I.T. Antigha works as the VertiMax Team Community Liaison. He is responsible for supporting and serving the VertiMax community by organizing personalized visits to educate, engage and develop relationships with coaches, trainers, and athletes.

I.T. and Al dive into this week’s exciting topic – the new VertiMax app VertiCoach.  VertiCoach is used by athletes, coaches, parents, trainers and elite sports performance coaches worldwide to quickly and easily measure, track and improve your vertical jump performance.  I.T. is using the app in the field with coaches and trainers and is back on the podcast to answer questions about the app, highlight the challenges that it solves, and share the simple features of this powerful tool. 

Key Takeaways:

[1:41] Market challenges that initiated developing VertiMax app.

[3:48] Details of the VertiCoach app. 

[5:21] The camera records and measures each athlete’s jumps. 

[6:16] Audio corrections ensure correct and optimal usage. 

[7:19] The final jump score gamifies the process. 

[8:39] Optimized setup only requires a phone and a tripod. 

[10:09] Initial feedback from early users is positive. 

[11:54] How to find the VertiCoach app. 

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Tweetables:

“There’s a need for more data so people can be more informed about what their athletes are doing and how they’re performing.” 

“Early users are excited – this is something they can seamlessly incorporate into their training.” 

Kelli Brightwell holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Texas A & M University. Her passion for youth development led her to become an instructor at Colorado State University-Pueblo, where she teaches courses in strength and conditioning, health and functional movement. She is also a Vertimax Master Trainer and Ambassador, teaching about programming, maintenance, and use of the Vertimax product line. 

Al and Kelli continue their discussion about the importances of hands-on trainer training, and the role that in person experience plays in developing the most effective trainers and athletes. Kelli is a dedicated coach and trainer and she shares her enthusiasm for gaining knowledge and building up the next generation of athletes and trainers. 

Key Takeaways:

[1:06] Kelli’s work as a VertiMax Master Trainer and Ambassador and more. 

[2:25] The legacy of Vertimax is built to last. 

[4:06] Why is athletic and physiology  education so important to Kelli? 

[6:23] From kinesiology and sports performance education to hands on experience. 

[8:28] Kelli’s greatest learning has happened by actually doing. 

[9:40] As an educator, Kelli can clear up the field and explain the why behind training. 

[11:57] The importance of in-person training and education. 

[13:07] VertiMax training is fun. 

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Tweetables:

“In this field, you have to have a lot of experience. You have to learn by doing.” 

“As an educator, you’re able to better the field.” 

Kelli Brightwell holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Texas A & M University. Her passion for youth development led her to become an instructor at Colorado State University-Pueblo, where she teaches courses in strength and conditioning, health and functional movement. She is also a Vertimax Master Trainer and Ambassador, teaching about programming, maintenance, and use of the Vertimax product line. 

Kelli believes in the education of youth and has dedicated her life to being the coach and trainer that she didn’t have growing up.  She highlights the importance of exposing kids to a variety of different physical activities and reducing the emphasis on specializing in one sport. She also shares what it means to her to be a Vertimax Master Trainer and Ambassador. 

Key Takeaways:

[1:45] A little about Kelli and the many athletic avenues she pursues.

[3:52] Kelli’s early sports motivation was thwarted by ADHD. 

[5:25] A PE teacher set Kelli on her path to athletic success. 

[8:02] The danger of pushing kids to specialize in one sport too early. 

[9:01] Kelli’s master trainer classes reward her just as much as her athletes.

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Tweetables:

“You don’t always need to be first place, but you need to try your best and work hard.” 

“I want to be the person that I didn’t have as a youth.” 

Brett Kuehn is a sports and human performance enthusiast, athlete, and mentor to Team VertiMax. He is a USMC veteran and business development professional at VertiMax. Brett’s passion is to help others achieve their goals whether they are an athlete looking to improve their speed, agility, and verticals; coaches looking to help their athletes gain an edge, or sports performance owners or trainers seeking new ways to increase their business.

Brett helps answer some common questions about the popular VertiMax Raptors. At VertiMax, we have two popular Raptors, the original and the Raptor EX. Brett helps answer what the core differences between these two training systems are and what type of athlete would benefit the most from using the Raptor system in this quick 8 minute episode. 

Key Takeaways:

[1:45] What’s the difference between the Raptor vs. the Raptor EX? 

[2:15] What do the different color bands mean on the raptors? 

[3:15] How far can the bands stretch? 

[4:05] How do the Raptor’s generate resistance? 

[5:45] Can you train your vertical jump on the Raptors? 

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Tweetables:

“The thicker the bands, the thicker the resistance/more pounds."

"Raptors are a great tool for jumping, they’re not quite as good as the V series platform, but if you’re looking for speed training, it’s a great tool for that."

Brett Kuehn is a sports and human performance enthusiast, athlete, and mentor to Team VertiMax. He is a USMC veteran and business development professional at VertiMax. Brett’s passion is to help others achieve their goals whether they are an athlete looking to improve their speed, agility, and verticals; coaches looking to help their athletes gain an edge, or sports performance owners or trainers seeking new ways to increase their business.

Brett helps answer some common questions about the VertiMax V Series Platform, more specifically the V8 and V8X models. If you’ve ever been curious about buying one for yourself or for your gym, or aren’t sure if this product is right for you. This is the podcast you’ll want to listen to! 

Key Takeaways:

[1:45] Are the VertiMax V Series platforms just for serious athletes? 

[2:15] The VertiMax is perfect for any type of person looking to boost their physical fitness and conditioning.

[4:10] How heavy is the VertiMax V Series? 

[5:30] Can the VertiMax platforms be used at home? 

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Tweetables:

“If you want to get your kids faster and jumping higher, you can use the VertiMax at home."

"There’s information [on our website] that can walk you through how to unbox it and use it that same day."

Brett Kuehn is a sports and human performance enthusiast, athlete, and mentor to Team VertiMax. He is a USMC veteran and business development professional at VertiMax. Brett’s passion is to help others achieve their goals whether they are an athlete looking to improve their speed, agility, and verticals; a coach looking to help their athletes gain an edge, or a sports performance owner or trainer seeking new ways to increase their business.

Brett shares some of his favorite methods to increase hand-eye coordination that are both fun for young athletes and offer a great return on their efforts. There are many creative ways to test the body and create endurance and Brett shares a couple of his go-tos that always gets the brain and body flowing. 

Key Takeaways:

[2:15] Brett talks about slamboards and whether it’s a good tool to use for training. 

[3:25] How do you use a plyo box? 

[4:10] How can you incorporate tennis balls into your workout and agility training?

[4:55] Agility ladders are still a staple in the agility sports world. Brett offers recommendations on how to use it. 

[5:25] Another great training technique to use are mini hurdles. 

[6:40] A lot of schools or gyms already have these pieces of equipment, which makes it easy to incorporate into your sports training program. 

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Tweetables:

“Put your plyo box on the VertiMax, load the athlete at the waist, and do some explosive step ups."

"Any visual aids you can give the athletes when they’re training just helps with them adding one more level of intensity to their training as opposed to just strictly running."

Brett Kuehn is a sports and human performance enthusiast, athlete, and mentor to Team VertiMax. He is a USMC veteran and business development professional at VertiMax. Brett’s passion is to help others achieve their goals whether they are an athlete looking to improve their speed, agility, and verticals; a coach looking to help their athletes gain an edge, or a sports performance owner or trainer seeking new ways to increase their business.

Al and Brett sit down to talk about how to prevent injuries while playing the sport you love. Many parents and young athletes tend to hyper focus on improving their sports technique and work on specific sports-related drills, but this can lead to imbalances in the body. The guys share why it’s so important to take a sports performance approach that also works on the body and not just sports techniques in this week’s episode. 

Key Takeaways:

[1:15] A little bit about Brett and what he does at VertiMax.

[1:45] Brett just got back from the Sportsmith Speed Conference. 

[3:05] What’s the difference between sports training vs. general fitness?

[4:25] Does sports performance training really prevent injuries? 

[4:55] A good performance program will have the athlete strengthen all of their muscles. 

[6:30] So many athletes prefer to focus on their sports skills, but it’s important to improve your body as well as your technique. 

[6:55] Most sports performance training looks at the athlete as a whole. 

[7:45] Let’s talk about the mental boost a good sports performance program can do. 

[9:30] 

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Tweetables:

“A lot of strength training should coordinate with the sport, whether it’s to increase their agility, power, speed, and injury prevention."

"A lot of athletes play their sport year round and just stick to that sport, and stats show those athletes are getting injured."

Will Hitzelberger, as the Founder and President of SPECTRUM, has made significant strides in sports performance training, particularly in soccer. He is a VertiMax ambassador and has been a Certified VertiMax Master Trainer and Presenter, leveraging VertiMax equipment to redefine soccer training with innovative techniques.

Will sits down with Al to talk about what’s really lacking in soccer for the average athlete. Unfortunately, there is just not enough emphasis on strength & conditioning training and if you really want to become a high-level player, you have to make time outside of your club to get your body conditioned right.

Key Takeaways:

[2:00] As a young father, how does Will think about sports and coaching differently?

[3:55] As a coach, how do you get an edge and become a great coach?

[6:10] Athletes have to incorporate more strength and conditioning training into their routine if they want to be high-level soccer players.

[8:00] What movements should soccer players be paying attention to?

[10:25] Don’t be afraid to get strong and ‘bulky’ in the sport.

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Tweetables:

“The game is just so much faster and stronger than it used to be. As important as it is to be fit, you have to get involved in a strength & conditioning program [not just cardio]."

"You have to seek out strength training outside of your club because it is a very important attribute to progressing in the sport now."

Will Hitzelberger, as the Founder and President of SPECTRUM, has made significant strides in sports performance training, particularly in soccer. He is a VertiMax ambassador and has been a Certified VertiMax Master Trainer and Presenter, leveraging VertiMax equipment to redefine soccer training with innovative techniques.

In this episode, we learn about Will’s experience working with the Jamaican women’s national soccer team. At the beginning, Will had to learn how to work with the limited resources he had. Many of his players didn’t have proper shoes or even nutrition. He had to think outside of the box to get these women qualified for the World Cup. 

Key Takeaways:

[1:40] Will was the sports performance coach for the Jamaican women’s national soccer team.

[3:50] Bob Marley’s daughter, Cedella Marley, is a big advocate and voice in the soccer community. 

[5:30] Education is the name of the game when building up a sports team in a developing country. 

[6:15] Will had to adapt a ‘no excuses’ mentality when it came to working with his limited  resources. 

[7:35] Lack of resources gives us something to fight for and strive for. 

[10:10] Interested in working with foreign teams? Network, network, network. 

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Tweetables:

“This isn’t something where there’s a roadmap to it [becoming an elite coach]. It is a little bit about who you know."

"When you fly to places like Haiti to qualify for a tournament, your equipment is going to go missing."

Will Hitzelberger, as the Founder and President of SPECTRUM, has made significant strides in sports performance training, particularly in soccer. He is a VertiMax ambassador and has been a Certified VertiMax Master Trainer and Presenter, leveraging VertiMax equipment to redefine soccer training with innovative techniques.

In this episode, we learn a little bit about Will and some of his ambassador and master trainer duties at VertiMax. He shares his entrepreneurial journey and how it’s all been possible using VertiMax’s equipment and offers insight into why he loves working with the VertiMax brand.

Key Takeaways:

[1:20] A little bit about Will.

[3:20] Will has four Spectrum facilities and helps athletes with resistance work, rehab, and more.

[4:25] Why did Will get into youth athletes?

[7:25] How did Will’s coaching center evolve over the years?

[11:15] Why does Will love using VertiMax?

[13:10] As a VertiMax Master Trainer and Ambassador, what does an average day look like for Will?

[14:50] How do you become a master trainer/ambassador?

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Tweetables:

“Every trainer wants to open their own gym, cooks want to open their own restaurant, it’s glamorous to say, but it’s a lot different to actually open your own spot."

"I’m very passionate about education in our industry and VertiMax gives me the platform to do that."