04-13-11

During the last year I have the opportunity to train at facilities all over the world and it has allowed to me to see the best of the best and the worst of the worst.  Both in gym equipment and personal training habits, but the one thing that is fascinating to me is the type of training that you will see from country to country.  You see, as a small town Canadian kid I always thought that I would go to London and everyone would be training like Dorian Yates and if I traveled to Scandinavian countries they would be giant Nordic people lifting massive amounts of weight, old women caring handbags made of metal…You know that sort a thing. However, in the end it seems worldwide people are doing the majority of the same things the same way…I assumed at first that it must be just the Americans and Canadians that drinks form the well of fucked up training practices taught by assholes that  aren’t strong enough to pull up their own pants. …Yet I am sadly mistaken.  You see I am not just a meathead that walks into the weight room to smash things around and make noises. Do I like to do these things? Yes, is it what I like to be around in the weight room? On occasion, but I understand that isn’t for everyone and I am a lot more open to things than people realize. For example, there is a training center out in South Tacoma Washington that is primarily cross fit…and you know what? These guys know how to train, period. Yes, their primary clients are cross fit minded but Trident Athletics has taken a base system and expanded on it.  They work really hard and they work really smart. Their head instructor and owner is a BioSig and PICP coach that is currently and continuously seeking a better way to achieve success with his staff and clients. So even though there are a lot of people that will be shitting their pants because I am not jumping up and down on the cross fit name like an angry grizzly on a deer carcass, but here is the reality.  It comes down to the individual coach or trainer and how they are dealing with their athletes specifically because the shit bag training that I see around the globe is predominately perpetuated by shit box coaches. They are all reading the same books and taking the same lectures, and pumping out the same bosu ball nonsense. Here is the deal, if you want success in the weight room as a coach, trainer or individual you need stop and take a look around. If you see a guy or gal that walks into your facility and not only do they look like steel but more importantly they have the ability to move steel you should pay attention. I don’t care what they are doing, but if they have the ability to perform when the rubber meets the road they are worth watching for a minute. If that same person has a coach or a trainer then for sure you will want to see what they are up to, maybe even stop and pay for their time to hear what they have to say.  The reality, the vast majority of elite coaches and trainers in gyms from London to Perth are making sure that not only are their athletes breaking balls every session they are learning how to be better students of the game.  They are growing their own education to make sure that they are spending their client’s time in the most productive way possible.