Category — News & Notes

I’m excited to announce that I will be offering massage and soft tissue therapy services for athletes on Saturdays at Mark McLaughlin’s Performance Training Center in West Linn.

Mark is an excellent fitness coach and offers a number of services to athletes including extensive physiological testing with the Omegawave. With Mark’s approach to program development and some of the concepts I have with regard to using soft tissue therapy to enhance stress resistance (Using Soft Tissue Therapy To Enhance Stress Resistance and Massage and Inflammation Due to Muscle Damage) we can set up some really unique opportunities for athletes to have both training and recovery protocols all in one place.

I plan on being out there on Saturday mornings (pending my weekly travel schedule or any changes in Mark’s schedule that would prevent the facility from being open on a particular Saturday). Check out Mark’s BLOG for more info on his training philosophies.

Feel free to contact me with any questions on schedule or rates.

patrick@optimumsportsperformance.com

Back in May I had the pleasure of recording a DVD with Joel Jamieson and Charlie Weingroff in Seattle in front of a small audience.

The product, Strength in Motion, consists of two lectures from each of us, over 6hrs of content, and can be purchased as an instant download (streaming videos) or as a DVD set.

The product will launch November 6th and you can save $25 by getting on the pre-sale list now!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO!

Patrick
patrick@optimumsportsperformance.com

The hardest person to train is yourself. I believe this is one reason people are always asking if I do online training. I have worked with some people in the past but kept it behind the scenes because they were just close friends or family. However, I’ve decided to open up this opportunity publicly for a limited number of people. If you read this blog or are familiar with my thought process then it goes without saying I will not be handing out cookie-cutter programs as my priority on individualized training is quite high. I feel many of the current “online coaching” models are severly flawed and really ignore the indiviual needs of the client. This coupled with the fact it was a struggle to constantly monitor my clients physiological or biomechanical states, I simply avoided providing an online training service to the public all together. Over time and with new technologies I am excited to announce that I am now ready to offer online training programs. However, I refuse to simply take on a bunch of people just for the sake of making more money. It’s not worth it. What is going to happen is there will first be an application and acceptance process. A limited number of people will be accepted.

What will the coaching entail?

If you are in the Phoenix area or close enough that you would like to come out for an assessment, we can always arrange a time for this session and go over things in person. If you reside far away then there will be an online assessment process looking at your current physiological state as well as some general movement qualities. Throughout this program the individual will receive phone consultation as needed as well as email exchanges to answer any questions and/or stay in close contact as the program is going on to ensure that the they are getting they most out of it. Videos of exercises will be used to assist in exercise technique when needed however the client will also be required to provide video feedback of themselves performing specific exercises to ensure things are being done properly. Additionally, there are six key criteria that must be met to be considered for acceptance into this online program:

1) No injuries – It is impossible to deal with injured individuals over the Internet. On top of that, it would be totally unethical. If you are injured please seek medical attention.

2) Must be willing to commit to at least 3 months of training – Training is a long-term process and fitness qualities take time to develop, they do not happen overnight. A minimum of a 3 month requirement is mandatory to be part of the online coaching program. This is a non-refundable investment of at least 3 months.

3) Must have access to a gym – You need to be able to have access to a gym. I will not attempt to write programs for people who want to just do body weight activities in their living room. A gym will allow you to perform many of the lifting and conditioning sessions. Additionally, if you have access to a field or track we can create programs around those things but you will need to have specific time in the gym as well. You will be asked for a detailed description of what equipment you have access to. If it is a nationally franchised gym (Gold’s gym, Planet Fitness, etc.) you must specify this. The methods we use to manipulate your body’s physiology and biomechanics have to be filtered through the tools we have available.

4) Must have a video camera – A flip cam, cell phone, etc. will work. You don’t need anything fancy of high quality. The video camera will be used at times during the assessment process as well as during various training sessions where you will at times need to record specific exercises or sets to ensure form and technique. The better your filming is the better we can help you.

5) Must be committed to the training process - You will be required to fill out training logs – This is essential to having an excellent training experience. You must be serious, have some sort of goal, and be willing to fill out the necessary information daily so that we can properly adjust training as needed. It is not long, just a few short answer questions or number ranking each day.

6) Must use BioForce HRV system throughout the program – This HRV system is an application that can be used on an iphone, itouch, or droid. This will help us further with looking at how you are adapting to the training program and ifanything needs to be altered. It is equally essential to the daily log. The BioForce system is included with purchase of this online training program (you will need a Polar Heart Rate Monitor to use the Bioforce system).

Why Is There An Application Process?

EVERYONE’S application will be read and reviewed. Everyone has a equal chance to be accepted. Online coaching is a different beast than in person coaching and requires some time and communication between the coach and the client. The application process helps to ensure that I can offer the clients the appropriate amount of time when it comes to consulting with them, making changes to the program as needed, and evaluating progress based on the workouts and the physiological and biomechanical indexes we are using to understand how the individual is adapting. ALL applications will be gone over so there is no reason to not apply if you’re interested.

How much does the program cost?

The 3 month program costs $300 per month ($900 total) that must be paid either in full or in three increments of $300 at the beginning of each month. If you are interested in making a longer commitment than 3 months, please email me and we can discuss a different rate. Also, the BioForce HRV is INCLUDED in the first months payment. Meaning, you do not have to purchase one because we will send you one.

How do I sign up?

To apply, simply email optimumsportsperformance@gmail.com with the following information:

• Name
• Current City & State
• Any health concerns, previous injuries, etc
• Current occupation
• Current level of stress
• Goals
• What you currently do for exercise
• What you are hoping to get from online consulting

I am excited to announce that I will be available to see massage clients in Chandler, AZ on Tuesday mornings at Chandler Physical Therapy. (Note: This is a satellite location for soft tissue therapy on Tuesday mornings only and does not replace the soft tissue therapy or strength and conditioning I will be doing the rest of the week at Optimum Sports Performance in Tempe, AZ). 

Eric Christensen, Doctor of Physical Therapy and owner of Chandler Physical Therapy, was kind enough to ask me if I would like to work out of his clinic once a week and I am excited to be there. In the 2 years I have known Eric he has become a great resource for me to bounce questions off of and talk shop with and because he is also a Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) practitioner it really helps that we speak the same language. I also appreciate that this is not a high-volume physical therapy clinic and Eric tries to stick with only two patients per hour to ensure that they get the attention they need and deserve.

For information on massage on Tuesday mornings or if you need to schedule an appointment with Eric please contact Chandler Physical Therapy.

For more information on my approach to massage therapy please check out my massage specific website, Optimum Wellness Massage.

Patrick
patrick@optimumsportsperformance.com

I have decided to create a massage website, Optimum Wellness Massage, to help answer questions people have about the massage services I currently offer. Many come to this site and think that my services are only available to athletes, however, this is not entirely true. I do offer training and soft tissue therapy services to general population clients. Hopefully the massage website will help to give people a better understanding of those services and my FAQs will answer any questions.

If you are interested (or know of anyone who is interested in massage services) please check out Optimum Wellness Massage.

Patrick
patrick@optimumsportsperformance.com