Why Strength and Conditioning

             Going into exercise science as a major opened up many doors for my future.  I had the option to be a physical therapist, personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, or going clinical and getting into cardiac rehab, or becoming a medical physician. After researching numerous website and careers, I planned to become a physical therapist. I felt that it would be extremely rewarding to be to help athletes come back bigger, faster and stronger from an injury.
              Freshman year at Capital University, during preseason basketball, I tore my ACL and MCL.  I wasn't devastated as some would be to have an injury. I never got injured in high school, and college basketball had more powerful girls for me to face. Setbacks are apart of any athletic career. Well apart of life for that matter. But, prior to surgery, I had to do 'pre-hab' (exercises before surgery to bounce back from surgery quicker). Talking to my physical therapist, Kristin, I asked why girls are more likely for ACL tears, and did some research on ACL tears and athletes. (I was also in anatomy so doing rehab and learning about the body was a huge factor in my grade.)
               I learned how my body moved, where my body was weak and what my body compensated for. By also learned how much prevention should have taken place before I got injured. I wondered why a coach wouldn't incorporate strengthen exercises for our teams weak points. I then wondered why coaches wouldn't do everything in their power to keep their players healthy and injury free to succeed in the sport. I mean, our coaches left right after practice and half our team didn't even lift, nor proper was proper form ever shown to most girls. I was soon the 'go-to' girl on how to do things and I was just a little freshman.
                 After thinking about physical therapy, I then looked into strength and conditioning. Why not be that person that cares to keep kids injury free and show them how to do proper movements to help them succeed prior to getting hurt? Even more satisfying than helping them come back from an injury is to inhibit injury in the first place.
              The Spot Athletics has put me in an advantageous position to help athletes compete in an elite way.  Instead of helping athletes bounce back from an injury, I'd like to prevent injury from happening and not only help with injury prevention but implement better habits for a healthier life style.  I am a big advocate on not wasting a day. It is one of the best feelings in the world waking up and kicking todays ass early in the morning and that momentum keeps going. Having young athletes sit and play video games and stay in watching TV is not taking on the day strong. Going outside and jumping, running, throwing and all the dynamic work Nic talked about in his last blog can not only help the child's strength but also athleticism. Young kids carry habits into their adult years.
           My family had a routine of taking a walk or running and when we got older, we went to the gym.  I have carried that habit into my college years and I have never left it. Starting athletes young and implementing good habits will also lead to less injury as they grow older. They know how to squat correctly as a child, and in high school, they will not only have good squat form then, they will also be more powerful. I would love to watch a kid grow into a potential college athlete, starting while they were in middle school/jr. high. Learning to become a strength and conditioning coach has become one of my passions, that I would love to share with athletes not only to help them with their sports, but with life as a whole.


Coach Cassie

Life as an Intern

Being an Intern at The Spot Athletics: 

Some of What I’ve Learned So Far

     I start my days waking up by 5 am, so it’s pretty important to be a morning person for this job (although some of the coaches are already working by that time). When 5:45 rolls around, you better be sure that you’re fully awake and functional so you’re ready to follow the coaches and help train clients. I suggest 2 cups of coffee minimum and some loud energetic music, maybe ABBA, for the drive to work. You can’t expect to be able to teach a front squat or critique deadlift form or run a warm up if your eyes are only half open and you’re struggling to not lay down and nap on the weight room floor.  If on the off chance you are able to do those things half asleep, your clients are probably seriously bored with you and unmotivated so you still suck.

     Most of the day consists of following the coaches here and being quizzed on lifting form, how to conduct an assessment, the proper way to spot clients, etc. These are the best parts of the day mainly because the opportunities presented for learning are never ending. You will learn more here in one day than you’ll learn in a semester at school. Any time not spent on that stuff is spent cleaning floors, hanging stuff on the walls, and running to the store to get supplies for whatever project JL came up with for that particular day. Which doesn’t sound like you’re learning much aside from how to mop and drill holes in concrete but everything is a learning experience if you look for it. Projects like this teach you hard work, completing tasks thoroughly, and following instruction.

     Being able to interact and communicate with the coaches is another important aspect of the job. You can’t be afraid to ask questions. I would learn almost nothing if I stand there and just watch the whole time. Obviously you should watch and be observant but asking why a coach put a specific exercise in the program or what a client’s specific movement pattern means or whatever is a great way to learn in this environment as long as you’re not annoying with it. Building a solid relationship with the coaches helps also. While it’s important to stay professional when interacting with the coaches aka your bosses, it’s also important to create a comfortable relationship with them. At the beginning of this internship I was so cautious about how I talked to most of the trainers here. Once I started to lighten up and joke around with them, it made the job more fun for me and the coaches and I was more eager to come to work and learn from them.

     It’s not the end of the world if you mess up (unless it’s when you’re spotting someone, then it’s the end of the world. Or at least your internship). Today, I totally screwed up an assessment trying to find if an athlete’s lats were tight and instead of dwelling on the mistake like I would’ve when I first started my internship, I identified exactly what I did wrong and learned how to fix it so it would never happen again, then moved on. Mistakes happen, as long as it doesn’t happen twice and not constantly, I figure I’m at least not the worst intern in the world.

Interning at The Spot has taught me more than any other facility or school could in such a short time (and I still have a couple months left here) so hopefully I’ll be able to use that to come up with better articles than this one in the future and share all the knowledge I’ve gained). I strongly encourage anyone who’s interested in this business to look for an internship at a facility like this one (or interview here) if you really want to learn how to coach or train.

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!

The Champion Mindset

“We Build Champions." A simple, yet powerful and defining three-worded phrase that has driven, encouraged, and empowered me for the past three years.
 
For those who have not yet met me, I am Chelsea Neeley.  I am a graduate of The Ohio State University, where I received my bachelor’s degree in Education with a focus in Pre-Physical Therapy.  I spent most of my college career “living” at the RPAC, finding and pursuing my passion as a personal trainer.  Upon graduating in May, I had no intention of being an elementary school teacher and decided I’m not quite ready for graduate school.  So, I followed my passion and decided I wanted to be better at pursuing my life purpose – to help people.  To learn and become better educated in the fitness field so that I can effectively help others improve their own lives. A long story short, I am currently an intern and also have been coaching met-con classes at The Spot Athletics since June.  Never could I have asked for better coaches to be pouring their time and knowledge into me. I am absolutely blessed and totally stoked to be part of The Spot Athletics family! Now, back to “We Build Champions.” Yes, I said three years, not three months.  “We Build Champions” also happens to be the motto for Advocare, another community I am a part of.  Yes, Advocare is a supplement company.  No, I am not and will not be pushing, talking about, or debating about supplements.  Rather, I want to share with you that Advocare has played a huge influence in my life because of the people I have met, learned from, and gathered many life lessons from as a community, and honestly, as a family.  To be clear, they are not in any way affiliated with each other, but I think it is no coincidence that I am able to be further educated by and involved with amazing opportunities at both The Spot Athletics and also with Advocare.  In addition to sharing the same mottos, I have found many similarities in the purpose, passion, mindset, and values of both families.  Now, what is one way that "We Build Champions?"  It starts with the mind.  

The mindset of a champion:

It’s the little things.Have you ever thought about how much your mentality shapes your life?  It starts with a thought.  We choose to react to that thought with an action.  Those actions shape our habits, and then those habits shape our life.  If you constantly feed off of positive, encouraging thoughts, then chances are, your life is going to be much more positive than those that have constant negativity.  I had a high school coach once tell our team to never encourage our teammates with something they shouldn’t do, rather tell them something they should do to be better.  Less “don’t” and more “do,” essentially.  This has always stuck with me, because the small word choices completely change the negative mentality into a problem solving and team strengthening mentality. 

Every mistake is a learning opportunity. In this thing called life, everyone makes mistakes.  The way you react to it, however, shapes you as a person and an athlete.  Mistakes can give us the opportunity to fix what went wrong in the first place, learn from it, and become better. If we choose not to learn and are unwilling to change, it can also hinder us, break us down, and throw us into a never-ending cycle of injury-prone, excuse-making doom.  Always choose to learn.

The difference between success and failure is in the level of commitment and determination.If you’ve ever tried to go for a max lift in the gym with any doubt in your mind, then you probably know that failure is inevitable.  “Commit to the lift,” as Nic Bronkall tells me.  If you aren’t completely committed to something that is outside of your comfort zone, your chances of succeeding are significantly less than if you’re whole-heartedly determined without a single doubt in mind.  I believe the same thing can be applied to life. To achieve any dream, goal, and to reach your own potential, it’s crucial to step outside of your comfort zone with the confidence and determination that you are unstoppable.
Commitment is also shown through persistence.  Your fitness journey will have mountains and valleys.  There will be days you are not in the mood to train. Go train anyway.  More than likely, you’ll feel much better that you did and are staying committed to yourself (unless you’re overtraining, which shouldn’t be the case when you have a good coach and are following your program).  Goals and dreams will be achieved quicker when you stay committed, and in the words of Brock Meadows, “If you believe that your success tomorrow depends on what you do today, then you will treat today differently.”
 Overall, our mind drives our body, and our body drives our life.  Being in the right mindset is a crucial step in becoming a champion. Be A Champion and let us at The Spot Athletics help you in each step of your journey.

-Coach Chelsea

5 Implements to Enhance Your Conditioning Workouts

5 Implements to Enhance Your Conditioning Workouts

Whether you are an elite level athlete or the average gym goer trying to increase your overall fitness, conditioning is essential for anyone looking to get the most out of their training. Conditioning is more than just doing “cardio” to burn extra calories. Conditioning is done to increase your overall work capacity. If you increase your work capacity you increase your ability to get the most out of each training session. If you enjoy conditioning, congratulations you are in the minority. Conditioning however can be more than just hill sprints (although very effective) and jogging. Here are 5 implements you can add to your conditioning training to keep it fresh and somewhat enjoyable.

1. Sand bags

Sand bags are a great tool as they are fairly inexpensive to make and sand bags are very versatile. You can carry, drag, throw, shoulder, and push a sandbag as part of your conditioning. Try doing 5 minutes of picking up a sand bag and putting over one shoulder alternating sides as many times as you can. Women try using a 50lb - 75lb bag and Men use 100lb - 125lbs. 

2. Kegs

An empty keg weighs 30lbs but you can add sand to make it as heavy as you can handle. A conditioning complex I use a lot involves a clean, press, and slam into a tire 10x followed by an overhead carry 30yds. You can make this a ladder going down from 10 - 1 reps. Good Luck.  

3. stones

If you haven't figured it out by now, lifting awkward heavy objects is hard and thus will really get your heart rate up. Atlas stones are a staple of strongman training. If you have access to Atlas Stones try loading a heavy stone onto an elevated platform for sets of three to five reps with 60s rest between sets. This takes some technique so having a coach that is familiar with atlas stones is helpful.

4. Sledge Hammers

Sledge hammers are versatile, and using them can be mentally therapeutic after a long day at the office. With a partner alternate 30s on and 30s off hitting a sledge hammer to a tire as hard as you can for 10 minutes. This is only 5 minutes of work but will feel like a whole lot more. 

5. Sleds 

Dragging or pushing a sled is great because you can load as much weight as you want and it is much easier on your joints than traditional running. Instead of running 3 miles load a sled up with at least 50% of your bodyweight and walk a mile alternating between walking forward and backward. This will take significantly less time and will actually burn more calories than running.  


Matt Barnauskas, BS, ACSM, USAW, TPI
The Spot Athletics

How Qualified is Your Certified Personal Trainer?

        Walk into any chain gym and you’re sure to find a couple certified personal trainers on hand claiming to “get you in shape fast” or “help you drop that extra 10 pounds”. Certified personal trainers are not hard to find. However, while they may have “CPT” after their name, how can you really tell if they’re qualified to train you? Many of the personal trainers that box gyms provide you with are young college kids who “love to lift.” They paid a couple hundred bucks for a certification but don’t really know much about putting together a personalized program, teaching the right technique/form, or being an effective coach. So how can you know if YOUR trainer actually knows what he or she is doing?

        While there are many qualified and experienced certified personal trainers in the industry, there are just as many under qualified and inexperienced ones that you have to look out for. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to avoid the latter type:

         First, check their resume for experience with coaching and training. Internships under reputable coaches at competent facilities or schools are a good indicator of valuable experience.  This experience can make a difference in terms of a safe, effective training session versus a dangerous, unsuccessful training session. Certification exam textbooks would be more effective if they included more information on how to asses a client’s strengths, weaknesses, and needs and furthermore, design a program based off of that assessment. A good place to learn this is in a hands on setting with a practiced trainer/coach teaching them along the way. If a trainer doesn't have good experience under their belt, you become their first experience and a guinea pig for them to practice on.
       
         Next, research the organization or association that your trainer is certified through. A simple Google search will do the trick. Many certifications simply require CPR/AED & first aid training, a high school diploma, and a written test that takes a couple hours tops to finish, some you can even take online. All this proves is that they happened to memorize a majority of the manual that is paired with that particular certification. If you can be tested on everything you know on how to properly train a client in a couple hours, then you don’t know enough. I’m not saying that no one with these certifications is qualified, but don’t hesitate to look into it what OTHER, more worthwhile certifications they may have. Often times, it’s good to have certifications like these as a supplement to a trainer’s other education (bachelors/masters degrees, internships) but the certification alone makes for a questionable coach. Look for nationally accredited certifications that take more than a quick memorization of a manual to earn and include a hands-on skills test with their written exam.

        Bottom line, look into a personal trainer’s education, experience, and certification before jumping into a training session with them – not only to get your money’s worth but also for your safety. Certified does not always mean qualified.

The Spot Athletics coach takes position with OSU football Strength & Conditioning

We want to give a big congratulations to Luke Rose who has started an intern position with Ohio State football strength and conditioning.  Luke has been a coach at The Spot for over a year and before that he interned with us for almost 6 months.  In the year and a half that Luke has been with us he has grown into one of the best young strength coaches I have ever been around.

We will definitely miss Luke and are sad to see him go but want to wish him well in his new position.   Luke will be graduating from OSU in the spring and then going on to graduate school.

When I first brought Luke in for an interview I knew he would be successful in this industry because he has a passion for coaching and helping people.  This passion along with his knowledge will make him very successful in the future.  The first time we spoke he also expressed that he wanted to be a collegiate strength coach and now he has reached the goal he set when we first talked.  As you can see, The Spot is all about helping everyone reach their goals, whether it is a client, or one of our own coaches.

Not only did I want to let everyone know about Luke's departure and new position, but I wanted to point out the level of coaching that we provide at The Spot Athletics.  All of our staff could be working in the collegiate or professional level of strength and conditioning but we prefer the variety of helping different populations reach goals from 7 year old kids to 70 year old adults.

If you know someone who has been struggling to get results then refer them to The Spot Athletics so they can receive world class coaching.

In Strength,

JL Holdsworth
Founder, The Spot Athletics