一位健身教練的心路歷程(Evolution of a Strength Coach)

這是昨天教練丟給我的文章（作者是Michael Boyle），他要我幫他看一下這篇文章在講什麼。我把它大概翻譯了一下，放在這裡來，也算是記錄一下自己做了什麼事。我想，一般人可能對這個沒啥興趣，除非你是從事這個或本身很迷健身的人。

想看原文的請跳至本篇後半段。（有些地方我並沒有翻出來，看原文就知道）

最近發生的幾件事(什麼事作者沒明講)及在網路看到聽到的許多事讓我了解到, 所有的教練最終都會演變到同一個地步. 我觀察到一個趨勢，以前那些傳統健身的死忠派漸漸地能夠接受功能式訓練(functional training)。這不禁讓我想到兩方面 1. 為什麼我會想這麼做 2. 為什麼其它人取笑我

理由就是我老了, 健身教練這條路我比他們都走得遠。其實我們都在相同點起步，我們極可能也會結束在相同點。差別在我起步比較早，我相信所有的男性教練都會經歷下面的過程。

階段一: the bodybuilder

在這階段有人或許是想要在運動項目上有好的成績，但你我心知肚明，處在這階段的年輕人最主要的還是想在異性面前展現好身材。

階段二: the powerlifter

到了這個階段你會發現真正強壯的傢伙其實是看不起那些穿著背心對著鏡子欣賞自己手臂的那些人，於是年輕的bodybuilder(也就是第一階段的人)及未來可能是教練的那些人決定要努力做bench press以得到那些瞧不起自己的人的尊敬。卻又發現那些強壯的傢伙壓根瞧不起不做腿部訓練的人，於是這些原本處於第一階段的人很快就進化到第二階段powerlifter.

處於此階段的人是不會承認錯誤的(指有關訓練)。通常這個階段會持續2-3年或是直到第1次重大傷害發生。處於此階段, 你是真的喜歡做重訓，你會非常注重飲食，也非常勤勞地去訓練，絕不會偷懶，而且幾乎每週都在進步。雖然你的技巧不是很完美，但你能做得很重。在這個階段的你可說是最有男子氣概了。你會嘲笑不做back squat及硬舉的人。

第三階段: 受傷的powerlifter

通常是背傷或肩傷開啟了第三階段，有時嚴重時甚至需要開刀。你知道以前那些可以做很重的日子已不在，但表面卻拒絕承認。你會上網去查資料，尤其是如何治癒等方面的資訊，你發誓一定要恢復往日風光。同時私底下你會開始看有關預防受傷的書，也開始探索運動熱身及肢體活動力等領域。在第三階段的結尾，你開始為以前你嘲笑的前輩感到抱歉，你了解到他們就和你的父母一樣，只是比較老但卻比較有智慧。

第四階段: the functional training guy

大部份的人最終會走到第四階段，在這個階段我們了解到我們仍然能夠做訓練，只是沒辦法像以前那樣做很重了。你會當個旁觀者看著從第一階段到第二階段的人做訓練。並試著提出警告(建言)，但他們只是笑一笑，不太鳥你。此時你心裡能想的話就是 - 等你50歲還能講話再聯絡吧。

年輕男生只想要在年輕女孩面前展現雄風，當然也想在其它年輕男生面前示強。這些都是無法避免的，我們只能希望這個能過程加速通過，為的是減少有人受傷/痛苦。

      Evolution of a Strength Coach

Michael Boyle

A few recent events have made me realize that all strength coaches will eventually evolve to the same place. Like many of us, I listen and read a great deal from the internet. One trend that I have seen is that some of the previously "hard core" guys are gradually embracing the corrective exercise/ functional training side of the coin. This made me realize: 
1- Why I think the way I do
2- Why others make fun of me
The reason I think the way I do and the reason lots of the "hardcore" guys make fun of me is because I am old. I am further along the evolutionary trail of the strength coach. You see, we all start at about the same place and we probably all end up at the same place. I just started my journey sooner. In fact I am in year 32 of my evolution. For me phase 1 of the Evolution of the Strength and Conditioning Coach, The Bodybuilder, was actually in the 1970's. I saw Boyer Coe guest pose at a show in Connecticut and wanted to be the next Frank Zane. If you don't know who those guys are, it's OK. You are just too young. 
The truth is almost all male strength coaches and personal trainers go through the evolutionary process listed below. 
Stage 1- The Bodybuilder.
Face it, we all started here. Maybe we wanted to get better at sports but what we really wanted in our teens was to look better for girls. To do this we picked up a muscle magazine, joined the local gym , copied the routines and began bodybuilding. The beauty of this stage is that we knew it all. We bombed and blitzed our way to success as Joe Weider looked on from the pages of Muscle and Fiction. 
Stage 2- The Powerlifter
At the onset of stage two the bodybuilder realizes that the really strong guys in the gym don't give him the time of day. In fact, the truly strong guys laugh at him in his tanktop as he admires his arms in the mirror. The young bodybuilder and future strength coach is determined to get some respect so he really works on his bench press to gain that respect. What he then realizes is that these strong guys don't respect anyone with no legs and a big bench. The bodybuilder soon evolves to the powerlifter. As in stage one we still know it all but what we know is different. We realize that what we thought we knew in stage 1 was not quite as true as we thought. At this stage we never admit any mistakes though. Stage two lasts for 2-3 years or until the first major injury. In this time period you really fall in love with the weightroom. You become diligent about diet and not missing training days and you get stronger almost every week. Your training partners cheer you on. Your technique is not perfect but you are moving big weight. Usually in stage 2 you also decide to enter a meet. A meet is great reality therapy. Your 315 bench done in "all you" form with just a bit of an arch and bounce becomes a 275 pause bench. Your "parallel" squats suddenly expose your lack of knowledge of geometry. Usually you bomb in the squat in your first meet and resolve to return a much better lifter. In stage two you are your most macho. You laugh at anyone doesn't do back squats and deadlifts and post frequently to internet forums. All posts mention how strong you are and usually include some line that belittles those who don't lift heavy iron. 
Stage 3- The Injured Powerlifter.
This stage begins with a bad back or a sore shoulder and usually lasts through one or two surgeries. Stage three is like denial in the substance abuse world. You realize that your days of lifting huge weights are coming to an end but you refuse to say it out loud. Your searches of the internet now focus on healing your wounds. You vow to make a comeback. Often, you have surgery and attempt to lift in a meet again. Like a guy repeatedly slamming his fingers in the car door, you can't wait to get back under the bar. 
You learn about ART, MAT and a bunch of other therapies that seem to have guys names. You also begin to sneak a few looks at books on injury prevention and heaven forbid, you begin to explore things like warm-up and mobility. At the end of the injured powerlifter stage you begin to apologize to those older and wiser that you made fun of and called names. You realize that much like your parents the guys you taunted on internet forums were just older and wiser. 
Stage 4- The Functional Training Guy.
Most of us end in stage four. Usually we have a few scars from our time in stage three putting off the inevitable. In stage four we realize that we can still train however, the days of trying to pick up the heaviest thing you can lift goes by. You become an innocent bystander watching car wrecks as you see the young guys move from stage 1 to stage 2. You try to warn them but they laugh at you and go into their chat rooms and make fun of you. All you can think of is "call me when you are fifty and we can talk". 
The truth is evolution and development are both inevitable. Young men will always want to impress young women. They will also, in a very primal way, want to impress other young men. We can only hope to speed the evolution and save people some pain. As you read this hopefully you will see yourself in one of these stages and intervene. Next time you get ready to "lay it on the line" ask yourself why. 
Michael Boyle is a Boston based strength coach, and a partner in http://www.strengthcoach.com the worlds leader in strength and conditioning on the internet. He has been in stage four for almost thirty years. Boyle has had one shoulder surgery, two knee surgeries and has a bad back. His best lifts in the late seventies when he was in stage 2 were 275 Bench 475 Squat and 475 Deadlift. These were done with an Inzer belt and a wrestling singlet.