“Damn, boy! I would love to see your shoulders after that!!!!”

The above was a very..interesting..comment on the following video

The video shows a combination of a strict military press and an eccentric accentuated push press.

The purpose of the combination is to create a structural response (see November 23, 2009 newsletter for more details).

I interpreted the comment as a way of saying:

“Isn’t that exercise too hard?”

Not if you build up to it the rigth way by

1. Mastering the strict military press.
2. Mastering the eccentric accentuated Push Press.
3. Training the combination by gradually increasing the number of sets (beging with 1-3 and increase from there).

It is worth noting that eccentric contractions strengthen tendons and connective tissue and was, by a former professor of mine, referred to as a “pill” to prevent injury.

“I honour the place in you where we ar both one” (sanskrit greeting),

Karsten Jensen
Msc., Strength and Conditioning Coach

PS: If you are interested in taking your training programs to the next level, applying “combination exercises” is a powerful way to do so.

One of the hats that I wear, as a strength coach, involves certifying trainers here in Canada.

These potential trainers have a wide variety of skill levels, but it is not the skill level that determines their success.

What determines the success of these trainers is the degree to which they are aware that there are things they don’t know.

The students who are aware that there are things they don’t know, typically ask a lot of questions. Hence, their body of knowledge grows rapidly.

The students who are less aware that there are things they don’t know, typically will spend a lot of time talking about the things that they already know and do with their own training or clients.

These students ask fewer questions. Hence, their body of knowledge does not grow.

However, seen from a practical perspective, asking questions can be taken too far. Roughly speaking, most scientific studies end with some way of saying that “we don’t really know anything about the topic and more reasearch is needed.”

Well, while the scientists are doing their reaserch, we have clients waiting to be trained!

It is an interesting dilemma for us as trainers that we, on one hand, must be aware that there are things that we DON’T know, but one the other hand, we must have the confidence to put together training programs based on what we DO know at the time.

“I honour the place in you where we are both one” (sanskrit greeting),

Karsten Jensen
Msc., Strength and Conditioning Coach

My breathing stops and I cringe when I hear the word “industry” used about what we do as trainers/coaches. I REALLY dislike “industry” used in this context.

The typical mode of operation in an “industry” is to create a bottom line with little concern for the
quality of the service (See the recent movie “Food Inc”, if you don’t know what I mean).

The focus on the bottom line with little  concern for the quality of service, unfortunately, is not unknown to the world of training.

In my opinion, when someone trusts you with their body, you must NEVER compromise on the service to create a revenue.

The level of service must come before anything else and of course you do this in a profitable way for yourself.

As some marketing gurus say, it’s BETTER TO BE THE BEST THAN THE CHEAPEST.

Like Wallace D Wattles wrote in “The Science of Getting Rich”: Give your customer MORE in “use value” than you ask for in “money value”.

So, my humble advice to you is to decide that you are NOT in an “industry”, you are in the buisness of helping people change their lives!

What does the word “industry” mean to you?

Have you found profitable ways to Give your customer MORE in “use value” than you ask for in “money value”?

“I honour the place in you where we are both one” (Sanskrit greeting)
Karsten Jensen

PS: One of the best places for buisness advice can be found at www.glazer-kennedy.com