Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Who is Your Coach? Part #1

Have you asked yourself this question before?  You should.  It’s important to know the nature of the individual(s) who you train with. 

Recently (twice in the past 8 months) I have been on the ‘trainee/athlete’ side of the equation which got me thinking about this topic.  First off, before snowboard season began last year, I wanted a new perspective for my pre-season conditioning.  Second, I was looking for expert feedback in creating the first portion of my off-season training that started in April, where I’d be focusing on gaining size and strength (a phase I’m currently working through).  The bottom line with both these training goals was that I didn’t want to create another program for myself and I didn’t want to use an old one (even if it was an effective routine).

The old saying that a person legally representing themselves in court has an idiot for counsel came to mind (not that I’m an idiot) but it occurred to me that more experienced coaches than I were letting colleagues develop training programs for them, so why shouldn’t I do that?  I also might be able to learn something new in the process.  
'Feel the burn?'

Friday, June 1, 2012

What It Takes #2

Be sure you’ve read Part I before viewing this post.

“…Summer training for me is a combination of plyometric, strength and conditioning training. I won't go into detail because every individual should have a plan custom for them. I try to run 4-5 miles, twice a week. Get in the gym at least 4 days and have a day of rest mixed in there too. It's real important to listen to your body and understand what it is telling you, if you can't then you will never be able to perform at your peak. Ample rest and nutrition is key, whether in working out or during competition season.
TGU's with 32Kg (70#) = Fun!

What It Takes #1

To what length are you willing to go on the path to reaching your goals? 
What are you willing to sacrifice to succeed? 
View from the Podium is always good!
Over the next 2 blog posts I’ll highlight a recent email conversation that got me thinking about these themes and share a large portion of the dialog.  The comments are from a professional boardercross athlete and are directed to an aspiring amateur racer.