I took a 1 hr drive up north yesterday to train The Blair Academy Wrestling Team, NEVER in my life have I seen an entire room of athletes who:
- Focused 110%
- Listened AND made eye contact
- NEVER slacked
Notice I did not say 99% of the athletes, I said ALL of them.
This was quite the treat and of course, teams like this are not magically created, they are built, and Coach Buxton, The Head Wrestling Coach of Blair Academy, has built all these kids into highly motivated, highly dedicated, highly focused and VERY intense athletes.
Sure, a Prep school with a long standing tradition will get motivated kids knocking on their doors, BUT, this article is NOT about excuses, it's about telling you that we need to raise the bar for athletes (and for yourself) AND set the standards WAY higher.
The bar has been set high for The Blair Wrestling Team.
Work ethic, commitment, intensity, good manners, being humble, sportsmanship....it's ALL part of what is taught and expected at Blair Academy.
No more excuses for why someone is better or has the advantage. It should be expected for a competitive athlete to have the eye of the tiger.
The training I put these Blair wrestlers through was intense, with lots of Gymnastics drills and jumps for the warm up to help develop kinesthetic awareness and full body power. After all the Gymnastics movements and jumping, the workout began.
The workout included: rope climbing and handstand push ups, battling ropes, kettlebells and sandbags. Much of which you can see inside my Encyclopedia of Underground Strength & Conditioning HERE.
I was beyond impressed with the intensity and tenacity I was witnessing. I'm used to being more motivated than those I coach, which, should NEVER be the case, but in the new era of athletes being more focused on video games, texting and facebook .....
Some athletes (or many?) simply don't have the discipline to be different than those who surround them. Ironically, many people say the success of Blair Wrestling has to do with recruiting.
I state otherwise: It has to do with the Coaching. The expectations are very high, in addition, outside the wrestling room, the faculty also has high expectations for these kids academically.
I do the same at The Underground Strength Gym. Excellence is expected, mediocrity of any sort is looked down upon.
As a former Physical Education teacher in a school setting, I remember seeing a bunch of lazy asses in the high school setting. Why were the kids lazy? Because they were allowed to be lazy.
Don't wanna challenge yourself and run? No problem, you can walk.
Have we gotten so scared to push people that walking is considered challenging for a high school student?
I suggest reverting back to the days of Physical Culture where gymnastics apparatuses and rope climbing were common place.
When my Dad grew up in Romania he had Physical Education 3 x week minimum, each class was 2 hours long! AWESOME!
He was not even a teenager and they had him training in Gymnastics, wrestling, throwing small shot puts and light javelins. He also played hand ball, performed sprints and ran the hurdles.
All around fitness was encouraged and trained for. Older students performed Olympic Weightlifting and more aggressively competed in each of the sports.
When people ask me what style of training I use, in a nutshell, it is a mixture of Physical Culture and Powerlifting / Strongman. I add bodybuilding exercises to attack weak areas and ensure there is balance. It's not enough to be strong, overall athleticism must be developed.
This is why you see our athletes running, jumping, climbing, lifting big weights, and of course, using a variety of implements to accomplish our specific goal.
It's time Raise the Bar.
Don't you agree?
Drop a comment below, let us know your thoughts!
Live The Code 365
--Z--
Recommended Resources
Create Your Own Physical Culture / Warehouse Gym Business HERE
Bodyweight University, NO Equipment Needed HERE
32 Responses
Eye of the tiger man! Something all of us go through one time or another in our lives. It’s a huge test to see who wants it and who does not. Keeping that focus can sometimes be hard when you go through crazy events in your life. It’s how you handle that situation that shapes and molds the person you are. Good stuff Z! True to life.
Kids need to be challenged and it’s great to hear about a school that isn’t letting kids slide by. However, I’m more impressed that these young athletes are being held to high academic expectations as well. Too often, the “elite” athletes get a “free ride” with their studies and wind up with nothing if their athletic career doesn’t pan out.
-Jess
Just seeing the picture of Mr. Karelin brings back some haunting memories. I had wrestled him at the Concord cup on 3 different occasions. It’s a good thing I have such a high tolerance for pain because his gut wrench was crippling. Leave it to a grappler to willingly come back for a second and third bout hoping for the one opportunity to be the one to dethrone him.
hey Zach,
Yes – the old fashioned methods are often the best – climbing ropes and bars, pull-ups etc.
Here in UK there was a TV programme last week about a 55 year old guy who challenged himself to pass the Royal Marines fitness test, which included an assult course of rope climbing, swinging on monkey bars, crawling through narrow tunnel, climbing over walls.
All good old fashioned fitness challenges!
Coach Z,
What an inspirational article. I had thoughts of being a gym teacher in Canada for a long time but it is funny how life often takes you along the path that must be tred. Experience is the greatest teacher- there is no substitute for experience, and there is no such thing as a bad experience (yet thinking makes it so).
It is encouraging to hear about the atmosphere being cultivated at the school and within the training group of Blair Academy. More like this needs to be done to install ideals that seem to be lost in a wave of pop culture instant satisfaction.
Coaching football at the highschool and under 22 provincial level here has shown me that now more then ever kids need strong leaders and examples of how to live strong, powerful, and animal; individuals that aren’t afraid to put on the construction boots and put down a good ol’ fashion a$$ whoopin’ when the situation demands for it.
AGE QUOD AGIS
Christopher
p.s. you dusted off your boots lately? ;)…there’s a lotta ass that needs whoopin’ hahahahaha
Z, those pics of the old school gym are awesome! looks like a museum… where the heck do you get such great pics?
Agreed 100% Z. I don’t think kids are inherently lazy, but we make them so.
Zach,
A good posting and it’s great to hear that there are still places like Blair around – probably more than we think as it’s all the others that get into the headlines! The photos took me back – like you I’m a former teacher and coach.
Keep ’em coming!
John
Agree 100%…
I too was originally studying to become a phys ed teacher, what I thought was the greatest job in the world; right up until the day when I went and observed the lazy ass kids AND teachers on the high school level.
Raise the bar is right! 45 mins of phys ed 2x’s per week isn’t gonna cut, especially when you’ve got kids sitting on the bench picking their nose while the teachers stand in a circle and talk about last nights reality tv drama.
It’s a joke.
Great Post Zach!
Any chance we could start to see gyms like those in the pics become common place? And yea where do you find those pics??
Actually I think we are better off with our I-pod stair masters, treadmills with TVs on them and $10,000 leg press machines.
Yea right!
Great read Zach…..keep up your hard work man!
Mike
http://www.hanleystrength.com
Great info, arguably some of the best content driven resources out there, especially for a lot of the current fitness professionals who, for the most part, are chained by the misinformation from the nautilus and linear running advocates.
Vince, r u still hurtin from that match bruddah? How is your son doing w/wrestling?
Matt – yes, we’ll see more gyms like this, BUT, not enough people are venturing out and building them, they are tied down and scared to leave the big franchise gyms out there, big mistake in my opinion!
Marc – I was in teaching for 10 yrs, but if I was at the high school level, I would want things my own way.
My own gym, gymnastics equipment, light k-bells, battling ropes, med balls…just like the photos
It would be a place to play and work, it would be great. Not sure if this is happening anywhere, resistance would be HUGE from colleagues!
In India they have schools of Physical Culture, it is amazing. I am sure they have these overseas in other countries aside from India.
In America, all we hear about is cutting Physical Education! How lame is that.
Boys are running around w/man boobs at the age of 9, 10 and 11.
We can also call this child abuse and blame the parents for not setting a great example and feeding the kids a bunch of shit!
–z–
Z
I recently had a letter published in our local paper tackling this exact issue – BRING BACK PHYSICAL EDUCATION!
Got a great response from a lot of people in the community and some board directors, but there still won’t be any change. In fact, they just recently made Phys Ed an elective for Seniors that are in at least two extracurricular activities; like band and drama club. Band and Drama!!! You burn alotta calories carrying a tuba blowin on a horn.
very true man, the standards that kids have are just depressing
kids kids are just becoming a nuch of dreamers with all those videogames and tv,and no Action Takers
i can see why kids have no motivation and are just lazy during PE clases
just last year in high school, my teacher was freakin FAT!
what kind of bullshit is that? what kind of example is that sending his students?
Its time to Raise The BAr BIG TIME!
keep killin it Z
peace
Guys face resembles mine just before I eat my breakfast!LOL!
Totally agree.
Walter
you always hit the nail on the head, brotha. There has got to be a mix of gymnastics, strength, power, bodyweight, various implements, education and energy among many other things to create a nasty athlete. I know athletes that are pulling over four hundred pounds but can’t do a few pull ups. Are you kidding me? Get it together and round out your training. Expose your weakness and eliminate it. I totally think that more awesome training facilities are on the rise in the near future, we just need to keep it real and keep the slackers out.
Z,
Awesome stuff. I met you at the first Secrets of Strength seminar. I was the bald dude who was in first in the log toss until that beast killed it. Anyway, you are a huge inspiration for me. Like you, I am a teacher, well in my case, still a teacher. I’m just getting into this game and want to go big with it. I’m finishing up a program and I plan on opening up a gym of my own in the very near future. Will you be having any Underground Strength certs in December?
As for Blair, it is an amazing program. I can relate, as I went to BC, same high school Joe D. went to, and wrestled and played football myself. People say recruiting is why those schools are so good, and that may be part of it. The part people don’t mention is that you have to WANT to go there. I remember wanting to be a part of something special and being surrounded and challenged by the best. It takes a special kid to want that. I’m trying to create something similar in my town. It ain’t easy, but I’m not giving up.
Thanks for the inspiration, and let me know about any upcoming certs in the winter.
Marc
that sux that PE is an elective, that is insane!
I suggest PE being daily, 60 minutes minimum
not just sport play but true physical fitness
not cool!
–z–
Pat
you are SO RIGHT, those kids freaking wanna be there!!!
One kid was from Cali and another kid was from north carolina.
I know many others were from around NJ and Pa but man did they want to be in that room like it was the last place on earth!
BC as you said is the same, you simply have those who want it and those who don’t.
You my friend, obviously want it 🙂
The next USC Cert I am unsure as to when I will hit it, I will prob hit a level 2 cert sometime soon and maybe even a business mastermind group.
Big shit happening bruddah, hope to see u again beast!
–z–
Hi Zack!
I’m in the Dirty Jerzee now – about 44 minutes away from you…I know why newark might be called dirty – but I must admit – I am liking NJ!
Great article about your trip to the Academy – it’s AWESOME to hear about a team like that! Killing it every day…every second!
America in general neds to step it up – a lot of folks don’t even think about their health or even care. Geez…it’s sad, some say, but really it’s sickening!
I think you are doing a wonderful job spreading the word – always appreciate the motivation!
Peace in strength and fitness,
John S.
INspiring words, again, and those photos are stellar!
Well Zach u come up with the best stuff to inspire us all talking about cutting fund, we dont even have a track team this year or wrestling coach ,we dont play football here sport here in canada besides hockey. its horrilble but people aways say come olympic,Look at us we cant even win a metal, well open your f@#*ing eyes. we open up these rec center with 40.000 worth of shit, weights only going to 50lb, why so the goons dont workout not realizing who they are hurting,our young athletes.so that where i come in, im going to offer some training to the people who are interested in track & field free training ,see if i can get a spark going. Like u said its time to take action and i am. Now im pissed.lol
because it horse shit bring it back old school.enough rambling im going to bed. pease all
Great post Z. It’s a shame that many of the people who are responsible for educating kids today don’t comprehend or appreciate the connection between a strong body and a strong mind. The mental toughness that comes from hard physical training can benefit us in every aspect of our lives. But hey, I don’t know why I’m telling you. Rock on Brother!
I couldnt agree more….. when little is expected, that is usually the result. Great post and an inspiration for those of us who do train, teach, and ooach.
Coach Z,
This is just a comment on an earlier post from Curtis Munson…
“talking about cutting fund, we dont even have a track team this year or wrestling coach ,we dont play football here sport here in canada besides hockey. its horrilble but people aways say come olympic,Look at us we cant even win a metal, well open your f@#*ing eyes.”
The best province to train in Canada currently is Quebec in my opinion. The sports system there is privately funded by the government “TABERNAQUE”…the province I live in, Ontario, was behind the curve drastically when it comes to amateur level sport! That really pissed me off as an amateur athlete (its the reason I went to University outta province initially). In a time where other provinces had both athletic and academic scholarships available Ontario was only offering academic.
It’s no wonder a lot of our most talented athletes have dual passports and either f#ck off to Great Britain or head south to the U.S. – bullsh*t!
It would be nice if there was a culture of amateur athletics in Canada like the E.U. (European Union)…I can’t say I blame Curtis for being pissed- and if he is pissed, being in the fittest province in Canada then what does that say about how the rest of our country should be feeling?
A little Slapshot here …”shame…you go to the box … you feel shame…”
AGE QUOD AGIS
Christopher
Fortunately I have fully recovered the whoopin. My son has forgotten about wrestling and has devoted most of his efforts into BJJ. As long as he puts his heart into it, I’ll be there to provide that extra motivation (if you know what I mean). Just for the record, Blair Academy is consistenly one of the true powerhouses.
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