Pro Athletes in the Gym Not Looking too Pro

It’s amazing what kind of stuff pops up on the internet.

Tonight, this video popped up on my Facebook newsfeed http://youtu.be/uDawlrIeaVM – I can’t repost the video here because the option has been disabled. But here’s a picture:

lance cleans

It’s a video of the man himself Lance Armstrong doing several exercises in the gym. Now you would expect an athlete with Lance’s accomplishments to be quite proficient in the gym; however, this is not the case. It’s sloppy and not as effective as it could be.

For the lay person reading/watching, this technique is horrendous and it’s not surprising he didn’t get hurt. Would be interesting to see what WOULD happen if Lance had been coached by a strength and conditioning coach that knew what he/she was doing.

It doesn’t end there.

The fastest man alive doesn’t do cleans correctly either.

Usain also had some back trouble last season – wonder if it was caused by poor exercise technique in the gym?

It’s unfortunate these athletes didn’t have good coaching when they were learning these lifts. Maybe they didn’t have any coaching at all (but I doubt that). Would also be interesting to see how fast Usain would have ran if he was 110% effective in the gym.

No disrespect toward these two gentlemen, just wanted to take this opportunity to use these videos as an educational tool for you.

If you want to learn how to do the clean correctly, check out my 1st article on T-Nation: A Surefire Way to Learn the Clean.

Here’s a short video of me doing the same exercise. I’m still working on my technique, but you can see a huge difference from how Lance and Usain are performing the same exercise.

Lance or Usain, if you’re reading this, LET ME HELP YOU!

Thanks for reading,

-JK

Krissy Hussey

Personal Strength Training by Thomas King

I originally joined JKC because I was anxious about passing out and embarrassing myself since I hadn’t weight trained in a while and I’d hoped to find somewhere sympathetic. My husband @terry_hussey had been training at JKC and his success there made me miss the achievement you feel from a good workout. I went to meet Jon and immediately knew it was going to be a safe space for me. I was never judged for the fears I had and where I was starting from. Jon and Thomas made sure to check on me often, and found a way to challenge me but make me feel secure at the same time, and Terry and I were able to book sessions together, so working out became a shared win for us!

JKC is different from other gyms because of the personal growth you have outside JKC (the sessions inside JKC creates a great positive feedback loop!). You gain self confidence, learn how to show up for yourself, meet a community of newfound friends, and get the support of your trainers who are behind you 100%. I’ve left a scattered workout so proud of myself I’ve honestly shed a tear in the car on the drive home. JKC is the mental health relief valve I need to stay positive, and keep my anxiety and health related fears at bay.

Dave Sullivan

I’ve always struggled with both my weight and anxiety throughout my life. As a writer you live a pretty sedentary lifestyle filled with both realistic and unrealistic deadlines, so I needed something to get me off my butt and to get me moving. JK has been a godsend during this past year and a half in particular. The pandemic has been tough, but workouts with both Thomas and Jon have really helped reduce the stress and strain of a global pandemic, and added an anchor of normalcy back into my life — which has been worth its weight in gold.

JKC has created an incredibly inclusive environment that’s filled with all kinds of supportive folks from all kinds of different backgrounds. For folks like myself, being surrounded by people with such athletic ability can be intimidating in most gyms. It can actually be a deterrent, and it sometimes has been for me. But, at JKC it’s far from that — it’s inspirational. Everyone supports one another. Which is something that’s not easily found in this day and age, inside of a gym or out. Not to sound like a total cheeseball here, but it really feels like a family.

Tara Stuckless

I heard really good things about it from my sister, and I could see the positive results she was getting. I needed to do something. I was overweight, depressed, and recovering from a back injury. I had reached a point where simply getting up out of a chair was becoming difficult. I knew that if I didn’t do something about it my senior years would be very burdensome to the people close to me. I’m so glad I did! After just a few weeks my day-to-day pain was drastically reduced, and my mobility increased. I had the confidence to try sea kayaking, and I now play ice hockey twice a week!

The key difference is the expertise. The trainers know the gym equipment and the exercises, but they also have degrees in kinesiology, and can apply what they know to your workout. As someone who was in poor physical condition starting out, I was worried about hurting myself. Previously I tried an outdoor weekly bootcamp and injured my knee by pushing too hard. The trainers at JKC constructed a program that started at the right level for me, evolving it as I grew stronger and more fit. I feel well looked after.

Chris Spurvey

Nutritional Coaching by Julia Howard

I heard somewhere that achieving your health goals is determined largely by what you do in the kitchen. I am grateful to have found Julia who brought direction and accountability to this most important piece for me. Having Julia in my corner has brought me confidence and certainty that I am on my way to achieving my goals. I highly recommend her if you are serious about making a change and feeling better about your health.

Nizar Ladha

I am the oldest client at JKC at 79 years, soon to be 80. I started training at JKC July 2021. I started at JKC because two of my three sons Justin and Michael and their partners Andrea and Keir and one of my doctors recommended JKC. They all train at JKC Now my wife Linda trains at JKC too. My third son Jonathan lives in Kingston. There is a congenial community atmosphere at JKC. People are introduced to each other. There is effective personal training at JKC.

See All Reviews Write a Review