2nd Interview with Athletic Development Coach: Brendon Rearick

A few weeks ago was my first interview blog post that I did with Kevin Carr, who works for Mike Boyle’s Strength and Conditioning and today is another coach from MBSC.  Today, Brendon provides his point of view, influences, and knowledge as well.

1)  Brendon, I wanted to thank you for taking some time out of your day to do this interview.  Before we even start, introduce yourself to any readers who read this interview.  What is your training background, how did you get involved in the industry, and why do you love it?

Thanks for the interview Matt. I love being able to share my story. Hopefully this interview will help some poor confused college kid or that newly certified trainer who’s wondering what to do next.

It all began when I was a freshman in high school and like most teenage boys I started lifting weights for two reasons: sports and women. And since neither of them worked out I became a strength coach… just kidding.

By sophomore year I was lifting 5 days a week, was on every supplement they sold at GNC, and had read every single Muscle & Fitness printed the previous 5 years. I was hooked. Fast forward a few years and it is my senior year of high school, football season is coming to an end and so are my dreams of playing the NFL. I was a good athlete my whole life, but not D1 good. So how does a guy win a Superbowl ring without playing football?? He’s a coach, and I didn’t want to be just any coach, I wanted to be the strength coach.

So that’s what I did. I studied at Umass-Amherst, got my degree in Kinesiology, then a few internships & side jobs later, I landed my current position at Mike Boyle’s Strength & Conditioning.

Working at MBSC is the best thing that could have ever happened to me and I am grateful everyday for it. I have learned more about the industry and myself in the past 2 years then I ever could have imagined. If you look up the job description of a strength coach you’ll most likely find something to the effect of: “to have your athletes in the best shape possible to perform on game day & reduce the likelihood of injury during the event.” While that is what any good strength coach should aspire too, I think even more importantly we have the ability to change lives and make a difference in someone’s day. That is why I love it. The positive outcomes we can create, especially when working with youth athletes, makes all the hours of hard work worth it. Not many jobs can give you that feeling.

2)    Who has influenced you the most with regards to your training philosophy… and what is your training philosophy?

Without a doubt, Mike Boyle. He has been an unbelievable mentor, friend, and is the best in the business when it comes to coaching & teaching. When you look at my programs you will also see influences from many different coaches; Dan John, Charlie W., Kelly Starrett, Jim Wendler, Joel Jamieson, Gray Cook, Mike Robertson, and Mark Verstegen just to name a few.

My general overall philosophy is: MOVE! Our society has forgotten how to move. Kids, athletes, & adults. The body was made to move in different directions, different planes, at different speeds, using different implements, and your training should support this. Movement MUST also be pain-free. If you’re in pain, you cannot make change; the brain simply won’t let it happen.

3)    Considering we are the next generations of coaches, what is some of the advice you would give to interns and those interested in wanting to pursue a career in the field?

Experience, experience, experience. You’ve spent the past 16 years of your life in a classroom reading text books and filling out scantron sheets now its time to apply that knowledge. Try to do at least 2 internships while in college. Preferably your junior and senior years. This will give you a pretty good head start and a good idea of what part of the industry you would like to be in: strength coaching, personal training, athletic training, physical therapy, college athletics, the private sector. If you’re already out of college and looking to get into the fitness industry it is still in your benefit to do an internship and work for free for 3 months. There is no price you can put on the experience you’ll gain by doing this. Unfortunately strength coaching is not 9 to 5 or a very lucrative job so if you want to make the big $ with vacation days and weekends off I’d find a new career.

It’s also important you train yourself. You are your own lab rat. Write up your own programs, test out new exercises, hire a personal trainer, read one of the books I’ve suggested below and do their program. Then after you’ve trained yourself for a while start training your friends, family, coworkers, significant other(s), and do it for FREE. Maybe you volunteer at your colleges weight room or coach a local youth sports team (one of my first exposures to coaching was as a volunteer basketball coach of a youth team in Amherst).

You will make mistakes, and you will be a bad your first go around. That’s part of the process. If you are interested in speeding up the process, Kevin Carr and I run the internship program at MBSC. We are full for the summer but we are now accepting applications for the fall http://www.bodybyboyle.com/internships

What are your personal goals for the next few years (personal or professional, training, education-related)

Ahh the ol’ “5 year plan” question. Just a few things that come to the top of my mind…

In the next year … graduate from massage school, keep making the MBSC internship experience the best it can be, and keep working on my pubic speaking.

In the next 3 years… make our Personal Training Mentorship one of the best mentorships to attend, have a legitimate website & write for a top magazine, learn Active Release Technique, and I’d like visit 5 of my favorite coaches and facilities and learn from them for a week.

In the next 5 years…. running my own facility & be traveling the world for speaking & education.

5) If you had to create a top 5 recommended reading list, what would they be (could be training/non-training related)

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care”
2. Advances in Functional Training by Mike Boyle – Hey, maybe I’m a little bias but lets me real Mike knows his stuff and my philosophy was heavily influenced by him
3. Starting Strength by Lon Kilgore & Mark Rippetoe – not a game changer, but its a classic in the strength & conditioning world everyone should read.
4. Trail Guide to the Human Body – I think every good strength coach needs an anatomy book and I love this one because it includes movements and parts of the fascial system.
5. Sorry but this ones gotta be a tie between Never Let Go by Dan John & Today Matters by John Maxwell – Dan John’s book is an awesome read, great stories and a real thinker. John Maxwell’s book really made me get organized and rethink my priorities

6) DO NO HARM. This is the #1 rule of the strength coach. What do you think are the most effective strategies that people can do to make their training effective and efficient while decreasing their chance of injury substantially?

It’s all in the assessment. For assessment tools you can use the FMS, an injury history, or a simple workout you start every client with. I use all 3. It doesn’t matter what system or tool you use but be sure you have one. The assessment doesn’t stop with your first meeting, every exercise and everyone workout is an assessment. From there it’s all about regression and progression. As a coach it is your job to know when to hold someone back or when to take it to the next level.

Last note, follow the rule “If it hurts, don’t do it”. It’s a yes or no answer. Have a back up plan or exercise if something does hurt and if it’s a consistent problem have them see their doctor or a physical therapist you can trust. There is NO shame in referring out. You’re client may not be interested at first but in the long run they will thank you. Even offer to pay for the PT session with one of their personal training sessions. Getting someone out of pain = a client & referrals for life.

If you want to learn more from Brendon, you can find all his information at his website RearickStrength.com.  These two interviews have been tremendous in learning where to start as a strength coach.  I really appreciated both interviews and for these guys to share their knowledge! I hope those who read took away something from them!

Cheers,

Matt 

    

1st Interview: Athletic Development Coach Kevin Carr

     I have always wanted to interview other strength coaches that are willing to share some of the knowledge and information they have gained from working at a different facility.  There is much to learn being a young strength coach and to get different perspectives on training.  I asked both Kevin Carr and Brendon Rearick to answer a few questions pertaining to the field and they were awesome enough to take some time out of their busy schedule to answer the questions.  I am very thankful that they did.  For those who do not know, these guys are coaches at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning located in Woburn, MA.  Their athletic development facility was voted the #1 gym in America by Men’s Health, and deservedly so. 

First up, Kevin Carr…

1) Kevin, I wanted to thank you for taking some time out of your day to do this interview.  Before we even start, introduce yourself to any readers who read this interview.  What is your training background, how did you get involved in the industry, and why do you love it?

 I am a strength and conditioning coach at Mike Boyle’s Strength and Conditioning in Woburn, Massachusetts. I have a bachelors in Kinesiology form UMass Amherst and I am currently enrolled in a massage therapy program at The Cortiva Institute. 

I grew up as a multi-sport athlete and like many in this field fell in love with the weight room in high school. I have evolved from a complete meathead to becoming a well-rounded strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer. My first real exposure to strength and conditioning was a summer internship with Mike Boyle’s Strength and Conditioning in 2008 the summer after my sophomore year in college. Ever since then I have been at MBSC coaching as much as possible and learning from anyone I can.

Currently, Brendon and myself function as co-internship coordinators at MBSC while also maintaining a full training schedule of personal training clients and athletic development groups. I have a clientele that varies from adults looking to lose weight to high school hockey players to Word-Class Olympians and Professional athletes.

2) Who has influenced you the most with regards to your training philosophy..and what is your training philosophy?

 Without a doubt Mike Boyle has been my biggest influence as a strength coach. He has been a great mentor to me. In addition to Mike, the coaches who were working at MBSC when I first started like Jaime Rodriguez, Nicole Rodriguez, Dan Gableman and Kyle Holland all taught me how to be a great coach.

 3) Considering we are the next generations of coaches, what is some of the advice you would give to interns and those interested in wanting to pursue a career in the field?

 Coach as much as possible. Hands on experience, learning what works, what doesn’t and how to communicate with your athletes is invaluable. Get brilliant at the basics and never stop learning. 

 4) What are your personal goals for the next few years (personal or professional, training, education-related)

 Professionally, I want to set Mike Boyle’s Strength and Conditioning apart from every other gym in the country. I plan on building this business and making it more successful each year I work here. For me, this means offering more training options, bringing in more athletes and clients and continuing to improve our staff.

 In addition to this I want to offer the best internship and mentorship programs available in the industry. I love talking about training and providing an educational resource for other coaches so that we can improve the quality of trainers in our field..

Educationally, I’ll always continue learning, reading, and coaching. I plan on completing my Massage Therapy program in the next year and becoming a Licensed Massage Therapist.

  5) If you had to create a top 5 recommended reading list, what would they be (could be training/non-training related)

 How To Win Friends And Influence People- Dale Carnegie

Advances In Functional Training – Mike Boyle

Practical Programming – Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore

Today Matters – John Maxwell

Movement – Gray Cook

 6) DO NO HARM. This is the #1 rule of the strength coach. What do you think are the most effective strategies that people can do to make their training effective and efficient while decreasing their chance of injury substantially?

Screen all your clients. The FMS provides a perfect screen to tell you what you cannot do with someone.  In addition to this use common sense and demand technical proficiency. Coaches shouldn’t rely on “good enough.” I have never seen a perfect deadlift or bench that hurt someone, it’s always the ugly ones.

Again, I wanted to thank him for this interview and hopefully those that read realize the darn good information these guys put out.  To reach Kevin and see the great information he is providing, go to CoachKevCarr.com 

 

The Simplest Most Effective Movements for Success

     Yup, you could call me Dan John’s son.  For my own personal musings with working out and if I had to create a program a program for an athlete in which I knew I could not be there, there is no doubt in my mind that simpler is often better.  Heck, simpler could be better most of the time.  It could probably get people more motivated to lift because it is simple, quick, and effective.  I am basically talking about the human movements that we all can do in the gym.  Dan John is notorious for have a simple successful approach to lifting and if there is anyone who could prove this true, it is him.  If you see the weight numbers his athletes put up, it is impressive and they are legitimate.  No bad form here.  But if you had to make a complete what route would you pick?  These are just some of those human movmements we all have come to know.

• Push
• Pull
• Hip-Hinge
• Squat
• Walk-Runs-Sprints under load 

    

Loaded carries

     If you have these in your program, you are setting yourself up for success.  Most times, however it is how you implement them at certain stages of the off-season that make the biggest difference.  Nonetheless, these simple movements actually offer tons of variety.  You may be thinking, “no way is it that simple.”  Here is all the types of exercises you could plug-in for each movement.  Obviously we are looking for balance with each but sometimes we may need more of one then the other (i.e. usually more pulls then presses). 

Push : DB/Barbell Bench Press, Push-Ups, Suspended Push-ups, stability ball Push-ups, DB/Barbell Overhead presses, Push presses,DB/Barbell Floor presses, Standing Cable press

• With most of these exercises to create variety you could perform them with 1-arm at a time or in an alternating fashion which makes it unilateral (obviously) and can stress the core in a useful way.

I.E. 1-arm cable chest press

Alternating DB Floor Press

Pull: All Rows (Barbell, DB, Chest-supported), Chin-ups (grip can be underhand, neutral, overhand), Lat Pulldowns, Bat-wings, other basic retraction exercises. 

• Just like the pushes, you can make these 1-arm or alternating.

1-arm standing cable row (proper retraction)

Batwing Hold (Kevin Carr demonstrates this nicely)

     **I must say that if there is one movement that is critical to learn and you could probably just knock off all the other 1-arm 1-leg stuff it would probably be Turkish Get-Ups.  This bad boy is simply just one of those movements where just doing those alone could probably make you a beast.

Hip Hinge: These movements include any double and single leg posterior chain movements.  I would also say that you could include explosive lifts as well since that is where the power needs to be generated.  These can include snatches, cleans, and box/vertical/broad jumps. 

• Deadlift variations: straight leg deadlift (knee flexed 10-15 degrees), 1-leg SLDL with either dumbbell inside or outside leg. Cable pullthroughs, glute bridges and all their variations, hip thrusts, Slideboard/Stability Ball hamstring curls.

Slideboard Hamstring Curl w/ 1 -leg Negative: Progression from normal slideboard hamstring curls.

1-leg 1-arm SLDL

Squat: These include double leg and single leg movements (as well) although I would prefer single leg movements more often times then bilateral squat lifts.  Reason being that if there is usually a breakdown in form on a bilateral squat it is almost always the low back that gives not the legs.  For this reason single leg lifts can be safer and have better carryover.  If athletes/clients are experiencing problems back squatting, an awesome alternative is the box squat or just doing unilateral squat exercises.

The list can include:  Any bilateral squat variation (back or front squat). 

• Single Leg: For most of the single leg variations you can hold dumbbells at sides or in goblet position.
• DB/Goblet Reverse Lunges, Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats (dumbbells, goblet, back squat grip, front squat grip), Slideboard Reverse Lunge (a mix of squat and posterior chain), Forward lunges, single leg squats.

I really like the Double KB front squat

I would prefer these instead of pistol squats

Walk/Run/Sprint-Under load: Basically these include loaded carries, sprints with weight vest, sled pushes/drags. 

    There’s these five movements that I provided, yet the variations of those movements are extensive.  These movements are sure-fire ways to be successful for any athletic goals you may have.  You would also probably be 95% ahead of the rest of the typical fitness world if this was your program.  Hope this helps with some exercise selection choices as well.

Cheers,

Matt