Top 5 Quotes From the Performbetter Summit, Chicago
Top 5 Quotes from the Perform Better Summit, Chicago
Last weekend, Perform Better held another well done Functional Training Summit, this one in Chicago, IL. I had the chance to attend and learn from many of the leaders in the field of functional training. The summit featured 27 speakers from a number of different disciplines, and most offered both a lecture and a hands-on session. To be honest, I found myself a bit star-struck to be learning from some of the experts PB had assembled: Gray Cook, Lee Burton, Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove, Stuart McGill, Mark Verstagen, Thomas Plummer, all rock stars in their own right, and all assembled in Chicago to share their knowledge with a record crowd (nearly 1,000 attendees). Some spoke about advances in functional training, some spoke of the business side of things, and some spoke about the future of the industry. Since I am both a business owner and a strength coach, I was able to take home a ton of valuable information, but there were 5 quotes from the presentations I saw that stuck with me and will likely shape the way I train (and do business) in the future. A few of these may relate to you, so hopefully you can learn from the experts, too.
"Write programs, not workouts." -Alwyn Cosgrove, Cutting Edge Business Principles
For those of you who are currently coaching clients, think about this quote as you are quickly scribbling down a workout for a client 5 minutes before he comes through the door to train. Creating individual workouts shows a lack of vision for you clients, and does them a great disservice. They come to you because you are their expert. They are paying to come see you, so they obviously have some end goal in mind that is different from where they are now. Without a vision and long term goals set for your clients, you are more than likely "exercising" them, not training them. By writing a program, you ensure from day one that you are determining a direction for your training.
"You are better off saying nothing rather than giving an internal cue" -Nick Winkleman, The Science of Coaching: Applying Theory in Practice
This was an eye opener for me. There are few absolutes out there but based on the studies Winkleman shared in his presentation, it is clear that you should never give internal cues to the clients you are coaching. An internal cue is an instruction given that relates to the inside of the body, e.g. "You have to extend your hips," or "keep your head back." This is something I was guilty of, and I am sure I am not the only one. We need to understand that some of our clients are a) not familiar with certain muscle actions, or b) not familiar with where their body is in space, so these cues do nothing for them. Winkleman quoted a study (Salmoni et al, 1984) which demonstrates too much internal feedback from a coach is actually detrimental to performance of a task. This study literally showed that no feedback at all is better than giving too many internal cues. Instruction must be anchored to something outside the athlete, e.g. "push the floor away from you," or "drive your heel to the back wall." So instead of telling guys to "lengthen your spine," it is more effective to say "reach the top of your head to the ceiling."
"Improve performance by improving linkage to the hips." -Dr. Stuart McGill, Painful Backs: Cause, Corrective Exercised, and Progressions to Performance
It is clear to most coaches that the core/trunk muscles are not trained to generate power, but to transmit it. This simple sentence from McGill is a great way to visualize a rock solid connection from the bottom of the rib cage to the hips, and understand how it can improve performance. McGill also spoke of "leaking" power out of a movement by having a sloppy or unstable core. These are very simple words, but they have great value. McGill is truly a master, and has a way of phrasing ideas so they come right up and smack you in the face. His presentations were so great, I very nerd-ily felt compelled to have him sign my copy of his book.
"We don't MAKE movement, we GROW movement." -Gray Cook, Mobility, Motor Control, Movement
Cook spoke a lot about the progressive nature of human movement, and the development of patterns rather than individual muscles. Using the examples of an infant leaning to crawl or walk, he demonstrated that movement cannot simply be created, it must be learned and grown from a base of certain patterns an individual has already learned. Movements are built upon progressions, so you literally add skills piece by piece until a new pattern is learned. I like this quote because I picture a seed being grown from the ground. It starts small, gains strength, and then grows to full potential over time.
"Encourage a behavior upgrade" -Mark Verstagen, Our Future Prospective: Pro-Active Health Through Performance
This is just a new way to help client's habits away from the gym. Verstagen mentioned that people tend not to react positively to a coach telling them to change the way they do things at home (diet, sleep habits, night life, etc). Asking a person to change is a big deal. The term "upgrade" is soft enough to keep from scaring people and positive enough to encourage a lifestyle change.
These were 5 valuable pieces of information that I took away from the weekend. Keep in mind, I went to 1 presentation every hour (there were 4 to chose from every hour) for the entire weekend. That means I only saw a quarter of the presentations. There was so much valuable information to gain from the super stars who spoke, I just wish I could have seen more of the presentations. I'm looking forward to next year's summit already. Hopefully you took something away from these quotes. Train hard.
Brian Sipotz, CSCS
Advantage Strength and Conditioning
Advantagestrength.com
