And hey, that's what I am here for! I am all for you taking my ideas and using them to better yourself as an individual! I also want what's best for you and your goals!
I feel like I am an open book to ALL of my clients! If you have trained with me, you are well aware of how I am feeling, what I do on a day in/day out basis, and how much I learned from this accident in the past year! It has honestly been a blessing in disguise for me!
You see, I was BIG into my own training before my accident....
Sure, I loved helping others, but it wasn't my focus at the time. I was on a mission to be the best athlete around and prove I was the best all around athlete in the area! Yup, I would be the guy doing sprints at 2am hoping to beat my previous times, or running up mountains and hills with 70lb weighted vests(sometimes carrying mom too LOL). In college, if I had a bad game...I would be out on the practice field dribbling at midnight trying to prove I was worthy of being on that field.
Then, a big pick up truck got me to open my eyes up to a NEW venture!
At first, laying in the hospital, I remember thinking to myself, I'll never be at the level I was at again. Wondering how I will ever get myself back. Weeks of nightmares and painful nights had me more down than ever. My mom and dad had counselors and insane asylums ready on speed dial.
But what changed my view of the situation were a few of my close friends who came to visit me that second they found out! They put the Bible in my hands and the other was a book, Unbroken, which I HIGHLY recommend as it was my FIRST book i fully read!(I guess I had nothing better to do then read and play Sudoku and watch endless episodes of Two and a Half Men.)
But what they told me is to trust in God and let him create your future.
And EVERYONE kept telling me..."Mike, there is a reason for this...I promise!"
As I looked at them like I thought they were right....I was being crushed deep down. How could this be God's plan for me? To Take me away from what I love?
And boy did I learn! Looking back now, I see clearly!
Although I am nowhere near healthy....in fact....now fighting a new injury they found evolve from the accident...
I found light to the "night-mare" as so it seemed.
Let's look at what I accomplished!!
That's not it though! It's the WONDERFUL friends and clients I have built up since November! I have made dramatic changes to friends that couldn't lift 10 lb dumbbells over their head and are now doing three times that!! I've made skinny little runner's arms look like lean & muscular skinny little runner arms! ;)
I have developed the BEST relationships with ALL of my clients! They know me on a personable level! They know my shirts have holes in them from lifting weights too often, they know not to shake my hands because of my lovely calluses, they also know they need to count their reps sometimes....because I get overexcited and forget a few, or more HEHE.........BUT, MOST IMPORTANTLY, they know of my frustrations with my injuries and how determined I am to get back!
Now, some of you might be thinking...wow, so your clients do know you well....so maybe they don't respect you....
Just ask any one of them. I don't EVER like talking myself up...but when it comes to business...I will make an exception! You have to believe you are the best at what you do, and I STRONGLY believe I know my shit!(sorry for my language). If im not training, I am researching, I am studying, I am finding ways to train the most complicated individual!
WHY?
Because I LOVE IT! I am the best around! I will get you to reach your goals! I am committed to your success!
Typical Trainer BS?
Nope! Don't believe me, come check me out and get to know me! I promise you that you will see my drive and energy for what I do! I don't hire kids off the street and call them "kettle-bell" certified and put them with MY paying clients! I give EVERY client the best of what I have to offer!
Why?
Nobody likes feeling like they are getting the leftovers! You came to watch MJ sink that game winner over Byron Russel in the 1998 Game 6 Finals! NOT him overlooking his drowning Bobcats franchise!
You want the best, and that's what I have to offer!(In terms if training programs! Sorry our warehouse is nicknamed..."the sweatshop")
So back to my FANTASTIC year! Sure I had my ups and downs with my injuries! I even found out I have a fully torn labrum on my right shoulder that was caused from the accident! Just a little shocker!! But, the friendships I have made and developed are irreplaceable! I continued my love and passion in helping others achieve their fitness goals, I learned the importance of patience, friendship, and commitment.
Sure, I am currently unable to move by the end of the day! Sometimes I really want mom to call that infomercial to get me my hover-round a little early! I get up feeling okay and by 9:00....I can barley move and it usually takes me 5 painful minutes just to get up my stairs to get to bed. It certainly is not an easy road for me. And I know I have the mentality to keep on fighting but sometimes I wonder if I get get through a lot of the pain I am in.(And if some of you don't know, it's not my ACL that is hurting...I rehabbed it so well and could have been cutting by 6 months if it wasn't for my patella tendon which was damaged in the accident....AND then they took a piece of my patella to use as a graft for my ACL in my surgery, so it took a DOUBLE hit. That is why I am having this awful pain in my knees.) But I will keep on fighting. This week I made it my mission to start back on a program for myself.
Monday I got 8 400s in on the track, and 4 were done with 60 seconds rest while the rest had a 400m recovery run. Did them all under 80 seconds so I was pretty happy.
Enough about me, lets talk about why you read my posts...for knowledge...right? Inspiration maybe?
Well, how about a little of both...
You will never succeed in life if you don't take risk! Risk is what drives our country. It's what make the USA better than every other country! Don't be timid, and make changes today!
You only live once....and I will be dammed if I let this injury keep me from doing what I love! Same for you!
Is work keeping you from exercise? Kids? Activities? MAKE time for yourself!
As my old coach said:
PLAN
PREPARE
SUCCEED
It's that simple. Plan times to make exercise a priority. Prepare for any set backs and have a way to get around them, and the rest is magic!
BUT remember,
Attitude is everything. You can have the best training
program in the world, but if you don’t have attitude, you’ll never come even
close to your potential.
Now how about some KNOWLEDGE:
As many of you know, I am all for trying our new things in the weight room. Mainly, I love making things harder! Ask a few of my runners and they will abide by that!
So how about some ways to make exercises more difficult!!?
1.) Go Heavier!
Yes, pretty simple, yet the most overlooked part of making something more difficult. There is no need to be doing bicep curls and presses while standing on a Bosu...If I see it, I sometimes want to question the "professional" instructing their clients to do so.
2.) Increase Your Range Of Motion
Elevating your feet in certain movements(my favorites are split squats and lunges) makes the exercise much more difficult. It increases your range of motion while activating more of your core and stabilizing muscles. Just be careful, because doing these exercises can be dangerous without proper instruction.
3.) Make the Base of the Support Narrower
Now, "stability," is a state based on the position of your center of gravity, while "balance" is a trained ability.
So, when you have a WIDER base of support, the exercise will become much easier! Consider Wide Bilateral squats with Single-Leg Squats or the all so loved, skater squats!
4.) Raise the Center Of Mass
Perfect example would be comparing the dumbbell lunge to the barbell lunge! Holding the dumbbells at the side make the exercise much easier because the center of gravity is much lower when the weights are at your sides as compared to your shoulders!
5.) Make the surface of contact dynamic or changing!
Try adding jumps to your squats! Make your push-ups, clapping push-ups! Split Squats can be Lunge Jumps! Many options here! Just be careful and make sure you use correct form because any plyometric can be taxing on your body!
So there you have it! A new post filled with hopefully both motivation and knowledge for your beautiful weekend!
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