Vigor Life Podcast Vigor Life Podcast

I love learning and having conversations with coaches that are obsessed with both training and communication as much as I am. Lucy Hendricks is both, and she now educates on both topics, which is what made this episode both insightful and practical for every coach (and human being). 



Lucy Hendricks, co-owner of a gym in Lexington, Kentucky, has created a sanctuary for people sidelined from exercise due to pain, chronic disease, autoimmune issues, or sedentary lifestyles. 



Her gym takes an individualized approach, meeting clients where they are physically and mentally, and focuses on removing barriers and reducing anxiety to ease them into fitness. Lucy creates a supportive environment by building trust and understanding clients' goals, beliefs, past experiences, and values.



Lucy went from being a coach's coach who used to teach the technical side of coaching and all things biomechanics, to now teaching a different, diverse set of skills that encompass all things communication and building real relationships.



 IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

=> When Lucy realized that her knowledge of training and biomechanics was not solving her clients obstacles and had to learn more

=> The difference at talking “to” people vs talking “with” people (many coaches do the former).

=> Many people think they need a different personality to be a great coach, that’s not the case (you can be an introvert).

=> How a coaching conversations workshop saved her business, relationship, and created a catalyst for success.

=> The 3 things that create a healthy client/coach relationship that you’re likely not working on (and can be a game changer!).

=> Lucy shares client examples of quality communication, as well as bad communication that leads to misunderstanding. 

=> Developing awareness, active listening skills, asking better questions, and setting boundaries; all skills you MUST develop.

=> How sales and marketing can and will improve your communication and coaching skills (many coaches avoid this).

=> Your skill to validate someone’s experience to be seen, understood and heard is a SUPERPOWER! 

=> Validation creates the environment to be vulnerable, here’s how to do it.

=> A BIG most coaches make in communication (DON’T do this) and how to fix it. 

=>  How taking logic out of coaching can actually help you get better results at the “right” times. 

=> Why trying to bring the client into your (fitness) world doesn’t work, we have to go into theirs. 

=> 3 books you must read that will help you elevate your communication skills. 

=> Why you have to learn how to validate your own feelings before you do others (men struggle with this). 

=> An exercise you can do to work on your own validation (that you can also do with your team). 

=> How instantly trying to “coach” someone (which is a tendency for coaches), may be the worst thing you can do. 

=> Although you may be “right” you’re still not doing your job as a coach if you’re not ________.

=> The power of voice tonality and how it can influence your conversations. 

=> Why speaking classes/coaching, improv, and toastmasters could change your coaching career. 

=> The reason coaches don’t ask for enough feedback and the insight that will have you start hunting for it.

=> Every coach MUST role play to develop these skills, are you practicing?



LINKS & RESOURCES:

Lucy Hendricks  https://www.instagram.com/lucy_hendricks/

AMP Blueprint  https://ampperformancerehab.com/amp-blueprint-waitlist?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZKWhardiA_KgSR6JDym7Asn9X_zOG8639c_m6xLmfq67H0BCf5A4s2x2E_aem_AbxQIQNxrYAPWXY84c9XD3SUUOe2NS06-Qm99w247Qt6dt22kw5sKDvqNBOjqo96c2HrAsx0tRoglObujM_6MKeE

Book: Crucial Conversations - Tools For Talking When Stakes Are High https://a.co/d/5KkE9LF

Book: I Hear You - The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships https://a.co/d/fofml5P

Book: Brave Talk - Building Relationships In The Face Of

I created a carousel post with my 10 rules of building an athletic body after the age of 35 and it got a lot of interest and comments and while I feel it was a good post, as always, its hard to include a lot of context and insight with 8-9 slides and little text. I wanted to elaborate on the rules by going a little deeper with a podcast episode and give some more insight to my thoughts so you can implement these rules into your own training,  lifestyle and recovery. 



IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

=> Why you have to get absolutely and relatively strong and where most people go wrong with this (that many times leads to injuries).

=> The reason there is NO mandatory exercises and how I’ve got clients very strong when they told me they could’t “lift heavy.”

=> Why you must do sprints, jumps, throws and plyometrics at any age (and how to adjust it for any client).

=> When I use contrast pairings in a program and when I do speed, plyometric and power exercises stand alone.

=> When mobility training goes from something that’s good to do, to something that is mandatory - but only if you want to keep healthy joints.

=> Why you should work up to sprinting every week and the reason that will keep you younger longer (as well as regressions for clients that can’t do it yet). 

=> The benefit of lifting pretty heavy and light weights fast and how it can improve performance, athletic ability, and help you recover faster and save your joints.

=> The secrets to recovering better and faster after the age of 35 (you can’t do the same thing you used to do and “push through” to better results). 

=> What does “managing stress” really mean and how to improve your results with my “bathtub analogy.”

=> What does nutrition to fuel your training, help you recover, as well as improve performance look like. 

=> Don’t stop training when you’re injured, how to train around injuries and not through them (and an insight on how to have big gains when you get injured). 

=> How to build your cardio engine for sports or be prepared for any athletic activity. 

=> The reason you should play sports and if not, how to adjust your training to prepare you for any sports performance (whether it’s playing with your kids or going to play a pick up game of basketball). 

=> Avoid this weekend warrior mistake that leads to injuries and do what I recommend instead. 



Vigor Ground Fitness and Business Summit https://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/vigor-summit-2024

Semi-Private Personal Training Program Design and Coaching Workshop https://lukahocevar.com/semi-private-training-workshop-order/

Athlete For Life Program (app)  https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/team/team-vigor?attrib=584077-ig

Luka’s Courses and Workshops  www.LukaHocevar.com

Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes)  h

Vigor Life Podcast on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0gp1uXtwfRUcBkfS1P1uim?si=kcUu2vhPRwuxdV5kTzQrug

Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber

It’s been a while and yet it’s always a pleasure doing an episode with my brother Martin Rooney. You can guarantee that Martin will spit fire about coaching, culture, and the lessons he’s learned along the way of being a leader in this industry for almost 30-years. 



Martin Rooney is an internationally-recognized entrepreneur, fitness expert, sought-after presenter and best-selling author. Martin is the former COO of the Parisi Speed School, a youth sports performance franchise with over 80 locations nationwide and is the founder of the Training for Warriors system. The TFW System is now operated in over 200 facilities in 20 countries worldwide and Martin’s programs have been used by over one million youth athletes and adults. 

 

As a presenter, Martin is regularly in front of over 10,000 people per year and has consulted Fortune 500 companies such as Marriott International, Nike, Prudential and Hasbro. Martin has also conducted training and development programs for Military Organizations including the Army Rangers and Navy SEALs, and has coach at and advised professional teams such as the NY Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and NY Giants.  His university consulting clientele has included Arizona State University, University of Alabama, Oregon State University, Auburn University, Rutgers University, University of Tennessee Chattanooga and Montana State University. Martin has also been a training representative for Adidas.



As a coach, Martin has been listed in the top 100 Most Influential People in Health and Fitness for the last 5 years and in 2015 Martin was inducted into the Personal trainer Hall of Fame.  Over the last 15 years, Martin has traveled to over 35 countries to help prepare world-class athletes and teach trainers, coaches and students. Martin has trained hundreds of athletes from the NFL, MLB, UFC, NBA, WNBA, and Olympics. 



IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

=> Why taking time off to explore a topic, a skill, or yourself is critical for growth. 

=> What Martin did to challenge himself and see if what he preaches in his coaching and books works in the real world (again).

=> Why kids didn’t care about Martin’s accolades or who he’s trained, but what they really cared about was ______.

=> Two things you MUST build so that you can build a powerful culture. 

=> Martin breaks down how to build trust step-by-step. 

=> How important being consistent is when it comes to making a change.

=> Some strategies Martin used to turn the culture around that you can implement in your team, business or organization. 

=> How to stop behaviors that are negatively affecting the culture of the team (this is tough for most people to do). 

=> Why clarity and vision are SO important when it comes getting everyone on board with the mission. 

=> What I learned from being around Martin for a decade and a half, traveling the world together (if you do this you’ll be successful).

=> The best way to set your culture is by setting the example (you are the tip of the spear for your culture).  

=> How I created 4 x 6 cards from watching Martin Rooney preparing, and it was one of the best things I’ve done to improve client experience. 

=> The compounding effect of culture and how it can turn from something little to creating a championship team (and championship character).

=> How to keep yourself “on fire” so that you can help other people be on fire. 

=> The power of surrounding yourself with people that challenge you to always become better. 

=> A powerful story about character that will inspire you!

=> How to deal with people that are not on board with culture, specific examples you can use. 

=> How to make sure you’re separating being a parent and being a coach.



LINKS & RESOURCES:

Martin's IG: https://www.instagram.com/themartinrooney/

Book:Coach to Coach https://a.co/d/20XNO5c

Book:High Ten https://a.co/d/20XNO5c

Luka’s Site:  www.LukaHocevar.com

Luk

Whenever Jason Brown and I get together we could go on for hours about training, programming, coaching, and this time it was no different. We dive into the differences in training when 30, 40, and 50 and we break down principles as well as more specific strategies and give examples for clients training only 2 a week as well as 3 or 4x a week. We go over coaching mistakes, how much cardio you need, and much more. 

Jason has spent his entire 15+ year career training everyday athletes to become healthier, stronger, and better conditioned, using a combination of strength development methods & aerobic systems conditioning methods.



He’s written hundreds if not thousands of articles for his own website, T-Nation, and EliteFTS specifically about programming. His training systems were developed from a decade+ experience in the trenches training himself and other individuals, and through using these methods at CrossFit gyms all over the world.



 IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

=> How goals change over the decades when it comes to what clients want to achieve and how programming should reflect that. 

=> How kids can change the focus of importance in fitness as well as in your constraints in training (mostly time and/or equipment).

=> How Jason improved his Crossfit performance by strength training less and increasing his conditioning. 

=> What Jason would prioritize in any program from 30+ (this is a weak link for most). 

=> Why conditioning is misunderstood and how it can improve EVERY aspect of performance.

=> Cardio will NOT make you slower and or crush your “gains” (and how I put on muscle, improved strength and power when doing a lot cardio).

=> The 3 buckets I categorize clients in and how it changes throughout the decades (this is important to understand). 

=> Why people with a higher training age do better with 3 full body workout sessions a week. 

=> Jason breaks down when high intensity/lower volume make sense and why people 30+ mess up their programs and don’t get results. 

=> The big question whether you should be sore after sessions, and if so, when.

=> How to discovering whether you have too much frequency and volume in your training, how to adjust it, and skyrocket your results. 

=> Why consistent strength training is like an insurance policy and allows you to train less later (while still maintaining results). 

=> The 2 and 2 template for strength and conditioning when you have a lot of stress in your life. 

=> Why Jason does’t like using bands or chains anymore and what he focuses more on. 

=> Why keeping things uniform in your training programs is important for the client (and no one has time to watch demo videos for 20 mins).

=> Why some of my personal program phases last 6-8 weeks (of the same training) and I get great results from this approach. 

=> Jason’s thoughts on isometric training and where I like to use ISO’s.

=> Why most “influencer” programs will break you (as they don’t understand the human body or have experience training clients). 

=> Why maximal effort straight barbell lifting is a NO GO in your 40’s and 50’s; Jason explains. 

=> Insight and strategies for more joint friendly training from our training and our clients training programs. 

=> My 2-1-0 model of leaving reps in the tank and Jason’s thoughts of training to failure.  

=> Our thoughts on de-load training and my breakdown of when de-loads make sense and when they don’t (and what a de-load even means).

=> Why we love kettlebell training and how we use them for strength and for conditioning. 



LINKS & RESOURCES:

Jason’s Site: www.JasonBrownCoaching.com

Jason's YT:https://www.youtube.com/@jasonbrowncoaching

Jason's IG: https://www.instagram.com/jasonbrowncoaching/

Luka’s Courses and Workshops  www.LukaHocevar.com

Luka's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber

I dive into more of the last couple weeks questions and topics that you inquired about, diving into some deeper than others but giving you applicable advice from the real world, whether its training, nutrition, coaching or building a fitness business. Check out this weeks topics below.  





 IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:



=> The difference between training to get tired vs training to get better.



=> The biggest mistake people make when it comes to their training and why it lacks the results they want. 



=> The simple way to eliminate nutrition deficiencies in your daily meals. 



=> The key supplements that actually make sense to take to help your deficiencies (and not the hyped up sups to take your money). 



=> My “A,B,C method” to help clients eat the foods they love while achieving their goals. 



=> Nutritional displacement and how you can use it in your favor to eat less, get more nutrients and a leaner, healthier body. 



=> Mechanical drop sets, why they’re effective in building muscle especially when you’re shorter on time. 



=> 5 different methods of mechanical drop sets I like to use in my clients training, with examples. 



=> Is training to failure more effective than training close to failure; what the research shows and wisdom says. 



=> My “2,1,0” system when it comes to training to failure in sets. 



=> How to develop your team up to coaching standards that you desire. 



=> How to run a successful challenge at your gym, simple breakdown and tips. 



LINKS & RESOURCES:



Luka’s Team Athlete For Life App: https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/team/team-vigor?attrib=584077-ig

Luka’s Courses and Workshops  www.LukaHocevar.com

Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes)  h

Vigor Life Podcast on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0gp1uXtwfRUcBkfS1P1uim?si=kcUu2vhPRwuxdV5kTzQrug

Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber

I’ve followed Jake Tuura for a while as he shares great information on everything tendons, and was able to finally connect in person as we both spoke at Mike Boyle’s Spring Seminar, then had to bring him out on the podcast as his presentation at Mike’s was excellent. We talked about, well, everything tendons! This is a must listen for every person that wants to keep healthy and strong tendons for life, especially coaches that can help their clients do that. 



Jake Tuura, MS, CSCS is a collegiate strength and conditioning coach.  He currently works at Youngstown State University.  Prior to YSU, Jake was an assistant S&C coach at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Superior (2014) and his Masters from The College of St. Scholastica (2015). His website: jackedathlete.com helps athletes gain copious amounts of muscle, hit PRs in the weight room, and improve athletic performance.



IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

=> What started Jake’s fascination with tendons.

=> One of THE worst things you can do for tendon issues - rest! 

=> Why most tendon issues are misdiagnosed for by doctors or even physical therapists. 

=> How Jake finally overcame jumper’s knee after many years of issues and pain. 

=> If you don’t have tendon issues you don’t have to care about tendon training, Jake explains in depth. 

=> The two biggest reasons you will run into tendon issues and how to address them. 

=> What aging will do to a tendon and why you must strength train and do plyometrics as you age. 

=> Strong muscles help tendons, weak muscles lead to “beat up tendons.”

=> The reason younger athletes run into tendon issues and how AAU is crushing the young athlete’s body. 

=> The difference between acute and chronic tendon issues and how to approach the rehab of each one.

=> Why strength training when you have tendon issues may be the FIRST thing you have to do. 

=> The exact breakdown of how to get back from a chronic tendon issue/injury. 

=> How you know whether training is helping or hurting your tendon recovery (most people have no idea about this!).

=> The “weekend warrior” protocol to make sure you can perform at your best and keep your tendons healthy. 

=> How lifestyle affects your tendons and why you should pay attention to your nutrition and your sleep/recovery. 

=> Why being “fit” is not the same as being “basketball fit” and how you must approach getting ready for ball. 

=> Why Jake believes that super heavy calf raises are going to be used more and more to prevent achilles issues. 

=> How blood pressure and metabolic factors can affect the health of the tendon.

=> Why mobility matters when it comes to tendon health and why you must maintain it (also why people that don’t, have problems). 

=> Does PRP or stem cells work when it comes improving the healing and rehab of the tendon. 

=> Why you can have similar outputs in your 40’s but you’ll have to __________.

=> Jake breaks down the exact rehab process of clients that have had knee tendon and achilles tendon issues. 

=> The power of isometrics and why you’d do it every day when you have tendon issues. 



LINKS & RESOURCES:

Jake's Website  www.JackedAthlete.com 

Jake's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jaketuura/

Luka’s Courses and Workshops  www.LukaHocevar.com

Luka's YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber