If you live in Australia and you like to geek out about deadlifts, scapular upward rotation, and/or Jason Bourne then you might consider coming to hang out with us.
Melbourne, Australia: July 19-21st and Melbourne Strength & Conditioning. (<— Includes bonus “Psych Skills for Fitness Pros” pre-workshop with Dr. Lisa Lewis).
This will be the only time Dr. Lisa Lewis and I will be presenting this workshop together in 2019. In previous years we’ve presented it in Boston, London, Toronto, Bonn (Germany), and Austin, TX.
This 1-day workshop is targeted towards fitness professionals and digs a little deeper into what really “bogs” them down and stresses them out….
…their clients!
Click THIS link for more details on topics covered as well as date/cost/location.
3. All About Fitness Podcast w/ Pete McCall
This was my second appearance on Pete’s show and this time around we discussed things like:
Training over 40 (you’re not over the hill, you can still get after it).
Biohacking and what the hell does that even mean?
Learning to lean in with societal norms and how both Pete and I have had to learn the hard way that our words matter.
Of all the things people get all up in arms about when it comes to nutrition, it’s always perplexed me that DIET FUCKING SODA ranks as one of the highest.
TODAY (6/28) is your LAST day to take advantage of the Early Bird rate for Mike Boyle’s latest resource. It’s a fair assertion that no one has been more influential to more coaches in this industry than Mike.
You’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re a coach/personal trainer and NOT taking the time to learn from him.
It’s also the LAST DAY to purchase Meghan’s latest resource at a hefty discount as well. I’m a big fan of the Landmine and Meghan does a superb job outlining a bevy of exercises you can perform in addition to a well-written program to follow.
I’ve been a fan of the Landmine going all the way back to the early years of Cressey Sports Performance when we started to implement it into our clients’ and athletes’ programs.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and say the Landmine is the end-all-be-all panacea of fitness and performance. I like it and use it (often), but it’s not like it’s going to cut your 40 time by 0.7 seconds, add 50 lbs. to your deadlift in a week, make it so that your pecs can cut diamonds, or give you the power of invisibility.1
Having said that, there are many reasons why I dig it.
Landmine Training and Why I Think It’s the Shit (Sorry, Non-PG Title Goes Here)
1. User Friendliness
I remember having a conversation with my friend Ben Bruno a few months after he left Boston to start training people out west in LA.
I often say that people in Boston, and in the east coast in general, tend to be a bit grittier. We live in miserable weather 50% of the year, we tend to swear like sailors more often, the weather sucks balls, and too, from a training standpoint, east coast peeps tend to be a bit more “strength” oriented.
Now, this isn’t to say that people on the west coast aren’t strong or are adverse to getting strong. Rather, it’s just to say that when you live in 75-80 degree weather year round you tend to be more concerned with your sustaining a six-pack than a 2-3x bodyweight deadlift.
Ben, to his credit, after having coached at Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning for several years, wanted to take his strength oriented mindset to LA, but he soon learned that that wasn’t going to fly and that he’d need to re-frame or pivot his approach in order to succeed his new environment.
He’d ask clients to deadlift, lunge, or squat a (regular) barbell and they’d look at him as he’d just said The Godfather III was the best of the Godfathers.
The fuck outta here.
However, Ben soon realized that all he had to do was take the barbell and slide it into a Landmine apparatus and his clients would be like “weeeeeeeeeeeeeee, this is fun.”
Set up a barbell in a squat rack for someone to squat? = Nope.
Set up a barbell in a Landmine for someone to squat? = SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY.
And that’s totally fine.
If the Landmine makes something a little less intimidating and more accessible to the user and it gets him or her more excited to train, then I see no reason why we wouldn’t want to lean into that.
As my friend Kevin Mullins stated recently, “exercises are expressions of movement patters.” In the grand scheme of things who cares how someone squats, deadlifts, lunges, rows, (or whatever). so long as they move and challenge the body to adapt and change?
2. Joint Friendliness
I’ve championed this point of view for a number of years now so I don’t feel I need to belabor it more here. In short, and to paraphrase myself..
“…a lot of people have really shitty overhead mobility.”
As such, oftentimes, overhead pressing may not be the best fit for some people (at least at present time) because they likely don’t have access to the requisite shoulder flexion in order to do so “safely” and without some significant compensations (namely, excessive lumbar extension and forward head posture).
As such, the Landmine Press is a perfect solution because it keeps trainees out of the “danger zone” yet still allows ample opportunity to train the shoulders, albeit in a more joint friendly fashion.
3. It Takes Up Minimal Space
My studio in Boston is 500 sq. feet (so just barely the size of a Jetta).
As such, I have to be very judicious with the equipment I purchase so as not to take up too much space. I don’t know how everyone else feels, but for me open space is GOLD.
The more I have of it the more activities I can do.
I bought two Landmine attachments for my Rogue squat rack because 1) I knew I’d put them to good use and 2) I knew they wouldn’t take up too much space.
Rogue Landmine Attachment = $95
Selectorized Shoulder Press Machine = more than that (and takes up way too much space).
Now, admittedly, I understand you can still McGyver a Landmine set-up without a Landmine using the corner of a wall (which is free), but that can still get a little suspect at times
One option I’m excited to try (it’s on its way) is the Gut Wrench sold by StrongerThanU.com. This makes it so you can set up a Landmine anywhere in your gym – in the corner, in the middle, on the roof – which can open the gateway to pressing, rowing, squatting, and hoisting things anywhere you please.
WU-TANG!
4. He-Man Likes It
True story.
5. Versatility
The Landmine can be used to train every part of the body.
Upper Body (Meadows’ Row)
Lower Body (Offset Shouldering Squat)
Upper & Lower Together (Deep Squat 1-Arm Landmine Press)
Everything
And Whateverthefuck
Moreover, the Landmine can be utilized by newbies, gym rats, athletes, Doug from Accounting, and even wizards. It truly is one of the more versatile pieces of equipment out there.
What’s more, exercises can be performed in a litany of positions:
And, lastly, who says you HAVE to do traditional Olympic style training in order to train and improve power?
That’s That
I am not doing the Landmine justice with this simple 1100-1200 word blog post. That said, I do think I’ve been able to get the point across that it’s a very versatile piece of equipment with an even more versatile range of applications.
For more insights and programming ideas be sure to check out Meghan’s Ultimate Landmine Program. She will blow your freakin mind with what she’s come up with.
I thoroughly enjoyed her previous resource, The Ultimate Pull-Up Program, and used it with several of my own clients with great success.
I envy Meghan’s brain. She thinks of stuff I never would have thought of, and this latest program of her’s exploits that to the umpteenth degree.
Check it out HERE (it’s on SALE this week only), and also check out her article below showcasing some not-so-common core exercises utilizing the Landmine.
3 Landmine Core Exercises You May Have Not Seen Before
Landmine training and the countless exercises you can perform are badass, empowering, and extremely beneficial, and can be a key component in your training program. I am a huge fan of landmine training, and have been for a long time.
To be clear, while using a landmine attachment is great, it is not mandatory.
You can rest the barbell against a secure surface like a wall, box/other object, or on a no-slip surface. So really, all that is required to perform landmine exercises is a barbell and perhaps several weight plates.
Here are three landmine core exercises you might not have seen or tried before.
While these landmine exercises absolutely involve the upper body as well, and provide many benefits, these unique variations especially work wonders for improving lumbo-pelvic stability.
#1) Landmine Tall Kneeling Presses + Band Resistance
This exercise strengthens the chest, shoulders, and triceps, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability. This exercise (and many other landmine pressing exercises) can be a great option if you struggle to perform overhead pressing movements.
Coaching Tips:
Set up a barbell so it is lengthwise, and is in line with the center of your body. You may anchor the barbell against a stable surface like a wall, weight plate, or box, or on a no slip surface. You may also use a Landmine attachment.
Loop a resistance band over the top of the barbell, and rest the band underneath your knees. There should be tension in the band for 100% of the movement.
Grab onto the top portion of the barbell. As for your grip, I like to interlock my fingers and place my hands on top of each other as this makes the body more symmetrical.
Get into a tall kneeling stance. Place your knees so they are approximately hip to shoulder width apart, and have a very slight forward lean in your torso. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.
Now extend your elbows and press the barbell to a range where you are able to maintain proper form, then “row” the barbell back in to your body. In fact, your ability to control the movement of your shoulder blades plays a big role in your ability to perform this exercise. Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
As you bring the barbell back in towards your body, stop just before your elbows touch your sides.
For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, or your torso, spine or hips to rotate.
Exhale after you have initiated the press and as the barbell is traveling away from your body. Inhale and reset as the barbell is returning towards your body, or pause in the starting position, and inhale/reset there before the next rep. Do what works and feels best for you.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by using less weight, or by using a band with less resistance.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by using more weight, by using a band with more resistance, or by performing negative reps and taking 3-5 seconds to “row” the barbell back down to the starting position.
#2) Contralateral Bird Dog Hold + Landmine Single Arm Rows
This deceptively challenging exercise strengthens the mid and upper back, improves grip strength, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility (and stability on the planted side), and lumbo-pelvic stability.
This exercise requires a significant amount of lumbo-pelvic stability and is arguably more of a core exercise than an upper body movement. Be conservative when you are selecting your weight, and opt for 25-50% of what you’d use to perform single arm rows.
If you are performing this exercise correctly, aside from the arm that is performing the rowing movement, the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position.
Coaching Tips:
Set up a barbell so it is lengthwise, and is behind your body. You may anchor the barbell against a stable surface like a wall, weight plate, or box, or on a no slip surface. You may also use a Landmine attachment.
Kneel with one leg on a bench, and place the hand that is on the opposite side of your body on the bench. Make sure that your shoulder is directly above your hand. Spread your fingers, and pretend you are suctioning your hand to the bench.
Extend your leg that is on the opposite side of your body as the rowing arm, and so it is parallel to the ground.
Set your body so it is in a straight line from your head to heel, and maintain this position for the duration of the exercise. Make sure that your torso and hips are square to the bench. Also, do not allow your leg to drop, or conversely, lift too high (avoid hyperextending your lower back).
Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.
Initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back and draw your shoulder blade in towards the spine (retract). Do not initiate the movement with your arm, and do not use excessive momentum.
In the top position, do not allow your elbow to flare out; instead keep it close to your side.
Lower the barbell with control, and make sure you keep your shoulder from collapsing. During the lowering/eccentric component, do not keep your shoulder blade pinned. It is meant to move, and should perform the reverse movement (protraction) as it did during the rowing/concentric component.
Pay attention to your non-working/supporting side. Push away from the bench and protract your shoulder blade (move it away from the spine). Do not mindlessly hang out.
For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or round, ribcage to flare, or your torso, spine or hips to rotate. Your torso and hips should remain square to the bench.
Exhale right after you have initiated the rowing movement; you may inhale/”reset” as the barbell is returning to the starting position, or hold your breath for the duration of the rep, exhaling, inhaling, and re-setting between reps. Do what works and feels best for you.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by using less weight.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by using more weight.
#3) Dead Bug + Single Arm Landmine Presses (Weight Behind)
I am a huge fan of dead bugs, and use many different variations in my training, and in the programs of the many people I work with. This innovative dead bug variation improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
Set up a barbell so it is lengthwise and behind you, and is in line with your armpit. You may anchor the barbell against a stable surface like a wall, weight plate, or box, or on a no slip surface. You may also use a Landmine attachment.
Lie on the floor. Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, straighten your knees, and point your feet towards you (dorsiflex). If you cannot fully extend your knees, or if you are unable to maintain proper form, you can keep your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Make sure they remain at a 90 degree angle for the duration of the exercise.
Keep your chin tucked and neck in a neutral position, extend your arms so they are above your chest, and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
Pay attention that you are not “cheating” by using the muscles in your neck and/or upper body in place of the muscles of the anterior core.
Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine). Now steadily exhale through your mouth, contract your anterior core muscles as hard as you can, slowly “row” the barbell down towards the floor and simultaneously lower the leg that is on the same side of the body, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. Once you reach your full range, simultaneously press the barbell up and return your leg to the starting position.
You have the option of keeping the non-working arm in a vertical line over the armpit, or you can reach back with your arm as you lower the weight and your leg.
As for the shoulder blade of the side that is performing the pressing movement, do not keep it pinned. It is supposed to move.
For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or your hips to leave the floor.
Keep your legs relaxed so they do not dominate.
Make sure that your knee remains in a fixed position and that the movement occurs from your hip.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by using less weight, by decreasing the range of the leg lowering, or by bending your knees to 90 degrees.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by using more weight, by increasing the range of the leg lowering, or by adding in band or kettlebell resistance (on the hand that is not holding the barbell).
Ultimate Landmine Program
The Landmine has grown to be one of the most versatile pieces of equipment on the gym floor. You can train the entire body and if you’re someone pressed for time, prefers a more minimalist approach to training, or just likes trying new stuff, this resource will be a great fit.
It’s on sale TODAY (6/25) for $67 through Friday, June 29th so you only have a few days to take advantage. If you’re already familiar with Meghan’s work you know this is a no-brainer. If you’re unfamiliar with her work, trust me: you won’t be disappointed.
Melbourne, Australia: July 19-21st and Melbourne Strength & Conditioning. (<— Includes bonus “Psych Skills for Fitness Pros” pre-workshop with Dr. Lisa Lewis).
This will be the only time Dr. Lisa Lewis and I will be presenting this workshop together in 2019. In previous years we’ve presented it in Boston, London, Toronto, Bonn (Germany), and Austin, TX.
This 1-day workshop is targeted towards fitness professionals and digs a little deeper into what really “bogs” them down and stresses them out….
…their clients!
Click THISlink for more details on topics covered as well as date/cost/location.
3. Talkin Entrepreneurial Shenanigans w/ Adam Rees
Adam Rees of GRIT Gym invited me onto his new “chat” and we covered things like my new gym venture, the industry in general, and, I don’t know, the fact I wasn’t wearing pants during this interview?
I used to think it was cool (and I was doing the industry a favor) being an uppity coach who said stuff like “walking is life, stop saying it’s exercise.”
Best selling author and Exercise.com founder & CEO, Joel Ohman, is in the house today with a stellar guest post on “radical candidness,” and how it can make you a better, more successful personal trainer and human.
Anyway, all that is to say we work with all different types of fitness professionals, and it gives us a unique insight into the psyche of personal trainers and, specifically, how they communicate with us, their co-workers, and their clients.
Different trainers have different communication styles.
Like all business owners, and people in general, there are certain communication traps we can all fall into that can sabotage our client relationships and undermine the success we are all working so hard for in our fitness businesses.
Radical Candor is a book by former Google and Apple executive Kim Scott that outlines a framework to be a better boss, colleague, and human being.
The book outlines a quadrant representing four different very common styles of communication.
On the Y-axis is your level of demonstrated personal care for the person you are communicating with. On the X-axis is your level of willingness to challenge directly in your communication with others.
The ideal stated goal in communication with clients, colleagues, and partners is to land in that top right square titled “Radical Candor,” where you are simultaneously demonstrating that you personally care about the person you are talking to while also not being afraid to challenge them directly and give them the hard truths that they may need to hear.
Radical candor is what happens when you both Care Personally and you Challenge Directly at the same time.
What Radical Candor is Not
But first, it’s important to outline what Radical Candor is NOT.
It’s not a license to act like a jerk.
It’s not an invitation to get creepily personal.
It’s not just for managers, personal trainers, bosses, or those in a position of authority—we all want to succeed.
It’s also helpful to look at each of the four different possible communication approaches/attitudes in the grid and see if you can recognize some common trainer/coach personality types, and then, of course, do the introspective work of seeing which one you tend to land in.
It won’t be hard, you should recognize which one fits you right away (or, just ask one of your clients, your colleagues/partners, or even better: your spouse).
Radical Candor
Radical Candor happens at the intersection of Care Personally and Challenge Directly.
Care Personally means that you care about the other person, not about whether you are winning a popularity contest.
Challenge Directly means that you share your perspective and invite the other person to do the same.
This is the gold standard of where we all want to be.
This is the personal trainer who obviously cares about their clients and wants them to succeed, but is also willing to say the hard truth when it comes to encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, following medical advice when it comes to weight management, and other sensitive topics.
Obnoxious Aggression
Obnoxious Aggression is mean but may be helpful.
Obnoxious Aggression is also called “brutal honesty” or “front stabbing.” This is the classic Marine boot camp instructor or the raging high school football coach that breaks his clipboard
This is the personal trainer who screams at clients but is more invested in checking out their own biceps in the gym mirror than they are in seeing their clients succeed.
We recently created a comprehensive guide on how to become a successful online trainer packed with case studies, and surprise, surprise, yelling and screaming at clients, whether in-person or via video, was not a recipe for success.
In a weird way, we have experienced coaches, trainers, or bosses like this and they have actually made us better people though.
This is why this is the second best square in the quadrant.
Even though that screaming football coach might make you want to hang your head and quietly cry in the shower after a game, can you rely on that coach to ALWAYS tell you exactly where you stand with him?
Can you count on him to communicate directly with you, tell it to you like it is, and give you immediate and specific feedback on what you need to do to improve?
Ruinous Empathy is “nice” but ultimately unhelpful or even damaging.
It’s seeing somebody with their fly down, but, not wanting to embarrass them, saying nothing, with the result that 15 more people see them with their fly down—more embarrassing for them.
It’s a personal trainer not wanting to tell their client the hard truth, that yes, their doctor is right, they do need to lose those 60 pounds. It’s a fitness business owner not wanting to confront their head personal trainer when they are not meeting expectations.
Manipulative Insincerity
Manipulative Insincerity is a stab in the back.
This is active sabotage, and the worst of what we all think of when we think of interpersonal relationships and communication, whether that’s office politics or gym politics.
What About You?
In our weekly team meetings we like to start off with a 10-15 minute segment we call “Weekly Wisdom” that has one member of the team sharing something they recently learned, whether business, personal, a book they read, etc. and then we discuss as a team.
We recently discussed, you guessed it, Radical Candor, and here are some of the questions we discussed:
Can you provide an example of someone who communicated something to you using Radical Candor? How did that make you feel?
Can you provide an example of someone who communicated something to you using Obnoxious Aggression, Ruinous Empathy, or Manipulative Insincerity? How did that make you feel?
When faced with difficult conversations, which of the four communication approaches do you find yourself gravitating towards? How might you intentionally become Radically Candid instead?
How might we encourage Radical Candor as a team?
How might you utilize Radical Candor in your personal life?
So, what about you? How might becoming Radically Candid transform your fitness business, your client relationships, and maybe even your personal life?
About the Author
Joel Ohman is a serial entrepreneur, author, and angel investor.
He is the founder and CEO of Exercise.com and a number of tech startups. He lives in Tampa, FL with his wife Angela and their three kids.
His writing companion is Caesar, a slightly overweight Bull Mastiff who loves to eat the tops off of strawberries. He lifts weights six days a week and does Krav Maga twice a week to try to ignore the fact he’s still just a washed up ex-college basketball player.
You can connect with Joel and send your own Radically Candid personal communication to him at JoelOhman.com.
SPECIAL DISCOUNT: If you want custom-branded iOS and Android apps for your fitness business, then check out Exercise.com’s fitness business management software to scale your business in-person and online using assessments, clients/class scheduling, gym check-ins, billing, workout software, and more then mention this article to get an extra month free.
Melbourne, Australia: July 19-21st and Melbourne Strength & Conditioning. (<— Includes bonus “Psych Skills for Fitness Pros” pre-workshop with Dr. Lisa Lewis).
This will be the only time Dr. Lisa Lewis and I will be presenting this workshop together in 2019. In previous years we’ve presented it in Boston, London, Toronto, Bonn (Germany), and Austin, TX.
This 1-day workshop is targeted towards fitness professionals and digs a little deeper into what really “bogs” them down and stresses them out….
…their clients!
Click THIS link for more details on topics covered as well as date/cost/location.
SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS
Twitter
Exercise reframe from Dr. Lisa Lewis:
When fatigue sets in..
Instead of thinking about quitting or cheating your set, you can think, “OOOO! Here comes the tough part! This is what I want! I’m about to get stronger/faster/leaner/sexier… It’s on!!”
Are you like me and don’t have enough eye rolls to give whenever someone waxes poetic on something like the Paleo diet and how the reason why they do it is because cavemen were ripped?
Some of you may recall an article I wrote years ago, not long after I left Cressey Sports Performance, where I demonstrably stated I would never want to open a gym on my own.
For those who need their memory jogged – or for those who missed it altogether – you can check it out HERE.
I joke, but there was a time where you would have been more likely to see the words “the next Bachelor” or “Kumite champion” or “vegan” next to my name before you ever saw the words “gym owner.”
To quote the article above:
“All of This To Say….
I have NO interest in opening or owning my own facility.
I’ve spent over a decade building my own brand and a “business,” but I am in no way, shape, or form a businessman.”
There’s still much I agree with in that article:
I still feel, strongly, that gym ownership can often be a facade. We’re programmed to believe that just because someone owns a gym that they’ve somehow reached the pinnacle in this industry, that they’ve “made it,” and that they read scripture to orphaned kittens and shit rainbows and stuff.
That they can do no wrong and they’re inherently better than us.
Pfffft, whatever.
I still feel, strongly, that many fitness professionals enter gym ownership for the wrong reasons.
I still feel, strongly, that as much as hard work, consistency, resiliency, and perseverance play a role in everyone’s success, that luck, too, is an often under-appreciated and under-reported factor.1
And finally, I still feel, strongly, my pecs can cut diamonds.
Alas, time has a funny way of making us eat our words.
I left Cressey Sports Performance in the Fall of 2015 to begin training people out of a small studio in Brookline, MA where I’d was sub-lease underneath another gym owner.
In the summer of 2016 I took over the lease and as a result…
…CORE was established.
It not so many words: I became a bonafide “gym owner.”
Now, I put “gym owner” in quotations marks because, while my name is on the lease, and while I am responsible for making sure the rent is paid every month, liability insurance is covered, and that the utilities are taken care of, I still don’t consider CORE a gym gym.
It sounds silly, but because it’s so tiny – 450 sq. feet – I consider it more of a “place where I happen to train people” more so than it being regaled as a gym.
Studio?
Training Space?
Deadlifting Dojo?
I don’t know.
Gym just seemed/seems like a bit of a stretch.
Moreover, there’s still a degree of imposture syndrome that plagues and festers inside me. I’ve never considered myself a savvy business person. I mean, I still have to Google things like “the difference between net and gross income” or “in the black vs. in the red” or “will I be sued if I don’t wear pants to work?” on a regular basis.
There’s a reason I barely passed (business) economics class in college.
Suffice to say, despite my best efforts to besmirch and (de)aggrandize my success over the course of the past three years of gym ownership – it’s a personality trait I work hard to battle – things have gone quite splendidly.
So splendidly, in fact, that I am on the cusp of moving CORE to a larger location.
Excuse Me, That’s My Sphincter Clenching It’s Sphincter
If there was ever a more opportune time for Dramatic Chipmunk to make an appearance it’s now…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw
It’s still in the early stages and nothing is cemented yet, but an LOI (Letter of Intent) has been agreed upon and it’s looking as if I’ll be moving my 450 sq. foot “something-er-other” into a 3,500 sq. foot TECHNO & DEADLIFTING PALACE OF FISTPUMPS.™
(Excuse me while I go destroy the back of my pants).
A lot has gone into this decision, it’s been brewing for a while, but I felt it prudent (and a bit cathartic) to hash out and explain a few details that helped inspire this bold move:
1. My (New) Vision
As it stands now, I coach my own clients 20 hours per week out of CORE. I also have six other coaches running their own businesses out of the same space.
One coach, one space.
There can be only one.
Some, like me, follow a semi-private model (coaching anywhere from 2-4 clients at a time), while others use it solely to train their clients one-on-one.
Either way, each coach pays an hourly rate to use the space. They’re all coaches I know and trust, and who are very competent.
And what’s more to the point, the system has worked very well to help offset my overhead.
My model has proven to work on a small scale.
However, can I make it work on a grander scale?
As in, instead of one coach using the space at a time, maybe two, three, or four coaches could utilize the space simultaneously?
I love the idea of providing a space for other fitness professionals to grow their businesses & brands; a consortium of like-minded fitness professionals supporting and helping one another to create an environment that’s welcoming and inspiring to all.
One of the things I miss most about being at CSP is the camaraderie amongst the coaches; sharing and bouncing ideas off one another.
I also love the idea of actually having showers, changing rooms, a lounge area, and more than one squat rack (something CORE doesn’t have access to at the moment).
Goals.
2) My Jerry Maguire Moment
This idea would only work if 1) I was 100% sure I had reached a tipping point in my own ability to accommodate clients and more importantly 2) the coaches who were sub-leasing under me currently would also be willing to take a risk and follow me to the new space.
So I sent an email a few weeks ago and it said…
“Who’s coming with me?”
I explained my umbrella theme for the new space, how things would benefit everyone – for myself AND them – in addition to outlining some baseline expectations.
They all said yes.
NOTE TO SAID COACHES: You can’t back out now. We pinky swore. WE PINKY SWORE.
3) Onward!
I’m scared to fail.
I’m scared to take a risk.
I’m scared to step outside my comfort zone just like everyone else.
But then I remembered 13 words my friend, Todd Bumgardner, uttered to me years ago when I was going back and forth on whether or not to leave Cressey Sports Performance. They punched me in the face and nothing has resonated with me so much:
“Scare the shit out of yourself. It’s the only way to do it.”
I have the support of my wife. I have the support of my clients and colleagues. And, seemingly, I have the support of my bank account.
NOTE: The term “Porcelain Post” was invented by Brian Patrick Murphy and Pete Dupuis. Without getting into the specifics, it describes a post that can be read in the same time it takes you to go #2.
Huh, I guess that was more specific than I thought.
Trying to Answer a Question That Has No Right Answer
This past weekend I had the honor of teaching alongside my good friend Luke Worthington as we put on our 2-day Strategic Strength Workshop here in Boston.
Side Note: We will be teaching it again in London this September. You can find out more details HERE.
We had an eclectic group of 30 fitness professionals ranging from personal trainers and coaches to physical therapists and gym owners, young and old, newbies to those with more experience, all under one roof to listen to the two us speak about assessment, program design, coaching up specific strength exercises, and swoon over Luke’s British accent.
I’m all like, “blah, blah, blah, who’s your favorite Power Ranger?, blah blah blah.”
Luke and I covered a metric shit ton of information (FYI: which is more than a metric boat load), and as is always the case, we had a bevy of questions.
This is a good thing.
Nothing is worse than when you ask “does anyone have any questions?” and all you get is a bunch of tumbleweeds. I am elated when attendees ask questions, and I always attempt to answer every single one to the best of my ability.
Attendee:“Tony, what muscles upwardly rotate the scapulae again?”
Me:“Serratus anterior, upper and lower traps.”
Attendee: “Thank you. Also, can you put your pants back on?”
However, there’s one question in particular – which can present itself in a variety of ways – that I often have a hard time with when I present.
Invariably, after two days – and close to 14 hours of content – where I’m showcasing a litany of drills, exercises, concepts, and breaking down my way of doing things (which isn’t to suggest they’re the right way) I’ll get the following question:
“If I implement “x” exercise how long before my client will see results?”
I understand why it’s asked.
If I take the time to demonstrate a particular drill and how I like to use it for a given scenario, it’s only logical for someone to ask the question: “hey, if I use that, how long before it works?”
But the truth of the matter is…
…I don’t know.
How good of a coach are you?
I mean, how long did it take you to master deadlift technique, the intricacies of the Turkish Get-Up, or, I don’t know, the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique?
Chances are it wasn’t overnight or during the course of a 1 or 2-day workshop.
Are you the type of coach who, after taking a weekend course, heads into work on Monday to torture your clients with new stuff you only knew existed a few hours prior?
Or, are you the type of coach who lets things marinate for a bit, gives yourself some time to understand the information, and try it out yourself before unleashing it to the masses?
My suspicions are that old(er) fitness professionals – or those with more experience – take the latter approach; they want to spend time with their notes, go through with a fine toothed comb, and really digest things.
Conversely, new(er) fitness professionals – or those with less experience – are quick to start posting “this cool new drill I learned” on Instagram.
So maybe there IS an answer here: Don’t be that coach.
Melbourne, Australia: July 19-21st and Melbourne Strength & Conditioning. (<— Includes bonus “Psych Skills for Fitness Pros” pre-workshop with Dr. Lisa Lewis).
This will be the only time Dr. Lisa Lewis and I will be presenting this workshop together in 2019. In previous years we’ve presented it in Boston, London, Toronto, Bonn (Germany), and Austin, TX.
This 1-day workshop is targeted towards fitness professionals and digs a little deeper into what really “bogs” them down and stresses them out….
…their clients!
ClickTHIS link for more details on topics covered as well as date/cost/location.
SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS
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After ensuring you’re ACTUALLY in a caloric deficit, consistent, adequate amounts of sleep = (likely) the best “nudger” of fat loss there is.
Before you reach for that detox tea that will set your anus on fire, consider going to bed instead?
In this episode, Dr. Lewis and host Kim Schlag discuss spotting, stopping, and reframing negative thinking, along with a potpourri of other psychological topics.
Great listen for fitness pros and fitness enthusiasts alike.
NOTE: If you prefer not to listen to this episode on iTunes you can go HERE.
One chapter in particular – Chapter 8: Achieving a Goal versus Achieving Success – resonated with me, and I wanted to take today to pontificate, mirror, and expound further on Dan’s message.
“Achieving a goal and achieving success are not the same thing.”
My life is replete with goals I’ve achieved:
Earning an athletic scholarship to play baseball in college.
Building a career that pays the bills and doesn’t make me want to throw my face into a brick wall.
Finding a life partner that fulfills all my love tanks.
Abs.
Conversely, my life is also a bevy of goals that never came to be:
Playing professional baseball (so close, though).
Asking out Nicole Kot.
Becoming the third official member of the “Bash Brothers.”
The thing is though, and this was the umbrella theme of Dan’s chapter, many of our high points in life have nothing to do with achieving a specific goal – realistic or far-fetched.
They have everything to do with marinating in life’s successes.
Here are my top 10 moments in sport (and a few life):
1. 1996 & 1997 – Being Named Team (Pitching) MVP
Not many kids play past the high school level where I’m from (Groton, NY, graduating class, 55. Number of cornfields, 555). I played two years of JUCO ball at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY, which had a highly competitive baseball program.
I chose to go to a community college rather than a four-year school out of high-school because I wanted to increase my chances of getting as much playing time as possible my first two years. I wish more kids and parents today would appreciate the power of actually playing over prestige in choosing a school.
I was named the team (pitching) MVP both my freshman and sophomore year.
This was a big deal given the bulk of my teammates hailed from schools who’s graduating classes were larger than my entire school (7th – 12th grades) and I was very much a small fish in a big pond.
2. April 25, 1996 – OCC: 9, MCC: 1
Our league rival when I was at OCC was MCC (Monroe Community College located in Rochester, NY). Man, were they a bunch of a-holes.
I was handed the rock (pictured above) on April 25, 1996.
I was nervous.
The very first pitch I threw that day was rocketed to right field for a single.
Okay, now I was more than nervous. I destroyed the back of my pants.
I ended up pitching a complete game earning a decisive 9-1 win.
Okay, technically, this counts as a goal, but whatever.
The kicker here is that I was finally able to hit this lift after turning 40 AND during my first year of fatherhood.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.
4. 2006 – Being Intentionally Walked In a Beer League Slow-Pitch Softball Game
When Eric Cressey and I were both working as trainers in Ridgefield, CT we joined a local slow-pitch softball team.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and say Eric and I were the stars of the team, but lets just say the year prior the team didn’t make the play-offs and the year both Eric and I were on the roster the team made it to the championship series.
Eric batted lead-off and I batted fourth in the line-up.
In Game #1 of the best of three series I was intentionally walked in…
…and I can’t stress this enough: SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL.
Granted, we ended up losing in the third game, but that’s beside the point. My grandchildren (and their grandchildren, and their grandchildren) will forever be reminded of this unprecedented athletic feat.
5. ~1984 – Unassisted Triple Play During Kickball Game
I remember it like it was yesterday.
5th Grade.
We were outside playing our daily game of kickball during recess.
You know, when school’s still had such a thing.
I was playing the outfield right behind second base. Someone kicked a liner right towards me and I caught it in mid-air (Out #1) as I simultaneously stepped on second base (Out #2) to then pivot and throw a dart straight into the back of the runner who was attempting to retreat back to 1st base.
Not today motherfucker.
Out #3.
I was king for a day.
6. 2019: This Past Sunday – Julian Displaying His Rap Skills
Mommy was away having a ladies’ weekend in Florida with a few of her high-school friends.
It was early Sunday morning and Julian and I had a few hours to burn before I took him to gymnastics class. I turned on the Sonos to play some music, KRS-One came on, and this happened…
Proud daddy moment.
7. 2008 – Striking Out 20 Batters in Over-30 Baseball League Game
I joined an over-30 baseball league in 2008.
We had just opened up Cressey Sports Performance the year prior and were starting to see an influx of baseball players coming to train with us.
This led to an itch to play again.
There are several very competitive leagues in or around Boston and I tried out for one of the local teams that year: the Framingham Orioles.
To be honest, I think I was throwing harder at age 31 than I was when I played collegiate ball.
It’s amazing what sound, legitimate training can do.
Anyway, that same year I had also moved in with my then girlfriend. To make a long story short, she broke up with me.
My heart was broken and I happened to have a big game that weekend.
I remember arriving to the game and giving my teammates a heads up that if I seemed a little off, well, “I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying.”
I struck out 20 batters that game and gave up one hit.
Apparently sadness, bewilderment, with a sprinkle of rage is a recipe for conjuring up your inner Roger Clemens or Kerry Wood.
8. 1995 – Passing My Driver’s License – On the 3rd Attempt
Attempt #1 – I botched my 3-point turn (put the car into reverse only to then forgot to put it back in drive. When I stepped on the gas again I went into reverse, and then slammed on the brakes. Oops).
Attempt #2 – Nailed the 3-point turn, but botched a bunch of other stuff. Forgetting to use my blinker, going 20 MPH over the speed limit, I don’t remember.
Attempt #3 – It could have gone either way, but I passed.
Boom, chaka-laka.
9. 2015 – Not Flubbing My First Dance
Lisa and I got married on May 30, 2015.
In the weeks prior we hired a choreographer to help us with our first dance as a married couple. We wanted to do something different with a non-traditional song so we felt it best to utilize a professional.
Our song was this version of “Settle Down” by Kimbra.
This was serious business.
We met with our instructor for an hour each week for several weeks.
This in combination with the endless “flash rehearsals” Lisa and I would perform in our kitchen or living room.
Few things intimidated me more than the fear of performing our dance. I was scared I was going to flub it.
1-2-3, twist, 1-2-3, turn right (no, wait, left), 1-2-3, oh shit, 1-2-3, I’m lost, 1-2-3, pity claps from Aunt Celia.
I’m happy to say none of the above happened: Lisa and I turned heads.
We crushed it.
10. 1995 – Hitting a Home-run off a Future 1st Round Draft Pick
In 1994 my high-school varsity team made it to the Section IV Finals in baseball. We had to face one of the best pitchers in the state, Matt Burch of Edison High School in Elmira, NY.
I never batted against him in that game. I was in a bit of a batter’s slump towards the end of that season and while coach still had my play the field (second base) he ended up DH’ing me.
He schooled us, struck out something like 15 batters (in 7 innings), and we lost the game 2-1.
Fast forward to 1995 and the IAC Exceptional Senior All-Star Game.
I was the starting pitcher on my side, and low and behold who was the opposing pitcher on the other?
Matt Burch of Edison High School.
Matt had another dominant season that year and was drafted in the late rounds by the Boston RedSox.2He would end up going to Virginia Commonwealth to play college ball and be drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 1st road in 1998.3
Even though I was the starting pitcher I was also batting second in the line-up that day.
In the first inning I dug myself into the batter’s box and ran the count up to 2-2. Matt threw the next pitch, and with my eyes closed I swung and made contact!
I sprinted towards first base and as I was rounding it to head towards second the umpire got my attention to let me know I could slow down…
…I had hit a home-run.
You would be correct if you guessed the first person I called after the game was my coach…;o)
Dan’s Sage Words
In closing, I leave you with a quote from Dan’s original article:
“If you are striving for just achieving goals, I’m not always going to be able to help you. Your DNA, discipline and luck might be far more important than me saying, “two sets of five.”
But success?
I have always wanted health, fitness, longevity and performance as part of my life. What you see on my list is six decades of competitions. But, the competitions and the trophies pale when compared to the friendships, the love and the fun.”
Joel Ohman is a serial entrepreneur, author, and angel investor.
