Strength Training vs. Sports Performance Training

Strength Training versus Sports Performance Training

Kyle D. Will, CSCS, RSCC

B.S. Exercise Science, Colorado State University

WillPower Training Studio

USTFCCCA Head Track Coach Certified

USTFCCCA Endurance Event Specialist

When I started personal training here in Central Oregon in 1999, the idea of personal training was still taking off.  The fitness craze started back in the 1980’s and has steadily grown since then.  It is now a multi billion-dollar industry, which has sparked new trends, new fashion, new terminology and new ways of approaching fitness.  It affords seemingly every person an opportunity to find the type of trainer and training that best suits them and their goals.  All in all it is a great thing.  However it has also spurned a great deal of confusion, misinformation, misleading advertising and false claims.  One particular area that I feel is often misunderstood and can be key to a clients success, is understanding the differences in training for Strength, and training for Sports Performance.  They are similar in some ways, but they are very different in ways that matter the most.

Historically when an athlete either got to high school or college, they have been introduced to some sort of weight lifting routine.  Coaches for decades have believed that athletes need to be strong to be competitive.  They have devised elaborate strength training programs, talked about protein supplements, encouraged athletes to eat a lot of red meat, etc.  What they have done is introduce young athletes to a strength-training program.  These programs are designed to build strength and mass.  Athletes typically would focus on 3 or 4 main lifts and then several auxiliary lifts.  Their routine would most likely include squats, bench press, shoulder press, bicep curls, triceps work and perhaps dead lifts.  With this type of program, they would typically work, upper body one day, lower body the next, auxiliary lifts, and then repeat upper/lower/auxiliary.  Most would take the 7^th day off, but they would lift 6 days a week.  They would do 5 sets of 5, or 3 sets of 6, or 5 sets of 2.  Lifting heavy weights and doing few reps, it didn’t matter if it was slow, in fact it would often be slow because of the high amount of weight being moved.  Over time athletes would develop great strength gains, as well as physical size.  Both great things for athletes, right?  Well at least it was beneficial for football and everyone knows that is the “money” sport anyway.  But what about your basketball player, or your soccer player, or XC runner?  Do you want them to be bigger and stronger but slower?  In fact do you really want your football player to be slower??  If you train slowly you will be slow.  Don’t get me wrong, there is most definitely a place for this type of lifting and it is an integral part of most good periodized strength and conditioning programs.  However it is a phase in the program, it is not the whole program.  And depending on the sport, a good strength coach will moderate the weight lifted and the volume.  No longer can athletes just lift like the football teams used to and expect to get positive results. 

So although there is a place for this type of strength training, it is not all an athlete needs to do.  Virtually every sport being played in the world today, involves multi planar movements.  They involve rotation and change of direction.  A highly skilled athlete must be able to accelerate and decelerate in fractions of seconds.   An athlete’s ability to move laterally, forward and backward quickly and effortlessly change direction is a large part of what separates the elite from everyone else.  Training heavy weights, low reps can be a part of the General Prep phase of a complete Strength and Conditioning program, but it shouldn’t be the only phase.

Below is a chart that clearly illustrates some of the major differences in a Strength Program vs. a Sports Performance Program.  It is not all encompassing as there are hundreds of different combinations of lifts, reps and sets, but it is an example to show how they are different.

	Strength Program	Sports Performance Program
Weight - volume	Low	Variable - higher
Weight – heavy/light	Heavy – some % of 1 RM	Heavy, moderate and light – weight depends on exercise
Reps	Low	Low then high
Sets	3-5 sets	1-5 sets
Multi Planar Movements	Single Plane of movement	Multi Planar
Dynamic or Static	Static	Dynamic
Rotational Movements	None	Depends on sport but yes
Bi Lateral vs. Unilateral	Bi Lateral	Unilateral and Bi Lateral
Plyometrics Used	None	Used in Specific Prep and Pre Comp and Comp phases
Sport Specific Movements	None	Very sport specific in later Specific Prep and Pre Comp Phases
Power and Speed	Not a focus	High focus

Strength Training programs may involve different phases as well, but generally if they do, it is related to strength competitions, or body building competitions.  If an athlete is just looking to get stronger and build muscle, you can expect 4-6 weeks before you can see a noticeable visual and physical difference.  Depending on their training age, there may be significant “neuro-muscular” strength gains early.  If they have been lifting for a while this is less of a factor.  Typically when lifting for strength an athlete will focus on specific muscles, not movements when designing their program.  For example they will work on chest, doing bench press or incline dumbbell presses, where an athlete focusing on sports performance may have their athlete doing plyo push ups, one arm dumbbell chest press, medicine ball throws, sledge hammer tire swings, tire pushes, etc….    Another example is for an athlete looking to gain leg strength the focus of a coach would be on squats and dead lifts primarily.  They also might include lunges and some machine hamstring work, whereas an athlete training for sport performance would do things like step ups on a box, quick weighted lateral step overs on a box, broad jumps, box jumps, kettle bell swings, etc…  All more dynamic, multi planar exercises that better prepare a body for the rigors of sport. 

In a good effective Sports Performance program a coach will progress the athletes from a General Prep Phase where general strength and neuromuscular adaptation is the focus, to Specific Prep Phase where more multi planar sport specific types of movements are introduced, to the pre comp phase where speed, power and explosiveness related to their sport become the focus, to the final phase, the Competition Phase, where volume goes almost to zero, but intensity is extremely high, as you are sharpening your athlete to peak for competition.  This is typically near the end of the sports season, during playoffs and championships.  If your athlete is following strength building program all season, they will be lifting heavy weights, with no regard for speed or explosiveness, which in fact will hamper what you, are trying to achieve on the athletic field.  In my experience this is the time of the year where these two programs clash the most.  Tired, sore and slow athletes do not help coaches and teams win championships!  Fresh, fast and explosive, dynamic, agile athletes do!!

Many sports teams and athletes find success once they discover weight lifting.  There is no doubt adding a strength component to your sports training can and will improve your team.  General strength can help injury prevention, and it can even help with speed, as a stronger athlete will be a faster athlete too.  However, the gains from a strict strength-training program will be limited, whereas the ceiling from a comprehensive Sports Performance Program is generally much higher.  If you have found success just doing general strength training, then rest assured you can elevate your athletes and your teams to a whole new level once you implement a good Sports Performance Training program.  And if you have no strength component at all, then know that you have a ton of potential with your athletes and team.  I know it always seems hard to find the time to do all the technical and strategic preparation you feel you need to do to get ready for your next opponent.  And although that remains important, I challenge you all, coaches and parents, to make the time to add this Strength and Conditioning (Sports Performance) component to your athletes or teams routine.  Once you have fully implemented the program trust in the process and understand it will take some time to see the ultimate end results.  However I promise if you have patience, the results will speak for themselves.  It truly can be the difference between being mediocre and a Champion!   A good coach would never settle for less than excellence from themselves, their athletes and their program.  Adding a Sports Performance Training component will bring excellence!

As coaches we must seek out and find and utilize the best resources available to us to make our teams and athletes better.  If you are not sure how to implement this type of program, or if you are currently doing a strength program and want to take it to a Sports Performance program, then contact a local CSCS Strength coach in your area.  It is time we do better than the former football player turned PE teacher teaching weights class.  Our athletes deserve better and they need better.  Strength training is a piece of the puzzle, but just a piece, there is more.  Do more today!

Choosing a trainer or strength coach....aren't they all the same??

In 1999 when I first moved to Bend, there were only a few choices for workout facilities in Bend.  "THE" place to be, was the Athletic Club of Bend.  All the top trainers and instructors worked there and if you wanted the best of the best you joined 'the club'.  Junipers Swim and Fitness was another great option...a bit more affordable and also staffed with some great trainers and instructors.  Beyond that, there was Gold's Gym, and maybe one or two other fitness facilities.  Since then, Bend has experienced an unfathomable "boom" and our industry has taken off.  The Central Oregon lifestyle is one of activity and adventure, so it only makes sense that more and more people have decided to open  personal training studios, yoga studios, pilates studios, martial arts studios, 24 hour fitness gyms, CrossFit's, etc....  In many ways the greater diversity has been good for Bend.  People have more choices and more opportunities to find the program and trainer that fits them best.  And it has forced us all to "up our game" significantly, just to survive.  Unfortunately what has also happened is "marketing" has become a much bigger part of what makes a business successful or not.  Now don't get me wrong I don't think marketing is bad, it is necessary.  However when trainers and gyms are spending time and money on marketing campaigns, they will often go to great lengths to make themselves or their facility sound better than they actually are.  False claims about success or guarantees about outcomes become the norm just to separate themselves from the pack.  The way I look at marketing is, you tell people what they want to hear, to get them to commit to your product and then once you have them committed, you can read them the fine print about how long it REALLY takes, or what else you are going to have to do to achieve said results.  It is kind of "bait and explain" process.   I have seen and heard advertising for trainers or gyms, claiming to be "Master Trainers", or claiming to be voted "Bend's Best".  As with all marketing, I would challenge you all as consumers to challenge the marketing.  I would encourage you all to do your homework and research when you are seeking a trainer or a gym.  Talk to real people with real experience and find out if the marketing matches the experience.  Ask in depth questions regarding a trainers experience, certifications, education and passions.  Ask if you can "try before you buy"!  Ask for references...success stories from people who have been where you are now, and have improved their lives significantly.  As our industry has boomed it has become far too easy to become a "trainer" or a "coach".  You can literally be an electrician on Friday and be a personal trainer on Monday if you find the right online certification.  It can be that easy.  I may be going out on a limb here, but I am guessing you wouldn't take your car to a mechanic that was an accountant last week, but took an online test over the weekend because he or she has always loved cars.  Nor would you go to a dentist who was a teacher but was able to pass a online test and now loves working on teeth.  Personal Training is no different.  There are plenty of good trainers out there with extensive experience, education, certification and years of on the job training.  There is something to be said for knowing the "latest and greatest" information for sure...however knowledge and experience is immeasurable when it comes to programming a successful fitness plan.  And any good trainer will always be seeking additional learning environments and continuing education opportunities to stay on top of their craft.  Most good certifications require continued learning!

There are a number of good quality certifications available and none of them can be had over a short period of time.  They take months if not years to gain the knowledge required to pass.  Some of the best and those held in the highest regard within our industry today are, National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS, CPT, TSAC, RSCC), NASM (PES,CPT) or ACSM (CPT).  Many of these require a 4 year degree in a health and fitness related field, as well as passing a written and practical exam.  And then they require a certain number of CEU's every 2-3 years to remain certified in good standing.  On the flip side, there are trainers out there that have more initials after their names than you can imagine, and yet they have little to no practical knowledge and experience.  As with most things, being "book" smart and being "street" smart are very different things.  Ideally you want a combination of both.  So in addition to those initials at the end of your trainers name, how long have they been doing what they are doing?  What types of clients have they worked with? Do they have experience to match their education?  As I said already....do your homework!

I started this out saying I moved here in 1999...going on 17 years in this business, training people in Central Oregon.  After 6 years at the Athletic Club of Bend, I ventured out on my own in 2005.  Nearly 11 years owning and operating a private personal training studio.  Specializing in changing people's lives of the better.  In those 11 years we have trained clients from 8-85 years old.  Injured and healthy, athletes and non athletes, weight loss and weight gain type programs.  In 2004 I passed my CSCS exam...nearly 12 years holding arguable the most respected Strength and Conditioning Certification in the industry.  In 2012 I received the RSCC distinction, further separating myself from other CSCS trainers.  Prior to moving to Bend, I received my B.S. degree in Exercise Science....4 years of learning and studying about our amazing human body.  And I completed 1 year of Master's Level education in Kinesiology, the study of human movement.  My journey started in 1987...nearly 29 years of education, experience, on the job training, and growth as a trainer and Strength Coach.

If your goal is to become the best "you" that you can...then you owe it to yourself to find the best trainer you can find.  Do your homework and ask all the right questions.  Your success may depend on it!

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes...one which I try to live my life by on a daily basis, and one upon which our company basis all of our actions on.

"It's about the journey...mine and yours....and the lives we can touch, the legacy we can leave, and the world we can change for the better" - Tony Dungy

Boomer Fitness

I want to preface this by saying that I am NOT a baby boomer!  However I am close to that generation, and as the owner of a business that is directly related to peoples health and wellness, I am keenly aware that the needs of that particular generation are beginning to shape so much of how everyone views health care, fitness, wellness, nutrition, etc...  For the first time the number of people age 50 and over, will outnumber those 18 and younger in the US.  Our society demographics are rapidly changing and with that so is our focus on how to maintain health and fitness as we age.

It has long been publicized that we need to exercise.  That all started back in the 80's at the Cooper Institute in Texas.  And over the course of the last 30+ years much debate has been sparked regarding, exactly HOW we should exercise.  There is much disagreement over such things as long slow cardio to burn fat vs. higher intensity shorter duration.  Should weight lifting be a part of a fitness routine for everyone?  Should I stretch before or after a workout?  Or do I need to stretch at all?  And some of the biggest controversy surrounds nutrition.  I can't tell you how many billions of dollars are spent every year by people looking for that magic pill, that allows them to lose weight easily.  Diets, supplements, juices...all are marketed as the next big fix!

I am here today to tell you despite my personal reluctance to admit that I needed to change or do things different as I move farther away from 18, and much closer to 50, I have in fact made some changes.  With fantastic results!  Unfortunately as our bodies get older, OUR BODIES GET OLDER!  And not to make it too simple but as your car gets older you have to do more things for it!  The first 3 years I drive my new VW GTI I only have to change the oil every year or 10,000 miles.  After that my maintenance becomes much more regular and the intervals between much shorter.  Just like cars, as we get older we must do more to keep our bodies in tip top shape.  Things like stretching!  I cringe even writing that, because for years I held onto the belief that I didn't need to stretch.  I could do what I wanted and, if I might say so, quite well.  So why waste time stretching.  Well....because after 40+ years of the same repetitive motions as a runner, and the same strength program, but muscles became less pliable.  Much more rigid and inflexible.  And what do you know....they are attached to other parts of my body and when the muscles don't move so well, then the other parts don't move so well.  A leads to B which eventually leads to Z.  Tight muscles led to inflexible joints which led to irritated nerves and tendons, and what do you know.....pain!  For two (no really 10 years) now I have been dealing with hamstring and low back issues that I just attributed to lots of miles.  Part of the side effect of being an OCD distance runner.  Finally last spring I was forced to take 2 1/2 months off from running due to pain.  Even after I got back to running I fell right back into old patterns.  It wasn't until I committed to running my first marathon in 11 years in honor of my Dad that I realized maybe it was time to "train smarter, not harder"!  Now don't get me wrong I still am not perfect and probably run too many miles and don't do enough stretching and cross training.  But for the first time in 11 years I am running relatively pain free due to a very simple 10 minute Yoga routine a good friend of mine showed me.  Gone was my excuse that I didn't have time....I spend at least 10 minutes a day on Facebook (you probably do to), so I could easily find 10 minutes to focus on my health.  Within days I started to notice a difference.  And now 3 days away from the Chicago Marathon I am a "changed man"!  I strongly encourage all runners, all athletes, all people to remember to stretch.  To spend quality time working on maintaining your bodies natural range of motion within all of its joints.  To maintain pliability in your muscles and tendons so you don't end up with pain.  It doesn't take long....it isn't glamorous, but it will keep you healthy.

I have learned a few other things too.....stay tuned.  None of it earth shattering, but all very insightful!  Until next time.....remember this definition from Albert Einstein: " insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results".  Try something new if what  you are doing is no longer working for you!  And know that as you get older, what you are doing today WILL NOT continue to work for you forever :)

Running vs. Training

I have been running now for nearly 30 years.  Not always competitively but almost always running.  I run for a lot of reasons, most of which you all can relate to.  Fitness, competitiveness, stress relief, weight management (be honest, all runners worry about their weight, even though we all could pretty much eat whatever we want!), fun, love of the outdoors....there are probably more but those are the big ones.  As you know I just recently decided to enter and race in the Chicago Marathon nearly 12 years after my last competitive race.  Sure I have done a few races since then, but none quite this big.  Some of the reasons I stopped racing, I am sure many of you can relate to as well.  Got married and started a family, opened a business, lack of sleep, too many other things were more important, reduced competitiveness.  So, I have basically been "running" for the last 12 years and have not really "trained" at all.  What is the difference you ask?  Well, surprisingly it just kind of occurred to me in the last 2 weeks.  "Running" is merely the act of going out and completing the task of running.  And it is my belief the motivations behind running are very different from training.  I ran, "to stay in shape", "to keep up with my high school xc and track kids", "to relieve stress", "to escape life", " to burn calories".  And in those 12 years I can honestly say I truly enjoyed only about 50% of those runs.  Sure I was satisfied at my effort and what I was doing.  Sure I enjoyed being away from work and outside.  But for the most part the runs were laborious.  They were painstaking.  They took as much mental strength as they did physical.  So I found it funny then, that as soon as I set a goal, Chicago Marathon, and my running all the sudden had a bigger purpose, I have discovered a new found enjoyment for running/training!  And perhaps not so surprising, my runs have become less painstaking and more focused.  Less laborious and more satisfying.  I feel better, my legs have more "snap".  Hills that for years now have "owned" me, I know feel like I can power up with relative ease.  So I think when you can focus and set a goal, and thus give your runs purpose, all of the sudden running becomes training.  And each effort means more, is more enjoyable and satisfying, and almost instantly your mental outlook on your training seems brighter and more exciting as well.  As a personal trainer and coach I see this all the time in my clients.  If they have a specific goal we are working towards, everything seems easier and more enjoyable.  Results matter and feedback is important.  Those without a specific goal....seem to have higher incidence of missing workouts, canceling last minute, slacking during the workouts.  So if you don't have a goal, SET ONE TODAY!  If you find yourself struggling in your workouts, be them bike rides, running, swimming, paddling, or weight lifting, and you just don't seem to have a fire within, then evaluate WHY you are "training".  If you can't come up with a concrete, tangible reason that allows you to gauge progress and aim for a culmination, so to speak, then you need to reevaluate what and why you are doing what you are doing.  Goals are important in life, in training, in our jobs and our families!  If you don't have goals, you are like a ship with no destination, left to be led by the waves and the tides.  You then lack control, and are forced to deal with things you otherwise might not want to deal with.  So set your coordinates and get going!  One day at a time, but with full effort, energy and excitement!  I promise you will enjoy the journey a whole lot more!

Chicago Marathon - Running for a cause!

This October 13th, I will be running in my first marathon in 11 years!  In fact it will be one of my first races period in nearly 8 years (team competition at the PPP is the lone exception).  Crazy!  Especially in a town like Bend, where nearly everyone races.  But several factors led me to decide it was time.....

I started running in high school to get in shape so I could hang out at the beach with my friends and of course I wanted to look good.  Most of you that know me will be surprised to learn that I didn't run competitively in high school.  I loved baseball and soccer and played that through most of high school, but even then I wasn't quite good enough to make my high school teams, so it was rec leagues.  I was a sports nut though.  And then believe it or not I was a proud member of the "band geeks and choir queers".  Certainly not "PC" terms today, but we didn't mind then.  I actually excelled in music....making State Bands and even helping lead our Marching Band to the State Championship in PA.  So when I started running, I really mean I was running to get in shape.  I wasn't overweight, but I was a baseball player at a time when fitness was still a relatively unknown thing.  Soccer helped keep me kind of fit, but back in my era, you really only played a sport for that season, and then you moved on to the next sport of activity.  There was not year round club soccer, or baseball.  And even if there was, as I said I wasn't that good.  Looking back I believe I could have been that good with the right coaches, and with the right push from my parents.  Neither of my parents were athletes, nor was my brother.  So my experience with sports was purely self led, self motivated and all my parents really cared about was that I tried hard when I played.  They didn't care if I played or not.  As I got more involved in music, I had less time for sports, so eventually I quit team sports and after moving to West Palm Beach, Florida vanity became my motivator and I ran to lose a little weight and look good for the girls.  I then proceeded to develop into a self taught triathlete entering and competing in triathlons in Chicago, Denver, Utah, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.  In college I helped found the CSU Triathlon club, which still exists today, and focused all my extra time on training.  Still no help from anyone other than the occasional fellow triathlete that would offer advice.  Over time, I realized that I would come out of the swim in the last 1/3, then would gain a little in the bike, and then in the run would pass about half those in front of me.  Still I would finish in the middle to front of the pack, never good enough to win, but always a strong enough run to get me in contention.  After college, training for all three disciplines was too time consuming so I decided to focus on the one that seemed to be my strength.  Then in 1996, after years of entering 5K's and 10K's and still the occasional Tri, I decided to enter a marathon.  The 1996 Chicago Marathon was my first.  I went into it with no formal training.  I just ran.  No structure to my training.  I would run hard every time I ran. And occasionally I would run from downtown Ft. Collins to the "A" on the side of Horsetooth by our football stadium (a good mile or so uphill once I got to the stadium).  I asked a few friends if they thought it was realistic to run a sub 3:00 marathon in my first try and most of them laughed, or at least politely told me that it would be really hard.  Well, I was just stubborn enough or competitive enough....I went to Chicago and ran 2:59.  And I qualified for Boston, so then I had to go do that!  So my second one was Boston in 1997.....still with no formal training and not doing anything right after Chicago, I was able to run a 2:56.  Now I am thinking I have this down.....keep entering marathons and keep getting faster.  Next marathon was Portland my first year in Oregon....1999.  I was training a little smarter but still not very smart.  But I managed to pull off a 2:46.  To this day I owe this one to Laura Nelson.  She wanted me to pace her to an Olympic Trails qualifying time.  In reality she helped me run smarter the first 10 miles and unfortunately bathroom stops for her kept her from her goal.  Had we run together the whole time, she would have qualified.  Sorry Laura, but thank you too!  I then started thinking about breaking the coveted 2:40 timeline.....why not, everything seems easy to this point.  Train stupid and run faster each time.  So I tried to train smarter and then I should really run faster, right.  Well, the next marathon was 2000 in Cozumel, Mexico.  I don't deal well with heat, so why go to Mexico????  The marketing people swore it would be cool and low humidity, it was November after all, and we started at 5:00AM.  Well, they were wrong.  Hot and humid is what we got.  So hot, my socks and shoes were drenched after 3 miles.  So this would end up being my slowest marathon to date....3:04.  I did win however, so kind of mixed emotions.  My Dad came with me to this one.  So cool he got to see me win, but I was disappointed in my time.  I hit the half in 1:20 so I knew I could do 2:40.  Next race.....2002 and Twin Cities.  Same goal....same thought, it should be cool.  Dad there again.  Same conditions....hot and humid.  And in reality I don't think I was ready to run a 2:40.  But I went out in a 1:18...good start, but then crumbled in the heat again.  3:07 was my finish time.  Dad was proud but again I was not happy!  Little did I know that the changes God had in store for me and my life were just about to hit warp speed.  In 2002 I met my wife and the love of my life!  That was the start.....racing quickly became so much less important.  And over the next 11 years a marathon became the last thing I could fathom.  Until now.  Dad passed away February 21st, 2012 from lung cancer.  He smoked for 30 years so it wasn't a surprise.  But it was still devastating.  He watched me run my last marathon and though he never understood why I run, he always supported my running.  Chicago was my first marathon so it only seems fitting that it be my first again.  The race is on October 13th...my Dad's birthday is October 14th.  And my friend Steve Koski wants to do it together (though we will start and finish at different time, we will be out there together).  So despite just coming back from an injury and not training seriously for a very long time, Chicago it is!  Finish and have fun is my goal!  And if I happen to run a sub 3:15 and qualify for Boston, well that would be okay too :)  See you all on the road and back here for more updates.  If you would like to support my efforts to raise over $5000 for Team in Training, go to our website, www.willpowertrainingstudio.com and click on the Team in Training link.

What we do at WRP...we touch lives!

Happy Friday Everyone,

Part of what I love about my job is that we can literally change people's lives for the better! We can give them more freedom to do more things, and we can give them happiness as they achieve things they previously could not. Most people live in Central Oregon because of the "quality of life" that we have here. Our longest commute means we have to cross Business 97 which unless we are stopped by the train, might mean a 15 minute drive from west to east sides of Bend. Heck I can run from the west side to Costco in 30 minutes :) Sorry I am getting off track. Anyway, people come to us because they want to be able to enjoy all the outdoor fun Central Oregon has to offer. Recently one of my clients graciously wrote the following to tell me how much we have done for him. I thought I would share it with you all...please enjoy. And know that the changes Tom saw, you could see too!

Kyle,> > I told you a few weeks ago I would send you an email about how much your training has helped me, changed me. I have been doing tri's for at least 9 years now, and always content to finish in the bottom third. Once in a while I would finish in the middle, but never better. I could not figure out how guys could bike and run so damn fast and figured it was just genetic. After all, I would ride thousands of miles a year, and run hundreds of miles a year and would slightly improve my times.> > I started your class in January of this year. Six months later I did the Pacific Crest Half Ironman for my 8th consecutive year. I have never broken 6 hours on that race, and my fastest previous time for that course was 6 hrs and 14 minutes. This year I did the race in 5 hrs 51 minutes, a 23 minute improvement! And I felt great at the finish. I also finished 14th in my age group out of 40. A few weeks later I did both the Olympic and Sprint distance triathlons at Deschutes Dash. I improved my best Olympic distance time by nearly 30 minutes, and my sprint time by nearly 24 minutes. Better yet, I finished 8th in my age group on the Olympic and 3rd on the Sprint. I have never finished in the top three of an age group. More amazing was that I was only 12 minutes off the winning time overall.> > All of this I am achieving while riding my bike less than prior years, and running less than prior years. Your class is the only thing I am doing differently than in prior years with very impressive results.> > While I love to compete, I ran with some friends that I have not run with in more than a year recently. I could never keep up with them, ever. Two weekends in a row on very long runs I completely smoked them by more than 10 minutes. I was dropping them on the climbs, which I have never been able to do. Both wanted to know what I am taking to have so much improvement. I told them its your class. More importantly, its just a lot of fun to run and not be the food for the wildlife dying off the back of the pack.> > Besides all the racing and competing benefits, I just simply feel better. I feel stronger, I have less injuries, and I feel for the first time in my life that I actually have some throttle response. I used to be the diesel that could go a long way, slowly and take miles to ramp up my speed. Now, If I want to pick up the pace, I can do it effortlessly and very quickly. Its just fun and makes me feel a lot younger.> > So thank you and I am now curious to see what I will be able to achieve next summer after being in your class for more than a year.

Image is Everything!

Good Morning Everyone,
I had a very interesting conversation with one of our members the other day. She loves what we are doing and wanted to give me some constructive criticism that might help us market who we are and what we do, which I welcomed. Most of the things she said were no surprise and things that I have thought before but just taken the time to correct or follow through with. There was one thing that although not a surprise was a bit frustrating. She said essentially, "no one knows about you and if they do they think you train only elite athletes". Now I have heard this before to a certain extent, but I thought it had changed. It is true that we have some extremely talented and hardworking clients, and it is true that I believe I at times push clients harder than just about anyone else in town. However it is also very true, that I train currently or have at one time, an 80 year old women with sever scoliosis (longest standing client at 10+ years), a recovering stroke victim, a parkinson's patient, a female triathlete recovering from a complete hip reconstruction (not replacement, that would have been easier), and more... Additionally our other trainers have clients ranging in age from 12 - 85, some up to 100lbs overweight, some in wheelchairs, many "off the couch" moms and dads just wanting to get in shape or stay in shape. At WRP, we can and do train and work with truly all ages and abilities!!! At a time when we have to scratch and claw for every new client both because of the economy and the amount of competition in this town, it just kills me to think people are choosing to go elsewhere because they think we are to "elite". Honestly that is why we go by WRP instead of WillRace Performance! We are not just for elite performance...we are for everyone! So if you or any of your friends have thought about trying us out but feared we were too intense, please give us another shot. I promise you will be pleasantly surprised. Not to mention we have the best personal training facility in Bend. Do it today or pass this along to your friends. Free classes through September 7th for all new members and $55 an hour personal training rates for one on one for all new clients. Our Group Personal Training is only $67 a month for unlimited personal training...again the best deal in town! Call today :)