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01.25.08

Congratulations Dave Diehl!

Dave Diehl

I wanted to start this week's update by congratulating my long-time client and friend - NY Giants left tackle, Dave Diehl. Dave will be playing in his first SuperBowl next week and he deserves to be there!

When Dave steps on the field next Sunday at the SuperBowl, it will represent his 69th consecutive start for the NY Giants! (He has started every single game of his career since joining the Giants in 2003.) This is an amazing feat for a 5th round draft pick - or anyone for that matter. But - if you knew Dave and his tremendous work ethic - you would not be surprised by what he has accomplished.

They say CHARACTER is defined by
“what you do when no one is watching.”

Well, if you saw what Dave has been doing for the past four years 'while no one was watching' - you would know why he deserves to be playing in a SuperBowl!

Whether you're a Giants fan or not; this is a guy you should be rooting for next Sunday.

Joe D.

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Q: Joe D -
Any updates or news about your combine training thus far? Hows this years freak progressing? Are you guys doing anything different? Best of luck for another great year.
Jon

A: Jon,
We just posted last weeks Combine training workouts in our "Logs" section at Elitefts.com. CLICK HERE to check out the workouts and progress of our NFL Combine/Pro Day athletes thus far.

By this years "freak", I'm assuming you're referring to Brian Witherspoon, aka, Spoon. Let's just say the kid has lived up to the hype. On Monday, he ran two consecutive 4.25-second 40-yard dashes! (The crazy thing is that his start could be even better.) I watched the below video about 20X already.with a few minor adjustments, I believe he can get even faster!

With a kid like Spoon, we are NOT going to over-coach him. I believe in the old adage, "if it aint broke, don't fix it." We are just going to focus on 1 or 2 minor adjustments with his start and focus on making his "strengths" in the weight room even stronger. By this I mean we are going to do a lot of low-rep, high-speed dynamic work coupled with max-effort work. This kid is a 'fast-twitch' freak and we don't want to take anything away from that. He has already responded to this type of training as he gained 6 lbs. in his first two weeks with us. (He currently weighs 174 lbs.) If he can run a low 4.2 at a bodyweight of 180-183 lbs. (instead of 168 lbs.) we are going to be very happy!


(Don't worry, I feel fat when I look at this picture too!)

I will keep everyone posted on Spoon, as well as the rest of this years NFL Combine/Pro Day class!

Joe D.

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Q: Coach Defranco
I've been a huge follower of you and your website for over two years now. I will never forget the first day I discovered your site - I stayed up all night and read the entire thing!! The reason I'm contacting you is because I'm an aspiring strength & conditioning coach and business man. I'm in the process of renting some industrial space and opening my own gym. To be quite blunt - I want my gym to be just like yours. The thing that really catches my attention about your gym is the atmosphere - all the athletes pictured on your site seem to be so intense and focused! Is there a recipe to create this type of environment?? If feel like I have a good grasp on your program and the Westside training methods, but what guidelines should I follow when designing my facility if I want to create a motivating and intense atmosphere? Sorry if this question was too long, or dumb, but its something that really intrigues me about your facility and business. Thanks coach!! Neil

A: Neil,
Don't worry; your question is NOT dumb. Believe it or not, it's actually a very common question that comes up all the time. In fact, it's something I recently discussed (via email) with Dave Tate regarding an article he's writing about the importance of your atmosphere as it relates to your training progress.

Although there are many factors that create the atmosphere of your gym, I feel the three most important factors are the following:

Your athletes must BELIEVE in you and your training system! If your athletes have any doubt in your program, they will not give it 100%.

Everyone you train must have GOALS! Athletes - or "regular" people - always train harder if they are training for something. I don't care if their goal is to make the NFL or just have the best abs on the beach; the key is to have a specific goal to train for!

This may seem like common sense, but the PHYSICAL APPEARANCE of your gym is of utmost importance. When athletes walk into my gym, their mind is on one thing - TRAINING! This is because there is nothing else to do in my gym besides train! We don't have a juice bar, there are no TV's, no locker rooms, and our office is the size of a closet! What we do have are tons of barbells, dumbbells, bands, chains, boards, medicine balls, loud music, etc. This type of environment gets you in the proper mind frame to work!

Here's a video of the atmosphere that's created when a bunch of athletes that believe in your program get together and train towards a specific goal in a converted warehouse.

Best of luck with your facility.

Joe D.

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