Every Sunday I sit back and watch guys like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning dissect the opponents defense. I wonder what separates these guys from the rest. Lord knows it is no longer their physical abilities (NFL Films Greg Cosell said Manning has a "below average NFL arm). Coup d'oeil is a term I came across a few years ago. This French military term refers to the ability to immediately see and make sense of the battlefield. It indicates their ability to act intelligently and instinctively in the moment. This is made possible only after a long and rigorous course of education and experience.
The brain is always looking for shortcuts. It has two strategies to learn and retain information: conscious and unconscious. The conscious mind occurs inside your awareness. The unconscious mind is outside our awareness. So just as we can teach ourselves to think logically and deliberately (conscious), we can also teach ourselves to make better snap judgments (unconscious). The unconscious mind is essentially thinking without thinking. It is how these NFL quarterbacks can do what they do every Sunday. They are able to observe a small selection or sample of the defense they are facing and make an accurate conclusion (most of the time). This is where practice comes in. It takes practice to connect the small cues that collectively create the big picture. So next time your team drafts a "celebrity" quarterback (I am talking to you Cleveland Browns), ask yourself: Would Tom Brady be seen partying with guys like Drake and Justin Bieber? Or Peyton Manning? Or Aaron Rodgers? If the answer is "No", then he is probably not the guy to lead your team. Or better yet, this story just broke today, do you ever see those guys names involved in headlines like this one Johnny Manziel subject of hotel fight?
Monday, November 24, 2014
Friday, October 31, 2014
The Game of Tag and Multitasking
Envision yourself at the playground as a 10 year old playing tag. You are IT! There are two kids out there that you know you can handle and run down with ease. The problem is that they take off in opposite directions. You have a choice to make: chase both, chase one, or chase the other. As long as you choose one or the other, you are in good shape. If you decide to chase both (which I am not even sure is possible) you don't stand a chance of tagging one "IT". This is your brain when you multitask.
Pubilius Syrus was born in 46 BC. He is quoted as saying, "To do two things at once is to do neither". These words still ring true today. The average human brain goes through 4,000 words per day. It is no wonder that we try to multitask and attempt to do more than one thing at a time. The problem is that there is only so much brain capability. If you divide it between two tasks, all you end up doing is giving yourself an opportunity to screw up two things at once! This is not to say that we can't do two things at the same time. After all, we can all walk and chew bubble gum (at least I hope we all can). What it does say is that we cannot focus on two things at once.
The brain focuses on one task at a time. When you multitask, your brain switches back and forth between one and the other. It takes time and energy to start and restart a task so when the switching between tasks occurs, loose ends pile up. Researchers estimate that we lose up to 28% of an average workday to multitasking ineffectiveness. So how do you fix it? Live by the Three P's: Purpose, Priority, and Productivity: Identify your purpose at home, school, work, etc; Prioritize what you have to; and then put all your attention on getting things done one at a time. Until you get one thing done, everything else is a distraction!
Happy Halloween everyone!
Chris Fluck
Pubilius Syrus was born in 46 BC. He is quoted as saying, "To do two things at once is to do neither". These words still ring true today. The average human brain goes through 4,000 words per day. It is no wonder that we try to multitask and attempt to do more than one thing at a time. The problem is that there is only so much brain capability. If you divide it between two tasks, all you end up doing is giving yourself an opportunity to screw up two things at once! This is not to say that we can't do two things at the same time. After all, we can all walk and chew bubble gum (at least I hope we all can). What it does say is that we cannot focus on two things at once.
The brain focuses on one task at a time. When you multitask, your brain switches back and forth between one and the other. It takes time and energy to start and restart a task so when the switching between tasks occurs, loose ends pile up. Researchers estimate that we lose up to 28% of an average workday to multitasking ineffectiveness. So how do you fix it? Live by the Three P's: Purpose, Priority, and Productivity: Identify your purpose at home, school, work, etc; Prioritize what you have to; and then put all your attention on getting things done one at a time. Until you get one thing done, everything else is a distraction!
Happy Halloween everyone!
Chris Fluck
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Keystone Habits
"All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits."
These words were spoken in 1908 and over one hundred years later, still ring true today. Habits emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort and look for shortcuts. The habits we develop never really disappear. They are encoded into our brains, and that’s a huge advantage for us, because it would be awful if we had to relearn how to drive every time we got behind the wheel of our car. Unfortunately, the brain can’t tell the difference between good and bad habits, and if you have a bad one (which we all do), it is always there lurking! BUT, fortunately for us, there is an answer to this problem. It is the introduction of new habits. If we learn to create new routines that overpower the old behaviors, we can force those bad tendencies into the background!
The best way to replace habits is through the use of keystone habits. This term was introduced to me by author Charles Duhigg in The Power of Habit. So what are keystone habits? They are "small changes or habits that people introduce into their routines that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of life". These small changes create small wins for the individual. A keystone habit is the drop of water that ripples through the surrounding area. It provides a system that changes unproductive habits and drives new and improved habits into other areas of life!Humans are creatures of habit, automatically repeating past behavior with little regard to current goals. Every habit, no matter how complex or difficult it may be to overcome, is completely malleable. The most addicted alcoholics can become sober. The most dysfunctional companies can transform themselves. A high school dropout can become a successful manager. To modify a habit, you must decide to change it. You must consciously accept the hard work that is behavior modification. Once you understand that habits can be rebuilt, the power of habit becomes easier to grasp, and the only option left is to get to work!
Monday, September 29, 2014
The Brickhouse!
Hey everyone! It has been a few weeks in the making but starting October 5th, I will be opening my very own personal training and sports performance training center. I have been getting some FAQ and will address them now! The facility is located on 378 in an old brick building (address is listed below). I will be offering personal training, adult group training, and strength & conditioning group classes for the local athletes! More information will be coming shortly!
Below I have attached a flyer for the launching of the strength & conditioning sessions!
Strength and Conditioning Sessions
Athletes ages 7 and up!
Where: The
Brickhouse
Address:
3765
Old Philadelphia Pike Bethlehem, PA 18015
What: FREE one-hour training sessions
When: October 7th and October 9th from 7:00
pm- 8:00 pm
Athletes Will Learn
- How to improve their body
control and awareness!
- Multi-directional movement
training to improve overall athletic ability!
- How to train for explosive
athletic movements!
- The basic strength training
exercises geared towards improving strength!
- Sport Specific Conditioning!
Thanks for the support and I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Chris Fluck
Sunday, July 20, 2014
My Fitness Pet Peeves
Alright everyone, it is time for me to vent a little bit. After spending the past few years in the fitness industry I have seen a lot of questionable things. Things that, at times, make me wonder "where the heck did they come up with that?" With that being said, I have come up with three of the biggest pet peeves of mine (believe me, there is more but I want to keep this short and sweet).
Pet Peeve #1: Females training differently than males. Most females I come across want some workouts that are designed for women. I am not exactly sure what that means. If an exercise is good for a male, how could it be bad for a female? I understand that there are some body composition differences between the sexes but if your overall goal is fat loss, which is most often the case, than the training program shouldn't differ all that much. There is one difference that I have come across that involves stubborn areas of body fat with women. For that, if the goal is to get really lean, they have to do a little more cardiovascular work. I am not talking about long, slow bouts of endurance training or step aerobics, I am talking about some high intensity cardiovascular training. At the end of the day, I think it all comes down to presentation of material. There is a perception that women and men need to train differently. The perception comes from women not wanting to build muscle. A stronger muscle is a tenser muscle. A tenser muscle is smaller in size as it is more compact. A more compact muscle is occupies less space which means you will shrink down a bit. Too much muscle is a good thing!
Pet Peeve #2: The relationship between exercise frequency and results (or lack thereof). Everyone works out for their own reasons, whether it be for improved health or they just want to look and feel better. Two common ways to address this is through diet and exercise. Talking about diet is sometimes like talking about politics or religion at a dinner party. You might not always get an audience willing to take your advice or there are some people who just lie. With that being said, I am going to focus on exercise here, and how frequent you do it. This should not come as a surprise to anyone but working out 2-3 days a week just isn't going to get it done. If your mission is to improve health, you have to be more active than that. It does not matter how hard you work on those three days, it is not enough. If you aren't getting the results you'd like, then increasing the workout frequency throughout the week is the next step. Unfortunately, people choose to undereat rather than adding a day or two or three of exercise into their routine. So instead of cutting more calories, get outside, get out of breath and break a little sweat!
Pet Peeve #3: "Only If It Helps" Principle. This one is motivated by the individual who stands on a BOSU ball, on one leg, and does overhead triceps extensions with an 8 pound dumbbell. What are you really getting out of that? You're not overloading the muscle because the weight is too light. Are you improving balance? Maybe, but do you really have to stand on one leg on a BOSU ball? You can get some good balance work in without the use of props and putting yourself at risk for potential injury. So I get back to the principle itself: Only If It Helps. When choosing an exercise, pick one that is helping you reach your goals. It should have a purpose. It should not put you at risk for injury. Don't do something because you think it "looks cool". Train with a purpose, dont train to look cool.
End of rant.
Chris Fluck
Pet Peeve #1: Females training differently than males. Most females I come across want some workouts that are designed for women. I am not exactly sure what that means. If an exercise is good for a male, how could it be bad for a female? I understand that there are some body composition differences between the sexes but if your overall goal is fat loss, which is most often the case, than the training program shouldn't differ all that much. There is one difference that I have come across that involves stubborn areas of body fat with women. For that, if the goal is to get really lean, they have to do a little more cardiovascular work. I am not talking about long, slow bouts of endurance training or step aerobics, I am talking about some high intensity cardiovascular training. At the end of the day, I think it all comes down to presentation of material. There is a perception that women and men need to train differently. The perception comes from women not wanting to build muscle. A stronger muscle is a tenser muscle. A tenser muscle is smaller in size as it is more compact. A more compact muscle is occupies less space which means you will shrink down a bit. Too much muscle is a good thing!
Pet Peeve #2: The relationship between exercise frequency and results (or lack thereof). Everyone works out for their own reasons, whether it be for improved health or they just want to look and feel better. Two common ways to address this is through diet and exercise. Talking about diet is sometimes like talking about politics or religion at a dinner party. You might not always get an audience willing to take your advice or there are some people who just lie. With that being said, I am going to focus on exercise here, and how frequent you do it. This should not come as a surprise to anyone but working out 2-3 days a week just isn't going to get it done. If your mission is to improve health, you have to be more active than that. It does not matter how hard you work on those three days, it is not enough. If you aren't getting the results you'd like, then increasing the workout frequency throughout the week is the next step. Unfortunately, people choose to undereat rather than adding a day or two or three of exercise into their routine. So instead of cutting more calories, get outside, get out of breath and break a little sweat!
Pet Peeve #3: "Only If It Helps" Principle. This one is motivated by the individual who stands on a BOSU ball, on one leg, and does overhead triceps extensions with an 8 pound dumbbell. What are you really getting out of that? You're not overloading the muscle because the weight is too light. Are you improving balance? Maybe, but do you really have to stand on one leg on a BOSU ball? You can get some good balance work in without the use of props and putting yourself at risk for potential injury. So I get back to the principle itself: Only If It Helps. When choosing an exercise, pick one that is helping you reach your goals. It should have a purpose. It should not put you at risk for injury. Don't do something because you think it "looks cool". Train with a purpose, dont train to look cool.
End of rant.
Chris Fluck
Sunday, June 29, 2014
My Heart Hurts
A few months ago I made a rare visit to the doctor. I was having pains in my chest and weird "tremors" in my heart some nights before I fell asleep. I knew something was up and decided to finally figure out what it was. As it turns out, my blood pressure on that day was 153/91 (normal is considered to be 120/80) and also had an abnormally elevated heart rate. I was in a state of hypertension. For a 28 year old who works out 4-6 times a week and eats moderately healthy, something did not make sense. The doctor was not all that worried, told me to relax more, take up meditation or try some yoga. I guess his thinking was that stress puts the tension in hypertension.
In America, high blood pressure is the second greatest health threat. One in three United States adults have high blood pressure and nearly one-third of that group did not know they had it. The cause of this could be a wide variety of things. For me, I decided to take a proactive approach. I cut back on some responsibilities (working over 41 hours in a week raises the risk of hypertension by 15%), swapped out caffeineted coffee for hibiscus tea, and made an effort to sleep better. I was hoping this would do the trick and it did help eleviate some of the pains in my chest. Unfortunately, it had little effect on the blood pressure numbers. I then began researching the topic further in an effort to "cure" my little problem. One reoccuring theme in all the research revolved around your diet. A large number of those who are insulin resistant also have high blood pressure. Insulin resistance is attributable to a high sugar, high grain diet combined with low levels of exercise. I figured I already had the exercise thing covered so I made the next step and cut bread, pasta, corn, potatoes, and rice from the diet. The effect it had on my blood pressure numbers was astonishing. The first number was reduced by 20 points and the second number came down 14 points. For six weeks, I would say that is a pretty damn good reduction! I am going to keep at it with the diet and make an effort to reduce some sugars and figure out a way to include some form of medication into my daily routine. I will be sure to keep you posted!
For those suffering from high blood pressure, prescription drugs are rarely the best option. A large percentage of us can normalize blood pressure through lifestyle modifications. The first step in an effort to normalize your blood pressure is to eliminate the non-essentials: limit alcohol consumption, get rid of the pack of smokes, and cut back on the caffeine. The next thing you need to do is to include physical activity into your every day life. This is one of the most potent ways to decrease your blood pressure and alleviate some of the daily stressors life throws at us. Lastly, I highly recommend cutting or limiting all forms of sugar and grains. There is an endless amount of information out there in regards to the negative effects that grains and sugars have on your brain and body. You would be doing yourself a huge favor by cutting them out. Remember, the fate of your health is largely in your hands!
Chris Fluck
In America, high blood pressure is the second greatest health threat. One in three United States adults have high blood pressure and nearly one-third of that group did not know they had it. The cause of this could be a wide variety of things. For me, I decided to take a proactive approach. I cut back on some responsibilities (working over 41 hours in a week raises the risk of hypertension by 15%), swapped out caffeineted coffee for hibiscus tea, and made an effort to sleep better. I was hoping this would do the trick and it did help eleviate some of the pains in my chest. Unfortunately, it had little effect on the blood pressure numbers. I then began researching the topic further in an effort to "cure" my little problem. One reoccuring theme in all the research revolved around your diet. A large number of those who are insulin resistant also have high blood pressure. Insulin resistance is attributable to a high sugar, high grain diet combined with low levels of exercise. I figured I already had the exercise thing covered so I made the next step and cut bread, pasta, corn, potatoes, and rice from the diet. The effect it had on my blood pressure numbers was astonishing. The first number was reduced by 20 points and the second number came down 14 points. For six weeks, I would say that is a pretty damn good reduction! I am going to keep at it with the diet and make an effort to reduce some sugars and figure out a way to include some form of medication into my daily routine. I will be sure to keep you posted!
For those suffering from high blood pressure, prescription drugs are rarely the best option. A large percentage of us can normalize blood pressure through lifestyle modifications. The first step in an effort to normalize your blood pressure is to eliminate the non-essentials: limit alcohol consumption, get rid of the pack of smokes, and cut back on the caffeine. The next thing you need to do is to include physical activity into your every day life. This is one of the most potent ways to decrease your blood pressure and alleviate some of the daily stressors life throws at us. Lastly, I highly recommend cutting or limiting all forms of sugar and grains. There is an endless amount of information out there in regards to the negative effects that grains and sugars have on your brain and body. You would be doing yourself a huge favor by cutting them out. Remember, the fate of your health is largely in your hands!
Chris Fluck
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Don't Be That Person
All over the area schools are no longer in session and the summer has begun for most children. Growing up, this meant putting in tons of miles on a bicycle, pickup basketball games, hanging around the pool and playing a little sandlot football. All of these activities were unstructured and fun. As I look around now, I don't see this stuff anymore. Just this past weekend I was at the park and saw a game of baseball being played by 9-10 year olds. These kids were on travel teams and paid a nice little price to be a part of the team. Now, I am not around little league ball parks all that often but in this particular game, the amount of walks and errors was the most I have ever seen. And these kids parents paid for this club and were getting "elite" coaching. I could not believe it. So, instead of letting these kids enjoy their summer, they are playing 3-4 games on a Saturday on a team that doesn't look like they practice all that much. The worst part of it all was that these teams were the "B" teams. So I learned this week that there is elite travel "B" teams for 9 and 10 year olds.
In order for any child to pursue achievement in an activity, there needs to be ownership, enjoyment and motivation. And the motivation doesn't come from giving your child a few dollars for every hit or strikeout, the motivation has to come from within. This motivation comes from the pleasure one gets from completing a task. Going to practice and playing one sport all year round is not going to get it done for most kids. They need to play. They need to get the enjoyment out of playing an unstructured game with their buddies and not have to worry about a coach or parent giving them that look that they did something wrong.
Within the past 15-20 years, the spectrum of youth athletics has changed. Gone are the days of the three sport athlete, a species that is now almost extinct. A new species has evolved known as the specialist. This specialist plays on every AAU or travel team, focuses on one sport only, and gets private training for their given sport. They often excel at a young age, but over time, they get passed by. They get passed by the individual who played all kinds of sports growing up. They didn't spend their younger years going to boring practices and playing in a pointless weekend tournament. They developed their game in an unstructured setting with their friends. They learned how to pass, defend, or juke out the competition on their own. And most importantly, they wanted to do it and had fun every step of the way! So here is my call to all the parents: let your kid enjoy their summer this year. Take a break from the travel teams, let them go to the park, have some fun, and learn some new skills while playing something different. Afterall, our body and brains are built to grow through a variety of activities.
Chris Fluck
In order for any child to pursue achievement in an activity, there needs to be ownership, enjoyment and motivation. And the motivation doesn't come from giving your child a few dollars for every hit or strikeout, the motivation has to come from within. This motivation comes from the pleasure one gets from completing a task. Going to practice and playing one sport all year round is not going to get it done for most kids. They need to play. They need to get the enjoyment out of playing an unstructured game with their buddies and not have to worry about a coach or parent giving them that look that they did something wrong.
Within the past 15-20 years, the spectrum of youth athletics has changed. Gone are the days of the three sport athlete, a species that is now almost extinct. A new species has evolved known as the specialist. This specialist plays on every AAU or travel team, focuses on one sport only, and gets private training for their given sport. They often excel at a young age, but over time, they get passed by. They get passed by the individual who played all kinds of sports growing up. They didn't spend their younger years going to boring practices and playing in a pointless weekend tournament. They developed their game in an unstructured setting with their friends. They learned how to pass, defend, or juke out the competition on their own. And most importantly, they wanted to do it and had fun every step of the way! So here is my call to all the parents: let your kid enjoy their summer this year. Take a break from the travel teams, let them go to the park, have some fun, and learn some new skills while playing something different. Afterall, our body and brains are built to grow through a variety of activities.
Chris Fluck
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Not All Fatigue is Created Equal
As I sit back and watch "Vince Lombardi: A Football Life" on the NFL Network I am reminded of a quote often attributed to him: "Fatigue makes cowards of us all". Now you don't have to agree with the quote (I think it is a bit harsh) to read this piece, but I want you to understand that fatigue has serious effects on the body and we should not take these warning signs lightly!
There are two common types of fatigue: central fatigue and peripheral fatigue. Central fatigue is associated with the Central Nervous System (CNS) and is a decrease in performance due to fatigue of movements. When stress on the CNS accumulates, there is an impairment of nerve impulses and the recruitment of motor neurons. You see this type of fatigue with powerlifters who do not adhere to a proper plan. The continually train heavy and eventually, their CNS can't take the amount of stress that is put on it. As a result, they experience a drop in maximal strength (a nightmare to a powerlifter), joint and tendon soreness, trouble sleeping, decreases appetite, and decreased immunity. On the other hand, peripheral fatigue occurs at the muscle cell level. Simply put, the muscle is too fatigued to function properly. The CNS will send the signal to fire or excite the muscle but it will not fire. You see this when runners collapse as their legs can no longer withstand the stress put on them (think lactic acid built up in the legs and you can no longer hold yourself up).
Any time an individual trains or competes, there is an overload placed on the body. The body is built to adapt to the stressors placed on it, and in most cases, our body can handle it. BUT, there are those individuals who continually ask more and more out of there body. By doing so, they begin to experience a dip in performance or mood. This is called overreaching. With this, the trainee will begin to show signs of an overtrained state. With proper recovery, this state will come to an end and you will be back to "normal". Now, if your body continues to be in this overreached state, a more serious issue arises: overtraining. The time it takes an overtrained person to recover far exceeds the time it takes the trainee who has over-reached. Taking a day or two off can be all you need to avoid the issue of overtraining.
Now to the tough part, how do we avoid all of this? This is easier said than it is done. Good recovery, regardless of what happens to the body, will be able to return to baseline within a day or two. I remember hearing a Strength and Conditioning Coach say "there is no such thing as overtraining, just under eating". With that being said, post-workout meals play a huge role in recovery. It is important to consume calories within the first 30-45 minutes post-workout. This will replenish the energy you just used during exercise. Depending on the intensity of your workout, you should eat again 1-2 hours after your initial post-workout meal. After that, consuming some form of energy every 2-3 hours would be a good idea to ensure recovery. Don't use this an excuse to overeat, just listen to your body and if you are hungry, then eat! The next area to improve is in your mind. Tolerance to fatigue can indeed be trained and often times, your mind will tell you to stop before your body has to. Athletes tend to have a higher threshold than the general population, so if you are new to exercise, make an effort to improve your mental makeup. When you get to that point where you feel like you can't go on, just hang on and push through for a few more reps or a few more seconds. And last, but not least, sleep. Sleep is the foundation of recovery. If you are struggling in the area of sleep, there are three quick fixes that work: cut caffeine, go to bed at the same time every night, and exercise daily! Recover is vital if you want to live a healthy lifestyle.
I hope you are all staying cool and enjoying this weather!
Chris Fluck
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Wrestling with Addiction
“Heroin is back, and it is back with a vengeance”.
This is a
sad truth that we live with today and unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that it is
getting any better. Heroin use has doubled in the past 10 years but the saddest
part of it all: today’s heroin is killing people at an alarming rate. There are
over a quarter million people that die of substance-related deaths each year in
this country. This number is devastating. Especially when you consider that
each individual leaves a family and a circle of friends with profound wounds that
seldom fully repair.
Addicts are among us everywhere. Some quite obvious, and
others are well-hidden, suffering the ugly effects of this disease alone on the
bathroom floor, shaking violently, soaked in tears, and overflowing with shame.
Addiction is- more often than not- totally misunderstood. In our culture, there
is a stigma and judgment cast upon those who struggle with substance abuse. I
ask of you, before casting judgment imagine their despair. Imagine what it must
feel like to believe there is no option. These people need love, not more fuel
poured on the fire. How can we expect people who struggle to
step forward and ask for help when they feel misunderstood and shamed? Few things are sadder than
encountering a person who knows exactly what he should do, yet cannot muster
enough energy to do it. For those who have to watch a loved one go through this, it is one of the saddest things in the world. These are people that we love, after
all. They need an environment of support, tolerance, and understanding.
For those readers who may think that this topic will never
touch their life- I ask you to think again. When most of us drink our first
beer or puff on our first joint, none of us imagine that we might be taking the
first step in a journey that will lead us to a life of pain, despair, shame,
and hopelessness. I know for a fact that thought never crossed my mind. And I
am pretty damn sure it never crossed my brother’s mind either. Sadly, tomorrow marks one year since my brother lost his battle with addiction. The wounds of
losing a loved one never quite seem to heal. The reminders are everywhere.
Siblings are your first friends and for 27 years, I knew I could always count
on my older brother being in my corner. That was the type of guy he was not
only for me, but for everyone he considered a friend or family. That is
what I miss about him most. He was one person who was always proud of me. Since his passing, there has not been a day where he wasn't the first thing I thought about in the morning. I miss him like crazy.
Around the time of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s overdose, I
remember reading, “he didn’t die because he was partying or depressed. He died
because he was an addict on a day of the week with a ‘Y’ in it”. The author made it seem like death was inevitable. When I read
that it angered me. Its as if there is no hope for the addict. But that is not the case. Every addict is a human being, a completely redeemable human being. Not
everyone has to suffer the same fate. If you know someone going through these same issues, I am sure most of you are, just imagine the nightmare that they are living through day to day. Be there for them and support them. Not everyone has to suffer the same fate!
Chris Fluck
Friday, April 11, 2014
What I've Been Reading!
BOOKS I'VE BEEN READING
High Performance Sports Conditioning: This book gives a descriptive look into the nine basic sports performance factors: power, strength, speed, agility, coordination, quickness, flexibility, local muscular endurance and cardiovascular capacity. Each chapter is written by a coach who specializes in one of the nine factors. Some of the top coaches in their respective field give their opinion and it offers some good insight into ways to improve the nine factors. It was long, but I force myself to suffer through a few textbooks each year!
The Imaginary Girlfriend: A client of mine lent this to me when she learned that I coach wrestling. It is a memoir written by American novelist John Irving. It was a nice, quick read that offers his love of the sport of wrestling. Growing up undersized, it was tough for him to find a sport that fit his stature. Then he found wrestling. The sport changed his life and to this day, he still recalls some of those lessons and applies them to his current life.
12 Years a Slave: When I purchased this book I did not realize that the author, Solomon Northup, was the man who spent 12 years of his life as a slave. The movie (which I have not seen) is the reason for me purchasing this and for that I am grateful. Compared to other books written in this era on slavery written by a former slave, I have not read anything quite like this!
Mr. Northup was a free man living in America. His talent as a violinist led him on a tour with two men (who he never met before or seen after) performing his talent on the east coast. After one night out, and feeling ill, he went home to bed. He woke up in shackles with no recollection of how he got there and what happened to him the previous night. The remainder of the book covers the 12 years he spent in slavery and his attempts at returning to freedom. Persistence and the compassion of a fellow human ultimately led to his freedom!
You Herd Me!: Over the past 5 or 6 years, I have spent many hours listening to Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio. He is the sports talk radio guy who doesn't always discuss sports. He is a bit of a contrarian by nature and for that I like hearing his opinion (even though I do not always agree with it). He discusses everything from Tiger Woods "sex addiction" (and how it only became an issue because his wife found out), to how LeBron gets dogged for leaving the Cavaliers but Jordan left his entire sport to play baseball and he doesn't get slammed for it, to growing up in isolation and his opinion on NCAA basketball and the rule on one and doners (he is not a big fan of the rule). Every chapter is its own individual chapter with no real connection or flow from chapter to chapter, either way, decent read. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't a fan of The Herd!
A few years ago I came across the website scribd.com. At the time, it was free and had tons of great information on the site. The site has over 300,000 books on the site, different manuals, and some things I loved: copies of college football playbooks and different strength and conditioning programs. After a few years of not using I deciding to check it out recently. Turns out, it is now a paid member site (it is a little over $40 for the year) and has even more files loaded to the site. So basically, you spend $40 for access to thousands of books and files. To top it off, you can also save the files to your computer for future reference. It has been a great resource for me and highly recommend it to anyone who gets excited about reading!
Have a great weekend!
Chris Fluck
Mr. Northup was a free man living in America. His talent as a violinist led him on a tour with two men (who he never met before or seen after) performing his talent on the east coast. After one night out, and feeling ill, he went home to bed. He woke up in shackles with no recollection of how he got there and what happened to him the previous night. The remainder of the book covers the 12 years he spent in slavery and his attempts at returning to freedom. Persistence and the compassion of a fellow human ultimately led to his freedom!
A few years ago I came across the website scribd.com. At the time, it was free and had tons of great information on the site. The site has over 300,000 books on the site, different manuals, and some things I loved: copies of college football playbooks and different strength and conditioning programs. After a few years of not using I deciding to check it out recently. Turns out, it is now a paid member site (it is a little over $40 for the year) and has even more files loaded to the site. So basically, you spend $40 for access to thousands of books and files. To top it off, you can also save the files to your computer for future reference. It has been a great resource for me and highly recommend it to anyone who gets excited about reading!
Have a great weekend!
Chris Fluck
Friday, April 4, 2014
Becoming an Effective Coach
In a few
short months the summer will be here and that means the start of a new football
season. I am going into my seventh year coaching the sport and every year a new
challenge or issue arises (especially when you coach the quarterback position) This year we
will be anointing a new starting quarterback. Our two-year starter at the
position graduated , as well as one of our backups, which leaves us with one
returning quarterback. Some years we have 4-5 kids returning to play quarterback, other years 2-3, this year we
only have 1 coming back. So is life when you coach at a small high school. This means some kids will be playing the position for the first
time in their lives and their success is dependent on one thing: the coach
(me).
A coach is someone who facilitates and supports learning a task, skill, or concept by means of effective instruction. They are responsible for others obtaining goals and getting to places that they’ve never been on their own. You can be the smartest coach in the world but if you can’t get your players or clients to understand and execute those great ideas, then those ideas aren’t worth s***. If you want to see how effective a coach may be, all you need to do is look at the improvement, learning and success of their players or clients. If learning and improvement is not going on, then there is a disconnect somewhere in the chain between player and coach. I recently came across the "five minds" that every coach should have when coaching. The player trusts their coach and everything they are taught. With that being said, it should be every coaches goal to excel in their field. Understanding the "five minds" will get you there!
The Five Minds of Coaching
Chris Fluck
A coach is someone who facilitates and supports learning a task, skill, or concept by means of effective instruction. They are responsible for others obtaining goals and getting to places that they’ve never been on their own. You can be the smartest coach in the world but if you can’t get your players or clients to understand and execute those great ideas, then those ideas aren’t worth s***. If you want to see how effective a coach may be, all you need to do is look at the improvement, learning and success of their players or clients. If learning and improvement is not going on, then there is a disconnect somewhere in the chain between player and coach. I recently came across the "five minds" that every coach should have when coaching. The player trusts their coach and everything they are taught. With that being said, it should be every coaches goal to excel in their field. Understanding the "five minds" will get you there!
The Five Minds of Coaching
- The disciplined mind refers to being a master of one’s discipline and portraying it to the student. Learning is classified into two categories. Acquisition is from teacher to student and participation occurs through active engagement. The successful coach needs to use a mixed approach when teaching their discipline.
- The synthesizing mind is blending all the information learned to create their own methods and practices. The information is acquired over the years talking to others in the field, attending clinics/conferences, finding a mentor, and through experience. If you learn 1-2 things each season that will help you improve your trade, you will be in good shape moving forward!
- The creative mind builds off of the disciplined and synthesizing mind. The goal of the creative mind is to ruffle a few feathers, challenge the contours of the profession and build your own set of guidelines and practices. The creative mind lies at the heart of coaching. As Bill Belichick said, “You’ve got to keep doing what you’re doing, but you’ve got to find ways of doing it and finding ways of making it fun”. This prevents any type of staleness and will keep the athlete engaged. At some point in the season every coach gets a feeling that their kids may not be totally engaged in what you are doing. When this occurs it is usually too late. Mix in new ideas, games, or challenges along the way to keep the kids engaged.
- The respectful mind is your ability to understand and work with others. In my opinion, this is the most overlooked of the five. With experience, you learn how to deal with players on an individual level. In order to do that, you need to communicate with the kids and learn a little bit about each one. I am no psychologist but learning how some kids are "wired" will help give you a better understanding on how they respond to things. One of my big pet peeves is when a coach doesn’t even take the time to learn a kids name. How do you expect a kid to have respect for you if you don’t take the time, or care enough, to learn and address him by name.
- Lastly, it is the ethical mind. This is associated with making decisions that are in the best interest of society as a whole rather than your self-interest. Listening to Colin Cowherd’s radio show this week, a good example of the ethical mind came up. Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker received two concussions within a four week span. He passed the concussion protocol which allowed him to return to play, but when does the time come that the coach or organization sits that player down? This is the ethical mind at heart.
Chris Fluck
Friday, March 28, 2014
From Inactive to Active!
I have recently read some frightening news: in North
America, most adults sit for about 9 hours each day. To put it lightly, this is
terrible for your health. A sedentary lifestyle will cause your circulation to
constrict, slows down your metabolism, your muscles shut off as they are not
being used, and your connective tissue tightens. Over the long haul this could
lead to more serious health conditions and in my opinion, should be viewed as a
heart disease risk factor. This is a major issue, and could be the primary
cause, for the fitness level (or lack thereof) of people in North America. All this needs to change!
The possibility for change, great change, is born through
positive thought processes. This is shifting your mind from thinking “what you
don’t want” to “what you do want”. In order to do this there are a few steps
you should follow:
- Create a vision for what you’d like to create. Put it on a board, write it down, visualize where you want to go.
- Write a list of 5-10 inspirational books, stories, quotes, etc to help you learn more about the journey you are about to embark on and let you know that others have been in the same place that you are in.
- Start a journal. List the areas you’d like to improve and begin tracking your diet, activity level, moods, etc. If you feel like crap one day or lack motivation, you will be able to reference your journal to understand why.
- Take some time to sit quietly and be totally honest with yourself about where you are and where you’d like to go.
- Make a commitment to yourself to put aside time each day to nourish yourself. Your loved ones should understand that this is important for your overall health.
Once you have gotten your mind right it is now time to
organize a workout/activity plan. The following is for those who are currently living a sedentary lifestyle. A great first step is to do some work standing up. When compared to sitting, standing burns 1.36 kcal more per minute. Multiply that by the number of work hours in a day, say 8 hours, and you have burned an additional 500 calories. That is not a bad work day! If you can't stand at work, take regular movement breaks, have some walking meetings, run more errands, take the stairs, and just do something that involves movement. Remember that lack of movement will lead to disease and you need to use this motivation along the way. In addition, it is important to partake in some type of cardiovascular training. This could be as simple as walking your dog around the block five times throughout the day or using a treadmill. In a few short weeks you will be able to elongate those walks and before you know it you are walking 30-40 minutes with no problem! Then finally, the most important step, resistance training. Join in on group exercise, (on top of the workout, the social aspect is good for your overall well-being), buy a workout video, employ a trainer, or get some assistance elsewhere. Surround yourself with supportive people to help you along the way. Change is never easy, and it is especially hard when you do not have that support system to lean on. And when you lose focus or motivation, go back to those five steps previously outlined and evaluate your current progress. Great change begins in your mind. Be honest with yourself and create a vision for success!
Best of luck!
Chris Fluck
Friday, March 21, 2014
Preventing Running Pain
The high for this weekend has the temperature set at 59 degrees which means only one thing: spring is finally upon us. With that being said, I imagine a lot of you will be lacing up your running shoes and hitting the streets for some miles on the road (I, myself, might be one of the many). But runner beware, injuries to the ankle, feet, and knee are at an all-time high and often times it comes from a lack of strength and stability and our footwear can be at fault for this!
Over the last few decades there has been an influx of performance footwear. We have high tops, low tops, ankle taping, braces for the ankle or knee, different types of sleeves and the list can go on. On paper this seems like a great thing but our reliance on this has gotten a bit out of hand and could be the cause for many of our running related injuries. For example, let say we wear ankle braces as we run or exercise. This additional support and stability results in all but complete dismissal of mobility of the ankle joint. The lack of mobility prevents the ankle from doing its job of absorbing stress. But if the ankle is not absorbing stress what is? Hint: work upwards along the kinetic chain and what do you find? The knee joint. The primary function of our knee is to offer stability but the lack of ankle mobility forces the knee to take on a new role. This new role diminishes the knees ability to offer stability which will eventually lead to pain in, or around, the knee joint. And then we go out and look for knee supports to go with our ankle supports and next thing you know our hip is sore, or our back hurts and we look for the next band-aid solution instead of focusing on the real issue.
As you experience some pain your goal should be to restore function to the weak link in the chain. When you do this, you allow the surrounding links in the chain to function as they should. A very simple way to do this is to remove your shoes during your warm-ups or lower body weight training sessions. A book titled Born to Run gives good insight on the benefits of barefoot training. I am not recommending running miles upon miles barefoot or with minimalist shoes. You will be cruising for a stress fracture if you do this. I am recommending going through some warm-ups or weight training sessions without shoes on. Why go barefoot? Our foot is one of the most intricate pieces in our body. It has 26 bones, 33 joints, 12 rubbery tendons, and 18 muscles. This opens the door for tons of injury opportunities, especially when we have deconditioned musculature in the foot. When we go barefoot we strengthen the foot. The foot is the first link in our kinetic chain. As previously written, if there is a weakness in one part of our chain it will effect the next link. And when we cushion our foot with these fancy new shoes, molds, or braces, we decondition our foot musculature. As running legend Arthur Lydiard once said, "When you support an area, it gets weaker. Use it extensively, it gets stronger". Remember this when you purchase your next pair of shoes. And to reiterate my previous warning, if you try to go barefoot or minimalist shoes without first building strength, you are cruising for a stress fracture!
Enjoy the weather and hit the streets this weekend for some roadwork!
Chris Fluck
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
What I've Been Reading
My Top Three:
A Long Way Gone
This is the memoir of a man who grew up as a boy soldier in Sierra Leone, a once proud and friendly country, but is now going through a civil war. After a series of attacks on villages, men and boys as young as 9 were conned into fighting for their "army". They were told to "visualize the enemy, the rebels who killed your parents, your family, and those who are responsible for everything that has happened to you". Between that and the copious amounts of pills, marijuana and cocaine they were given, these boys turned into violent killers. Then one day a catholic organization, Children Associated with War (CAW), came to take the child soldiers away from their current state and re-unite them with their former community. This book puts life into perspective in terms of the struggles that we face in our own lives.
Gates of Fire
This book was long but definitely worth the read. This was the story of the Spartan warriors and the Battle of Thermoplylae told by the only Greek survivor (not exactly the same story that the movie 300 tells). Leading the Greek force were 300 Spartans. These men were chosen because they were all sires, which is basically men who had living sons. Should any of these men perish in battle, their family would live on through his son. An all-sire unit was essentially a suicide unit. After great initial success, they ultimately meet their match. There motivation: the man who stood at their shoulder. This book is a lesson in selflessness and believing in the greater good of a team, company or organization. Great read, highly recommended.
The Gift of Fear
This book was referenced in one of Malcolm Gladwell's books and fortunate that I was finally able to read it. This is a lesson in one of our basic survival signals: fear and trusting out intuition in potentially violent situations. Intuition is our most complex cognitive process but at the same time our simplest. This book is a step-by-step guide for individuals to trust their intuition when dealing with people and how to identify harmful character traits in those who we encounter. In the end, our goal remains the same, "avoid being in the presence of someone who might do you harm". This book is a tremendous resource on how to do just that!
Fitness Books
TRX Suspension Training. It was a basic guide to the benefits of the TRX training system. This unstable training approach allows you to perform bodyweight exercises with very low compressive forces but high muscle activation. That is a win-win in my book. Do not build an entire program around suspension training but mixing some of it in with your strength exercises will work wonders for core stability.
Kettlebells from the Ground Up
This one was a 40-plus page guide to the Turkish Getup and ways to improve it. It breaks the move down into 7 steps and offers drills to train this complex maneuver. This exercise is a must have and great way to boost strength without losing any mobility.
A Long Way GoneThis is the memoir of a man who grew up as a boy soldier in Sierra Leone, a once proud and friendly country, but is now going through a civil war. After a series of attacks on villages, men and boys as young as 9 were conned into fighting for their "army". They were told to "visualize the enemy, the rebels who killed your parents, your family, and those who are responsible for everything that has happened to you". Between that and the copious amounts of pills, marijuana and cocaine they were given, these boys turned into violent killers. Then one day a catholic organization, Children Associated with War (CAW), came to take the child soldiers away from their current state and re-unite them with their former community. This book puts life into perspective in terms of the struggles that we face in our own lives.
Gates of FireThis book was long but definitely worth the read. This was the story of the Spartan warriors and the Battle of Thermoplylae told by the only Greek survivor (not exactly the same story that the movie 300 tells). Leading the Greek force were 300 Spartans. These men were chosen because they were all sires, which is basically men who had living sons. Should any of these men perish in battle, their family would live on through his son. An all-sire unit was essentially a suicide unit. After great initial success, they ultimately meet their match. There motivation: the man who stood at their shoulder. This book is a lesson in selflessness and believing in the greater good of a team, company or organization. Great read, highly recommended.
This book was referenced in one of Malcolm Gladwell's books and fortunate that I was finally able to read it. This is a lesson in one of our basic survival signals: fear and trusting out intuition in potentially violent situations. Intuition is our most complex cognitive process but at the same time our simplest. This book is a step-by-step guide for individuals to trust their intuition when dealing with people and how to identify harmful character traits in those who we encounter. In the end, our goal remains the same, "avoid being in the presence of someone who might do you harm". This book is a tremendous resource on how to do just that!
Fitness Books
TRX Suspension Training. It was a basic guide to the benefits of the TRX training system. This unstable training approach allows you to perform bodyweight exercises with very low compressive forces but high muscle activation. That is a win-win in my book. Do not build an entire program around suspension training but mixing some of it in with your strength exercises will work wonders for core stability.
Kettlebells from the Ground Up
This one was a 40-plus page guide to the Turkish Getup and ways to improve it. It breaks the move down into 7 steps and offers drills to train this complex maneuver. This exercise is a must have and great way to boost strength without losing any mobility.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Football, Eating on the Road and 10,000 Swings
Every year I get an opportunity to go to travel a bit and attend clinics. The past few days I was in Atlantic City attending one of the Glazier Clinics for football coaching. There are a wide variety of speakers and any topic you can imagine. I had an opportunity to listen to some NFL, college and high school football coaches who have been doing it a lot longer than I and been through many of the same things other coaches do. It also gives you an opportunity to network a little and make some new contacts. I spent a great deal of time listening to Complete Quarterback founder Chris Johnston and got some great things from him. If any of you have a child looking to attend a camp or get some quarterback training, I'd highly recommend working with this company. You may even see me there working a camp or two!
When there is some good, there is also some bad. Eating healthy food during this trip was tough. I think the only time I saw a vegetable was on a hoagie or steak sandwich. Everything I planned to do just didn't work out. I forgot to bring some snacks, it was tough to stay hydrated, and I did not do any type of physical activity. A few days of inactivity never killed anyone but when you mix that with horrible food choices it is rough on the body. But tomorrow is a new day and a new training program.
Starting tomorrow, March 2nd, I will attempt a new program. Well, actually it is more of a challenge. This is called the 10,000 Swing challenge. Over 20 workouts, you will do 10,000 swings. I spent the past few weeks preparing my body (and grip) for this program. Over 20 workouts you will do 10,000 kettlebell swings. For men, you will use a 53 pound kettlebell. The women use a 35 pounder. Here is how you do it:
10 Swings
1 rep of strength exercise
15 Swings
2 reps of strength exercise
25 Swings
3 reps of strength exercise
50 Swings
Rest
That is one round. Repeat this four more times and you have 500 swings in one session. The strength exercises you choose from are the Military Press, Goblet Squat, Chinup, and Dip (for the dip you do 2-3-5 on the reps instead of 1-2-3). You change the strength exercise each session. This program is designed to test your grit, increase lean body mass, and reduce body fat.
Chris Fluck
Saturday, February 22, 2014
The Levels of Fitness Programming
Before we get into the good stuff, I want to go over what will make your program a success. There are many ways to train your body and there are many ways that work. The consistencies in the success stories deal with habit and structure. Without habitual behavior, it is going to be hard to reach your goals. Just like brushing your teeth has been ingrained in your daily routine. You want to create that same kind of habit with your lifting routine. In order to do that, create structure in your day and in your training schedule. You should always have a plan and have a purpose each time you enter the weight room. Execute your daily routine without deviation and the accountability for your actions will be improved. Now on to the training stuff!
There is a natural evolution of training. The first level is what I will call training freestyle. These people just show up to the gym, do whatever they want, and leave. Some training is always better than no training but when you aren't maximizing your time when you have no plan, no progression, and no record keeping. The second level of training is chop-shop programming. These individuals mix and match a bunch of different ideas they've read or got from their "mentors" and call that a program. The issue with this is that by doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that, you aren't really following a program. Programs are created for a reason. If you are going to follow one then do just that. Don't substitute this for that and think you are still doing the program. You're not! The third level is what I'll call exact recipe programming. This is the individual who religiously monitors their tempo, makes sure everything is working right, following someone's plan to a T, but put so much effort and energy into everything being perfect that they forget to train hard. The fourth level is template programming. This is the individual who has a plan and a rough idea on periodization. They are experienced enough to have a little flexibility and understand that some days you just might not have it. This individual is in it for the long haul.
For somebody that is looking to get to level four, I will give you some basic guidelines for how to start building your very own template. These workouts should be full body workouts done three days a week. A basic template is listed is as follows: upper body push, upper body pull, any type of squat, something that involves a hip hinge (Deadlift, KB Swing, Romanian Deadlift, etc), an exercise that is core/trunk related, and a loaded carry. The carry is often neglected but if you have an opportunity to push a sled or carry some heavy weights around, DO IT! They are a game changer and extremely taxing on your body. Every day you lift, you can change the exercises up a little so you aren't constantly doing the same stuff. So for the upper body push, bench one day, military press another, use dumbbells, press only one arm at a time, etc. Use the same variations with the other exercises as well. A simple rep scheme to follow in the beginning is a 10/8/6 program. There are many ways to do it but the 10/8/6 program is a good place to start. Each week you try to beat your previous weeks best lift. Lastly, never miss a rep (if it calls for 6 reps make sure you get 6) and never sacrifice quality for quantity. Take some time this weekend to put some ideas on paper and create your plan for the upcoming week. Keep me posted on how you're progressing!
Chris Fluck
There is a natural evolution of training. The first level is what I will call training freestyle. These people just show up to the gym, do whatever they want, and leave. Some training is always better than no training but when you aren't maximizing your time when you have no plan, no progression, and no record keeping. The second level of training is chop-shop programming. These individuals mix and match a bunch of different ideas they've read or got from their "mentors" and call that a program. The issue with this is that by doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that, you aren't really following a program. Programs are created for a reason. If you are going to follow one then do just that. Don't substitute this for that and think you are still doing the program. You're not! The third level is what I'll call exact recipe programming. This is the individual who religiously monitors their tempo, makes sure everything is working right, following someone's plan to a T, but put so much effort and energy into everything being perfect that they forget to train hard. The fourth level is template programming. This is the individual who has a plan and a rough idea on periodization. They are experienced enough to have a little flexibility and understand that some days you just might not have it. This individual is in it for the long haul.
For somebody that is looking to get to level four, I will give you some basic guidelines for how to start building your very own template. These workouts should be full body workouts done three days a week. A basic template is listed is as follows: upper body push, upper body pull, any type of squat, something that involves a hip hinge (Deadlift, KB Swing, Romanian Deadlift, etc), an exercise that is core/trunk related, and a loaded carry. The carry is often neglected but if you have an opportunity to push a sled or carry some heavy weights around, DO IT! They are a game changer and extremely taxing on your body. Every day you lift, you can change the exercises up a little so you aren't constantly doing the same stuff. So for the upper body push, bench one day, military press another, use dumbbells, press only one arm at a time, etc. Use the same variations with the other exercises as well. A simple rep scheme to follow in the beginning is a 10/8/6 program. There are many ways to do it but the 10/8/6 program is a good place to start. Each week you try to beat your previous weeks best lift. Lastly, never miss a rep (if it calls for 6 reps make sure you get 6) and never sacrifice quality for quantity. Take some time this weekend to put some ideas on paper and create your plan for the upcoming week. Keep me posted on how you're progressing!
Chris Fluck
Friday, February 14, 2014
Whatever happened to that kid?
This past weekend I had an opportunity to be around some coaching peers in Easton's wrestling room as we were there for a scrimmage. The topic of conversation quickly turned to long term athletic development with our wrestlers. We talked about those kids who dominated youth sports and then never heard of them again as they moved up in class or just stopped competing (70% of young athletes quit before the age of 13. The top three reasons: adults, coaches and parents). This isn't just a wrestling issue, it is a youth sports issue.
This is caused by the win-at-all costs youth sports environment (the same can be said for the AAU culture in basketball). The coaches at the lower levels are not talent identifiers, they are talent selectors. They choose the most physically developed kids for their team and cut the smaller, less athletic players because they can not help them win now. The cut players get put on lesser teams with lesser coaches and in weaker leagues. Some of these kids persevere, the others wither away. The "elite" kids train, get good coaching, but often rely on what has worked for them in the past when they had a physical advantage over their competition and are not as open to learn. This I have seen on many levels with wrestling. There are moves that work in the youth league that do not work in Junior High. There are moves that work in Junior High but not work well at the High School level. Same for High School to College to International competition. The kids who are able to adapt, display a work ethic, and are excited to learn will continue to improve. But the "elite" kids who aren't open to change and learning are the ones who fall off the map. As their physical advantages mitigate, they are supplanted by the kids who develop a little late, are more technical, coachable and have the grit to persevere because they had to do it the hard way.
How do we fix it? I believe there are two ways to develop our youth. The first is participation. The number one determinant when choosing a team to play for is actually getting on the field. Getting mat time, field time, track time, etc is a great learning tool. Sitting on the bench, not so much. Choose a team that will allow you to learn through competition. The second, shift the focus from wins and losses and put a focus on improving the root of your game. Continual, daily progress is the only way to sustain long term athletic development. Late bloomers are common in athletics and it important to not rush development. Stop cutting players at such a young age and focus on developing these players (and not just the elite ones). We need to focus on the root of sport. There is too much of a focus on competition without attention to individual detail.
Chris Fluck, CSCS
This is caused by the win-at-all costs youth sports environment (the same can be said for the AAU culture in basketball). The coaches at the lower levels are not talent identifiers, they are talent selectors. They choose the most physically developed kids for their team and cut the smaller, less athletic players because they can not help them win now. The cut players get put on lesser teams with lesser coaches and in weaker leagues. Some of these kids persevere, the others wither away. The "elite" kids train, get good coaching, but often rely on what has worked for them in the past when they had a physical advantage over their competition and are not as open to learn. This I have seen on many levels with wrestling. There are moves that work in the youth league that do not work in Junior High. There are moves that work in Junior High but not work well at the High School level. Same for High School to College to International competition. The kids who are able to adapt, display a work ethic, and are excited to learn will continue to improve. But the "elite" kids who aren't open to change and learning are the ones who fall off the map. As their physical advantages mitigate, they are supplanted by the kids who develop a little late, are more technical, coachable and have the grit to persevere because they had to do it the hard way.
How do we fix it? I believe there are two ways to develop our youth. The first is participation. The number one determinant when choosing a team to play for is actually getting on the field. Getting mat time, field time, track time, etc is a great learning tool. Sitting on the bench, not so much. Choose a team that will allow you to learn through competition. The second, shift the focus from wins and losses and put a focus on improving the root of your game. Continual, daily progress is the only way to sustain long term athletic development. Late bloomers are common in athletics and it important to not rush development. Stop cutting players at such a young age and focus on developing these players (and not just the elite ones). We need to focus on the root of sport. There is too much of a focus on competition without attention to individual detail.
Chris Fluck, CSCS
Saturday, January 25, 2014
New Year, New Opportunities
Thomas Edison once said that "opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work". There are many reasons that some seize opportunities and an even longer list of why people do not. Maybe you are worried about doing something wrong, not being totally prepared, feel unqualified, not willing to fail, or like Edison said, not willing to to put in the work. Opportunities do not come on our time. When they present themselves, we need to be ready!
This new year will bring on many new opportunities. In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell states: "as psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller the role innate talent plays and the bigger the role preparation plays". To discover what is possible, you need to have an idea where you want to go and how you are going to get there. This comes with preparation. If you aren't happy in your current state, do something about it. Create goals. Write it out on paper. And begin exploring new possibilities. Yes, this is going to take some work. But if you are willing to put in the work, and portray persistence and doggedness toward achieving your goals, the opportunities will eventually come in. And when that perfect opportunity knocks, you will have the presence of mind to seize it. If you don't, someone else will.
These past few months, that Edison quote couldn't be more true for me (which is why I have been slacking with these blog posts). I have been fortunate enough to be offered a few opportunities that I couldn't pass up: the first, Junior High wrestling coach, the second, a job offer at Steel Fitness Premier in Allentown. Combine that with previous work commitments and I watched my free time slowly disappear. Over this process I have learned a few things: never become content in your current state, make yourself available for new challenges, and don't stop pursuing what you want. Three months ago I interviewed at Steel Fitness Premier. After three interviews I never heard back from them. This was after striking out at another company. I was pretty bummed. Until a month ago I saw they had another job posting. I decided to apply once again and see what happens. As it turns out, management changed (I had no clue) and they were looking for new people and offered me a job. Not getting the offer the first time was a tough blow (sorry for the lack of a better word) but after I stopped pouting, I got over it. Opportunities aren't a thing of luck. Luck is winning the lottery. Opportunities come to those who go after them and explore the possibilities. And just like Edison said, it may take a little work but in the end, you can obtain anything you want if you stay persistent!
Hope you're staying warm and enjoying this winter weather!
Chris Fluck
This new year will bring on many new opportunities. In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell states: "as psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller the role innate talent plays and the bigger the role preparation plays". To discover what is possible, you need to have an idea where you want to go and how you are going to get there. This comes with preparation. If you aren't happy in your current state, do something about it. Create goals. Write it out on paper. And begin exploring new possibilities. Yes, this is going to take some work. But if you are willing to put in the work, and portray persistence and doggedness toward achieving your goals, the opportunities will eventually come in. And when that perfect opportunity knocks, you will have the presence of mind to seize it. If you don't, someone else will.
These past few months, that Edison quote couldn't be more true for me (which is why I have been slacking with these blog posts). I have been fortunate enough to be offered a few opportunities that I couldn't pass up: the first, Junior High wrestling coach, the second, a job offer at Steel Fitness Premier in Allentown. Combine that with previous work commitments and I watched my free time slowly disappear. Over this process I have learned a few things: never become content in your current state, make yourself available for new challenges, and don't stop pursuing what you want. Three months ago I interviewed at Steel Fitness Premier. After three interviews I never heard back from them. This was after striking out at another company. I was pretty bummed. Until a month ago I saw they had another job posting. I decided to apply once again and see what happens. As it turns out, management changed (I had no clue) and they were looking for new people and offered me a job. Not getting the offer the first time was a tough blow (sorry for the lack of a better word) but after I stopped pouting, I got over it. Opportunities aren't a thing of luck. Luck is winning the lottery. Opportunities come to those who go after them and explore the possibilities. And just like Edison said, it may take a little work but in the end, you can obtain anything you want if you stay persistent!
Hope you're staying warm and enjoying this winter weather!
Chris Fluck
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