One isn’t better than the other – it’s based on needs and goals.
I’ve always loved the lifestyle of an athlete. I always pride myself on training harder than the next guy. In sports, I had to. I was always undersized. From high school to professionals, the “eye test” was always my biggest challenge.
At the age of 29, I developed my ideal physique and size. I worked so hard at gaining the mass and look that I never thought I would lose much of it. Sure, maybe 7-8lbs but that wouldn’t matter because I was ripped. At this point in my career, I realized pursuing football wasn’t going to provide the lifestyle and financial security needed in my thirties. One day I knew I wanted a family. I knew I wanted to build generational wealth for the children I didn’t have at the time.
Well, I was wrong about losing weight and my physique. After playing football, I transitioned into the NASCAR pit crew world. Even though it provided me the competitive environment and locker room camaraderie I desired, it did not demand the same physical investment. NASCAR pit crew was/is going through a culture shift – not only with its fan base but the pit crew personnel. No longer are mechanics working on cars and changing tires. Now, mechanics are the mechanics and the pit stops are handled solely by the pit crews. Now, pit stops are getting exponentially faster by the year – from 12-14 second stops in 2014 to 10-12 sec stops in 2017 (12 seconds at a Cup race won’t win you any races).
Now, pit crews need stronger, faster, discipline, coachable and more explosive “athletes.” These athletes are coming from different backgrounds – collegiate & professional football, baseball, wrestling, and etc. Millions of dollars, winning and losing is now based on tenths of seconds based on times that keep getting lower every year.
In NASCAR, preparation and training is based on mental fortitude, core stability, movement patterns (and prehabbing their imbalance), plus explosion all in 10-12 secs of action. This is significantly different from training to run up and down a basketball court, or explode off the ball to run directly into the strong guy in front of you over and over again (football).
Ultimately, I found my self in a sport that was still trying to understand what their pit crew comprehension looked like. Thus, what type of workout/training is needed to compete and sustain. Prior to becoming a coach for my team, I was in an environment that required us to “workout” not “train.”
We were focusing on being stronger or “in-shape” versus being more functional and explosive in set movement patterns that we repeat over and over again. Moral of the story, We have to ask ourselves,
“Are my weightlifting and workout goals for me to look good on the beach or perform?”
“Are these curls for the girls or functional movement patterns/lifts that will transfer over to my profession giving me a competitive edge?”
“Are these static lifts and training regime going make me more mobile and controlled or eventually get me injured?”
“Since my physical preparation determines my ability to feed my family, am I preparing and training in the way that will sustain my career, not allowing my body to burn out and break down?”
“Are my weightlifting and workout goals for me to look good on the beach or perform?”
“Are these curls for the girls or functional movement patterns/lifts that will transfer over to my profession giving me a competitive edge?”
“Are these static lifts and training regime going make me more mobile and controlled or eventually get me injured?”
“Since my physical preparation determines my ability to feed my family, am I preparing and training in the way that will sustain my career, not allowing my body to burn out and break down?”
“I really enjoyed working with Curtis! He always pushed me past my limitations and helped me reach my goals, some of those, that I didn’t know were even possible to reach! He always kept me honest and we always enjoyed working together. He’s changed the way I look at the human body and has helped me become a better athlete because of it.”
– Tyler Reddick, NASCAR Driver
3 time winner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Winner in NASCAR Xfinity Series
2017: One top-five finish & three top-ten finishes in 14 start season
“Curtis somehow always find a way to get you to dig deeper than you have before. His training is not only some of the most difficult physical training I have done, but his program teaches you to harness the mental edge you need to perform at a professional level.”
– Brennan Poole, NASCAR Driver
2016-2017: Qualified for playoffs both season; eight top-fives and 32 top-tens
“I used Curtis as my trainer to get me snatched for my wedding day and I must say, he succeeded and more. He made sure to provide me with workout routines that were fun and specific to my areas of focus. I loved every minute of our training sessions and I will highly recommend Curtis to anyone who is looking for a trainer that gets you results.”
– Ezzine Ubosi, Wedding Bride Client
Featured Bride in: Munaluchi Online, Print & Magazine; BellaNaija Online Magazine
Train Elite high school, collegiate, professional athletes, NASCAR drivers, & Pit crew & lead/host sports camps
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