Blue Chip Athletics

I have spent five of the last 17 days in workshops and seminars designed to improve my lifting technique, teaching technique, and strength. This might not seem like a big deal, as I am required to obtain continuing education credit to maintain my certifications. The surprising thing is I received NO CECs for any of the time I spent at these seminars. And I flew to Minnesota and California to do so.

As a professional, I believe it is my duty to pursue opportunities for improvement regardless of whether I receive CECs or not. A trainer can easily recertify simply by reading a magazine, taking a few online quizzes and submitting a recertification fee to the certifying body. That is fine, if you want to be average. But being average means being as close to the bottom as you are to the top.

Hardstyle Ventura attendees, November 2011. I am in the back row, toward the left.

I choose my continuing education very carefully. I want to go to sessions where there are professionals in attendance that I know can help me, my clients, and my business. I know that these professionals will attract like-minded trainers – those that will share ideas over dinner, during breaks, and at the hotel bar in the evening. Over the past 2-1/2 weeks I have had the pleasure of learning personally from Pavel, Dr. Mark Cheng, Mark Reifkind, Geoff Neupert, Dan John, and Max Shank. These guys know their stuff, and they teach it in a manner that enables me to reach my students.

In the past 17 days I have set 3 personal records lifting, hit my best pistol squat ever, and did my first ever free-standing handstand, AND handstand pushup. Not a bad half month for me, which will portend into an even better future for my clients.  One of my strategies when I attend these sessions is to think of all the challenges my clients have. If a presenter (or an attendees) offers a progression that I think will help a client, I will make a note, and add that strategy to that client’s training when I get back.

When I see progressions that I know will help many clients, I add that to the programming for my facility. I do not haphazardly try and implement every strategy that I learned. Everything has a purpose.

I have taken five days off work, spent seven nights in hotels, flew several thousand miles, and paid out almost $2000 for these seminars. That is a high cost for no CECs. That is a high cost to learn how to turn upside down. But it is not a high cost to be professional and help my clients achieve their goals.

That is my purpose.

Attendees at the Bodyweight Seminar in St. Paul in October. I am in the back row, sixth from the left.