Nick Gill + All Blacks visit HBHS
All Black strength and conditioning trainer Nick Gill spoke to all 1st and 2nd code representative players during a lunchtime session in the school hall on Wednesday 20 June. The All Blacks themselves conducted a closed training session at HBHS Gym on Thursday, from 9.00 to noon.
His main message what about how, as athletes, the boys can get the best out of their performance. He discussed the ways that the intake of food relates to performance, the fact that sleep patterns have a significant bearing on wellbeing (recommending between 8 – 10 hours of sleep a night), and that eating every two to three hours a day supports recovery and physical output.
He also talked about using technology to help with training – in particular MyNetDiary, which allows you to calculate the number of kilojoules you should be consuming for peak performance in your particular sport, given your body weight and training frequency. It can also scan barcodes for nutritional content; a number of the 1st XV rugby players are already beginning to experiment with this programme.
The interview below was conducted with Nick Gill by GetStrength.Com
Name: Nicholas Gill
Profession: Strength & Conditioning Coach
Team: All Blacks
Greatest achievements as a trainer: NZ Mens Coxless Four Winning Gold at 2007 World Champs, Grand Slam of Home Nations 2008,
Years in the Industry: 12 Years
What strength coach or trainer has had the most impact on you and why?
So many different strength coaches for so many different reasons (both good and bad!)
What are the positives of being a Strength and Conditioning Coach / Trainer?
Being able to help people achieve their potential………and being able to experiment with what the human body can do (and in some instances CANT do)
What are the negatives?
Working in a field where many can achieve at a high level without the knowledge and ability that is required
What advice would you have for those wishing to become a part of the industry?
Get lots of experience for a range of people, never feel like your philosophy is locked in cement, it will change as you read and interact with athletes and other coaches. Most successful S&C coaches are influenced by many but never stray from the basic fundamentals
What is your favorite exercise?
The Squat and all its variations – Back, Box, ¼, Jump, Split, Sprinter etc
Favorite piece of equipment you have in your gym?
The Barbell in my garage………
If you could change one thing what would it be?
Fiber type transformation………I wish Fiber Type could be changed through training rather than just the characteristics of fibers being altered? OR detraining, wouldn’t it be nice if training was cumulative regardless of downtime due to illness, injury etc
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