The List: Eric Falstrault

s j 5 h f b o 5
SHARES

BodhiFit is not just a catchy name.

It reflects coach Eric’s vow to improve the health of his clients.

Just like the bodhisattva represents the vow to help others.

There is a story behind this deep-seated vocation – there always is. This one relates the
illness and demise of coach Eric’s mentor.

I saw one of the strongest men I knew come down to his feet. I saw a powerful and
fearless warrior who saw death eye-to-eye and ordered it to fuck off, admit he was
defeated, and ready to give up. I saw someone whom I looked up to, look up to me, and
without talking, clearly asked for strength. In his mind, he lost his ability to fight, he lost all
strength. While he endured so many life-threatening fights in the army, and protected a few
high dignitaries and political figures, it never came to his mind that something so fierce
could render him powerless without his consent, or at least without a fight.
Steven’s early death was a decisive factor. If training had always been a passion of his, at
that time coaching took a deeper meaning.

Now, good intentions are worthless if you don’t have the skills
and knowledge to back them up.

Well, you can tell Coach Eric Falstrault did his homework. He attended too many seminars
to count. He is actually one of the select few to be have completed the highest level under
Charles’ guidance (something that requires you to have produced a world-class champion)

What Makes Coach Eric The Successful Trainer He Is?

Attention to Detail: The Importance of the first consultation

Nutrition:
When he meets a client for the first time, he follows the same routine.

First, bodyfat measurements.

Then, assessment of the clients’ dietary habits and lifestyle.

You can tell he has been conducting such consults for quite some time now, and he is a
naturopath too. He zeroes in the areas that can be improved without wasting time.

Usually the client goes away with only 2 or 3 items he needs to work on – lifestyle related
and maybe a couple supplements.

More often than not, one week later, improvements are already visible.

Structural balance and injuries prevention:

The second part of the consultation is all about physical tests.

Modalities vary according to the client’s needs. If the athletic population goes through the
whole gamut of structural balance tests. The average trainee who might not be able to
perform safely 1RMs on squats or bench press is usually evaluated with muscle testing and
the time-proven Klatt Test.

If there is any doubt about what might be a problem, coach Eric has a whole arsenal of tests
to make sure he knows what imbalances or weaknesses need to be addressed.

It is a very rare occurrence when a client shows up that doesn’t have some ailment or
nagging pain. And equally rare to meet an athlete that doesn’t need to rebalance his
musculature.

What Is Structural Balance?

To put it simply: I have established norms that indicate how much an athlete should
be able to lift relative to his other lifts if he aims at optimal strength development,
 longevity and wants to stay away from pain.

I have put to use the training logs from thousands of elite athletes I have worked with in
order to establish optimal strength ratios. These are not peer-reviewed studies, there
are actually better than that.

After the tests and according to the client’s goals, coach Eric will plan a workout program to
start with. This plan might be modified on the fly since few plans resist the test of the field.

He Cares About His Clients

Coach Eric takes his clients’ goals seriously even if they sometimes need to be redefined to
be more sensible. If he deems such objectives to be unsound he will show you the door
quite unceremoniously. ‘If you are in pain and clearly need to work on rehab, I am not the
one who will write you a strength program, I don’t care who you are and what amount of
pain you think you can take. Dead soldiers are worthless soldiers in my book.’

Coaching is both science and art.

Part of his mastery is being able to read people. He will give tough love when necessary.
And boost confidence when needed. There is a fair amount of good-natured locker-room
like banter going on at all times.

Proof that he cares? His first client still trains with him – 25 years later!

This gym gathers a tribe of people. Progress is almost inevitable. You are held accountable
for your own evolution.
He Loves What He Does

Each day is structured around the Ju-Jitsu practice. Not for convenience, coach Eric placed
practice strategically mid-day to recharge his batteries, keep him in a good mood, sharp
and ready to help to the best of his abilities. Already author of The Strength Code, coach
Eric is currently working on another book on strength training for Ju-Jitsu (spoiler alert:
members of the High Performance Package of the Strength Dojo better better stay tuned
about this one).

The gym has everything you need and accessories are many – where else can you find a
cannonball grip? You can tell everything has been thought about and collected over time.
Suffice it to say that training is never boring there.
The gym walls portray old time samurais, souvenirs from champions, training partners,
friends and visitors and, of course, the bushido code stands in clear view.
All in all, coach Eric Falstrault lives in congruence to the true meaning of the word samurai
which is: “to serve.”

If you are in Montreal this July you don’t want to miss the opportunity to enroll for the
upcoming lift and BJJ bootcamp.

Latest Articles
 The List: Eric Falstrault

How Much Fish Oil Is Too Much?

Carrageenan: Friend or Foe?

The List: Radomir Obrenić

Healthy Fats: 3 Delicious Ways To Include More In Your Diet

Categories

GENERAL

NUTRITION

SUPPLEMENTATION

TRAINING

Deutsch

Español

Français

Polski

Português
 Pусском

Suomeksi

Svenska

You May Also Like

How Much Fish Oil Is Too Much?

Carrageenan: Friend or Foe?

Healthy Fats: 3 Delicious Ways To Include More In Your Diet

Hormonal Optimization: Simple Guidelines

Holiday Rescue: Inflammation Management

Daily Foods: The Usual Suspects

Resveratrol and Insulin Sensitivity

The Protein Leverage Hypothesis

Study Finds No Link Between High Fat Diets And Cardiovascular Disease

What Is The Best Pre-Workout Meal?

Live Q&A – Insulin Sensitivity, Knee Health, Sleep & More

My Best Carbohydrate Food Sources to Improve Recovery

Top 10 Androgen Killers In Your House

Start the Day Right with Lime and Salt

What Research Can And Can’t Tell You About Optimal Diets

Macro-Nutrients Individualization – An Important Message

Top 10 Bullshit Excuses Fat Snowflakes Use to Negotiate More Carbs in their
Macros

Zinc Deficiency, Immune Response & Inflammation

Gut Bacteria and Obesity – Feeding the Microbiota

Vitamin D and Fish Oil Control Brain Serotonin

 POLICIES

COPYRIGHT © 2017. All rights reserved. CHARLES R. POLIQUIN