WARRINGTON weightlifter Josh Summersgill believes that every person on the planet deserves to reach their true physical potential, and optimal health and wellbeing in life- and has now published a book to help people on their journey.
Josh from Westbrook, Warrington said: “My true passion is helping people achieve what they previously believed to be impossible. Whether that is to compete in the sport of Weightlifting, build the body that they have always dreamt of, or just simply develop their confidence and excel.
“As a performance coach I have studied and practiced in a number of training disciplines including Martial Arts, Gymnastics and Functional Fitness, this has led me to my specialist area and niche, Olympic Weightlifting.
“I am proud to say that I am a certified British Weightlifting Coach and have been helping people for almost six years to become stronger and improve their Olympic Lifting Skills. During this time I have had the privilege of coaching over 500 athletes, and witnessed each one of them become more skillful with a barbell.
“I am a true believer that you should practice the craft that you teach. I have trained physically since a very young age and I am currently a competitive Senior National Weightlifter.”
His book ‘Moving the Needle’ is a book for anyone and everyone. It is a collection of anecdotes and discoveries Josh has experienced, developed and discovered through years of mistakes, commitment and hard work that can be applied to all walks of life and living.
Throughout his career as a coach, Josh says he came to realise that what he was teaching people in the gym, had an incredible carry over into their day-to-day lives.
“Now I’m not talking about how a Deadlift can teach you to lift up a box of flat-pack furniture, or how taking a bar from your shoulders to overhead can help you play with your children, it was the psychological lessons that were creating the biggest impact. It is these psychological discoveries and thought-provoking realisations that I want to share.
He added: “Through training, whether that be for a competitive sport or so that you can become fitter, stronger and live for longer, it’s not just your physiology that adapts, more importantly, it’s your mind. When you decide that just because something is challenging or uncomfortable, that doesn’t mean that you stop or give up, that is when the real magic begins to happen. There are times in training when you would rather do anything else than complete your next set. It could be another 500m interval on the rower, it could be another set of supramaximal Clean pulls, it could even be when you’re stuck up a mountain unable to walk properly. Regardless of what your task is, once you realise that you can physically get through it by being mentally resilient, there won’t be much on planet earth that can stop you.
“Through coaching, I learned that as a coach you are not simply somebody who instructs a person through exercise. You develop a bond with that person and help them grow not only physically, but psychologically as well. I consider it an absolute privilege to call myself a coach, and that I have been able to coach so many unbelievable human beings since I started. To be able to truly have a positive impact on somebody’s life is one of the best feelings in the world.
“The reason I wrote this book is to share what I have learned with as many people as possible. I want to share the lessons that I have seen first-hand have an amazing effect of peoples’ lives. I wanted to create a book where as the reader you can not only enjoy the content, but I want to actively encourage you to scribble all over it. Make notes, underline elements that really resonate with you and use it as a reference manual. If like me you like to keep your books looking pristine, I have included a specific notes section in the back of the book for you to write in. Along with the notes section there is a reference list explaining any of the technical gym-based lingo.”
Josh says that through coaching, training, and often learning things the hard way, the lessons learned in this book will help you move forward with your performance, happiness and success. “Whatever you aspire to achieve, it’s time to start Moving The Needle!”
‘Moving The Needle’ is now available to pre-order on Amazon and will be released next week, on December 14th.
Picture Jackie R photography
