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Good Energy Q&A

Below you will find answers to questions submitted by our website visitors. We encourage you to submit any question about training that you have. For your privacy, we will not publish your last name or email address. Not all questions will be published.

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Previously Answered Questions


What is the GE REVOLUTION 2010?

      

Great question!

It's no longer keeping our little shop a SECRET!

Good Energy Performance Training has been thriving the past 7+ years because it's WAY MORE than a workout!

It's a belief system. It's LIVING WITH GOOD ENERGY! Waking up with a positive Attitude and Going for "IT" in Life! Fitness is the back-bone because Personal Training is what we do.

But the BIGGER PICTURE is living with a Healthy-Mind-Body & Spirit!

In 2010 our STAFF and Fitness Shop has made the commitment to our clientele and ourselves that WE WILL "walk the walk" in 2010. We will not hide what we do for a living or keep it a secret. We ARE FITNESS EXPERTS and attack life and fitness in a PRO-ACTIVE way - - - and our TRAINING has Proven Results...

Why is "IN-SEASON" Training such a Unique Idea, but a Good Energy Priority!

      

When is your high school football player/son in his best physical shape? For testing in August or for the State Championship in December?

Easy answer: August Testing

But when should he be at his maximum physical condition? For the State Championship!

Now, I won't argue that a Pre-Season Strength & Conditioning Program can simulate being in football shape or soccer, swimming, wrestling or basketball for that matter. I strongly believe that in addition to specific sport training, a sound Strength & Conditioning Program is a must for ALL Athlete's IN SEASON.

Most of these sports include conditioning as part of practice, correct? Then why don't Athlete's put an hour or two per week in a Strength Facility or under the guidance of a knowledgeable coach?

In fact, I could argue that parent's spend more time in Emergency Rooms, Doctor's Offices and Physical Therapy Centers then high school athlete's perform strength training IN-Season.

There is a well known Parochial school in Ramsey, NJ that performs a structured IN-SEASON program during their gym time in the Fall and it is no secret that they win in December and are ranked nationally year after year.

Besides that institution, it is rare to hear about a structured STRENGTH program for any sport locally and I could argue that teams would WIN more and stay less injury prone if a STRENGTH PROGRAM was implemented IN-SEASON.

Coaches!!!
Take an hour away from X's and O's and get your team physically prepared to play and you will be surprised what a MENTAL benefit & BOOST it will give your team.

1 HOUR PER WEEK? Maybe 2? No EXCUSES....tests, SAT Prep, Extra Special Teams practice....get in the Strength Center!!

GO GOOD ENERGY!

Could you help my son with his defensive line stance? I heard that you are a football guy and that you could help us with this? Father of a high school junior

      

I would love to help and I'm flattered that I have been called a "football guy."

However, I actually call Good Energy a Fitness Shop because we pride our training on preparing any athlete or human interested in physically performing better and we set them up with a plan.

I can help your son but I have a few concerns and questions. I will not tell him how to do his technique without knowing what he is coached to do and what type of defense his team plays. In addition, I would not try to give advice without meeting your son and physically seeing how he gets in his stance and lines up.

With that information, I can help put your son in a better attack mode as a dlineman but it takes a lot of repetitions peforming the proper get-off and the mind for the game for understanding what he is asked to do and how he can improve his affectiveness.

I hope this helps you out and I look forward to meeting your son...Assignment, Alignment and Aggressiveness..the AAAs is always a good fall back plan.

GO GOOD ENERGY!

Why does my back hurt? Football just started and I think I strained something? Mike, Don Bosco Prep

      

Pictured is Mike,...on the same day he asked what to do for his back?

Can you believe we are making him perform woodchops in the heat with a 20LB Sledge?

Nothing Macho about it...it's functional training?

How?

Mike is returning to football following a reconstructive ACL surgery. He has soreness in his back because his body is still adjusting to the rigors of football practice following surgery. His muscles are still not where they need to be and do not have the strength or conditioning to remain strong during a 2+ hour Pre-Season Don Bosco practice.

What do I say after having played many years of football, gone thru an ACL injury and trained professionally for over 15 years? He's imbalanced! His quad strength may be a bit deficient, his hamstrings are tight and he needs to improve his flexibility. Therefore, he does not play with great knee & hip bend which puts a lot of strain on his lower back.

During this workout, we performed Arms, Back and Core. We focused on technique and athletic position and concluded the workout with an extensive total body static stretch.

Mike actually felt looser from performing these woodchops because he was using his ENTIRE BODY and not jolting his back like he does when he doesn't bend his knees in his stance or when he performs a dozen or so 110yd Striders at the conclusion of an Ironmen practice.

Thanks for Believing in GE, Mike.

Keep on - Keeping on!!

How is your Speed Program? Joe Griffith (Sport's Communications/former college baseball player)

      

As good as it gets! I was taken back that Joe asked me this question because I really hadn't thought about it.

People see me, and our boutique in Allendale and assume we mostly do weight training. Actually, in 2009 we call it "Strength training" because pushing weights was "out" in the 90's...

...but a valid question.

Our Speed Program is personal! We rented out a turf facility this Summer because we had so many serious athlete's prepared to make the 2 month commitment to run 2x per week in addition to their Strength program at GE.

We cater our running program to improve changing directions, sprinting with improved mechanics, running faster linearally and overall moving more efficiently on land!

Our Athlete's not only are improving their agility, quickness and speed, but we finish each workout with a conditioning component so our Athlete's will master their conditioning test prior to going back to competition in the Fall.

Joe - thanks for the question! GE SPEED is rolling and it was worth sharing to our website viewers.

What will you or can you do for my son? Father of a high school football player

      

I'm assuming you have heard about us through a mutual friend, or have already checked out this website.

This is our 5th year. We have proven our training systems with the positive results and performances from our Athlete's.

My question back to Mom and Dad is what does your son want to get out of Good Energy? Does he want to become more athletic? stronger? bigger? faster? more mentally tough? a more efficient athlete - i.e. move with better mechanics?

You tell me. We will write his "menu" based on what you tell us. Then once we put a program into place, and you pay for our services, we will give him 100% quality workouts with our personal training services every time he enters our facility.

Now, back at you Dad. Is your son going to take his GE Training like it's a hard workout? Is he going to get enough rest, maintain a nutritious diet and mentally focus to become better...and WORK HARD?

That's what we expect. We will give you Personal Performance Training for your son's goals with a LOT of coaching. Not only technique on lifting and training properly, but on getting a mental edge and a confidence boost to play at his best.

Does that sound like a plan?

Good Energy has to be a priority, not a luxury.

Pictured are Andrew Sayler & Jordan Mistretta. These two seniors for Ramsey H.S. played football and were throwers in track. They have been committed to training and Good Energy for four years and we know that they have benefited from their Hard Work with us over the past four years.

Andrew was the Captain and will very likely play college football and Jordan looks to utilize his throwing skills - Discus & Shot to propel him into a reputable college.

Our Program works and our Athlete's believe in Our Professional Staff.

"What the hell DID I do this Summer?"

      

This is a direct quote from a morning client in September. We don't think she was frequenting this Ice Cream Truck but she did...

..."take off" from Good Energy while she was playing with her four children this Summer. She promised us that she remained "highly active" though.

Spin Class at a Health Club
Power Bootcamp at a Health Club

...along with numerous distance runs and some core at home.

She IS so sore right now from her 1st workout back at Good Energy! And if you have read the rest of our site you know that we don't really do the "NO PAIN, NO GAIN" thing. We try to write appropriate workouts for our clients to achieve their fitness goals whether it is to perform better in a particular sport, or be more fit!

YEAH Good Energy! The bottom line is we do train with a certain intensity for our 1 hour workouts that can not be duplicated at another facility or on your own.

Although we were a little taken back that this particular client was "so sore" after a fairly basic "Total Body" workout, our staff is encouraged that our training is rather progressive and is not the "every day" bootcamp or class.

You HAVE to work your whole body to be fit!

Don't just work on one facet - your heart, your muscles and mind must ALL be in tip top shape!

GO GOOD ENERGY!

I don't want my son to get bigger....

      

Okay, so it's not a question...but a "response" we hear often from confused, nervous or apprehensive parents who may not be ready for the investment of making their son or daughter better for their sport.

Pictured is Bryeanne Ravettine in her 2nd Bergen Record Athlete of the Week just returned from Frame it Yourself in Ramsey and ready for our ATHLETE OF THE WEEK WALL!

Bryeanne starting training with us "during" her Junior swim season @ IHA en route to a State Championship. Bryeanne continued training 2x week with us during her Club(Cougar Aquatic-Montclair) season which included meets in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Junior Nationals in Minneapolis, Minnesota!

Bryeanne was not looking to "get bigger" or tighter or sore! She was looking to maintain her strength, muscular balance and skeletal alignment while training rigorously to place high in her "Sprinting" events in order to obtain scholarship offers and get more nationally exposed as an Elite Swimmer!

She did - NOW being courted by Penn State, Ohio State, Virginia, Louisville, Rutgers, Kentucky...to name a few.

The Bergen Record did a nice write-up on Bryeanne following her Olympic Trial time at Nationals which coincided with the Summer Olympics. In fact, they mentioned that Bryeanne was "not weight training" even though she trained two times that week.

My point,...don't believe EVERYTHING you read or hear and go SEE FOR YOURSELF. Bryeanne had seen our Athlete of the Month ads in the local Suburban News and thought it might be a good place for her to start training. We do not perform Olympic lifts with her or follow a regiment like she will be doing in College because we will wait to see who she signs with and then we WILL be on the same page with her Strength & Conditioning coach.

For now, we will continue to supplement her swimming with a Total Body strength, flexibility and core routine which has given her positive results in the pool and NO setbacks.

Thanks for believing in GE, Bryeanne. And to all you misinformend "naysayers" either GO For it, or stay average.

In-between my GE Sessions, is 20 Minutes on the Stepmill good?

      

If you have to ask,...then you probably didn't push yourself hard enough.

I don't mean to sound like a "tough guy" but it's true. If you got off the stepmill and weren't sure if it was enough,...then you probably could have worked harder or performed some more cardio.

I always say,...it's not "how long you do cardio" but the INTENSITY at which you perform it. If you are doing a recovery run or log some cardio, then you want to put more volume in but maybe lessen your intensity.

However, when you are trying to maximize your cardio output then you have to "shock your body" by either trying different methods of cardio - sprints, hill running, stairs or changing directions - or just plain BE MORE INTENSE with your training!

It's a tough situation because you get into a certain comfort zone and although you are performing a lot of cardio, you tend to train similarly all the time... that is why your body does not change easily and you are not receiving your desired results.

Step outside the box and trying something different,...and STOP worrying about how long you go and just GO FOR IT!

This past February a father of a GE Client asked us if we were preparing his son for baseball or football?

      

There are no "Bad" questions, but my answer to this question threw the Dad for a loop.

I answered, "We were working on his son's FOCUS." To which he responded in front of a crowd of parent's whom also had son's that trained with GE, "I pay a LOT of $$$ for you to be working on my son's FOCUS."

Here is my point. His son often times came to GE tired and not ready or prepared to Work Hard. If you are training at GE, you need to have goals and a purpose before you enter the facility.

Now to answer the Dad's question specifically, we are training him to be a stronger & more explosive athlete - his son plays middle infield and skilled positions in football. Therefore training for both sports can be paralleled. He needs to work on Total Body Strength, Change of Direction & Acceleration. However, at GE we want the athlete's mind to be consistent with his work ethic. Don't assume you are going to improve your performance in your sport by "having a trainer" or performing training 3 hours per week.

Challenge yourself physically but be disciplined and focused mentally to Be the Best!

Do you find that a lot of your younger athlete's begin your program in poor condition? My son plays soccer and much of his team lacks proper cardiovascular conditioning! Ken, Ramsey

      

Thanks for your question, Ken.

I'm not sure how old your son is, but we generally introduce our program to 7th or 8th graders dependent on the athlete's focus, fitness goals and commitment to performing better.

I think most young athlete's are not "fueled" properly which does not set them up for proper conditioning or cardio output. Many young athlete's want to be the best, but do not realize the importance of proper nutrition and rest to perform at an intense capacity. Timing of meals and proper sleep patterns and rest prior to a practice or game can influence a young athlete's performance dramatically.

We recommend ALL our clients prepare for our workouts as if it is a hard practice or game. Therefore, athlete's should eat one hour prior to their workout and drink a sport's drink or water with their light meal.

Another big problem with young athlete's is laying around too much prior to competition so their body is not prepared for intense exertion.

However, that being said...the heart needs to get worked just like the entire kinetic chain, so you can't avoid cardio particulary if your sport requires endurance - i.e. soccer, lacrosse or hockey.

We believe in proper strength training, but you can't avoid cardiovascular training to produce a well-rounded athlete. I put a picture of the Tug-of-War at a TEAM TRAINING workout this summer, because we really received GREAT results from our Tug-of-War competitions this summer and ALL the winner's were EVERY athlete who gave 100% because selling out in the TUG-OF-WAR creates cardiovascular improvement and muscular exertion to the maximum.

I hope this answers your question. Good luck with your son's TEAM and its conditioning issue. Another great way to get more out of the young athlete's in a cardio capacity is performing obstacle courses or TEAM relay races because the kid's will TRY HARDER if they are competing!!

Good Luck and Thanks for the question.

I saw your Athlete of the Month article in the Town Journal. Is your gym only for Athlete's? Curious Allendale Mom

      

Great Question!

Our facility is for anyone with a fitness goal!

Amy Roark is in the picture performing lower abs while 30 weeks pregnant!

Now Amy did receive our Athlete of the Month because of her diligence to get into shape following her third child,...but she is a Mom of soon-to-be four and just loves exercise and being fit!

We train ALL our client's in a Athletic form of exercise because even the business professional needs to move his/her body in multiple plains of movement and with different volume and intensity of training to increase their heart rate and make the entire body physically work.

Therefore, the sedentary worker gets invigorated and feels better before or after a days work, and the non-athlete feels more self-confident in gym class or in the hallway.

We KNOW our program not only makes ELITE Athletes PERFORM BETTER, but makes the apprehensive client more athletic and increase their confidence! We are NOT miracle workers, but if YOU are open to a fitness program and willing to be coached by us, we can help you.

Do you REALLY have high school kids run on Saturday mornings? What time is the training? Father of a H.S. sophomore football player

      

We have had Saturday am Speed & Conditioning sessions EVERY Saturday since June and they are performed on Ramsey High School's FieldTURF at 7am.

In fact, our program has grown so much in just over three years, that we now have 6am Speed & Conditioning on Wednesdays and Saturdays for College Athletes as well as the above mentioned high school program on Saturdays.

Our program is open to Good Energy clients on a first call basis prior to Saturday because we limit the sessions to 10 clients. The session costs $30.00/hour.

We limit the size of the session so we can teach proper movement patterns and running mechanics to each athlete and we periodically mail home progress reports, so parent's stay informed as to their kid's progress in our program and we can work on each Athlete's weaknesses.

When I was asked this question I was taken back that this father was surprised that we had high school athlete's train early on Saturday morning, because we have had NO trouble this Summer filling our Speed & Conditioning program on Saturday mornings, and the few "no shows" lose a session by not attending the session.

Our clientele at Good Energy consists of committed, goal oriented and driven clients whether they are in 8th grade or they are business professionals.

We are serious about our profession and we expect our clients to be serious about training.

Thanks for the question and Good Luck with your son's high school career.

Someone told me yesterday that when the owner at Good Energy was asked who his competition was, he said point blank there is none? How can you say that when there are personal training facilities popping up everywhere in northern NJ?

      

First of all, you forgot to leave your name next to your question,...but GREAT question. Curious who it was who passed along my quote, but could have been alot of people so that is a mute point.

There is NO competition with Good Energy because of MANY reasons.

For one, Good Energy owner, Pete Ohnegian played professionally in football, so he knows how to make it to the highest level and he can pass along a lot of wisdom with regard to the process and the commitment needed to get paid to play sports, not just make your travel team. In addition to playing at the highest level the GE Staff consists of GYM RATS, so we were in the trenches training the whole time we were playing. Strength & Conditioning is not a book we just started to read, but rather has been a major part in our everyday life since we were in middle school, i.e. early-mid 80's.

Secondly, we continue to educate ourselves via conferences, NEW certifications and we are constantly reading fitness literature both hard copy and on the web to maintain our training on the cutting edge of the industry.

Although we feel like our hands-on experience goes a lot further than many books or certifications, we make it a point to get in the classroom and listen to other leaders in the fitness & performance industry periodically each year, to get new ideas and approaches to not only training clients but running a successful PERSONAL training business.

Thirdly, despite being extremely busy this Summer we maintain a 2-1 ratio within the walls of GE therefore always having control over the session in order to cue and spot every client that enters our performance center and make injury prevention our #1 priority.

Our product is not watered down and because we not only played but have been training for over 30 years between us, we are coaches to many of our clients as well as positive role models. We don't have the thug in the beater tank top or sideways hat...at least not the hour our clients train with positive attitudes @ GE!

We live what we teach and perform similar workouts that we design for our clients. As seen in the picture, we can demonstrate all the the techniques we are teaching.

The High School Speed & Conditioning session at Ramsey High School is LIMITED to 10 people so we can micro-manage everyone's running mechanics to reinforce proper running form. We are NOT trying to make robots, but there IS a correct and incorrect way to athletically/dynamically move.

Thank you for asking this question. We take pride in our Customer Service and CARING about each client's fitness development and will NOT change our philosophy or GE PRINCIPLES despite how busy we get!

GO GE & have a nice Summer `07!

I looked through your site and didn't see any rates? How much does it cost to train with you and how do you charge for working out there?

      

Thanks for your question.

We charge for a PACKAGE of sessions based on 1on1 or 2on1 sessions or Speed & Conditioning programs.

I specifically do NOT put our pricing on the website because for some people it doesn't matter how much it costs --- if it's a popular place or "the place to be" they think they can just bring CASH, a credit card or check and sign up themselves or their son/daughter because they have the money and think we NEED the business.

At GOOD ENERGY we don't want anyone's money. We want people who have specific FITNESS GOALS. We care about everyone who walks in the door, so we don't want THAT person who just wants to say, "THEY have a personal trainer" or "they go to a POPULAR place to workout."

We want that Mom wanting to lose that last 10 pounds after giving birth, or the high school athlete trying to get a baseball scholarship or the professional who just WANTS more ENERGY during his/her busy work week.

WE want to meet you in person and get an understanding for what you are trying to achieve and see if it's a good fit... FOR BOTH OF US.

Hopefully you were referred to GE by a HAPPY Client who has seen RESULTS from our program and BELIEVES in how we approach EXERCISE.

WE take people with Positive Attitudes who believe that coming here to train is a Priority not a Luxury!

WE are committed to everyone who trains here and WE go the EXTRA mile for everyone who has GE!

Thank you for your understanding!

Pete Ohnegian, Owner
201-760-9900

My son is an elite 8th grade basketball player that is going to a parochial school next fall and plays on an AAU team in NJ. He currently gets up everyday and performs 300 different jumps in addition to training. What do you suggest he does on his own?

      

Wow! That is a "loaded" question. First of all, how tall is your son? Is he a Post player, Wing or point guard? How tall are you or your wife?

I say this, because I need to know what kind of athlete your son is and potentially how much might he grow or is presently growing.

For instance, I have a client who sounds exactly like your son - same age, and situation and for him I suggest REST and PROPER DIET!

Quite frankly if your son is already performing Strenth & Conditioning and is playing a lot of competetive basketball, it sounds like he NEEDS to rest.

Don't discount rest and FUELING your son's body properly. If he is performing strength training properly to increase muscle growth and working on muscle groups that are essential in moving better on the court, therefore becoming quicker and more powerful for basketball, then he doesn't need to get up EARLY and perform jumps.

He might be doing too much already!

Pictured is Taylor Barrise performing a Medicine Ball Lunge @ GE! Taylor is looking to increase his explosiveness on the court for his senior year at Northern Highlands.

Taylor was 1st Team All-League as a junior, but wants to get a scholarship next year...so we must bring his athleticism to the next level this Summer and next Fall.

We are focusing on overall body strength but specifically working his entire lower half and then parlaying that with specific movements that he will perform on the court like defensive slides and Change of Direction patterns. Just this past week Taylor performed an Acceleration workout to increase his ability to run past defenders and get past defenders to shoot the open 3-pointer!

Taylor also plays on an AAU team and plans on playing a lot of basketball at different camps in addition to visiting several interested colleges this summer where he will display his basketball talent.

We need to get him stronger, faster and more explosive while we have him at GE, but he must REST AND EAT while he has down time.

I hope that helps with your question and Good Luck to your son. Let us know if we can help in anyway.

Know your son, and know his sport and what demands are needed to make him perform at his best!

Thanks for the question!

My son is going to be a sophomore football player and he is already over 220 LBS and wants to gain more weight because he knows he will be a lineman and the coaches are telling him to gain more weight, what do you tell your clients? Thanks, Mrs. H.

      

Mrs. H,

Great question, and what great timing for me to answer this for you. We are in the process of hiring a Sport's Nutritionist and Registered Dietician for our clients who really want to take their performance to the next level.

At Good Energy we do not talk about "gaining weight" for the sake of the scale showing a larger number. We want our clients to put on lean muscle mass by eating a balanced diet and increasing their caloric intake with both protein and carbs.

It is important that you convey to your son that he should focus on training hard and eating well to get the most out of his strength and conditioning program. Fortunately, football has progressed to a game of Speed & Power. If he can't run and control his own body, it is no sense just "adding weight" to his frame.

Regardless of our Athlete's position in football, we want them to not only get stronger, but remain flexible and athletic. We are not concerned with weight but more with proper "fueling", REST and RECOVERY.

I hope this helps a little bit, but the thought of "just gaining weight" to be "heavier" is an archaic approach to Nutrition to fuel an athlete, and frankly gives weight training or strength and conditioning a black eye. A proper diet is so key in creating the best athlete by fueling properly and then maximizing his/her ability to exercise! I have the picture of this fruit, because we all should eat 2-3 pieces of fruit per day and it's so easy now that it is Summer and fruit is so readily available in every supermarket.

Good Luck to you and your son and thank you for your question.

It seems like you do a lot of "circuit" training - like in your IN-SEASON program. Why do you believe in CORE exercises? Thanks and nice site! Jim, Franklin Lakes

      

Thanks for the question, Jim... and don't forget to look at the photo gallery section because we try to continue to update our pictures to show folks like yourself that training is always evolving at Good Energy and we are constantly varying exercises and movements for our clients.

The benefits of core training!

The significant benefits of core training follow through to whatever you are involved in, because the area around your trunk and pelvis is where your center of gravity is located. A strong core gives you:

Better posture
More control
Improved, more powerful performance
Injury prevention and rehabilitation
Increased protection and "bracing" for your back
A more stable center of gravity
A more stable platform for sports movements
When you have good core stability, the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen work in harmony. They provide support to your spine and help transmit increased power and performance for just about any activity.

A weak core makes you susceptible to lower back pain, poor posture and a whole host of muscle injuries. Strong core muscles provide the brace of support needed to help prevent such pain and injury -- and this discovery is why core training has become so popular among elite athletes.

We have found that the athletes that have trained at Good Energy for the past 2 or 3 years are so much more explosive during their sport because we are constantly cueing their posture and technique during their GE Training. The athletes have provided AWESOME feedback on how they have become more dynamic and it's not just getting stronger & faster; their bodies are actually working more efficiently because of Proper Movement Patterns!

Thanks for your question and for checking out our site!

How do I increase my cardio output or lung capacity in the swimming portion of a triathalon? Kara

      

Kara,
Thank you so much for your question! My initial thought was for you to get in the pool more and increase your volume during your swim workouts along with cross training to increase your relative strength and therefore be more powerful in the pool.

However, I decided to take the "high road" and ask Gary Flink, owner of EXCEL THERAPY and an ELITE ENDURANCE ATHLETE his advice on this topic. Gary had this to say;

"As for your swimmer…great question. The knee jerk response that most people would make is to simply have her spend more time in the pool. That isn’t the right answer…especially for a triathlete.

If a runner wants to improve their running fitness they simply need to run longer distances and times (in addition to proper speedwork).

If a cyclist wants to improve their cycling fitness they simply need to ride longer and further (again, in addition to proper speedwork and interval training).

Swimming, however, is all about technique, and the goal in triathlon racing is to exit the water with the least amount of energy expended so that the athlete will be able to cycle and run with the greatest strength and energy.

Most triathletes, since they do not come from a trained swimmers background, waste a tremendous amount of energy fighting the water due to poor body position and inefficient upper body, trunk and lower body technique. The best swimmers, on the other hand, “glide” through the water with very little energy and effort wasted and with very little kicking to aid their propulsion...i.e. they are extremely efficient in the water.
Before you have your athlete increase their yardage in the pool be sure they have done all they can to improve their technique…coaching, private lessons, group instruction clinics, etc.

If her technique is excellent, then adding interval training and increasing her training volume is appropriate…but most triathletes spend way too much time increasing their volume and way too little time improving their technique."

First of all, THANK YOU TO GARY FLINK for an Awesome answer and his expertise on this topic. Gary is a multi-IRONMAN finisher in Hawaii and treats countless Professional Athletes at EXCEL THERAPY in his three Therapy centers.

Secondly, I should have been more intuitive with my answer because that is what we preach all the time at GOOD ENERGY...

...TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE...and proper posture and body alignment in order to create more efficiency during performance - regardless of whether it is on a field, a court or in water!

Kara - GOOD LUCK and I hope this answer helps.

Do you JUST do Strength & Conditioning? Misc. Coach

I had to answer this one for the site!

Some miscellaneous "coach" had "heard" that we only did strength and conditioning at Good Energy and that it would be more beneficial for his player to go to a local speed facility to improve the girl's speed.

FALSE.

First of all, I just spoke to a high school basketball coach explaining how our methodology at Good Energy was to create stronger and more athletic clients through our variable training program. We include Speed, agility, strength training and Conditioning within our program and have been successful in making BETTER ATHLETES since our doors opened over 4 years ago.

Although we have just over 20 YDS in track space inside at Good Energy, we have ample space at local fields and in our parking lot to run a greater distance for athlete's who need more space.

In addition, we are big believers that increasing an athlete's Relative Strength will in turn maximize their ability to run faster and be more explosive changing directions based on increased strength and teaching proper movement patterns. At Good Energy along with having personal Professional PLAYING experience in both football and baseball, we also have the knowledge and background in TEACHING proper running mechanics and movement skills in maximizing our client's ATHLETICISM.

We base our Variable Training program on the Athlete's Seasonal neeeds - i.e. Preseason, In-Season & Off-Season. We can do a lot more with an Athlete who has an "off-season" and therefore can perform not only Strength training in a variety of exercises for every muscle group, but speed exercises, agilities & plyometrics as well as conditioning and "old school" exercises. I say "old school" because Strongman is used too frequently these days,...and at Good Energy we do so many different exercises that "old school" is more suitable.

I hope this answer is sufficient for everyone who is curious as to "what type of training we do at Good Energy"...the answer is we do everything possible to create more Athletic clients in a way that is specific and individualized for each client. Our training is different for each individual client and we assess each client for their weaknesses and improve on their strengths as well.

Try Good Energy and you will be convinced that our program will make you a better Athlete or improve your health depending on what your fitness goals are.

How do I get my son to eat better so his training will work? Thanks, "frustrated Mom"

Dear Frustrated Mom,
Thank you so much for your question and checking out our site. Great question,...but you can help more than any trainer.

Think about it, trainers in general will spend 2-4 hours with your son per week...that's assuming that you have scheduled at least 2-4 sessions per week. You can start by bringing your son to the grocery store when you do your weekly
shopping and have him make healthy choices for snacks with you instead of you telling him what to eat. The last thing you want to do is force your son to eat a particular way so he rejects your advice and becomes a "closet snacker."

The 2nd bit of advice I always give to parents is make sure kids wake up early enough to have breakfast. Cereal, banana, oatmeal, bagel...juice....stop counting calories and carbs and allow your son to have a healthy yet sufficient breakfast to jumpstart his metabolism and so he does not go into lunch famished and consume his sandwich, chips and drink in less than five minutes and remain hungry until school lets out.

Exercise, play, run around. Convice your son to play something outdoors after school if he is not currently in a sport or activity that makes him exert energy. Too many kids are sedentary after school and think that having a trainer 2x per week satisfies "being healthy and fit."

I hope some of these statements will help you, but feel free to contact us at Good Energy to talk further about our Nutritional Advice we give to clients and our Sport's Nutrition and Wellness packets we pass on to our clients.

Best of Luck.
Pete

I have a 9th grade son who plays baseball -all year round- who I think needs to start a workout program. What are your programs and what do you suggest? Thank you, Susan R.

Susan,
Thank you so much for your question and I'm glad that you took a look at our site! First of all, we will sit down with your son and find out if "HE WANTS TO TRAIN MORE INTENSELY" and whether it is worth our time and your money for him to begin training at GOOD ENERGY!

Your son is part of the "IN-SEASON EPIDEMIC." That is, a young athlete who plays the SAME sport every season 12 months per year. Unless he has an extremely unusual GIFT, and even in that case it is so important for any athlete to have a high level of strength, agility, speed and conditioning to be the best. Unfortunately, when young athletes are channeled into playing the same sport 12 months per year, whether it is baseball, soccer or basketball to name a few cases, your son or daughter loses healthy "time off" (physically & mentally) from playing their sport and the ability to "cross-train" if you will. By cross-training, I mean getting stronger and becoming a more explosive athlete for their sport.

What type of program can do that? A program with numerous elements to create strength increases(muscle growth), speed skills and emphasis on conditioning.

At Good Energy, we do not wait for the athlete's "pre-season" in order to begin a proper conditioning routine. We try to maintain an athlete's level of conditioning within our Athlete's in Training program, and then ultimately practice or simulate the athletic movement patterns your child will perform for their sport.

Our programs are explained on this site and are introduced to the athlete once we know their goals and initial fitness/athletic level.

Thank you for your question, Susan and hopefully my answer helps you out. Good Energy to you, and give us a call 201-760-9900 if you have any further questions.

Pete Ohnegian & the Good Energy Staff

I saw that you recently had a banner saying that you had hockey specific training at your facility, do you have ice? Curious Hockey Mom

      

Thank you so much for your question. In fact, the "hockey specific workout" was only on the banner for one day, so I'm glad that you picked up on it.

In the Fall 2006 our staff decided to take our Sport Specific Ideas to the next level and contacted some peers north of the border in Canada to find out what some performance specialists did with their professional hockey players in the "off-season."

We are now utilizing "Hockey Movement" patterns in our facility to tie in with our Strength & Conditioning program.

Although we don't possess ICE at Good Energy we can simulate similar movement patterns therefore recruiting the same muscles our hockey players will use on the ice.

We look forward to the feedback our players will give us on their increased performance this winter thanks to PROPER training at Good Energy!

Good Luck to you and your hockey player!

Why do you believe in a Total Body workout for your In-Season Training Program? Mark, H.S. Soph. FB/LB

Mark, thanks for your question. At Good Energy, we answer this question all the time so hopefully we will not bore you with our answer. First of all, I will assume you are talking about football because you said you played FB/LB. Most high school teams have mandatory lifting the day following a game or in combination with game films early in the week. This workout is probably some type of total body program but is most likely after a recovery run or review of films. At Good Energy we base our program on every major muscle group because you use your whole body when you are giving 100% on gameday and therefore you want your whole body to recover, thus preventing injury and hopefully maintaining the strength you created in your pre-season program. Secondly, don't be misled that a TOTAL BODY Workout is an easy routine, because @ GOOD ENERGY our workout is very demanding in order to maintain maximum strength levels In-Season and to alleviate muscle soreness. Our football players find that they feel better at the end of their TOTAL BODY Workout which is hopefully their 2nd of two workouts per week during their In-Season program or the actual "recovery" workout following a game. Mark, REMEMBER, it makes little sense to lift hard in the off-season and not have the same intensity when it makes the most difference - DURING YOUR SEASON! Thanks for your question, and Good Luck! Good Energy Coaching Staff


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