Columbus Resident, Vitor Oliveira Dominates at IBJJF Pro League Tournament

November 6, 2014 - Columbus, Ohio -  The Spot Athletics is proud to announce the recent victory of Vitor Oliveira at the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation Pro League Tournament on October 19th, 2014. This prestigious tournament was an invite-only event and only the top four competitors in each class were invited to compete.

Vitor Oliveira and The Spot Athletics Owner,  JL Holdsworth, celebrate victory

GF Team member Oliveira reflects on the growth of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: “Everything is really blowing up in the US; there are tournaments every couple of weeks. We don’t have that in Brazil.” Just a few weeks prior, Vitor dominated at the IBJJF Pan Am No Gi Tournament on September 27th, 2014, but this most recent victory was a milestone for Oliveira’s career.


This was the third Pro League Tournament and winners received prize money, illustrating the growth of the sport. More exciting was the announcement of two more future tournaments, which Vitor will be preparing for. 

Oliveira’s next competition is scheduled for Decemeber 14th, 2014 in Long Beach, California and he currently trains at The Ronin Training Center and The Spot Athletics in Columbus, Ohio. The Spot Athletics Owner and Head Trainer JL Holdsworth had this to say about Vitor’s performance: “Vitor’s improvement and dominating style never ceases to amaze myself or my staff. He brings that same intensity to his strength and conditioning sessions and we are thrilled to be able to work with such an outstanding athlete.”

With many eyes tracking his progress, Vitor has stayed humble throughout his career. He thanks Ronin Training Center, JL Holdsworth and the staff at the Spot Athletics, Kill Cliff Recovery Drinks and Protein Bars, and Bull Terrier Fight Gear.

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How Does Your Coach Stack Up?

Maybe you’re looking for your first strength and conditioning coach, shopping around for a new one, or trying to figure out if yours is any good. But how do you know what to look for? Here’s a checklist of some things to look for to see if your coach is top notch or just another person spewing nonsense.

1) What have they done? Do they currently compete in a sport or have they in the past? Or are they out of shape and can’t actually demonstrate anything they tell you to do? Do they practice what they preach or do they just point and yell? Find a coach that can walk the walk and talk the talk. Find one that trains, competes, and utilizes what they teach.

2) What does your coach do in their spare time? Do they attend conferences, read journals, write articles? Or are they using the same outdated information because they “always know best?” Find someone that is always trying to learn and make themselves better. Better yet, find a coach who writes articles, presents at conferences, and is someone that others in the industry look up to.

3) Does your coach say there is only one way to do things? A good coach knows that training is not a one size fits all approach. Everyone is different. Everyone has different goals, injuries, limitations, and is training for different reasons. Your coach shouldn’t have a cookie cutter approach to training but should know how to individualize everything.

4) Where has your coach learned their stuff? Did they open up a gym after getting an online certification? Or have they had internships and learned from some of the best in the industry? You can’t learn how to coach without getting hands on experience and learning from more experienced individuals. Take a look at your coach’s resume. If they don’t have any real world experience, get out of there. 

5) Does your coach put you through a thorough assessment? If you start a training program before being put through an assessment, RUN. Everyone has different bodies, problems, and injuries. A program should be made to fit your goals based on your strengths and weaknesses. Maybe you have tight hips, a weak left hamstring, or trouble breathing properly. All of those issues should be known before your coach writes your program.

These are just a few things to keep in mind when you try to see how your coach stacks up. If your coach doesn’t fit the criteria above- go and find yourself someone who is knowledgeable, thorough, and experienced. You probably wouldn’t trust a doctor who didn’t have real world experience, so why would you trust a coach who doesn’t have the same? Hopefully this checklist will help you find a knowledgable, trustworthy, and fitting coach.

5 ways to help your trainer maximize your experience

  The client/trainer relationship should never be a difficult relationship.  Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.  Sometimes, trainers can be hard to deal with; other times, so can clients. Here is a list of things that will help you maximize the time you have with your trainer, so that you can get the results that you are paying for:

1. Communication - This is the most vital and important aspect of this, and any other relationships.  I’m not talking about calling each other to see how your day is going, but you rather, letting your trainer know how things are going.  Trainers are very good at identifying certain ailments and understanding problems, but we do not have x-ray vision, and we can’t always tell if you are struggling.  If something hurts, you’re not feeling well, or you just plain don’t understand, let your trainer know.  It’s better to be open and upfront with your trainer so that they can make the adjustments necessary to accommodate you.
2. Understanding expectations - One of the trainer’s main jobs when having an initial assessment appointment with a client is to manage expectations. This is where the trainer helps a client set realistic goals. Sometimes, however, the reality of a goal conflicts with the desired goal. A client should understand that a lot of small goals will add up to a large goal quickly. I think I’m a pretty good trainer, but I can’t give an untrained individual a 6 pack in 4 weeks. This is where that communication comes into play, so that all parties are aware of expected outcomes.
3. Understanding your trainer’s scope of practice - As a trainer, we have a pretty vast knowledge about the human body. We understand biomechanics, how muscles work, anatomy, imbalances, etc. However, most of us are not doctors. We can’t diagnose the stomach issues you have been having, and unfortunately, we don’t have x-ray vision. The biggest thing we can do is guess, based off of assessments, as to what is ailing you, and hopefully, use the tools we have access to to help you. And, if we can’t help you, a great trainer should be referring you to someone that can.
4. Stick with the plan - We do an assessment and write out a plan for a reason.  One of the biggest pet peeves I have personally is the client that does “extra” work that I have not given them. I am absolutely thrilled that they are so motivated, but that extra work can impede the process that your trainer has planned out for you. This also applies to any sort of diet your trainer may have you on.  We have a finite amount of time with our clients. We can only control so much. What you do on your own time will determine whether or not you get the results you want.
5. Be on time - When you train at an elite level training facility like The Spot Athletics, the trainers and coaches have very specific plans for how they are going to train you during your appointment. There are things that we plan that take time, but are very important for the development of our clients, and when the time we have is cut short, we have to start stripping things away to get the most out of the sessions as possible. Consistently showing up late only detracts from garnering the results that you desire. Also, we may have several clients booked, back to back, and it is not fair for us to take time away from their training sessions to make up for a late client.

Follow these 5 simple guidelines, and you will see the results that you’re paying for.  The coaches and trainers here at The Spot Athletics do this because helping people is our passion. We want to make sure all of our clients are happy, and that they walk away from each training session knowing that they got the very best training out there. These 5 steps will definitely help ensure that!

How Do You Know if Your Coach is Any Good?

You just got yourself a new coach. Or maybe there’s someone whose articles you follow religiously on the internet. But how do you know if they’re any good? Sure they have flashy taglines and they’re jacked so that means they’re a good coach, right? Well, no. There’s a distinct possibility they are just huge and good at sales and talking but they’re not actually a knowledgeable coach. Here are some guidelines to figure out if your coach makes the cut.

1) What does your coach do in their spare time? Do they attend conferences, read journals, write articles? Or are they using the same outdated information because they “always know best?”. Find someone that is always trying to learn and make themselves better. Better yet, find a coach who writes articles, presents at conferences, and is someone that others in the industry look up to.

2) Does your coach say there is only one correct way and everyone else is wrong? A good coach knows that everyone is different. Every sport is different, every person is different. Different goals, body types, issues, injuries, and movement patterns. Therefore, they should not be using a cookie cutter approach. They should tailor each program and training session to the individual. If someone else has a different method or theory, they will assess and respond to that instead of dismissing it prematurely.

3) Where has your coach learned their stuff? Did they open up a gym after getting an online certification? Or have they had internships and learned from some of the best in the industry? You can’t learn how to coach without getting hands on experience and learning from more experienced individuals. Take a look at your coach’s resume. If they don’t have any real world experience, they’re not worth your time.

4) Who has your coach trained? Olympic athletes? Middle school kids? High school athletes?  You might be impressed by their roster of stellar athletes but let me tell you this, their strength and conditioning coach didn’t make them amazing- they came to them that way. The true test is in the mediocre athletes. Did they take a second string high schooler and send him to a D1 college? Or turn a awkward bumbling freshman into a varsity athlete? Those are the real coaches.

These are just a few points to help you assess your coach. If they don’t stack up, find yourself a new coach!
Coach Lily

Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 2/3-2/9

Another great week at The Spot Athletics!  Make sure you share with your friends, and keep checking back for more!