Behind the Podium: Unveiling the Coach

Today, Jared and Alex go behind the podium with Clifton Harski, a coach, fitness mover and shaker, SDSU alum with a degree in kinesiology, former Trader Joe’s employee, ambassador of deep V neck t-shirts and tights or onesies that scream America, ice cream and gummy bear fiend, aspiring ninja, husband, uncle, and brand-new father.

Cliff is currently Fitwall’s Director of Training and Head Coach and is an Animal Flow Master instructor, owns his own coaching company, BA Training, teaches workshops for Kettlebell Athletics, and has coached over 1400 people in over 80 workshops for MovNat.

We cover:

• How being entertaining can help you trap and keep your audience’s attention
• Why all coaches should strive to engage, entertain and be humble
• Why it’s ok to say you don’t know vs. making stuff up
• Why we should move away from black and white rules and into more gray area
• Why finding your context is a good guide for your training
• Why goal orientated practices can distract you from the practice itself
• and more!

For references to everything mentioned in this episode, head over to www.behindthepodiumpodcast.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share with your friends and colleagues!

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Today, Jared and Alex go behind the podium with Breia White, a coach, Kundalini yogi, CrossFitter, television editor, cold immersionist, breathing enthusiast, and world traveler. Breia is a Level 4 Pranayama Two-Stage Breath instructor and a Wim Hof Method instructor.

We cover:

• How breathing can help you tap into your physiology
• How breathing is empowerment
• How breathing can help you shed the extra baggage you have acquired over a lifetime
• How breath is the most underutilized tool in our tool box
• and how to have more days of feeling happy, healthy and whole

For references to everything mentioned in this episode, head over to www.behindthepodiumpodcast.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share with your friends and colleagues!

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Today, Jared and Alex go behind the podium (again) with Dr. Benjamin Ramos, a California native surfer, skateboarding, breakdancer, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor, and military veteran who served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Pacific Fleet Operations. He is a doctor of chiropractic medicine and has his master’s of science in exercise.

Dr. Ramos s a doctor of chiropractic medicine and has his master’s of science in exercise and sport science and owner of FlowForce Rehab in San Diego, CA.

We last talked to Dr. Ramos on Episode 14 and are very happy to have him back.

We cover:

• How all movements/exercises should be safe, productive and sustainable
• All movement and positions are context specific to the person standing in front of you
• How there is no specific range that all people will fall into
• Why movement screens are not as helpful as some may think
• How protective mechanisms persist even after tissues have healed
• and more!

For references to everything mentioned in this episode, head over to www.behindthepodiumpodcast.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share with your friends and colleagues!

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Today, Jared and Alex go behind the podium with Valerie Hunt, a coach, Weightlifter, aerobics instructor, CrossFitter, business owner, gym owner, Pose Method® running specialist/master coach, Yoga Tune Up® therapy ball user/enthusiast, ice bath dabbler, Wim Hof ambassador, mother, wife, and bulldog lover.

Valerie is a veteran of the fitness/strength-conditioning world and currently owns and coaches out of BVM CrossFit in Austin and RunRx, her running mastery and instruction company. Valerie is also a coach of CrossFit HQ’s Pose Method specialty course.

We cover:

• How running is a technical skill that needs to be taught
• Why balance should always be a part of your programming
• The moves you should check to see if you (or a client) is ready to run
• How to help clients see and feel how to run
• Walking as a skill and why position matters here too
• Why gravity is a critical component to proper running form

For references to everything mentioned in this episode, head over to www.behindthepodiumpodcast.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share with your friends and colleagues!

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Today, Jared and Alex go behind the podium with Dr. Tim Gerstmar, a coach, naturopathic doctor, blogger, podcaster, business owner, health educator/public speaker, husband, father, and science fiction enthusiast. Dr. Gerstmar has spoken at four Ancestral Health Symposiums and two PaleoFX conferences to share his passion for educating others on the intricacies of health and disease.

He founded and treats patients locally and remotely out of his clinic, Aspire Natural Health, in Redmond, WA. Aspire Natural Health specializes in treating gut, autoimmune diseases, and other hard to treat cases that the conventional medical system or other practitioners have been unable to resolve.

We cover:

• Why describing results helps people understand what you do
• Why you shouldn’t jump on the fad bandwagon
• How to follow up with clients so that you don’t lose sight of their wants + needs
• How the overnight successes are really 10 years in the making.
• Why you should be worried if you think you know everything
• Why you should have empathy for people and meet them where they are

For references to everything mentioned in this episode, head over to www.behindthepodiumpodcast.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share with your friends and colleagues!

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Today, Jared and Alex go behind the podium with Robb Wolf, a coach, research biochemist, best-selling author, thought leader, health consultant, powerlifter, gymnast, martial artist, podcaster, business owner, father, husband, and aspiring coconut farmer. Robb is one the original trailblazers of the Paleo/ancestral health movement and the sole individual that birthed its prominence within the CrossFit space. He not only was a part of the team that started the 1st CrossFit affiliate gym but, subsequently, he and his wife went on to open the 4th CrossFit affiliate now known as NorCal Strength and Conditioning. Robb is the best-selling author of The Paleo Solution, and the newly published Wired to Eat.

We cover:

• How to ask the right questions with new clients to start them off in the right direction
• How saying less can be better than over coaching
• How research requires observation – why are we afraid to test things out?
• How to be valuable to the people around you

For references to everything mentioned in this episode, head over to www.behindthepodiumpodcast.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share with your friends and colleagues!

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Today, Jared and Alex go behind the podium with Keith Wittenstein, a coach who has an eclectic source of experience within the realms of fitness, multi-modal movement-training, mobility, and injury/pain recovery and management. Keith is well versed in CrossFit, vinyasa yoga, Yoga Tune Up®, gymnastics, kettlebells, Olympic Weightlifting, and Jiu Jitsu and takes great pride in being a coach’s coach. He is a veteran member of the CrossFit Level 1 Seminar Staff and leads CrossFit specialty seminars on kettlebells, gymnastics, and Olympic Weightlifting.

We cover:

• How to navigate all the conflicting information on the internet
• There’s never a single path to the same end point
• How to approach new things with a beginner’s mind
• and much more!

For references to everything mentioned in this episode, head over to www.behindthepodiumpodcast.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share with your friends and colleagues!

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Today, Jared and Alex go behind the podium (again) with Amy Mantis, a musician based in Boston. Amy joins us to talk about her band, Space Between and their new EP Where the Mountain Should Be.

We cover:

• The release of her new EP and the process of following a large scale project from idea to completion
• Why you have to love what you do to get through the work
• How to craft the perfect personal pitch
• How we are always our own worst critic
• Why you should never stop exploring your art

For references to everything mentioned in this episode, head over to www.behindthepodiumpodcast.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share with your friends and colleagues!

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Today, Jared and Alex go behind the podium with Kelly Starrett – a coach, physical therapist, best-selling author, thought leader, surfer, paddler, Olympic Lifter, Power-Lifter, CrossFitter, dancer, science fiction lover, podcaster, father, husband, business owner, and ambassador of SUPPLENESS.

Kelly has revolutionized, democratized, and mobilized the public’s understanding and ability to perform basic maintenance on themselves, so they can improve their performance and eliminate pain. He wants YOU to be as user proficient with your body’s machinery as you are with your smartphone. Kelly is also the best-selling author of Becoming a Supple Leopard, Ready to Run, and Deskbound.

We cover:

• The importance of giving credit where credit is due
• If you want to go fast, go by yourself – if you want to go far, take someone with you
• How we need to continue to be in service of the coaches and athletes we serve
• What the cue “knees out” really means
• How you should approach all aspects of your business with the goal of solving a problem
• “To talk of bulls is not the same as being in the bull ring”

For references to everything mentioned in this episode, head over to www.behindthepodiumpodcast.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share with your friends and colleagues!

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Today, Jared and Alex go behind the podium on being accountable for yourself and your clients.

We cover:

• Maintaining control of your classroom
• Motivating clients who may not be interested in doing “deep work”
• Creating accountability both during and after the session
• What is the place of a group class?

For references to everything mentioned in this episode, head over to www.behindthepodiumpodcast.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share with your friends and colleagues!

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