Klean For Recovery

Blog by Klean Team USA’s Todd Herriott – Sponsored Athlete.

Todd Herriott brings nearly 20 years of coaching experience to his work training teams and individuals who are serious about fitness performance and achieving health and strength-related goals. He is the founder and co-owner of Herriott Sports Performance (HSP), a Seattle-based strength and conditioning training center and bicycle pro shop that caters to cyclists and other athletes, alike.

As a competitor, instructor and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Herriott has worked with athletes of all abilities and integrates traditional and innovative training techniques into group and personal instruction.

His many certifications reflect Herriott’s focus on functionality as a key element of movement and strength training. He is a Dynamax Medicine Ball Master Trainer and presenter, RKC certified kettlebell instructor, Redcord Neuromuscular Suspension Training instructor, and an advocate of Inspiratory Muscle Training.

Prior to founding HSP, Herriott pursued a career as a professional cyclist, racing competitively for Health Net and Colavita/Sutter Home. He has worked with the BMC professional cycling team, serving as a conditioning consultant to the 2011 Tour de France-winning team.

He is passionate about competition at all levels in sport and the preparation that goes in to excelling to one’s fullest potential.

Kleaning up

First off, it’s great to have the support of Klean Athlete. Having peace of mind and knowing that the supplements I’m putting into my body before, during and after training are not just KLEAN but made from the best ingredients keeps me focused, fueled and ready to get after it day after day. That might sound pretty corny but at age 45 and after decades of training and racing and managing performance details is even more critical simply because I’m not recovering nearly as quickly as I used too. And with work, marriage, a new house and enough extra “this and that” aside from training to keep me busy 24 hours a day, I will admit to not always being particular about my diet i.e., I don’t always eat “well” – I’m always eating though!

So the headline for this blog is KLEAN for recovery. I’ve been in the strength and conditioning business for nearly 20 years now and I decided a few months back that I needed a new challenge to keep me focused and motivated. I spend many hours a day working with our clients in the HSP training center but in the past few years my training hasn’t been really more than weekend group rides/races and 1-2 rides during the week. In terms of resistance training, it’s nothing structured and most of the “workouts” are 15 minutes or less (I do a few a day) and then I’m hands on with the clients but it’s not really “training” it’s more instructing. I’m dragging on BUT I’m getting to the point. New challenge.

I decided a few months back to get the RKC instructor certification. Why? The challenge of something new. Plus I’m a believer of the RKC training methodology to a certain degree and I think I can apply a lot of it to our endurance athletes- whom I refer to as capacity athletes, not strength athletes. The instructor course is 3 days long and has a number of physical tests NOT just written stuff- I like that. The issue for me is that the physical tests require some real prep on my part. I don’t do a lot of overhead lifting and the big final test of the RKC is 100 snatches in 5 mins using a 20kg kettlebell- that ‘s for the 150 and under weight class that I am hoping to be included in. That may not sound too difficult- it didn’t to me at first, but it is. Swinging 44lbs over head that many times in a 5 minute period WITH 1 hand is no joke, especially if you haven’t been doing a LOT of training like that.

So I’ve been at it in the gym everyday for the past 2 months getting after it. I’m doing cleans, snatches, Turkish get ups, goblet squats, front squats, swings and supplementing all of that with Redcord and medball training and bike riding. My bike racing has taken a back seat but when I get through this I’m back to bike racing.

BRING IN THE KLEAN. I’m taking my Klean Multivitamin, Klean Omega, a double serving of Klean Antioxidant, and Klean Cognitive every day. On top of that I’m hitting the Klean Recovery after intense sessions. AND it’s helping a lot. I’m in the gym an average of 5 plus hours a day- not just working out but working with clients. I’m riding too and from work most days, doing at least 1 long ride on the weekend and then there’s everything else. The kicker is: I’ve stayed healthy ALL season- that’s amazing. I’m recovering like a champ between sessions and I feel GOOD. My fingernails and hair are growing fast- always a good indicator of fitness for me.  I’m a little nervous about the instructor course but if I keep on my current schedule of preparation and stay focused on the details, I’ll have my RKC before May and be back to getting ready for the state road race in June!

Stab the beast!

TH

To learn more about Todd and Herriott Sports Performance please visit hspseattle.com and be sure to follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.