CategoriesFemale Training

The “X-Factor” When It Comes to Convincing Women to Lift Weights?

What an awesome weekend.

Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this post, I first wanted to offer my gratitude to Randy Martin and his staff over at POWER Fargo for not only inviting me to speak but for being amazing hosts during the 3rd Annual Sanford POWER Strength and Conditioning Clinic.

Not only was it an eventful two days filled with top notch training and nutrition information catered towards fitness professionals (there were roughly 200 attendees, mostly strength coaches, personal trainers, physical therapists, with a spattering of Bert Blyleven fans* ), but – and I know this is a random point to bring up  – the food spreads were on point!

You know you’re at a strength and conditioning event when all-you-can-eat deviled eggs and chicken/pineapple skewers are part of the experience.  It was meathead heaven!

The only thing that would have made it more meat-headed was if they included creatine as a condiment or John Cena showed up and started a pig roast.

Note to any future seminar/conference planners:  this needs to happen.

Game time for me was all-day Saturday.  I spoke a total of six times – two presentation (one on squat assessment, and the other on shoulder “stuff”) and four, 30-minute long hands on sessions, where I discussed some of the shoulder care exercises we use at Cressey Performance with the bulk of our overhead athletes.

The latter of which you can learn in more detail HERE.

And by watching this video (my apologies for the lighting, it does get better as the video progresses):

Needless to say by the end of the day Saturday my brain was mush.  Annnnd I lost my voice.

Now I’m sitting here in the lounge area at my hotel Sunday morning writing this blog before I head to POWER to get a quick lift in with a few of the coaches there, and then it’s off to the airport.

So if you’re reading this post on Monday…….I MADE IT HOME!  YAY!!!

Also, as a quick aside:  Can I just take a second to say how lovely, in general, people here in the Mid-West are???

It’s been so refreshing to make eye contact with people, have them smile, and say “good morning.”

Sometimes I feel as if you can do the same thing in Boston (say hello to someone) and you’re more apt to be challenged to a knife fight than someone reciprocating.

Thanks Mid-West, for restoring my faith in humanity!!

The “X-Factor” When It Comes to Convincing Women to Lift Weights?

It’s no secret that I’ve encouraged and longed championed that women can and should lift (appreciable) weights.  I say “appreciable weights,” because pink dumbbells don’t count.  Those are paperweights. Doorstoppers. Bookshelf holders. The things that are relegated to the Tracy Anderson’s and Gwyneth Paltrow’s of the world (when she’s not dissing working moms of course) who are ignorant, prefer to placate into women’s fears about fitness,and/or want to sell DVDs.

NOTE: For those interested, HERE’s a link to a bunch of female-specific blog posts on my website. Stuff that’s actually useful, educational, empowering, and is gluten and botox free.

There’s no shortage of reasons why women should lift weights.  For all intents and purposes they’re the very same reasons why men lift weights:  to improve performance (whether in their respective sport(s), in daily life, or in the bed room.  BOM CHICKA BOM BOM), to improve health markers (increased lean body mass, improved bone density, offset metabolic disease, to name a few). to (hopefully) prevent injury, to look and feel like a million bucks, and/or, simply, because they like it or want to.

I recall several encounters my girlfriend, Lisa, has had at the commercial gym where she trains.  She’s a pretty serious lifter. She deadlifts, squats, performs hip thrusts, push-ups, can crush strict bodyweight chin-ups for reps, and on more than one occasion she’s been approached by both men and women who ask the inevitable question:

Are you, like, training for something?

Her answer:  “Yes, life.”

It’s in that light that I wholeheartedly LOVE it when women just train to train.

The question, though, is why do so many women refrain from hitting the weights in the first place despite knowing the gulf of benefits it provides?

Some of the the battle, I believe, is just getting through the intimidation factor.  I can understand why the bulk of women are reluctant to mosey on over to the free-weight area, what with all those guys grunting and groaning (it’s 40 lbs dude, relax), not to mention the redolent, gaseous, plume of Axe Body Spray one has to contend with.

It’s nasty.  I can’t say I blame them there.

A larger portion of the battle, and something many coaches don’t recognize, is the gender differences between men and women (Quick Refresher: boys have boy down there parts. Girls have girl down there parts.) and how they use the power of comparison, for better or for worse.

This is something that Registered Dietician and strength coach, Dave Ellis, touched on over the weekend during one of his talks at the POWER Fargo Strength Clinic.

He noted that one of the marked differences between men and women is that women are more societal comparitive, and men tend to be more temporal comparitive.

Put another way: women judge their current state against others (women), while men judge their current state to their own past current state.

If that still doesn’t make sense: women (not all) compare themselves to other women, while men (not all) compare themselves to themselves.

It’s uncanny how much this makes sense.

In the weight-room guys are always trying to lift more weight, competing against themselves, judging their progress by what they did in the days, weeks, months, or even years prior.

Conversely, women (again, not always) judge progress by comparing themselves to other women and it’s toxic at times.

I once had an older female client – in her 50s – who would regularly kick-ass in the gym – only to disregard her progress because she didn’t look like the 22 year-old former Division I athlete who trained at the same time as her.

And this was a woman who had a few years of good training under her belt and knew better.

What does this say for those women who have little to no training experience?

Maybe the initial intimidation factor, and what prevents some women from seeing progress, isn’t so much the dudes walking around with their tubs of protein and cut-off shirts, not to mention the learning curve and trying to figure out what the pulldown thingamajiggy does, but rather the notion that many are comparing themselves to other women; some of which are younger or just have more training experience?

It’s human nature to compare – that’s not the issue.  But when it serves as the main litmus test to gauge progress, and it’s done all….the…..time, it can become problematic.

I don’t know the exact answer to this conundrum – I’m a strength coach not a psychologist!! – but maybe if we (as fitness professionals) made a more concerted effort to tweak or “nudge” women’s mentality and to try to get them to compete against themselves, we’d see a bit more of paradigm shift?

It’s something I try to instill in my female clients from day one.  Rather than gauge progress by comparing themselves to what other women are doing or how they look, I try to get them to focus on THEMSELVES. Once they recognize, understand, and accept that any progress is progress, that’s a massive mountain that’s been conquered.

– Maybe they’re doing push-ups from the floor now, whereas four weeks ago they could barely eek out one from an elevated pin position. Win!

– Maybe they’re able to perform a clean looking squat pattern now, whereas before they could barely do it without falling over. You go girl!

– Maybe they added 20 lbs to their deadlift! Baller!

– Maybe they can fit into their favorite pair of jeans now. Holla!

– Maybe they can get through an entire training session without having to take a break, whereas before they had to stop every five minutes. Fantastic!

– Maybe they don’t call you an asshole as much during their training session.  Until you make them push the sled….;o)

All of those accomplishments should celebrated – regardless of how trivial they may seem – and should serve as a way to empower women to see that it isn’t about what other’s are doing and comparing everything to them, but how they’re making themselves better.

It’s about you.  Simple as that.

* For those who have no clue who Bert Blyleven is.  He’s only the Minnesota Twins’ all-time leader in pretty much every pitching category there is, including rocking the high stirrups.  

He was also inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.

Since I was speaking in Minnesota I made sure to win the graces of the crowd by giving tribute to my Twins knowledge and not make too many references to the Red Sox.  I busted out a few Kirby Puckett, Gary Gaetti, Kent Hrbek, and Danny Gladden references.

And Tom Brunansky

And Jack Morris

I’ll keep going dammit……………

Chuck Knoblauch, Joe Mauer, Frank Viola, what!

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/11/14

As most of you are reading this, I’m currently on my way to Fargo, Minnesota to present at the Sanford POWER Strength & Conditioning Clinic this weekend.

UPDATE:  to say I’m ass, and realized after having landed and met my ride that I was in NORTH DAKOTA and not Minnesota.

It’s my first extended stay in the state of Minnesota North Dakota, and sadly I have no beard to show for it.

Nevertheless, I was pumped to be invited to speak at this event and am looking forward to a weekend of learning and networking (and trying my best not to make any references to Fargo, the movie).

You’re darn tootin’!

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Here’s this week’s list of stuff to read while you’re pretending to work.

Enjoy!

Skipping Breakfast: Will It Really Make You Fat? – Helen Kollias

People love arguing over the merits of breakfast.  I for one LOVE breakfast.  I wake up every morning excited to crush an omelet.  And I’m not talking about some sissy egg white omelet either.  No, no.  I’m talking about a 6-8 WHOLE egg omelet.

Breakfast isn’t for everyone, though, and it’s not the end of the world if someone decides to skip it.  Despite some sensationalistic reports, skipping it WILL NOT make you fat.  The team over at Precision Nutrition explains why.

8 Moves For a Crazy Strong Core – Ben Bruno

It’s official:  Ben Bruno is a sadistic bastard.

The Positive Business Plan – Mark Fisher and Michael Keeler

This isn’t something to read, but rather watch.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned in helping to start and run a successful (fitness) business it’s that caffeine is your best friend going out of your way to build a sense of COMMUNITY amongst your members is worth more than gold.

You’d be hard pressed find anyone who’s done a better job at doing this than Mark Fisher and his business partner, Michael Keeler.

I mean, they refer to their clients as Ninjas!  And they don’t call their gym a gym.  Instead, they refer to it as The Enchanted Ninja Clubhouse of Glory and Dreams.

But it’s not all unicorns and nunchucks.

Mark estimates that each coach at his establishment spends roughly 10-hours per week on personal development.

Ie:  their “Ninjas” get coached very, very well.  They not only know every word to the musical Wicked, but they know who Mel Siff is.

I’ve personally met Mark, and I respect the hell out of him.  And I HIGHLY encourage anyone who’s remotely interested in starting a business (any business) to watch this 16 minute video.

CategoriesUncategorized

Help Cressey Performance Support The One Fund Boston

It goes without saying that last year’s Boston Marathon will forever be singed in our memories as a pretty crappy day.

This is especially true for those who were directly affected by the horrific events that transpired.

Indeed the entire country shared in the horror, but as someone who lives in Boston (my apartment is located less than two miles from the finish line), I can tell you first hand that the events of that day, not to mention the days that followed when the entire city essentially shutdown to find those two dickheads, conjure up equal parts rage and pride.

Rage in the sense that it’s hard to believe that there are people that evil and cowardly in the world who would (and will) casually do something so unspeakable, as if they’re simply flipping a coin or deciding which movie to go see.

Pride in the sense that the human condition never ceases to amaze me. There were infinite numbers of people who risked their own lives to act and to seek justice.

More to the point, after the fact, thousands upon thousands of people have been more than willing to lend a helping hand in countless ways.

It’s a year later, and with the 2014 Boston  Marathon right around the corner it’s safe to say that all those same feelings from last year are being drummed up and people are still eager to remember that tragic day and to offer their help.

Cressey Performance will be hosting a Charity BootCamp this coming Saturday, April 12th from 7:45 AM to 8:45 AM, and all proceeds will be donated to The One Fund Boston.

Obviously not everyone reading can attend the bootcamp, unless you happen to have a private jet in your back-yard.

Either way we’d graciously accept any donations others would be willing to contribute.

Greg Robins has set-up a campaign page for people to donate to HERE.  Our goal is to raise $200, but I think we can (and will) easily surpass that.  Especially with your help.

Again, 100% of the proceeds will go towards The One Fund.  And, I owe you a hug for being such an awesome human being.

Just sayin.

Thank you!!!

CategoriesAssessment Corrective Exercise

Tendinitis vs. Tendinosis: Yes, There’s a Difference

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the filming of Eric Cressey and  Mike Reinold’s next phase in their Functional Stability Training series, Functional Stability Training – Upper Body.

As an FYI:  the first two modalities, Functional Stability Training – Core, and Functional Stability Training – Lower Body, can be accessed HERE.

Think of the whole shebang as on par with The Dark Knight trilogy.  All stand alone pieces are equally badass in their own right, but as a whole……can be considered mindblowing.

Yesterday entailed the filming of the “hands-on” or lab portion, and Cressnold (as I like to call them) took volunteers from the audience and placed them through a few shoulder screens/assessments to demonstrate that not all shoulders are created equal.

More importantly, they took it as an opportunity to demonstrate to everyone that how “we” approach treating and addressing certain dysfunctions can drastically change from one shoulder to the next.

And, as it happened, I ended up being one of their guinea pigs, as seen below in a “behind the scenes” shot.

Basically, it went down like this:

Mike:  would anyone be willing to take their shirt off?

[dead sprint from my seat]

Me:  Can The Rock smell what’s cookin?  Does a bear shit in the woods?  Does Dolly Parton sleep on her back?  YOU WANT MY PANTS OFF TOO????

I suspect that my 20 minute shirtless cameo will be a huge selling point for Eric and Mike when they finally release this module.

Learn the secrets behind an effective shoulder screen/assessment.  

Find out how both Mike and Eric choose what treatment and corrective exercise progressions come into play based off a thorough shoulder assessment.

Watch Tony squeeze his pecs and turn a piece of coal into a diamond!

Okay, all facetiousness aside, it was a FANTASTIC event and it should come as no surprise that Mike and Eric helped make a lot of people a heckuva lot smarter.

One key point that I want to discuss today which Mike hit on briefly during one of his talks, is the notion of tendinitis and tendinosis.

Many people think the two are one in the same and that both should be lumped together (like Star Wars and Star Trek.  You know, cause both take place in space) with regards to how we go about assessing and addressing each.

This is wrong, and here’s why.

– itis = is the Greek suffix for inflammation.

– osis = is the Greek suffix which denotes actions, conditions, or states. In the context of this conversation it refers to degeneration.

Someone with acute elbow pain or discomfort for example has tendinITIS.  You can palpate the area, the person will say “ow,” tell them to apply ice, take some ibuprofen for a few days, lay low on things that exacerbate symptoms, and they should be fine within a few weeks, if not days.

Conversely, someone with a more chronic, insidious condition has tendinOSIS.  You can palpate the area, the person will probably want to punch you in the face (but it could just as easily be more acute discomfort like the example above), but in this case, despite icing, popping NSAIDS, and rest, the condition, even after six months hasn’t gotten any better.

The problem here is actual degeneration of the joint, and it’s in this scenario we need to look more outside the box.

In keeping with the elbow example, someone with tendinitis will typically – not always – respond well with dedicated manual therapy on the problem area itself alongside your standard ice/rest protocol.

If the issue doesn’t resolve and it continues for months on end (tendinosis), and as Mike pointed out, sometimes you need to look elsewhere along the kinetic chain to see what’s the TRUE culprit.

It’s something he’s routinely referred to as The Kinetic Chain Ripple Effect.

When dealing with a more chronic issue, you still need to look at the affected area (in this case the elbow), but you also need to look at other factors elsewhere.

You can treat the elbow all you want with manual therapy and corrective exercise, but if someone has atrocious T-spine mobility, is overly kyphotic, and has forward head posture, wouldn’t it make sense to address those “red flags?”

Interestingly, Mike worked with someone yesterday during his presentation who had elbow pain, and one of the first things he did was test her grip strength bilaterally.  It should come as no surprise that she was weaker on the side which hurt to squeeze.

After coaching her on her posture – getting the shoulders back and posteriorly tilted, learning to brace the abs and posteriorly tilt the pelvis, and to tuck the chin – he retested her grip and she immediately saw a 16% increase (and it was less painful!).

And all he did was place her into better alignment!

There’s no doubt that she would still need soft tissue work to address her elbow, but many of her symptoms were corrected by taking a closer look at her shoulder and head position!

All of this to say:  if you’re a personal trainer or strength coach and have a client with a nagging injury that hasn’t gotten better with traditional ice, rest, and NSAIDS, it’s a safe bet that it’s not just a simple case of tendinitis, and you’re dealing with something more chronic like a tendinosis (or, actual degeneration of a joint).

Step one would be to refer out to your network and have him or her work with a manual therapist.

Step two, and something which you can take more of the reigns on, would be to keep an eye out for other factors such as posture or any movement dysfunctions who may notice.

More often than we think an “elbow issue” isn’t just something that’s wrong with the elbow. Likewise, a “knee issue” could be something fishy going on elsewhere. We can’t assume it’s solely the knee.

I like to put all the blame on CrossFit….;o)  Just kidding.  Kinda.

What are you thoughts?  Agree?  Disagree?  Tomato? Tomahto?  I’d like to hear everyone else’s thoughts on the matter.

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany Uncategorized

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: 4/7/14

1.  I don’t know about you, but I had an awesome weekend. No, I didn’t become an inaugural member of the Masters of the Universe.  No, I didn’t win a million dollars in a cereal eating contest.  And no, I didn’t practice karate with Matt Damon in my garage.

As many of you know, I was back in my old stomping grounds – Central New York – this past weekend to take part in the SUNY Cortland Strength Symposium alongside other my esteemed colleagues John Gaglione, Dr. Mike Roussell, Lou Schuler, and Dr. Cassandra Forsythe.

It was an amazing event, I felt honored to be a part of it, and if I learned one thing over the weekend it’s that Lou Schuler knows what it takes to keep college students awake and engaged during an hour long presentation:  f-bombs!

Oh man, it was awesome to listen to him speak.  Not only because it was an interesting topic (obesity), but also because Lou has a knack for making ANYTHING entertaining.

There were roughly 70-80 people who braved the cold, windy, conditions to come listen to us speak on various topics such as business advice, why high-protein diets won’t make your kidneys explode, obesity, why the Paleo fanatics out there are just that:  fanatics!, squat assessment, and the rationale as to why women SHOULD train differently then men.

It was a diverse day for sure, but there was a TON of easily digestible and applicable information handed out.

Here’s me looking all gunny and stuff.

And of course, there was some heavy lifting to be had.

One of the things that left a profound impression on me was the culture that has “infected” (in a good way) the atmosphere there.

When I was an undergrad student at Cortland (1999-2002) it was rare to walk into Tomik Fitness Center and see a girl lifting weights.  Honestly, you were more apt to see a Smurf riding a unicorn while eating a bowl of Lucky Charms than you were seeing a girl lifting any appreciable weight.

It’s just what the culture was back then.  Girls didn’t lift.

Flash forward to this past weekend, and it’s apparently done a complete 180.

We walked into the fitness center early Saturday morning and there were quite a few girls benching, doing chin-ups, squatting AND deadlifting.  There were even some digging into their gyms bags for chalk!

Like, holy shitballs!

Even cooler was Sunday morning. A bunch of us decided to meet up early for a deadlift session  (see pic waaaaay up at the top) before everyone headed back home.  It was 8 AM and there were a group of girls – right alongside the guys – who showed up, Chuck Taylors and all, ready to get after it.

So refreshing to see.  In fact, here’s one of those girls, Nancy, getting coached up by John Gaglione performing speed pulls with 185 lbs.

That’s right…..SPEED PULLS!

So badass.  And she wasn’t the only one. There were other girls there too, bench pressing, performing kettlebell swings, and getting coached up on their technique by myself and John.

All told, I counted more girls training in the free weight area than in the cardio area. It almost brought a tear to my eye.

Slowly but surely, the paradigm is shifting. And it’s glorious.

2.  Speaking of female specific training and content, my good friend, Emily Giza Socolinsky, shared a fantastic blog post with me titled It’s Only a Number, which details her (past) battle and insight with regards to using the (weight) scale to measure success.

It’s a trap that many women fall prey to, akin to two for one shoe sales…..;o)

In all seriousness, though, I felt it was a great piece of writing with a solid message.  Check it out.

3.  Some VERY cool news.

I’m coming to London!!!!

I figured if Jack Bauer was making a cameo appearance there, why not yours truly?  Except in my case I won’t be blowing things up and stuff.

Dean Somerset and I are taking our show global and will be putting on a 2-Day workshop in London in early September at The Third Space located in Soho.

Pre-Registration is now open, and you can get more information regarding topics covered, price, location, and Dean’s all-time favorite Spice Girl HERE.

4.  One of the perks of running a fairly successful website and being “kind of a big deal,” is that people are always willing to send me free stuff to try out.

Note:  T-shirt size = large.  Shoe size = 10.5.  Sorry, Kate Beckinsale, I can’t accept women’s underwear.

Oftentimes things aren’t a good “fit,” and I graciously decline the offer, as was the case when someone reached out to send me samples of their soy protein powder line.

I LOL’ed a lot when that happened.

Clearly they didn’t read the blog much. What’s next? Tofurkey burgers?  No, wait, running shorts?

Many times, though, I’m more than happy to oblige.

Last week I was sent a sampler pack from Sweet Spreads, which is a company that sells delicious (with a capital D!) coconutters.

All the spreads are coconut based with minimal ingredients.  Ie:  you can actually comprehend what it is in fact you’re eating.  I’ve been using them on toast and putting them in my protein shakes the past few days and am loving it.

I’m not making a dime off of saying anything, so take that as you will. Regardless, if you’re looking for something to spice up your shakes or to use a spread, and would like to support a small business…….give this a try.

Sooooooo good.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/4/14

Going to keep this one quick today. I’m actually driving back to my stomping grounds today – central NY – to take part in what should be an awesome event at my alma mater this weekend:  State University of New York at Cortland.

Myself, Lou Schuler, Dr. Mike Roussell, John Gaglione, and Dr. Cassandra Forsythe are all speaking at the SUNY Cortland Strength Symposium tomorrow and I’m excited for two reasons.

1.  This is a HUGE deal for Cortland.  Last year I was honored to be invited back to campus to hang out and to speak to the student body, and it turned out to be a well received event. But that was just little ol’ me, and I’m not even that cool.

This year, though……Cortland upped the ante and the caliber of speakers they’re bringing in is sick.  Hell, if I weren’t speaking myself I’d want to sit in on the action.

2.  Heading back to Cortland also allows me to make the trek home (Groton, NY) and spend some time with my family which I rarely ever get to do. They’ll be hugs and laughter and a lot of catching up.  But more importantly:

MA…..MEATLOAF!  I WANT IT!!!!!

Before I head out I wanted to make sure I left you with this week’s stuff you read while you’re pretending to work.  You didn’t think I’d leave you hanging did you?  Come on….give me some credit!

Bench Press More in 4 Weeks – Greg Robins

Well, well, well…..look who made their first appearance on T-Nation this morning!?!?! Why it’s fellow CP coach, Greg Robins!

Greg is a phenomenal coach.  I should know, I see him in action every day.

As much as you’d like to think so, you don’t need some long-lost Russian text or smelling salts to bench press more.

If that’s what you’re doing, you’re making it more complicated than it has to be.

This was a fantastic article if for nothing else for the practical advice.

Why Rep Ranges Are a Sham – Mike Samuels

I thought this was a cool way of thinking outside the box, and something I’ve toyed with in the past myself.

Of Note: the next time a woman mentions how she’s “scared” to perform low-rep strength training for fear of growing an Adam’s Apple, show her this article and how she can manipulate reps (more specifically, time) so that won’t happen. It’s not going to happen either way, but this article will at least provide some science to back it up.

Your Taste Doesn’t Matter – Jason Lengstorf

Not a fitness themed blog by any means (it’s about coffee), but still relevant in many ways.

I can think back to how many times I’ve rolled my eyes whenever someone tells me that they’re preferred mode of exercise is jogging, yoga, Zumba, or pretend light-saber battles.

Actually, that last one is pretty baller.

Anyways, if someone wasn’t making a concerted effort to lift some appreciable weight on a consistent basis, I’d always try to convince him or her why not doing so was the worst thing since, well, anything by Taylor Swift.

The fact of the matter is:  sometimes, just like people’s coffee preferences, many could care less about their squat total or how much they bench press. Rather than chastise them for their lack of coffee and/or workout taste/etiquette…..why not just embrace that they like what they like?  It’s not the end of world.

CategoriesAssessment Corrective Exercise Exercise Technique Strength Training

Building a Superhuman Core

Nowadays you seemingly can’t walk more than 15 feet without crossing paths with a CrossFit gym.  Along those same lines, you can’t go more than five clicks (it’s like the internet’s version of the Kevin Bacon game!) before you view some iteration of a “core training” article espousing anything from six-minute abs to improved posture to bringing sexy back.

And guess what?  Today I’m sharing my own iteration of a core training article!!!

Except, you know, mine doesn’t suck.

Core training means different things to different people.

On one end of the spectrum you have those trainers and coaches who feel all you need is to deadlift and squat and you’ll cover all your core-training bases.  I feel this is a bit of a mis-guided POV.  Conversely, on the other end, you have those who will spend half a training session “activating” their TA .

The answer to the riddle, as always, usually lies somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.

I prefer to address core training in a multi-faceted manner where I take each and every individual who walks through our doors at the facility through a litany of assessment protocols to figure out what would be the best approach for him or her.

And it’s with this thought in my mind that I wanted to toss my name into the mix and finally write my treatise on the topic of core training.

It’s pretty good (I think).  You should check it out.

Click Me <—– Careful, I’m Ticklish

CategoriesMotivational

The Key to Fitness Industry Success?

Cue small rant now.

I’m writing a little later than usual today partly because I slept in today and had a later start than usual** and also because I had a Skype date earlier this afternoon with Matt Pack (of Primal Fit Miami) and Ted Ryce for the brand spankin new podcast they’re releasing soon.

Note:  it’s not available yet, but they’re currently interviewing a TON of trainers, coaches, and other fitness professionals and asking their insight on everything from entrepreneurship and business to developing training niches and program design, and using that information to target other new and upcoming fitness professionals trying to get a leg up on their competition.

I was honored to make their short list of people to interview.

Without giving away all the juicy details, one of the running themes of our talk was how trainers and coaches can get better.  Namely, drawing from my own experience, what words of wisdom did I have to offer? What, exactly, did I do to go from the “starving artist” type corporate (and commercial) gym trainer to the co-founder of one of the most successful (and well known) training facilities in North America?

Furthermore:  how did Tony Gentilcore become Tony Gentilcore?

With all the glitz, glitter paint, sparklies, glow sticks, and stuff.

Because it’s all about me me me me, and me.

Truth be told:  I don’t feel as if I’m anything special or that my story deserves any special attention.

It’s not like I’m Louie Zamperini or something, defying all odds in not only reaching the pinnacle achievement in amateur athletics – becoming an Olympic athlete – but also surviving a plane crash into the Pacific Ocean, AND surviving POW camp during World War II.

Not even close.

FYI: I HIGHLY suggest reading the book Unbroken. I’m 98% confident you’ll feel like a major pussy afterwards.

Nope, I’m just some dude who was given his first weight set at the age of thirteen, fell in love with fitness (and Mariah Carey.  It was the early 90s, don’t judge!), saw it as an opportunity to do well in high-school (and college) sports, and that somehow blossomed into a career.

I mentioned to Matt and Ted that there’s no real secret to my “success.” Almost weekly I’ll get an email from a trainer asking me what he or she needs to do in order to do well in this industry. As if there’s some laundry list or magical formula I can offer that will take them from point A (recent graduate/commercial gym trainer) to point B (the strength and conditioning equivalent of Gandalf).

And, well, I don’t have the answer.

At least one that’s not the most boring answer in all of human history.

At a time where entitled trainers are more concerned with when they’re going to write the next great e-book – despite never having actually trained anyone – and where many suffer from grand illusions of four-hour work weeks and six-figure salaries, I sometimes want to throw my hands up in the air and/or shake the shit out of people (which is just a not-so-nice way of saying “giving people a dose of reality”).

Unfortunately, I’m not kidding.

We have trainers out there who, when asked to name the muscles of the rotator cuff, will stumble over their words (that’s like, in the shoulder, right?)…….yet, feel they’re ready to grace the world with an e-book.

WTF ever.

Here’e the cold, hard truth.  The golden answer on how to do well in this industry.

Hard Work and Time.

I’ve been doing this for over a decade, have logged thousands of training hours, have read hundreds of books and articles, have watched countless DVDs (ahem, Star Wars), and have developed numerous, interpersonal relationships with clients, athletes, and colleagues.

I’m 37 years old.  And while I still have a lot of growing to do (both personally and professionally), it’s only been within the past year or two that I feel I’ve finally hit my stride, and that I actually know what the hell I’m talking about.

It’s taken TIME, and a ton of REAL-WORLD experience to get to this point. Whatever you’d like to call it.

In the same vein, I’m also asked by many aspiring fitness writers how they can go about getting their name out there and becoming more recognized.

F***ing write!  It’s that simple.

This isn’t to say that I don’t offer some further insight or words of encouragement – I do! – but I also don’t shy away from giving a little tough love.

I didn’t just wake up one day and decide I was going to write for T-Nation or Men’s Health Magazine.  I had to spend years writing for what was seemingly an audience that consisted of me (hitting the refresh button), my mother (thanks mom!), and a handful of close friends and clients – and for FREE no less – before I noticed my name gaining any semblance of traction.

I put in my dues (so-to-speak), worked my tail off, tried to write consistently good content on a daily and weekly basis, while attempting to keep total volume of hate mail at bay. Lather, rinse, repeat x Infinity.

Lou Schuler said it best:  when the fitness industry is ready for you, it will let you know.

So I guess in the grand scheme of things my advice is this:  be patient.

Put in the time, work hard, get good (really good) at what you do, and (hopefully) good things will happen.

It’s not a sexy answer, it doesn’t involve magical 4-hour week unicorns, and it’s definitely nothing to write home about, but it’s the truth.

Smoke bomb, smoke bomb, exit stage left.

** = and I decided to watch the season finale of The Walking Dead this morning.  It’s about priorities, ya know?