Kids shouldn't train hamstrings?

Hi

Something interesting happened to me over the weekend.

I was working out on Saturday morning...

... For the record, I workout at one of those fluffy
national franchise chains.

You see, I'm reasonably well-known in my area to coaches, parents, athletes and other sport-performance trainers, and when I used to train at my own facility or other centers that catered to athletic populations, it seemed as though I couldn't ever get
a good flow going in my workouts because people were always
stopping to ask my questions or give feedback about my previous
week's newsletter.

And while I certainly never mind questions or comments, it's
really nice to have a few quiet moments to yourself in the gym.

But I digress...

I had just finished lifting and was set to mount up onto a
'Stair Master' to get in a few intervals.

All of a sudden, one of those spandex wearing Personal Trainers
was tapping me on the shoulder - she looked like she wanted to
ask me a question.

I politely unplugged from my IPod that was starting to hum out
a Guns N' Roses song (a personal favorite of mine during interval
time) to see what she wanted.

"I think you should know that you do the Stair Master wrong"
she started.

"Oh" I replied, "how should I be doing it".

Before I continue, let me point out that I have watched this
particular Personal Trainer work with clients for over 2 years
now...

... and it hasn't been pretty!

I mean, unless you workout in one of these national franchises
you may not be able to truly embrace what's wrong with the
Personal Training industry.

Every client I see her train, and I mean EVERY SINGLE client,
gets the EXACT same workout and experience:

- 45 degree Leg Press
- Smith Machine Split Squats
- Dumbbell bicep curls
- Leg extension
- Seated leg curl
- And my personal favorite...

... her talking on the cell phone for AT LEAST 1/3 of the
session!!!

Now, you've been receiving my newsletters for quite some time
so I'm not going to bore you (again!!) with all the problems
associated with her standard exercise selections.

I will say this, though...

... Why in the name of all that is reasonable and just can't
more Personal Trainers just leave those ridiculous machines
alone and teach people to, oh I don't know, LUNGE or SQUAT???

Back to the Stair Master...

"I notice that every time you use the Stair Master, you're
pushing from your toes", she informed me.

Wow, I thought to myself, apparently I'm being 'watched' in the
gym!!!

But I was eager to hear where this was going so I played along.

"Really" I said, "I wasn't aware of that. Is that bad?"

"Yes" she was kind of smirking now. "Whenever you do leg training, you're always on your toes and never work your hamstrings"

"I am?" I asked curiously.

"Well not just you, everybody"

"No one ever works their hamstrings?" I asked.

"No. Just think about it, when you squat or lunge or do leg
press, you're pushing from your toes all the time. The
hamstrings just don't get worked".

"Oh" I said. I was playing along, but this was becoming painful.

"Right, so when you do leg training on the Stair Master, It's
important to push from your heels because it's the only time
you can get good hamstring work in".

Apparently my lesson was over, because she walked away to take
a call from her cell phone that was ringing with the 1997 smash
hit 'I'm a Barbie Girl'...

... O.K, I made the 'Barbie Girl' part up, but it kind of fits
don't you think?

I climbed up on the Stair Master (working really hard to push
from my heels!) and thought about what I had just learned:

- The Stair Master is a form of leg training

- When you squat or lunge, you push from your toes and don't
work your hamstrings

- No one, in fact, EVER works their hamstrings

So, you may be thinking to yourself right now:

"Great Brian, thanks for proving what I already knew... A lot
of Personal Trainers are fools who have absolutely NO idea".

But the story doesn't end there.

As I walked out of the gym, I passed right by the Personal
Trainers' office.

And there, mounted on her office walls, were a bunch of
photographs...

You may be thinking right now that based on the story I just
told, that the pictures were of this particular Personal
Trainer in a bikini or two-piece spandex outfit on stage
either having her physique judged or performing some kind of
dance routine, right?

Wrong!

They were of her working with TEAM'S OF YOUNG ATHLETES.

That's right, this Personal Trainer, who doesn't think
that you EVER work your hamstrings with leg training or even
bother to teach people how to squat or lunge is a 'Conditioning
Specialist' for area YOUTH soccer teams.

It made me think... and it SHOULD be making you think too...

Coaches - Do you REALLY know how to assess and trust the skills
and abilities of the folks you hire to help with your teams?

Trainers - Are you positive you understand the specific
applications of how to train young athletes for speed, strength,
power and flexibility?

Parents - How can you be positive that the Trainers at your
son or daughters facility are truly top-notch professionals
and know what they're doing?

You need to have the assurances of world-class experts.

Professionals who can tell you EXACTLY LIKE IT IS based on their
years of experience and success.

In Youth Training Secrets, for example, I asked Robb Rogers
to tell me EXACTLY how to optimize the speed of young athletes
and how to determine whether or not a high school athlete was
100% ready for College sports.

If you're not familiar with Robb, let me just say that he is
someone to listen to.

This guy has been a professional Strength Coach at every level
conceivable - high school, College and pro.

He currently serves as the Training Director at a hospital-based
facility in Indiana and has a laundry list of former clients
that would make your jaw drop (including NFL legend, Junior
Seau).

During the interview, Robb talked about how he NEVER uses 40
yard dashes to train or test his young athletes.

He only uses 20 yards and the entire basis for that is founded
in potential damage to the hamstring (you know... the muscle you
never work during leg training!).

He also talks a great deal about leg training itself and his
concepts of 'strength fitness'. It really was fascinating.

He pulls together exercises such as squats, lunges, alternating
step-ups and squat jumps in order to perform giant sets (notice how their were no machines there!).

You should have a look at the Youth Training Secrets to see
what the world's TOP EXPERTS say about training and developing
young athletes.

I guarantee...

... There will be NO talk about machines and not training your
hamstrings during leg training!!

http://www.youthtrainingsecrets.com/1sc.htm

Isn't it time you had a resource that could make you sure about
what you're doing with young athletes and give you all the
information you need to be positive that you were hiring
the right people for your own kids or team?

Kids deserve better than the type of fool I chatted with on
the weekend... and so do you.

http://www.youthtrainingsecrets.com/1sc.htm

'Till next time,


Brian