This entry was posted on
December 21, 2009 by Mike Robertson.
It was tagged with
IFAST.
Morpheus
As I noted in my blog this past Saturday, last week Mike the Intern
finished up his internship at IFAST. I think he's well on his way to becoming a
fantastic coach, and I sincerely hope his time at our gym was beneficial
for him.
Since we get a ton of questions about our internship process, I figured
I'd write up a quick blog about what we do, as I think the answer might
surprise you.
Obviously, when getting an intern in at the facility, you have no clue
what their background education is like. It's interesting, as every
school has different requirements and standards with regards to the
educational process. Some are quite strong in the basic sciences
(chemistry, physics, anatomy, etc.), while others leave a lot to be
desired.
Before coming in, we have a "Required Reading" list that I want all of
our future interns to work throug. (If you're interested, many are
already listed on my Resources page.) This not only
makes sure they have at least some science and foundational material, but
that they also have an idea of how Bill, Wayne and I feel philosophically
as well. With school, jobs, and social lives they may not make it
through all of the materials, but they're already light-years ahead of
their peers before they ever step foot in the door.
The next step is also probably the hardest one: To get them
thinking for themselves. Quite often, Bill and I will challenge them
on even the most trivial thoughts. Much like Morpheus' proposition to
Neo in the movie "The Matrix," they need to decide on whether they're
going to take the red pill or the blue pill.
Do they want to be spoon-fed information for their entire coaching
career? To be blissfully ignorant in their future coaching
pursuits?
Or, do they want to take the reins, learn as much as possible, and then
critically evaluate how any piece of information can help improve their
training of clients and athletes?
Quite simply, with critical thinking we are engaging them to start developing their own training
philosophy.
Luckily, each of our interns thus far has chosen the latter. It's
not as easy as reading an article and "doing it." Instead, you have
to read everything with a critical mind. Keep in mind I did not say a
pessimistic mind, because that's short-sighted. Rather, you need to
always critically evaluate the role of new methods or means into your
training program. You don't simply do it because so-and-so said
so.
By the end of their internship at IFAST, interns are competent at
taking a new client through an assessment, writing up a training program,
and taking them through individual training sessions.
They aren't perfect, but then again, neither am I. The goal is to
get them a core level of competency, from which they can build upon going
forward. Just as you need a solid foundation for your physical
development, you also need a solid foundation for further coaching
development as well.
Most importantly, I hope we give our interns the ability to think
critically when reading articles or attending seminars. These
critical thinking skills, along with the basic competencies they develop,
start to build their own, unique coaching and training philosophy.
It may not be the easy way, but in my opinion, it's definitely the
right way.
This entry was posted on
November 30, 2009 by Mike Robertson.
It was tagged with
IFAST.
Aaron Cunanan
While revising the IFAST
Website this weekend, I got an amazing testimonial from one of our
former clients, Aaron Cunanan. Rather than mince his words, I'll just
give you the testimonial.
I moved back to the Indianapolis area in January 2009. I was in between
jobs and had a lot of free time on my hands, so I thought I’d look
into joining a gym. I came across IFAST’s website and saw the offer
for the free assessment and two-week trial. In all honesty, I was thinking
I’d enjoy the benefits of the complete assessment and two free weeks
of gym time, and then just join some generic gym. Luckily, things
didn’t quite turn out that way.
From the very beginning
when I first talked to Mike to schedule my assessment, it was clear to me
that these guys treat all of their clients as individuals. At the time, I
had a little bit of experience with the Olympic lifts and was interested in
focusing my training around them. Mike suggested I have Bill do my
assessment, because of Bill's experience with those lifts and programming
for the sport.
Mike and Bill were great about providing
feedback on what I was doing well and how I could improve my training. More
importantly, they were effective at communicating all of the concepts they
were trying to get across. As I spent more time at the gym, I noticed that
was the case with all of their clients. Whether it was someone looking to
lose weight or an Olympic-level athlete, Mike and Bill were able to address
each person’s strengths and deficiencies and help them progress and
get results. It didn’t take me long to recognize there was something
different about IFAST. I knew I wasn’t going to be leaving for just
“some other gym”.
Both Mike and Bill recognized
some raw talent I had with the lifts and encouraged me toward competition.
It had always been something I was interested in, but I never really gave
it a serious thought. When you hear something from established training
professionals like Mike and Bill, you tend to give it a little more weight.
I can honestly say, if it wasn’t for them, I never would have begun
competing.
After my first competition in April 2009, I started
to also work with USAW Regional Coach Grant “Rufus” Gardis.
Mike and Bill were very receptive to me working with Grant and took the
opportunity to improve their knowledge on training and coaching of the
lifts. While their knowledge of movement and the human body is
encyclopedic, they are always looking to expand their expertise by learning
from and working with the best in the sport and fitness industry.
In August 2009, I had the opportunity to move to Shreveport, LA, to
train at the USAW High Performance and Development Center. I am currently
training toward my first national-level competition, with my sights set on
the international stage. If it wasn’t for Mike and Bill, and their
tremendous encouragement, support, and skill, I wouldn’t be where I
am now. Thank you, Mike! Thank you, Bill! -Aaron Cunanan
If you live in the Indianapolis area, you owe it to yourself to check
out IFAST. Just follow the link below to find out more about our gym
and how we can help you achieve your fitness-related goals!
The other day I was reminded of my first real job. Growing up on a farm I always
had to do things like cut the grass, bail hay, etc., but I’m talking
about my first job where I had to actually drive to work, got a real
paycheck, etc.
I worked at a local restaurant named Shoney’s. I’m
not sure how many of you even remember this place, but it was kind of like
a Golden Corral before they became popular. I decided to work there
because Kambi (a good girlfriend of mine) was a server there, and she
promised she could get me a job.
The job obviously had benefits – I actually made some money, got
to work with a good friend, and at the end of every shift my bros in the
back would hook me up with a serious bacon cheeseburger.
NEVER discount the power of a
well-cooked bacon cheeseburger.
The downside, however, was the fact that as a dishwasher/table busser,
I was kept pretty busy. Not to mention the fact that all it takes is
cleaning peoples plates for 5 or 6 hours to really put a dent in your
appetite!
I clearly remember on one particular Sunday when I was scheduled to
work at 6 am. It was weird because this was the first time I’d
ever worked a Sunday, and I wasn’t fully aware of what the terms
“all-you-can-eat buffet” meant to me as the ONLY busser
scheduled that morning.
I kid you not, this was one of the single worst days of my life.
It was like a sea of dishes – I would start to get things caught up,
and then I’d get slammed when the next 10 tables got up at the same
time.
People were constantly coming in and out, eating about five times more
than they probably should, and dirtying up so many plates I never did get
caught up until the buffet finished around 2 pm. My back and shoulders
ached for at least 3 days afterwords. It was ridiculous.
Needless to say, that was the last Sunday I ever worked! But more
importantly, I thought about why bussing tables and washing dishes bugged me
so much…
It was damn near impossible to quantify any progress. It
seemed as though the more tables I bussed, the more dishes I cleared, it
didn’t matter. I wasn’t getting caught up, and it was
never-ending. It was a revolving door of dishes.
Now I’m sure you’re wondering, how in the hell does this
relate to IFAST clients?
Well, it means everything if you ask me.
When Bill and I opened our gym, we had a very clear concept in our
minds – most importantly, we knew we weren’t going to cater to
the typical bros in your local fitness facility. We wanted people
that were serious about progress – dropping pounds, adding muscle, or
simply getting stronger.
The bottom line was, we wanted to see progress. Now don’t
get me wrong, I’m all for moral victories from time-to-time, but
numbers don’t lie.
If you’ve been checking out our blog lately, you’ll see the
before and afters of our clients. These are real people, achieving
real results.
At IFAST, we have everything from the typical fat loss clients
who’s trying to get in better shape, up to elite level powerlifters
and Olympic-level athletes. Everyone gets along, because everyone
there is goal-oriented and focused on improving themselves.
If you’re serious about improving yourself and seeing what you
can do, why not contact us today? There’s no need to wait for
the New Year – get a 3 month jump start on everyone else and
get started today!
Give us a call at 317.578.0998 or shoot us an e-mail to
indyfast@gmail.com. You won’t regret your decision!
This entry was posted on
August 18, 2009 by Mike Robertson.
It was tagged with
IFAST.
Weight Loss
Normally I don't like linking to my newsletters, but you should
definitely check out the restuls from our Physique Transformation
Challenge. Just follow the link below:
Morpheus
