Strong Made Simple Personal Training Client Ric Aguirre paddling in San Diego, CA.
Strong Made Simple Personal Training Client Testimonial
I am an outrigger canoe paddler, both six-man and one-man. Additionally I paddle a surf ski and a stand up paddle board. Training for outrigger canoe racing is much more than just time on the water. It is about mobility, flexibility, endurance (cardio and muscle endurance), power, and strength – both sport specific and functional.
I met Brian about a year ago when I first joined the SDSU ARC. After watching him train his clients and generally getting the lay of the (ARC) land it became readily apparent that Brian isn’t just one of the best if not the best trainer at the ARC, he is amongst the very best in San Diego.
Injury Prevention and Management
I first approached Brian when I had a nagging calf injury that wouldn’t get better. He gave me a series of exercises and stretches using several modalities to help my calf. Additionally, he helped to root cause the injury to my foot, and with that came a few more things to work on.
Increasing Performance
Fast forward to needing to step up my training up a notch or two… This translated for me to increasing my skills and abilities in and around Olympic Lifts – getting stronger the smart way. One of the great benefits of Olympic lifts is that not only are they functional, it turns out that they are highly sport specific with paddling on a number of levels.
Coaching and Progression
My weakness in my Olympic lifting skill set is cleans. Actually, it wasn’t just a weakness; I simply didn’t know how to do them.
Brian broke down cleans into logical segments. He made sure that my dead lifts and front squats were spot on before we moved onto the pull. Through the course of coaching me on front squats he sleuthed an issue that I have had for years and couldn’t figure out. For the life of me I could never get my arms far enough up to do the front squat correctly. My elbows were always a bit downward. Brian correctly root caused the issue to flexibility/mobility issues in my hands, wrists and forearms. After a few stretches that I had never in my life done before, my elbows were in the correct position – no more hot shooting nerve pain when I try to lift my elbows up. That alone was worth the price of admission.
Racing outriggers
I went through my current weekly training program and Brian quickly told me when and where to add them. I have been doing cleans for about a month now. Although I need another session or two to fully have them all of the way nailed down, I have made them a regular part of my strength training sessions. I already have more explosive power.
Simple Dietary Advice
The last thing that Brian and I talked about was diet. He asked if I was getting enough greens and healthy vegetables in my diet. When we determined that was a no, he made very simple suggestion; to set a goal of eating a large box of spring mix each week to start. Since that conversation I have made sure that I eat a box of organic spring mix each and every week. Over the course of the first two weeks I lost about five pounds of body fat. This was due to having to give up other foods (read crap food) in order to make space for the spring mix.
At the end of the day, Brian is a good guy who knows his stuff inside and out. He is fun and easy to work with. He works within my physical/health parameters ensuring that what I get out of the sessions is exactly what I was looking for. He is fun, has a great sense of humor and knows just how hard to push. I am looking forward to working with him into the future.
If you are interested in getting personal instruction and taking your athletic performance to the next level in San Diego, CA. Start now and send your message to Brian here.