Tag Archive for: Level 1

Ian King

KSI L1 Graduate Coach Interview – Tui Katene

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Firstly, congratulations on completing the KSI U Level 1 course! And thanks in advance for taking the time to share your experiences with the reader. To get started, I’d like to ask:

1. How long have you been in the industry and what is your current role?

I’ve worked in the industry for over 20 years and held pretty much every position, gym floor worker, Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and Manager. Now I own my own gym and service my local community. When I’m not training, I get a few quality personal training sessions in with some of my members.

2. How did you first get involved in the industry?

The gym thing has always been a major part of my life, I started working out in the gym when I was 15, I had just made the New Zealand Touch Football Team and when I wasn’t playing or running around with my ball, I would be in the gym. I’d hang out there for hours, watching, learning and listening, then I was offered a part time job as a student and, that was it…Hooked!

3. What do you see as the ideal position to be in and why?

My ideal position would be to be coaching high performance athletes. As a four times international athlete myself giving back to the industry that helped build my sporting career would be the ultimate.

4. What type of clients do you deal with and is there anything you are planning to change with regard to your client base?

I work with clients of all shapes and sizes, makes and models, from the everyday person wanting to get fit and healthy to elite athletes representing New Zealand. In the near future I’d like to work predominantly with elite athletes and focus more on high performance sports conditioning.

5. What led you to start the KSI Coach program?

I attended a powerlifting 3 lift course in August this year run by Cathy Millen. Cathy talked about KSI Coach Program and her own experiences in working with Ian King. Something resonated with me about the information Cathy delivered and I decided the best way to learn more was to commit some of my time to starting the KSI Level 1 Course.

6. How was the experience of doing the KSI Coach program?

Wow best decision ever! There were so many light bulb moments, from Milo the Greek wrestler in 6th Century BC to legend Charlie Francis. The KSI Coach program just made so much sense. What have been the biggest lessons you have taken from the KSI Coach program? The biggest lessons have been so many, and I find myself going back and revisiting my notes on a daily basis. If I were to name a few of those key lessons they would be:

• It’s ok to follow your intuition
• It’s ok to trust your instincts and resist the temptation to conform.

Ian King you are a Legacy!

7. In your opinion and experience what makes the KSI unique?

There is nothing like KSI, you will not find the history behind the concepts anywhere else. No one else will be able to give you the detailed facts “no holds barred” like Ian. Ian says it how it is, and makes sense of it. Ian talks from experience, he talks with honesty and integrity. In my book nothing beats that.

8. What are some of the frustrations you have faced in your work and what are some of these that you have found a solution for?

The biggest frustration I’ve had over the years is clients who think they know what’s best for them because they read something on google. They get caught up in wanting to do whatever the latest trend is. I guess I look at the trend now and google and talk a lot more about where these trends or programs have come from. I talk a lot more about the history of where these ideas come from, and the type of people who are writing or developing these trends, commercialism, marketing, to name a few.

9. What are your plans for the future?

Initial plans are heading to Canada in November for the Commonwealth Powerlifting Champs then back into KSI Level 2 for a starter in 2016. I’d really like to increase my athlete client base for 2016 so that’s on the cards.

10. What do you like to do in your spare time?

Hang out with my cats, Rocky and See-me, for relaxing, Surfing for fun and a diving for seafood (kaimoana) for dinner.

11. What do you belief are the greatest challenges facing our industry and or someone in this industry?

People and PTs being influenced by what they see on the internet and following exercise trends. It’s crazy. I see new PTs coming in giving ad hoc advice about trends and making up their own version without knowing the correct technique. It’s scary, creates bad habits, which in turn creates injury. A problem I believe the industry will suffer from in the near future.

12. What advice do you have for anyone considering starting the KSI Coach program? Just do it! Nothing comes close.

Again, thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. Every time anyone completes a task they set out to do they stand out, as not everyone does this. So well done, you deserve a big pat on the back!

Ian King

KSI L1 Graduate Coach Interview Sebastien Buttigieg  

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Firstly, congratulations on completing the KSI U Level 1 course! And thanks in advance for taking the time to share your experiences with the reader.

To get started, I’d like to ask:

1. How long have you been in the industry and what is your current role?

I have been working in the industry for almost 7 years now. I began by completing my Cert III in Fitness to become a gym instructor and work in a gym, which I did for a couple of years. I followed that up by completing my Cert IV in Fitness and becoming a Personal Trainer, which I also did for a period of time. I then decided to go back to study and complete my Bachelors Degree in Exercise and Sport Science, which I completed earlier this year.

2. How did you first get involved in the industry?

I had been weight training for a year or so when I decided to do my Cert III in fitness as a way to develop my own knowledge of training and the processes of the human body. After completing it, I found that I had really enjoyed learning everything and that the fitness industry was something I was quite passionate about. I managed to fall into my first gym job, when a friend of mine was leaving the gym that he worked at for another job. I spoke with the manager who I knew quite well by this stage and said that I had completed my qualifications and that I was looking to get some work in a gym. Things just went from there.

3. What do you see as the ideal position to be in and why?

Ideally I would one day like to be working alongside elite athletes in a strength and conditioning setting within a sporting team such as an AFL club, EPL soccer team or even NBA or NFL team. I love working with regular people that are looking to get into better shape, however, having grown up within such a big sporting family, I would love to be able to get involved at the highest level to help these athletes prepare and achieve as much success as possible.

4. What type of clients do you deal with and is there anything you are planning to change with regard to your client base?

Currently I work with a range of clients from older women looking to improve their lives, lose a little bit of weight and get in better shape, to helping out with teaching/running strength and conditioning sessions for teenage athletes. I have also recently started working at a new studio, which deals more with a fitter clientele and those looking to transform their physiques. In the New Year I am aiming to get my foot in the door at an AFL club and start developing experience working alongside elite athletes.

5. What led you to start the KSI Coach program?

I attended a lecture by Ian earlier in the year, after being recommended to go by my mother and fellow USANA colleagues. I found the talk to be extremely informative and it gave me the hunger to learn more about what Ian has done and how I can get to where he has gotten to within the industry. I did some research in the days following and spoke with Ian on the internet and he told me about the KSI Coach program. I looked into it and it immediately appealed to me, so I signed up.

6. How was the experience of doing the KSI Coach program?

At the time of beginning the program it was a bit hard to keep up with regularly doing things, as I was in the final 6 months of my uni degree at the time and was being bombarded with assignments left right and center. However, once my degree was finished it was much easier to sit down and really absorb as much as possible from the program. Everything was easy to follow and the information presented gave me the thirst to attain even more knowledge about the KSI way.

7. What have been the biggest lessons you have taken from the KSI Coach program?

The main lessons that I have taken away from the program are to not just take someone’s word and believe that it is the be all and end all of it. I found it extremely enlightening that so-called “experts” that I had received information from over the years, had in fact been ripping off information that was developed by Ian in the first place. I have also started adopting some of the strategies that Ian has developed with regards to exercise prescription, techniques and programming protocols within my own training and that of my own clients (obviously being mindful to not claim them as my own ideas).

8. What are some of the frustrations you have faced in your work and what are some of these that you have found a solution for?

The most frustrating thing that I have found is dealing with clients that do not have a strong work ethic and seem to only be training to tell their friends that they are going to the gym. The large majority of the time the clients that I have dealt with have been amazing, they have gotten the results that they want, by putting in the hard work that it takes to achieve those results. It is clients like that, who make it a joy to do what I do. It is frustrating when a client comes along and as soon as the going gets a little challenging they make up a myriad of excuses as to why they cannot do something. I have found that over the years, with more experience and more knowledge, I have been able to gradually change these characteristics in certain clients and help them to develop a better attitude towards their training. I have still not mastered the ability to motivate 100% of the clients that I deal with and to get them to do the hard things outside of the gym (i.e. changing their diet habits, stretching, recovering), but I feel as though I am getting much better at this.

9. What are your plans for the future?

Within the next few months I aim to get a position working within the strength and conditioning department of an AFL team, even if it is only a voluntary part-time position. I also want to complete the KSI Level 2 program and be eligible to participate in Levels 3 and 4 of the program next year. I want to attain my ASCA Strength and Conditioning accreditation as well. Most importantly I want to learn more and more in order to become the best coach that I can possibly be.

10. What do you like to do in your spare time?

When I am not working or training myself I like to spend my spare time with my lovely partner, (as it is hard to spend quality time during the week with the hours we both keep). Playing with my two dogs and I am also a musician and play a variety of instruments along with singing. After a long hard day I do enjoy sitting down on the couch to watch a good TV Show (get into Modern Family if you haven’t already!) and playing a computer game or two with my little cousin.

11. What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing our industry and or someone in this industry?

Working solely as a personal trainer is hard, as you only get paid for the time that you are physically training with someone. Week to week that time can vary quite a lot, as it is highly dependant upon the client, how they are feeling day to day, how busy they are at work, how much money they have, whether they are going away on holidays etc. Whenever people are strapped for cash it is things like personal training that get dropped first as it is not a priority for most people, which is totally understandable. It is not a consistent form of income and at certain times of the year it can be quite difficult, especially during Christmas where their money is going elsewhere or they are going away on holiday. Also through the middle of winter, a large majority of the people I come across lack the motivation to train.

12. What advice do you have for anyone considering starting the KSI Coach program?

The best advice I could give is to simply do it! You won’t regret it.

Again, thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. Every time anyone completes a task they set out to do they stand out, as not everyone does this. So well done, you deserve a big pat on the back!

Ian King

KSI Coach Education Program Learn original material based on real coaching – the best way to become the best you can be!Learn more: http://bit.ly/KSICoachingProgram

Ian King

Interview with KSI Level 1 Graduate Bruce Battherham  

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KSI. Firstly, Bruce, we want to congratulate you for graduating from the KSI Level 1 Legacy Course! We both know it’s just a small step to mastery of the KSI way however you have shown you belong in the top 5% because you completed the course! Well done! Before we get into it we’d like to share with our readers a little bit about you personally – where you were born, where you live now, your hobbies outside of training and coaching.

Bruce Batterham: I was born at Allora and presently live in Townsville Queensland. Hobbies outside of training and coaching are fishing, shooting and competitive bodybuilding. Points:

KSI: Now let’s talk shop! What is your current involvement in the industry, your niche market and where have you come from in your professional journey:

BB: I am a Personal Trainer with my own business, Been There Personal Training. I have only commenced this business recently after retiring from the Qld Police Force. I mainly train clients lookig to compete in bodybuilding.

KSI: So tell us – what are your thoughts about the KSI Level 1 Course now you have finished.

BB: At the same time as doing the Level 1 I was also completing another industry certification. For a reality check I would do a KSI Level 1 assignment to get away from the crab delivered in the other course. To a certain extent I was ahead of the game with Level 1 as I had read a couple of Ian’s books extensively.

KSI: What were the main challenges, frustrations or questions you had prior to registering for the KSI Level 1 Course?

BB: At the time of registering I had an open mind and had not formed any opinions or been unduly influenced as I had limited involvement in the industry.

KSI: What specifically triggered you to get going with the KSI Level 1 Course?

BB: To increase my knowledge and understanding of the training innovations/principles employed by Coach Ian King.

KSI: Where did you first learn about the KSI Level 1 Legacy Course and what were your thoughts about the course before starting

BB: I think I found it on the website and just decided to do it

KSI: Did you perception of the KSI Level 1 Legacy Course change once you got into the course?

BB: No. The course is what I expected – very good.

KSI: What was your favourite part of the course?

BB: Besides finishing – lines of movement.

KSI: How has the KSI Level 1 Legacy Course changed the way you think, coach and the results you are getting?

BB: Less is more. It is not about the weight. Flexibility is king.

KSI: What do /would you tell others who may be considering doing the course?

BB: I encourage everyone I talk with to either do the course or obtain the books or DVD’s offered by KSI.

KSI: What do you see as the major challenges facing the profession/industry?

BB: PT’s who just do not know how to train clietns. The Cert IV teaches nought – all they want is to get the clients heart rate up to 80% MHR, bash them and send them on their way.

KSI: What have found different and or unique about the KSI way?

BB: The manner in which the training has a plan for the individual. There is progression through the phases underpinned by flexibility/injury prevention.

KSI: What final advice would you give someone starting our on their professional educational journey with KSI?

BB: Embrace the concepts, learn the art of coaching. Ignore the ridicule of others who just do not understand that there is absolutely no need for the majority to lift heavy all the time.

KSI: Thanks for your time and look forward to seeing you move into the next level of the KSI Coaching Program!

BB: OK – enjoyed the course. I apply the principles all the time and acknowledge the source.

KSI: Thanks for taking the time to participate and contribute through this ‘interview’! We look forward to sharing your story with others on a similar path in the near future!