When you remove the obligation to try to get your athlete to complete a specific movement, you unlock an infinite number of scaling options, gamifications, or other ways to engage with your athlete. Our goal isn't to get them to perform a specific exercise, our goal is to get them to perform a variety of movement patterns.

This is the simplest breakdown of patterns in a way that covers every muscle in the body. The more experienced you get, the more you can begin to break this down into muscle groups and other details - but to start, learn to understand the major patterns of the body rather than trying to memorize specific exercises.

Not everyone can squat, but almost everyone can perform SOME type of 'Lower push' exercise. If you can walk up stairs, sit on the toilette, or even just bend your knees through any range of motion - then you're able to perform the lower push pattern.

The goal isn't exercise for the sake of exercise, the goal is to accomplish a broad variety of movements and to work just 10% harder than they want to or have before. With this approach, there is an infinite number of ways to engage your athlete in a way that is fun rather than a chore.

The best workout for your athlete is the one that they do. Don't overcomplicate it or set the bar unattainably high. 30 minutes once a week is 1,000x better than nothing, and 30 minutes 2x / week consistently over an extended period is enough to make some major life changes for athletes of any age or ability.

Exposing our body to stress in a controlled environment, whether physical or emotional, is how we adapt and grow as human beings. Teaching regulation to athletes through their physical body is MUCH easier then trying to get inside their heads, but as they learn physical regulation, the emotion regulation follows right behind.

If you're working with an athlete who spends a lot of time already doing a specific sport (or movement pattern) then if you remember our goal of ensuring athletes complete a broad range of patterns - then our most effective use of time to ensure a balanced and health athlete is to train the ones they're not already doing.

The goal is long term progression, not short term goals. Don't scare them off by making it too hard. As long as you can get your athlete to do 10% more than they wanted to, or have before - then the workout was a win. Maintain this approach over extended periods of time, and the results will speak for themselves.

My SCHOOLS.FIT web-app of Resources

Check-out the full list of resources, with on demand workout videos, movement demos, workout builders and more coming soon on my web app I'm building specifically for educators, parents, and anyone who works with youth.

SCHOOLS.FITA resource from coach Thor for parents, educators, and anyone who works with youth.Raincity School Resources

Coach Liz here, as I’m sure most of you are well-aware, we are re-opening our doors today, and we will host our first official group classes since mid-March tomorrow!

We are starting off with members getting access to 2 group classes a week, over 3 potential days (Tues, Thurs, or Sat). (read more about our phased re-opening approach here)

Why Only 2 Workouts per Week?

Testing Procedures

First, to make sure our new COVID procedures function as we imagined with that many members coming through every day, and to make sure those procedures can be replicated as we continue to add back more classes.

Progressive Training Volume

Second, to make sure you all are safe and not overdoing it your first week back to the gym. Most members have been without a barbell or pull-up bar or intense group training atmosphere for going on six weeks! Going back to four to five workouts a week that include all of those things is a recipe for disaster. Remember how sore you were after the first OnRamp session or two? Imagine that, except worse, because your ego is getting the best of you and you’re trying to do the things you could do at the gym Pre-COVID.

Group Class Programming

Having said that, we wanted to notify you about what the in-gym programming will look like for the next couple of weeks to manage your expectations - and honestly, it will be pretty boring (though still exciting to be utilizing all the equipment). We will do lots of tempo strict work to help ensure you’re not picking weights that are too heavy.

It’s a great opportunity to refine your basics! When’s the last time you concentrated 100% on front squat technique? When’s the last time you did tempo strict press or push press?

We will also do a lot of workouts with low volume of movements, and added rest. This will allow you to slowly build back capacity for things like pull-ups and toes to bar without overdoing the numbers of reps relative to your current capacity. Also, adding the rest into the workouts will help you work on these skills without your heart rate at 1000% the entire workout. It will also allow us to avoid tearing your hands, or hurting your shoulders, in your first week back - imagine having hand tears for all the hand washing and disinfectant you’re doing during COVID-19? Ouch!

It’s not the ‘New Normal’ - It’s a Rebuild

So, as you return to the gym this week, just keep in mind that it will be pretty different than the last time you walked through our doors. The physical space will be different, you will be further apart from your friends/coach/fellow gym members (#socialdistancing!), and we will be getting back to basics in the programming. From here, let’s build back up!

Looking forward to seeing you all!

Coach Liz

FULL COVID FAQ has now been added to the RAthletes FAQ - faq.raincityathletics.ca