“The closer psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller the role innate talent seems to play and the bigger the role preparation seems to play…The thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works. That’s it. And what’s more, the people at the very top don’t work just harder or even much harder than everyone else. They work much, much harder.” – Malcolm Gladwell
I share this following advice with every individual who comes into our weight room looking for an strength & conditioning internship. While being an strength intern gives a bit of flexibility in scheduling working hours, understand that the time commitment that is inked in black and white is merely a minimum of the hours you need to work.
The strength & conditioning profession is certainly one that requires a great deal of time and energy; and if you’re looking for a career where you can work 9-5; look elsewhere. As an intern, take advantage of the experience to learn from others around you. Make it a personal mission to show up at the weight room early and state late. Malcom Gladwell wrote in his book “Outliers: The Story of Success” that true mastery develops after 10,000 of purposeful practice. Holding Gladwell’s theory as true, you’ll have 253 weekdays a year to improve your craft. What is going to take for you to become a great coach? A masterful coach? With Gladwell’s theory, it would suggest that five hours a day would take you eight years to reach mastery. Three hours of coaching a day will take you twelve years to reach mastery. The extra hour here and there, consistently across time, adds up. Make it your mission to do everything possible for you to become a better strength coach.
