Categoriespersonal training

How to Choose a Good Group Class

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Cressey Sports Performance’s group fitness coordinator, George Kalantzis.

Enjoy!

The fitness industry is changing. Terms like boot camp, body pump, zumba, and much more are watering down the quality of group training.

Case in Point: Bootcamp Pilates

From an upper management point of view, it makes sense to clone a generic name, throw it out there and offer a low cost offer to bring in as many as bodies as possible through the door to generate revenue.

But, just because a class may be jam packed with bodies, does not necessarily mean it may be the best fit for you.

This article will give you the ins and outs of a great group class and hopefully lead you into choosing a right class that best fits your personal needs.

1. Check References

With all the technology in the world, anyone can post an online testimonial or review. Cressey Sports Performance Strength Camp officially launched three years ago and started with only two clients.

Over the past three years, we have grown to five classes, three times a week, and a steady base of 35-40 clientele.

At first, that may not seem like much, but we have created a family and culture that keeps our clients coming back for more, with a steady flow of at least 1-2 new members signing up from referrals alone each month.

Before you decide to sign up for a group class, talk to current members and get a feel for the class to see if it is a right fit for you.

2. Beware of the Sweat Effect

Walk into any health club or commercial gym and you will be sure to see massive amounts of people packed into a small space.

Sure, larger groups look like a lot of fun, but you need to make sure, after taking a look and running through the class a few times, that you are not getting a list of randomized circuits and trainers who don’t care about proper form, exercise selection, flow of workout, and progression/regression of clients.Take a look at this example:

Have you ever walked into a class where the trainer was yelling random exercises and having you move all over the room, while you found yourself repeating the same things throughout the class with no exercise modifications?

If so, you have experienced the “ sweat effect”. It’s these types of classes that cause overuse injuries to clients and give group training a bad reputation.

Next time you decide to join a group class, look at the way the class is structured and see if the trainer modifies any exercises according to your individual needs.

Don’t be a sucker for the sweat effect.

3. Check the Coach to Client Ratio

While there is nothing wrong with large group training, when you are in search of a group class to learn new movement patterns and/or are relatively new to exercise, a large group setting may not be the right fit for you.

At CSP, we like to keep our client to coach ratio of 6:1, meaning that we will cap out our classes at 12 clients and provide 2 coaches.

While this is not the end-all-be-all standard list of ratios in reference to group sizes, these numbers are relatively close to the norm in the industry.

Small Group Training : 2-6 people / 1 coach

Large Group Training : 7-15 people / 2 coaches

Bootcamp/Very Large groups : 16+ / 3 coaches

Keep in mind when selecting the size of your class, as the more people there are in a group, the harder it will be to get a personalized workout.

4. Look at the Training Philosophy

Many people start out their journey in fitness and find themselves doing programs that do not match up with their goals. In fact, it’s not uncommon for people to stay doing the same routines only to end up feeling worse or injured because they have not been educated on the importance of proper recovery and exercise selection.

Here are a few things to look for in a good group class:

– Look at the warm-up, does the group foam roll and do some mobility/stability drills or do they just jump right into the workout?

– Look for a program that helps you build a base before progressing to the next level.

– Are the classes always high intensity, or do they throw in some strength work in there?

– Do the coaches take the time to coach you? To demonstrate and show you proper technique?

– Do the classes incorporate upper and lower body movements in addition to single leg work and appropriate core work?

– Is there any sense of a “ramp system” where exercises and drills are catered or modified to fit the needs of the individual?

There are certainly many more factors to consider, but I have found the points made above are an excellent starting point.

Also, just to toss it out there: if you’re a fitness professional looking to start a group exercise/bootcamp class and would like to get a leg up on the competition and learn many of the SYSTEMS we used at CSP to implement our camps, I’d highly recommend Bootcamp In a Box by Mike Robertson, Molly Galbraith, and Jim Laird.

In Conclusion

Group classes are the current trend in the fitness industry. They are incredibly affordable and lots of classes provide a great atmosphere to train in.

Before you decide to join a new class, do some homework and find a program that best fits your needs rather than a random class that will make you sweat.

About the Author

George began his time at Cressey Sports Performance as an intern in the fall of 2013, and returned in 2014 as CSP’s Group Fitness Coordinator, overseeing all Strength Camp coaching and programming responsibilities.

George is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and was awarded an honorary discharge after eight years of service. He possesses an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University and is currently attending massage school to become a licensed massage therapist.

Outside of CSP, George maintains a fitness-related blog that can be found at www.sgtkfitness.com.

He and his wife Shawna reside in Manchester, NH, with their fur-baby Lola the dog.

CategoriesOff Topic

Movie Review: Ex Machina

Ex Machina is considered a futuristic Sci-Fi movie, but I’d argue it’s about as non-futuristic a Sci-Fi movie as you’re ever going to see.

I forget where I read it originally, but I believe the director and writer of the movie, Alex Garland, stated in an interview recently that the movie takes place “10 minutes into the future.”

Because, really, would we be all that surprised if the likes of Google or Apple came out today and stated they’ve solved the A.I (Artificial Intelligence) riddle?

I think not.

The movies follows talented wiz-kid programmer Caleb (played by Domhnall Gleeson, Anna Karenina, About Time, and the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII1) as he’s seemingly the random winner of an inter-company (feel free to insert Google here) lottery to go and hang out and chill with the founder and CEO, a recluse genius named Nathan, played by Oscar Isaac (who’s quickly climbing the ladder as one of my new favorite actors).

So off Caleb goes via helicopter to the middle of nowhere. Alone. To hang out and hobnob with some guy he doesn’t know who happens to live in a half underground bunker/half technological fortress with “enough fiberoptic cabling within its walls to make the trek to the moon and back” for a week.

There better be Netflix available! Just sayin.

It doesn’t take long for Caleb to find out why he’s there. To test Ava (played by the talented Alicia Vikander), Nathan’s latest (and top secret) A.I creation, to see if she can pass the Turing Test and subsequently, pass as human.

I obviously don’t want to give away any particulars and ruin the fun, but needless to say some shenanigans starts going down. Caleb soon realizes that him being invited wasn’t all that random after all, and well, Nathan may or may have some ulterior motives up his sleeve.

And there’s no Netflix. WTF!

Also, Ava is hot. She’s a hot robot. She’s a hot robot with a killer body. [Thankfully the producers didn’t hire me to come up with the tagline for the movie.]

She may have some ulterior motives of her own. Particularly when she confides in Caleb to not trust anything Nathan says.

What could go wrong?

Compound that with Caleb, who isn’t what we’d call a traditional ladies man, and you can do the predictable movie math.

The “will they or won’t they” vibe was predictable2, I called it half way in!, however the writing is crisp (and well paced), and the last 15-20 minutes will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Definitely worth the viewing if your local theater is playing it. At the very least it will help curb your robot/A.I. fetish (you freak!) until The Avengers: Age of Ultron comes out this weekend.

I give this a solid B.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYGzRB4Pnq8

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: I Survived Mark Fisher Fitness Edition

What a bonkers weekend.

I had the amazing opportunity of being invited down to NYC this past weekend to speak at the first Motivation & Movement Lab hosted by Mark Fisher Fitness.

The picture above was a group photo I happened to snake myself into during their POP (Pants Optional Party)3 on Saturday night.

A night, mind you, that saw me stay up till 3:30AM, which never happens. I wasn’t even fighting crime. I was just having a good time.

Can you spot me?

[And yes, there were plenty of people with no pants on during the party. FYI: Mine were on. I think.]

I’ve been friends with Mark (and many of his staff) for years now, but this was my first time visiting his facility in the flesh. And there was a lot of flesh.

Need a little perspective?

Here’s me finishing my last set of squats with MFF coaches Brian Patrick Murphy, Matt Wilson, and Liz Messina (along with special guest appearance by Roger Lawson, or RogLaw for those in the know) in the background performing bicep curls in their underwear.

With the red lights on and “No Easy Way Out” (<—Rocky IV shout out!) blaring in the background. All par for the course at MFF.

#seriousfitness

 

The video above was shared on Facebook yesterday and my mom (of all people) shared it on her Facebook page. I guess I’ll gave some explaining to do at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.

Needless to say I had a blast this past weekend. The Motivate and Movement Lab, held on Saturday and featuring myself, Mark Fisher, Harold Gibbons, and Kyle Young – speaking on everything from gym culture and the power of social media to building a better coaching rapport with your clients and female marketing in the mainstream media – was baller.

I believe close t0 75 personal trainers and coaches showed up (pants on for this one) and were treated to a less conventional, albeit welcomed and fresh approach compared to other seminars and workshops.

Each speaker provided a 30 minute “introductory presentation” on their topic which was then followed by a 45 minute “lab” where the information was dissected in a more hand-on or participatory fashion.

I can’t say for sure, but it was pretty much the best day of everyone’s life. Ever.

All in all, the weekend was a testament to Mark and the culture that he and his staff have been able to germinate and grow to cult-like – albeit inspiring – proportions.

Warning: video below is NSFW, so put on your headphones.

 

And on that note, lets get to this week’s list of Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work.

Is “Lift Big, Eat Big” Always the Way To Go? – Lauren Perrault

Loved the perspective shared in this article. Which is, basically, sometimes, even us coaches need to practice what we preach.

Before Opening a Gym Ask Yourself These 7 Questions – Angie Garner

I can’t tell you how many times Pete Dupuis, Cressey Sports Performance’s Vice President and Business Director, has consulted with current and prospective gym owners who have seemingly fallen prey to a handful of seemingly OBVIOUS mistakes.

1. Having eyes bigger than their bank account(s) and opening up a 10,000 sq. foot facility out of the gate.

Start small and build. Always.

2. Not knowing their numbers inside and out. One of Pete’s litmus tests is to ask someone what’s the minimum amount they need to collect on any given month to cover their overhead (payroll, rent, health insurance, electric bill, etc).

It’s mind-boggling how many don’t even know that.

Some don’t even know what they collected that month.

Nevertheless, I felt this article helped shed some light on many other factors that are often overlooked.

3 Keys to a Big Raw Squat – John Gaglione

YES!!

This article kicked ass.

Many articles written about squats are written by geared lifters. This isn’t a knock against geared lifters – they have a lot to offer – but many of the cues and techniques that work for them won’t translate to raw lifters.

John nailed this one. Read it. I demand you.

CategoriesAssessment Corrective Exercise

Defending Spinal Flexion: It’s Not Always the Evil Step-Child We Make It Out to Be

No offense to my future wife (t-minus 37 days until the big day), one of the greatest days of my life was the day I got my first Atari 26004 My game of choice: Defender.

The premise was/is simple: your planet is under invasion by waves of aliens and it’s your mission to “defend” it, as well as other astronauts.

Pew pew pew

Man, I spent hours playing that game.

I really have no other reason for leading with this story other than to say 1) it was an awesome game 2) the chick on the cover was hot and 3) the theme – defender – served as a nice segue to today’s topic……

Spinal Flexion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw

 

Like many other fitness professionals a few years back, I jumped onto the anti-flexion bandwagon.

I mean could you blame me?

Gulfs of research – in addition to anecdotal evidence – suggest that spinal flexion has its downfalls. To be more precise, however, I should state it’s repeated spinal flexion (and extension) taken into end range that’s the real culprit. Do that on a consistent basis, let it marinate with little to no strength training, and you have the perfect recipe to herniate a disc.

And as my boy, Eric Cressey, notes:

“If you want to see a population of folks with disc herniations, just look at people who sit in flexion all day; it’s a slam dunk.”

Of course, this doesn’t automatically equate to someone being in pain or complaining of back issues. There are plenty of people walking around with not one, but maybe even two, levels of herniations or disc bulges in their spine. And they’re fine.

In fact, in a landmark study published in 1994 in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers sent MRI’s of 98 “healthy” backs to various doctors, and asked them to diagnose them.

– 80% of the MRI interpretations came back with disc herniations and bulges. in 38% of the patients, there was involvement of more than one disc.

And these were considered “healthy” backs, and those of people walking around with no symptoms what-so-ever.

Which goes to show: I’d trust an MRI about as much as I’d trust a barber with a mullet.

NOTE: this isn’t to insinuate that MRIs are a waste of time or aren’t valuable. That’s 100% false. But I’d be remiss not to state that we, sometimes, place far too much precedence in them.

Oftentimes leading to unnecessary surgery (which should be an absolute LAST resort).

Long story short: just because someone flexes their spine – and may or may not have a disc herniation – doesn’t mean their spine is going to explode.

And least we forget the Godfather of spinal mechanics and research Dr. Stuart McGill. The man has forgotten more about the spine than any of us could ever hope to remember. I’d be lying if I said his two books – Low Back Disorders and Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance – haven’t shaped most of my thinking and approach when working with clients and athletes with low back pain.

Who the hell am I to disagree with him?!?!

That would be like me starring Yoda in the face and saying something like, “Pffft, whatever dude. Force schmorce. What do you know??”

With that commentary in mind, as a fitness professional, most of the time (but not always), I’m not going to go out of my way to include more exercises or drills that place people into spinal flexion.

Particularly with the aforementioned “people who already sit a lot and live in flexion” scenario from above.

Taking it a step further (and to help appease those people who are probably hyperventilating into a brown paper bag reading this, assuming I’m saying spinal flexion is okay):

I typically avoid the following:

1. End-range lumbar flexion

2. Lumbar flexion exercises for those who are “stuck” in flexion.

3. LOADED spinal flexion

But Just to Play Devil’s Advocate For a Second

With point #3 – loaded flexion – there are some people out there who purposely train with a rounded spine and do very well.

Lets use the deadlift as a quick example.

We could make the argument – from a bio-mechanical standpoint – that a rounded back deadlift is efficacious because it’ll allow you lift more weight.

As Greg Nuckols explains in THIS amazing article:

“Rounding your back a bit shortens the length of the torso in the sagittal plane.  In non-nerd speak, it lets you keep your hips closer to the bar front-to-back so they don’t have to work as hard to lift the same amount of weight.”

Fancy chart making skills courtesy of Greg Nuckols

The picture on the right depicts a “neutral spine.” Taking natural kyphotic/lordotic curves into account, on the right, “neutral” equates to a spine that’s 15.3 inches “long” front to back.

On the left, with some significant rounding – albeit in the THORACIC spine (more on this point in a bit) – the the length of the spine is reduced to 11.7 inches. I.e., the hips are closer to the bar.

This in mind, if you watch elite level powerlifters you’ll notice that many of them do seem to “round” their back on max effort pulls.

But lets put things into context

A). It’s important to understand that for most, the rounding is happening in the t-spine and NOT the lumbar spine. The T-spine has more “wiggle room” in terms of end-range flexion compared to the lumbar spine.

B) They’re NOT rounding their lumbar spine.

C) Pulling 600+ lbs is heavy as f***. You try pulling that much without some rounding.

D) Guys (and girls) who are strong enough to be pulling 3-4x bodyweight have assuredly trained themselves to stay out of those last 2-3 degrees of end-range flexion. Moreover, they’ve also been in compromising positions enough that they’re able to stay out of the danger zone.

E) More importantly, you’re (probably) not an elite lifter, so I wouldn’t suggest you start training with a rounded back.

In the end, we could make the case for loaded spinal flexion. Just like we could make the case for Lisa and I being introduced as husband and wife for the first time with Juvenile’s Back That Ass Up playing in the background:

 

Neither are a good idea. Except for the second one.

When Is Spinal Flexion Okay?

Let me repeat, I generally avoid:

1. End-range lumbar flexion

2. Lumbar flexion exercises for those who are “stuck” in flexion.

3. Loaded spinal flexion

I BOLDED #2 because, well, I work with a lot of athletes and people who are the opposite. They live in extension and excessive anterior pelvic tilt, which can be just as deleterious for the spine as flexion.

I BOLDED “excessive” because I want to make it clear that anterior pelvic tilt is not a bad thing (it’s normal). And because some people are morons, will miss the bolded EXCESSIVE, and will still send me a note via email or social media saying how dumb I am for saying APT is bad for the spine.

People on this side of the fence face a whole host of other scenarios like Spondylolysis (referred to as an end plate fracture, most often on the pars interarticularis), Spondylolisthesis (forward disc slippage), femoral acetabular impingement, and what I like to call fake badonkadonk-itis.

In other words: some people don’t have a big butt, they’re just rockin some serious APT.

Cough, cough Jen Selter cough, cough

Kidding aside, extension-based back pain or extension-based issues are no laughing matter, and it’s in scenarios like these where spinal flexion is warranted (and encouraged).

This is where were start to dive into the PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) philosophy and discuss breathing and how it affects pretty much everything.

Many of the (breathing) drills we use at Cressey Sports Performance place people (people who are overly extended) into spinal flexion, which is a good thing.

Watch this video below and you’ll get a sense of what I’m referring to.

Lets take the regular ol’ boring prone plank/bridge.

Learning to perform this exercise correctly (getting to and maintaining neutral spine) is a game changer for anyone experiencing low-back pain regardless of whether it’s a flexion issue or extension.

However, I rarely ever see anyone perform this exercise right. Most people start in a okay position for about five seconds, but then quickly “fall into” an excessively extended posture where their head protracts towards the floor and/or their entire spine sags, essentially doing nothing but hanging onto their passive restraints and hip flexors.

The “core” isn’t doing anything.

It kind of looks like this.

Not coincidentally these are the same people who brag about being able to perform a plank for [insert pointless amount of time here].

When done correctly – I prefer an RKC style plank: feet together, palms flat, elbows being pulled towards toes (to increase tension), and fire everything (glutes, abs, quads, nostrils, everything) – the amount of time someone can perform it is drastically different.

20 seconds and you should be hating life.

You may also notice that I’m rounding my (upper) back above. This is on purpose and goes against conventional wisdom.

Here’s the deal.

I like to start people in a bit of flexion – especially those who are overly extended – because as fatigue kicks in they’ll end up in neutral (rather than past it).

And I’m done.

CategoriesExercise Technique Exercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: KB Goblet Squat w/ Lowering

It’s hard to imagine a more versatile and “user friendly” exercise than the Goblet squat. I think we should collectively pass it into law that anytime anyone in the fitness industry crosses paths with Dan John, he or she is obligated to give him a high-five for popularizing it.

Or buy him a steak. His choice.

Taking pain, injury, and one’s anatomy/musculoskeletal limitations (FAI, bone spurs, etc) out of the equation, I’d argue there’s no one on Earth who couldn’t learn how to squat correctly within ten minutes of performing their first Goblet squat.

And they’re not just a one-trick pony either.

They also help solve everything from anterior knee pain to global warming to a bad hair day. They even solve bipartisanship. Congress can’t agree on simple things like health care for veterans or making birth control easily accessible for women (or that the number 3 comes after 2), Republicans and Democrats across the board give two thumbs up to Goblet squats.

They’re like magic, Gandalf and Professor Dumbledore approved.

There are a number of iterations:

1. Regular ol’ Goblet Squats – DB or KB.

2. Goblet Squat w/ Pulse

 3. Goblet Elevator Squats

 

And one I’m going to propose today…..

Goblet Squat w/ Lowering

Gold star to me for the sick t-shirt.

Who Did I Steal It From: I know of several coaches who have used this variation – Dean Somerset, Dr. Mark Cheng, Dan John, and Mike Robertson to name a few. So I’ll give credit to all of them.

And not for nothing: it should give you an indication of the exercise’s validity and overall bad-assery that so many top-notch coaches recommend doing it.

What Does It Do: The lowering component (where you actually lower the KB down to the floor while in the bottom position) adds an additional challenge to the exercise by increasing the lever arm (the actual distance the KB travels as you lower it away from the body).

This forces the anterior core to fire on all cylinders, but also the muscles posteriorly to help resist the flexion moment (learning to stay more upright).

I also love using this variation with people who tend to be hyper-mobile. Whenever I see a client or athlete with a loosey goosey (<- that’s the scientific term) squat pattern, where they can’t seem to control anything – the knees, hips and torso resemble a baby giraffe learning to walk – I’ll have them perform this exercise.

Why?

Because it forces them to concentrate, slow down, and OWN the position, especially in the bottom.

People who are more lax tend to “relax” in the bottom position which places much more stress on their passive restraints – ligaments, tendons, etc.

By adding in the “lowering” component, it forces them to own tension, and thereby helping/teaching them to maintain (hopefully) a more optimal pelvic position. And knees, and torso.

Key Coaching Cues: Slow down. I’ll generally have someone perform a controlled tempo on the way down (2-5s). In the bottom position I’ll have them perform 1-2 “pumps” where they lower the KB down towards the floor, again, in a controlled fashion.

One repetition = squat down, 1-2 pumps in the bottom position, then return back to standing.

Have fun.

Categoriespersonal training

Categories of (Fitness) Learning: Not Everyone Is Skynet

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of DC-based Equinox trainer, Kevin Mullins. Kevin attended mine and Dean Somerset’s DC Workshop last Fall, and I found him to be a pretty switched on guy. Plus, it’s obvious he as impeccable taste in the blogs he reads and the workshops he attends.

Enjoy!

There is a lot of information available out there in regards to health, fitness, wellness, and nutrition.

Too much actually.

Everyone from Dan John to Mario Lopez has made money because the ever-growing fitness information market. Some guys, Dan John, have earned their right to speak to you; while others are simply white noise in a crowd that has already collected its share of noise violations.

If you are looking to have a greater impact as a trainer, then you undoubtedly need to be able to sort through all of the books, blogs, certifications, and studies that are out there.

Who is a credible source, how can you apply what you’ve learned? What actually counts as education?

For one, the best education is often paired with an upfront cost. Whether it is a college degree in Kinesiology, a nationally recognized (and respected) certification, or a weekend seminar with some of your favorite trainers; there will be a financial cost.

However, if you choose to invest in your education, than most likely you’ll find yourself having a career in fitness instead of just a job at a local gym, a bicep vein, and too many tubs of pre-workout powder.

It will cost you time and money up front, but boy will you benefit.

That isn’t to say that you have to pay for ALL of your education.

There is tons of free content on blogs of reputable trainers around the net, amalgamated sites like T-Nation or PTDC, and e-books a plenty for the cost of a new video game. Furthermore, there is education that you’ll GET PAID for, as well as what you’ve learned with your own body.

Let’s explore deeper.

Education is the Catalyst

Being able to determine what is valid and applicable can be an immense challenge in and of itself. Add in actual training sessions, building your own body, a business, trying to publish your own content, and squeezing in every episode of every show that you “just have to start watching” and you are looking at an uphill climb.

You need a system.

A system to sort information into easier to digest categories.

The same way your body breaks down food into its little parts so that it can be used for a soon-to-be-determined function…

I personally sort information into four categories. These categories cover all aspects of your learning experience as a trainer and will help you save, store, and recall information when it is needed most.

1. Kinesthetic Education

The experiences of your body can be just as critical to your coaching ability as could a Master’s degree in Exercise Science.

You won’t completely understand a max-load deadlift until you’ve tried yanking a heavy ass barbell off of the floor. You can’t relate with your distance running client who is training for marathon if you’ve never ran further than a few miles on your own.

Now, these experiences are subjective and don’t measure across populations equally.

For example, just because you don’t have lower back pain when you squat doesn’t mean that your clients are wrong for feeling it.

Kinesthetic education falls lowest on my totem pole, but is still a critical element in what we do every day as coaches. It can serve as a bridge when building relationships with your clientele.

Key Point: Do something new with your body, take mental and actual notes for use later on.

Personally, I’ve gained a lot of respect for core bracing by doing some Pilates sessions with the girls at my facility. I’ve learned what it ACTUALLY feels like to “pull-my belly button towards my spine”. It helps when coaching planks and deadlifts.

2. Experience Education

At the end of the day you need to just freaking train.

You’ll program some bad exercises, coach exercises half-backwards, and drink a ton of caffeine. Yet, you’ll learn.

You’ll need to work long hours. You’ll do 6AM and 8PM sessions. You will get clients who are guys and girls, young and old, avid goals and no goals.

Yet, you’ll learn.

You can read about coaching a deadlift a million times, and maybe be able to knock out a hell of a pull yourself, but if you aren’t actively coaching other people to do it, than chances are you will stumble and bumble through it.

Key Point: In order to be a great trainer you need to be in your facility training. You need to figure out what exercises can ACTUALLY be super-set together without frying your client in the first ten minutes of a session, etc.

Personally, I look at sessions as chances to try new cues, or fine-tune my coaching strategies to ensure my clients get a clear, concise message about the task at hand. Find yourself struggling to teach a barbell lift? I’d argue you aren’t a horrible coach, but rather haven’t spent enough time doing it.

3. Actionable-Education

The next layer of education comes from blogs such as this one5, and cumulative sites such as T-Nation and the PTDC.

These easy to read-while-on-the-toilet type of write-ups lend themselves to helping you change something as a trainer or trainee RIGHT NOW.

3 CORE EXERCISES to SHRED YOUR ABS

8 CUES for BETTER SQUAT PERFORMANCE

The list will go on and on with catchy titles attached to articles chock-full of information that you could apply immediately in your next session.

Seeing a client later today that has horrible shoulder mobility? Well, doing some reading at Tony Gentilcore or Eric Cressey’s website will likely find you some tools that you can place into your belt and pull out ASAP.

This information should be viewed on a daily basis even if it is a light-hearted read during your meals. The simple act of subjecting yourself to other views of fitness will sharpen your sword and give you new ways to integrate real knowledge into your sessions.

Another great example of actionable education is weekend clinics that are usually hosted on specific topics. A mix of the hard sciences and practical application; clinics serve as a “hands-on” blog experience for trainers looking to expand their knowledge, tool belt, and presence all the same.

Key Point: Even if it is one short blurb while you are consuming a protein shake between clients, knowledge is still power. These reads won’t tax your brain cells and leave you empty. Though, they may just have you doing new things the very next second you hit a gym floor.

Personally, I love reading blogs and articles while eating my breakfast. I slam an omelet at a café attached to my club and peruse various articles. Some are simply thought provoking while others have points that I can immediately put to use during a session that day.

4. Backbone Education

The most critical element in a trainer’s tool belt is the unfailing knowledge of the hard sciences.

If you don’t understand the why behind the things you do every day then it is going to be really hard to expand your presence in the field. Someone will eventually ask for more information, or even call you out on your practices.

I highly recommend having a sturdy place to rest your feet.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you have to have a Doctorate to be a great trainer. Rather I’m saying that you can’t expect to charge two-hundred dollars an hour if you don’t understand that the body has a variety of energy systems that power our performance.

If you didn’t have to dive too far into the sciences to get your certification, than it is imperative that you seek them out on your own. College degrees in the field of kinesiology, biomechanics, bioenergetics, and good ol’ exercise science, can provide you with a firm base for you to build upon.

Certifications such as the CSCS, CES, and Precision Nutrition Level 1 can separate you from your peers. The foundation created by these hard sciences will allow for you to branch out further as you explore the other forms of education since your roots are placed firmly in the ground.

Furthermore, science journals such as the NSCA’s Strength and Conditioning Journal provide information from the laboratory that can be interpreted and implemented in the field. While much of what is studied has limited practical application there still exists the chance to expand your scientific base outwards so that you have a better understanding of the variables that can impact a training session.

Key Point: You need to be able to defend your practices, and should WANT to. Understanding the science behind what you feel, what you see, and what you read about in between bites of your omelet is critical to making that JUMP!

It can be intimidating to a client if you start talking about the ATP/CP cycle regenerating after their set of 3 sub-max squats. Talking about the reasoning behind every repetition scheme will probably bore them too. However, if you truly understand these sciences you’ll find a way, in your own words, to not just train your client, but to teach them WHY they are doing what they are doing.

The Wrap Up

The conventional saying is that knowledge is power. I’d agree. Except for when all of that knowledge is unsorted and prioritized incorrectly.

We all know that guy who did a bodybuilding show who now “takes clients”. Sure, he looks good and knows how to cook one hell of a bland chicken breast, but does he have anything from the other categories?

We also probably know someone that is a genius in science, an old professor perhaps, that could quote the Kreb’s cycle enzyme for enzyme. Yet, does he even lift? Has he ever applied his knowledge to a client?

The take home point is this. Gain knowledge from every avenue possible, sort through the junk and organize it, internalize it, and continue to utilize it in your day-to-day actions. Go out there and be great!

About the Author

Kevin Mullins, CSCS, is a personal trainer and group exercise instructor at Equinox Sports Club in Washington D.C.

Kevin utilizes a listen first, coach second strategy to ensure his clients, and programs, are exceptional…and not his ego.

When he isn’t training clients or writing content Kevin can be found deadlifting, Bicep curling, or finding new, corny ways to emphasize squeezing the glutes. Kevin maintains his own personal site at KevinMullinsFitness.com.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/17/15

A quick heads-up before I toss this week’s list your way.

We’re excited to announce that Cressey Sports Performance will be hosting an upcoming 1-Day seminar with Alex Viada titled An Introduction to Applied Hybrid Training Methodology on June 28, 2015.

Alex is the owner of Complete Human Performance and author of The Hybrid Athlete. If there were a WikiPedia page made for “Badass Motherf******,” I’m pretty sure Alex’s grill would be plastered next to the definition.

This is a guy who’s not only an elite level powerlifter with PRs of 705 (squat), 465 (bench press) and 700 (DL) raw w/ wraps in the 220 class, but also competes in triathlons and ULTRA marathons (100+ miles) with a mile time of 4:15.

Oh, and he also dabbles in bodybuilding. And arm wrestles grizzly bears. In fact, he’s the guy The Avengers call when they need help.

He’s an impressive human being and he’s someone who challenges people to push their bodies to levels and places they never thought possible. I’m really looking forward to listening to him speak, and I know the rest of the CSP staff is as well.

For more information you can go HERE.

8 Workout Mistakes You’re Probably Making – Lee Boyce

My favorite mistake – “You’re pulling a CrossFit.”

LOLs. I heart Lee.

This Is the Best Ab Wheel Instructional Video On the Internet – Jordan Syatt

I know the title comes across as a bit conceited, analogous to me writing something along the lines of “Hey Internet, My Biceps Are the Best Biceps in the History of Ever. Get Some!“6

But I didn’t think the title was conceited at all, and felt it was very fitting.

This is actually a really good video and demonstrates pretty much how everyone performs their ab wheel rollouts.

How Should Journalists Cover Quacks Like Dr. Oz or the Food Babe – Julia Belluz

I concede that even I’m growing tired of all the anti-Dr. Oz and Food Babe diatribes that are drowning the internet right now.

While at a base-level I enjoy it – because both are assholes. A little more assholey than someone who clubs a baby seal, but not quite as assholey as Kanye West – none of it really accomplishes anything.

Why?

Because even the negative commentary – which is often backed by facts and droves of scientific research that clearly debunks much (if not all) of the pseudoscience they spout – still draws attention to them.

Which, in a sick, backwards way, gains them supporters.

This was a nice outside-of-the-box way of addressing the issue.

Give it a read. PLEASE.

CategoriesInterview

Interview on FitPro Radio Show

I had the pleasure of being invited onto the FitPro Radio Show hosted by Matt Pack and Ted Ryce a while back. A little over a year ago, actually….so it’s a little old.

These are two guys who, outside of being super passionate about fitness, want nothing more than to help make the industry better. I had a blast doing this interview and was able to cover a ton of topics.

I’d encourage any new or upcoming trainers to take the time to listen as I discuss many of the thing I did to help build my own brand as well as that of Cressey Sports Performance. And even if you’re not a rookie, I’d encourage you to listen anyways because my voice is dead sexy.

And I believe the interview is Star Wars reference free. Go figure!

Topics

– How Tony got his start in the fitness industry
– Why corporate fitness taught
– How Tony connected with Eric Cressey and opened a gym
– How Cressey Sports Performance gym got it’s start with high school athletes
– How Tony and Eric found their niche in training baseball players
– The right way to market strength and conditioning to athletes
– How to give individualized programming in group training
– Why Cressey Sports Performance started doing “bootcamps”
– How marketing locally skyrocketed Cressey Sports Performance
– Local exposure is more important than national exposure for building your local business
– What role info products and online marketing play in Tony’s success
– Why having multiples streams of income is important for financial success
– Some training mistakes that Tony made when he first started working out
– Tony’s #1 success tip for new personal trainers
– 2 BIG mistakes that personal trainers make
– Why learning from other coaches is key to being your best
– 2 books every trainer should read

—-> FitPro Radio Show Interview <—–

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

How the Powerlifts and Sport(s) Go Together Like Peanut Butter & Jelly

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of strength coach, and good friend, Kelsey Reed. Some of you may recall Kelsey’s popular post – Fitness Marketing to Females: Don’t Be a Victim! – from a few months ago.

She’s back. And this time she’s discussing the powerlifts and how applicable they are when training for sport(s).

Enjoy.

Recently, I have been immersed in Easy Strength by Dan John and Pavel. (Tony mentioned it HERE.) If you’re a strength coach and you have not read it, do yourself a humongous favor and do so. Your athletes will thank you.

Dan and Pavel divvy up the various types of trainees into four quadrants. Today’s post will focus on Quadrant III: athletes/clients who possess a symbiotic relationship of strength training and their sport or goal in question. I’ll leave the other three quadrants as a mystery awaiting your discovery.

Unless you work with elite athletes, Olympic hopefuls or professionals, the bulk of your clients will be in QIII.

The mentality when working with said clients should be:

They are ___ athletes (i.e. football, soccer, or fill-in-the-blank) who happen to lift, NOT lifters who play ____.

Personally speaking, this has always been helpful for me to keep in mind when I’m tempted to allow one of my teenage boys to go for a 1RM (the answer is usually “No.”). After all, my athletes are training with me to improve their sport performance, not their weight room performance.

In general, there are two types, or spheres, of training: general physical preparedness (GPP), and special physical preparedness (SPP).

As strength coaches, our job often falls more in the realm of GPP rather than that of SPP. The bulk of GPP training is derived from the basic human movements: push, pull, hinge, squat, carry/walking pattern, and crawling. Those look remarkably like, bench press, rows, deadlifts, squats, and farmer carries.

Nikolay Vitkevich, a full-contact black belt and world-class powerlifter, says:

“You must clearly understand the difference between basic training and special physical preparation. [SPP] is different for everybody; one beats up on a tire with a sledgehammer, another does figure eights with a kettlebell, and someone incline presses. Basic training is roughly the same in all sports and aims to increase general strength and muscle mass. Powerlifting was born as a competition in exercises everybody does.”

Did you read that last sentence? Read it again and let it sink in.

A strength coach can easily accomplish 90% of what an athlete needs by intelligently dispersing those movements throughout the training week. From a training economy standpoint, you can’t go wrong by placing a premium on squatting, deadlifting, and pressing.

Deadlifting, squatting, and pressing are exercises every athlete should perform. They are the meat and potatoes (or meat and sweet potatoes for the Paleo adherents out there) of strength and conditioning. The number of muscle groups involved in the powerlifts allows for higher poundages to be used, which in turn, stimulates the neuromuscular and endocrine systems in ways not found in other exercises. The effect produces really strong people. And with everything else being equal, the stronger athlete will win.

Not that it’s impossible to become strong without the powerlifts, it just takes much, much longer. You cannot beat the efficiency and efficacy of picking up heavy things in building powerful athletes.

The powerlifts are also scaleable to each athlete’s strength and experience level.

A 9 year-old can benefit from the squat while using a 5 pound plate as much as a 20 year-old with 200lb on the bar in the next rack over.

That same little guy can deadlift with 15 lbs, while our older athlete has 300lb on her bar: both will increase the strength in their posterior chains. The 9 year-old may learn how to hold a plank (still a press) while an older athlete benches, again both are developing full body strength.

What’s more, the powerlifts are broad enough to apply to every sport and so effective at strength building, why wouldn’t you use them?

Now, before you attack me with pitchforks and PubMed articles, I know that some lifts are not optimal choices for all sports or for all athletes. It’s the difference between contraindicated exercises and contraindicated people.

For example, I will rarely (if ever) bench press an overhead athlete, but will defer to one of the hundreds (literally) of push up variations.

 

I would be remiss to note, too, that non-powerlifter athletes should use the powerlifts, but should not train like a powerlifter.

The powerlifts, programmed appropriately, build a solid strength foundation from which speed and power will spring.

What do I mean by that?

Powerlifting methods can produce CNS fatigue, joint/muscle soreness, and require substantial recovery time. Which is fine if the athlete’s sole goal is to add weight to the bar. But, the human body has only so much capacity for adaptation and recovery. QIII athletes are focused on another goal, typically involving their sport, and need to have plenty of gas in the tank for sport practice.

Another point to remember, in most, if not all athletic endeavors, power (force x velocity) is driving force behind quick athletic movement, like this dude:

 

Max strength does contribute to maximal power output, but only up to a point. If it takes .3 seconds to reach maximal force output but a broad jump only takes about .1 second, you’re not going to be able to express your full strength in that brief amount of time.

Therefore, power athletes (which is pretty much every sport) need to increase their rate of force development. To prevent this post from becoming longer than the lines for the new Star Wars movie, read this and this for more in-depth information.

Max strength and power are not distinct entities, but the latter is built upon the former. Thus, it is imperative to develop a solid strength foundation from which an athlete’s power explodes (pun definitely intended). How to train for power is another post for another day.

As Yoda Pavel says, “Power is strength compressed in time, so to get powerful, you must get strong.”

Athletes have a limited amount of time and energy therefore, exercises that require minimal amount of time are ideal; the powerlifts fit the bill. Like peanut butter is to jelly, barbell work should complement sport practice in an athlete’s overall development.

About the Author

Kelsey Reed is head strength coach at SAPT Strength & Performance located in Fairfax, VA. Bitten by the iron bug at 16, Kelsey has been lifting ever since. Her love for picking up heavy things spurred her to pursue a degree in the Science of Exercise and Nutrition at Virginia Tech.

Now she spends her days teaching and coaching others in the iron game. In her down time, she lives life on the wild side by not following recipes when she cooks, fighting battles through characters fantasy fiction novels, and attempting to make her cats love her.

Kelsey, along with her husband, Coach Steve.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/10/15

Before I get to this week’s list of stuff to read while you’re pretending to work, I wanted to toss some love towards a new show that Lisa and I just finished watching on Netflix….Bloodline.

The show revolves around the Rayburn family….Mom, Dad, four siblings, and the dynamics – past and present – between each member as they run their family owned beach resort in the Florida Keys.

The Rayburns are your classic American, small town, successful, happy family. Or so it seems.

John (played by Kyle Chandler, best known for his role as coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights) is a local detective and moral compass for the family.

Older brother Danny (played by Ben Mendelsohn, who will assuredly win many awards for his role) is the family outcast and black sheep.

Youngest siblings, Meg and Kevin (played by Linda Cardellini and Norbert Leo Butz) are stuck in the middle of all the drama.

And rounding out the all-star cast, the patriarchs – Robert and Sally Rayburn – are played by none other than freakin Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek.

The Rayburns have their demons to contend with…deep, dark, family secrets that would make an episode of Forensic Files seem like a Care Bears movie. To that end, it’s right up my alley. But I can’t speak highly enough of how well written and acted the show is. Not to mention how well it’s shot.

My fiance, Lisa, who is from Florida, ooo’d and aaah’d watching all 13 episodes and it reminded her of how much she misses it down there.

Suffice it to say if you’re looking for a new show to binge watch, and show that’s dark, supremely made, and is smart….Bloodline would get my vote.

Losing Fat Without Macro Counting: 10 Strategies – Anyman Fitness

We have the IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) crowd, we have the intermittent fasting crowd, we have Paleo, we low-carb/high fat, low fat/high carb, and we have any number of “fanatical” approaches on how everyone should eat to lose fat.

I’m sure somewhere out there in the world there’s a group of people who will say to avoid all foods beginning with the letters C, K, M, P, and Q on Thursdays, except for in months that end with the letter E and/or if it’s a leap year.

Then it’s all months that end in Y.

The point is: there’s a lot of information out there with a lot of different view points and it’s hella confusing. I felt this article was pretty level headed and “accessible” with its message. The less minutia the better in my book.

How to Bulletproof Your Hamstrings – Mike Robertson

It’s Spring time – tis the season for an epidemic of hamstring strains and tears.

This post by Mike is excellent.

One Movement That Will Help Your Pull-Up – Artemis Scantalides

As someone who works with a lot of female clients who’s goal it is to finally conquer their first chin-up/pull-up, I can’t approve of this article enough.

If I could make out with it, I would. I like it that much.