Archive for “Carlos Alvarez” Tag

Kids Fitness Certification: Weekend Food for Thought

Posted on: March 6th, 2009 by IYCA 2 Comments

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"It felt more like a family gathering than a conference"

Carlos Alvarez, one of the tremendous speakers from my Summit
two weekends ago in Louisville, wrote that on his blog just three
days after the Summit concluded.

And he’s right.

Nick, Pat, Sara and myself go out of our way to create a ‘family-
oriented’ feel about the IYCA.

It’s not self-serving.

We don’t do it because we think it’s going to get us more ‘sales’.

We do it because we think it’s necessary.

Fitness Professionals are a fragmented group.

Most fitness certification organizations offer credentials and little
more.

They disseminate information and give you letters to put after
your last name, but don’t ever go much above or beyond that to
impact your life or improve your career.

The IYCA is going to change the world partly with our Kids Fitness Certification.

But we can’t do it without you.

You’re part of the family.

(more…)

Youth Conditioning Programs Tip of the Week

Posted on: January 23rd, 2009 by IYCA 2 Comments

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Youth Conditioning Programs

Why hold on to the ‘norm’?

What’s the point of doing what everyone else always has?

Case in point.

I’ve worked with literally dozens of different high schools
over the past several years and almost always have been
asked to ‘add’ to there already existing programs rather
than re-create a system that I know will work better.

It takes time, but eventually the Coaching staff come to
learn that my style of athletic development works better
than what they currently have and turn the reigns
completely over to me.

And when that happens, do you know what my first step
is in changing the face of their youth conditioning programs and methods?

I separate the freshmen from everyone else.

High school represents a perfect developmental model.

4-years of having the same athletes – guaranteed.

So rather than making the young 14 year olds perform the
same lifts as the 18 year old seniors (and with the same
zeal of heavy loads) I remove them from the equation and
train them as a separate group.

We work on things like summation of forces, lift technique
and speed/agility basics.

This gives them a solid foundation on which to grow and
ensures they don’t get caught up in the ‘how much can you
lift’ world of high school athletics.

By the time they are sophomores, they are much better
equipped to handle loads and perform lifts with more
accuracy and precision.

Now this methodology flies in the face of what most high
school athletic programs do.

But trust me when I say that it’s a much superior system.

Don’t be afraid to go against the ‘norm’ with Youth Conditioning Programs.

Carlos Alvarez, looked at as the best high school
strength coach in the entire United States, will be discussing
topics just like this one next month at our International Summit.

MORE than worth taking a look at –

http://www.iyca.org/2009summit

Have a great weekend!

Brian

Kids Fitness: My 15% Rule

Posted on: January 13th, 2009 by IYCA No Comments

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Kids fitness Education Success

I spend 75% of my time with resources from trusted names I know are
great kids fitness trainers.

I spend 15% of my time with resources from trainers I have never heard of.

I spend 10% of my time with resources that I completely disagree with.

This system has been the secret to my success.

In my 10% category, I force myself to learn something about a training
philosophy or exercise program that, at face value, I have no use for.

How different is that from most kids fitness trainers?

Do you ever spend time with training resources that you know you don’t
agree with, or do you brush them off as ‘not worth your time’?

The method to my madness is simply this –

I can never learn enough.

By reading a book or listening to an audio CD about a training style that
I disagree with, one of two great things happen.

Either I learn something I didn’t know (which often happens when you
actually read a book that you didn’t think you were going to like) or I
reaffirm and become more closely connected to the belief-system that I
already had.

Learn something new or validate that your system is the right one…
how is that anything but a positive experience?

The 15% category is reserved for trainers that I have never heard of before.

Why?

Because some of the best trainers I have ever met are simply NOT
household names.

They don’t have websites, they don’t market themselves and they don’t
try to become well known.

They just train people and then publish what they know to be true.

Professionals like David Jack and Carlos Alvarez come to mind.

David runs a CATZ training facility near Boston and Carlos is the Head
Strength Coach for a prominent high school in Ohio.

Both spend roughly 50 hours a week training young athletes from various
sports and kids fitness programs— and they do so successfully.

David has sent countless high school graduates on to successful college
careers and Carlos is responsible for the fitness levels of the 2007 National
High School Champion football program.

They don’t broadcast themselves.

They don’t have websites.

They don’t ‘beat their own drums’.

But they’re incredibly talented and insightful Coaches who know exactly
how to develop top level athletes.

And they’re both speaking at my International Summit in February.

Two guys in your 15%.

Two guys who know exactly what it takes to be the best.

And two guys you will absolutely never learn from again if you aren’t
at the IYCA Summit.

Something to consider…..

http://www.iyca.org/2009summit

– Brian