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The Email Douche

Reader Billy Clair gets back to me after answering his question on goalie off-ice training:

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"Sounds good thanks for the response.

A lot of trainers are too big to respond to emails yet have no problem flooding people's inboxes.

Appreciate you taking a few mins to respond. Take care."

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Yes, I have experienced this as well.

I once sent an email to one very, very famous US strength coach.

I was about to pass his training facility on my travels anyway, so I inquired if he'd let me come over for an hour or two to observe how he trains his athletes. Knowing fully well this coach was busy as hell, I offered to pay him whatever amount he deemed appropriate for his time.

I should also mention that I had bought several hundred dollars' worth of this guy's training products in the past, so I definitely wasn't some lummox trying to extract value from him in exchange for nothing.

So what happened?

Never received a reply to my request.

Weird.

Of course, chances are, he never saw my email.

Maybe it went straight to his spam folder, forever buried among offers for penis pills and that heartfelt message from Kunta Kinte, the Nigerian prince who desperately needs your assistance in transferring his dead father's, the honorable Dr. Bakare Kinte, $15,000,000 inheritance from the Lagos National Savings and Trust Association to his own bank account in exchange for 20% of the transferred sum.

Or perhaps his secretary (or whoever handles his incoming mail) forgot to forward it to him.

In any case, I still view this strength coach as one of the best in the industry.

But my respect for him did take a dive when I didn't hear back from him.

And I never came around to buying another product he has released since.

Coincidence?

Don't think so.

While some coaches are stingy with their advice, I give it away as easy as Ke$ha gives away her... never mind, we don't need to go there.

Ever since I started writing about my training methods on the 'Net, I've made it a habit to reply to all reader questions within 24 hours.

Now, there are times, such as during travels, when I'm not checking my inbox. So replies may take a while. But I make sure to answer as soon as I'm back home.

Unfortunately, this doesn't seem like standard operating procedure among trainers sneaking their way into your inbox as Billy reminded me. How come you keep pitching peeps to buy your products but then not bother getting back to them when they seek your expert advice?

That's a douchebag​gy move.

​So not cool.

Anyway, moral of the story?

Not sure there is one.

Just something I've been thinking about lately...

Alright, let's tackle today's training question:

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"Hey Yunus,

thanks for all your help. Bought your next level program when it first came out and now also 2.0.

I noticed there are fewer medicine ball exercises in this new version. Why? Don't you think they're good for building upper body power? Or is there some other reason? Interested to hear your thoughts on this.

Thanks

John Thompson"

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Most gyms don't have a wall to throw a med ball against. So it doesn't make sense for me to program ​exercises requiring one into your training sessions.

Here's what I recommend...

Use rotational med ball exercises - scoops, shotputs, chest passes, etc. - you can't perform at the gym on the days when you do your jumps and sprints. Many athletes do those at the track or football stadium anyway, which is also perfect for throws.

So a sample speed and power workout could look like this:

1) Med Ball Shotput

2) Hurdle Jumps

3) 20m Sprints

4) Conditioning (optional)

Dynamax med balls, which are the best on the market and we use with our athletes, cost about $100 a piece. 

I've also been told Rogue has some decent med balls for a fraction of that, so price shouldn't be an issue.

Buy one and this part of your training will be covered for years.

The only other thing you need?

A workout plan that pushes up your gym numbers in a way you've never experienced before.

Like this one:

http://www.NextLevelHockeyTraining.com

Yunus Barisik

The Day I Was Mistaken for a Functional Training Guy

Our pro team had just received a new addition to the roster. 

Strictly speaking, this forward wasn't really new since he played in 26 games for us back in 2013-2014.

But then he suffered a horrible lower body injury during a game that forced him to hang up his skates.

And now here he was, attempting a comeback nearly four years later.

After his first week of training with the team, this player told me he had really been enjoying the workouts I put him through.

It being our first in-season phase involving mainly lower intensity exercises like gymnastics ring work and single-leg movements to give the spine a break from heavy loading after the summer, he asked me if we would continue with this "functional" training style, or if he'd get a chance to move some big weights around on squats and other basic barbell lifts.

Anyone who knows me knows I appreciate the current functional movement craze about as much as a blue-haired feminist appreciates that smooth playa pulling moves on her hot female co-worker at happy hour.

But I managed to bite my tongue and forgive our new player his gaffe.

I told him not to worry. There'd be plenty of time for the heavy stuff since the way I design programs covers all aspects of progressive strength training.

And with that, the matter got done settled.

Later, on my way home from the gym, his remark still echoed through my brain, causing a moment of deep reflection...

Am I a max strength guy? Absolutely.

Am I a bodyweight training guy? You bet.

Am I a bodybuilding guy? At times, yes.

Am I an Olympic lifting guy? Yup.

Am I a "functional" training guy? Apparently.

You see, I blend together bits and pieces of different theories, systems and disciplines. I don't cling to one element, method or tool for athletic physical preparation.

That's why you'll never hear me label myself as a strength guy or bodyweight guy or whatever.

Yes, I do harp on the importance of driving up your strength for improving speed and explosiveness in these emails and my training articles.

But what if you already squat and deadlift 600 pounds?

How is getting stronger gonna make you skate faster at that point?

It won't.

If your speed is lacking despite moving big weights like that, chances are you're strong but slow. So you need power cleans, plyos, sprints and agility drills.

Or perhaps your body composition is the real issue. Lugging around an extra 10-20 pounds on your body slows you down more than you can imagine.

Thus, we'd need to dial in your diet. At which point, a "strength guy" won't help you. You need to talk to a "nutrition guy".

On the flip side, maybe you're being held back by knee, back or shoulder injuries.

So we're gonna stop chasing max strength for a while, and focus on unilateral movements, bodyweight exercises, and movement quality in general to get you back to health. In which case, you could call me a "mobility guy".

As should be obvious by now, my training philosophy borrows anything that works from powerlifting, gymnastics training, bodybuilding, strongman, rehab, Oly lifting, and track and field.

The trick, of course, is to know when to apply each tool or method to elicit a desired training response which you can only learn by coaching athletes for years.

At the end of the day, I'm a "performance" guy.

Or better yet, "whatever works" guy.

For an in-depth glimpse into how I take ideas and concepts from several different disciplines, and combine them all in a way that works for any hockey player from juniors to pros, take a look at:

http://www.NextLevelHockeyTraining.com

Yunus Barisik

Training Tips for Young Hockey Players

Reader Aleksey M. drops a question regarding my Next Level Hockey Training System:

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"What would you add, remove from the program for juniors 9-10 year old? Given that their bodies are still in fast development, I don't want to hinder their growth and development."

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Great question. I would focus less on maximal strength and power training with heavier weights.

Teach these young kids how to MOVE WELL, first and foremost.

Get them technically proficient on bodyweight exercises like push-ups, chin-ups, squats, split squats, lunges etc.

When they can do those with picture perfect form, you can start adding load.

By load, I don't mean weights, necessarily.

Just that you increase difficulty over time, so that progress never stops.

Repeating the same workout with the same resistance over and over again leads to zero gains.

You can make a split squat more challenging by including a slow eccentric on the way down or a dead pause at the bottom, or by increasing range of motion by elevating the front or back leg.

In any case, keep reps per set at 5 or above.

Also teach these kids how to jump and land correctly.

Bad landing mechanics coupled with high jump volumes will lead to knee and low back problems down the line. I see this all the time with my junior hockey players.

Keep reps per set low and accept nothing but a great landing position - chest up, butt back, knees in line with the hips and ankles.

Another thing to remember is that training at that age should be fun and the kids have very limited attention spans.

So short workouts are the way to go.

And if you can work in some sort of game or play into the training session where the kids jump, throw, crawl and/or sprint (ideally as a part of the warm-up), even better.

Follow these pointers for a few years and you're looking at some mobile, injury-free, strong for their body weight young athletes.

By which point, you should introduce them to proper strength training methods in the weight room.

Here's how you do that:

http://www.NextLevelHockeyTraining.com

Yunus Barisik

New Off-Season Training Video

​Countless PR's were smashed again this summer when our Espoo Blues U20 players lifted, jumped, sprinted and conditioned their way into hockey shape for the 2017-2018 season.

​Check out how they did that in the video below.

​Also be sure to subscribe to my channel through the link below, so you never miss out on new content.

​>>> Next Level Athletics YouTube Channel <<<

How Much Can Off-Ice Training REALLY Help You?

Let's talk about something VERY important today.

How much can off-ice training REALLY help you?

If you lift to get stronger and faster, you'll go from third-liner on your team to TOP3 player in the entire league.

Welcome, D1 scholarships.

And pro scouts will be beating a path to your door.

That is, if you believed all the hype surrounding "sports performance training" out there.

Bunch. Of. Bollocks.

Talent and your sports skills play a HUGE part in achieving athletic success.

Those are waaaayyy more important than your squat max or 40-yard sprint time.

How do I know this?

I've been around enough athletes to realize that plenty of guys make it to the top in spite of their training, not because of it.

Just the other day, I was coaching a few of my guys at a public gym where multiple Finnish NHL players train.

Not gonna throw out any names here, but let's just say you'd recognize these players if I did. A few TOP 10 Draft picks and some older guys.

My high school guys would wipe the floor with these NHL players.

I'm talking about 17- and 18-year-olds front squatting 300+ pounds and deadlifting 400+ pounds within a year of starting training with me.

Those are decent numbers for a pro hockey player, let alone someone who can't legally drink ​strong liquor over here.

By the way, I don't tell this to impress you. I'm telling this to impress upon you how big of a jump you can make in your strength levels in a relatively short time frame under quality programming and coaching, and if you aren't experiencing results like these, your training is far from optimal.

However, improved physical qualities don't automatically translate into better performance on the ice.

No matter how strong or powerful I make you in the weight room, if you lack vision, hockey IQ, puck-handling skills, and the ability to read plays before they occur, the best you can ever hope to become is a mediocre player.

Not completely rubbish. But not a star player, either.

Yeah, I realize I'm probably shooting myself in the foot with statements like that here.

After all, I do have several off-ice training products for sale.

But it would be unethical if I didn't disclose this information to you.

And I'll never take the "guru" route where I profit from selling you a dream that ain't happenin'.

Anyway, use this info for your own benefit.

Or not.

Up to you.

Yunus Barisik

P.S. If you do possess above average hockey skills, can read and anticipate the game at a high level, and pride yourself on having a great work ethic, then my Next Level Hockey Training System can help you. A lot.

To find out how, click this link here:

http://www.NextLevelHockeyTraining.com

“Ya Gotta Keep These Fools Entertained”

Getting in shape.

Everybody wants it to be easy and effortless.

12-minute workouts.

Big pecs in 28 days.

The 7-minute fat loss solution.

One secret exercise for shredded abs.

A diet that gets you ripped from the comfort of your couch.

Bull. Shit.

Ya know what nobody wants?

The truth.

Getting in shape is brutally hard work.

And seldom fun.

That's why people waste their time on some bogus exercise gizmo "working up a good sweat" rather than bust their asses off to get strong as shit in the weight room.

As Carolina Panthers strength coach Joe Kenn puts it:

“Ya gotta keep these fools entertained.”

​My Next Level Hockey Training System is the exact opposite of that.

No entertainment involved.

And, no fools allowed.

It's only for guys who are serious about making sick progress in the gym and leaving the competition in the dust.

Think that's you?

Then check it out at:

http://www.NextLevelHockeyTraining.com

​Yunus Barisik

Einstein Kisses, Farts and Cries Like a Baby

I just watched this hilarious YouTube video of Einstein where she:

* impersonated a pirate

* blew a kiss

* farted

* neighed like a horse

* oinked like a pig

* cried like a baby and

* referred to herself as a ​"superstar!​"

(Einstein is a 30-year-old parrot who lives at Zoo Knoxville in Tennesee)

Not a bad ​"stand-up​" act from probably the most famous parrot in the world.

Anyway, here’s the point:

The Internet is littered with a plethora of myths and misconceptions about off-ice training for hockey.

Worst part?

Greedy gurus and perplexed players ​"parroting​" false training information that drowns out what really works.

You’ve heard some of that too, haven’t you?

Myths like:

- Big barbell lifts are all that’s needed to get strong

- You should deload every four weeks

- High reps prepare you best for the game because muscle endurance is more important than max strength in hockey

- P90X is great for hockey conditioning

- Summer is all about making gains and in-season about maintenance training

- And on and on the list goes…

Just like watching Einstein the parrot perform her impersonations, hearing silly hockey training claims sure makes me chuckle out loud.

Too bad it all amounts to little more than a bunch of baloney…

P.S. The best way to protect yourself against falling victim to others​' misguided training advice is to hop on a world-class training program, so you can experience for yourself what getting strong, fast really means.

For 60 weeks of done-for-you strength training programs used by World Champions and NHL Draft picks, just stroll on over to:

http://www.NextLevelHockeyTraining.com

Yunus Barisik

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