grrlAthlete Interviews Female Strength Coach Rachel Cosgrove

GA: Hi Rachel, and thank you so much for the interview. Let's start by discussing your training background. What sports and activities did you participate in while you were growing up? Was there one in particular that you concentrate on?

RC: Growing up I competed as a dancer in jazz, ballet and tap. I spent the majority of my time in the dance studio. I went on to become a professional dancer when I was sixteen and danced professionally until I was 23 when I started my career as a strength and conditioning coach.

GA: How did your participation in sports lead to a career in strength and conditioning?

RC: I learned how to lift weights when I was 10 or 11 years old from my dad. We would go to the gym together 2-3 times a week. I was hooked on working out from then on. I went to college and earned a B.S. in Exercise Physiology from UC Santa Barbara but this was just the beginning of my knowledge as a strength and conditioning coach. As my dance career progressed I realized how much strength training played a part in making me a better dancer.

I moved to New York after graduating from college to continue my dance career. While living there I also got a job working as a personal trainer. That's when I met Alwyn Cosgrove, who later became my husband. He was the first one to open my eyes to the science behind program design and how you can design a training program specifically for your sport. My own training programs took a huge jump and I noticed a big difference in my dancing. I also started to experiment with my own clients and saw amazing results.

Fitness and strength training soon became a passion of mine as well as my dancing and I entered the world of Fitness Competitions where I could do both. I got extremely involved with the gym and training my clients and my own workouts and realized that this is what I wanted to pursue as my career.

GA: How have you furthered your career?

RC: Since entering the field of strength and conditioning I am one of the few females who has earned my CSCS as well as become certified as a USAW Olympic Weightlifting coach and become a CHEK Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach. It surprises me how few females there are in this industry. I have also worked closely with Charles Poliquin, Ian King, Dr. Eric Serrano and Paul Chek. I have read numerous books on both strength training and nutrition and have become very involved in the industry.

Nutrition has become my new passion and I have been taking courses and studying more and more about nutrition and how it affects an athlete's performance. My husband and I moved to California in 1999 and opened our own place where we train athletes as well as clients of all levels. I also run a separate nutrition program out of our facility. And that is my story!

GA: That's an incredible motivational path for our readers. Where did you begin with your first training job? Were you immediately involved in the training of athletes?

RC: I actually started in the industry teaching aerobics at a YMCA while I was in college. When I moved to New York I worked as a personal trainer at various gyms and eventually had my own independent clientele. I didn't work with any athletes until after I got my CSCS and my husband and I opened our own place in California. But I believe everyone is an athlete.

My very first client I ever trained was an older lady who had never worked out in her life and was extremely unfit. I worked with her for two years and by the second year she was competing in horse back riding. This was something she used to do when she was young and we worked on getting her fitness levels up to the point where she was able to compete again at 47 years old! I have also worked with a woman who wanted to run a marathon. She had run one before but hadn't run in years. During a twelve week period of strength training and running she was able to get a personal best in her marathon! Anyone who runs a marathon is an athlete!

So I guess I would say I was immediately involved in training athletes because I believe everyone is an athlete whether they are a housewife or a full time training athlete. Everyone should train like an athlete. Now I work with some full time ice skaters and marathon runners but to be honest I would rather help someone achieve something they never thought they could do. I leave most of the full time athletes to my husband but I do train some of them. I do work with a lot of the athletes on their nutrition.

GA: Very impressive Rachel. How did your experiences as an athlete help you work specifically with other young female athletes?

RC: We work with a lot of full time ice skaters at our facility and being a dancer I experienced many of the same pressures they experience. There is so much pressure on these young girls to look a certain way and I always struggled with that as a dancer. I never had a ballerina type body. I was always more muscular. I had to learn to work with what God gave me and strength training helped me to do that. I could change the way my body looked with exercise. I also learned about nutrition at a young age and I think it is so important for these young girls to learn how to eat properly.

I also like to emphasize with the athletes that it has to be fun! If they aren't having fun and don't love what they do then they shouldn't continue doing it.

I also realize the importance of their sport. Strength training is to supplement their sport and if they aren't getting better as an athlete then I am not doing my job. They are not here to lift weights; they are here to improve their sport whether it be ice skating, golf or running.

GA: Let's talk about the athletes you work with now in more detail. What types of sports do they play?

RC: I work with many different athletes with many different levels. Most of the clients I have now have been with me for three years. I haven't taken on any new clients in the last year. I train a few marathon runners, a golfer, a soccer player and some ice skaters.

GA: Do you have a specific training philosophy that shapes your programs?

RC: Women need to lift heavier weights and stop being afraid of getting "big and bulky." Train for a specific goal whether it be a vertical jump, to run faster, or to change your body composition. Your program needs to have a specific goal in mind. Work on one thing at a time.

GA: On a general level, what are the two top tips you would give a young female athlete that is looking to improve their sport performance?

RC:

1. Believe in themselves. Conceive, Believe and Achieve! Goal setting is very important with young athletes so they know what they are working towards.

2. Work toward one goal at a time. Don't try to do too many things at once. Pick one goal and put all of your energy toward it.

GA: When female athletes come to your gym, what are the typical strengths and weaknesses of these athletes? Do they excel in aerobic capacity and have a lack of upper body strength?

RC: Most female athletes don't know their own limits. They don't realize how much harder they can work until they have a coach to teach and coach them. I would say that is their biggest weakness. As far as physical weaknesses it really depends on what sport they play. Before training them we do an extensive evaluation to find out where they are weak and everyone is different depending on their background. The same goes for strengths.

GA: Rachel, grrlAthlete appreciates all the time you have given us. Can you let the readers know more about your facility, your location, and how to contact you? Thanks again so very much and best wishes in your career!

RC: Our facility is located in Santa Clarita, California. We offer individualized training programs that produce results as well as a specific nutrition program. Both of these programs are also available online or over the phone. Please check out our website at www.rachelcosgrove.com. Feel free to contact me with any questions by phone or email at 661-799-7900 or rachel@rachelcosgrove.com.