VertiMax Vive

Will Hitzelberger, as the Founder and President of SPECTRUM, has made significant strides in sports performance training, particularly in soccer. He is a VertiMax ambassador and has been a Certified VertiMax Master Trainer and Presenter, leveraging VertiMax equipment to redefine soccer training with innovative techniques.

Will sits down with Al to talk about what’s really lacking in soccer for the average athlete. Unfortunately, there is just not enough emphasis on strength & conditioning training and if you really want to become a high-level player, you have to make time outside of your club to get your body conditioned right.

Key Takeaways:

[2:00] As a young father, how does Will think about sports and coaching differently?

[3:55] As a coach, how do you get an edge and become a great coach?

[6:10] Athletes have to incorporate more strength and conditioning training into their routine if they want to be high-level soccer players.

[8:00] What movements should soccer players be paying attention to?

[10:25] Don’t be afraid to get strong and ‘bulky’ in the sport.

VertiMax

VertiMax on Facebook

VertiMax on Instagram

VertiMax on YouTube

VertiMax on LinkedIn

VertiMax Certification Education

Tweetables:

“The game is just so much faster and stronger than it used to be. As important as it is to be fit, you have to get involved in a strength & conditioning program [not just cardio]."

"You have to seek out strength training outside of your club because it is a very important attribute to progressing in the sport now."

Will Hitzelberger, as the Founder and President of SPECTRUM, has made significant strides in sports performance training, particularly in soccer. He is a VertiMax ambassador and has been a Certified VertiMax Master Trainer and Presenter, leveraging VertiMax equipment to redefine soccer training with innovative techniques.

In this episode, we learn about Will’s experience working with the Jamaican women’s national soccer team. At the beginning, Will had to learn how to work with the limited resources he had. Many of his players didn’t have proper shoes or even nutrition. He had to think outside of the box to get these women qualified for the World Cup.

Key Takeaways:

[1:40] Will was the sports performance coach for the Jamaican women’s national soccer team.

[3:50] Bob Marley’s daughter, Cedella Marley, is a big advocate and voice in the soccer community.

[5:30] Education is the name of the game when building up a sports team in a developing country.

[6:15] Will had to adapt a ‘no excuses’ mentality when it came to working with his limited resources.

[7:35] Lack of resources gives us something to fight for and strive for.

[10:10] Interested in working with foreign teams? Network, network, network.

VertiMax

VertiMax on Facebook

VertiMax on Instagram

VertiMax on YouTube

VertiMax on LinkedIn

VertiMax Certification Education

Tweetables:

“This isn’t something where there’s a roadmap to it [becoming an elite coach]. It is a little bit about who you know."

"When you fly to places like Haiti to qualify for a tournament, your equipment is going to go missing."

Will Hitzelberger, as the Founder and President of SPECTRUM, has made significant strides in sports performance training, particularly in soccer. He is a VertiMax ambassador and has been a Certified VertiMax Master Trainer and Presenter, leveraging VertiMax equipment to redefine soccer training with innovative techniques.

In this episode, we learn a little bit about Will and some of his ambassador and master trainer duties at VertiMax. He shares his entrepreneurial journey and how it’s all been possible using VertiMax’s equipment and offers insight into why he loves working with the VertiMax brand.

Key Takeaways:

[1:20] A little bit about Will.

[3:20] Will has four Spectrum facilities and helps athletes with resistance work, rehab, and more.

[4:25] Why did Will get into youth athletes?

[7:25] How did Will’s coaching center evolve over the years?

[11:15] Why does Will love using VertiMax?

[13:10] As a VertiMax Master Trainer and Ambassador, what does an average day look like for Will?

[14:50] How do you become a master trainer/ambassador?

VertiMax

VertiMax on Facebook

VertiMax on Instagram

VertiMax on YouTube

VertiMax on LinkedIn

VertiMax Certification Education

Tweetables:

“Every trainer wants to open their own gym, cooks want to open their own restaurant, it’s glamorous to say, but it’s a lot different to actually open your own spot."

"I’m very passionate about education in our industry and VertiMax gives me the platform to do that."

Itam (I.T.) Antigha, more commonly referred to as "I.T.", is one of the members of the VertiMax Team as part of the Inside Sales and Client Support team. He is responsible for supporting and serving the VertiMax community by organizing personalized visits to educate, engage and develop relationships with coaches, trainers, and athletes.

I.T. often helps clients with information around maintaining their Vertimax in the best condition possible. In this episode, he speaks with Al on some of the signs you need to be aware of when it comes to replacing your Vertimax resistance bands.

Key Takeaways:

[1:55] What’s the difference between a vertimax band and an average resistance band?

[3:50] On average, how long do Vertimax bands last?

[5:00] When does it make sense to change the bands? Are there signs to look out for?

[6:45] Can the client/owner change the bands themselves? Yes!

[8:40] How do you find replacement bands?

[10:15] It’s important to know that you’ll be replacing the set of bands with your Vertimax; not just one band.

[12:00] Need help? Send us an email or message! Happy to help!

VertiMax

VertiMax on Facebook

VertiMax on Instagram

VertiMax on YouTube

VertiMax on LinkedIn

VertiMax Certification Education

Tweetables:

“The more you maintain the bands after each use, the better it would be to you."

"If there are white fibers sticking out of your bands, that’s an indication that you want to change your band soon."

Itam (I.T.) Antigha, more commonly referred to as "I.T.", is one of the members of the VertiMax Team as part of the Inside Sales and Client Support team. He is responsible for supporting and serving the VertiMax community by organizing personalized visits to educate, engage and develop relationships with coaches, trainers, and athletes.

I.T. is back with another informative episode with Al. They talk about how linebackers can improve their movements with specific drills that help them move in a versatile direction. Linebacker requirements have changed over the years, and are required to be developed into more speedy blockers. Here’s some drills to consider when you’re improving your linear and lateral movements.

Key Takeaways:

[1:15] A little bit about I.T. and what he does at team Vertimax.

[1:50] Linebacker position in football has changed dramatically over the years.

[4:20] Being able to work forwards and backwards is key to a well-developed linebacker.

[4:35] I.T. explains the Angle Drill.

[5:55] Back peddle and shuffle drill.

[8:30] Open field tackling - what should players be aware of?

[12:10] I.T. shares why cutback drills are helpful for in-game practice.

[15:00] Want more football drill info? Download the Vertimax app!

VertiMax

VertiMax on Facebook

VertiMax on Instagram

VertiMax on YouTube

VertiMax on LinkedIn

VertiMax Certification Education

Tweetables:

“The game of football has become much more passing and running all over the field, the linebacker has to be a blend of athletic, fast, and also stopping the run."

"Linebackers are like hybrid safeties. Linebackers have shrunk in size over time. ."

Brett Kuehn is a sports and human performance enthusiast, athlete, and mentor to Team VertiMax. He is a USMC veteran and business development professional at VertiMax. Brett’s passion is to help others achieve their goals whether they are an athlete looking to improve their speed, agility, and verticals; a coach looking to help their athletes gain an edge, or a sports performance owner or trainer seeking new ways to increase their business.

Al and Brett talk about some different ways you can improve your volleyball game during the off-season. He just got back from a training camp session and has some interesting insights to share on what athletes are doing to improve their jumps, agility, and net drills in this week’s episode.

Key Takeaways:

[2:25] If you want to get far in volleyball, you need to jump high. You can’t forget this part during the off-season.

[3:45] Aside from using the VertiMax with multiple athletes, resistance bands are very helpful to target certain areas.

[4:55] Brett talks about why he likes to use the agility ladder.

[5:50] Passing the net drills and how to hone in on making your game more efficient.

[6:45] How do you best improve your blocking moves?

VertiMax

VertiMax on Facebook

VertiMax on Instagram

VertiMax on YouTube

VertiMax on LinkedIn

VertiMax Certification Education

Tweetables:

“Agility ladder is a great warm up drill to use to get your hips loose, your ankles, and helps you with your coordination. Super cheap and easy to move around."

"Resistance bands are small. You can hang them up on a wall. They are a cheap alternative to dumbbells."

Brett Kuehn is a sports and human performance enthusiast, athlete, and mentor to Team VertiMax. He is a USMC veteran and business development professional at VertiMax. Brett’s passion is to help others achieve their goals whether they are an athlete looking to improve their speed, agility, and verticals; a coach looking to help their athletes gain an edge, or a sports performance owner or trainer seeking new ways to increase their business.

Al and Brett talk about some of the fun ways you can get your kid excited and moving in youth baseball. Kids need to be engaged and their circummlum needs to be fun or else they’ll never want to go. Brett breaks down some routines for you to train to get children moving and consistent.

Key Takeaways:

[1:00] What are some fun ways to train for youth baseball?

[1:50] Brett breaks down some fun baseball warmups.

[3:20] Best hitting drills you can use for your young athletes.

[6:35] Al loves seeing his kids have a relay race at the very end of each practice.

[7:30] If kids are just going through the motions, it gets boring for them.

VertiMax

VertiMax on Facebook

VertiMax on Instagram

VertiMax on YouTube

VertiMax on LinkedIn

VertiMax Certification Education

Tweetables:

“Run through first, that’s it. So the kids will run as fast as they can through first so that you can see who gets there the fastest."

"Their fun is part of the practice. A relay race is a great way to do that."

Kerry Bennett is a VertiMax Master Trainer and Ambasador. Kerry is a former NFL player with the Washington Redskins and has successfully transitioned into a renowned sports performance coach. With a degree in kinesiology, he founded the Beast Bus, a mobile sports performance facility featuring advanced training equipment like VertiMax.

Al and Kerry talk about what it means to be a VertiMax trainer as well as a VertiMax ambassador. Kerry shares why he’s passionate about the VertiMax system and how it helps you stand out from a very saturated sports industry as a coach.

Key Takeaways:

[1:50] A little bit about Kerry and his athletic career.

[5:10] What does it take to be a VertiMax Master Trainer?

[7:55] Learn more about the VertiMax ambassador program.

[10:55] VertiMax trainer is unique in itself and separates you from other sports performance coaches.

[12:55] Kerry is also a community outreach partner in Texas. What has Kerry learned so far?

[16:40] Kerry loves being in this space because he’s always learning something new.

VertiMax

VertiMax on Facebook

VertiMax on Instagram

VertiMax on YouTube

VertiMax on LinkedIn

VertiMax Certification Education

Girlsbasketballwf.org

Tweetables:

“You can make a business just using the VertiMax alone. If you’re a trainer just starting out, it’s portable and you can build your whole program around it."

"Anywhere from athlete, anywhere from general pop, you can create a fitness routine [with the VertiMax]. You can’t go wrong with it."

Jennifer George is the Women’s Basketball Strength Coach at Rollins College as well as the Director of Sports Performance at Bishop Moore Catholic High School. Jennifer is also the Founder of Girls Basketball Worldwide Foundation, a youth organization based in Orlando, Florida.

Al and Jennifer talk about the difference between coaching high school vs. college teams on this week’s episode. Jennifer has also played internationally and has seen a wide range of students come through her doors. She shares what it takes to be a well-rounded coach at the university level that takes into account the different athletic needs with each of her students.

Key Takeaways:

[1:05] A little bit about Jennifer and her athletic career.

[1:35] What are some of the differences between playing pro in the US vs. internationally?

[4:45] Jennifer has coached both high school and college. What are some of the pros and cons of both?

[9:30] Jennifer is able to push college women a little harder than the highschool team due to the flexible schedule.

[10:10] In college, you have to adapt to new schedules, which can make training consistently a lot harder.

[10:40] Are you new to coaching? Find a mentor.

[12:10] There is no ‘right’ way to train. However, there is definitely a wrong way.

VertiMax

VertiMax on Facebook

VertiMax on Instagram

VertiMax on YouTube

VertiMax on LinkedIn

VertiMax Certification Education

Girlsbasketballwf.org

Tweetables:

“Challenges at the highschool level are time and commitments. It’s basically 6am or after school, so you lose a lot of that time."

"The challenge at college level is the actual sport and coaches canceling on a whim. You have a plan and the next thing you know, the practice is canceled."

Jennifer George is the Women’s Basketball Strength Coach at Rollins College as well as the Director of Sports Performance at Bishop Moore Catholic High School. Jennifer is also the Founder of Girls Basketball Worldwide Foundation, a youth organization based in Orlando, Florida.

Al and Jennifer talk about women’s sports and certain challenges that women face when they’re playing a sport to its fullest potential. Although the United States has done better when it comes to bridging the gap between male and female sports, it’s still not perfect.

Key Takeaways:

[2:00] A little bit about Jennifer and her athletic career.

[3:35] Jennifer shares the moment she knew she wanted to make basketball her career.

[9:00] What kind of challenges has Jennifer faced in her sport’s career?

[11:20] 40% of girls drop out of sports in middle school due to lack of opportunities.

[12:50] Representation matters at all levels, and not just in sports.

[14:30] Jennifer is passionate about closing the gap between male and female sports in the Caribbean. She explains how it’s different over there than it is in the United States.

VertiMax

VertiMax on Facebook

VertiMax on Instagram

VertiMax on YouTube

VertiMax on LinkedIn

VertiMax Certification Education

Girlsbasketballwf.org

Tweetables:

“I had a passion, I would do it for free. I love training people."

"40% of girls drop out of sports because of lack of opportunities and lack of skill sets."