RACHEL GUY
LOCATION: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA



1. How long have you been a PICP instructor? What got you interested in Poliquins system?

I first did Biosig back in 2007 when it first became a 5 day course in Australia. I learned more about training and real nutrition in those 5 days than the previous 5 years of university. From there I read all of Charles books and most of the others he mentioned during the course from training to functional medicine and beyond. I tried and tested many training protocols on myself before implementing them with clients. Nothing teaches you more than experience! I only officially did PICP 1 & 2 in November 2010 but I had used many of the Poliquin Principles of training, periodization and programming for several years prior. I like to learn from a wide base of trainers and coaches. Every course or textbook has something to make you grow professionally as a coach. It is important to seek out a range of mentors who are the best in their field. The Poliquin system is a constantly evolving program and does produce undeniable results for gains in strength, hypertrophy and fat loss. Melb PICP 1& 2, Nov 2010 – Tired and Sore at the end!

2. What other certifications and education do you hold in regards to your profession?

I graduated from the University of Birmingham, UK with a BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy. I moved quickly into musculoskeletal sports medicine and did a few minor courses on functional anatomy, dry needling and other physio courses. I moved to Sydney in 2007, and went back to University to do post grad study in Exercise and Sports Science. From there I managed to mesh together strength coaching and conditioning with my physical therapy skills. I have certifications with FMA Strength Training, Australian Strength and Conditioning Association, Active Release Technique (A.R.T), CHEK HLC and short courses on rehab. I am planning PICP3 this year along with another A.R.T Cert. Basically anything and everything I need to work with a variety of clients! I am a self-confessed nerd and obsessive reader! I try to keep as up to date with research as possible, yet the reality is no client is the same and therefore should not be trained or treated in the exact same way. Experience and intuition counts for a lot.

My love is S&C, yet I have a gift for rehab. I primarily consider myself a trainer and strength coach who also deals with injuries. I often refer out more serious injures to my network of chiros/physical therapists.

3. When did you start training in figure contests and how many have you done? What was your placing in those shows and do you have any in the future?

I started toying with the idea of doing a show in 2005, back then I was skinny. It was 2007 before I first got on stage. I placed well. 1st in Figure Novice and 2nd Place Overall Figure. Here I am in my very first show, I have grown a fair bit since then: My First Show 2007!

I switched to IFBB Bikini/Fitness Model last year as I prefer a slightly softer look. My last show was October 2010. It was the first IFBB Bikini show in Australia and with 32 girls on stage at once – tough competition. I didn’t place but with just 5 weeks of prep time due to a hospital admission I wasn’t too disappointed with my turnout. I was prepping for a show this year in May. I pulled out 10days before the show as I didn’t feel my condition as good enough. I actually had a valuable learning experience… I started a new pill – Yasmin / Yaz. Recommended by several Biosig practitioners and doctors to be the best of a bad bunch! I had a pretty bad reaction to it over the following 3-4 months - gained 4kg, became rather emotional and depressed, lost my appetite had sleep problems and became quite withdrawn. I basically became the polar opposite person to Rachel - the outgoing social butterfly! I also consider myself to me an emotionally stable chick! However, after running out of a training session in tears one day because I hurt my wrist, I decided that the pill had to go!! 2-3 weeks later I was feeling 100x better and right into show prep mode.

I was 3 weeks behind by this stage. I just couldn’t make up the lost time. However, not all was lost, I got my body back into shape to maintain for shoots. It was a good learning curve! As far as the rest of the competitive year goes, I have no plans to do another show this year. I stay within 2-3kg of my on-stage weight anyway due to shoots more or less year round. Work is also very busy, training is hard and we are opening a second gym – Platinum Extreme #2! I also like to enjoy life with a glass of red and dark chocolate! If I get a clean 4 week run to an October show this year I will do it but it is not a priority. I need to work on my MMA for grading in December. It’s hard to combine the two!

4. Was the modeling a natural extension to figure and training or was it something that you got involved in prior to lifting?

After my first show I fell into fitness modeling and had to learn fast!! I had the odd modeling gig prior to competing but it was all fashion or hair shows. I still do hair and make up shoots, but it is mainly gym wear/fitness gear, sports nutrition ads, occasionally bikinis or tv commercials needing a fitness chick. 5. With your MMA training that our viewers can watch online what other systems do you incorporate to meet your goals? Do you ever plan to fight or is the pursuit for personal reasons? For sure. I started my own YouTube channel as a way to encourage women to find other ways to train other than using a treadmill! I started a series called “This is How I Train” inspired by my friend and fellow trainer Kat Loterzo of Woman Incredible. Here are a few of my training sessions. I feel sick watching them they were so tough! THAT is conditioning!!

                

Sure this training is tough!! If it were easy, everyone would be doing it! Stepping out of your comfort zone ensures continual development. I have a fear of stagnation! No, I defiantly have no intention of ever setting foot in a cage other than in training! Frankly the idea terrifies me, however the training is fun! I am aiming for Level 2 grading in the Pro Mai MMA Submission Fighting Syllabus run at our club. I have a lot of work to do. My stand up is good. A neck injury put back my progress on the ground. Training varies depending on the phase I am in. Currently I do 3 tough conditioning sessions, two of which are bag work/standup skills. I lift 3x/week. Heavy. 2-5reps. Hit the mats 2x/week, that needs to be up 3-4x until December grading now.
“Train to be strong, eat to be lean.” “Train like a Guy, Look Like a Girl”

6. What are your current business goals and how would you describe yourself as a coach and trainer?

 Business Goals 2011: 1) Continue 1:1 training no more than 15hrs/week 2) Set up and launch Platinum Extreme #2 3) Launch my 2nd brand (which I can’t name yet!) 4) Continue to write in mainstream mags 5) Release a training DVD for women. – Open to requests and ideas on content. I am still drafting it! As a Trainer/Coach: - Everything I do with clients I have done myself. I know how hard to push and when to back off. I hate excuses! I have heard every excuse; don’t bore me with more. If you are unhappy with something, CHANGE IT!!! I like purposeful training, sensible, flexible nutrition and positive lifestyle changes. I hate bullshit and will often find myself having “direct” words with time-wasters. Nevertheless, training MUST remain enjoyable for the general population. I train some middle aged women who like to exercise and talk about Prada handbags. That’s fine! They still work very hard and lift some impressive weights! My only rule is no talking during the set and we stick to the given rest periods.

7. I know that you are going to the BioSig during the Australian tour; but clearly you already have a head start in body composition coaching. Is this an area that you are already working in to get your clients maximal results?

Looking forward to up skilling with BioSig! As a competitive dieter over the years I have tried and tested a countless eating patterns, meal timings, weighing foods, cutting out entire food groups, counting calories (YAWN!!), low fat this, no sugar that etc etc! I can speak from experience here and say that all of the above results in temporary weight loss while feeling utterly shit, tired, cranky, and piss-weak in training. It is also stressful and you feel mildly withdrawn from society and social occasions. In the long run, for a female in the general population to stay lean, curvy and healthy year round; my top 5 tips would be: 1) Have a solid breakfast! My favorite is slow cooked lamb shanks or a chicken broth! 2) Use butter, cream and coconut oil. 3) Base each meal on lean meat and heaps of veggies/salad. 4) Limit intake of grains. 5) Eat real food and watch your portion sizes! If I am dealing with an athlete or figure competitor of course I have to be more specific.

8. Your originally Welsh, and have made the transition to Australia. Do you find the two countries culturally different in regards to personal training and fitness?

Sydney has a lot more forward thinking smart trainers who want to learn and develop professionally. However the general standard leaves a lot to be desired!! Wales has some awesome bodybuilding trainers but the over all standard of training and gyms is still behind Sydney. There are a handful of excellent coaches in Wales, the majority of which work in rugby teams.

9. What are three goals you have for yourself during the next 12months?

1) Training – 1RM Semi Supinated Chin Up + 15kg; 1RM Deadlift 90kg (my weakest lift despite my big butt!); receive level 2 ProMai MMA grading; arrive at BioSig in Dec at 10%.

2) Personal – Travel to the US, UK, Thailand and Dubai. Get a puppy called D’Arce or Gator; buy a house and a new car.

3) Professional – Continue to grow Platinum Extreme, work in the media and online, launch the new brand (the unnamed one!)

10. Tell us a little about where you coach and is there a way to get in contact with you for consultations or training?

I work at Platinum Extreme Gym in North Sydney. We are a Mixed Martial Arts facility catering for the corporate market, in addition to being the home of a successful competing fight squad. We have two studios, one of which has a cage, both matted and kitted out in Zebra and Fairtex gear. Platinum runs a full timetable of 40 classes a week from Muai Thai, MMA (technical); Open mat; Brazilian Jiu Jitsu; No-Gi; Boxing; MMA conditioning/fitness; yoga, spin and boot camp etc; in addition to having a full weights room.

My website can be found here:



You can find further information at the following sites: Business Page:

      




Thanks for having me Derek!!!!!

Jenni Levävaara

Jenni LevÄvaara!: Location, Espoo, Finland

Interview with Jenni Levävaara!

All photos belong to the one and only Jenni! So please ask her before using them!

When and how did you get into the world fitness?

I have always been quite athletic my whole life,  playing a number of sports; football, track and field and ballroom dancing, but it wasn’t until I got into modeling as a teenager that fitness became something that I really wanted to do.  For the most part sports came quite late for me because I was from a very small town, and there were not the same opportunities that you would have if you lived in Helsinki.

I can relate to that, it defiantly makes it a lot harder growing up in the Country…

I know! It is amazing how similar our childhood memories are! You grew up next to a farm with cows, and I grew on the farm. {laughter}

So was fitness modeling all that you have been involved in?

No, I started in traditional modeling when I was quite young because I was tall  171cm at 12yrs of age and my mother and teachers all felt that I would be the next Ms. Finland. I went to a proper modeling school and when I reached an age of 17 or 18 I was discovered by a company called David Sport Wear, and began doing catalog work in both the sports and lingerie sections.

Was it during your teenage years that you picked up the weight?

No! I was tinny as a teenager maybe 54kg when I was modeling for DSW, but when I finally moved out of my house at the age of 19yrs I started training. In fact I can remember seeing Oxygen magazine for the first time and I am almost positive it was only the second issue ever printed, but when I saw the cover I thought. That is it! That is what I want to do! So I went and talked to my weights coach who I had been training with already and told him that I wanted to compete in Fitness, and he looked at me…and looked at me…and said “You need to have muscles first.”  So I took his advice and I began training hard with the weight from that point forward, but my standards for myself are quite high and I refused to step on stage because I just didn’t think that I looked good enough.It took years before I finally got on stage.

So when did you finally make the decision to compete and what was your first completion?

The first time I competed was against my own will….We traveled to watch the World Championships in India and while I was there they literally forced me on stage!, and I was without any of the things that I needed to compete! In fact it was a number of athletes from a number  of countries helping me prepare the last few days. My competitors even helped color me in the hotel room and few current pros even got me suites to wear!  But I would never have gotten on stage if it wasn't for the people around me making me do it! I would never have thought  I was ready...I am too critical. It was through this experience and how it happen that ignited the belief in myself that I could be  successful. It made me believe that I could be do much better in the future and through hard work and passion I could achieve my personal best.

You’re Kidding! Your first competition was the World Championships?

Yes! I was so scared I would have never done it if they didn’t make me do it and in the end it was ok…I placed 6^th. In the end it was a very good thing considering that everything that could have gone wrong did! (laughter)

So you obviously realized this was something that you wanted to do. Where did it go from here?

Well, I was able to keep training at a high level  and six months later I placed 2^nd and for the next three years I placed 2^nd over and over again with my best performance coming in 2007 when I won the European Ms. Shape Championships, but that year I was feeling really drained so I passed on the World Championships, but it is something that still sits with me because my goal was to win the Worlds and three times second place is not a win…even though I am the European Champion.

Explain the difference between the title Ms. Shape and what we call Ms. Fitness or even Figure in the USA?

In the Federation WABBA  the Ms. Shape contest is the fitness competition that you have in North America and the IFBB. In WABBA (World Amateur Bodybuilding Association)  the Ms. Fitness competition is bodybuilding. So on the morning of the contest if you are a certain weight or carrying too much muscle mass they move your from Ms. Shape (fitness) into bodybuilding so that you look the part. In fact I still think about competing a lot but now that I am a little bit older and I am so busy with my schedule I would like to move into figure and I would really like to compete in the United States.I just don't have time for all the routine training like I use to.

Speaking about your schedule, tell use a little about your routine when you were training?

Well, I was always working when I was competing. So between my training and contest prep I was very very busy.  I trained with the weights 4-5 times a week and I did 45min of cardio everyday…I kept my routine on a 3 week rotation and about six months out I would train higher intensity and lower volume making the change as I got closer to competition. When I was in hard diet mode which was about seven weeks out from the contest I would be doing a lot of super sets and tri sets in my training. On top of the weights and cardio, I met with my track and field coach once a week for specific jumps and dynamic training and in addition to this I also worked 6hrs a week with my choreographer.  During this time I cut my personal coaching back to 10-12 hours of class a week. I taught a few spinning classes a week, a couple stretching classes, a few healthy back classes which were very popular, some dance classes power core and fit ball… I also maintained a personal training  clients list between three and six a day. This kept all of my work a week to about 20hrs personal training and another 10hrs of class. I think that if I was to go back I would have told myself to rest more and grow faster! But....this was the routine that I had and at the time it worked very well for me, even though I should have rested more maybe. During this time I maintained such a strict schedule that I had no choice but to write out my entire day in advance from work, to training to meals!

Holy shit…

I was busy…

No kidding…

What sort of strength numbers were you able to achieve in the weight room?

Of course you would ask this

Of Course I would Jenni (pronounced Yenni)

Ok, I don’t believe that I was too strong but because I always lifted alone I never tested myself for one rep or anything like this, but my best deadlift at a weight of 62kg was 110kg for six reps. I rarely did back squats with heavy weight but I did a lot of split squats 90kg for six reps and my best bench was 60kg for six reps.  I believe that I could have been stronger but that was always training alone.

110kg for six eh? Yeah….your strong

Thanks…

So where are you now, and what are are your goals?

I am an instructor at the NLP Academy in Finland and I am putting on mental coaching seminars for sport performance and athletic achievement. It has been a dream of mine for the last 10yrs to present my own seminars as a mental performance coach. I’ve realize over the years that main success factors in sports and life are largely psychological - if not only! May it be your diet, training, competition or career - if you are not mentally programmed to achieve success, you will struggle to do so. It is my passion, it’s what I love to do and it is awesome to be apart of something like this. I also still have unfinished business in the world of fitness - I do think about the World Championship time to time, but we will have to wait and see on that one. Of course I'm still teaching spinning, functional conditioning, kettle bell and core classes along with my personal training, which are by the way greatly helped by my PICP education. So I am busy busy, not to mention that I have someone special in my life, someone that I enjoy goal setting and planning for the future with….if you can dream something I really believe that you can achieve it through work and dedication

I agree Jenni, if it wasn’t for dreams I don’t know if either you or I would have made it from the small towns we grew up in, to the World Stage!

I agree Derek!, it is always a pleasure when we talk. So much the same you and I.

Agreed, make sure to sleep with your head pointed North.

Well of course! Perfectly North, it makes sleeping better!

Jenni Levävaara
Physical education, since 2001

FAF Personal Trainer, since 2002

IKSA / IUKL kettlebell instructor

Advanced NLP Therapeutic Specialist

Licensed Sports Performance Coach

Licensed Trainer of NLP
PICP Level One

04-24-2011

Flipping the Switch!

The bar sits loaded on the rack as the weight makes the center of it bow and you can hear the metal whine as the load tries to break its will. Steel, cold hard unforgiving steel…never failing never faulting just honest pure existence. If you are up or if you are down the steel never judges. The steel waits for you like an old dog on the porch dependable and quite.  It doesn’t care if you are going to load 100kg on the bar or 300kg on the bar, it doesn’t care if you are strong or weak…it only cares about one thing. Pushing you into the fucking ground the first chance its gets…It is not personal, or emotional. It is the nature of steel to return to the earth from which it was born and it is your desire to prevent that from happening which determines the level of achievement unique to you.

You sit on a bench only feet away from the bar….the sounds of the weight room are still very present to your senses. The smells the sights the energy of other people in the room, some are positive some are negative some are indifferent but all present.  You sit, your personality on your sleeve talking openly waiting  allowing the future not to be known to the conscious mind, relying on others and other thing to prevent reality from becoming a part of your current and soon to be past. As the clock clicks closer and closer, one second at a time each stroke of the second hand begins to tune the mind like and instrument. Each tick on the clock and the world around you becomes smaller and smaller. No longer are you aware of the people on the other side of the weight room, no longer are you aware of the music playing in the background. Each continued moment in time the weight room becomes smaller and smaller and the people of importance become fewer and fewer. The smiles are gone, but not due to anger but because stillness requires focus and focus requires the internalization of passion. It is hard to remove yourself from the external universe when you carry a smile…. a smile is an open invitation from you to the world. It’s only moments now until the time to perform arrives, and it is now you, your training partners and your coach all thinking and breathing the same energy. All those that are still in your world at this point are here for one reason and that is to see you succeed over obstacles that lie in front of you. In a matter of minutes or perhaps seconds even those closest to you will become nothing more than sound bites in the movie of this moment. No longer are there conversations, no longer is there coaching. You begin to prepare your mind for what you need to do. You take a moment to draw upon the mental stimuli that you use to reach your inner world.

Allow me to let you in….

 I can feel the pounding of the base…the music is driving me and the thump is intoxicating, the self talk has begun. In my mind I feel the world around me as a giant energy source, I close my eyes and I pull from everything and anything that might be near. The words of encouragement…mine. The slaps on the back as I move around the room…taken. The eye contact from the animals on my level…acknowledged. The insecure dickhead guy in the corner arguing with his girlfriend… Stolen...and his girlfriend’s curious glances? Fire to my high octane male furnace and its boiling over and I can no longer sit still. I start moving around the weight room in circles, because that is the only way to guarantee that I will be back to where I need to be. I am  not  stalking or being aggressive…even though that is a very important step in the process, but that comes in time.  No, I circle because it’s the only way to pull energy in from all around the room, taking from everywhere….and anything.  When it is time to move into work mode…the circling stops the energy I have  borrowed,  I pull into me….I can feel the energy like electricity…its tangible…its more than a thought it is a physical existence and when  I pull it in I can feel it fill the center of my body until I am full. I feel that  if I didn’t use it I would become physically sick. I stand before the alter of iron and I look to the sky…always to the sky, and then I pull from the earth, asking for strength from both above and below physical and spiritual, I see myself as everything and everything is me.  I can see with my mind the energy rushing into me and at that point I silent myself and harness the madness…reigning it in. As my hands make contact with the iron for the first time the world explodes, the safety is off and it is time to release it all  back into the world…all the good all the bad, everything must go a total yard sale of emotion. For some it’s pretty….for me it’s ugly….100% mother**cker time and there is nothing that can stop it. It’s the first time that I see myself in the mirror and all the years of training all the days of work have come down to this one lift. A new standard a new level of excellence, and I look at myself long and hard in the eye. For me to flip the switch it’s simple. “Hey! Let’s go motherfucker!” This is what I use it is my switch and when it’s time to flip….I can turn it on like a light with one programmed highly aggressive challenge….I smash myself against the steel, I drive against it hard…I try to wake the iron, shake it from its passive slumber! This is one fight that I'm not  going to lose and the steel needs to know who’s knocking. From this point forward it is nothing but effort…no thinking...no turning back…blank raw madness! Color, noise, pain effort and passion….raging out against the world, and when the lift is done I feel nothing…no adrenalin, no anger, no sadness, no happiness only completion and when I breath in again I feel my world return and the people around me become alive because if I have done my job correctly, I have given all of their energy back and in return shared with them some of my own, with exception to the dickhead in the corner I gave his energy back to his girlfriend… This is why great programs and great training groups are so powerful….that energy passes around the room again and again…and again.

There it sits….cold, hard steel. No emotion, no thoughts just steadfast steel waiting to return to the earth. “In time…in time, just not today.”

04-17-2011

So I have been in Sweden a few days now and last night I went out for dinner with a couple from the city of Stockholm and it was amazing. They took me and Charles through the cobblestone streets and eventually to a standing room only restaurant that sells traditional Swedish cuisine….so in this particular instance we had Swedish Meatballs, and they were phenomenal much like the ones my mum would make. The location of Biosig in association with Eleiko is top notch, I have never been in a facility that not only has a fully equipped Eleiko weight room but also lecture halls and free internet while still being a hotel….trust me the last two matter! I remember being in Melbourne and receiving a $458.00 dollar internet bill after just eight days…uhgh talk about a kick in the wedding tackle. Anyway, I digress what I want to talk about is how to train on the road when you are at a lack of time even a potential lack of equipment. When I am away from my routine the hardest part for myself is the maintenance of my anaerobic capacity work…Yeah imagine that one, f**k this is a real piece of news. Anyway, when I am in the USA I train three to four hours a week of Krav Maga on top of my weight room sessions. This has been the way for almost 18months and for the last 4.5 months it has been at altitude! So if I don’t stay with my conditioning I get kicked in the face after some dude kicks me in the balls. I have never been a puker but at 105kg lean mass I will tank oxygen wise and for me its lights out not puke….my world gets very dark…and pass out. True story!

The weight training is one…sometimes two body part a day…double sessions if no capacity work

The Conditioning is general unless I have access to heavy bag facility like Gym Box in London England or bum in need for a few dollars cash.



Day One

The beast workout (yeah I named it…you will figure out why)

Chest A.M

A1. Incline supinated DB-bench press 5sets x 6reps 10-15sec rest 40X0 tempo

A2.Flat DB-Neutral Grip bench press 5sets x 6reps 10-15sec rest 40X0 tempo

A3.Incline DB-Pronated Grip flys 5sets x 6reps 90sec rest 40X0 tempo

Chest P.M

A1. Dips 3sets x 10-15reps 60sec 30X0 tempo

B1. Flat db-neutral grip press 3sets x 10-15reps 60sec 30X0 tempo

C1.Decline pronated grip flys 3sets x 10-15reps 60sec 30X0 tempo



Day Two

Hamstrings A.M

A1. Lying Leg Curl 5sets x 6reps 15sec 40X0 tempo

A2. Standing Leg Curls 5sets x 6reps 15sec 40X0 tempo

A3. Seated leg Curls 5sets x 6reps 120sec 40X0 tempo

Day Two

Capacity Work (15-30min and this is non rest work…just changes in intensity and movements)

Day Three

Back A.M

A1. Semi Supinated Chins 5sets x 6reps 15sec 40X0 tempo

A2. Seated low Rows 5sets x 6reps 15sec 40X0 tempo

A3. Seated pull downs 5sets x 6reps 90sec 40X0 tempo

Upper back and Rotator

A1. Trap 3 3sets x 12reps 45sec 40X0 tempo

B1. Cable Scapular Retraction 3sets x 12reps 45sec 40X0 tempo

C1. 45° cable rotators 3sets x 12reps 45sec 30X0 tempo



Day Four

Quads A.M

A1. DB hack squats 5sets x 6reps 15sec 30X0 tempo

A2. Walking Lunges 5sets x 6reps 15sec 30X0 tempo

A3. Split squats (cable) 5sets x 6reps 120sec 30X0 tempo



Day Four

Calves P.M

A1. Standing Calve Raises 5sets x 10-12 45sec 21X1 tempo

A2. Seated Calve Raises 5sets x 10-12 45sec 21X1 tempo

Anaerobic Capacity Work (15-30min)



Day Five

Triceps A.M

A1. Lying Skull Crushers 5sets x 6reps 10-15sec 40X0 tempo

A2. French Press Rope 5sets x 6reps 10-15sec 40X0 tempo

A3. Cable Push downs 5sets x 6reps 90sec 31X0 tempo



Biceps P.M

A1. Reverse Scott Curls 5sets x 6reps 10-15sec 40X0 tempo

A2. Scott Curls 5sets x 6reps 10-15sec 40X0 tempo

A3. Incline Db-curls 5sets x 6reps 90sec 40X0 tempo



Give it a try!

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. 

04/02/2011

I have spent the majority of my life on this planet as an athlete, coach or something in between. It has allowed me to see the world and meet a lot of people from a number of different professional backgrounds, but regardless of what we believe the vast majority of people are being misled by continuous onslaught of misinformation.  I often wondered if it was me who truly was the peddler of mistruths and distraction because at times it seemed that I was the only one speaking my language and it wasn’t until I started training with Jud Logan in Ashland, Oh that I finally started to feel like my ideas were not strength training blasphemy! Certainly I have stepped off the path for a number of different reasons and on the ventures from the path I have learned a lot about what I was doing that was not only right but also very, very wrong! These trips from the path were during times of personal exploration in to the realm of curiosity, trying to make a bigger stronger me in not only the physical sense but also the mental and spiritual sense.  However, it was the trips away that made the path that much easier to walk.  Each trip away either strengthened the abilities that I already had or provided clarity by teaching me to release or let go of belief systems or simple false truths that were walking with me making the path more difficult to navigate. 

It is  this process of letting go of old thoughts and taking on new information and ideas that may not have been previously, easy to conceive or accept that has allowed me to enjoy continuous success. It allows me to wear a number of different hats depending on the direction of my goals. I maintain this sense of direction by setting clear goals, but the road or path in which I use to get to my goals are as free or open to influence as anything in my life.  You have to understand, that all that matters is that you reach your destination! How the road takes you or for that fact. How you ‘allow’ the road or path to take you is completely open to interpretation.  Too many young coaches or trainers from all around the world have not even taken a step and begin to doubt or question whether or not they have the tools to reach the destination that they had in mind. Or worse yet they begin only to stop because they allow someone else to tell them what direction they want to go! Listen if I can give you one piece of advice, you must set your destination first and start moving. Second; seek out the people and sources that have the information that help you make your destination more attainable. If they are providing information that anticipates an alternate destination that's ok, they are moving one way and you are simply moving another. If there is one thing that I hate is motherf***ers that try to force their ideas on people with the intent to confuse or mislead because they want to be the only destination. Their destination is profit or self-gratification over all else! These people and or organizations are doing us all a great disservice, because they don’t take into consideration that there are a lot of directions and outcomes that one can experience as a traveler in this industry.  

Remember, that in the end it is your path to walk, it’s your destination to arrive at and over time the destinations will change and the information that you require will grow. Take the time to make sure that the tools you pick make your journey easier, but don't  slow you down.

Derek Woodske

Master course conductor

Poliquin Strength Institute

ANNA SLOTNICK!: Location, Denver Colorado

ANNA SLOTNICK!: Location, Denver Colorado

For the majority of my younger years, I was rail thin. Looking back now, it was kind of gross-- no curves, no tone, my figure was literally straight up and down, like a 12 year-old boy. But I could eat whatever I wanted-- literally, ice cream for breakfast and Doritos for dinner, and I wouldn't gain an ounce. I was what we call "skinny fat"-- thin, but no muscle mass whatsoever. I was not physically active-- besides when I was going to tip the bottle of booze (which I later found out I was allergic to), or going to light that bowl of chronic (am I allowed to say that on here?). Upon leaving home and going to college, you can only imagine how my bad habits grew worse.

My first year of college I gained a good 25 lbs; my lightening fast metabolism was slowing; my eating, drinking, and drug habits were even worse, and my inactivity was getting the best of me. One day I saw a picture of myself; I was disgusted, and decided enough was enough.

So I hit the gym hard. I was clueless though; all I ever did was run on the elliptical and train abs. I  decided to say goodbye to alcohol and marijuana, and felt even better. I started to clean up my eating, and began seeing results. I loved the way I felt after a work out-- strong, accomplished, empowered-- it was a natural high almost. I was instantly addicted. Fitness became my passion and I wanted to share it with everyone around me. I decided that I was going to study exercise science in hopes of becoming a personal trainer and maybe one day open my own gym.

That is when I found Ben Demko, my first personal trainer (who I trained with for almost 2 years), one of my best friends, and now my boss and PICP Level 1 Coach. He showed me how to train the whole body-- the nervous system as well as the muscular system. He taught me the fundamentals of training-- weight, rep, tempo schemes, hypertrophy, strength, weight loss, endurance, you name it.

NASM Certified Since 2010 Certified Trainer with Expert Rating 2010 CPR / AED Certified Student Metropolitan State College of Denver. Major; Adult Fitness and exercise Science. Minor Nutrition.

I am now a certified personal trainer still making that effort to get my degree and graduate from Metro State here soon. I am currently training for my first NPC bikini competition. I model on the side for fun and networking. I believe that my body is my billboard, and with discipline and will power, you really can achieve anything you set your mind to. Realize your potential, then kick the shit out of it. Pain is an illusion... well for the most part. Weights before dates. Champions train, losers complain. Winners never quit, and quitters never win. Fear earns you nothing, so find a way, or make one. Push yourself; struggle to get those last few reps that hurt oh so good, then move on to the next exercise. Determination is the bridge between goals and accomplishments, so let's cross that bridge.

To Contact Anna Slotnick for personal training or Modeling.