The Peak Athlete

Inspiring Sports Story – 4 Yr Old Meets LA Laker Star

2011-09-15T16:36:36Z

“Ezra Frech, Showing Life Lessons On Having A Positive Attitude”

I only have 3 words for you… Watch the video.

Speed and Quickness Webinar

2011-08-23T14:36:46Z

Speed And Quickness Training With Q & A

I found some great quotes from recent ESPN interviews and other comments coaches/players have made over the years about speed and quickness. Enjoy the webinar!

If you would like to take advantage of Alex’s Discount simply go here >>> Truth About Quickness

Quotes and Comments About Speed and Quickness

“Quickness under control is the most valuable physical aspect of any sport, … I wanted more strengthening of the long, supple muscles. I wasn’t just looking for strength.” ~ John Wooden, Basketball Legend

“We know those guys aren’t going to struggle forever. The biggest thing with them is they are so quick. We need the quickness to stay with those guys.” ~ Coach Avery Johnson NBA

“A lot of these young guys are going to be expected to work on things that will make them better next year. (Horton) is a strong kid, but he needs to work on his flexibility, on developing his quickness.” ~ Coach Jacques Martin NHL

“It’s all about my quickness. I get shots others don’t because I’m quick. Not fast—quick.” ~ Derrick Rose, NBA

“They’ve probably set the (school) record for double plays. These guys both have quickness and really work hard … they make the extra catch. The routine plays are there, but they also get the little something extra out because of their quickness.” ~ Coach Mike Pirtle, Baseball

“Speed is a great asset; but it’s greater when it’s combined with quickness – and there’s a big difference.” ~ Ty Cobb, Hall of Fame Baseball Player

“CJ is really smart, and he always puts himself in the right position. And he is quick and we were able to utilize that quickness tonight when we moved him to the other side.” ~ Coach John Lowery

“He’s a terrific athlete who makes up for a lot of things with his quickness. He was probably the best athlete in the State Tournament.” ~ Ray Rodriguez

“I think it’s been hard for any team to match up with us in the post as far as speed and quickness and all that kind of stuff.” ~ Chris Richard

“I think he has Division I potential. I really do. And I’ve only seen him for a few days. I know he has good quickness, but I’m not sure about his overall speed. We’ll find that out in the next week or so.” ~ John Benedetto

“She’s a really good player. Watching her from the stands and watching her on game films, her quickness is deceptive when you get down on the court. I had a couple of players that I thought would hang with her, but they weren’t able to.” ~ Mike Buckholz

“Actually, I was looking forward to playing against a team that played like us. They had more quickness than I anticipated. They got to every loose ball.” ~ Paul Rozak

“It’s definitely to our advantage. Our team is fast, and having more space gives us advantage with our quickness and speed.” ~ Gabe Taboada

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If you would like to take advantage of Alex’s Discount simply go here >>> Truth About Quickness

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(If you click the link during the webinar. This page will remain open so it won’t disrupt the presentation.)

Failure vs Success

2011-08-05T15:08:04Z

When I was growing up I was like a roller-coaster. When I had success I was happier than a pig in S#%t. When failure came knocking I was depressed like a little boy that lost his puppy.

I wasn’t the model of stability.

When I reached my twenties a mentor of mine shared this fable with me and it’s reminded me that things are neither bad or good, they just are what they are.

The Farmer and His Horse

A farmer had only one horse. One day, his horse ran away.

All the neighbors came by saying, “I’m so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said, “We’ll see.”

A few days later, his horse came back with twenty wild horses. The man and his son corraled all 21 horses.

All the neighbors came by saying, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!” The man just said, “We’ll see.”

One of the wild horses kicked the man’s only son, breaking both his legs.

All the neighbors came by saying, “I’m so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said, “We’ll see.”

The country went to war, and every able-bodied young man was drafted to fight. The war was terrible and killed every young man, but the farmer’s son was spared, since his broken legs prevented him from being drafted.

All the neighbors came by saying, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!” The man just said, “We’ll see.”

If you lose a game… so what. If you win a game… so what. If you get hurt… so what. If Megan Fox gives you a kiss… so… Nah! That’s pretty flippin’ cool!

Would love to know your thoughts…Or if you have a favorite fable/story share it below.

Yoga for athletes

2011-07-29T19:52:57Z

Yoga For Athletes: Prevent Injuries,
Rebound from Injuries Faster &
Reap the Benefits of More Power.

Click the image to get your discount.

Some of the key physical and mental benefits of Yuri Elkaim’s Yoga for Athletes:

CORE STRENGTH – This program will improve core strength, which is essential to sports performance and injury preventions. A variety of yoga poses such as plank, chaturanga, and chair pose increase strength overall, including core strength. It adds a new form of resistance training to one’s typical machine-based workouts.

FLEXIBILITY OF RANGE AND MOTION – Engaging in this yoga praogram will make your spine more flexible and muscles more elastic. Yuri’s Yoga for Athletes routine offers you a steady increase in flexibility and range in motion that is perfect for you if you want to drastically decrease any risk to injuries. It lengthens your entire body and releases joints, thus adding to the overall improvement of one’s game. (I actually added close to 1 inch to my height when I started practicing yoga, because my spine was no longer compressed and my posture was improved. A very good thing! )

BALANCE – Balance exercises are often overlooked by athletes, but it’s actually one of the most effective ways to correct muscle imbalances and mechanical problems in the body. Athletes often tend to perform repetitive motion exercises that focus on a group of muscles while the others are ignored. Yuri’s Yoga for Athletes helps to fix these imbalances. Remember: If your car has one tire flatter than the others, the car won’t perform properly and eventually that tire will blow out. Ever had a hamstring tear or pulled ligament? 9 times out of 10 it’s because of a training imbalance.

RELIEVING CHRONIC PAIN – The regular training your doing is often accompanied by chronic aches and pain. Practicing Yuri’s yoga helps the muscles to release chronic pain and allows players with mobility and agility to play more effectively.

FOCUS -The key to unleashing your performance is mental focus (I should know… it’s kinda my specialty!). Your ability to focus and concentrate will ultimately determine your success in competition. Yuri’s Yoga for Athletes offers you a complete system to improve focus while getting an exceptional workout for your body—realigning muscles and joints, increasing elasticity so you can generate more power and loosening joints so you can withstand the rigors of your sport.

If you’d like to stay healthy and avoid being sidelined from injury so you don’t lose your spot on the team or miss out on an opportunity to show up for a training camp or tryout injured. Get this program now!

3 Reasons To Get It Now:

Major Health Benefits! Reduced injuries, Improved confidence & Stronger more Dynamic muscles giving you increased power…
It’s a great deal that Expires Sunday!
You can watch it and download it to your computer/iPod in less than 5 minutes!

Click To Grab Your Discount

3 Ways To Conquer Fear

2011-07-28T17:07:42Z

“You’re never playing an opponent, you’re only really playing against yourself.”~Arthur Ashe

After 9+ years of working with athletes from all over the world on the ‘inner game’, I can tell you that quote is as true as true can be.

Before we go any further I’m going to make a few assumptions:

You have a love for the sport you play,
You feel like you have more potential than your results show,
You battle with worrying about things you can’t control and no matter how hard you practice you can’t seem to shake the negativity.

Well, I’m going to show you a few things today.

First, where doubt and fear come from. This is important because you’ll have a new way of looking at it, so it’s not the big scary beast that stops you from reaching new heights. Second, the mistakes you’re making that cause fear. And, third, some tips you can start using today, so you’ll begin to become the player you’re meant to be.

So let’s get started.

What is Fear?

Fear is actually an emotion that was originally meant to protect us. You see, thousands of years ago it was just us wandering the fields, plains and mountains of the wild, wide-open world. It was us against nature. Man vs. beast.

Fear is also known as “fight or flight”. It’s that automatic response that stops us from doing physical harm to ourselves or helps us fight back when we’re being attacked.

Fear is in the ‘reptilian’ part of our brain. This is the oldest part of our brain and the part that was originally developed tens of thousands of years ago.

Additionally, when you are experiencing fear, or fight or flight mode, all your blood is redirected to the parts that are needed for fight or flight‚ your heart, lungs, muscles, and reptilian brain. The rest of your brain is left with only enough blood to keep it on idle, which means that you have no cabability for rational or creative thought. It’s all

black or white,
yes or no,
fight or flight
good or evil.

In this state you don’t have the ability to think of alternative solutions to the situation. Only your two choices run or fight.

The problem. We don’t really need it as much as we used to. When was the last time you needed to outrun a sabre-toothed tiger or herd of rumbling mammoths? It’s probably been a while!

But, back in the day, these were things our ancestors were faced with daily. So we needed that ‘fear’ or primitive brain to keep us alive.

Today though‚ you and I enjoy air-conditioned vehicles, stores with everything we’d ever need to survive and recreational activities to enjoy and add pleasure to life.

So, because the reptilian brain isn’t being worked over like it used to‚Ä¶ it tries to find other ways to be useful, which ends up causing us to fear things we have no need to fear.

Think about it. Should you REALLY fear taking the last second shot in a tight basketball game!? Of course not! It’s not life or death. But that tricky little reptile part of our brain tries to kick in. And, than we justify that feeling of fear by telling ourselves that there must be something wrong with us, so I better not take the shot.

3 Big Mistakes Athletes Make That Cause Fear

Focusing on negative repercussions.
- This builds the fortress of fear and prevents the creative part of our mind from coming up with solutions. It also causes negative emotions to bubble up which paralyzes our ability to perform… NOT GOOD!
Talking to people that don’t believe in your goals or are negative.
- Sharing our hopes and dreams with people that aren’t supportive is a fantastic way to crush any positive momentum we’ve built up towards the achievement of our goals. So be very careful who you hang around with.
Not doing things daily or weekly that continuously push your comfort zone.
- A person that sits around dreaming and wishing for success without ever taking bold daily action to improving themselves, will be left in the dust by people with less talent but the will to improve.

Any of these three things will cause fear and doubt to build up in the mind of anyone… so avoid them at all cost! (Luckily I have a few tips for you, that you can do today to help build your confidence.)

The Secret Key…

The real key to overcoming self-doubt, fear and procrastination is something most people don’t think of—understand ‘meaning’.

What do I mean by ‘meaning’? Meaning is the definition you give to an event, thing or person. Example: If the LA Lakers win. What does that mean to you? Do you love it, hate it or are you completely indifferent and don’t really care?

‘Meaning’, is everything in the brain. The brain is constantly asking and answering questions. And most of those questions go something like this - “What does this mean to me?”

You show up for the first day of training camp and your brain immediately starts scanning your surroundings, including the coaches and players, sizing everyone up.

It’s at this moment your brain is asking, ‘what does this mean’, and depending on how you define everyone and everything around you, it could either be a negative or positive experience.

For example, if I were to step out into that environment and immediately start classifying other players as better than me or judging coaches as unfriendly. I’d set off a cascade of fear response in my body which would hinder my ability to focus, relax and ultimately perform. All because I attached ‘meaning’ to the people and environment I was in… not because I was actually a good enough player.

Most of the athletes I coach at the professional level, that are entering a combine or the league for the first time, I train them using a special ‘Performance Protocol’ to ensure they’re best performance comes pouring out of them. [If you're interested in learning more, I go over it in The Champions Challenge Program.]

They perform well because we change the meaning of the experience. It’s allllll about thinking ahead… which I’ll get to in a minute.

Time To Get Excited…

Anytime I’m confronted with something that is going to be putting me in a position of possibly making a mistake, failing or trying something new. I get excited.

And here’s why.

My entire life is centered around 3 things:

Learning,
Growing, and
New Experiences.

And, because I know that the only way I can learn, grow and enjoy new experiences is by trying things that I could fail at, I start to get excited about them.

Let me give you an example.

A few years ago I was approached by the Indonesian Government about coming over to Jakarta to do a workshop on leadership and communication. I’d never been to Indonesia and I love to travel, so I jumped at the opportunity.

The problem. The people that would be attending barely new any English. So I’d have to spend 2 weeks speaking incredibly slowly, so I didn’t go too fast for their comprehension. I was starting to doubt whether I’d be able to deliver the content I needed to, so they would get value out of the workshop.

Because I was going to be speaking sooooo slowly, I wouldn’t be able to get through the amount of material I normally would. Plus I found out, the Indonesians like to take a lot of breaks during workshops. So now I would have even less time.

But I decided that this would be a great chance to strip out all the information that wasn’t going to be the highest impact and only deliver the best of the best.

Result: The government was so thrilled with what I did, they awarded me the Rama Award for Exceptional Leadership and Vision. I received an amazing sculpture from the country, which reminds me every day what can be achieved when you maintain a positive attitude.

3 Things You Can Do Today To Build Confidence

Write down all of your successes.Grab a notebook, journal or sheets of paper (preferably a fresh new notebook or journal). Split your life up into 3 or 5 year intervals and write out everything you accomplished, achieved or learned how to do in those various 3 to 5 year segments of your life. And, DON’T over-simplify! Think about it‚Ä¶ in your first 3 years of life you learned how to walk, eat, run, talk and on and on. All of those things take exceptional discipline.Continue to do this for all the years of your life‚Ä¶ when you get done you should have a nice long list of things you’ve achieved, which should build your confidence and prove to you that when you set your mind to something you can do anything.The CEO of Levi’s, the huge jeans brand, has a journal on his desk with all of his achievements in it. And, when he’s faced with a daunting challenge or tough decision, he takes out his journal, sits back and reads it. After he’s done, he feels like he can do anything and moves on with his decision.
Visualize Your Success. The mind will always move in the direction of it’s most dominant thought. So, if you’re always visualizing youself being successful at a particular skill or endeavour – the mind is forced to help create that reality for you.So every night before you go to bed, visualize yourself running down the court with 5 seconds remaining, dodging defenders, stopping at the 3-point line and draining a ‘nothin but net’ basket. Than bask in the amazing feeling that event would give you. The more you do this. The more your mind will get the idea that’s the way life is supposed to be.Than if you’re ever in that situation, it will feel completely natural for you to do it. All great players are phenomenal at visualization. So start now, and make it a habit.
Collect Cheerleaders.I don’t actually mean real Cheerleaders. I mean start to hang around with people that are supportive and want you to succeed. And, the great thing about the web is it’s easier than ever to find coaches, mentors and positive people to learn from.If you had 5 people you surrounded yourself with that were always telling you, ‘you could do it’, or keep working hard because I’m seeing some real improvements- do you think that would help to strip away some of the doubt or fear that creeps into your head? Absolutely!And, the great thing is‚ you’ve already found one with myself!

Just to recap:

We learned fear comes from a very old primitive part of our brain that we don’t really have much use for today.

If you change the meaning of how you interpret the events or things around you, you can change the feeling you have about it.

And, we learned there are things you can do today to help make positive changes in your game and life.

Be Bold. Take Action.

Todd Herman

Todd Herman is a Peak Performance Coach to Professional and Olympic athletes. He’s also worked with Hollywood actors and business professionals on the inner game of success. But more importantly he loves Root Beer and probably needs counseling!

Korea’s Got Serious Talent

2011-07-25T16:13:39Z

One of the best things about amateur sport is the passion an athlete has for the game. The passion to play, the passion to improve and the passion to reach for greater heights. That passion can get lost with all the distractions that turning pro can create. The money, the media or managing the people that just want to hang around with you.

While this video isn’t about sport… it’s still about performing because of a passion for something. The entertainment world and sports world have a lot in common. Enjoy! I hope it inspires you just as much as it inspires me to continue to improve and become better.

This guy rocks!

The Story of the Turtle and the Frog

2011-06-21T15:54:14Z

"You're thinking too small..."

When I was in my early twenties I had a great mentor that would always drop great little nuggets of wisdom on me. Each time he’d open up my awareness to new possibilities and shift my focus onto something bigger and better.

At the time I was depressed because I had blown up my knee and wasn’t going to be able to play the game I loved, Football, anymore.

One day, when I’m sure he was getting tired of my attitude, he said to me:

On a hot summer’s day a wise old turtle was out for a morning stroll. As he was meandering through a meadow, he came upon a frog who lived in a well.

As he looks down into the well the frog boasts to the turtle, “I am the master of this well! I command everything here from corner to corner. Aren’t you impressed!?”

The turtle then tells the frog about the ocean and blows the frog’s little mind.

I still chuckle when I remember the day he told me the little fable. I realized I had spending so much of my time focusing my attention on a very little thing, and was missing out on the bigger picture.

I think we all do it…We get so caught up in thinking about our own problems, challenges or mistakes, that we ignore the possibilities all around us. Just like the frog thought he had something special because he never ventured out beyond his little well. Until the turtle came along and opened up his mind to greater possibilities.

How’d he do it?

Information.

I know it doesn’t sound sexy or mind-blowing. But the reality is, that just one new piece of information can completely alter a person’s perspective of who they are and what they’re capable of.

When my mentor would tell me these stories or share his wisdom with me, the trajectory of my life would always change for the better.

So, if you’re caught in a bit of a funk right now, or injured and can’t practice… or you’re having a bad hair day. Watch for the turtle in your life… because there’s always some little sign reminding you of bigger possibilities.

Get out of your well to explore, learn and grow.

P.S. If you’d really like to blow open your awareness of what’s possible, than join the thousands of other athletes here –> http://thechampionschallenge.com

Todd Herman helps athletes get out of their own way, so they can unleash their hard-earned skills and win. He’s worked with athletes in 59 different sports and 46 countries and is the creator of The Champions Challenge.

Silencing Your Inner Critic

2011-06-21T15:45:06Z

If you’ve ever stepped onto the field of competition and been distracted by your own thoughts. You’re not alone. Thousands of amateur athletes and pro athletes battle the same thing daily.

That nasty little inner critic in your head that causes you to worry about what other people think of you, stress about making mistakes or feel anxious about impressing other people can spiral out of control and cause you to just plain suck.

(And, Yes. Sucking is a technical sports term )

The confidence-sucking little critic in your head that can seemingly never stop putting you down, is actually there to protect you. Protect you by keeping you in a safe comfort zone where you won’t get hurt. The problem is, people that strive to achieve great things need to constantly be growing and expanding into new and better versions of themselves. And staying in a comfort zone, won’t help!

Keep reading to learn more about Sasha Fierce...

Now, this is where Beyonce can help you…

I have no idea whether or not you’re a fan of her, and frankly it doesn’t matter. What can’t be ignored is her success despite being a painfully shy person in a world where shyness won’t get you anywhere. Yikes! She also has trouble with stage fright. Double Yikes! Now, having a fear of performing in front of others when you’re an entertainer is NOT helpful.

You might say, “Are you kidding me! I’ve seen videos of Beyonce and she doesn’t look shy at all on stage in her skimpy outfits and provocative dancing!”

And, that’s where you’re wrong. You see, that person on stage isn’t Beyonce at all, it’s her alter ego—Sasha Fierce. Here’s how Beyonce describes it:

“I have someone else that takes over when it’s time for me to work and when I’m on stage, this alter ego that I’ve created that kind of protects me and who I really am. Sasha Fierce is the fun, more sensual, more aggressive, more outspoken side and more glamorous side that comes out when I’m working and when I’m on the stage.”

Of course, the singer created her alter ego Sasha Fierce in an effort to separate her own shy personality from her stage persona and give herself the courage to be free and sexy while performing. Now, I’m pretty sure you don’t feel the need to be sexy while performing your sport. But, I’ll bet you’d love to have the feeling of being free and (insert any other descriptor) while you’re performing.

On Day 36 of The Champions Challenge I go into great detail about how to do this, and examples of great athletes I’ve met, spoken to or read about that have used alter ego’s to feel free to perform in competition.

Beyonce, has now gotten to the point where she no longer has stage fright or a fear of performing, so she doesn’t need ‘Sasha Fierce’ anymore. But, if it wasn’t for that alter-ego she probably never would’ve achieved the level of success with the shy Beyonce Knowles, that’s her authentic personality.

Creating an alter ego for performance is probably the least talked about or known strategy that many of the greatest athletes have used. It’s helped them rise to the level of success, they’ve enjoyed. So if you battle with not performing your best, because of an inner critic keeping you down. You might want to develop an alter ego for yourself, so you’re free to explore your limits in competition!

Todd Herman helps athletes get out of their own way, so they can unleash their hard-earned skills and win.

Kevin Spacey’s Advice on Success

2011-04-13T19:00:21Z

I have to admit I’m a huge fan of Kevin Spacey. An excellent actor and I met him on the streets of New York a couple years back. Nice guy. (People have even told me I look like a younger version of him, but I don’t see it…)

A few months back, one of the athletes participating in The Champions Challenge sent me this video after watching one of the lessons in the program. He said, “Todd I think you’ll like this video because Spacey says pretty much the exact same thing you did in today’s lesson. Thought you’d like it.”

Well… I did. And I’ve finally had the chance to share it.

My favorite quote from Mr. Spacey:

“There is no prize out there [pointing away from him], the only prize is this one and what you feel [pointing to himself].”

If you have any other videos you’ve found or inspiring stuff around the web. Let me know and share them in the comments below.

The Peak Athlete

Inspiring Sports Story – 4 Yr Old Meets LA Laker Star

“Ezra Frech, Showing Life Lessons On Having A Positive Attitude”

Top 5 Motivational Sports Videos

Number 1:

Number 2:

Number 3:

Number 4:

Number 5:

Speed and Quickness Webinar

Speed And Quickness Training With Q & A

I found some great quotes from recent ESPN interviews and other comments coaches/players have made over the years about speed and quickness. Enjoy the webinar!

If you would like to take advantage of Alex’s Discount simply go here >>> Truth About Quickness

Quotes and Comments About Speed and Quickness

======================================

If you would like to take advantage of Alex’s Discount simply go here >>> Truth About Quickness

======================================

(If you click the link during the webinar. This page will remain open so it won’t disrupt the presentation.)

Failure vs Success

The Farmer and His Horse

Yoga for athletes

Yoga For Athletes: Prevent Injuries,
Rebound from Injuries Faster &
Reap the Benefits of More Power.

3 Ways To Conquer Fear

What is Fear?

3 Big Mistakes Athletes Make That Cause Fear

The Secret Key…

Time To Get Excited…

3 Things You Can Do Today To Build Confidence

Korea’s Got Serious Talent

The Story of the Turtle and the Frog

Silencing Your Inner Critic

Keep reading to learn more about Sasha Fierce...

Now, this is where Beyonce can help you…

Kevin Spacey’s Advice on Success

The Peak Athlete

Inspiring Sports Story – 4 Yr Old Meets LA Laker Star

“Ezra Frech, Showing Life Lessons On Having A Positive Attitude”

Top 5 Motivational Sports Videos

Number 1:

Number 2:

Number 3:

Number 4:

Number 5:

Speed and Quickness Webinar

Speed And Quickness Training With Q & A

I found some great quotes from recent ESPN interviews and other comments coaches/players have made over the years about speed and quickness. Enjoy the webinar!

If you would like to take advantage of Alex’s Discount simply go here >>> Truth About Quickness

Quotes and Comments About Speed and Quickness

======================================

If you would like to take advantage of Alex’s Discount simply go here >>> Truth About Quickness

======================================

(If you click the link during the webinar. This page will remain open so it won’t disrupt the presentation.)

Failure vs Success

The Farmer and His Horse

Yoga for athletes

Yoga For Athletes: Prevent Injuries, Rebound from Injuries Faster & Reap the Benefits of More Power.

3 Ways To Conquer Fear

What is Fear?

3 Big Mistakes Athletes Make That Cause Fear

The Secret Key…

Time To Get Excited…

3 Things You Can Do Today To Build Confidence

Korea’s Got Serious Talent

The Story of the Turtle and the Frog

Silencing Your Inner Critic

Keep reading to learn more about Sasha Fierce...

Now, this is where Beyonce can help you…

Kevin Spacey’s Advice on Success

Yoga For Athletes: Prevent Injuries,
Rebound from Injuries Faster &
Reap the Benefits of More Power.