Suzie Cooney Balance Training on Indo Board Gigante Disc
Balance training is a key component and is included in all of my training sessions with my clients, as a means to better improve their daily lives, surfing performance, SUP performance, or after recovering from an injury. I’ve written many articles on the topic and thought you might enjoy my quick radio segment from the Maui Breakfast Club, hosted by Tom Blackburn Rodriguez and Kellie Pali-Cruz, every Tuesday on KNUI 900 AM at around 7:38 in the morning:
Below are just a few of the articles that I’ve written regarding balance training. I’m also a team rider for Indo Board Company which supplies me with all of my balance training equipment. They are an innovative company that understands the importance of functional training and offer a variety of various platforms for all levels.
Suzie Cooney, CPT is a certified personal trainer on Maui since 2001. Her former background in sports orthopedics has exposed her to unique and challenging cases where her participation resulted in many positive outcomes. As an athlete, lifestyle coach, and professional SUP paddler, she too has recognized the importance of balance training when coming off of injuries or for increasing sports performance, but especially qualified to help those who are seeking to regain and rebuild muscle strength and coordination.
We encourage you to comment or share your experience and success with balance training and how it’s helped you in your fitness.
Shock Your Body to Get the Results You Want!
by Suzie Cooney, CPT of Suzie Trains Maui
World Champion Greg Minnaar
You ask, “shock your body”? Yes indeed, train really hard! Want to make serious changes in your body, read on. I’ve written many articles about how to avoid the dreaded plateau and burn extra body fat and now it’s time again to revisit this well-known training topic. I want to share in this article a couple different types of training methods that may just help you get through that time when your body is not responding and needs something very different to make these changes, or shed those last 5-10lbs. Let’s burn that fat baby!
I often whisper into the ears of my clients when they are grunting in the sand, covered from head to toe in sweat and I’m trying to get just one more rep out of them, as their teeth are clinched, I softly say, ” this is where your body changes”. I get the rep and they look at me like I have three heads, but they did it and get the results!
My True Collection team mate, Greg Minnaar trains hard! To pull these tricks and to maintain this kind of speed his routine is intense. Check out these photos:
There are many styles and types of training that offer many good results. Training needs to be fun, BUT it also must be effective and not lead to injury. Starting with a good base of fitness first before exploring more “hard core” training methods is highly recommended. If you go out of the gate too hard, or mix too many different types of training together all at once, for example, plyometrics, interval training or increase the numbers of pounds you’re lifting, there’s a good chance you could get hurt and you have a set back.
Motivation. It is the most important aspect of any fitness regime and yet sometimes it is so difficult to find! There are lots of tricks to stay motivated. For me it’s all about doing something I like to do. Then it’s easy to stay active. I also change up my activity… a lot. Winter for me means snow. Lots of snow. I love to snowboard, ski, snowmobile and cross country ski. In summer I enjoy being on the water, at least when the wind is blowing. For the last few years I’ve been learning how to kite surf. Continuing to challenge myself with something new helps me stay motivated. Having a friend to play with is also a great way to stay motivated. Sometimes when the couch seems more appealing than your bike… it’s great to have a cheerleader to help you get moving. And when you have an abundance of energy you get to do the same for your friend.
I’ve always considered myself pretty fit but certainly recognize that there are some big gaps. And at 45 those gaps are getting deeper. 3 weeks ago I was fortunate enough to get invited to tagalong to a Suzie Cooney workout. I hadn’t previously worked with a personal trainer and the session I did was tailored for someone else… but I loved it and immediately booked myself and my husband in for our own sessions with her.
My idea that a personal trainer was akin to an army sergeant couldn’t be farther from the truth. Yet Suzie provides a perfect motivational force! And she is a force. Moving weights back and forth a few hundred times is not on her program which is good because it has never been on my program. I didn’t know you could do some much with an rubber band and a ball. Every training session is different and each session is filled with an incredible variety of exercises. It is never boring. Suzie works hard at tailoring your work out to address each individuals needs. After our sessions my husband and I always compare what we did… and of course.. who is better at what!
I wish that I could take Suzie with me when I am not on Maui because with her help my current fitness goals are getting closer and closer.
Thanks Suzie!
Lisa is an inspiring, charging woman. I enjoy training and working with Lisa for she goes to task and beyond with a fierce focus like I’ve never seen. She has broke records in the studio and takes pride in perfecting and executing all the exercises I put forth and eagerly accepts ANY challenge that I place before her.
For example, standing on a stability ball is no easy exercise. Then why don’t you add some dumb bells to the mix and some shoulder presses. Follow this by a grueling “weighted” session on the Vew Do Board, INDO Board and then finish off with a leg burning round of high performance land surfing on the Brett Lickle special SURF BALL trainer pictured here:
Besides her outer beauty, she is a walking, living example of health and fitness and I hope everyone who reads her story will step it up a notch. When you see her photos you know, this is an athlete! Lisa and I have much in common like fast motors, and fast action packed adventure. You can be sure Lisa will be charging on her snowmobile faster than ever with more body confidence and her training will help her in any condition that is demanding of her catlike, quick reactions. Also be sure to look up if you’re kiting or windsurfing on Maui, she could just be soaring over your head catching some big air. She’s also taken a quick learn to SUP and is already stepping into some tight step turns on her second day! She is real and she is mighty and I’m glad to know her.
Do not let other’s “shape” your thoughts of how you feel about yourself or your body. I’ve written this article for those who have yet to learn how to love the skin you’re in.
When you look in the mirror what do you see? Remember the mirrors at the fun house when you were a kid? You laughed and giggled when you saw your body as short or wide and a little distorted. But as we come up in age sometimes in real life we may feel awkward or uncomfortable in our bodies.
As a fitness expert and lifestyle fitness coach, I often work with individuals who sometimes come to me with a picture of a movie star, or model or someone that has an entirely different genetic body type than what may be realistic. They say, “Suzie I want legs and arms just like that.”
There’s nothing wrong with desiring a shapely or fit body, but the reality of how we are made can often prevent us from being real with who we really are and accepting that genetics, medical conditions and other physiological factors play a role in how our bodies literally take shape.
The key to feeling good about your body is to learn and respect our natural shape. We must get rid negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. We can do this by learning more about the physiological factors that may influence the result of your training efforts and desired outcome.
Body Image is…
How you see or picture yourself.
How you feel others perceive you.
What you believe about your physical appearance.
How you feel about your body.
How you feel in your body.
It’s been studied, that people with negative body images have a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder and are more likely to suffer from feelings of depression, isolation, low self-esteem and obsessions with weight loss.
You want to exercise regularly, but you keep encountering roadblocks—those creative, persuasive excuses you come up with for not sticking to your plan. It’s a lifestyle! Identify what is in your way and charge ahead! I wanted to share with you a few tips that may help you keep your fitness goals on track. Some days or weeks feel like a huge mountain before you. Schedules, lack of sleep and other demands of life can creep in.
Don’t get discouraged and if you have one day that’s off, simply regroup and begin again.
Here are a few tips that I think might help:
A perceived lack of time is a common excuse for not exercising. When life gets hectic, exercise is usually the first thing to go. It’s easy to convince yourself that the morning jog can wait until lunchtime or after dinner, and then tomorrow!
Not enough time!
Excuse #1: I Don’t Have Enough Time.
Solution. Commitments, responsibilities and the demands of work, family and social life are always going to be there. You can choose to prioritize exercise now—or you can wait until you are forced to make it a priority. You will be more productive! Even just 10 to 30 minutes a day of exercise, if done consistently, can provide heath benefits. How about scheduling 30-minute appointments with yourself in your day planner?
Excuse #2: I Have No Energy. When you have had a long day at work, it’s tempting to want to go home, sit down on the coach and “zone out” in front of the television.
Solution. Schedule your workout for a different time. Get up 45 minutes earlier and go for a walk. Or keep your fitness gear in the car and go straight to the gym on the way home. It may be a good idea to schedule workouts with a friend—you won’t want to disappoint your buddy by not showing up. Know, too, that exercise gives you more energy!
Excuse #3: I Hate Exercise. Exercise can seem like a chore if the activity you’ve chosen doesn’t appeal to you.
Aloha Friends!If you’ve always wanted to have a private personal trainer, this may be for you!
I’ve been experimenting with a few clients and I’ve decided to offer something new and fun for those on a tight time schedule and budget.Express Workout – Suzie Trains Maui. Train with me, get fit and have fun in half the time! Join me in a supervised, custom workout that targets all muscle groups including cardio. Enjoy surround sound while you pump it up and make the most of your time. I’ll be safely pushing you during your workout depending upon your ability. We are constantly on the move. Heart rate is up and we’re having fun!
To maximize the benefits, your 30-minute workout consists of both resistance training and cardiovascular training.
I can make a wonderful a workout for you with two-thirds resistance training and one-third cardiovascular training. In a 30-minute workout, that’s 20 minutes of resistance and 10 minutes of cardio. Yes, just 10 minutes. But 10 strongminutes!
Each workout is different! It’s a great way to jump start your week or get motivated again. Call me for details.
**All new clients are required to have a pre-fitness assessment. Towels and water provided. Assessment includes photos, movement observations, flexibility review, blood pressure screening and lifestyle review.
I had the pleasure of getting to know Kevin and his lovely wife Susan when they came to Maui for their usual windsurfing adventure. I worked out with Susan while she was here and had such a great time.
Kevin and I at the time were helping rehab a dear friend and former US Ski Team member, Chris McCutcheon, an amazing athlete. I have to wonder how his knees are holding up these days Kevin?
Kevin has always been on the cutting edge of superior orthopedic technology and advances. As an athlete himself, he understands how important it is to get his patients back on the water, or on the slopes of Lake Tahoe. Patients arrive to his San Fransisco Clinic from all over the world and all get treated like first class athletes.
Kevin Stone, MD
“Many patients with healthy knees, but who are missing a portion of their meniscus, will benefit from a segmental re-growth,” Dr. Stone said.
Collagen Meniscus Implant Opens New Vista for Knee Repair
SAN FRANCISCO, August 18, 2009 - The Stone Clinic in San Francisco reported it implanted the first commercially available meniscus templates in California this past week, opening up a whole new field of meniscus reconstruction. The implant permits segmental rebuilding of portions damaged or missing meniscus cartilage, the fibrous shock absorber of the knee.To date doctors have only been able to remove, suture repair or replace the whole meniscus with cadaver tissue. There was no method of rebuilding or regenerating missing and torn segments. Torn meniscus cartilage leads to more than 1.4 million knee arthroscopies each year in the U.S. alone. Most commonly, surgeons just remove the damage tissue leaving the knee exposed to wear and tear arthritis. The new medical procedure – collagen meniscus implant – literally allows tissue in the knee to re-grow. Continue reading Repairing the Meniscus of the Knee Just Got Better Read About New Collagen Implant
Enjoy and get inspired from our local Ironman, Phil McGain; a true picture of health.
A count down to an Ironman.
Three weeks out and the adrenalin is already building. I go to sleep at night thinking about my nutrition on the bike, the experts say this is one of the key areas, so I want to get it right. How many gels, where am I going to put them all (18)? I figure I’m on the bike for at least 6.5 hours, that’s 300 calories an hour I need to put into my body, 3 gels every 20 minutes. Ok, I’ll use powerbars because each of those holds 300 calories each. There must be aid stations which will carry most of this? So you see the questions keep flowing into the mind. This is the adventure, the challenge of it all. It becomes a science of survival.
“How am I going to run 26 miles after biking 112miles, in my training my longest run has been 16 miles and that was the day after a 7 hour bike ride, maybe I’ll make it, but how fast will I be able to run, how will I feel after mile 18 on the run? What will my finish time be, will I finish at night or in the day? I can run a stand alone Marathon in 4 hours, so I might be able to run the marathon in 4.45, or maybe not?
It’s the week after I just finished my hardest weekend of training. Last Saturday it was 117 miles on the bike, which took 7 hours. I started in Paia at 6am, headed to Kihie to meet up some friends who were doing a 3 hour road bike session. They always go faster than me so I managed to stay with them for 45 minutes, then my heart rate was too high so I dropped back into my HR zone, from Maalaea I headed back to town (Kahului) to kill some miles, then over to Wailea. It was starting to get hot around 9am, I could see the sweat pouring out of my arms and dripping off my nose while down on the aerobars. I had to keep up my fluid intake or I would pay the price later. From Wailea it was time to head over to the West side, I was only 3 hours into my ride, I had 4 hours to go, the legs were starting to get hot and a little tied. Up over the Pali, now that wasn’t too bad and down the other side on the long stretch to Lahaina. I went out for another hour then turned around (at Kapalua hill) and headed back to Paia. I quickly changed into my shoes and headed out for a 45 minute run. I actually felt pretty good on the run, which always surprises me because at times on the bike it gets so hard. So a long day, 8 hour workout. Thanks goodness that is done.
On Sunday morning I was up early again and headed out on the road from my house in Haiku to get in a 3 hour run. Take it easy I always tell myself for the first hour, then I get into a steady pace and try to keep it that way til I get home. I got in 16 miles and managed to stay strong most of the way. Got home and got straight into an ice bath to soak the legs, had a huge breakfast and then picked up Madi (my daughter) for the day.
Monday is no exercise day, so it’s a good day to catch up rest, sleep and some extra work. Also got a massage in the afternoon, a short walk on the beach before sunset and a jump in the ocean. Now that’s a good day for the body.
Tuesday is swim day and I tried out my new wetsuit because that is what I’m swimming in over in Germany. I got in a 1.5 hour swim, did 4200 yards, a good session and felt good. Also a little windsurfing today which was nice. Late afternoon when the sun was low I got in a run workout. 20 minutes warm up, then 3 x 12 minute at faster than race pace, for me that’s about 8min/mile pace. I felt great, breathing was easy, which was encouraging after the weekend of long workouts, then a 15 minute cool down at easy pace.
Wednesday it was back on the bike for a 70 minute turbo workout, ie 20 min. warm up, then 5 x 5 minutes at fast paced, Heart rate zone 3, which is around 135 to 145. 20 min. cool down. Then on with the shoes for a 35 minute transition run at easy pace.
Thursday morning now, just got back from a early morning swim masters session, got in 3500 metres, a good solid workout. Time to eat and work, windsurf later and get in an hour run.
Tune In The Maui Breakfast Club: with Tom & Kellie Health & Fitness Specialist, Suzie Cooney of Suzie Trains Maui KAOI 1110 AM Every Friday morning at 7am Join Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez, Co-Host Kellie Pali-Kanashiro and Maui Weekly Special Correspondent Trisha Smith. “If it’s Friday, it’s the Maui Breakfast Club.”
Tune In The Maui Breakfast Club: with Tom & Kellie Health & Fitness Specialist, Suzie Cooney of Suzie Trains Maui KAOI 1110 AM Every Friday morning at 7am Join Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez, Co-Host Kellie Pali-Kanashiro and Maui Weekly Special Correspondent Trisha Smith. “If it’s Friday, it’s the Maui Breakfast Club.”
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Tags: advanced training, balance training, brain training, fitness, functional training, Hawaii, healthy lifestyle, INDO Board, Indo Board Fitness Tips, KNUI, Maui, Maui Breakfast Club, Maui fitness training, muscle firing, muscle stabilization, nervous system, neuromuscular training, Pacific Radio Group, perosnal trainer, personal training, Quick Fitness Tips, radio, Stand Up Paddling, SUP, Suzie Cooney, Suzie Trains Maui, trends in fitness, weak muscles, weakness, windsurfing, Women's Health
Express Workout – Suzie Trains Maui. Train with me, get fit and have fun in half the time! Join me in a supervised, custom workout that targets all muscle groups including cardio. Enjoy surround sound while you pump it up and make the most of your time. I’ll be safely pushing you during your workout depending upon your ability. We are constantly on the move. Heart rate is up and we’re having fun!
