MEN'S HEALTH NEXT TOP TRAINER EPISODE 2

Here you go....watch us demonstrate an exercise of the week. We have no time to prepare and just :90 seconds to rip it out.  See what happens.




No matter what....

It's not about me,
Coach Theo

SHOULD GUYS COACH GIRLS' SPORTS? Something to think about.

I had a really cool conversation with some of my kids today (three freshmen girls and one twelve yr old boy) about their experiences with coaches.

Unfortunately, they weren't that great. We talked about the loss of "FUN" in sports and the drill sergeant push for "WINNING" by coaches, which creates bad experiences and pushes kids away from wanting to even participate.

But on another level, we discussed MEN coaching GIRLS' sports?  It was really neat to hear their perspective on this topic.

Do men know how to relate and change their approach for young girls?  Do they need to?

Here's some stuff to think about:

1. Do men understand how to communicate with young girls?

2. Do men understand the emotions of young girls?

3. Do men understand the physical stuff that girls deal with?

I tell you what, it really got me thinking. Girls are different. Heck, there are numerous of books trying to help men better communicate with them. After all, Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus.  I still don't know if I even have the equation right with my wife Amber. I know there's a lot of work I'll have to do with my daughter as she grows up. At 7 months old, I can already see the difference in her needs vs my son's!  Plus, the physical stuff of periods and all the emotions that go with it! Let's face it men, we take it for granted.  Explain how we can expect to play our best in a game when that time of the month just completely rocked our body and altered our moods like no other!  Practice is cancelled today girls, let's just talk. Actually, we can't even do that because you know nothing will come out right.

I don't know the exact answer but I will say this, it can be done, but definitely not by the average Joe. After having this convo and thinking about what my young athletes have said, I'm really thinking a lot of girls are getting messed up out there by unprepared male coaches. I have a lot of girls in my fitness programs, and one in fact is ALL 8th-9th grade girls. I definitely have a different approach and I'm definitely more sensitive. But I promise you, it helps having Amber give me advice and my assistant coach is a college-bound female. They get it and they'll steer me right.

So even though it can be completely detrimental to have a male coach for a girls sport.....

I bet some of you will say it could actually be better?

I'm not saying I'm right. It's just my opinion.  I'd love to hear yours.....

It's not about me,
Coach Theo

YOUR MENTAL MUSCLE WORKOUT, NEXT WEEK

MENTAL MUSCLE.

I stole this term from my good friend Matt Parks---a true game-changer in many ways.

"The mental game is everything."  You hear things like this all the time. Through many life experiences, trials and tribulations, successes and accomplishments, you really realize what it means, and how true this phrase is!

You can't neglect the mental game. It is the cornerstone for altering the course of your life. Just like your body, the mind can and needs to be strengthened, even more so.  Do so and you'll move mountains. Let it wilt away and you'll stand at the bottom looking up.

HOW CAN YOU STRENGTHEN IT:

• Reading 
• Writing
• Self-talk
• Praying
• Listening
• Watching
• Being Coached

YOU CAN MAKE IT:

• Stronger
• Positive
• Dedicated
• Committed
• Focused
• Calm

It always comes down to perspective.  Once it changes, so does your life.  I want to invite you to a MENTAL MUSCLE WORKOUT NEXT WEEK where the one thing I hope to do, and only thing I can do, is help change yours.

It's my part of my "IT'S NOT ABOUT ME" Challenge Series.  I'll be giving a jam-packed 1 hr speech at John Knox Presbyterian Church in North Olmsted, Oh. June 18. 7pm.  And the amazing thing is our host John Knox is making it absolutely FREE to the community (light refreshments will be served).

I'll be sharing some really important things about my life motto:

• The difficulty: how sometimes I want to throw a fit like a little kid.
• The need: how it changes behavior and actions.
• The power: how freeing and fulfilling it is.
• The results: how you'll accomplish more than you can ever imagine.

I promise to be real. I promise to be practical. And I promise to base it on TRUTH.

Definitely come join us on Wed night for a fun and meaningful time.

It may just be an absolute game-changer for you, and everyone in your life.

It's not about me,
Coach Theo

Men's Health Next Top Trainer Episode 1

Here it is: Episode 1!  Let the games begin.  Wow---looks so much more intense than it was, and it was intense on set!  Check it out and see what happens. My "Its Not About Me" attitude may not be the right attitude for this!  You can watch every Monday night for the next 8 weeks on Men'sHealth.com/toptrainer




No matter what happens though.

It's still not about me,
Coach Theo

EVEN IF ONE FOLLOWS, THEN IT'S WORTH IT

1700 kids have been in my audience at least once over the last six months.

I guesstimated this number after adding up my training programs, assemblies, school events, youth obstacle races, classroom visits, and charity events that we've had since January. This is a rough number and it only counts each child once, even the 150 that I see regularly through my weekly programming.

1700 kids have sat in front of me, participated in an activity with me, listened to a message I shared, and/or watched something I've done.

That's a big number.

That's an immense responsibility.

That's heckuva an opportunity to create IMPACT.

Let me take this a few places though as I think about impact creation:

#1. NUMBERS SCHNUMBERS
I used let numbers affect me. If only three were in my workout did that mean I wasn't a good trainer?  If only ten were at my speech did that mean I wasn't a good speaker?  When hundreds more walk through my gym does that mean I'm now successful?  I had to squash this thinking real fast. One, because I don't like to stress about stuff like this, it gives me a headache. Two, because it doesn't really matter.

Yes, it's great to be in front of a lot of people. It means your reach is expanding and your platform is growing.  It could mean you're doing a really good job and more people want to be around you. If you're doing the right thing and leading the right way, then this is absolutely incredible. We need more positive people sending a meaningful message.  But, numbers can't be your main intention and you can't let them define you.


#2. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.
Because at the end of the day, you can make a big impact in a large setting, but it's when you funnel people into a micro level that you can really make a difference. Relationships are true game-changers and when you're one on one or in small groups is when you can really hit others beyond just surface level material.

I love large groups and big crowds and prefer being in that setting, the energy is higher and I feel the Spirit ripping through like no other. But I can't neglect the power of the small, intimate, continual moments with people who are in my life on a regular basis that continues to produce everlasting change, for both parties. When I'm on a phone call with my buddies from the industry who are hitting me on a much deeper level--asking me about my marriage, my kids, my internal struggles and prayer requests. When I'm in a private session with my client and we're diving into much deeper issues than just sets and reps.  When I'm with a few of my younger kids talking about insecurities with body image and bullies at school.  This is where you see true change start to happen.

The other thing about quality is you have to look at what type of material you're producing. Are you providing perspective-changing truth that's practical and relatable and authentic? Or are you just producing motivating fluff that's attractive and get's people in the door?  You don't just want to excite and fire people up temporarily. The challenge is always to excite and fire people up enough to take action and keep taking it for the long-term.

"The quantity of impact is great but the quality of impact is even greater."

3. IT CAN'T BE ABOUT ME GAINING SOMETHING.
You can't say or do something just to make other's happy. Sometimes it's the hard stuff that will give them a gut-check.  You can't just say what others want to hear. That's not going to penetrate like it's supposed to. You can't do it for your own recognition. You have to sincerely care about others and the direction of their life. It's not about your status or your ratings or your Facebook likes.

Because here's the bottom line.....

1700 kids is unbelievable and makes me feel very honored and grateful and I will never take it for granted.

But even if one shows up at my training session or speech or event, my duty is to provide exactly what God intended me to.

Even if one person shows up then I'd still put in the same prep time and enthusiasm that I was meant to.

Even if one person is deeply inspired, transformed, and reconfigured by something I've done, by the way I live my life, by my attitude and perspective, then it's worth every ounce of sharing my gifts, talents, and abilities.

EVEN IF ONE PERSON FOLLOWS, THEN IT'S ALL WORTH IT.

Never doubt the power of your influence. Get out there today and help even just one person breathe a better life. It may just be an absolute game-changer.

It's not about me,
Coach Theo