pretty well. Hope everyone found this informative to a degree and can find somewhere to apply this for themselves. Thanks for your time and have yourself a day! Hi friends, today is going to be short and sweet, but will likely find many of you nodding as the gears tick over upstairs. In any case, sit back and enjoy. Something I’m always harping on to the younger clients and my high school athletes is good practice. Usually it sounds something like, “It might not feel like it makes a big difference right now, but it’s good practice to get into”. Whether it’s something as simple as putting the weights away (correctly) or making sure the weights are shared so no one is left without, to paying attention to certain techniques with a certain lift at a lighter that may not feel like it matters then but will with the heavier stuff comes into play. Good practice is just simply about getting into a good habit, even if it feels very insignificant in the moment, it will help build up that pathway in your brain.
Example, packing your shoulders and lats during a deadlift. Is it going to be a significant thing for an athlete doing a 16-20kgs kettlebell deadlift? Not super likely, but it’s a good habit to get into. When that athlete starts packing 2-3 wheels (45 lbs. plates) on the trap bar or straight bar down the road, that technique or habit will be well formed and benefit them in those lifts. So, in the end, it might not feel like much in the end, but if it’s good practice to do it in the gym (or life) you’re best served to start doing it early on so it’s a no brainer down the road. That’s all I got today friends, thanks for hanging out and reading. |
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AuthorJarrod Dyke, CSCS Archives
September 2024
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