Episode 11 – What do you need to be your best?

In this Episode:

• Introduction
• Menachem’s Story
• Injury
• The 80% Rule
• What Do You Need To Be Your Best?
• Conclusion

Listen on Apple Podcasts:

Show Notes:

0:42

Introduction

• 5 episodes since we last spoke:
  • Tony Gentilcore pt. 1&2
  • Dr. Stuart McGill pt. 1&2
  • Dean Somerset
• Menachem tore his meniscus 🙁
• We’re going to tie in the lessons we’ve learned in these last 5 episodes with injury, rehab, and sports psychology
• Tell me about a time that was very challenging, and what you did to get over, around, or through that obstacle.
  • This is really important to get to know your athlete and their motivations
  • Learn from your mistakes
• One of Menachem’s secrets to success is having read many John Wooden books as a young basketball coach
• Don’t forget the human element!
• “Injuries happen” – Menachem
  • It definitely is hard to process an injury
• “You can do everything right and there is always going to be an unknown” – Menachem
  • The same goes for training

9:55 –

Menachem’s Story

• “There’s a lot of things that I’ve gone through that I want to share with you” – Menachem
  • Uncertainty

• We become very goal-oriented, which is one of the great things about endurance sports
• You also need to think about who can I become and what do I need to become successful, which is what injury rehab is about

• In Dr. McGill pt. 2 we spoke about the change in mechanics that happens to the joints when there is a type of damage
  • The stress will migrate from one tissue to the next and as that happens the mechanisms that affect that specific joint will change – and those changes aren’t necessarily good
• “We need to figure out how to keep the muscles moving – and how to keep them protecting the joint – remember, the number one job of a muscle is to protect a joint, number two is to stabilize a joint while an adjacent joint moves, and number three is to move the joint” – Menachem
• When we stop using a muscle there will be a loss of muscle strength, then a loss of muscle mass
• Mobilization is not always going to be the answer
• It depends!
  • The answer always depends on the athlete and the time
    • Rest, energy levels, hydration, nutrition, etc.

16:07 –

Injury

• If you’re a friend of an athlete going through an injury… 
  • Visit, call, text, or send them something that they can read
  • “It’s very hard to go through an injury when it’s not catastrophic” – Menachem
  • Even as a coach, send a card!
    • That connection is very important for coaches and athletes
      • You need to help them recover both physically and mentally
      • “When we are mentally positive – the recovery process is easier” – Menachem
• Get a number of opinions
  • “It’s okay to go get a second opinion. It is your body – you only get one” – Menachem
• “When it comes to our injuries, we have to earn the capacity in the body to recover” – Menachem
• The tissues need time to rebuild – specifically the white tissues because there is less blood flow so it takes longer to repair
• “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should” – Menachem
• “The body needs to rest to recover” – Menachem
• Encourage athletes to read
• “You are your number one advocate, and as a coach you are the athlete’s number one non-self advocate” – Menachem
• Changes in mechanics are bound to happen due to your injury
• Understand it’s a process to recover
• “Stay small – we want graded exposure – and it’s small victories” – Menachem
  • You have to do little by little
• “Our goal is to build pain-free capacity allowing you to do what you need to do to be best for your sport – that’s what we’re after” – Menachem

27:47 –

The 80% Rule

• 5 – 7s
• There’s all different approaches to training for each athlete – it depends!
• It’s important to pay attention to intensity and load

31:45 –

What Do You Need To Be Your Best?

• Cyclists don’t really know what they need
• “A lot of it’s the coaches eye” – Menachem
  • It might not be scientific, but it’s something you pick up over time
• Depends on recovery time from injury, level of competition, etc.
• “I have to learn how to coach somebody to be a better cyclist off of the bike” – Menachem
• “Strength training done properly will help” – Menachem
• It depends!
• It’s very important for coaches to Invest in their technologies

42:18 –

Conclusion

• Coaches – send gifts to your injured athletes to help them feel special
• Nothing is more important than human connection
  • “Money can be made and lost – experiences cannot – either you have the experience or you don’t” – Menachem
• Be responsible and learn/listen to your body
• Coming up: Kameel Abdurrahman – Bike Fitting