Monday, June 28, 2010

Perform Better Chicago

This past weekend was the Perform Better Summit in Chicago. For those who don't know, it is a 3 day event where speakers from all over the country and trainers/coaches from all over the country join to better themselves. I was planning on going last year but failed to make it and I am angry about that after experiencing it this year. I haven't been to a ton of conferences and events, but this is hands down the best one I have been to. The quality of the speakers and the topics of the talks were amazing. Everything was so applicable and it was great to be there listening to the people I look up to. From rehab to business, I learned a lot and am excited to continue to learn more and experiment with what I brought back.

The biggest things I learned are as follows:

I need to learn to ask for money. I have always worked on improving my coaching ability. I read everything I can get my hands on and listen to the best. However, while doing this I tend to avoid the other aspect of the business and that is the business itself. I am always timid to ask my clients for upgrades and take their money. The thing is, I am worth the money they are paying, so why be hesitant to ask for it.

There has to be assessment and that assessment has to be addressed. I am a big believer in assessments and correcting issues that my clients have besides just weight. There is so much one can learn just by observing a couple of different movements of their client. Yet, a lot of times being in such a commercial setting where people come in just caring about weight loss and the sales people promote "kick-ass workouts that will be hard and make you lose weight", I tend to not correct issues as much as I should. I tend to worry about the client thinking I am wasting their time. What we must remember is I am the trainer and there is a purpose behind everything I do, so do it. Fixing issues in posture, stability, and movement will allow for so much more possibility for weight loss and health down the road.

I need to step out on the edge. I have always been a shy, timid guy. From personal life to work life this has been the case. A big theme that ran through the weekend was about stepping out on the edge to be successful. The ones who make it don't let everything come to them. They go out and get it. I have observed this in every field. The most successful people take risks, approach others, and get what they need to succeed without worrying about what might happen. I need to take action to get out of my comfort zone and start making moves, making my name known, and approaching success.

Overall the weekend was amazing and I feel motivated to continue bettering myself and learning. It makes me want to learn everything there is and become one of those guys that everyone looks up to and goes to see speak. I have a new list of books I want to read, some new material to look over, and some new ideas to try out. Can't wait for the next conference I go to.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Make a Change

I have been reading a book by the name of Mojo the past couple of days and came across a chapter today talking about change. The chapter discussed how if there is a point in our career or life where we are unhappy either change It or change You. So many times I see people who are unhappy and feel stuck whether it is their physique, their job, their relationship, or whatever other situation there may be. Many times these people will continue to complain about their situation but never do I see any steps taken towards improvement. In one way this makes sense. I mean it is a lot easier to complain than to be proactive and make a change. However, without working towards change, we will be stuck in these miserable positions forever, only able to continue to complain.

Take for instance the overweight individual who hates the way he/she looks and complains daily about the feeling of being overweight. This individual has two choices. One choice is the easy one, continue to complain and stay the same. The other option is the harder option, but has much more reward. This person could make a change and start a diet, get to the gym more than the one time a week they go now, and see some change in the way to look and feel. Being proactive and making a change in the way they think and the way they act is going to get them out of the hole they have been in and create that sense of happiness and success.

A similar situation is the guy who has a job that he hates to wake up for. Not only is it crappy pay, it is miserable company, and terrible hours. The only thing this guy thinks he can do is complain every day to his coworkers and then go home and continue to be miserable and complain some more to his family. The real answer to this situation would be to make a change. Maybe he is only qualified to work this specific job and to quit would be impossible because he has bills to pay and a family to feed. There are still options though. He could take online classes and get a degree in another field so that he could find another job that would be more enjoyable.

I am not saying there is always a quick out of a bad situation. What I am saying though is that if a situation is making you unhappy, do something about it instead of being miserable. CHANGE the way you think, CHANGE the habits you have, CHANGE the people you surround yourself with. We have the power to change our environment. Just because we have been around a situation for a long time does not mean we are stuck in that situation. Yes, it is hard to change when we are comfortable, but it is not conducive to success to be comfortable when that comfort is negative. Stand up to your life and make a change to become better and create a better path for yourself.

I'm Not Dead

I know it has been forever and then some since the last time I posted on here. For that I am sorry. I have been slacking, not to mention I was going through a few interview processes (neither successful). I am back though and am here to post again. I figured I would make today's post an update on what's going on and some random thoughts.

-First off, I was interviewing for the same position that I applied for last year, working for the Navy out in San Diego. I was the runner-up in the interview process, falling just short of getting sent out there. It would have been a great experience but there is plenty for me to do here and many steps for me to take.

-I am over half way done with the Maximum Strength program by Eric Cressey and my strength has definitely gone up. I have also learned some more about programming and got some good ideas for writing my own programs. I'll post some results when I have finished the 16 weeks and see what kinds of gains I made. Next up will be 5/3/1.

-Some things I have been reading: I recently finished the book, Born to Run. It was very entertaining and increased my belief in barefoot training even more. Shoes are just creating problems even though they claim to be fixing them. Just like food, the more natural, the better.
I am now reading Mojo. This book is about success and confidence in your life and career. Not too bad so far.
I am also reading a series by Eric Cressey on Elbow pain and training. Many athletes, and the general population for that matter, suffer elbow pain while training. This is a good resource to find ways to help alleviate some of that pain as well as train to create better joints.

-Hopefully I won't slack so badly this time around and will be consistent at updating and posting some good posts. If you ever have anything you would like a post about send me an email and give me your ideas.