IOL Strength and Conditioning

In pondering an overview of my days at IDEA last week, one thing really jumps out that I need to clear up before I delve into 57 pages of notes, and a pile of scribble-covered presenter handouts: I owe Todd Durkin an apology.

You see, I’d judged him; I made and held an impression of him based on a film clip, and on what he does. I thought a guy who taught instructors to drill others in bootcamp group exercise classes and who trains pro athletes would have to have an ego the size of Texas. Only… it turns out Todd’s a Jersey boy, just like Dave.

Instead of Mr. Ego yelling his opinions, the participants in the class I attended, Optimal Performance Bodywork and Flexibility, were treated to the rare experience of a guy truly giving his all. You know it when it happens — you can feel it. The energy in the room was different than the other 20-some presentations I enjoyed over the course of four-and-a-half days. He brought the energy to change it from an instructor and his students and transformed it into a meshed unit. Everyone was in that room. There were none thinking about what to eat for dinner, not for a fleeting thought during the two hours we spent with him.

His IDEA presentations were filmed, and are available online now. Here’s the link to the class I enjoyed so much, the one on bodywork that I can’t recommend enough for massage therapists and personal trainers who do any hands-on work (as an un-certified non-trainer, scope of practice is out of my territory, but during the class Todd was careful to point out the differences in a group of mixed professions); it’ll be available as an online seminar and dvd shortly. He also taught a class on growing a fitness business, which I’m sure was fabulous and will be useful to many, and, of course, his Bootcamp class is legendary, and will also be online in a week or two.

I was — I am — most impressed. I almost wish I was a personal trainer or a massage therapist (almost) so I could practice his teachings. The trainers and therapists left that room different, I just know it.

From Todd’s Flexibility DVD, here’s a list of his preferred stretches for all-purpose performance, along with his choices for self-myofascial work. This routine is a combination of active isolated stretching, self-myofascial release and neuromuscular re-education techniques.

Here, look, this is an example of his flexibility options:

Todd’s teleseminars on cd, now here’s one I would have rolled my eyes at before seeing him in action last week, but today I tell a different story: Creating Positive Energy, $10. Honestly, I think this guy can pull it off.

Todd, please accept my sincere apology. You’re terrific! The rest of you I leave with this:

Get after it.