I'm here for you, honest!

This is somewhat ironic.

I profess to be looking out for you and yet I forgot to queue this message. I have had this written for the better part of a month and I didn't get it sent off. Nice!

So here is a little ditty about support and how it goes in both directions.
****

A point about trainers and some of the resistance they encounter.

A psychologist I have on my support team noted that people don't expect you to be 100% supportive. Most people don't get that from family.

That is interesting. Make a mental note about your environment. Do you really have a supportive environment. Physically, nutritionally and no less important, emotionally.

What do you want to be surrounded by. Visualize the results you want. Strong and lean? Start thinking that way. Food, sneakers, workout plan, and time set aside. We can't really expect to get the
results we want if none, or even a couple, of the components are in place.

Positive support? That comes from within as much as outside of us.

I've recently been hired on as a mental skills coach for a local university varsity program. These are very successful athletes. And what do they work on to get the edge? Mental skills. Positive inner dialogue. Visualization.

If you do the same you will be well on your way to achieving your goals.

* Move of the day, more of a prompt really. Squeeze glutes, quads, hamstrings and draw your belly button in (not down, see the difference?).

Do this before any power move that involves spinal support or the spine directly. You could argue that every move directly involves the spine but we'll save that discussion for another day.

PS: Happy birthday to me!

A Recent Nutrition Presentation

Rather creative title, isn't it? Now,...

I just gave a sport nutrition seminar to an elite level girls
basketball team.

I had a blast. They were motivated, interested and oddly quiet. I
think they were a little tired, what with it being the weekend and
finals week coming up.

When it was all said and done I got one of the best compliments
ever from the head coach. No mean feat.

But, when all is said and done, elite athlete nutrition and
everyday nutrition are share a number of qualities.

Eat to support your needs. Don't be shy.

Be consistent. Planning ahead will help.

Drink water. Have a bottle handy.

Lean cuts of meat or go with alternatives. Be creative.

Vegetables and fruit are vitally important. Do I have to go into
this? Didn't think so.

After that don't make excuses. For health or performance, being
picky doesn't mean you can't eat enough.

It means you get to eat more of what you like! Aww, that's rough.

So be positive, plan ahead, and reap the rewards. One day at a
time. You'll blow the socks of your goals.

I am going to have the mp3 audio of that presentation available to
you soon. I'll keep you posted.

Enjoy.

Todd

PS: If you want the information from a researcher and educator in the
field of nutrition, and not l'il old me, look up Dr. Susan M
Kleiner. She'll set you on the right path. I've been to her
presentations and have two of her books. Read a couple others from
the library, one was a cookbook. Top notch stuff.

It's a chronological thing?

The nervous system makes no sense. It works beautifully. But there
is no rhyme or reason as to how we get here from there. There being
wee embryo.

So when coaching young athletes it is necessary to assess not only
their physical age but their emotional age. Some kids may be ready
for the hard physical stuff but not have the mental preparedness to
do it.

Some may be mentally ready to jump over buildings but not the
physical preparedness to do so.

We develop all parts of our neurological and physical system at the
same time. But there is no hard and fast rules about when to start
lifting weights, running maximally or going 100%.

Just because one 12 year old is ready to start training hard it
does not mean every 12 year old is ready.

This requires discipline on the coaches part to not push the
athlete in front of them into territory that will make them feel
uneasy.

This would be a negative event for the young athlete. And that is
the one thing that should be avoided during training.

This is why I joined the IYCA (IYCA.org). They focus on the
positive aspects of physical training and it's effect on the rest
of a child's life. It is fun and chalenging and preparatory for a
childs academic an dathleticcareer.

Kids have enough stress without getting yelled at during something
that is supposed to be fun.

So let's put the stop watches away and encourage growth,
athleticism and fun!

Have a great day!

Todd