The Beginning
About 4 years ago I told myself I would become a strength coach. At this point in time, I had no idea what steps needed to be taken or where this career path would take me. All I knew when I began this path was that I was the strongest person out of all my friends and had a passion for weight training. I graduated from college with a degree in health and physical education, personal training experience and some strength coaching experience. All my training was based off of linear or non-linear periodization. When I finished college my bench was 350, squat 455, and deadlift 455, all gym totals.
The next step that I took on my strength coaching path was to attend graduate school and start working with a Division I-A strength training program. I eventually was accepted to the University of Kentucky and that’s where I am today.
The Present
When I first arrived at UK I thought I knew almost everything, but was I ever wrong. When arriving at UK I met Kevin Deweese, who turned me on to the Conjugate training method and Westside Barbell. I soon started to incorporate these methods into my training program. This is now the basis of all my training. Not only has my philosophy towards training changed, but I feel more confident then ever coaching athletes and am excited about my own training. It was a shock at first and a hit to my ego, but know I’m smarter for it and a more well rounded strength coach then I ever imagined.
I competed in my first powerlifting meet this past April and totaled 1360 (squat- 500, bench- 365, and deadlift- 495). Not a world record, but a start to hopefully something big.
The Future With a Little Retrospect
The reason I decided to write this article was because I know that there are a lot of strength coaches, personal trainers, or weight lifters, etc. that started out like I did. I started out with a goal and then along the way got complacent with what I knew, knowing full well that I had so much more to learn.
What I learned was that all the book education in the world can be helpful and even though the basis of what we do is based on science it isn’t anything without the experience under the bar. I also learned that the fire to keep learning and gaining knowledge can never be extinguished, no matter what. We as powerlifters, coaches, trainers, etc. are never too big to learn from others and ourselves, to better all aspects of what we know. Training environment is also big. Proper partners, environment, and motivation are just as important as any other aspect of program development.
With all that I have learned I wonder what does the future hold? With my new attitude towards education and attitude I don’t care. I just know that I will continue to train, learn, educate, and motivate myself to levels previously not thought to be achieved. All while trying to become the best strength coach possible.
I wish the same for all of you and leave you with this quote: “Hard work guarantees us nothing, but without it you don’t stand a chance.” Thanks to everyone at the CBC, J.L. Holdsworth, and Elite Fitness Systems for improving my training.