Categoriesfitness business

Coach and Grow Rich

Fitness professionals are reticent to talk about money.

Part of this is because it’s a topic we’re not taught.

Ever.

I don’t recall the “Financial Savviness” or “SEP IRA” chapter in my NSCA textbook.

Too, partly, I think we’ve been programmed to think that we’re “selling out” if we bring up money or that we’d like to make more of it. Fit pros are just supposed to shut-up, work long hours, and take pride in the grind.

That and apparently create the facade of wealth by posting lots of shirtless or arms crossed pictures next to sports cars on Instagram…😉

Nevertheless, finances is a dearth topic in the fitness industry and something that should garner more of our attention. To that end, I’ll hand things over to fitness financial expert, Billy Hofacker, who chimes in today with the first of THREE installments of a series I believe will help a lot of people.

Enjoy!

Copyright: tuk69tuk / 123RF Stock Photo

Coach and Grow Rich

If you’re like me, you got into the fitness industry because you had a passion for fitness and/or helping people.  You probably realized you needed an understanding of anatomy as well as how to relate with different kinds of people.

However, what often catches us off guard and derails us is managing money. In my case, the realization wasn’t subtle. I was surprised to hear a knock on the door at the crack of dawn one spring morning about 10 years ago. I opened the door to see a guy standing there with no shortage of tattoos, muscles, and piercings.

Confused, I looked past him and saw my new white Honda Accord hooked up to his tow truck.

My car had been repossessed.

The craziest thing about this is that I was actually surprised. In other words, I was so far behind on payments that the repo man had to come and I didn’t even see it coming. That’s how off track I was.

This was a major wake up call for me to say the least. Thankfully, it has a happy ending.

My wife and I went on to pay down over 130K in non-mortgage debt in 5 years. Yes, we had that much debt. We owed money to everybody!

Not only did we pay off all the debt but we went on to create a nice life for ourselves. More importantly, I discovered my mission for helping fit pros achieve financial freedom .

As fitness professionals, we’re some of the hardest working people I know and unfortunately many have little to nothing to show for it.

As Tony says, “It’s just not a topic we’re taught, ever.”

The good news is that regardless of your situation, there is hope. You can absolutely get to the next level. To make this happen, three of the most important areas we need to address are:

  • Money Mindset
  • Destroying Debt
  • Building Wealth

In the first of this three-part series. I’ll be diving into Money Mindset.

Marching orders will be included as knowledge is useless until it’s applied.

Money Mindset

This is a broad area and a topic that comes up a lot in my Fitness Profit Coaching Group.

One thing I’m certain of after being on this journey for 10+ years, is that we are affected by our upbringing and experiences.

All of our actions are based on emotions which stem from thoughts which are completely shaped by our backgrounds.

This is why we can learn all of the techniques but still find success to be elusive. We are limited by our own beliefs which aren’t necessarily true. They are simply what we learned and don’t have to define us.

After countless hours of study, I’ve come to realize that financially successful people and those who struggle think completely differently.

There are many examples of this.

Some are obvious.

For instance, most of us agree that financially successful people are more likely to take control of their destiny. They don’t simply hope for the best. They make it happen.

Additionally, you’ll rarely hear a financially successful individual complain about their circumstances. Those who struggle often play the blame game. They seem to always have a reason for where they are in life. Whether it’s the economy, their age, their boss, their spouse, their kids, or most commonly their parents, they find something or someone to justify their lack of success. It provides some short term benefit. If the reason for their position is outside their control, they don’t have to take responsibility or change.

Change is uncomfortable.

Here is a common but not as often recognized self defeating belief. It’s one that I believe has affected me negatively. It’s the belief that money isn’t important.

Perhaps someone told you that there are more important things than money – things like relationships or time to enjoy life. This belief is commonly taught in religious circles. It’s almost as if having money makes you less spiritual.

Here’s what I now know to be true:

👉 None of those things I mentioned are mutually exclusive. It doesn’t make any sense to compare them. My relationships are extremely important but so is money. The fact that my relationships are important doesn’t negate the fact that money is too.

👉 Whoever says money isn’t important doesn’t have any. The belief that money isn’t important causes people to do things that are destructive to their financial health. They don’t pay attention to it. When you don’t pay attention to it you wind up in trouble.

👉 They don’t talk about it. When you don’t talk about it to those close to you, relationships are strained. We know it’s the biggest cause for marital problems.

👉 It doesn’t make anyone less spiritual. People can’t be fed and religious buildings can’t be built without money.

Money really magnifies character or lack thereof. When a generous person becomes wealthy, they become more generous and make the world a better place. When a greedy or dishonest person gets money, it magnifies these traits.

It wasn’t caused by the money.

The key is uncovering these beliefs, recognizing them for what they are, and working hard to develop new and more productive beliefs. This is hard work but one of the most valuable things you can do for your finances and your life.

Here are your action steps:

1️⃣ Think about an emotional experience you had around money when you were young.

2️⃣ Write down all of the thoughts, statements, and feelings you had around money, rich people, wealth, etc. when you were young.

3️⃣ Write down the habits and thoughts around money that your parents or caregivers had.

4️⃣ Write down the effect all these things had on your finances and life thus far.

Hopefully after spending some time in this area, you can acknowledge that not all of those things are necessarily true. They just represent your experience. Someone with a different background and experiences would have a completely different set of beliefs and values. Now it’s time to decide that moving forward you will adopt a new set of beliefs.

About the Author

Many fitness professionals get stuck in the day to day and have little to show for their hard work. Billy Hofacker helps them get on a plan to achieve financial freedom. You can learn more by listening to the Your Fitness Money Coach podcast or visiting www.yourfitnessmoneycoach.com.

Categoriespersonal training Program Design Strength Training

The Missing Key to Conquering Your First Pullup: Stop Focusing on Eccentrics and Do This Instead

Shots have been fired.

Shots have been fired.

Some people will read the title of this post and see what they want to see…

“…Tony G has lost his mind. He’s telling people that doing eccentric only pull-ups to help build their actual pull-up is wrong. He also hates kittens.”

Others will know better and actually continue reading.

Copyright: diy13 / 123RF Stock Photo

The Missing Ingredient to Conquering Your First Pull-Up

I’d be remiss not to note that most competent programs designed to help people become pull-up badasses either emphasize or incorporate eccentric only variations.

Hell, one of the most baller programs out there (and one I reference often myself) – Meghan Callaway’s Ultimate Pull-Up Program (ahem, it’s its 3-year anniversary this week and it’s on sale for 50% OFF the regular price hint, hint, nudge, nudge) – incorporates a bevy of eccentric only pull-ups…

…among many, many other things.

I mean, it’s well established that the eccentric (or lowering) portion of any exercise is generally where a trainee is strongest, can handle the most load, and, potentially, leads to the most muscle growth.

 

All the above being the case, when it comes to BUILDING the pull-up, I still feel too many trainees (women AND men, mind you) miss the forest for the trees.

Despite it being an excellent choice, performing 5 to 10 lackluster eccentric only pull-ups week in and week out does not a pull-up make.

It’s akin to me posting a shirtless pic on my Match.com profile – and only a shirtless pic – and then underneath that pic typing…

…”come get it ladies.”

Sure, it may work in netting me a few dates.

But I doubt it.1

First of all: I’m a happily married man and don’t have a Match.com profile. It’s just a metaphor. But, coincidentally enough, I did meet my wife there…;o)

Second: I’d like to think my superior writing skills and uncanny wit was what won her over and led to us meeting for our first date four days after crossing paths digitally.

Third: In the age of Tinder, Bumble, and the litany of other dating apps at society’s disposal, do people even use Match.com anymore?

Where was I?

Right, what else to focus on other than eccentric only pull-ups.

Do More

I think one of the biggest mistakes I see most people make with their pull-up/chin-up programming is that they simply don’t train the pattern enough.

Most people will train their pull-up once, maybe twice per week.

This isn’t enough.

Pull-up badass, Artemis Scantalides, will often advocate a frequency of 4-5x per week.

However, this approach only works well for those who can already perform 3-5 pull-ups and are looking to level up that number.

If you can’t even perform one this would be a daunting prospect to say the least.

That said, I think staying cognizant of total VOLUME is an often overlooked component of pull-up progress.

As in: A metric fuck ton (which is just a tad below a metric boat load) of pulling volume is undoubtedly going to result in some cool things happening.

I like to incorporate the following (hybrid) vertical pulling progressions when working with an individual working toward their first pull-up

1️⃣ Suspension Trainer Vertical Row Thingamabobber – Level 1

Trainee is allowed to use his or her’s feet to help push off the floor and to assist as much as needed.

2️⃣ Suspension Trainer Vertical Row Thingamabobber – Level 2

 

Legs straight (less help)

3️⃣ Suspension Trainer Vertical Row Thingamabobber – Level 3

 

Feet Elevated – more ROM.

4️⃣ BONUS: Rack Pull-Up

 

This is hands down one of my favorite accessory “pull-up builder” exercises (and upper back exercises in general).

I LOVE the lat stretch in the bottom position.

If someone is looking to conquer their first pull-up I’d be more inclined to include one of these exercises as part of EVERY training session aiming for 2-4 sets of 5-15 repetitions

  • The “easier” drills are assigned more sets and reps.
  • The “harder” drills are assigned less sets and reps.
  • Sick beats optional.

Ultimate Pull-Up Program & Ultimate Push-Up Program

All this week you can purchase Meghan Callaway’s Ultimate Pull-Up Program at 50% off the regular price. Meghan is one of the best coaches I know and this program is without hesitation THE “go-t0” program if you’re looking to take your pull-up game to the next level.

Moreover, you also have the option of purchasing both the Ultimate Pull-Up Program & the Ultimate Push-Up Program at a heavily discounted price.

You can check out that link HERE.

Nevertheless, given many people have lost access to their regular gyms due to COVID-19 and have been regulated to training mostly at home these two programs couldn’t come at a better time.

Act fast, the offer ends this week!

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: The Canister Press

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The Canister Press

Who Did I Steal It From: I never thought this day would come. I think I may have done it everyone. I can’t believe it. I may have invented an exercise.

At first was going to call it TonyGentilcoreSupremeChancellorDragonSlayer Press, but that seemed a tad grandiose (and a mouthful).

I decided on Canister Press instead for reasons you can read about below… 😉

 

What Does It Do: The shoulder blades are meant to move:

  • Upward/downward rotation
  • Protraction/retraction
  • Anterior/posterior tilt

The ability to perform all of those actions is indicative of a “healthy” shoulder, and the platform for all that movement to take place comes courtesy of the ribcage.

The ribcage is shaped in a convex manner.

The scapulae (shoulder blade) is concave, or rounded, in nature. The ability for the two to play nicely together is an often overlooked mechanism of what I like to call “my shoulder fucking hurts syndrome.”

Rather than lulling a client down the corrective exercise purgatory rabbit hole, one option I like to hone in on out of the gate is creating context by encouraging what’s commonly referred to as the “canister position.”

Think of the canister position as stacked joints.

Your rib cage should be “stacked” on top of your pelvis. You can get a general visual from the picture below; my bottom hand represents my pelvic floor and my top hand represents my diaphragm and ribcage

This position is often a “safer” position for most, but is also a stable position, oftentimes allowing for more range of motion to occur, as well as a position that allows people to express the most strength and power in the weight room.

By pressing the band out in front of the body and holding it in place I am creating a FLEXION MOMENT with my abs (more posterior pelvic tilt), which in turn “cements” the canister position.

From there I create more congruency with the ribcage and shoulder blades so that the latter can move more efficiently up and around the former.

In short: It allows for a “cleaner” and often less painful overhead press.

Key Coaching Cues: I think the video above is self-explanatory. However, I am using a light resistance band and just wrapped it around my back. Alternatively you could wrap the band around a pole, squat rack, or any inanimate object and perform it that way too.

It’s somewhat hard to notice in the video but as I press the band out in front of my body I am also exhaling ALL my air out. This helps to get the ribs down further and to lock in that canister position even more.

From there I brace and perform my reps on the opposite arm (breathing as I hold the brace).

Give it a try, let me know what you think, and tag me on social media if you do!

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

1-Minute Deadlift Tip: Pause Reps

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Do Paused Deadlifts

I’m a firm believer in many things: The Earth is round. The Bourne Ultimatum is the best Bourne movie. And most accessory work should address a weakness or technique flaw with one of your main lifts.

Enter paused deadlifts.

There’s no sugar coating here: these can be absolutely brutal, but they accomplish a few important things:

  • They help synchronize the shoulders and hips (namely the latter) from coming up too fast.
  • They help improve upper back (lat) tension.
  • They get people stronger in ranges of motion where they’re weakest.

For programming purposes, aim for sets of 3-5 reps using 50-65% of 1-rep max, pausing 2-3 inches off the floor (or at mid-shin level depending on the individual and where the bar tends to stall) for a 2-3 second count each rep.

If you want to up the ante even further, perform a full pause in the same spot on the way up AND the way down.

You psychopath.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 10/9/20

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THE WEEKLY BRIEF UPDATE

1. You can now purchase CORE @ Home for whatever it is you want to pay.

During quarantine I started a platform where I’d deliver 20-40 minute workouts that could be performed in everyone’s living room using minimal equipment.

In all I curated 36 workouts using nothing but bodyweight, bands, and kettlebells and/or dumbbells. With many people still reticent to head back to their regular gyms (not to mention the scarcity of gym equipment out there to purchase) I figured this would be a nice opportunity to help.

Whether you want to spend $1 or $100 (if the latter, we’ll be BFFs forever), the workouts are ready and available to start.

For more information go HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

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There have literally been thousands of articles and blog posts written on how to properly groove the hip hinge. . I’ve written roughly 719 of them myself. . The hip hinge (maximal hip flexion/minimal knee flexion, learning to dissociate hip movement from lumbar movement) helps clear a path for a more diverse climate of movement, and one that also helps promote athleticism & strength. . I’ve seen a pattern where some coaches are making this more complicated than it has to be. Sure, some people need more attention to detail, but a hip hinge doesn’t require too many shenanigans. . “Okay, so, what I need you to do is stand on this thingamajig, repeat the Elvish alphabet backwards, while standing underneath the light of this chakra balancing crystal I harvested from the bellybutton of a centaur.” . “Now think about keeping a neutral spine while also making sure maintain approximation of your 5th & 6th rib.” . “Also, breath through your eyeballs.” . See? A hip hinge! . 👉 Swipe over to see a quickie video I shot showcasing one of the simplest (and fool proof) ways to hammer down that pesky hip hinge. . Its so fresh and so clean (minus my clear failed attempt to be cool at the end of the video…😂)

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

Flex Diet Certification – Dr. Mike T. Nelson

There’s only a few days left to opt-in for access to Dr. Mike T. Nelson’s Flex Diet course. He’s opened it up to TG.com readers only this week and if you click THIS link you’ll opt in for a FREE one-hour webinar on what “flexible dieting” even means.

From there you can gain access to 30+ hours of continuing education on how to best implement nutrition & recovery strategies with your clients/athletes; a weak link for many.

It’s a game changer to say the least.

Velocity Based Training: Let’s Not Freak Out Over a Bar Speed Sensor. Look Beyond the Surface – Gerry DeFilippo

Some coaches are bit tepid when it comes to the efficacy of using speed sensors in the weight room. Others are such ardent supporters that they’ll shut down a session if a repetition is 0.001s  slower than the previous one.

(only a slight exaggeration).

I felt this was an excellent synopsis on the topic.

Fixing Athlete Posture – Travis Mash

Posture – it can be a dicey discussion. There’s a delicate balance between what’s “optimal” and “realistic” in addition to understanding that everyone is bit different.

Sub-optimal posture doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a walking ball of fail. But it IS pertinent information when it comes to the overall well-being and performance of an athlete.

I appreciated Travis’s approach with this one. Not fear mongering, but just preparing his lifters to be better lifters.

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

Do Not Cross Doesn’t Really Mean You Can’t Cross: Fitness In a Nutshell

Two weekends ago I had the opportunity to make a cameo at John Rusin’s Pain-Free Performance Specialist course that was held at AMP Fitness here in Boston.

My good friend – and currently #7 on my list of Top 10 man crushes – David Otey was in town to teach the course.

It was lovely to spend time with my friend whom I hadn’t seen in several months. But too, after an equal gap in absence, it was downright biblical to finally be amongst a group of fitness professionals in a learning environment. I didn’t realize how much I missed in-person continuing education until I was marinating in it for a few hours.

I took home a bounty of insights and ideas in the few hours I was there, however there was one analogy in particular David used that really resonated with me

Copyright: maximkabb / 123RF Stock Photo

Do Not Cross Doesn’t Really Mean You Can’t Cross: Fitness in a Nutshell

Anyone who lives in a large city is familiar with the throng of “Do Not Cross” signs peppering the sidewalks and streets.

Pedestrian life is controlled by their never-ending playlist counting down when it’s safe to cross a street and when it’s not.

They’re there for a reason; for our safety and the public good.

Not surprisingly, most people ignore them and cross the street anyway.1

And 99.9999% of the time…it’s fine. We survive. Not a scratch.

…but your head better be on swivel.

The same theme applies to lifting weights. As David noted during his talk on squat assessment and squat technique, people can back squat with a straight bar (often considered at the top of the pyramid in terms of most advanced squat variations), but it only takes that one time using too much load or being too overzealous where something goes awry.

Likewise, think about the conventional deadlift.

I’d argue the conventional deadlift – particularly when performed from the floor – is the most advanced variation of deadlift one can perform:

  • Axis of rotation is further away from the barbell.
  • More shear load on the spine.
  • More likely your soul will leave your body.

It requires a fair amount of mobility (access to requisite hip flexion, thoracic extension, ankle dorsiflexion) as well as picking the right parents (short torso, long arms) to be able to get into and maintain the proper spine position to perform safely.

NOTE: I believe Dr. Stuart McGill has noted in his research that something like 93% of the people he’s assessed during his career could not perform a conventional deadlift from the floor without compensating through their lumbar spine in some fashion (I.e., loaded spinal flexion).

NOTE II: Maybe it’s 91%. No, wait, 87%. Either way, it’s a lot…;o)

All of this to say: Yes, back squatting is fine. As are conventional deadlifts. But they’re both examples where the bulk of trainees are crossing the street when the “do not cross” sign is flashing.

Most can do them.

And most will probably be fine.

However, this is why it’s imperative to assess your clients/athletes and be more cognizant of “fitting” any program to THEM – and their injury history, their goals, their ability level, and yes, their anthropometry – rather than the other way around.

We can vastly reduce the risk of injury with most trainees by utilizing safer alternatives that tend to be a better fit across the board anyway – like the Trap Bar Deadlift, Front Squat, or even a SSB Bar Squat.

It’s still squatting and deadlifting…

…you’re just, you know, less likely to be taken out by a moped.

Categoriescoaching Program Design Strength Training

1-Minute Deadlift Tip: External Cues For the Win

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External (Not Internal) Cues For the Win

You’ve heard these before: Chest up. Extend your T-spine. Create torque in your hips.

Those are cues which work well for some, but can sound like Elvish to many trainees, particularly when they’re new to deadlifting. Instead, get more acquainted with external cues which, contrast to their internal counterparts (which speak to what the body is doing in space), imply intent or direction.

These can be game changers when it comes to helping people better understand what you’re asking them to do as a coach.

Here’s a good example:

Categoriespodcast

Appearance on the Muscles and Management Podcast

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Muscles & Management Podcast w/ Gerry DeFilippo

It’s funny: During Gerry’s introduction to this episode he mentioned how when he and I first started stalking one another connected on social media he was a little giddy that I reached out first to say how much I enjoyed his content.

It meant a lot to him as a young coach that someone with a bit more “career capital”1 in the same profession offered a few words of affirmation.

Gerry’s a talented coach and part of the “new guard” that I remember being part of back in the mid-2000’s (along with Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, Cassandra Forsythe, and John Romaniello, to name a few). It’s pretty neat to be able to pay it forward and to observe how the industry is constantly coming full circle.

Did I just use the word “neat” in a sentence?

God, I’m getting old.

GET OFF MY LAWN.

Nevertheless, you can check out the episode on Apple Podcasts HERE.

Spotify – HERE.

Or if you need more options you can go HERE.

 

Categoriescontinuing education Nutrition

The Top 2 Mistakes Trainers Make With Nutrition and Recovery and How to Fix Them

It’s one thing to get a client on board with lifting heavy things on a somewhat regular basis and how it can have positive effects on their overall health and well-being.

It’s another thing altogether to get them to commit to the nutrition & recovery side of the equation and how that too plays a significant role in the grand scheme of things. I’ve often joked that I’d rather wash my face with broken glass than attempt to get a client to try some kale.

That being said, it behooves any trainer/coach/fitness professional to have a system in place to address their clients’ nutritional & recovery needs. My good friend, Dr. Mike T Nelson, has opened up his Flex Diet Certification to my readers only this week. It includes 30 hours of continuing education and covers anything and everything as it relates to nutrition coaching

You can click HERE to sign up for a FREE 1-hour webinar and to learn more about the certification and whether or not it’s a good fit for you.

(Ahem: you should also check out his guest post below)

👇👇👇👇👇

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Top 2 Mistakes Trainers Make With Nutrition & Recovery…and How to Fix Them

The old saying is true. . . at best you are only with a client for one hour a day and they have the other 23 hours to hose it all up.

This is reality.

You are not going to follow them around to their workplace and bat the doughnut that coworker Betty brought into work out of their hand.

What you do with clients in the gym and online for programming matters tons, but what are you providing them for the time when they are not with you?

Here are the top 2 mistakes I see trainers making in this area.  A big reason I know this is that I’ve made these two mistakes in the past and wish someone would have grabbed me by my undies, dragged me to the curb and showed me how to do it better.

Mistake #1: Prioritizing the Wrong Items

I know you.

You love to spend time working on getting better at your craft.  That is commendable and kudos to you.  The fitness world needs more people like you, and Tony G will even give you a virtual high five.

Note From TG: Better yet, I’ll toss over a “bearded Robert Redford playing a lumberjack (?)” head nod of approval.

via GIPHY

The downside is that everyone is pushing the latest and greatest nutrition/ recovery item you should have your clients do.

“No way Bro, you have to be doing keto esters between every meal to recover and get ripped.”

“What, you don’t need any veggies. Don’t you know they have these nasty ass compounds in them to prevent other animals from eating them, so they are bad for you.  Just eat more meat you, wimp.”

“You are missing out Bro-ette since this corset is what you really need to get toned in your abZ.”

You get the idea.

Much of what you read is walking BS on a stick and easy to spot. But even legitimate items can be overwhelming from veggie intake to protein to breathing techniques to sleep.

How do you know where to start with a client?

Here is where the concept of leverage can be helpful to figure out what interventions may be best for your clients.

You remember the concept of leverage from Physics class right? In case you slept through it, leverage allows you to amplify a small input for a much bigger output.  It was also a semi-ok now defunct TV series . . .

If you have a big enough lever, you can move huge amounts of load with less effort.

Think of the concept of the kingpin.

If you’ve ever looked at logs going down a river all jammed up. It looks like a mess, and you would need massive effort to get them flowing again. Then, suddenly some crazy ass lumberjack removes just one log and instead of being all jammed up, all of the logs seem to flow much better.

That one log had a lot more leverage than the other logs around it.

This concept can also be applied to when you’re working with clients to determine what kind of intervention should you do on the recovery side on nutrition and different aspects related to that.

In regards to your client’s other 23 hours, sleep is something that’s trending now, which is great, but most conversations about sleep with clients does not end well.

We know that sleep is an absolute requirement for survival. We know that if you don’t sleep for several days, you’re going to have a whole bunch of physiologic changes that are not going to be good, right?

All sorts of things that kind of go offline with sleep on the physiology side. I can make a huge argument that sleep may be near the top.

I did a lot of discussion about sleep and why I think they should get more sleep. And the short answer is, and again, if you’re a trainer, you’ve run into this, I absolutely guarantee it was excruciatingly hard to get clients to make large changes in sleep.

via MEME

Most client’s response when you tell them to sleep more

The reality is at the end of the day, having someone who only sleeps five to six hours and trying to get them up to maybe a seven to eight hours of sleep was very difficult.  I felt like I was beating my head against the wall because I had all this data, all this research to show how important sleep actually is.

But the mistake that I made was I was only rating that on the physiology.

And as you know, when you work with clients or even yourself, I rarely find that physiology is the main rate limiter. It’s definitely a factor for sure, but I find the psychological ability to change as the biggest thing that will limit your results.

I took my physiologic rankings, and I put them on just an arbitrary one to 10 scale, kind of based on the research and what I had found.

via MEME

Severe restriction is not the answer

Next, I took the same interventions, and I ranked them on the client’s ability to change (psychology). This was primarily based on my own experience, from talking to a lot of other trainers and polling trainers at seminars and education.

Coaching Leverage = Physiology Effect x Client’s Ability to Change

Back to topic of sleep, the psychologic ability to change with sleep is very low despite a very high physiologic effect; thus, our coaching leverage score for sleep turns out to be crazy low.

The concept of coaching leverage is a cool way to then rate all the different interventions that you can do.

When I set up the Flex Diet Cert, that’s exactly what I did . . . I ranked all eight possible interventions in order with the highest coaching leverage being the first one to focus on and the lowest one being last.

My recommendation is to start with the higher ranked items first.

Here is a clue, eating more dietary protein ranked as #1.

Rig the system in your client’s favor.

Allow them to see some change, some positive wins, and try to do the things that are easier for them to change and have an also bigger physiologic change.

This allows them to see results with less effort.

Mistake #2: Not Using a System

You use a system for training right?

What system do you use for the other 23 hours a day for your clients?

Many trainers don’t have a system and just lob 30-day challenges at clients with a dash of “hope and pray.”

There are lots of great systems out there, and of course I am biased to the one I created (cough… Flex Diet Cert…cough cough).

Heck, even if you opt to not use my system (you crazy person), please pick one and implement it. Your clients will get better results, which makes you look even better.

Summary

Above you have two mistakes that many trainers are making and two solutions to fix them.

To make your life even easier, I have opened up the Flex Diet Cert for only 7 days exclusively for fans of my buddy Tony G.

Go to the link below to learn more today and implement solutions to your clients other 23 hours a day for better results.

 Flex Diet Cert <— learn more

About the Author

Mike T. Nelson, PhD, MSME, CSCS, CISSN, is a research fanatic who specializes in metabolic flexibility and heart rate variability, as well as an online trainer, adjunct professor, faculty member at the Carrick Institute, presenter, creator of the Flex Diet Cert, kiteboarder, and (somewhat incongruously) heavy-metal enthusiast.

The techniques he’s developed, and the results Mike gets for his clients have been featured in international magazines, in scientific publications, and on websites across the globe.

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, lifting odd objects, reading research, and kiteboarding as much as possible.