King Sports International

Physical Preparation for the Health & Wellness Professional

by Ashleigh Gass

Physical preparation coaches and clients work with a range of “Health and Wellness” professionals such as Physical Therapists, Chiropractors, Massage Therapists, Physicians, and others who actively strive to improve the health and well-being of their clients and patients.

The aim of this article is to give health and wellness professionals an insight into physical preparation the KSI way.

Physical preparation may be a term that is unfamiliar to you. Phrases and titles such as “strength training, cardio, sprints, strength coach”, etc may immediately come to mind when you think of physical preparation. Typically one thinks of physical preparation as one-dimensional, ie, ‘physically preparing an athlete to be stronger’. While this is a component of physical preparation, the KSI approach offers you a more holistic view.

Let’s start with understanding what the components are in physical preparation. We’ll call these The Physical Qualities.

1. Flexibility
2. Speed
3. Strength
4. Endurance

(Foundations of Physical Preparation, Ian King, 2000)

Of these 4 components, we’re willing to bet you are most familiar with #3 and #4. No surprise here, since you and your clients live on these islands 90% of your training life.

Now that you have a better understanding of the Physical Qualities, let’s review The Athletic Qualities.

1. Physical
2. Psychological
3. Technical
4. Tactical

(Foundations of Physical Preparation, Ian King, 2000)

#2, #3 and #4 may have raised a few eyebrows. Often times these qualities are thought to be outside the realm of the Physical Preparation coach.

Thus, physical preparation is defined as the integration of Physical and Athletic Qualities in a manner meant to reduce injury potential and maximize performance in athletes (and all people interested in active lives).

So, we’ve discussed the components of Physical Preparation, and clarified what the term means. Next time you hear the phrase “Physical Preparation Coach” you may have more clarity and appreciation for what this truly involves.

At this point, you may be thinking “Well, that’s nice, but how would this information add value to my clients/patients?” Read on!

This is how: I'm willing to bet that many of your clients are repeat customers. Ok, of course your clients love you and couldn’t imagine life in your absence, but we’ll postulate that the main reason for repeat visits is because their injuries never quite, well, resolve.

If you are humble enough to admit that there may be some truth to this – read on. If you’re in the middle of throwing a fit and writing a nasty email in response, well, this newsletter may not be for you!

You’re still reading – fantastic learning opportunities await!

Typically when you treat clients, you are using a symptom-based approach. Client comes in with pain, you treat pain, pain goes away for a couple days, pain comes back, client comes back. Cycle continues until you and your client get fed up, and they go somewhere else – only to receive the same course of action!!

What can you do to stand out from the rest, and empower yourself to heal clients once and for all?

Gain a greater appreciation of the relationship between the Physical Qualities (remember those?)

1. Flexibility
2. Speed
3. Strength
4. Endurance

Learn to understand the balance (or, more appropriately lack thereof) of these qualities in your client’s training program (you know, all the stuff they do when they aren’t in your office). Take the time to study information that will guarantee long-term results with your clients (and will add to the prosperity of your business like you’ve never seen before)

There are a couple of resources that will be key components to your journey:

DVD: Flexibility Specialization Series

Think your knowledge of Yoga and Pilates is enough? Think again……..

DVD: Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation Series

Convinced that a little bit of rubber tubing will solve all shoulder problems? Not quite…..

I commend those of you who are willing to go the extra mile in your practice. This information will add value to your clients/patients for years to come.

Ashleigh Gass
KSI CMP Coach

Athletic Golfers?

by Jason Pobega

The game of golf was revolutionized in 1996 when a certain golfer came on the scene. Forever changing the way golfers, and the game itself was viewed, Tiger Woods not only gave a new look, but a new philosophy to the sport that many called a ‘pastime.’

But it wasn’t the lucrative endorsements or countless titles and trophies won by Tiger that made the most impact. Those were just examples of the fuel that stoked the fire. Sure Tiger was scoring better than the average Joe at the age of 3, but is it only talent that created this epiphany?

Never before had anyone treated golf as a sport, or a golfer as an athlete. Today, if you aren’t an athlete in golf, you’re not even a blip on the leaderboard. Competitors flocked to find the trainer, the perfect way to get into ‘Tiger Shape.’ But it wasn’t just the competitive golfer that saw this attention to physical preparation as an asset.

The average Joe saw an opportunity to improve their game as well. And so the commercial boom of Yoga for golf, Golf-Fit classes, and specialized DVD’s made their way into the world. But like a lot of things in the physical preparation world, dollars came before sense.

One of the negative sides to a unilateral sport is the imbalance it creates in the body. The force generated in a golf swing is incredible when you figure that the average speed of a swing is in the vicinity of 105mph! Like tennis or racquet sports, a lot of emphasis was put on strengthening the muscles used to create more force-but at the expense of rest of the body parts that were compensating for the tremendous movement that is the golf swing. In this, the expense turned into repetitive injury, which turned into surgery, which turned into therapy, which was unilateral in nature, which leads to….well you get the picture.

So I ask the question, if athletes are treating golf as a sport and taking the dedicated time and cost in preparing themselves in a way that sets them up for success, why would they want to subject themselves to a less than optimal program or system?

The answer is simple: education or lack there of. Many athletes, not only in golf, but other weekend warrior scenarios search for the quick fix to the symptom.

Example: A golfer has a wicked slice that keeps going right.

Solution: Let just compensate to the left so that it evens out at the end!

Now let’s say that by looking at the way the golfer’s body stood still, walked, and then swung the club, could we find any imbalances that may be causing the slice rather than just hiding the symptom just like in the Injury Prevention and Rehab series http://kingsports.net/products-ksi-dvd-injpre.htm. What if this analysis in the long run created a better and healthier set of habits that then created the golf swing the athlete had been searching for? Oh, and what if from that analysis the athlete, stood, walked and did anything in their everyday physical life that had an impact on their life in general?

Which route would you choose? If you are receiving this newsletter, I’d wager that you’d pick the latter.

By visually assessing an athlete that plays a unilateral sport, you would find imbalances in both joint and muscle. Eversion or inversion of the feet, knees locked, hips posteriorally rotated, and shoulders rolled forward, etc, etc. Addressing these imbalances is crucial to building an optimal foundation on which an athlete can build a blueprint of success.

Techniques used in Injury Prevention and Rehab, Flexibility Training http://kingsports.net/products-ksi-dvd-fletra.htm, and How to Write http://kingsports.net/products-ksi-book-htw.htm offer incredible insight into not only addressing the challenges that may be evident, but to also plan, and create a program best suited to getting your game on track and down the fairway.

Jason Pobega
KSI CMP Coach

The web site sucks!

Apparently the KSI web site sucks. Ok, that may be a bit strong, but I have no bones with that. I recently received an email that stated: "You have poor content and (a) poor website. over complicated ways to get the information - passwords etc.. Poor selling techniques and not good free information..."

Ok, so the web site and marketing sucks. He has got a point. I have no problems openly stating that when it comes to a comparison of web site and marketing techniques, ours could be at the lower end of the food chain.

But that's fine with me. I am first and foremost a physical preparation coach, and my primarily focus is to develop the most optimal physical training methods and then share them in clear, easy to understand words and images.

I am continually amazed at the fantastic web sites and marketing pieces I see around the broader physical training industry. Tragically, because I have been in the industry for nearly 30 years, I have seen enough to know who is who and who is capable of what. And many of these amazing web sites are owned by people whose real world experience could be summarized on the back of a postage stamp.

I know, that's harsh. but I want to be straight with you about what I think. There is no correlation between marketing ability and physical coaching competency. I've been closely exposed to some of the best self-marketers in the world, and their antics can take the wind out of my sails. Sometimes I do feel like going back into the gym and enjoying the solitude of the steel. Because I know the bullshit that is being passed off to the gullible masses.

It's got to the point where I have chosen not to contribute to some industry activities because firstly I don't want to be associated with the fraud being perpetuated, and secondly, on the surface I cannot compete with the bull-shit artists. I am willing to wave the white flag here. I back myself in the real world of coaching anytime, anywhere. But have no desire to play in the world of deception.

It's got to the point when I feel embarrassed to write about our 20 years company anniversary (1986-2006) because to most newcomers to the industry it probably sounds just like so many others - who one day were casually employed gym instructors and suddenly the next day, miraculously, they have 16 years of experience and are internationally renown....It's got to where I have to resist the urge to add a convincing line like 'It's true - really, we really are 20+ years old in business!" But why should have to?

So if you want to be impressed with flash and bullshit, and want heaps of instant gratification freebies - KSI may not be the place to meet your needs. But if you want the opportunity to learn the most effective training methods based on genuine, honest real world experiences under ideal real-world laboratory situations, then you may be in the right place.

Sorry, we do share more than training

During our 20+ years in business we have received a lot of customer feedback. From really excited and appreciative (such as Anthony who wrote: "I continue to be amazed and pleased with the amount of personal correspondence you give to people!"; or Mike who wrote: "The information in your book is really and truly fantastic!" or Joe who wrote: I find your service impeccable!") to well, not so pleasant (like young Brian who recently said "Thank you very much for your time. Now piss off, wankers.")

Whilst we invite, value and appreciate the feedback, we choose which ones we take note off. For example young Brian's suggestions, in response to our offer of a refund, were not taken with any regard except to wonder how he got that unhappy.

Or when young Grant told us that "You teach the squat like everyone else. Squatting should be performed the way Olympic lifters and powerlifters do it. Not like sissy spa members." (Guess I competed all those years in powerlifting like a sissy spa member!) You can guess we simply wondered what medication he may be taking.

One comment we give more attention to has been the occasional concern that some 'just want training information', and are not comfortable with our content that references other areas such as finance, business and spiritual development. Interestingly it's the financial education content that probably gets the most flak. This is worth addressing - our approach is holistic, and that is not going to change.

In fact, there will be a time in the future when more and more will attempt to imitate our approach, as they have done in the past. Those, like my friend Joey Williams, who have been around for a few decades in the industry, know who is copying who (and confirm our observations that people will criticize until they learn to imitate, then they suddenly claim originality!).

I know what it like to have training compromised by the need to go to work, to go to a second (and third job), to rush and miss meals due to work requirements, to eat crap because of time constraints, to compromise on quality of food and supplements because of lack of money.

To suggest that you train in isolation of your financial situation is simply to live in denial.

Those who develop mastery of what I teach create a life where they are able to do what is important first. For example, I know some of the coaches in the KSI Coaching program who train first and leisurely, then focus on work, as is my practice (and I am not talking about early morning workouts, which in many cases are a compromise).

It gives us great pleasure to help people create a life where they can focus on training without compromise, and without compromising their financial position.

There may never have been a more critical time to develop ones financial literacy as the sub-prime issues in the US financial sector drag the US economy down, and with it inevitably the rest of the world.

Already in the US from the sub-prime fallout, over 100,000 jobs have been lost, 246 (and growing daily) finance companies have ceased operations, losses from bad mortgage debt is expected to reach between 250-500 billion, and one in 4-5 families could be forced out of their house. And we haven't hit the bottom of this challenge yet...

Coincidentally, all this in a country that has turned weight loss into an industry. Gurus sprouting the secrets to weight loss, taking advantage of the gullibility and desire for instant gratification of the people to meet their needs of being important...whilst most nations struggle for food to eat, this country focuses on ways to counter the excess of food consumed, and the over-processing of the food. More on that another day....

So, sorry - some things are not going to change and that includes our holistic approach to training. We know at least one person appreciates that as Steffen who wrote: "It is your holism that I like best about your company!"

Of course it works - science says so....

During a recent World Cup in a certain sport I listened as the commentator, a recently retired player, was asked by another commentator if hyperbaric chambers work. This topic came up in a spare moment, and as the former player had battled a chronic injury it was expected or known he had used the hyperbaric chamber in his quest to overcome hin injury.

I listend to his response with great interest. Hyperbaric chambers are true boast material as they are large, expensive an high-tech rehab tools.

The athlete hesistated, and said words to the effect:

"I don't know - I guess you are willing to try anything."

This was a polite way of saying perhaps 'I am not convinced.'

Reflecting on his words, a moment later the former athlete added:

"There are a lot of studies showing its benefts, so I guess, yeah, it does work."

That politically correct addendum didn't salvage his position, unless of course the listener was one of the many who, like the athlete, felt the need to bow down to 'science'.

Well, of course it works - science says so (and that must be more powerful than my own conclusions...).

The only thing I am interested is what you, in an objective state of mind, in the absence of any compulsion to conform with what you think you are meant to beleive - believe in. And why. Because science says so doesn't cut it on my list of supportive conclusions.

US Govt acts to ease the pain and lower risk of threat to economy

The US government recently reacted to the sub-prime loan issues and its impact on the US economy by cutting interest rates. Are you relying on the government to save you? Or are you taking action to shore up your financial position? If you want some feedback on whether you are doing enough, you can email me by clicking here.

US Fed cuts base rate half point to 4.75 per cent
Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The US Federal Reserve today cut its base federal funds rate a half point to 4.75 per cent in the face of housing and credit market stress that threatens the world's biggest economy.

The Federal Open Market Committee, in a unanimous decision after a one-day meeting, also cut its discount rate for direct central bank loans 50 basis points to 5.25 per cent.

"Economic growth was moderate during the first half of the year, but the tightening of credit conditions has the potential to intensify the housing correction and to restrain economic growth more generally," the FOMC said in a statement.

"Today's action is intended to help forestall some of the adverse effects on the broader economy that might otherwise arise from the disruptions in financial markets and to promote moderate growth over time."--AAP.

Australia impacted by US sub-prime issues

The sub-prime credit issues in the US that have surfaced since about July 2007 have had massive negative impacts on the Australian credit market, with most non-bank lenders raising their rates to clients by .3% simply to cover the anticipated or real costs of the funder obtaining its funds.

The following article highlights this:

Credit crunch to have lasting impact on Australian market - RBA
Tuesday, September 25, 2007

The global credit squeeze will have a lasting impact on Australia's financial market, with traditional banks set to benefit, the central bank says.

The recent rise in funding costs as a result of volatile market conditions would likely have some impact on the nature of competition between traditional and non-bank lenders, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said in its half yearly financial stability review today.

Problems in global credit markets began to emerge at the end of July, when high rates of defaults in the US sub-prime mortgage sector caused some financial institutions to lose significant amounts of money on investments in assets backed by sub-prime debt.

The fallout spread throughout the globe and caused a sharp rise in inter-bank lending rates amid a lack of investor confidence and demand.--AAP.

UK credit market affected by US sub-prime challenges

The US sub-prime credit challenges have well and truly left the shores of the US and impacting on global maerkets. Here's an article of it's impact on one financial institution in the UK:

UK lending industry reeling after Northern Rock gets emergency loan
Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Eva Wiland, Lending Central

The lending industry here is reeling after UK’s fifth biggest mortgage lender Northern Rock had to go cap in hand to Bank of England, asking to be bailed out after falling victim to the foreign credit crisis.

The news sent shock waves through the European financial sector and put pressure on banking stocks in the UK and USA alike.

As the lender was forced to negotiate an emergency loan, thousands of anxious savers were lining up yesterday across the UK to withdraw their money while the value of Northern Rock shares dived by almost one-third.

Northern Rock, which is deeply rooted in the north-east of the UK, was traditional building society which became a big, aggressive lender.

Critics are questioning whether the company has been lending wisely, slamming the increasing propensity by many companies to lend far beyond normal, prudent levels, gambling on the UK housing boom.

They blame the crisis on those companies giving out mortgage loans recklessly and forewarn that from now on, there will be fewer cheaper mortgages.

With relatively few savers, Northern Rock had been relying on raising three-quarters of its funds on the money markets.

However, this came to an end as UK banks stopped lending each other money following the sub-prime crisis in the US.

The problems of Northern Rock are the manifestation of a lender of last resort culture, forcing consumers to dig themselves deeper into debt, attracted by offers of easy credit cards, easy loans, or consolidation of loans, already difficulty to repay.

The crisis prompted the British Chancellor, Alistair Darling, to call for an end to the era of “free and easy lending by the banks”.

He was forced to warn that the credit boom was blowing out beyond sensible limits, calling on lenders to return to “good old-fashioned banking”.

“They need to know who they are lending to, how much they are lending and what the risk is,” he said.

Concern has been mounting at the British Treasury and Bank of England as they enter the northern autumn when thousands of fixed home loans will expire, that borrowers may be exposed to the brunt of the country’s latest interest rates.

The US sub-prime mortgage industry and concern over UK consumers over-extending themselves are putting further pressure on the market.

It is now increasingly evident the global liquidity crisis is starting to make an impact on consumer behaviour in the UK.

John Lewis, UK’s biggest department store, warned today of a sharp slowdown on the high street, as it was preparing itself for consumers to curb their spending with the result of much weaker trading in the run-up to Christmas.

UK retail sales in the second half of 2007 are reported to be more subdued than earlier in the year and many weaker retailers could be facing difficult times ahead.

Next, one of UK’s most successful fashion retailers, warned the credit crunch and higher interest rates could affect Christmas trading and French Connection, another successful fashion retailer, have reported sliding sales.

Most of the Northern Rock savers have heard assurances from Bank of England and Northern Rock alike that the lender is solvent, but many just don’t believe them.

Neil Collins, financial commentator on the UK Evening Standard newspaper likened the credit crisis to a tropical storm which would “sweep right through the financial system within 90 days”.

Although the damage might be small to Northern Rock, he warns the crisis is likely to carry away some of the more obscure lenders, causing structural damage if dearer mortgages cause house prices to fall significantly

Side-stepping the greatest global credit squeeze since the Great Depression

The current global credit squeeze, described by some as the biggest drying up of credit since the Great Depression, that has arisen out of the US sub-prime markets continues to ravage the US credit industry.

This sub-prime credit issue has been signficant enough to bring down both Wall Street and the Australian stock exchage values as evicidenced by market movement over the last few week.

Here's an article giving a snapshot of the situation in the US credit market.

US mortgage crisis deepens at Impac, Accredited
Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The U.S. mortgage lending crisis deepened on Tuesday, as Impac Mortgage Holdings Inc said it will quit most lending and cancel its dividend, while Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co posted a big quarterly loss and said its survival remained in doubt.

The developments came a day after another struggling lender, NovaStar Financial Inc, gave up its real estate investment trust status sooner than expected because it could not pay a $157 million dividend to keep it.

Dozens of mortgage lenders have quit the industry this year, including many that have gone bankrupt, amid rising defaults, falling home prices and investor resistance to buying home loans they now consider too risky.

Impac said it has fired 144 workers and will stop making "Alt-A" home loans, its main business, citing "market disruptions and illiquidity." Such loans often go to people who cannot document income or assets.

The Irvine, California-based company also said it is quitting warehouse and commercial lending, and will keep only a small number of offices that make loans eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It doesn't expect to pay its 10 cents per share quarterly dividend at least through year end.

"Given the severe dislocation of the marketplace, which included unprecedented margin calls, we are left with no other alternative but to downsize our company to better operate and navigate through this difficult and unrelenting environment," said Chief Executive Joseph Tomkinson.

He called the credit debacle the worst crisis in his 25 years in the business.

Impac also said it has sold $900 million of mortgages since Aug. 1, but has found it "extremely difficult" to sell more, and is working with its own lenders to find ways to do so.

Spokeswoman Tania Jernigan did not immediately return a request for further comment.

Accredited, which makes subprime loans to people with weaker credit, posted a loss of $260.2 million, or $10.29 per share, for the quarter ended March 31, according to a delayed report filed with securities regulators. That compared with a profit of $35.8 million, or $1.61 per share, a year earlier.

San Diego-based Accredited said results suffered from a large loss from the sale of mortgage loans.

It also said it expects to need further amendments to or waivers of covenants in its credit facilities in 2007. "We cannot assure you that we will continue to operate as a going concern," it said in its quarterly report.

Earlier this month, Accredited closed much of its lending operations, eliminating 1,600 of 2,600 jobs. It had made $15.8 billion of home loans last year.

Accredited is suing to force private equity firm Lone Star Funds to complete a $15.10 per share takeover announced in June. It has rejected a subsequent $8.50 per share offer from Dallas-based Lone Star that valued it at $214 million.

In afternoon trading, Impac shares fell 23 cents, or 13 percent, to $1.53, and Accredited fell 42 cents, or 4.1 percent, to $9.86. Kansas, City, Missouri-based NovaStar fell 76 cents, or 9.2 percent, to $7.48.
--AAP.

America's real estate market in trouble

Speaking generally, the US real estate market is in a lot of trouble at the moment. This is summarized in the news article below:

Credit squeeze heightens US housing market woes
Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The ailing US property market got more bad news today as an industry report showed existing home sales fell 4.3 per cent in August and the glut of unsold properties rose further.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) report indicated that credit market turmoil hurt sales, making it harder for buyers to get mortgages in many cases.

The NAR said existing-home sales fell to a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.50 million units in August from 5.75 million in July.

The figure is down 12.8 per cent from a year ago, and was in line with market expectations amid troubles in the housing sector after a long period of sizzling growth.

"The unusual disruptions in the mortgage market, including a significant rise in jumbo loan rates, resulted in a fairly high number of postponed or cancelled sales, with many buyers having to search for other financing when loan commitments fell through," said NAR senior economist Lawrence Yun.

"Lower sales contributed to a buildup of unsold inventory."

One bright spot in the report was the first annual price increase in 13 months, the association said.

The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $US224,500 ($A258,900) in August, up 0.2 per cent from August 2006.

But the glut of unsold homes rose 0.4 per cent at the end of August to 4.58 million, a 10.0-month supply at the current sales pace.

The NAR report noted that home sales were affected by tightened credit standards after fears of failures in the mortgage sector rocked financial markets starting in early August.

Yun said he expects similar results for home sales in September.

"Once we get through these disruptions, we'll get a better sense of where the actual market is in late fall as conditions begin to normalise," he said.

Because many mortgages are bundled into securities, they depend on investor willingness to buy these. So-called jumbo loans, over the current limit of $US417,000 ($A480,885), are not bought by the big US mortgage finance companies and are now harder to obtain.

"The housing market continues to look very weak and now it is weakening further after looking like it had hit a bit of a plateau," said Robert Brusca at FAO Economics.
--AAP.