A few people have asked me how Foundation Strength came to be.  Here is the very short version.

The first actual brick and mortar facility was my one car garage in Mira Mesa that I started two and a half years ago.  At first I just wanted a garage gym for wife and myself, but quickly I figured out it was adequate enough to train people.  It was 9′x16′ and consisted of one squat rack, a set of dumbbells and a pile of kettlebells.  We had a beat up Ikea couch we pulled out into the driveway for “waiting customers” and often had to overflow into the driveway and sidewalk.  The neighbors would often come over and just watch.  We were a hit with the neighborhood kids. 

In November of 2008, we moved to Carlsbad and Foundation Strength got an upgrade.  The garage was 21′x25′ and sat at the end of a cul de sac.  There was also a 15mx40m grass patch right there for running and such.  Again, we were a huge hit with the neighbors.  Many came and just watched training.  I had two sets of rings and a climbing rope, so I became the coolest place in the neighborhood for kids under 12.  It was a blast. 

This is where I met Andy.  He (over time) convinced me to go into his facility.  It was a perfect match.  A chirporactor, physical therapist, acupuncturist and massage therapist all in one facility with me.  Way too perfect.  This was the first “real” business residence.  Foundation #1 was born on June 1st, 2009.  It has multiple rooms for strength training plus therapy rooms for chiro, acupuncture, and massage.

SoCal Athletics contacted me and asked if I would put a strength unit in their new 20,000 sqft volleyball facility in Vista.  I wasn’t really looking to open a second gym so soon, though.  The thing that sold me was they would let me put my pole vault pit there, which would make life really easy, so I went for it.  The opportunity to work with so many great volleyball athletes was also a big pull. So September 1st, 2009, Foundation Strength had two facilities (Foundation and SoCal).

So that is the short version.  Left out are all the people who started with me in Mira Mesa and are still showing up every week- in Carlsbad.   Also, the athletes who trusted what we were doing was great and are now in college on their respected teams.  It just goes to show you that it does not matter where you train-just that you are training hard and with the right focus.

 Youth and high school athletics are becoming more and more competitive. With more kids getting involved every year and with the possibility of college scholarships, the race to be the best is often grueling for the young athlete.

Parents are often very motivated to get as much help as possible to help their young athlete-superstars. Personal tennis coaches, pitching coaches, personal trainers are all working with younger and younger clients. What are the benefits to the extra help? Are you missing the boat if you don’t get the extra help? And most importantly, is it necessary?

The sports performance industry is a six-billion-dollar-a-year business. Nowadays it seems like everyone is doing it. The scope of a sports performance facility can go from a gigantic warehouse to a small studio in a strip mall. Size is not so important. The key components are the training and evaluation your child will get while training there. Not all “sports specific trainers” are created equal. There are trainers out there that claim to be “experts,” yet, do not regularly train athletes. Going in and talking with the trainer before you sign up for sessions is a must. Ask questions. Here are a few things to consider: Is the training age appropriate? Are my child’s weaknesses assessed and does the program actually address these weaknesses? Are overuse injuries from the sport addressed and is there a plan to prevent them? Are the imbalances created by the sport addressed?

The benefits:

Sports performance training has a long list of benefits. First, and most important, is injury prevention. This should always be the goal of a performance program. Developing speed and power comes in second to building a strong, stable base to work from. Longevity is also a benefit of a good program. If the extra work isn’t going to make the athlete last longer, then it is not warranted. Lastly, good fundamental training techniques are necessary to create better performance in the future. Knowing how to lift, sprint, and change direction properly before the season begins could prevent a knee injury down the road.

Is it necessary?

With the demanding schedules some kids have, it is easy to see how injuries are so prominent in youth sports. Consider the list of benefits above. When an athlete is properly evaluated and imbalances are identified, an appropriate program can be developed to correct imbalances and strengthen areas of weakness specific to the individual. In addition, the training program will address specific areas of need based on the sport or sports that the athlete participates in. Performance training helps to limit the number of injuries through preventative training while also increasing strength and power output for better athletic performance. The base developed from strength and conditioning supplies the athlete with a good foundation in power training, speed training, agility, and flexibility. In addition, the added technique work, stretching, and strengthening will make the athlete less prone to overuse and traumatic injures to the knees and/or shoulders.

“But…we already have a gym membership.”

I get this reasoning more than any other from parents.  “Johny goes to the gym already and works out.  He doesn’t need a personal trainer.”  My answer is usually something like, “…and curls and bench press done randomly are going to make your football son a better player?”  Has anyone else watched high school kids lift on their own?  It is chaotic at best.  Almost none of them do lower body properly (or at all) and the girls only do crunches.  Ugh!

Price is often another concern.  Sports performance training is not your big commercial gym set-up. That is why it does not cost the same. The biggest excuse from parents is that their child has a [insert big gym name here] membership already and they can just go and workout there. Performance training is very directed and focused on your child’s individual needs and goals. Commercial gyms essentially are a room of equipment- not a training plan. There is a lot more thought and effort that goes into training athletes.

To recap, the amount of physical stress put on young athletes today is high. Sports performance training can help to prevent injuries while also improving athletic performance. There are a lot of people who claim to be sports performance experts. Be sure to ask questions and find out if it is a “canned” program that is not at all specific to your child, or if it is actually designed to test and develop your child based on his/her individual needs and goals. Lastly, commitment to the program is key to success. There are no magic pills and no overnight fixes. Keep that in mind as you consider the cost and time commitment of the program.

Begining in early November, Foundation Strength will be running a bootcamp-style class at SoCal Athletics.

The class will be two days a week and be an hour long.  The focus will be on general fitness and overall conditioning.  This would make a perfect class for parents or kids alike.  The class uses minimal equipment and can be scaled to fit anyones fitness level.

Cost for the class will be $10 a class. 

Contact Mike@foundationstrength.com to get final class times.