With billions being spent in fitness and youth
training, it is the fastest growing industry in
the entire world and it is set to go through an
unprecedented revolution…

I try and stay in the forefront of what is going
on in the strength and conditioning community, but
it is not always easy. I am lucky enough to know
some great coaches and trainers that keep me updated
with the latest information, trends and even predictions
of the future of our industry.

I know you like to stay up-to-date with the latest
fitness info too so I wanted to share with you the
‘gossip’ and give you a little behind the scenes look
from a major conference.
Last March, the leaders from virtually all of the
leading health club chains in the world met at an
exclusive event in Denver, Colorado.

It was called the “Meeting of the Minds”, and over the
two days of the event a dozen of the world’s leading
fitness experts presented on the trends the fitness
industry is currently experiencing.

The 170+ attendees spent 48 hours brainstorming and
plotting to make sure their respective organizations
are ready to capitalize on the current and upcoming
trends our industry is experiencing and will soon face.

My friend, Brian Grasso, founder of the International
Youth Conditioning Association, was one of the handful
of presenters during this industry shaping event.

I was talking to him about the event and Brian gave
me the low-down of this exclusive event. I told him
that I was taking notes on what he was saying so I
could pass it on to you.

Well, Brian let me know that he created a video while
he was in Denver specifically for the fitness
professionals on his list to let them know what he
learned while meeting with leaders of the biggest club
chains in the world and where the industry is headed.

In fact, I just saw the short video that Brian is
calling ‘The State of the Industry’ and I have to
admit that what I saw on this video was actually
quite shocking.

I kindly persuaded him to let you have access to
the video (mainly because it is much easier for
me to have you check out a video instead of me
trying to decipher my notes).
Here is the link to go watch the video:
http://tinyurl.com/3um92e

Ohhhh, there’s one more thing: you don’t need
to enter your email address to see the video
either. But if you want to get on Brian’s list
to keep up-to-date with the future of youth
training and conditioning, you’ll want to enter
your email address anyway… the follow up
information that Brian will be providing is going
to keep you in the loop and give you incite from a
leader in youth development.

I’m going to sign off now so you can check out the
video. I’m sure you’ll find the video as important
and valuable as I did when you watch it.
http://tinyurl.com/3um92e

From my perspective we teach young people not to
question adults. I understand why this is
important…to a degree.

We also expect athletes not to question our authority
as coaches…simply because we’re the adults in charge.

I think this is dangerous for the same reason it’s
dangerous in society at large.

Now I won’t turn this into a social or political commentary
because some hypersensitive people will write me 25
pages of hate mail.

But I will say this…

If athletes don’t think about what they’re being
told to do, (respectfully) question whether it is
effective or safe, or ask how this will make them better,
then we just create a culture of robots. Of Sheep just
following the herd.

The world has more than enough people blindly follow
whatever the television tells them and who are more than
happy to live in the Matrix.

Let me give you the example that made me write this
article.

I have an athlete who is very smart. He has intelligent
things to say about the world we live in. But when I ask
him what event he wants to compete in or what he wants to
do for practice, he changes. His eyes glaze over and he
mindlessly chants ‘Whatever you want coach’. He can’t
give me an answer because he can’t comprehend the concept
of being allowed to.

And he certainly isn’t the only one.

I find this unacceptable.

I expect athletes to respectfully ask questions. I insist
they do.

If they know that I can answer their questions and have
a reason for everything we do, they buy into what they’re
doing. It leads to greater, more consistent effort. And
therefore better results.

The reason some coaches demand that athletes just shut up
and do what they’re told is simple. They don’t really
have good answers.

Some coaching philosophies are a bit like the 1983 movie
‘War Games’ starring Matthew Broderick. In the end, the
only way not to lose was not to play. In this case, the
only way not to lose is not to ever be asked the
question in the first place.

This is not how to get the most out of young athletes.

I don’t want them to blindly follow me off a bridge like
a herd of lemmings. Nobody truly succeeds under that
model.

I want them to follow me because they choose to, not
because they have to.

And that means I have to know what I’m doing every step
of the way.

And to maximize the potential of all your athletes, so
do you.

How? It starts here:

http://www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com

Last month I got the chance to sit down with Boo
Schexnayder, one of the world’s premier Jumps coaches
and the Jumps coach for the 2008 US Olympic Team.

I asked him a few questions about training your jumpers
that address some issues that are being neglected,
especially at the youth and high school levels.

Now, the truth is this:

My microphone was not working so the audio isn’t
great. You’ll have to turn up your speakers a bit to hear
what Boo has to say.

But you don’t want to miss it because he raises a couple
very interesting points that aren’t often talked about
when discussing program design for improving jump height
and distance.

Click here to watch that video:

Boo Schexnayder Jump Training

Saying this is against everything I stand for as a die hard
Boston Celtics fan(and *always* have been).

But I have to give the Atlanta Hawks players credit.

After two snoozers they’ve almost made this a
series again. But I’ll wait until tonight’s game to make
a judgement on that.

Despite the Celtics being the best defensive basketball
team in the NBA for the entire season, the fast and
explosive Hawks players picked the defense apart Saturday
night.

Why?

Because their speed and explosiveness gives them an
advantage you can’t always counter with X’s and O’s.

Josh Smith, Al Horford and Joe Johnson simply drove
past the Celtics defense and got to the basket at will.

If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times:

Speed is the Difference Maker.

And as any intelligent coach, parent or athlete knows,
speed can be developed. It just takes knowing the proper
techniques and doing the right kind of training.

And you can discover those techniques and skills here:

http://tinyurl.com/68m7mf

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. So while the Celtics fan in me hates to admit it,
when someone is quicker and faster than you, there’s
not much you can do to stop it.

Except make your own athletes quicker and faster.

==> http://tinyurl.com/68m7mf