With the summer winding down, it’s time to get back on track with a regular schedule of weekly newsletters.  Fortunately, we’ve got plenty of content in the works – including quite a few more contributions to our “random thoughts” series from some of the best in the business.

Cressey Performance Updates

Many of our athletes have headed back to college, and our high school athletes are getting back into the swing of the school year.  Normally, in this industry, that would mean that we’re about to catch a little vacation time.  That couldn’t be further from the truth in our case, though; the renovations are still taking place.  All our equipment is now in, and the walls and flooring are both complete.  We’re just wrapping up the window work – and will be putting down the turf in a few weeks.  Keep your eyes and ears open for an announcement on a grand opening at Cressey Performance.

Five Tips from Mike Boyle

Many people know that Mike Boyle has probably trained more high-level athletes than anyone on the planet right now.  What many people might not know about Mike is that he’s helped countless coaches in their career paths; you’ll find “Boyle Disciples” all over collegiate and professional strength and conditioning and in the private sector.  To that end, I thought it would be great if Mike targeted his random thoughts to the up-and-comers in the business (I know, I know; it’s not exactly random).

1. There are only two ways to learn: experience and reading. If you think you can get good in this field in a 40-hour week you’re crazy. If a 40-hour week is your goal, find a new field. Read Alwyn Cosgrove and Jason Ferruggia’s article “The Business.”

2. Train clients or athletes at least 20 hours a week.  This is the proving ground for your booksmarts.  Ideas are just that; see if you can implement them.

3. If you want to succeed in the field, get yourself in shape.  I frequently joke about the fact that I don’t look the part.  I’m not very muscular and am old and bald – but I’m in reasonable shape for 47.  At 27, you will NOT get the benefit of the doubt.  No one wants an overweight trainer or a skinny trainer.  They expect you to look the part.  You don’t have to be huge, and you don’t have to be ripped, but you need to look like you exercise.

4. Never ask a client to do something you can’t demonstrate.  You don’t have to be able to do exercises with huge weights, but you must master the exercises.  Beside the fact that many people learn visually, how can you ask a client to something you can’t?

5. Read one self-help book for every field-related book.  It’s called personal training for a reason. It’s about a person and his/her goals.  Your knowledge of people will be as important as your knowledge of the subject matter.  Years ago, someone asked me what the key to my success was.  I told them that it was my ability to get people to do what I wanted them to do.

You can find an interview I did with Mike at T-Nation a while back HERE.

About Mike Boyle

Mike Boyle is one of the most sought after coaches and speakers in the area of performance training and athletic rehabilitation. In fact, Mike’s client list reads like a “Who’s Who” of athletic success in New England and across the country. Boyle has been involved in training and rehabilitation with a wide range of athletes, from stars in every major professional sport, to the US Women’s Olympic teams in soccer and ice hockey. In addition Mike has served as a consultant to some of the top teams in the NFL, NHL, as well as numerous Division 1 athletic programs.

Mike brings a depth and breadth of knowledge that is unmatched in the industry, with ten years of experience at the professional level and over twenty years at the collegiate level. Mike’s work has been featured in the media on HBO RealSports, ESPN, CNNSI, as well as in Sports Illustrated and USA today.  In both 2004 and 2005 Men’s Journal named Boyle one of the top 100 trainers in the United States.

Mike’s innovative series of live seminar DVD’s have set a new standard for industry education. Functional Strength Coach Volume 1 and 2 and Advanced Program Design continue to get rave reviews. In addition, Mike’s two books have assisted in the education of literally thousands of coaches and trainers.

To learn more about Mike’s training techniques, purchase products, or to participate in forum discussions visit Michaelboyle.biz.

That’ll do it for today’s newsletter. We’ll be back soon with more content – and some updated Cressey Performance pictures!

All the Best,

EC