I love Nike. I love the NTC app and I see on twitter and Instagram all these great events that they have. It seems as though most of the NTC events are in the states. America has tons of amazing trainers that are Nike NTC trainers or affiliates but here in Canada. I only know of one Nike Trainer. I have no idea how they selected her or why. I've inquired to every outlet or anyone involved in Nike that I can get in contact with on how to apply, how to audition or how to become an influencer in Canada but no one can give me an answer. Or I get short turned with they're figuring out how to identify influencers. I just want to be part of a community of like minded trainers that genuinely care and do a good job at motivating people. I feel that having a Nike NTC trainer role is a great outlet to do just that. My passion is helping athletes and clients achieve goals and keeping them motivated.
So finally A few weeks ago I saw a post on Facebook about the Toronto Nike NTC classes. They posted a link showing you when the next classes were and gave a link to sign up. I sent a bunch of my clients e-mails and asked if they wanted to go. YAY Nike NTC events! A few of my clients were available and said yes. So we all registered. Leading up to the event I did not receive a reminder e-mail or any other sort of notification. Fine. Not a big deal since I put everything in my agenda.
Even though I was in an accident on May 29th I am limited to the things that I can do with both my hand and my knee. I am great at knowing my limitations and being able to modify exercises so I decided I would still participate (this was my first time working out since the accident), so I decided to still go.
Upon arrival at the Academy of Lions (where the event was held) there were signs for Nike NTC. I walked into the store front area of the gym and no one greater me, told me to register or had me fill out a waiver (which needs to be done or I could sue for injury and liability). I then noticed some girls coming in and signing in at the front desk. I signed in. No one spoke to me with any direction or information on where to wait. So I sat and observed. Then we saw a small sign on the entrance of the changing rooms that said Nike NTC register at front desk. A little late but there it was. About 10 minutes later the front desk guy from the gym comes up and asks myself and my client if we were new to the NTC class. We said yes and he said ok I will need to get you to sign a waiver. He left and came back to the group again with no waivers for us.
At this point the instructor came and said "ok guys lets run to the park like we always do." NO INTRODUCTION, NO QUESTIONS, DIDNT ASK IF ANYONE WAS NEW, DIDNT ASK IF ANYONE HAD ANY INJURIES, NOTHING! So we proceed to go to the park. Halfway through the warmup the instructor finally acknowledge that I had a knee injury and gave me one alternate to the exercise we were doing. OK THANKS! I proceeded to modify every other exercise given in the circuit training MYSELF. The workouts lasted approximately 35 minutes then a 10 minute stretch. Yes I worked up a sweat but it probably was because of the sun.
My experience with that particular NIKE NTC class at The Academy of Lions was sub par. The instructor was fit, but must be comfortable in her role. A simple welcome to NTC class would have been great and a bit of her background. A greeting at the club upon arrival would have been nice and a waiver presented to me would have been great. I wouldn't recommend this particular Saturday morning NTC class for very beginner exerciser. Very little exercise correction was offered, I don't think it was conducted safely and the instructors enthusiasm was less than stellar. Exercises were done on pavement (bad for joints, knees etc).
Overall I would rate the circuit style NTC bootcamp a 3/10. Now don't get me wrong. Im sure not all the classes are like this in Toronto or all the instructors are like this but I was very disappointed with my experience. Let me know if you have done a Nike NTC class and how your experience was in the comments below.
Did You See Train It Right in Impact Magazine's March/April Issue?
Alicia was asked to write an article about 5k and 10k training that included core speed. Did you pick up a copy?
For some strange reason, range of motion in the fitness world seems to be completely misunderstood with trainers having their clients only do partial range movements saying its full range (partial does not mean full) and trainees performing these ranges. So with this in mind I will quickly explain what Range of Motion or ROM actually is in a human movement setting:
WHAT IT IS
Range of motion (ROM) is as its name suggest, the range to which a body part can move properly in space while attached to another. Typically what this means is how many degrees of flexion or extension a joint can go thru. Here are 3 prime examples of full ROM:
Squats: While maintaining a flat/neutral back position, bending at the knees, hips and ankles one lowers their buttocks until the hamstring covers the calf while the feet remain flat on the ground.
Bench Press (any barbell variation):Keeping the shoulders and glutes on the bench, one bends their elbows and shoulder joint lowering the bar until it is in contact with the chest
Pull/Chin-up: Starting from a full hang (elbows are not flexed), pull the body up by bending the elbow and shoulder until the chin has passed the bar and until the forearm and bicep have made contact.
So what does this mean?
First take a look at any joint in the human body, the joint has a range of motion that it was designed to be able to go thru whether under additional external resistance or not. Many people will advocate that full ROM training will damage the joint and these people are what I like to call……..WRONG!
By training the joints thru their entire range of motion, this will actually make the joint healthier than continuous partial range training.............
With the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics just a couple of weeks away let’s take a look at one aspect of getting to the highest level in a sport, Strength training. While yes a vast majority of sport specific coaches have a decent understanding of strength training the truth is their expertise is the specific skill and tactical development of the sport which is why athletes need an additional component to their support staff, Strength and Conditioning Coaches.
Using track and field as an example, the main staples that 90% of track coaches program for their athletes are:
Power Cleans
Partial Range Back Squats
Barbell Flat Bench Press
[insert random abdominal exercise here]
As a strength coach I have to look not only at what will improve performance by making the athlete faster (stronger to improve stride length) but also what will prevent injury and the biggest injury in the sport is a hamstring injury, but yet not one of the above exercises addresses the issue of ensuring the hamstring is sufficiently strong to prevent being overpowered by the quadriceps and glutes and then leading to a strained/pulled hamstring. This can then be extended to every sport and the specific strength qualities related to them whether its acceleration/power, speed, strength, endurance, strength endurance.
Strength Coaches study and are better equipped than sport specific coaches to find various imbalances and then using the tools in our toolbox, scientifically formulate a program to reduce the discovered imbalance to reduce injury risk and improve athletic performance whether that’s running speed, jump height, racquet speed or punching power. This requires another approach to periodization training and even mini periodization within a specific training cycle/block to maximize the effect of training to translate onto the field of play. Just in a program this includes:
Exercise selection
Variation of exercise selection (Range of motion, implement, grip, angles)
Specificity to sport skills, tasks and movements
Taking into account physical and emotional demands of practice
Taking into account physical (metabolical, hormonal, neurological) and emotional demands of training session (repititions, sets, intensity/load, tempo and speed of movement, rest intervals, range of motion)
Nutritional demands and status of athlete
Elite athletes need to have a strength coach in their support staff to help to ensure they are physically ready to perform at their highest level, to be their strongest/fittest for competition. Take a look at every NCAA collegiate program, they have a department dedicated to strength and conditioning for this very reason.
To perform at the highest levels, elite athletes require their training to be catered and specific towards them. This gives the added NEED to have an additional coach who specializes in strength and conditioning training to ensure the athlete is at their best when in competition and able to handle the rigors and demands of day to day practices and come out of it healthy.
- Tony Risling
I found out about this app just recently and it's so good to show your athletes and clients what they need to improve on and where things are going wrong. It's called coaches eye. It costs only $4.99 and is totally worth ever cent. Search for it In the App Store.
Every four years, talented Jewish athletes from all over the world meet in Israel for The Maccabiah Games and display courage, determination, sportsmanship and most of all Jewish pride.
I am honored and excited to have qualified and have been chosen as team Canada Sprint and Hurdle Coach to represent Canada at the 19th Maccabiah Games, July 2013. At the Maccabiah Games, “The Jewish Olympics” compete in over 40 different sports and celebrate our Jewish heritage and our love, support and connection to Israel. I will be part of a world delegation of more than 8,000 Jewish athletes. Our Canadian team will be composed of over 600 athletes, coaches, medical and support staff. The Maccabiah is the 3rd largest sporting event in the world and is the most significant social tradition of the Jewish people and the Zionist Movement in recent generations.
Maccabi Canada is a volunteer based national registered amateur sports organization that strives to promote Jewish identity and a strong bond with Israel by using sport as a medium. Through the promotion of athletic, cultural and educational programs,Maccabi Canada has provided a way for the athletes to connect with their roots. Even though I am not Jewish I am honored to be selected as team coach.
There is no feeling like the one an athlete experiences, playing to represent their country. The opportunity to coach at an international meet, and meet lifelong friends and experience growing from the fine athletes of today into the leaders of tomorrow.
The cost of going to the games is high and covers my airfare, accommodation, medical care, insurance, team uniform, and other expenses.
Please support my journey and help me realize my dream of proudly representing Canada by donating to Maccabi Canada in my honour. Any amount will get me closer to my goal, your generosity is greatly appreciated.
Hey everyone!
Every four years, talented Jewish athletes from all over the world meet in Israel for The Maccabiah Games and display courage, determination, sportsmanship and most of all Jewish pride.
I am honored and excited to have qualified and have been chosen as team Canada Sprint and Hurdle Coach to represent our country at the 19th Maccabiah Games, July 2013. At the Maccabiah Games, “The Jewish Olympics” compete in over 40 different sports and celebrate our Jewish heritage and our love, support and connection to Israel. I will be part of a world delegation of more than 8,000 Jewish athletes. Our Canadian team will be composed of over 600 athletes, coaches, medical and support staff. The Maccabiah is the 3rd largest sporting event in the world and is the most significant social tradition of the Jewish people and the Zionist Movement in recent generations.
Maccabi Canada is a volunteer based national registered amateur sports organization that strives to promote Jewish identity and a strong bond with Israel by using sport as a medium. Through the promotion of athletic, cultural and educational programs, Maccabi Canada has provided a way for the athletes to connect with their roots. Even though I am not Jewish I am honored to be selected.
There is no feeling like the one an athlete experiences, playing to represent their country. The opportunity to coach at an international meet, and meet lifelong friends and experience growing from the fine athletes of today into the leaders of tomorrow.
The cost of going to the games is high and covers my airfare, accommodation, medical care, insurance, team uniform, and other expenses.
Please support my journey and help me realize my dream of proudly representing Canada by donating to Maccabi Canada in my honour. Any amount will get me closer to my goal, your generosity is greatly appreciated.
To donate to Maccabi Canada in my honour, please click:
Check out the gorgeous Jeanette Jenkins aka The Hollywood Trainer on the Ricki Lake show taping a segment. She looks radiant. Jeanette's energy is amazing! You can follow her on twitter here: https://twitter.com/JeanetteJenkins
Every four years, talented Jewish athletes from all over the world meet in Israel for The Maccabiah Games and display courage, determination, sportsmanship and most of all Jewish pride.
I am honored and excited to have qualified and have been chosen to represent Canada at the 19th Maccabiah Games as a Coach for Track and Field, July 2013. At the Maccabiah Games, “The Jewish Olympics” compete in over 40 different sports and celebrate our Jewish heritage and our love, support and connection to Israel. I will be part of a world delegation of more than 8,000 Jewish athletes. Our Canadian team will be composed of over 600 athletes, coaches, medical and support staff. The Maccabiah is the 3rd largest sporting event in the world and is the most significant social tradition of the Jewish people and the Zionist Movement in recent generations.
Maccabi Canada is a volunteer based national registered amateur sports organization that strives to promote Jewish identity and a strong bond with Israel by using sport as a medium. Through the promotion of athletic, cultural and educational programs, Maccabi Canada has provided a way for me to connect with my Jewish roots and with Israel.
There is no feeling like the one an athlete or coach experiences, playing to represent their country. The opportunity to compete against the best Jewish athletes in the world, meet lifelong friends and experience growing from the fine athletes of today into the leaders of tomorrow.
The cost of going to the games is high and covers my airfare, accommodation, medical care, insurance, team uniform, and other expenses.
Please support my journey and help me realize my dream of proudly representing Canada by donating to Maccabi Canada in my honour. Any amount will get me closer to my goal, your generosity is greatly appreciated.
