CategoriesExercise Technique personal training Program Design

2 Side Plank Drills to Perform That Don’t Have the Words Side Plank In Them

I’m not here to hate on the side plank.

Truth be told: It’s a rare occurrence that I start working with someone and (s)he can perform it well. It’s a staple exercise with myriad benefits in both rehab and traditional strength training to target the core musculature – particularly the obliques.

Too, it’s also no coincidence, thanks to Dr. Stuart McGill, it’s considered one of the “Big 3” with regards to spinal health and working around and managing low-back pain.

When done correctly, the side plank can be a very challenging and worthwhile exercise to include in most programs.

  • Check out THIS article for particulars on common mistakes and how to progress the side plank.
  • Check out THIS article for other plank variations you should consider.
Copyright: Sebastian Gauert

But Seriously, Do These Instead of Side Planks

I find the side plank to be the exercise of choice for lazy trainers. It’s the sort of exercise a shitty trainer will prescribe for their client when there’s 5-10 minutes left in a session and the trainer just wants to run out the clock.

“Okay Hank, we’re going to finish with Side Planks today. Three minute holds per side. Blindfolded. While reciting the Elvish alphabet backwards. Go!”

And then, of course, Hank loses all the perceived benefits of the exercise because his technique has been compromised after 15 seconds.

“Come on Hank, 2 more minutes, keep reciting, Ampa, Anto, Hwesta…”

To be clear: I think everyone should take the time to master the side plank. It’s an important drill. It’s just that after a certain point there’s a rate of diminishing returns.

Personally, if someone can perform it perfectly for a minute per side I’d rather go a head and make the exercise more challenging than force someone to go for longer periods of time.

More to the point, can I just go a head and say it?

The Side Plank is just a boring exercise.

I’d rather spend the same amount of time scooping up my cat’s fur vomit.

To that end, here are two exercises that mirror all the benefits of the Side Plank but don’t make you want to commit seppuku when you actually do them.

1. Chaos March

 

Take a kettebell and wrap a band around one end. Grab onto the other end and hold it to your side as if you were holding a suitcase.

While maintaining a completely upright posture (no leaning!) march in place and try to keep the kettlebell “quiet.”

Also: In case it wasn’t obvious by lurking at my bookcase in the background: My kid loves puzzles.

Also (Part II): That’s Molly Galbraith’s book, Strong Women Lift Each Other Up, that’s upright and facing the screen.

That wasn’t done on purpose. But it IS a great read and you should check it out.

2. Offset Farmer Hold

 

1. Grab a Trap (Hex) Bar, or even a standard straight bar, and load one end with a plate.

2. Stand upright.

3. Don’t tip over.1

Even though nothing is moving, I find this drill much more palatable for the bulk of my clients because it simply looks badass.

WU-TANG!

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/29/21

Copyright: conneldesign / 123RF Stock Photo

STUFF TO CHECK OUT FIRST

1. I Miss Doing In-Person Workshops

It’s been more than a year since I’ve done any in-person workshops, and now that vaccinations have started to improve things I’m thinking about venturing out again soon.

I’ve already begun talks with possibly doing TWO workshops in England this Fall, but I am also itching to travel around the States too.

I’ve tossed Charleston, SC out there, as well as Philadelphia, PA (the latter would likely be a Strong Body Strong Mind Workshop with my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis).

I’m hoping I can pull them off, but am also open to other options as well – Milwaukee, Memphis, Mordor, whatever.

If you’re interested in possibly hosting me for a day or two (or know of a gym who’d be a good fit), please reach out and let’s chat.

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore)

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

Don’t Be One Dimensional – DeMarco Crum

It’s okay to have a life outside of strength & conditioning.

Just as well, it’s okay to infuse your love of Star Wars, bo staffs, and/or Prancercising into your day-to-day interactions with your clients and athletes.

Just my two cents, but being authentic is just as powerful of a marketing tool as the most powerful SEO algorithm devised by Skynet.

Demarco does a nice job summarizing the same theme in this article.

The Four Horsemen of the Spine – Kelly Starrett

Just some simple, easily applicable information that will be useful for the bulk of people out there dealing with back pain.

Memorable Fitness Movies – Pete McCall

The only way this could have been more “Tony” is if this post were titled…

“Memorable Fitness Movies (While Eating Beef Jerky)”

Suffice to say, yes, you’ll recognize some obvious choices. But you may be surprised at some of Pete’s picks too.

Categoriespodcast

Deadlifts, Dogs and Dad Jokes

I’ve had what can only be described as a tsunami of requests to appear on various podcasts in recents weeks. I don’t mind it though:

1️⃣ It’s a welcome stroke to my ego to be in demand. KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!!!!

2️⃣ How could I possibly say no to a show titled Deadlifts, Dogs, & Dad Jokes?

…how baller of a name for a podcast is that?

The only way it would speak more toward my love language is if they replaced “dogs” with “Dagny” (my cat’s name) and also added & Gruyere Cheese at the end.1

Copyright: Andrei Diachenko

Deadlifts, Dogs & Dad Jokes

This was a neat experience as podcasts go because while everyone involved is a fitness professional to some capacity, we spent very little time on traditional fitness talking points

There was no talk about deadlift set-up, I think we purposely avoided the fact I have a cat (haha), and, well, you’ll have to wait till the end to hear my dad joke.

In the meantime I think you’ll enjoy the refreshing chat amongst dudes talking family, how the pandemic has affected our respective businesses, as well as an EPIC rapid fire question palooza at the end.

Categoriesbusiness fitness business personal training

8 Career Traps For Personal Trainers to Avoid

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Virginia based personal trainer, Detric Smith. In case the title doesn’t give it away, there’a a bevy of sage advice below geared toward fitness professionals on common things that can (not always) derail career advancement.

HINT: Not listed: Male pattern baldness and big biceps…;o) 

This is a great read and I hope it helps any personal trainers out there reading.

Copyright: tawhy

8 Career Trap For Personal Trainers to Avoid

Welcome to an industry where trainers with an overnight certification or with a few shirtless posts on Instagram can take clients and money away from you. Even if it’s unfair, there’s not much you can do about it except rise above the trainers who only care about one thing.

Those who lack the dedication, knowledge and true passion for personal training will likely fall by the wayside while you’ll be still putting in the work to make a good living. But some of you have the potential to be great and need a little direction in becoming a career trainer.

A career trainer must do their job with a purpose of changing lives because this allows you to stay in the game.  You must be able to put aside all the distractions, long hours, and temporary setbacks.  

No one would blame you for falling for one of these 8 traps because easy money is almost always enticing. However, if you want a lifelong career as a personal trainer, read on to learn how to avoid these 8 potential career pitfalls. 

Trap #1: Getting Promoted Too Soon

Is it too good to be true to become a gym manager or personal training supervisor within your first year of employment? Financially, it might be the best option for you.

But are you really prepared?

Getting promoted before you’ve had a chance to learn from your mistakes and mentors may derail your career. Because if you aspire to make fitness a profitable career you need to spend years on the floor, interacting with clients and perfecting the art of coaching.

This doesn’t mean turning down a promotion if you’re doing great things. But if you do get promoted, continue to train people, and do the smallest of jobs. The best business owners understand their customers by investing their time into what matters, which are listening, coaching and problem solving.

Trap #2: Confusing IG and FB Likes With Success

No one’s arguing Instagram and Facebook are outstanding marketing tools. But they’re just tools and not a means to make a sustainable income. You don’t own or control the platforms and have no control if you’re kicked off or not.

If that happens, then what? 

Even if you have enough likes to make money off IG and FB, it could be taken away from you in a heartbeat.

For career trainers, judging your success by social media likes is a huge trap. Instead, focus on turning those likes into real-life clients by getting their emails, interacting with them via DMs or your stories and trying to help solve their problem.

Trap #3: Neglecting Continuing Education

Graduation and getting a certification doesn’t mean you know everything because you’re a newbie.

This industry is constantly changing, and your market is constantly changing also. The people I trained ten years ago are different than the ones I train now. Physiology is important, but no one cares about the Krebs cycle. They only care about losing their love handles.

You know, in case you’re ever short on dinner conversation

Don’t know what’s left to learn?

Study business management, psychology, finance, the art of coaching… anything.

Hell, dive into the history of welding if you want to. Learning new things keeps you excited, challenges your brain, and helps you become a more creative and compassionate coach.

Trap #4: Unrealistic Income Expectations

Remember, you want to be a career trainer, not a part-time trainer. No one gets an undergrad or certification and instantly becomes a “trainer to the stars”, pulling in millions a year. It took Ben Bruno many years of training under Mike Boyle before he trained the likes of Justin Timberlake and Chelsea Handler.

You’re going to invest lots of time, effort, and probably your own money into your business for a long time before you’re turning any real profit. You’ll likely be working 12+ hour days, with a lot of hours early in the morning and late in the evening.

And you may need a second job to make ends meet. 

If you’re not prepared for this, you have been warned. However, if you love what you do and embrace the grind, you will be rewarded. You’ll be able to work for yourself and create your own hours. Plus, you will be making real money but only if you prove your worth first. 

Trap # 5: Targeting The “Wrong” Market

Some newbie trainers want to train athletes and people who look like them. 20-somethings who are already in relatively good shape and have tons of options, and quite frankly don’t really need you. The reality is you need to be training everyone who walks in the door until you figure out who you like to train. 

These are typically general population clients between the ages of 30-70 who have the time and disposable income money to pay for your services. Make yourself different by being better than the other trainers who ignore them. 

Then educate these clients about how you can make a huge difference in their lives. 

Trap #6: Sacrificing the Truth For Quick Cash

Sure, you might get someone in for one or two sessions through a flashy ad making promises you cannot keep. But is this long-term strategy for success or a great way to shoot yourself in the foot?

Making a sale is about finding a problem you can solve and then solving it.

Understand and listen to the story they’re telling themselves because it’s possible they aren’t fully aware of their own problems.

Dig deep, create a connection, and try to find their why.

Once you‘ve connected with them, answer their objections, and show them you’re invested in them. When you get this right, the money won’t be a factor, and they’ll stay with you long-term.

Trap #7: Selling A Product Before It Exists

This product is you.

via GIPHY

Take the time to intern, get a good mentor and gather as much experience as you can. 

Know when you don’t know, and don’t be a fraud. Honestly, telling someone “I don’t know, but I’ll find out for you or connect you to someone who does” puts you in a position of trust.

People make buying decisions, especially with their health, based on trust. Even if you lose a client today, you’ll gain five down the road by earning trust while expanding your expertise in the meantime. 

After gaining invaluable experience, study business, and build your product. This is your career, after all, not some side gig. Learn from the best about how to grow your personal training business. 

Trap #8: Following The Crowd

Everyone is doing it, so I should too.

Didn’t your mom tackle this issue with the “if your friends jumped off a bridge…” question?

I know you think that’s where the money is but it’s a trap. The money might be there short-term, but the long-term is a different matter. Unless you originated something, studied it for decades, and you’re a top name on a topic, you won’t stand out from the crowd.

Instead, go in the opposite direction. Do what no one else is doing because I’ll guarantee you there’s a market somewhere that’s being ignored. Maybe it’s the over-50 crowd who want a safe, effective, team-oriented group training session where they get personal attention. And when you find them, go all in. 

Wrapping Up

I’ve been a trainer for 20 years and I’ve seen excitement and trends come and go. You do not want to be a one trick pony in this industry if you’re interested in a long-term career. Invest time in yourself, your career, and in the right clientele, and you might just crush it.

About the Author

Detric Smith, CSCS, ACSM EP-C, PN-1  is the owner of Results Performance Training in Williamsburg, Virginia. He has over two decades of experience as a personal trainer and sports performance coach. 

He develops personal trainers through his site DetricSmith.com, and serves as a mentor through various fitness organizations. 

Follow Detric on FB and IG

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/23/21

Copyright: conneldesign / 123RF Stock Photo

STUFF TO CHECK OUT FIRST

1. Digital Strategic Strength Mentorship 

Luke Worthington and I developed our 6-week digital mentorship last Fall because 1) we felt between the two of us, we had a lot of expertise and insights regarding assessment, program design, coaching, brand building, and business that we could offer to other fitness professionals to help build & grow THEIR businesses, and 2) because there’s a fucking pandemic going on that’s prevented us from doing these sorts of things in person.

(Hopefully soon, though)

Nevertheless, we had a great experience the first go round with a stellar group of fitness pros and we’re excited to open it up again this Spring.

It all begins on April 26th.

Click HERE for more details.

2. Appearance on the Golf Under Par Podcast

Full Disclosure: I have never played a full-round of golf in my life. So you can guess my surprise when I was invited onto Dr. McCullough’s podcast recently. Thankfully, he was more interested in hearing my thoughts on how to train rotational athletes than he was my thoughts on when to choose a 3-wood over a 4-wood.

ANSWER: 3-woods on Thursdays only.

In this episode I discuss why it’s okay to lean into asymmetries, some of my “entry points” to dealing with low back pain, and why there’s no such thing as a “golf specific” program.

Listen via iTunes HERE, Google HERE, and Spotify HERE.

3. CORE @ Home

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

In all I filmed 36 workouts during quarantine last year 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 $99 (FYI: the latter enters you to win a 5×7 shirtless pic of me), the workouts are ready and available to start.

For more information go HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore)

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

5 Reasons Every Personal Trainers Needs a Fitness Coach (You Too!) – Joe Dowdell

One of the best investments I have made in myself over the course of the past several years is hiring my own coach to write my training programs.

As I have said repeatedly:

“Coaches need coaches too.”

1. It helps me get out of my own head. The last person I want to write a program for is myself.

2. It forces me to work on my weaknesses and to have an un-biased approach to my training. I mean, I can’t deadlift and perform bicep curls 5x per week, right?

3. And maybe most important of all: It’s a form of continuing education for myself. I love learning new exercises and different ways & approaches to programming.

Cardio and the Bigger Picture – Bryan Krahn

We’ve been programmed to think that cardio is an essential component of a well-rounded fat loss plan, Cardio has myriad of benefits of course…

…but fat loss?

Meh.

Bryan breaks down a more “efficient” way to add cardio into the mix if getting shredded is your goal.

Coaches: You Are the Weird One (Me Too!) – Chris Kershaw

Us coaches tend to forget that we’re the minority.

We actually like exercising, straining, DOMS, rear foot elevated split squats.

Okay, maybe not split squats.

It’s important to remember that for many, liking exercise isn’t normal, and it behooves us as fitness professionals to meet our clients where THEY are…

…by encouraging more positivity and inclusiveness.

Categoriespodcast

Appearance on The Alexandra Show

The obvious question:

“Who the heck is Alexandra?”

A: She’s actually a long-time client of mine and one of Boston’s go to (and best) hair stylists.

The second obvious question:

A: “What the heck do a hair stylist and a strength coach chat about on a podcast?”

Copyright: forestrun / 123RF Stock Photo

Well, It’s Not Top 3 Hair Conditioners For Bald Dudes

As I noted above, Alexandra and I have been working together for 5+ years and in that time we’ve routinely touched on the topic that our respective careers have many parallels:

  • We both work in a service industry.
  • We both work with a vast array of different personalities.
  • We both run our own small business and operate and “manage” our own brands.
  • We both work with clientele interested in looking goooooooood.
  • Side Note: We’re both diesel.1

To that end, in this episode of Alexandra’s show she and I discuss my adverse reaction to being labeled a “fitness celebrity, my goal to help women find empowerment with a barbell in their hand(s), and a litany of other shenanigans.

Alexandra is the shit. I hope you check out this episode and all the others she has available as well.

Check it out HERE.

Categoriescoaching Motivational psychology

How Macho Bull and the Word Should Can Hold Back Your Training

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of UK based strength coach, Chris Kershaw, and lands on a theme I am a huge proponent of…

Jennifer Lopez, Jason Bourne fight scenes, kitty cuddles people “should’ing” all over themselves.

  • I “should” life x amount of weight.
  • I “should” train x number of days per week.
  • I “should” workout despite being injured.

All of these so-called rules are made-up BS and nothing more than stories we tell ourselves. You may find that you fall prey to this line of thinking.

If so, read on…

Copyright: etiamos

How Macho Bull and the Word “Should” Can Hold Back Your Training

For the last six months, I’ve been trying to build my squat back up to my previous numbers prior to the pandemic. Not surprisingly, I got a little inside my head and decided I “should” add weight to the barbell every…single…week.

The result of this 100% made up “should” rule resulted in a steady escalation of a pesky back injury every six weeks.

Times were sucky.

Needlessly adhering to silly, arbitrary rules hurt me.

Why Is It Important to Manage Our Relationship With These Rules?

When our mental health becomes defined by our performance in the gym you risk everything blowing up and our head space becomes tethered to whether or not we have a bad session or two.

Good session (hit our numbers) = Everything is hunky dory. Don’t worry babe, I’ll make dinner and wash the dishes tonight.

Bad session (miss our numbers) =

via GIPHY

So the solution is you need to get better forever, yes?

No!

We are all getting older. One day, our performance will decline.

If you are defined by your gym performance, you will eventually run into problems.

Having an awareness of the “should” rules will hopefully keep you on the side of positive unconditional regard most of the time and help you to avoid dips in mental health relating to your training.

Another benefit to understanding your relationship with these “should” rules is better decision-making in training.

If you make better decisions, your training will be less self-sabotaging.

It’s not the answer to all your training woes, but it might allow you to train longer without injury, to be able to do your rehab without much resentment, and/or get you to the gym a few more times a year.

In short, staying cognizant of these “should” rules will give you the ability to perform poorly in the gym, to be unhappy about it, but still be able to turn the page, chill out, and accept yourself as being okay.

 

“Should” Rules That Aren’t Actually Rules

I should….

1. Lift More Weight Every Week

Macho bullshit.

You can’t lift more every week. You’re not He-Man (or She-Ra).

Most of the time, you’ll lift the same weight or less.

If you train regularly with a solid plan, your numbers will go up eventually. If you try to force the numbers up every week then you’ll likely end up frustrated and hurt.

Note From TG: I couldn’t agree more. I often call this expectation management, and it’s something I have to consistently remind my clients of. Like I always say…easy training is good training.

2. Lift More in Competition Than in the Gym

Some people lift more in the gym than in competition, others don’t. You need to compete a few times before you decide you are going to go for a massive PR in competition.

3. I Shouldn’t Get Injured

You’re not Wolverine.

Injuries are part of this journey.

The idea you’ll never get injured is a misguided idea.

You should do everything in your power to have good recovery, and to limit the risk of injury as much as you can, but it isn’t always possible.

4. Deadlift More Than I Squat

Not necessarily.

Josh Greenfield, (a world-record squatter) has a much bigger squat than his deadlift.

My squat and deadlift are around the same, and that is the case for many athletes around the world.

The difference between the two is decided by many factors, most of which are out of your control. Build great technique in them both, program them correctly, go at each lift with the same attitude, and see how they progress.

5. Front Squat

Unless you are training for a particular sport using a particular movement, you don’t need to do that movement if it’s causing you problems.

After a few weeks of front squatting, my knees want to explode.

What does this mean?

It means I don’t front squat often in favour of safety bar squats, goblet squats, or leg presses.

Trying to include a movement in your plan because you “should” is misguided. Quit banging your head against a movement that is hurting you.

6. Low Bar Squat

“LOW BAR SQUAT OR NOTHING!”

-Low bar squat extremist.

If your low bar squat sucks, and you keep hurting yourself then stop low bar squatting.

Find a squat variation you DO get on with.

7. Sumo Deadlift

If sumo deadlifts ruin your hips then the chances are sumo deadlifts don’t work for you. Don’t worry, you will be able to find a deadlift variation optimal for you.

The same goes for any other deadlift variation people say you “should” do.

If it hurts you consistently and your form looks good, switch it up. Maybe rack pulls or block deadlifts work better for you. That’s ok.

8. Max Out EVERY SESSION

Yes, you should, if you want to: 1) get injured 2) make training so mentally exhausting that you’ll burn out in 4 seconds.

This is macho bullshit hampering your training.

To make maxing out effective, you have to pick your battles. When you are in a competition is a great time to max-out.

When it’s something you do because it’s a Tuesday (or something equally as random and there’s no planning involved) you’re setting yourself up for trouble.

I like having my clients max-out infrequently as it’s hard to recover from and it’s risky.

I’d much rather a lifter got stronger while keeping some effort in the tank for another day unless they are competing.

9. Take Pre-Workout Before Every Session

Pre-workout supplements, when used diligently can work effectively.

When used perpetually to fuel sessions, we often see issues with anxiety, motivation, and other issues because of the knock-on effects on recovery.

via GIPHY

Too-much pre-workout makes people need to de-load more often and makes stupid decisions in training more likely.

My personal strategy is to have a black coffee or sugar-free energy drink before training rather than a specific pre-workout supplement.

10. Be Able to Train Hard All the Time

Life happens, we don’t sleep sometimes, we get injured, and we get ill.

Sometimes, you will train poorly, and the cold truth of it all is most sessions are going to be average.

Some sessions will be awful.

Sometimes bad sessions come out of the blue, other times it’s after doing something you wouldn’t usually do.

Often it’s due to things completely out of your control. Which means bad sessions are unavoidable.

You have to be able to cope with that if you are to succeed in making training a long-term habit.

11. Train “x” Amount of Times Per Week

Based on over a decade of working with people like you, can you guess what training frequency tends to work best for people?

  • 6 times a week?
  • 5 times?

The answer is 3-4 sessions of 30-90 minutes.

For most, trying to train more than this is wildly optimistic.

If your favourite athlete trains 18 times a week it doesn’t mean you should.

Typically when people with lives end up training hard more than four times per week they end up under-recovered and over-injured.

For most people, I’d encourage you to train 3-4 times per week with various non-gym walks/steady cardio sessions dispersed throughout the week, with a little bit of HIT training .

12. Train Through Injury or Illness

You can safely train around an injury with careful exercise selection, and the correct application of rehab work.

Expecting to push through a program without factoring in your injury is macho bullshit.

When injury strikes you have to adapt to the circumstances, not steamroll ahead without changing course. The course correction may only need to be small, but a change of course will be needed to accommodate an injury.

With illness, there are times when you have to train, especially with chronic illness.

But with cold, flu, coronavirus, or whatever other short-term illness you have you to rest 1) so you don’t spread it to others and 2) so you don’t end up more unwell.

Conclusion

Good training is built upon hundreds of good decisions. Trying to adhere to rules because you “should” derails those decisions and makes it more likely you will make bad decisions and mess up your training.

When you begin training, many of these bad decisions will crop up.

By avoiding these bad decisions and rules that aren’t rules, your training is likely to be more consistent, more productive, and less stressful.

This is a good thing.

About the Author

Chris Kershaw is a certified personal trainer located in Leeds, England.

Known as The Heavy Metal Strength Coach, Chris aims to show as many people as possible that consistently lifting weights and working with a coach “isn’t that bad.”

He works with clients to improve their lives via the medium of the barbell (and the occasional kettlebell.)

Website: HERE                 InstagramHERE

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/16/21

Copyright: conneldesign / 123RF Stock Photo

STUFF TO CHECK OUT FIRST

1. Digital Strategic Strength Mentorship 

Luke Worthington and I developed our 6-week digital mentorship last Fall because 1) we felt between the two of us, we had a lot of expertise and insights regarding assessment, program design, coaching, brand building, and business that we could offer to other fitness professionals to help build & grow THEIR businesses, and 2) because there’s a fucking pandemic going on that’s prevented us from doing these sorts of things in person.

(Hopefully soon, though)

Nevertheless, we had a great experience the first go round with a stellar group of fitness pros and we’re excited to open it up again this Spring.

It all begins on April 26th.

Click HERE for more details.

2. CORE @ Home

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

In all I filmed 36 workouts during quarantine last year 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 $99 (FYI: the latter enters you to win a 5×7 shirtless pic of me), the workouts are ready and available to start.

For more information go HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore)

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

6 Things They Don’t Teach in Bench Press School – Lee Boyce

Many think the bench press is nothing more than lowering a barbell toward the chest then hoisting it back up. That may very well be a worthy Wikipedia entry to summarize the most popular exercise out there.

But, as Lee notes in this superb article, there are many other factors to consider with regards to not only technique, but also METHODS, that many lifters fail to incorporate to help improve their performance in the lift.

How to Promote Personal Training on Instagram (Without Getting Half Naked) – Meghan Callaway

Meghan has built an impressive following on Instagram over the past 1-2 years, and she did it WITHOUT resorting to what’s seemingly a normal tactic nowadays…

…revealing more and more skin.

IG has grown to be the first thing most people view to get an idea of who YOU are as a fitness professional (even ahead of your website).

Showing skin, while not necessarily a bad thing, can be fleeting.

Meaning, outside of a few outliers, you’re likely not going to build a sustainable business through garnering likes alone on IG.

Meghan outlines several other ways to grow your following (and business) in a way that will STICK.

Should Youth Athletes Use Creatine? – Wendi Irlbeck

Very informative article from Wendi.

I will most definitely be bookmarking this one to share with parents.

Categoriespersonal training

5 Things I Learned From My Most Difficult Personal Training Clients

I’ve been training people since 2002.

I’ve worked with myriad of clients ranging from professional athletes to young athletes to people just looking to increase their general levels of badassery.

I’ve enjoyed the bulk of people I have worked and interacted with over the years. The vast majority I’d label as splendid and lovely individuals whom I’d name my second born after.1

Except for these five…

5 Things I Learned From My Most Difficult Personal Training Clients

1. Mrs. Vague

2. Mr. Late

3. Mrs. Bulk-a-Phobic

4. Mr. Complainer

5. Dr. Clueless

Who are they? What are they? How did I deal with them? Did I “fire” them? Send them to time out? What gives?

Find out in my latest article for the Personal Trainer Development CenterHERE.

Categoriespodcast

The Art of Session Delivery

I was recently invited back onto the Lift the Bar Podcast hosted by Stuart Aitken, and I enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with him and to delve a bit deeper into how I “assess” my clients as well as how I to go about delivering a quality training session.

I also explain what I mean when I say “people need to should’ing on themselves” and why it’s important to go out of your way to “of course” your clients in order to showcase a bit more empathy.

Copyright: kantver

The Art of Session Delivery

Stuart is a class act (as is anything affiliated with the Lift the Bar brand), and he’s hands down one of the best interviewers in the business.

He’s the Oprah of our industry.

If you enjoy more of a conversational, off-the-cuff vibe when you listen to podcasts you’ll definitely enjoy this episode.

Go HERE to give it a listen (time stamps included).