5 Dumbest Things I Did In High School

As a high school football coach, I am still amazed to see how far behind 90% of the athletes and coaches are with respect to training and nutrition.

I can't believe that people can still be doing the wrong things, despite all of the information they have readily at their finger tips.

Fortunately for me, I regard myself as a highly intelligent person.

After all, I did graduate with two degrees from an Ivy League University :)
(Please note that the :) means I am being sarcastic and not arrogant)

While I did graduate with two degrees from an Ivy League University, I actually have no right to call myself highly intelligent.

When I look back at how I trained and ate in high school, I am lucky that I did not end up severely overweight or seriously injured.

The things I am about to share with you are pretty embarrassing, but if you can learn from them, then it is worth it.

Below are the Five Dumbest Things I did in high school.

1. Ate Loaves of Bread to Gain Weight

I remember walking into a deli first thing in the morning and buying a loaf of bread. I would then spend the rest of the day methodically eating that loaf of bread.

If someone would offer me protein, I would turn it down because I thought it would make me fat.

I am getting disgusted with myself just writing this.


2. Ate a Box of Fruity Pebbles for Breakfast

Before going to the deli to buy my loaf of bread, I would actually eat an entire box of cereal for breakfast.

For some reason, my parents had no concerns about this. They actually bought me a giant cereal bowl so I wouldn't have to keep refilling and refilling.


3. Ate an Ice Cream Cake a Week

I remember going to the grocery store every Sunday and buying an ice cream cake so I could eat it over the course of the week.

(Of all the things on this list, I actually wish I could still do this one.)


4. Wore "Lifting" Gloves 

I am not really sure why I wore "lifting" gloves. I guess it was to keep my hands nice and soft so I could eat carbs and ice cream all day.

Either way, I remember walking into the varsity gym at college for the first time with "lifting" gloves on.

Our strength and conditioning coach (who I now consider one of my best mentors) shut off the radio, made me stand in the middle of the room, and then publicly humiliated me in front of the entire football team for wearing gloves.

I have never worn "lifting" gloves again.

I can't thank my coach enough for doing that to me.

5. Never Performed A Back Squat

In high school, we did not have a squat rack.

I guess the school was of the mindset that you can get hurt squatting.

I guess no one told them that I could get hurt trying to take on a hit from a kid who can squat 500lbs either.

I guess you can imagine how my college strength coach took it when he watched me attempt my first back squat ever.

Wrap-Up


If you are a high school or college athlete, there are plenty of available resources out there to help you train and eat properly.

The fact that you are reading this blog means you are already headed in the right direction.