Become a Youth Fitness Specialist

May 21, 2008 · Filed Under Youth Fitness · Comment 

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It Starts Today - Join the Youth Fitness Revolution

Lock yourself in as one of the ‘First 500′ fitness professionals able to gain access to the fastest growing and most opportunity-rich niche this industry has seen in decades.

If you miss your chance now, the doors will be closed until further notice.

Here the private and exclusive link for readers of Youth Training and Coaching:

BECOME A YOUTH FITNESS SPECIALIST- Click Here Now

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This is your chance to revive your career. Re-focus your life’s mission.

Gain full access to the largest market surge this industry has seen in decades. Become part of an international mission and worthwhile cause. IYCA has officially launched it’s brand new ‘Level 1 - Youth Fitness Specialist’ certification today.

And am giving you the distinct opportunity of becoming part of something very special.

That statement is truly at the core of my thoughts today.

“Being part of something special”

As Trainers and Coaches, we are used to the basic realities of life in our industry; College Degree, Certification, Long Hours, Unstable Financial Future, Day Off or Vacation = No Income

And while we all gain degrees of satisfaction when helping clients succeed, we tend to be a little empty inside.

How do we take our careers to the next level?

How do we positively impact the lives of more people without having to work even more hours?

How do we really become the ‘go to’ expert we’ve always wanted to be?

Countless resources have shown two things about the world of fitness and sport training:

1. It is consistently considered one of the most expanding industry’s on the planet

2. It has one of the highest attrition rates in any industry

Don’t those seem like contradictory terms? Well, they are. But that’s because most people don’t understand how to read between the lines.

Yes… This is a $100 billion a year market in the United States alone. So opportunity really is everywhere.

But how do you go about creating a career in such a vast marketplace when trading your time for an hourly rate is about all you are positioned to do?

You charge $60 an hour. And if you’re lucky, you have a daily client load that looks something like this:

5:00 - 6:00am = Client 1
6:00 - 7:00am = Client 2
7:00 - 8:00am = Client 3
12:00 - 1:00pm = Client 4
3:00 - 4:00pm = Client 5
5:00 - 6:00pm = Client 6
6:00 - 7:00pm = Client 7

7 clients a day at $60 per session isn’t bad, right?

That’s roughly $100,000 a year.

Now here’s the thing…

… Do you really make $100,000 a year?

I don’t know many Trainers who do. And even if you do, that’s based on:

:: A 14 hour day
:: No days off
:: No vacations

How do you live a healthy and full life outside of your work schedule?

When do you have time to learn more?

When do you have time to create a business plan that allows you to gain leverage and take control of your schedule?

When do you have time to create a marketing platform on which to become that ‘go to’ expert you know you can be?

The reality is you can’t. Now, I say all that to illustrate a point.

Smart professionals in every field know how to look objectively at the industry within which they work and consider the future. Where the market is going. And when you take the time to assess that information, you can take advantage of a market shift at the beginning of its change.

Those smart and fortunate few become ‘The First’. And with anything else in life, being ‘The First’ comes with a staggering list of benefits and opportunities.

This is YOUR opportunity…

It is no secret and I have made no bones about the fact that the Youth Fitness and Youth Sports Training niches are THE next big thing in this industry.

:: More than $4 billion are spent annually in the U.S. alone
:: ‘Opportunity-oriented industry’ according to Entrepreneur
:: Over 1 million youths hired a Trainer last year alone

Through the IYCA, I have opened the door to this market surge for you. A new ‘Gold Standard’ of credentials that is already branded.

Free 3-month access to a wealth of business information guaranteed to enhance the success of your career.

An international network and family of professionals working towards a common goal.

An organization who has high profile partners and endorsers the world over.

This is your opportunity to become ‘part’ of something special.

But you need to be one of the ‘First 500′ to do it.

Somewhere around 1 million fitness professionals worldwide will be exposed to this opportunity today.

But only 500 will be allowed access. At 501, the doors close. Below is the link I want you to click on. And even if you don’t want to read the website, do me one favor.

Watch the short videos and listen to the audio I’ve placed there just for you.

These are real fitness professionals just like you. They also worked long hours and lived the very difficult life of a fitness professional. Watch and listen to what they say. Hear the passion in their voices. Understand what becoming part of my mission has done for their careers and their lives.

And then decide if you want to be part of my exclusive ‘First 500′.

Here’s that link -

Become Part of the Revolution - Click Here Now

One more thing…

Read this quote from Donovan Owens, a recent new member of the IYCA:

“The content contained within the IYCA certification materials provides the most technical, practical and applicable education that I have EVER experienced.  The IYCA is REAL PEOPLE taking EXTRAORDINARY actions to change the face of youth fitness and sport training around the world.  I couldn’t be more  honored to be involved in spreading that vision”

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Here’s your ‘First 500′ link one more time -

Click Here Immediately and Become Part of the ‘First 500′

It’s time to take action.

Pre-Game Meal | Pre-Practice Snacks

May 21, 2008 · Filed Under Nutrition · 1 Comment 

What healthy snacks or meals should I eat before a game or practice?

We hear this question - but perhaps not often enough. Having coached youth sports I see more bad habits than I would like; candy bars, high sugar content drinks and other “not so good” food choices.

Here are some general rules of thumb to foll for pre-game meals, pre-practice snacks:

  • One meal is not going to make up for a generally poor eating habits. But for the most part, like most things in life, you need to strive for balance in your everyday diet. This is easier said then done with youth players. The greater effect on performance is really what you ate leading up to the game or practice - not what you eat or drink right before a game.
  • The idea that most people think of when considering what to eat before a practice or a game is to eat in order to provide “energy”. Ideally you want to eat so you have energy to carry you through the game, but you don’t want to eat so that you feel too full and/or experience discomfort.
  • Generally, a snack taken before an activity will help fuel you for that practice or game (depending on how long the sport lasts), and also help you from becoming over hungry after the workout.
  • It usually takes our bodies about 3 or 4 hours to digest a moderate sized meal and about one or two hours to process a light snack (these numbers depend a lot on the type of food you’re eating, not to mention your very own metabolic rate). It’s a good idea to allow some time for digestion prior to any strenuous activity.
  • If you have practice or a game late in the afternoon, eat breakfast and lunch. Include plenty of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain cereals, fruit, and vegetables. These replace muscle glycogen (our bodies’ storage form of carbohydrates), and are important, especially if you exercise every day. Without replacing glycogen, your muscles will feel weak and performance may suffer.
  • Hydration is critical to performance - generally speaking youth athletes are not properly hydrated throughout the day and when you add n a practice or game it tips the scales even further. Keep in mind, our muscles are approximately 70 percent water. So it should go without saying that you need to keep the muscles hydrated in order to perform. Dehydrated muscles don’t do so well, are dangerous and often times lead to cramps. The key is to drink water throughout the day (we send our son into school with a water bottle that he sips throughut the day). 
  • Eat healthy snacks or energy providing foods between larger meals. Try not to go longer than 4 hours without eating - professional athletes often times eat 5-6 smaller meals a day. 
  • Healthy foods and pre-game or pre-practice snacks:
     - fruit (e.g., bananas, oranges, apples, or grapes)
    - fruit juices (watered down, use half water half fruit juice)
    - unsalted crackers
    - graham crackers
    - plain bagels (no topping ie., butter, cream cheese…)
    - non- or low-fat yogurt
    - pretzels (preferably with little or no salt)
    - low-fat soup, such as vegetable
  • Avoid foods high in fat, protein, and fiber. These types of foods typically take longer to digest.
  • Avoid trying out a new food before a competitive event… You never know what effect it might have on you, instead experiment before practices, where there might be less at stake.

 

Youth Weightlifting

May 9, 2008 · Filed Under Strength Training, Weight Lifting · 1 Comment 

Youth weightlifting has become a true trend these days, being very often seen in association with a developing personality, and there are not few the ones who have seen the business opportunities of such modern preoccupations with the body. There has been a real boom for the businesses that provide all sorts of facilities for youth weightlifting: from clubs and special training programs to free tips and personal trainers. Why does youth weightlifting seem so appealing? Lots of reasons come to one’s mind when trying to explain youth weightlifting. First of all, great muscles increase self esteem, impress friends and represent a challenge.

Then, some teenagers see youth weightlifting as a means of being active and healthy; for them body building is a pass time and a way to be with friends. From this point of view youth weightlifting is definitely an alternative to other sports. Though some people claim that there are no age limitations for youth weightlifting, there are, nevertheless, professional opinions that say otherwise. According to experts, teen body building should not start before the completion of the growing process, since the bones have not yet achieved their final stage of development. Thus, the strenuous exercises specific to youth weightlifting would negatively influence the proper body formation.

Youth weightlifting is definitely about lots of determination; what may first start as a regular visit to the gym once or twice a week, could actually become a hobby or a life-long commitment. Proper training will definitely require a correct nutrition, most teenagers that start lifting weights should seek the advice of professional trainers in order to develop the right skills and come to master the techniques of youth weightlifting without risking to get ligament or muscle injuries. Youth weightlifting is often associated with music, as the rhythm very often keeps the body and the mind alert allowing for the easier formation of a routine.

Manufacturers have launched a large number of nutritional supplements aiming at the younger generations that are into weightlifting. Nevertheless, the choice of a supplement is an important issue for youth weightlifting, and one should always ask for professional advice before starting to use such a product. A doctor would be the person to tell one what sort of super food to use and whether it is the case to use it at all. Working out a dietary plan that would include enough protein, carbohydrates and fibers is often more useful than supplementing the normal diet with all sorts of stimulating compounds.

Youth Training and Coaching

Youth Training and Coaching has officially launched. More to come…