The fact that so many trainers and coaches still don’t understand how to train and develop young athletes confuses me.

I guess in reality it’s not really that confusing – I think I’m just annoyed by it.

I shouldn’t even really blame those trainers and coaches.

I mean, there are about 4 trillion websites out there, all of which proclaim to be the end all be all of training information.

In total fairness, it is really difficult for a trainer or coach to know who is right and who is completely full of it.

It’s not like I’ve never experienced that kind of uncertainty myself.

Early in my career, I devoted every waking hour of my life (when I wasn’t actually training people that is!) to reading everything I could about strength, speed, flexibility, power and athletic development.

I also have to admit (just don’t tell anyone I’m revealing this!!) that I got ‘sucked in’ by some pretty lame ‘experts’.

I can say that now because as a matter of principal, I decided way back when, to read everything… try everything… and re-think everything.

To the core of my soul, I think that is what separates the truly great trainers and coaches from the mediocre.

We are not afraid to try different training programs and objectively decide if we should continue using them, alter them to fit our needs better or completely disregard them altogether.

And that’s how I live my life now.

About 6 six years ago, I decided to monitor and even script-out the kinds of training books and resources I would read or listen to.

My little secret formula looks like this:

I spend 75% of my time with resources from trusted names I know are great trainers.

I spend 15% of my time with resources from trainers I have never heard of.

I spend 10% of my time with resources that I completely disagree with.

This system has been the secret to my success.

In my 10% category, I force myself to learn something about a training philosophy or exercise program that, at face value, I have no use for.

How different is that from most trainers?

Do you ever spend time with training resources that you know you don’t agree with, or do you brush them off as ‘not worth your time’?

The method to my madness is simply this –

I can never learn enough. 

By reading a book or listening to an audio CD about a training style that I disagree with, one of two great things happen.

Either I learn something I didn’t know (which often happens when you actually read a book that you didn’t think you were going to like) or I reaffirm and become more closely connected to the belief-system that I already had.

Learn something new or validate that your system is the right one… how is that anything but a positive experience?

The 15% category is reserved for trainers that I have never heard of before.

Why?

Because some of the best trainers I have ever met are simply NOT household names.

They don’t have websites, they don’t market themselves and they don’t try to become well known.

They just train people and then publish what they know to be true.

Guys like  Robert dos Remedios and Jozeph Drabik come to mind.

Having said all that, I spend the bulk of my time, 75% worth, with the elite trainers that have high name recognition.

And why is that?

Because there name recognition is almost 100% of the time based on the fact that they are incredibly gifted at what they do, and the longevity of their careers prove how amazing they are.

Take guys like Mike Boyle, Vern Gambetta, Gray Cook, Al Vermeil and Dr. Stewart McGill.

Is there any question as to their reputations as being the very best in the world?

Mike Boyle, for instance, is the most well known name in our industry. 

He has trained countless Olympic, professional, collegiate and young athletes throughout his amazing 25-year career.

Look at Al Vermeil.  This guy has been a Head Strength Coach in 3 different professional sports (points if you know which one’s!) and along the way, has prepared thousands of young athletes for college competition.

Gray Cook has single handily changed our industry by inventing a screening system that let’s you know where your athletes and clients have movement and strength dysfunctions.

These guys are the best there is.

And that’s why I spend 75% of my time learning from them in anyway that I can.

So my question to you is this…

How do you prioritize your learning?

Do you fall victim to the ‘internet experts’ out there who charge you big bucks for their so-called ‘groundbreaking’ advice?

Or do you fall in line with resources from the real experts who can guarantee their information?

If you’re like me… you do some of both… but you spend the majority of your time with the experts who you can trust.

And that has always been my quest.  Provide you with the best and most cost effective information that I can stamp a personal guarantee on.

Youth Training Secrets was designed for exactly that purpose.

I wanted you to have a cost effective way of looking at training young athletes through the eyes of the very best in the industry.

The elite trainers who have literally done it all…

And my 75% quota would certainly be filled with the Youth Training Secrets package.

Mike Boyle

Al Vermiel

Gray Cook

Vern Gambetta

Dr. Stewart McGill

Robb Rogers

The very best there is – all talking about training young athletes.

Maybe kids would be getting better and more effective training if every trainer in our profession would seek to learn something from the experts who actually know something.

'Till next time,

Brian

www.YouthTrainingSecrets.com