Coach's Corner
Tips from Leo Totten

THE WHOLE PACKAGE!!
02.1999

It took me many years to figure this out, but lifting success is much more than just lifting! Yeah, yeah, I know what you're saying, if you don't lift you don't get strong! Well, that's right, but only to a point. If you are really serious about reaching your absolute max, then it takes much more. It's like anything else, you get out of it what you put into it.

That means that you need to consider ALL aspects of your life when making your plans for "stardom". You MUST get your entire act together to reach your potential. That includes getting enough rest (I recommend 7-8 hours of sleep per night with a 20-30 minute power nap thrown in for good measure), eating right (that means regular food as well as nutritional supplementation) and controlling the stresses in your life. Anything that is counterproductive to your success needs to be dealt with. You may not be able to get rid of what stresses you, but you have to deal with it so it doesn't negatively affect your performance. This takes work! If you have family stresses, boyfriend/girlfriend stresses, job stresses, financial stresses, etc., etc., you have to find some way of dealing with them in a positive way. I know it is not easy but it is crucial that you do this.

Most of you set goals for yourself for lifting certain weights by a certain time. Very few of you take the time to set goals for the "other" things that I just mentioned. Maybe you need to set a goal of working no more than 30 hours per week or of getting 7 hours of sleep per night. Whatever it takes to get the job done.

Finally, this means working on your weaknesses!!! No one likes to work on what they are inherently not good at. The true champions will be willing to do it while the others refuse. That is the difference between being good and being the best!!

Keep working to be your very best. East Coast Gold is there to help you reach your goals!