I am very excited to
say that today’s interviewee is none other than former National Champion and '2-Time' Canadian National team representative in hammer throwing, Derek Woodske! I met
Derek for the first time in 2009 when I completed my Level 1 and 2 PICP qualifications;
I believe it was his first teaching post as well on Charles Poliquin’s
certification program. I then have had the pleasure of being taught by Derek many times since in my quest to learn and expand my knowledge as a Fitness Professional. When you initially meet Derek one of the first things you
have to get over is the size of this man, with hands the size of large joints of
meat! His knowledge and passion for his subject is obvious, and from the moment he
starts talking this is a man that definitely walks the talk. Many thanks to Derek for his time and honesty. Read and be
inspired!
Can you give us
a bit of background about you, where have you come from, what got you to where
you are today, your stats in your sport, what brought you into that sport and
how you transitioned into trainer/coach/teacher.
Ah, that is a good question! I
followed a nontraditional route into athletics due to the fact that I grew up
in a small logging town in the mountains of British Columbia. The town itself
only had about 200 people making it your stereotypical Canadian mountain
village. I grew up competing in downhill skiing and motocross, before
developing in other sports like volleyball and track and field. However, it was track and field that I
started to develop a natural aptitude for and even though we had only my Dad
and I trying to figure it out. We did well enough to earn a University
Scholarship in the United States, which lead to four national championships and
two Canadian National Teams. When
I finally retired from sport I went towards University Coaching initially
working with both Athletics and Strength and Conditioning before moving into
professional sports and eventually the Poliquin Strength Institute.
What’s the most important factor in your own development as
a professional?
I think the most difficult thing
that people in our industry struggle with is identity. There are some many
people doing so many things that people don’t know what directions to gravitate
towards. Now I am not saying people are looking to follow other people, but we
can only put so many irons in the fire. So by natural selection people start to
identify with certain trends or individuals, which are fine I know. I have done
that as well over the years. However, the one thing that I have learnt and I
understand having had to be responsible for not only the strength side but also
the one the field performance side. Are that gimmicks and one exercise wonders
don’t work. You are not curing a bad shoulder or a weak glute medius, stop
trying to sell it that way. We
make people stronger and leaner… and if you are a coach you make them bigger,
stronger and faster and if what you are using doesn’t do any of the above? Then
it doesn’t fit in your toolbox. We
are human mechanics not doctors, and unless you’re a physio truthfully your
role should not begin until theirs finishes.
Who is your clientele?
Technically speaking it is the
great student body that attends Poliquin courses around the world. However,
privately this past season I programmed for a wide variety of athletes and
clients from crossfit to the Mr.Olympia stage.
What is your method? How do assess your client’s needs?
I am a schooled therapist and it
would be assumed that I use this method for the majority of my assessments but
I really don’t. I studied human interactions and communications for years in
University and I believe that the client or athlete will tell you everything
you need to know through a good trust established conversation. Once they have
painted an outline for you as a coach you can use your practical knowledge and
testing methods to assess them.
Where do you go from there?
Depending on their training age
and experience I will begin writing their programs for them with a 12week goal
in mind. Everything I do is based around a 12-week goal because I believe that
anything less then 12 weeks is really not a training program.
Do you deal with all aspects of your clients? Nutrition,
Training, Psychological, therapy, or do you refer?
No, not anymore 90% of what I do
now is satellite program design. However, being a therapist allows be some
advantages when training clients one on one. It allows be to make
minute-by-minute adjustments in them to ensure maximal efficiency during a
session.
What do you say to clients/athletes who aren’t
making progress as quickly as they would expect?
If I know that they are truly
working hard and they are following the nutritional protocols that they have
agreed to, then we have no choice but to look at something’s from a medical
standpoint. I am not a guy that
sends every person for monitory blood work when they walk through my door. I am
not a Doctor and I have no desire to make it seem like I am when a client just
wants to work out. We start with
the external world first and unless they come in as a health risk from medical
referral, really the job I was hired for involves sweating.
How do you deal with clients who are not
motivated when they come to train?
Honesty? If they’re athletes
they just have to do it and I will stand over them on every rep until they
understand that what we are training to achieve is helping them become a star. If it is a general client and they are
there for reason that are not clear. I will help them psychologically see those
reasons… if they simply don’t give a shit then I let them go and move on to
those that want to be apart of something.
Who are the top 5 experts in fitness and
strength in the world?
In my opinion that is not an
easy question, for example if you wanted to prepare an athlete for American
Football I would tell you to talk to Buddy Morris, If you wanted to become more
mobile I would say Ido Portal but I wouldn’t recommend either of them for the
other person’s area of expertise. People think that there are clear leaders in our
industry…there just simply isn’t. I can travel to Europe and meet coaches that
are amazing or I can stay in the USA and find the same success. People that say
so and so is the best strength coach because of A, B and C reasons are speaking
from their experience. All I care
about is weather or not I can use what they taught me to ensure continued
success in my athletes.
What are your top 5 nutrition tips for
bodybuilding?
Eat More, Eat Cleaner, Eat More
Frequently, Drink More Water and Increase Fiber
Top 5 tips for ensuring results?
Consistency and patience.
Your favorite training program you have done
in the last year… what did the lower body session look like? (Unless it was a
total body session in which case… share that!)
Favorite Session? My EDT for
squats, you can find it currently on www.t-mag.com
What are your training goals at the moment?
Decrease overall size (I know
blasphemy!) and improve anaerobic capacity.
What’s your back squat 1 RM at the moment?
I have not squatted heavy in 5
months or what I would consider over 75% but last week during a strength
seminar I squatted 500lbs for four reps.
You have travelled the globe teaching for CP, what’s the
best equipped gym (other than Rhode Island) that you have trained in.
Private gyms it is a tie between
Workout RD in Santo Domingo and UP Fitness Mayfair London. Public gyms, in my
opinion the best gym I have been in during the 12 months was Armbrust Pro Gym
Wheatridge Colorado. I have not been in a better gym in the world, true story.
One of the elements of our industry that we believe to be
underdeveloped is proper youth training, have you trained younger members of
the public (6-16 yrs old), do you have views on how this training should be
integrated into a sport, should one of them want to follow that sport to
professional level?
The biggest mistake that we see
if the focus on a sport or a training system that is too specific too soon in
development. The key to long-term development is bilateral transfer. I explain
to people all the time that until you reach a certain age the more sports that
you participate in the better, including no competitive activities. The more
the better…period.
What is wrong with the big conglomerate gyms of today?
Depends on the gym…. But basically no
accountability, if you go in on Monday or not no one is going to notice and no
one is going to care. The reason that crossfit is so successful is due to the
fact that they create relationship amongst the members. You don’t have to affiliate with anyone
but if you want compliance and training loyalty you have to make sure that your
clients or athlete don’t go unnoticed.
What’s next for you and your development?
Keep improving keep growing, it all we can
really do.
