Bye Bye 2014

It's the last day of the year and time to look back at what we learned in the fitness and nutrition industry and what we can take away from what we learned.  As a trainer, something new comes around very frequently, from fitness products to nutritional concepts.  Sometimes it's tough to always stay on top and ahead of the trends that may be out there.  But, sometimes you can go back to he basics...maybe a solid bench press or just eating eating clean.  Complicated doesn't mean better.  And fancy doesn't mean better.  Whether it's a periodized workout, with plyometric exercises, core, balance and stability exercises, or the latest diet, counting your calories, eating more carbs in the morning than at night and drinking nothing but water.  Has anything good come out of this past year?  I'd like to think so.  Let's take a look at some of the top issues that I dealt with in the performance, nutrition and training industry.

1.  In the sports world, I was the strength and conditioning coach for the Ohsweken Demons, of the Canadian Lacrosse League.  I have been the strength and conditioning coach for the team for three seasons leading up to this one, and all ended with a championship.  This season would be a little different.  While they made it to the final, they would end up losing.   It was something, when I look back on it, that could have been prevented.  The guys got too comfortable. They didn't show up for training. They didn't put in any extra work...and they lost.  Shows you what putting in the work can do!!

2.  Again in the sports world and again in the world of lacrosse, I found myself as the strength and conditioning coach of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Thunderhawks Junior B team.  Though they lost to the eventual Canadian Champions from Six Nations, it was really great to train them.  The average age for the team was about 18yrs old.  A total different mindset from the older Ohsweken Demons.  The boys always came to work and work hard.  It was very good to have trained both teams and see the comparisons in training effort between the two.

3.  Nutritionally, it was clear to see how eating well make such a difference in sports and in life.  In my experiences as a boxing coach I really see how nutrition can make the difference between winning and losing.  And my experiences with a few clients of mine, I see how simple nutrition changes can make such a differences in their lives.  When I was boxing, I never ate a big meal the day of a fight, rather small meals and snacks throughout the day.  I felt much better going into a fight not on a full stomach.

4.  The workouts this past year ranged all over the place.  From training young kids, to athletes, to adults just looking to get fit.  But I think I learned the most from my Learn to Train program.  It involved training a group of kids, ranging in age from about 4yrs old to 7yrs old (including my son).  The rage in abilities amazes me and so does what they can do.  Teaching them everything from proper balance to correct coordination.  And they played lots of games in the process.  You can learn a lot from how kids move and how they react to things.  It was a really good experience.