It has been a very long time since my last post here.  !00% of that can be attributed to a hectic work schedule.  For the entire summer I was bouncing around from four or five different locations, coaching, consulting and just trying to keep my head above the water.  This summer was a make or break summer for me.  I have been coaching now for nearly 10 years.   At some point you look at your life “style” and contemplate the chosen path.  The role of strength coach/ personal trainer or what ever you would like to deem it is one of sacrifice.  Not just personal on the role of the coach but of the family as well.  We work when people do not.  There are no “glory” jobs.  And those that are labeled a glory job, come with it there own issues… late nights, travel etc.

About a year ago I left a full time position to branch out and do build a reputation for my self.  Soon though the time was piling up and so was the fatigue.   I did reach a breaking point.  I was never home, I missed a lot of my daughters life that I will never get back.  I was for the most part one of the unhappiest people around.  And since the last time I was posting and I was in a terrible place, and got called out for it, I did not post for this time.  I know I have joked about leaving the profession a while back, but this time was the very end.  I had set a time line on it.  June 2013.  If things were not turned around by then, I would walk away with no regrets.  Maybe a few but it were time to put the dreams to an end and get on with life. I really did not know what I would do, as all I am trained to do is coach.  If I were not coaching I would be the guy outside the 7-11 bumming quarters.  I really do not have a host of skills outside of coaching and physiology.

This summer was very busy.  Well, actually the entire last year was very busy, but the summer was very busy.   As many of you know, I was offered summer contract role at the Canadian Sports Centre.  It was a great opportunity, so I could not say no.  My foot was in the door.  For me the Canadian Sports Centre has been that one position I have been waiting for since I moved to Calgary.  It was the reason I did my Masters.   To work at the Sports Centre would be the realization of a goal that includes an 11-year university career and moving out west.

On Friday, November 9^th, the goal came to realization.   I signed an official contract to work at the Canadian Sports Centre as a strength coach and physiologist.   My contract includes the following. ..

Strength Consultant / Physiology Consultant for Water Polo Canada Men’s Team

Strength Consultant to Cross Country Canada.

Strength Consultant / Physiology Consultant to Women’s National Hockey Team.

Youth Programming Consultant to Winsport  – Helping to develop the next group of winter sport talent in Canada is the easiest description I can come up with.

A friend asked me a week ago at a conference, “How do you get yourself into all these cool positions and situations?”  My response?  “Patience, persistence and making yourself available.”  Yes, obviously there is a lot of hard work involved.  But those three things; patience, persistence and availability paid off.  It took a long time to get where I am today.  I am not bragging, but reflecting.  Not one hands anyone a glory job.  The give us the opportunity and it is ours to develop.  I was told that I was not handed this job, but worked for it. I have to thank those around me that gave me the opportunity and support, Jason, Rosie, Doc, Matt and James.  I have to thank my family who did the same.  Most of all I have to thank my wife, for putting up with all the stupid shit I have put her through in the last 8 years.  The ups, the downs, the frustrations and the tears.  So now with the biggest goal of my life met, I guess it is time to start making a new one.

Yours in Health and Performance

Jeff Osadec Mkin, CEP, CSCS

Because I hope to still do Olympic lifting into my old age.

There is a point at which a person begins to question their own mortality and the legacy that they will leave behind.  However after hearing from my doctor that I am once again in fantastic shape, I am going to borrow a scene from the 1995 movie, “Grumpy Old Men.”  I have no doubt in my mind that I will live to turned 95 years old, exercise most days in my life.  Every morning, I will wake up, and eat five strips of bacon.  And for lunch, I will eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack?

Yep… Bacon.  Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I will usually drink my dinner. And according to all of them nutrition experts, I would take a dirt nap like thirty years prior. But each year will come and go, and I will still be there.  Ha! And they will keep dyin’. And I will wonder if God forgot about me.

I do not think about my personal mortality, but I think of the mortality of my career.  Look, I love what I do and the people I work with.  Every day bring with it a new challenge.  I cannot ever say that my job is boring, but I question how long can one keep, “counting reps.” Years ago before I was married I told my wife Pam, “you have to put in your time… and things will get better.”   Then I applied for my Master, and once again I told Pam, “you have to put in your time… and things will get better.”  At some point after putting in all the time, I have to prove that things will get better, because she will finally figure out that I truly am full of shit.

I do not want this to ever sound like I am complaining about my job, but I am here to state a fact.  THIS IS A HARD PROFESSION; YOU HAVE TO PAY YOUR DUES.  I am going to be the first to say that I feel my due are almost all paid up.  I do have some yet to pay but I have moved up the ladder.  I have been rewarded some fantastic opportunities.  I have a Masters, I work with some amazing athletes at Talisman Centre, I have a great situation working for the Canadian Sports Centre and with Cross Country Canada.  Every day I see the up dates on Twitter my heart explodes with pride.   Teaching at the University of Calgary is one highlight of my week.  My professional relationships with the group over at Natural Way Chiropractic and Dave at Tower Physio make my job easier every day. I AM TRULY BLESSED TO LIVE THE LIFE I DO.

But at some time you ask what does a 30-year strength coach’s career look like?  It’s like asking what do a 20-year Cross Fitter look like?  We don’t really know.  And not only that, we ask, did we set ourselves up to be that expert in our respective field so that groups find us to use as a consultant?  Have we developed a legacy or begun to develop that legacy so that we are in that position 20, 30 years down the road.

I think the mistake I have made, and this is on more than one occasion, was to take the small successes and over-inflate my sense of self worth.  It happens to the best of us, and we then think the grass is greener on the other side.  We think we can take on more that we can handle and then thrash in the water with our heads just above the water.  When I fist went to Peak Power, would I have been able to take on a team with the dynamics and needs of Alberta Alpine?  Hell no.  I would have crashed and burned.   Could I do it now?  I like to think I could.   I like to think myself and the training team is going to see success with Cascade Swim, Water Polo and Gymnastics.   But as a young coach we tend to be false prophets, and spout intellectual incest (sharing information we have collected from others as if it is our own).  We fake it until we make it.  We aspire to be leader and think that we are.   But our view of what a leader is is completely skewed.

For the young coaches out there, who wish to have longevity in this profession have to become leaders, and to be a leader, it is not having a title or being the loudest/ smartest/ charismatic etc. person out there.  It comes down to a few simple things…

1. Prepare relentlessly
2. You are always accountable
3. Surround yourself with good people
4. Under promise and over deliver
5. Be your own man… or woman
6. Stand up for yourself and do not give yourself away
7. Continue to study, read and lead.

I am going to he honest… what to know more about the above list read “Leadership by Rudolph Giuliani.  I think it is essential reading for those how what to be better personally and professionally.  There are ways to make this great profession something that we do for our lives, not just a period within it.  I really believe that and Pam, “all those good times are near, I can feel it.”

Yours in Health and Performance,

Jeff Osadec, Mkin, CEP, CSCS

My straw was the unsettling sound of the bells of the ice cream man driving down the street at 8:30 pm.  Are you mad man, kids know what that sound is, they know what it means.  And little kids who are attracted to those bells like that of the Pied Piper should be in bed.  That is where my 13-month-old daughter laid, after 2 hours of trying to get her to go to sleep (my wife is the pro at getting our daughter to bed, I am not).  Nearly out, I hear the bells, quite at first, with increasing volume.  As he drives down our street, past my daughter’s window, with music full blast, my daughter wakes up scared.  And that was it.  As I rose from my chair, I muttered a few profanities about the ice cream man, but my frustrations at an all time high, I drove my fist into the chair… so my wife returned from a concert to find m daughter asleep in my arms (finally) at midnight, and I had a bag of frozen peas on my hand.  Yes, that is how I broke my hand.

This momentary period of stupidity on my part was the wake up call I needed.  Aside from the broken hand, I have not been myself for a long time.  I have been trying to trace it back, and it has been nearly a year that I have been in this emotional spiral.  And I do not want to make this about my issues, but I have been lazy, and unfocused on the things that have brought me success I the past.  I have not been able to stick to a training program for more than a few weeks at a time without getting bored or complacent.  My diet… a disaster, rest and recovery, non-existent.  Mental training/ meditation… nada.  I have forgotten the basics.  And so do many of the people I see.  I have been so distracted by all that is around me that I had gotten to the point my wife asked, “where is the guys who returned from New York last May?  I miss him.”  This broken hand may very well be a blessing in disguise (or karma giving my a kick I so very much need).

We are so focused on progress, that rarely do we scrap a plan and start from scratch.  But the broken hand for me is the reset point.  I have a chance to end this downward spiral before it gets out of control.  A reset is a chance to evaluate priorities, redefine goals, and start with a fresh plan.  With the embarrassment of how I broke my hand waning (never will it be gone) I am once again getting that “fire in my belly”.  The excitement of change is returning and I am starting to dream big again.  Unfortunately with the end of summer only a month away, this is as good a time as any to have a look at your program, redefine goals and make sure your daily practices are in top order.  The wait time for X-Rays is around 4 hours long!

Yours in health and performance,

Jeff Osadec, MKin, CEP, CSCS

This profession has given me the opportunity to meet many different people in the past 7 years; from a famous Canadian Writer (everyone should read “Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw by Will Ferguson), the members of the Calgary Flames to Olympic Athletes.  Here is a look back at one of those moments.

An amazing thing happened the other day. I see members come and go in the time of a week at the Talisman Centre, but this random good bye had a different feel. The man I was saying good bye to and wishing good luck had a look of determination and excitement in his eyes. He was leaving that afternoon for Turin, Italy to compete in the Olympics.

For those of us who go to the gym to better ourselves, be it to gain a few pounds of lean mass, lose a few pounds of fat mass, or may it be any goal we may have, we think of the time and commitment we place into this feat. But for this gentleman, we could not comprehend what he has gone through, basically four years of your life, blood, sweat and tears are poured in to train for two minutes. That’s four commercials on TV, a minor penalty in hockey. Hell, half of the people in the gym do not even warm up for two minutes. Four years focused on two minutes, two runs, glory or disappointment. It never really dawned on me that that is what it took. I have been in complete awe and admiration since the Olympics had started. We know lots of the athletes that are there just through the gym or knowing them because Calgary is an Olympic City. It is an amazing feeling being in the field, and in the city where these people train.

Another thing that has been on my mind lately is that I dedicated four years to take on the profession that I am in today. Four years of University and really what have I learned? Don’t get me wrong, the professors did a fabulous job of preparing us for out chosen fields, but really what have you learned? You can do all the placements you want but really at the end of the day you realize that you know very little. A University degree is a license that allows you to truly start learning. I am in a facility that has a wealth of knowledge amongst all the trainers. Realize that I do not take advice from anyone, but there are about five trainers that when they speak I will listen, and listen hard. If I can someday be half the trainer these professionals are I will have considered myself successful. Realize that when you come out of school you only know the beginning and the more you learn the more questions you have that need to be answered. Really all you know is two thirds of five eights of shit. You are only touching the tip of the iceberg.

Now I know many of you have asked lately, “Is Jeff alright?  He seems upset, angry, or even jaded.”  I will admit there have been things bothering me, but I have gotten that out of my system.  A new year is approaching and this is a good a time as any to hit the restart button.

There is a theme I find common among people around the age of 30ish.  A time where responsibilities are piling up, we are in the transition of school to adulthood, real jobs and responsibilities.  Is what we are doing now, making a difference for our future.  Hell, have we made the right decision upon our career path.  This is coming from friends and colleagues and you all know that I myself have asked the question from time to time.  I have had the time to think about where I had made decisions and how they impacted where I am today.  The conclusion I came to manifested in an early morning email to a friend.  I figured to place my faith I the stars.  What you may ask do I mean.  Well, we all have out futures planned out in our dreams and we will get there, someday.  But what we have to remember is that those that broke trail before us did not become successes over night.  They too, took one step at a time.  On a sports perspective, life is similar to a marathon, one foot in front of the other, and each foot step being a small goal.  Eventually the culmination of little goals leads to a great means.  Some of us will fall off the path and that is our faith, we must make mistakes in order to learn a valuable lesson.  That was the purpose of losing track.  We all know that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line but some of us must take the scenic tour to truly find out who we are.  As a friend of my named her blog, “those who wander are not always lost.”  Most of us will find that thing that makes us happy, and to those who do not, do not look for it.  It more than likely passed and we did not see it.

I think these feelings come from the fact that in school it is taught to us that is it is not good to make mistakes, but we are human, and humans learn from mistakes.  Take me for example; I had to learn that “laden jars” in a grade nine science classes are nothing to fool with. But I made a mistake and after being electrically zapped unconscious, I learnt my lesson. We have to make mistakes. We have to hope that they are not too big to recover from, and the defining of our character is how we recover from those mistakes. D o we let them beat us to the ground, do we dust ourselves off or do we cower and never take the risks and avoid mistakes all together.  I am working on taking the risks; I am now getting better at dusting myself off.

And now… before this year ends, I will give a brief update on “The Experiment” that started a month back.  I sometimes ask, “Why do we do to our bodies what we do?”  Is it so that we live a vibrant life well into our 90’s?  Is to lose that last pound of fat?  Is it because as a society we are obsessed with the way we look or how we are perceived by others?  Sure I think it is all of the above but the underlying truth is that for me, I am a sick and twisted individual.  If you are thinking what I think you are thinking you need to clean your mind, rather I am talking about the whole gym idea.  Though I never met my grandfather I imagine what his reaction would be coming into my place of business, and see what I get paid to do all day.  My grandfather came from Ukraine, worked hard on the farm, and that was is form of exercise.  He sure never lifted weights or did cardio.  Yet to us the gym is a shrine to the body, to the aspiration of perfection.

And what stupid things have I been doing to my body?  Well, there have been the three weight workouts a week which has incorporated Olympic lifting, the basics like Squats, Deadlifts, pushes and pull of all sorts.   I have to say, I have had days were I could not climb the stairs at home.  I have come to the conclusion that I need a warm up, as I am not in a constant state of warmness.  Next week I resume running, this time on a track, indoors at my old gym, the Talisman Centre as well as at Peak Power where we have a new state of the art treadmill arriving.  That will add two more work outs a week as well.  And once again, why do I do this, BECAUSE I AM A GEEK FOR THIS KIND OF PUNISHMENT. I like to see what my body is capable of.  I have a hard time doing it on my own but if someone else is there I try to save face and just do it. And by reporting to all of you reading this, I am now accountable.  But there is also the idea I have that I will not give my clients anything I would not do myself.  I am not a dictator but a leader.  I want to feel what they feel; I want them to understand what I understand.  That is a major part of my beliefs.  If you just tell them to do something that you otherwise would not, how are they to respect you? You are nothing but a bully pushing the little kids around.  And you ask how the results are progressing.  I am stronger than I have been in quite some time.  The running is a little slow right now but soon to pick up.  And yes, weight has increased by 3 kg.  I am aiming to run this half marathon at a lean 195 lbs.  The last check I had, I was sitting at 13% body fat and 194 lbs.  The goal at the moment is to be running at 195 with 9 – 10% body fat.  Any less and I actually start to feel really awful.

I hope everyone had a chance to check out the video by Robin Sharma,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYlvYOhI-q8 .  Next week I hope to have my list done and up here on the blog, for all of you to see.  That way it makes me once again, accountable to all of you.

Until next time,

Yours in health and fitness,

Jeff Osadec, Mkin, CEP, CSCS

I wanted to write to the response I received for the last post, “Who is Taking Your Money.”  I want to thank everyone for the comments, and for the number of readers who read the post and subsequently shared the link and the post with others.  I appreciate the support with my goal of education.  Now, to be honest, my reading list is rather long, and I am extremely behind in thumbing through my piles of research journals.  Well, today I picked up a copy of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Strength and Conditioning Journal.  In it was a phenomenal article by Dr. Loren Chiu from the University of Alberta.  I have never had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Chiu, but I have heard nothing but positive comments from those who have.  With that I would like to share this article with all of you.  It is a very interesting piece.

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Today I wanted to once again touch on a few great inspirational words from Robin Sharma.  Although some of you will read this and thing that it goes against what I posted last week, I believe these are two very different subjects.  As I mentioned before, it has never been the intent to be a “loud” guy in this profession.  To be the guy telling everyone that I am better than you, or my programs are better than someone else’s goes against my principles.  Now, some of you may be saying that this is a contradiction to my last post, but there the goal was to educate people to do their home work, and make sure that those people who are looking after their health and well being is qualified to do so.

In all reality the best description of many of us in this profession was from my friend Avi.  In my mind he is somebody.   A 22 year old kid who can bench over 500 lbs, holds national level records in both swimming and bench… he is somebody.  And he is a personal trainer doing some great things with his clients, but upon entering the gym one day he goes, “in the grand scheme of things we are the nobodies.  Well actually I’m a nobody and you guys (my co-worker Shawn and I) are just that very little step past nobody.”  I thought about it and laughed.  You know Avi is right.  Who am I in this profession?  I can go to the mall or the grocery store and no one would know the difference of who I was.   I basically work in complete anonymity.  But here is the challenge.  Name the top strength coaches in Calgary, Canada, or even North America.  Sure, in Calgary you will hear Jari Love (Ripped) or Pete Estabrooks , but who else.  In Canada, you may hear Craig Ballentyne (Turbulence Training) and then North America, well, anyone who has been endorsed by Oprah, or the crew from the Biggest Loser… but that is it.  To be honest, the guys I most respect are the men most of you have never even heard of, and they are doing fantastic things day in and day out… in complete anonymity.  The thing is, they receive credit for their work only from those directly around them and those who know them.

The question I have is, “do I need to be recognized?”  Would it be a godsend or burden?  Read the following excerpt from Robin Sharma’s “The Greatness Guide 2”.  It states, “It’s so human to crave applause and recognition and acclaim.  We all want to be appreciated by our peers and revered by the tribe.  But leadership is about a lot more than trying to look good in the eyes of others.  It’s about standing for a Cause.  It is about being BEST IN THE WORLD at what you do.  It’s about leaving people better than you found them.  And it’s about not worrying who gets the credit for a job well done.  PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSTANDING ALWAYS GET FOUND OUT.”

To some degree, I like a dose of anonymity.  It allows me the freedom to do what I love.  To blog, to work with client uninterrupted, and to train.  I used to be concerned with wanting to be known, but about three years ago, I accepted my role or my rank so to speak.  I am not after fame and fortune but if it comes from being world class than I will not turn it away.   As the above quote states, “PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSTANDING ALWAYS GET FOUND OUT.”  And that has been the goal, as two posts ago stated; be so good that others cannot ignore you.

Now we know that in a city with all sorts of competition, I need be so good, that I am not ignored, and do garner some level of recognition.  But it is doing it in a respectful way with integrity.  I will admit I have been labelled cocky at more than not time in my life.  But I argue that it is confidence.  And that is the key.  Be so good, and confident that other cannot ignore.  The confidence comes in the belief that the product (in this case my knowledge or programs that I design) are to the best that I can do, with the given knowledge and understanding I have at this time.  You have the complete faith in what you preach and how you present yourself that you are always found out.   I think of this blog.  I thought the only person who would have been reading it is my own mother, but slowly it gains steam, and more people hear about it and begin to read.  And my goal to educate others grows.

And this confidence does not lead only in this profession.  It pertains to any profession, job or duty in which you take pride in what you do; you exude the confidence that gets you noticed.  Be passionate about what you do, have faith in your knowledge of the material you present.  Who knows, someday I may be ready to set out of this anonymity, and accept the credit that may be due.  Maybe I will be mentioned in Oprah magazine (as Ripped was recently),   – If any of you have a six degrees of separation from Oprah a quick mention could be much appreciated- or maybe I become recognized as one of Calgary’s Top 40 under 40 – You can nominate people here http://www.avenuecalgary.com/top40 hint! – and I would accept the credit with much pride and admiration.  So go out, be outstanding at whatever you do, and maybe credit will be attached, but know that eventually you will be found out.

Once again, yours in health and performance,

Jeff Osadec, MKin, CEP, CSCS

I would like to apologize for the lateness of this post.  To be totally honest it has not been the hectic schedule I have been running as of late but rather the “funk” I have been in.  I can say that it has been a difficult month November to remain focused and motivated.  And then this question came.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”   This question coming after a tough month and then this video comes to my attention.

As if this video, although it is the Simpsons and we must consider the source, didn’t make a few of us academics really ask the question; was grad school the right decision?  I have to admit, I have been a guy looking ahead at what is next and where am I going.  But recently I have had my vision of the next few years cloudy.  And it has been a real challenge.  I know that from all that I have read, I need to be in the present, not focusing on the future or past, as it leads to you missing out on what is happening now, but we all have aspirations.

But I have had a week since I posted that I was dreading this post.  I was thinking I was going to write a post of confusion, uncertainty and partial disappointment.  But that was a few weeks back, and I have had time to think, to ponder (the beard though out November helped me to ponder) and to start to refocus.

And I have had time to hit a few more books.  If you are looking for inspiration, look no farther than Robin Sharma and any of his writings.  I am going to pull a section from his book, “The Greatness Guide 2”.  In Chapter 4 he writes,

“Be so good they can’t ignore you.  Sometimes discouragement sets in.  Happens to all of us.  We try hard, stay true to our dreams and pursue our ideals.  Yet nothing happens.  Or so it seems.  But every choice matters.  And every step counts.  Life runs according to its own agenda, not ours.  Be patient, Trust.  Be like the stonecutter, steadily chipping away, day after day,.  Eventually, a single blow will crack the stone and reveal the diamond.  An enthusiastic, dedicated person who is ridiculously good at what they can do just cannot be denied.  Seriously.”

Robin Sharma is one smart man and I recommend you all go out and get one of his books.  They can be inspiring and life changing.  And after reading that, I started to think, and again ponder (I still had the beard and men with beards ponder… a lot).  I try to be humble yet hungry to be great.  I try to remain true to my ideal of not being the boisterous guy in this profession.  And lately I have started to think, F@#K THAT.  You know what, here is what I think, and once again, this is not intended to offend anyone, but to motivate myself and those who feel the same.

I am ridiculously good at what I do.  I have put in the time.  I am not grouped in with 80% of the people out in this profession who do not know what they are doing but they are “passionate about what they do.”  Say I am passionate about boobs and have a stethoscope, that doesn’t make me a plastic surgeon.  There are those of us who have dedicated our lives to doing what we do, and we are experts. We are here to endure the trends and fads.  We are here to educate those who are looking to be informed.  We are here for the long haul, to serve those who have gone to “those who are passionate” but do not get results or get hurt.  We will be there for people to turn to.  Why, because we are ridiculously good at what we do, and an enthusiastic, dedicated person who is ridiculously good at what they can do just cannot be denied.

Remember that there are going to be days that you question your decisions.  You wonder what the hell you are doing on this journey. You have chosen this route for a purpose.  It will lead you where you are to go but you just have to trust it.  Be the best you can be (as cliché as that sounds).  And one thing I have stuck to is, when people ask me what makes me sure, what makes me right?  I reply with a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, “I can’t say that I am sure.  This is my opinion and it is based on my understanding and knowledge at this time.”   I will leave you with the thought for you to ponder for the week.

“Be so good they can’t ignore you.”