Month: March 2016

A CONVERSATION I had recently with Sue Saunders, who is about to begin the Amazing 12 Transformation program with me next week, got me thinking.

We were discussing coaching. And Sue’s not what I would call inexperienced, seeing as she’s been going to the gym since she was 19 and is now 43 and has been a member of around 10 gyms.

But Sue still admits: “I’ve got a basic grasp of what to do, but I still feel like I need someone there. I don’t trust my form enough.”

Not everyone is as honest as Sue or even bothered about form. And I must admit that when it came to getting coaching, I used to be a sceptic (I’m talking 20 years ago).

I learned to play tennis and most sports just by watching television, getting the necessary equipment and going out and copying. But it’s hard to do yourself much harm making mistakes on a tennis court. In the gym, moving heavy objects, it is a different story.

My thinking used to be ‘why pay for help when you can learn to do it by yourself?’ But then I became a coach and, one by one, I received pupils who had done exactly that – trained on their own or learned from others in the gym. What did I notice? Lots of injuries and some horrible technique.

I can’t recall the amount of times it was said to me, “So I’ve been doing it wrong all this time?”

Yep. I’m afraid so.

And the amount of times I’ve stressed the importance of being mindful of technique when putting down a weight or picking it up only for it to be forgotten instantly!

That’s not the only reason a coach is needed. People switch off when they shouldn’t, forget to breathe when they should, breathe when they shouldn’t, don’t know where to look or put their hands, can’t feel what position their body is in, don’t know which muscles to engage…

Yet, despite the potential for injury, which can be costly if it leads to treatment from a professional or (worse case scenario) surgery, the inclination is still to ‘wing it’ or learn from a video or read a book.

That’s okay for some who have a good eye or are experienced or visual learners or if the movements are straightforward, but not so for a lot of others or raw beginners. And, if you ask me – and I may seem biased, I admit – it’s often not worth the risk.

But even taking injury out of the equation, good coaching should accelerate learning and, consequently, improve standards. I took lessons in boxing, tennis, swimming, fencing and karate to name a few sports. I can honestly say I learned something from EVERY session. But not until I took up CrossFit did I get any tuition in Olympic lifting or gymnastics.

A lot of these lifts are complex and take a lot of time and practice to develop. So while watching videos on Youtube of individuals doing amazing things can be inspiring, it also creates an urge to leapfrog the natural order of progression to attain a particular goal. And this is where a good coach would be useful or even crucial for safely monitoring or overseeing any advancements.

On the Amazing 12, often because I work with small groups or individuals, I try to watch everything. I reiterate that the goal is to do the best you can with good form. Always.

I’ve worked with Sue previously and, thankfully, she trusts the way I operate. “I found normal gyms to be rubbish for getting results,” she said. “You need to be working with people who know what they are talking about. It is important for me to have a personal trainer and guidance, especially if you want to get anywhere.”

For Ross Smith (above), who’s also on the Amazing 12 next month and experienced in so far as he’s been in the armed forces and training since he was 16 (he’s now 47), personal training has also become a priority.

He’d never had personal training before we worked together when I was teaching CrossFit.

“That was a shock,” he admitted. “It was more intense and I liked that. I wanted to go to another level. Knowledge and credibility in a coach is important and so, too, is trust.”

A coach’s job, though, goes beyond offering just technical guidance. You need to assess the individual, physically and mentally. Once it’s clear they are safe to train (by that I mean they can perform the basic movement patterns devoid of pain), some may need encouragement, while others need to be watched closely or slowed down even. On the Amazing 12 the job extends to dietary advice, program application and assessment almost on a daily basis.

The bottom line: want great results? Get a coach you can work with and believe in, know your goal, follow a program and stick it out.

SUE SAUNDERS’ last conversation with her father, who sadly passed away last November, was about doing the Amazing 12.

Sue’s dad was her rock. She trusted him implicitly and ran everything by him so, understandably, she wanted to discuss the Amazing 12 with him.

While her father never really understood her passion for exercise and training and used to think she was crazy when she told him what she’d been doing during her CrossFit days, he did understand the value of being challenged.

“He knew what it meant to try to achieve something you think is out of your reach,” Sue told me. “That conversation we had was the final time he was coherent. He loved the mountains. He had aspirations to climb something big. I told him, ‘the Amazing 12 was my Everest’. It was a challenge to myself.”

In that moment, Sue’s dad turned to her and said, “You should do it.”

He smiled and laughed. “He understood my reference,” said Sue. “This way one of us gets to climb a mountain.”

A few days later, he passed away.

Sue will be on the April wave. This is something she has contemplated for nearly two years. She’s come a long way, because last May she had keyhole surgery on her left shoulder following a build up of calcium. Initially, the surgery didn’t seem to do much. But, slowly, her shoulder has returned to working order. Credit the guys at Core Results for helping to design a program that has effectively brought Sue to ‘Amazing 12 Base Camp’. Now begins the climb.

We’ve discussed doing the Amazing 12 for a long time. It means a lot for Sue. She still feels a sense of guilt that she’s being too self-indulgent. But her family is supporting her. A mother of two (aged 7 and 5) and professional photographer, Sue, 43, said: “I was never good at sports or sporty. No-one encouraged me to do sports. I didn’t begin using weights until I was 19. I never picked up a barbell until I started CrossFit [3 years ago].

“But I know I have the physique to have been good at something – given the opportunity. This [the Amazing 12] is like I’ve been given a second chance.”

My job is to guide her safely to that mountain peak and, as with anyone who has suffered an injury or undergone surgery, there are risks. But it’s one Sue feels ready and willing for.

“Being healthy and fit means everything to me,” she said. “Without good health everything is difficult. Being fit and healthy opens the doors to a full life. You need to be fit for purpose – to pick up your kids, run around with them…That’s your responsibility.”

Five years ago, when she took up running, Sue couldn’t make it to the bottom of the road (not far) without getting out of breath. Now she runs 6km three times a week. So she comes into the Amazing 12 in decent shape.

Alhough she’s excited, Sue’s feeling nervous, too. “This is all out of my comfort zone. I’m scared. I’m worried about not letting others down and being in the right head space. But it’s really important for me and probably something I’ll never do again.”

Never say never!

KARIEN GLADMAN, from Waterlooville, though originally from South Africa, told me: “I know where I want to be, but don’t know how to get there.”

Kari wants a change of lifestyle and to get into eating cleanly. Her desire is to discover her athletic potential. She’s a life-long fitness enthusiast and (23 years ago) a former aerobics instructor. One of her dreams is to climb to base camp Everest.

Tall and lean Kari has done some CrossFit and Tough Mudder races, but lost her way after being at her fittest in 2015. She is motivated to be healthy and fit and admits in the past she may have over-trained in her desire to get conditioned.

I’m excited to work with her. She was knocking on my door to be a part of this wave. That told me one thing: she has the necessary commitment and enthusiasm. She also understands this is going to be a process.

I’M pleased to welcome Ross Smith, from Emsworth, to the Amazing 12 Chichester. He has signed up for the April wave and is absolutely buzzing about it.

I’ve trained Ross previously. He’s done CrossFit, Tough Mudders and distance running. He’s a hard worker. I have no doubts he has what it takes.

Having spent time in the army and air force (as a firefighter), he knows about discipline and routine. I’m confident he is going to get the results the A12 promises to those who follow the program.

It’s come at an important time for this genuine man of many talents (most notably when it comes to art using a pencil and paper).

That’s because the last year has been a rough and tough one for Ross, who is in his mid-forties. He has lost his focus a little and the demands of being a long-serving paramedic officer in the ambulance service took a toll.

But Ross sees the Amazing 12 as a way to transform himself on many levels. He comes into this with his head in the right space. It’s great to see a smile back on his face.

I look forward to sharing his journey in the weeks to come.