Thurman Hendrix, MA, CSCS

My Training Philosophy - The NeuroBody Performance System

This page briefly explains my training philosophy and spells out what areas of performance enhancement I am (and am not) qualified to address. At this time, the Neurobody Performance System is an abstract concept of what I stand for and the basic concepts I use in training athletes. Over time I hope to develop a very detailed book or video that would further explain my system.

My philosophy is to get to know each athlete, identify their goals, strengths, weaknesses, training background, and training availability... and then establish an appropriate approach for that individual.

Although I am certified, I do not call myself a "Personal Trainer". I work only with athletes and I prefer the term "Performance Enhancement Coach". Personal trainers tend to work more with the general population and mainly focus on the goal of changing the way one looks. To do this, they often use exercise machines and teach their clients how to isolate muscles to work one-at-a-time (very similar to a bodybuilder). I, on the other hand, am less worried about the way an athlete looks aesthetically, but more worried about the way they perform.

It is true that I may have you spend a lot of time in the off-season working on traditional "body changing" goals such as lean muscle gain or fat loss (especially if it is needed to improve performance or to get noticed by coaches or scouts). However, we'll usually spend the pre-season and in-season phases by utilizing multi-joint exercises that work the entire body as one dynamic unit. Rather than isolating muscles, I prefer to teach my athletes how to fire them in a sequential fashion (since this is the way muscles work in sports and in life, e.g., swinging, throwing, and jumping). The goal is to synchronize the “Neuro” (brain) and the body so that they flow together and not get in the way of one another. Instead of looking "mechanical," the hope is that the athlete will be much more coordinated and able to "flow" with their movement... leading to more overall power and performance.

Performance enhancement does not come from lifting weights or speed drills alone. Rather, I believe that it takes a holistic approach that incorporates many areas of life. Along with understanding the importance of general training principals (such as a proper warm-up, correct exercise techniques, etc.) athletes also need to be aware of how nutrition, sleep/rest, stress, social life, and mental habits can all effect their performance. As a "Performance Enhancement Coach" I attempt to identify if any of these areas need extra attention. I can provide basic answers, but I also know when to refer.

One of my biggest strengths is improving an athlete's mental habits and approach. Again, I am not a psychologist, and must refer in certain circumstances, but I am very skilled in identifying when one is (and isn't) in a positive mental frame for performance. Athletes usually open up to me more than their coaches, friends, and parents. This helps me identify certain areas of anxiety that can lead to delayed physical response times due to sensory overload. Sports at a high level is usually won or lost by the narrowest of margins.  Sometimes it comes down to under a tenth of a second, or an eighth of an inch.  Athletes need to possess or develop a proper habitual approach toward training, competition, and life that helps them succeed in these situations. I teach my athletes to have a motivated, yet relaxed mind while they're performing and I often get feedback from parents that these habits spill into everyday life such as taking tests in school. I put a huge emphasis on the "process" of achieving something, rather than on the actual "outcome". As Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning isn't everything, but the will to win is." I also believe that quiet-confidence is very powerful and leads to many good things such as improved body language and posture (better muscle balance), improved perception from others, and overall enjoyment of whatever you are doing.

I am not a "physical therapist" or "athletic trainer". In other words, I am not ethically qualified to provide diagnosis or rehab to injured athletes. I do, however, heavily provide injury prevention/prehab exercises in all of my training programs. Among other things, these exercises mainly include core stabilization drills, along with muscle balance routines for the ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders. Some muscles (such as the transverse abdominis, glutes, and posterior shoulder areas) chronically need to be strengthened or "turned on," while other muscles (such as the lower hamstrings, hip flexors, chest, and upper neck area) chronically need to be "turned off" or lengthened with flexibility exercises. This proper balance will lead to injury prevention (including ACL injuries) and performance enhancement (through an increase in the strength, power, or speed ceiling of the athlete). I believe in building athletes from the inside-out. In other words, just like a house, we must start with the foundation (mental habits, core stabilization, muscle balance, etc.). When the foundation is set we can then start to add the fancy bricks (increased strength, speed, power, etc). The take home message is that while I probably attempt to prevent injuries more than most strength coaches through the use of identifying muscle imbalances and teaching the benefits of massage... I also realize that I am not a physical therapist, massage therapist, physician, orthopedic surgeon, or athletic trainer. If I believe that a situation is serious enough and beyond "general knowledge", I will refer out to professionals that are more qualified.

This also applies to nutrition as well. There are certain "general knowledge" nutritional concepts that I try to instill such as eating breakfast and pre/post workout meal guidelines. If not followed, the athlete may be wasting all of their time training in the gym. However, I am not a nutritionist and I do not create specific meal plans for athletes to follow.

I am also not a sports coach. Although I might be qualified, I do not give advice on specific sports skills such as the golf swing, shooting a basketball, etc. That is the job of your coach and I must respect that. My job is simply to improve your bodies' qualities (such as mobility, strength, and power) so that you can better perform at whatever you need to do in your sport. Sometimes, however, I might present general suggestions of ways you may be able to produce more force or be more efficient. For example, if I happen to catch a game of a softball pitcher that I am training (even though I know nothing about softball pitching), I may let her know that I think she might stand to gain more force/velocity by better using her legs and hips and relaxing her arm. The only exception is that I heavily teach baseball players the steal-start technique since this is crucial to improving their speed and since I am one of the leading coaches in the country on this skill.

Basically, I love to teach. Although, I love working with athletes, my goal is to eventually get them self-sufficient so that they have the answers within themselves. I believe in teaching about concepts more than I believe in individual drills. I believe that drills and certain exercise programs are overrated! If an athlete understands a certain training philosophy, they'll be able to come up with their own exercises. This is especially important when they go off to college and may have different goals than what their strength coach implements. Of course, I use drills all of the time, but what I'm saying is do not fall in love with a drill or the newest exercise program on the market. Rather it is the philosophy behind the drill or program that is important. For example, I can put you through agility ladder exercises and you no doubt will improve on the ladder. However, the bigger question is will that agility transfer into competition? Chances are it will not if you were just running through it without focusing on the underlying concept of listening to your body's center of gravity as you were performing on the ladder.

I really appreciate mature athlete's that (in a healthy way) pay attention to seemingly meaningless details that others of their age do not. They understand the value and appreciate the little things because they know that when you add them up this is what often makes the difference in higher level athletics and life!

Click Here to learn more about some Frequently Asked Questions that I get in terms of training such as "What is the ideal off-season like?"... "What type of athletes do I train?", etc.

Also, please check out the Private & Semi-Private Training or Consulting pages if you agree with my philosophy and would like more information about working with me.