As a coach, I know a few things about human nature. Understanding the individuals you are working with is key to motivating them to improve performance, push beyond their current abilities, and most importantly, believe they are capable. And I’m not just talking about confidence here, there are many athletes out there who are confident in the tasks they already know they can do and can deliver a consistent performance […]
Alex Van Houten of the ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association) and Defining Dad Bod interviewed Dave and Sara on some basic questions about developing foundational strength and coaching. See the interview below.
We have some more video presentations and interviews in the pipeline. What would you like to hear us talk about? What questions do you have? And who would you like to hear more from? Leave your questions in the comments or feel free to email us at practicalstrengthfortrainers@gmail.com
So, last Fall was tough. After a full year of coaching and competing myself, I ended up coaching my sons’ cross country team while simultaneously training a few lifters and throwers in the early mornings in addition to all the other teaching, parenting, etc. I do. So, when all that was done and all the meets were over, I was feeling pretty beat up. I hadn’t recovered from the damage […]
On the weekly insistence of a friend and colleague, for like the last million weeks, I finally got myself a copy of Peak Performance by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness. But, being the eternally busy and distracted person I am, I never had a chance to sit down and read it while also being awake and intellectually curious. Yesterday, however, I did the most brilliant thing: I downloaded the audio […]
We often talk about taking charge of our own success when it comes to training and competing in strength sports. This also applies to team sports, endurance sports, and pretty much any kind of competition you may engage in. But, what exactly, does that mean? As a last minute assistant lacrosse coach this past season, I actually saw this happen in real life at my son’s championship lacrosse game. I’ve […]
I routinely get messages from people who want to be powerlifters, weightlifters, throwers, or other things involving advanced athletics. If they want to work with me, I always ask them a series of questions revolving around this central concept: Where are you now? This was 2015. She’s still working on squatting better. In other words, what are you currently doing? Are you strength training? Training at all? Playing a sport? […]
Remember getting fussed at as a kid for slouching in your chair? I do. These days no one seems to remember the importance of good posture. Until of course the shoulder, back, and neck pain sets in. I can’t tell you how many new clients I get in their 40’s and 50’s who are in pain and whose main problem is their posture. Face it, we mostly sit (slouch) in […]
When you are a coach, you have to be a good listener. And sometimes its for problems not related to squatting or benching. For that reason I wrote the following quote on the whiteboard today. At first glance, it may seem mean-spirited, but it isn’t meant to be. Often when we are being tormented by others (or someone is tormenting a loved one), we feel powerless and confused as to […]
One of the hardest things to do as a coach is getting your athletes to listen and do what they need to do in order to improve. Its often not because they are unmotivated, instead, its because they want to be successful as fast as possible. They want to run faster, lift more, play better, etc., but unfortunately there just aren’t any shortcuts. The one thing that always works whether […]
