I’m excited to announce that I will be part of the Raise the Bar Conference. An event focused on the missing links in our industry: Communication, collaboration, connection, behavioral psychology, business & marketing skills, and much more.
It’s true: How many times have you come across someone who, upon being asked what they’d really love to improve on, they came right out and said, “you know what, I could use some more coordination. That’s what I’m missing in my life. Who needs pecs?”
In all seriousness, Shane does a great job breaking down what coordination is and WHY you need more of it in your training repertoire.
There’s no question we’re living in polarizing times; no one can seem to meet in the middle on anything:
Politics
Religion
COVID/masks/vaccines
Who’s the best Batman…
If there’s any degree of disagreement the brass knuckles are coming out. We see a fair share of the same sentiment in the fitness industry and with today’s guest post, Shane McLean pontificates on that point a bit further.
Remember when you used to meet up with a friend and you would meet in the middle? They didn’t want to go all the way over to your house and you didn’t want to go all the way to theirs, so you met in the middle. When I was a kid, it seemed a fair deal because I rode my bike everywhere.
Now it seems (to me) we live in a world of extremes, and no one meets in the middle. It’s either this or that. It’s fact or it’s fiction. You support me or you’re dead to me. Plus, if there are two differing points of view, you must side with one or the other.
This is often exacerbated (in my opinion) by the mainstream media and even on TV shows.
Extremes sell and get you fired up.
If you support one side or the other for whatever reason, it’s easy to draw a line in the sand and put your money where your mouth is. How’s that for back-to-back use of clichés? On second thoughts, don’t answer that.
Although today’s political climate has its fair share of extremes, I also see this in the health and fitness realm.
I’ve read, written, coached and performed a lot of exercise. This doesn’t make me an authority, but it does make me a loud mouth with an informed opinion. If you dislike opinion pieces, stop reading. If you wish to be more informed as to see clearly through the murky waters of the fitness realm, hold on to your keyboard.
It will be a bumpy ride.
The Middle Doesn’t Sell Well
Extremes sell because they get attention.
Nothing brings this more to light more than social media because it takes a lot to get consumers attention while they’re doom scrolling. And being on social media more than I should, here’s what I’ve gathered about what sells and what doesn’t.
Nothing polarizes trainers, coaches, and consumers more than diets and methods of exercise. Whether it be Keto, Atkins, Vegan, (insert all diets here) or high intensity training, CrossFit, Zumba, or kettlebells (insert all training methods here).
To get attention in a crowded marketplace and more sales, you need to stand out from the crowd. And some trainers, coaches, etc. go to extremes by either
Performing circus tricks that kind of look like exercise
You’re exercising all wrong and you must do this for gains
Eliminate this and add this (whatever their selling) to get long-lasting results
Stop making these diet and exercise mistakes and do this instead.
Or variations of all the above.
Now, I’m not saying this is wrong and I’m not denying people trying to make a buck no matter how dubious their claims are. Because (cliché alert) fools and their money are soon parted.
But I’m going to let you in on a little-known secret that seems obvious that you’ll be smacking your hand into your forehead repeatedly saying ‘why, why, why didn’t I think of that.’
Are you ready?
Everything works. Yes, even the Thigh Master. Or Zumba.
The trick is what to do when the extremes stop working.
Here’s What Doesn’t Sell
Extremes do work because there is a time and place for most things. There are times to go to extremes to get the results you want.
Plus, people are entitled to their extreme opinions too. My only problem is when these people are presented with overwhelming evidence to the contrary and they still hold on to their beliefs.
But that’s a story for a different time.
Here’s what I feel aren’t the biggest sellers nor doesn’t it generate lots of attention.
The basics and moderation, otherwise known as the middle.
The middle for resistance training involves the regression and progression of hinging, squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling and locomotion (carries, sled work etc.) And the middle for nutrition is a caloric deficit for fat loss, caloric surplus for muscle gain and eating more like an adult and not a child.
Yes, there is a lot of wiggle room as I’m taking the broad view here.
Moderation is taking the long-term view and not just the short-term strategy of losing 10 pounds in 6 weeks.
Quoting a well-known coach, he suggests you need to spend more of your time doing either a:
“Moderate diet (not a huge caloric deficit, surplus or mass elimination of food groups). Combined with Hard training (more sets, reps or more days exercising).
Hard diet (bigger deficit or surplus with elimination of foods) Combined with Moderate training (less sets, reps, and training to support you goal).”
Now extreme dieting and training programs (at the same time) are doable but only for a limited time. Think of it (another cliché alert) as burning the candle at both ends. You burn bright for a while and after a while there is no wax to burn.
But moderation and the basics aren’t as sexy or sell as well as extremes.
Wrapping Up
This is not a knock-on trainers or coaches who use attention grabbing content or exercises to generate sales, likes and followers. But be aware there is plenty of room in the middle performing the basics with moderate diet and exercise.
Because doing a little over the long haul will give you the best chance of success. Save the circus tricks for the professionals.
If you’re looking for an exercise program to get you back on track, check out my 6-week program right here.
About the Author
Shane “Balance Guy’ McLean” is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of TG.com regular, Shane McLean. Most will be able to commiserate because it deals with an annoying topic most of us are very familiar with: Cross-Fitters low-back pain.
We can seemingly do everything perfectly – lift with impeccable form, do our mobility work, even do an extra set or two of deadbugs & birddogs – and yet still be clotheslined by a bout of back pain.
Google back pain and you come up with about 1,550,000,000 results.2 There’s no shortage of information about back pain, the symptoms, the different types, how to treat it and how to prevent it. When you’re suffering from back pain, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with all this info.
Plus, not to mention all the conflicting advice because various treatments and exercises work for different people. What worked for me might not work for you. Pain and healing are highly individual things, I think.
Back pain causes loss of income, loss of mobility, stress, large medical bills and costs employers big money because of sick leave, health insurance etc.
Back pain is a big deal, no doubt.
You can do all the right things, diet, exercise and move right but back pain doesn’t care. It can rear its ugly head at any time you move suddenly, bend down to pick something up off the floor or when you’re wrestling with your kid.
Then you’re in a world of hurt.
There’s a school of thought that suggests back pain is preventable if you strengthen your core, have good posture, get strong and not sit or stand too much. But back pain doesn’t care. You control what you can control and let the chips fall where they may.
Truth About My Back Pain
The truth about my back pain is it was my fault.
See, I love to deadlift, but I was doing it all wrong. Rounding the lower back while pulling a barbell from the floor repeatedly is NOT a recipe for a healthy spine. Eventually something had to give. And it did.
Around nine years ago I felt a ‘snap’ in my lower back and didn’t think anything of it. Some low-grade pain around my lower back and I ignored it like any gym meathead would, hoping over time the pain would go away.
But the more I ignored it, the worse it became, to the point where lifting, playing with my kids and sleeping didn’t happen. The pain had taken over my life and it was all-consuming. To cut the world’s smallest violin story short, I had three herniated disks.
Now the disks have healed but my pain has not. More on that later.
When You’re In Pain
If you’ve ever put your back out, you’re probably thinking you’re the only one who’s suffering (because pain is all-consuming) but this is not the case. 80% of the population of the US, at some point will suffer from chronic or acute back pain.
And about 2% to 10% of people who experience low back pain develop chronic back pain.
A lot of people choose to go under the knife to fix this because of their doctor’s recommendation, but this doesn’t always work, as shown here. Plus, I’ve encountered many people who have had multiple back surgeries and they’re still in tremendous pain and their quality-of-life sucks.
Sometimes the solution causes more problems.
Get Back On The Horse
You’ve heard the saying ‘get back on the horse’ when you’ve been knocked down.
Get up, dust yourself off and go again.
You cannot change what happened. Dwell on it, yes but you cannot change it. Better to wipe the slate clean and go again. And this is usually great advice but for back pain it’s a little different.
The countless times I’ve come back to the deadlift after injury there’s a real fear, I’ll do it again. The more I focus on correct form and set up doesn’t make this fear go away. But this fear is a two-way street. It forces me to do it right, which is a good thing.
But I lose confidence in my body to perform because of this fear and this is a bad thing. You may think this is mumbo-jumbo, but injuries have both physical and psychological consequences, and a common post injury response is elevated fear of re-injury. (1)
The loss of confidence is real and is a little talked about consequence when coming back from an injury.
Another ‘Truth’ About Back Pain
This is a case study of N=1 (me) and my experience with back pain and training clients with back pain. Barring lower back strains and waking up on the wrong side of the bed, once you’ve damaged your spine, like herniated disks the pain doesn’t magically go away.
The injury may have healed but the pain remains.
In the case of herniated disks, the fluid that leaks out between the disks which causes the nerve pain and discomfort gets dissolved by the body over time. Then there’s nothing pressing up against the nerve so the pain should all go away, correct?
I’ve suffered from low-grade (1-2 out 10 on the pain scale) and extreme lower back pain (5-7 out of 10) almost daily for the past nine years. Granted it’s not the same level of pain generated by a herniated disk and it’s not constant, but it’s still pain.
Low grade back pain doesn’t stop me from training, but it does make me more aware of my set up and form. It makes me more conscious of my posture and daily movements too and this is all positive. Extreme back pain almost puts me on the ground.
This is not.
After surgery, rehab, Physical Therapy or Chiropractic care for back aliments, the severe pain may go away but the discomfort may haunt you like Casper the friendly ghost.
Wrapping Up
Back pain, whatever form it takes, sucks.
You lose confidence in your ability to perform everyday movements and fear re-injury. But it does make you aware of taking good care of it. Because if you don’t, your back will tell you in no uncertain terms.
Note From TG: As an adjunct to Shane’s sage words, I’d highly recommend reading THIS article I wrote recently on why training with pain present is an inevitable (if not important) part of the healing process.
About the Author
Shane “Balance Guy’ McLean” is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.
References
Chao-Jung Hsu et al. Fear of Reinjury in Athletes. Sports Health Mar/Apr 2017;9(2):162-167. doi: 10.1177/1941738116666813. Epub 2016 Sep 20.
As this post goes live, I am on a plane on my way back to Boston.
It’s sad leaving Florida…especially given how scorching hot the rest of the country is at the moment (100-115 degrees on BOTH coasts).
It’s quite ironic that, of all places, Florida has arguably the best weather in the country right now given we’re entering the heart of the summer. I mean, I’d have put my bets on the inside of a live volcano being a better place to be at this point in the year.
Nevertheless, weather notwithstanding, my good friend and colleague, Shane McLean, came through and delivered a sweet guest post for me to post during my travel day.
You can pair almost any exercise together to build muscle, lose fat or bring up body parts that are lagging behind. Plus, you’ll do more work in less time and hit the showers early while the Instagram stars are still taking their selfies. Don’t you love how they hog all the mirror space?
If supersets are NOT a part of your routine, you’re truly missing out.
And you don’t want to miss out, do you?
Here is the lowdown on supersets and why they should be a part of your training.
Advantages Of Supersets
Increase the efficiency of your training because you’re reducing the rest intervals between exercises. Making sure you have all the equipment you need beforehand works best
Having reduced rest periods will increase intensity of your training by performing more work in less time.
Increased fat loss potential because the shorter rest periods between exercises and back to back contractions in supersets can help promote an additional stimulus for fat loss.
Increased fat loss because of the reasons above when you use it in combination with a caloric deficit.
Tony contemplating performing a superset
However, supersets are not great for every goal.
Disadvantages Of Supersets
The increase in intensity can lead to a drop off in exercise performance and technique. This may lead to injury.
It’s difficult to juggle different weights for different exercises. Monopolizing the equipment in a busy gym may lead you to be the unpopular person who hoards the dumbbells.
As good as the they are for hypertrophy and fat loss, they’re not the most ideal way to build strength because you cannot go as heavy and the limited rest between exercises compromises recovery.
They’re difficult for beginners when they’re unfamiliar with both movements which lengthens the learning curve and may lead to injury.
5 Superset Types With Training Examples
The types of supersets you use depend on your current goals, whether it be fat loss, hypertrophy or bringing up a lagging body part. And it also depends on whether you’re a beginner or advanced trainee, and on how much time you must train or how much pain you’re willing to stand.
Here are five superset types that you can use now to take your training to the next level.
1. Post and Pre-Exhaustion Supersets
These take muscle discomfort to a new level.
With post exhaustion you combine a compound exercise with an isolation exercise afterwards to exhaust all the muscle fibers in a certain muscle group. This way you get the greatest strength benefits from the compound movement.
A pre exhaustion superset is the single joint movement that is done before the compound exercise. This produces a higher level of muscle fatigue and damage to the targeted muscle group.
Both are great for bringing up a lagging body part. However, make sure the compound move trains the muscle you’re going to isolate.
Post Exhaustion Superset Examples
1. Quads
1A. Squat variation 6-12 reps
1B. Leg extensions 12-20 reps
2. Hamstrings
1A. Hip hinge variation
1B. Stability ball hamstring curl 12-15 reps
3. Biceps
1A. Chin up variation 6-12 reps
1B. Zottaman curl 10-15 reps
4. Triceps
1A. Push -Up variation 8-15 reps
1B. Overhead triceps extensions 12-20 reps
Pre-Exhaustion Supersets Examples
5. Biceps
1A. Barbell biceps curl 8-15 reps
1B. Supinated Lat Pulldown 8-12 reps
6. Hamstrings/Glutes
1A. Seated Leg curl 8-15 reps
1B. Barbell Hip thrust 6-12 reps
7. Triceps
1A. Triceps push down 8-15 reps
1B. Single arm floor press 6-12 reps
8. Shoulders
1A. Dumbbell front raise 8-15 reps
1B. Dumbbell seated overhead press 6-12 reps
2. Compound Supersets
A compound set trains the same muscle group, where you can hit the group from different angles to achieve more muscular tension.
This is a time-efficient way to train for hypertrophy of a muscle group, if you can stand the pain. And for this reason, these should be at the start of your training when you have the most energy.
However, this is an advanced method because heavier weights are used in both exercises on the same body part which can lead to muscular fatigue and drop in performance and technique.
For example,
1. Chest
1A. Barbell bench variation 6-8 reps
1B. Single arm floor press 8-12 reps
2. Back
1A. Seated row 8-12 reps
1B. Single arm lat pulldown 12-15 reps
3. Legs- squat focus
1A. Barbell Front squat 4-8 reps
1B. Dumbbell jump squats (use 10-25% of your body weight) 3-6 reps
4. Legs- Hinge focus
1A. Romanian deadlift 8-12 reps
1B. Barbell hip extensions 6-8 reps
3. Isolation Supersets
You can save time because you’re working a smaller muscle group in the same amount of time as one exercise and all the focus is on the one muscle, helping you feel the burn and for flex appeal
These are great for bringing up a lagging body part or a weaker muscle that could be hindering your performance in a compound exercise. For example, weaker triceps hindering lockout in the bench press.
These supersets are best done at the end of your training because you’ll want to save your energy for the larger compound movements.
1. Biceps
1A. Incline biceps curl 12-25 reps
1B. Concentration curl 12-25 reps
2. Shoulders
1A. Dumbbell lateral raise variation 12-15 reps
1B. Band pull aparts (high reps) 25 reps
3. Triceps
1A. Triceps (rope) pulldown 12-25 reps
1B. Skull crushers 8-12 reps
4. Glutes
1A. Single leg hip extensions 12-15 reps
1B. Lateral band walk 12-15 reps on each side
4. Lower/Upper Body Supersets
This is the least taxing of all the techniques listed so far because you’re working two completely unrelated muscle groups. These are great for full rest and recovery of a muscle group and for full body workouts when time is an issue.
They’re best used for full body workouts or full body splits and are ideal for beginner trainees. However, if strength is your goal, give these a wide berth.
And they’re great for fat loss because alternating blood flow between your upper and lower body makes the heart and lungs work harder, helping you burn more calories.
Note – There are lots of examples here. This is only a few suggestions.
For example:
1A. Squat variation 8-12 reps
1B. Barbell bench press 8-12 reps
1A. Barbell squat variation 6-12 reps
1B. Chin ups 6-12 reps
1A. Barbell hip thrust 6- 8 reps
1B. Floor press 6- 8 reps
1A. Barbell push press 6-12 reps
1B. Chin ups 6-12 reps
5. Strength/Mobility Supersets
A strength exercise done for heavier weights combined with a mobility exercise will help improve your exercise technique and recovery when strength is your focus.
Let’s say you’re having a little knee discomfort with the squat and your knees are going excessively over the toes. Plus, it is hindering your squat depth and you’re not strengthening all parts of the movement.
Don’t go into corrective exercise purgatory, pairing an ankle mobility exercise with your squat may help solve this problem. And you can follow this logic with all strength exercises that need mobility.
Note – This is just one method you can use when a strength move causes you discomfort.
For example,
1A. Deadlift variation 3-6 reps
1B. Hip flexor mobilization 8 reps
1A. Shoulder press variation 8-12 reps
1B. Forearm wall slides 8 reps
1A. Barbell squat variation 3-6 reps
1B. Rocking ankle mobilization 8 reps
1A. Barbell bench press 3-6 reps
1B. Thoracic extensions 8 reps
Wrapping Up
Supersets are an efficient way to train and are used in many ways to match your goals. Pair exercises wisely for great results and more flex appeal.
Make it #flexfriday every day.
About the Author
Shane “Balance Guy’ McLean” is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.
You don’t need to be in a gym for 90 minutes every day in order to see (or get) results. We’re all pressed for time of late, and Shane provides some valuable insights on how to get the most for your training (time) buck in this article.
Nick is one of my favorite people in the fitness industry. He’s authentic, genuine, and doesn’t sugar coat anything. I’d HIGHLY recommend signing up for this FREE 3-part video course where he highlights some of his “secrets” to becoming a successful personal trainer.
Full Disclosure: You do need to provide your email address in order to receive the course. But don’t worry, Nick won’t spam you. He’s not a dick…;o)
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of regular contributor, Shane McLean.
It should come as no surprise I’m a firm advocate of fit pros having the ability to write and write well. Doing so can easily be a way to separate oneself from the masses (as well as opening up opportunities to develop alternate revenue streams).
Suffice to say: Writing can be an intimidating space. Shane provides some excellent advice to get started.
(NOTE: I make a bit of a cameo toward the bottom in case you’re interested in what I have to say. And you totally are. Read it. READ IT!!!!!)
Plus, when I was a newly certified personal trainer in 2009 a veteran personal trainer had to teach me how to teach clients to squat because I had no idea. Having no idea was a theme of my first few years as a trainer.
But outwardly, I was faking I knew it all.
These are perfect qualifications for becoming a Professional Freelance Fitness Writer, right? If you said no, you are wrong. Go straight to jail and do not collect your $200.
Don’t you hate when this happens?
Anyhow, I’m not going to reminisce about the many times I kicked butt at Monopoly. That’s a tale for a different time. So, let’s get back on track about writing as a fitness professional.
Why Should You Listen To Me?
Okay this is the part where I brag. If you don’t like bragging, you can skip this part and trust you know what I’m talking about. Because Tony doesn’t allow hacks to be published here.
Here are a few of my writing accomplishments.
Tony first took a chance on me herealmost seven years ago and I’ve been featured on his site this many times.
I’m part of a team of five at The PTDC who put together the weeks best content for trainers. What does that mean? It means I read a crap-ton of fitness content.
Plus, I’ve published an article a week on my site Balance Guy Training for the past six years. Not bad for a person who failed English.
Okay, bragging over.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
With me not being entirely qualified to talk about writing, this article isn’t going to be about the X’S and O’S on the skill of fitness writing. I’m assuming you know how to put together a few coherent sentences and your knowledge of the human body and coaching is up to snuff.
What this is about is overcoming your imposter syndrome and it has all been written before so why the hell should I bother syndrome. I feel those two things hold a lot of fitness professionals back from putting their content out there.
And when doubt creeps in and imposter syndrome puts negative thoughts in your head, here is what you should do.
Hopefully, the suggestions below put these thoughts to bed to help crush your content.
Impostor Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is the feeling of doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. And it doesn’t matter how many abbreviations you have after your name, most people have a feeling why in the hell do people listen to me, buy my services, or read my articles.
When these negative fears and thoughts take over, your productivity will plummet among other things. I’m no shrink (obviously) but when these thoughts start to take over and you’re getting sucked down into a deep dark hole, here’s some suggestions to pull you out of your nosedive.
1. Write Something, Anything.
It doesn’t have to be fitness related but writing helps get your creative juices flowing and usually sometime during this process you realize you do know something. The act of doing is powerful.
2. Remember Your Successes.
Whether it’s a client reaching a long-term goal, or your article had lots of eyes on it, it helps to remember your successes. This reminds you that you do know something.
3. Lift Something Heavy.
Not only do you get out of your own head but the process of thinking about your technique, the cues you use to get yourself in lifting position helps remind you that you do know something.
Imposter syndrome is going to haunt you like Casper the friendly ghost. This in my experience is normal. What is not normal is letting imposter syndrome take over your thoughts and feelings and completely bogging you down. Instead of stewing, get to doing it because doing is imposter syndromes kryptonite.
A short note on its been written before so why the hell should I bother. Sorry, there is not much to counter this one because it’s true. It has all been done before.
But this shouldn’t stop you because it hasn’t been done with your perspective, your know how and your thoughts and feelings. Your clients and audience need to know what you think. We will get into this below.
7 Tips For Getting Better At Fitness Writing
This is a murky area because what works for me mightn’t work for you. Plus, your thought processes are different from my thought processes.
So, I’m taking the view from 10,000 ft which you can apply to your own work. Some of these suggestions may seem obvious, some not, but it is my hope you can apply this to your own work to get more writing confidence.
1. Find Your Voice
There are tons of great writers in the fitness space who are more qualified than you, smarter than you and have a larger audience than you. But none of them have your voice, your perspective, and your set of experiences. You need to use this to find your voice and the only way to find it is to write more.
Don’t worry if it’s any good, just write.
When I started, I admit I wanted to be like Tony. I wanted to be funny, informative, and basically copied the way he wrote. But slowly along the way I developed my voice and my way of being entertaining and informative.
If you’re struggling to find your own voice, read a writer, you want to emulate and imitate him/her in tone (not in words) until you feel you’re developing your own style and not just copying theirs.
2. Read More
Not just fitness articles but everything you can get your hands on. The act of reading is like osmosis for your brain. You pick up vocab, style, ideas to write about and increase your general knowledge.
This will only help your writing.
3. Develop Relationships
With the advent of social media, it is easy to develop online relationships with other coaches and writers. A major reason (I think) Tony let me write for his site seven years ago was I left comments on his webpage and Facebook posts.
(Note From TG: Yes, it was. That, and Shane always commented on how pecy my pecs looked. Flattery will get you far).
Plus, when I read anything that catches my attention I reach out to the writer and tell them how much I liked it, and this starts a relationship. Which brings me to my next point.
4. Seek Opinions
When I started getting published on the world-wide web, I’d basically harass other coaches on their opinions on my work. Granted I had a relationship with most of them, so It wasn’t a shot in the dark. I figured what’s the worst they could say?
When you’re too close to your work, you don’t see your opinions rubbing people the wrong way or you may have your facts wrong. Or you made some grammatical whopper errors.
I’ve lost count of the amount of times my writing has been criticized for style, grammatical errors, opinions, or my lack of facts to back up what I wrote. I have received tons of solicited and unsolicited feedback some great, some not so great. The main thing is to try not to take it personally.
If you made a mistake, admit it, learn from it, and move on.
For example, when I started writing for Barbend my editor sent me an email with the subject in all caps saying “YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL WRITER” about a litany of errors I made on an article.
Those mistakes haven’t been repeated since.
6. Stay In Your Lane
Otherwise known as not extending into territory you know nothing about. For instance, weightlifting, nutrition, and training athletes I know little about, so I don’t go there. Sure, you can Google it and write about it, but you’ll come across as a fraud.
Better to stay in your lane and until you develop the knowledge to come across as an expert. When you write about what you know (and you can back it up) and write about how you feel, I feel you cannot go wrong.
7. “Hire” Me to Help
Developing writing confidence is a process and I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way. And I’m bringing those hard knocks and experience to my new writing service Fitness Flow Writing Services to give personal trainers and coaches the confidence to hit the publish button.
I offer SEO, editing, rewriting, opinions and suggestions services to help take your content to the next level. And as a special offer for Tony’s readers, I’m offering your first service free to see if we are a good fit.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
A Brief Cameo From Tony
Oh, hey.
Tony here.
I’m the guy who pays the hosting fees for this site you’re reading (and I occasionally summon enough mojo to muster some decent ideas to write about too).
Shane did a splendid job outlining things and providing some sage advice for aspiring fitness writers. There’s isn’t much I can add (although I am going to try). Massive apologies up front if anything I write seems repetitive. Then again, if it is repetitive, but it’s coming from two dudes who make part of their living getting paid to write fitness content, maybe there’s a reason…;o)
Whenever I write something (and just after I press the “publish” button) I have to battle my inner negative self-talk:
1. Did I provide enough actionable content?
A statement I default to often is…
“…don’t bark at something if you’re unable to provide a solution.”
People, but fit pros in particular, have an innate superpower to bitch a whine about anything and everything.
Quick Writing Tip: Read what you write out loud. If it doesn’t make sense out loud, it’s going to come across as Elvish on paper.
3. Was I Able to Convey My Message Succinctly & Clearly?
(Another) Quick Writing Tip: Write whatever it is you’re gonna write. Then, go back and edit 20% of it. Getting rid of superfluous jargon will make your writing more readable.
Nevertheless, there’s seemingly a smidgeon of self-doubt I’m always playing an unabated game of tug-o-war with.
But then a cool thing happens.
People (usually) like my shit!
Random people will reach out and say how much they enjoyed something I wrote or say how they picked up a number of gems and tidbits they’ll be able to apply toward their training (or that of their clients).
I want to hug them.
Or at least Predator handshake them to death (or, to be more germane to the current state of affairs: Fist bump them to death).
1. You DO NOT have to reinvent the wheel when you write. When in doubt keep things simple. What makes things new or novel are YOUR experiences, YOUR insights, and YOUR voice.
2. You’d be surprised. Many fitness professionals can wax poetic on complex concepts but are unable to figure out how to regress an exercise for someone with limited thoracic mobility or even name a hip flexor.
Or coach a squat well for that matter.
As Mike Boyle once eloquently stated: “The industry is quick to disregard basic/general principles in lieu of fancy schmancy shenanigans (<— italics mine).
This is nonsense.
The basics are still legit. And, to be candid: Is an area most fit pros could use a little refresher in.
Lean into it. There’s an audience for everything.
About the Author
Shane “Balance Guy’ McLean” is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of TG.com regular contributor, Shane McLean and touches on a topic that may resonate with many reading…
…Top 10 keto recipes that don’t taste like sawdust.
LOL – just kidding.
How to finally conquer that hurdle of starting an exercise program.
It’s not quite as daunting as you think it may be…;o)
SIDE NOTE: Be sure to check out Shane’s latest resource, his six-week ‘Back in the Saddle‘ program; perfect for beginners or anyone who’s stuck in a rut and needs some direction.
No one wants to look like a fool, especially when you’re starting an exercise program with the will and determination to finally get in shape.
You want to know what you’re doing or at least fake it until you make it. And If you’re NOT confident, you’re less likely to start and finish. Then you’ll (maybe) chalk it up to another failure which you’ll add to your ever-increasing list.
Am I the only one who keeps track?
How Do I Know This?
Because I tried and failed several times when I started exercising and now I’ve been a trainer for 13 years and have seen people start, stop, and fail with the greatest of intentions.
I’ve trained clients who have made great progress to only then see them fall off the wagon when their accountability disappears, or life gets in the way.
Plus, I’ve watched the gym flood with new year’s resolution goers who are eager to put all their failures behind them to finally lose the flab.
But slowly and surely, they drop by the wayside when their motivation wave crashes.
Your health and fitness requires time and an emotional commitment, not a six-week shred. Instead of crashing and burning in your fitness quest, use my advice below to avoid adding another failure to the list.
1. Starting Easy
There’s a plethora of health and fitness info on the worldwide web. Enough to have your brain spinning around and around. You should try to avoid this analysis by paralysis by
Just starting
Picking something doable
If you don’t understand the article or program with the big fancy words then move on to something else. Because when you’re starting something, complicated things don’t work because this leads to confusion. Then this confusion may lead to throwing in the towel.
You know what does work? Starting easy.
2. Start With The Basics
There are fundamental human movements which were installed in your brain before you were born. These are squats, pushing, pulling, locomotion (walking, running, carrying), hip hinging and groundwork (rocking, rolling, crawling and everything else).
Don’t believe me? Ever seen a baby drop into a deep squat without a coach yelling in their ear?
And when you’re starting out, these need to be your focus and not walking on a treadmill or watching yourself do curls.
Although there is nothing wrong with either because something beats nothing every time, training the fundamentals will reestablish neglected movement patterns and get you where you want to go faster.
3. Don’t Program Hop
And once you’ve chosen a program, it’s natural to think the grass is greener on the other side. After all, you’re saturated with new exercise fads and their results look incredible. Besides, your program sucks and you’re not making any progress anyway.
However, change is not always a bad thing.
Change may be needed if you’re plateauing or when your routine (or you) is stale. But too much change doesn’t give your body a chance to adapt to your current program because not everything happens right away.
There is plenty of room in the middle of these two extremes.
My general rule of thumb is finishing the program first and then evaluating whether it worked or not. For example, loss of body fat, smaller waist, or bigger muscles. If you have not seen any positive changes after 6 weeks, then it’s okay to try something new.
4. Schedule Your Training Time
During the COVID-19 pandemic a lot of us have more time on their hands than usual. And finding time to exercise is not a problem but it’s not always going to be this way.
Regardless of how much time you have scheduled, treat your exercise like you would any important appointment. Setting aside time for training will help get you in the right mindset and not another thing you can blow off on your to-do-list.
For example, I train Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the same time and is scheduled in my Google Calendar which reminds me 30 minutes before go time. It’s now a habit I follow through on even when ‘I don’t feel like it.’
Which leads me to my next point.
5. Showing Up And Being Consistent
Nothing gets done without being present, so ‘show up’ even when you don’t feel like it. 99 % of anything you do (based on scientific fact 😊) needs you showing up and being present.
Without it, it’s pointless.
It doesn’t matter if you exercise 2, 3 or 4 days a week, pick a day, schedule a time, show up and get it done. Then do this over and over for the foreseeable future. Yes, life is going to get in the way and when exercise is the furthest thing from your mind.
However, finding a way to stay active, even when the odds are stacked against you does wonders for your health and sanity. Being consistent is not about being perfect, it’s about showing up.
Wrapping Up
These five suggestions will hold you in good standing when starting and continuing any exercise program. Because exercise isn’t just for a six-week burst to lose the fab, it’s for life and your health.
If you’re looking for an exercise program to start after a layoff or if you’ve never resistance trained before, I have a 6-week program called ‘Get Back In the Saddle’ that will give you a fantastic exercise foundation to build on.
I am truly fortunate that so many great coaches and trainers in the industry want to write for my site. My writing mojo waned this past year for myriad of reasons and I relied quite a bit on others to fill in the gaps.
Honestly, it got to the point where if someone wanted to submit an article on “Best Workout Songs That Start With the Letter D” or, I don’t know, “The History of Glue Factories,” I would have accepted it.
Nevertheless, it was hard narrowing it down to FIVE selections, but here are the top GUEST POSTS from the past year.
We tend to place most of our efforts on accelerating and becoming more explosive & powerful. However, if you’re unable to put on the brakes and DECELERATE (and land properly) you’re missing out on a lot of athletic potential.
Anytime the topic of “breathing” comes up people lose interest. However, I’d argue nothing has revolutionized our approach to strength & conditioning over the course of the past decade than optimal breathing mechanics.
Awesome, easily applicable stuff from Michelle in this article.
Ricky breaks a few things down that you may (or may not, but probably are) doing that’s hindering your progress in the gym.
Special Section For Justin Kompf Because I Know I’ll Receive a Text Message 5 Minutes After This Post Goes Live On Why I Included Ricky On This List and Not Him
Admittedly, this was a damn good article from Justin and one that will resonate with just about anyone who reads it. However, Ricky wrote a great article too and he’s just handsomer.
Hi, my name is Tony and I ruptured my Achilles tendon earlier this year.
It was the first significant injury of my life and one that, as it happens, happens often (and without warning). Since my injury six months ago I’ve met numerous people who have gone through the same dumpster fire of an experience.4.And as a result I’ve documented my rehab and post-surgery training via my IG account using the hashtags #findyourtrainablemenu and #achillesgate2020.
However, I figured something more in depth and robust with regards to explaining the mechanism of Achilles rupture (as well discussing prevention) could be of benefit to the masses. To that end, my fellow coaches and colleagues – Dr. Bo Bobenko and Shane McLean – offered to write something for the site to cover exactly that.
For what it’s worth: I peppered in a few comments myself along the way.
Measures to Strengthen & Prevent Achilles Injuries
When admiring yourself, flexing away, do you ever give thought to the unsung hero of muscle? You know, the things that attach the muscles to your bones: the tendons. You probably don’t give much thought, until it’s too late.
Unless you’ve had your head in the sand, you know our resident funny man and light saber fighter extraordinaire, Tony Gentilcore tore his Achilles tendon while hanging out with the in-laws in Florida six months ago
NOTE FROM TG: It’s important to remember that correlation doesn’t equal causation here. My in-laws didn’t cause my Achilles rupture…;o)5
Tony, a big strong guy with no history of serious injury performs a drill he has done before and boom, suddenly it’s not his day, week, month or even his year….
NOTE FROM TG: For those interested, HERE is a great depiction of the exercise (and mechanism) that served as the impetus to my injury.
The “Jump Back” Start
This video almost exactly showcases what happened. The only difference is that I didn’t preload my sprint with a three-hop thingamajig (just one), and in my case, once my back leg planted, I fell immediately to the ground.
Plus I may or not have been wearing a cape.
A Little Background On The Achilles Tendon
The tendon is named after the ancient Greek mythological figure Achilles (and not Brad Pitt) as it was the only part of his body that was still vulnerable after his mother had dipped him into the River Styx. Plus, we all know where he got shot with an arrow, at least in the movie.
The Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest tendon in the human body. It’s the tendinous extension of the three-headed calf muscle soleus and the two-headed gastrocnemius and it inserts on the calcaneus (heel).
The contraction of the calf muscles transfers a force through the Achilles tendon, which enables plantar flexion of the foot and allows for actions such as walking, running, jumping, bounding, sprinting, and skipping.
During these movements, the Achilles tendon is subject to the highest loads in the body, with tensile loads up to 10 times the body’s weight.
The reasons for this are twofold: First, the Achilles consists of type II fast-twitch fibers, and this elasticity allows for rapid forward and backwards movement. Secondly, the tendon type I fibers of collagen and elastin which are lined up parallel from calf to heel, are responsible for the Achilles tendon strength. (1)
The Achilles due to its strength and its ability to handle high loads makes it a resilient tendon, which is good and bad. Good because it can handle lots of load and bad because it’s not always going to send pain signals to the brain every time something goes wrong.
This is one reason why Achilles tears can happen without warning.
Types Of Achilles Injuries
When your achilles hurts or you feel pain you’ll often be told ‘You got tendonitis bro’ But there are few different types of Achilles injuries besides tendonitis.
1. Achilles Tendon Tears
This is the mack daddy of all tendon injuries and like with Tony, it often happens without warning. If you hear a pop and a pain that radiates up your lower leg, there’s no second guessing what you’ve done.
NOTE FROM TG: The best way I can explain the sensation is that it feels like someone taking a sledgehammer right to your ankle. It doesn’t tickle.
2. Achilles Tendinopathy
Tendinopathy is a degeneration of the collagen protein fibers that form the Achilles. Its symptoms include increasing pain at the heel, stiffness, swelling at the back of your ankle, and a grating noise or creaking feeling when moving your ankle.
3. Achilles Tendonitis
Tendonitis is acute inflammation of the tendon and its symptoms include pain and stiffness in the morning, pain that worsens with activity, extreme pain the day after exercise.
There are two types of Achilles tendonitis: insertional and noninsertional.
Insertional Achilles tendonitis affects the lower portion of your tendon where it attaches to your heel bone often caused by bone spurs.
Noninsertional Achilles tendonitis involves fibers in the middle portion of the tendon.
4. Achilles Tendinosis
Tendinosis is the non-inflammatory degeneration of the collagen fibers of the tendon. This includes changes to the structure or composition of the tendon that results from repetitive strains without proper healing.
Achilles and calf tightness are common causes of Achilles tendinosis. Plus insertional Achilles tendinosis is often associated with heel spurs as it rubs against the achilles causing small tears.
Activities That Cause Achilles Tears
Achilles tendon tears happen to people who do things where they quickly speed up, slow down, or pivot, such as:
Running
Gymnastics
Dance
Football
Baseball
Softball
Basketball
Tennis
Fighting Zombies, Salsa Dancing, Talking About Feelings (<— things added by Tony)
Achilles tears tend to happen when you start moving suddenly as you push off and lift rather than land. Sometimes these abrupt actions can be too much for the tendon to handle.
Here is the statistical lowdown on how tears happen.
90% of injuries occur with an acceleration/deceleration movements mentioned above
Only 15-20% of men reported any sort of heel pain/tendinosis before the injury
50% of men who have an Achilles Rupture had tissue degeneration before the injury
Typically occurs 30 minutes after moving around
Research has shown Achilles tears include clear degenerative changes before the rupture but many of the Achilles tendon ruptures occur suddenly without any preceding signs or symptoms. (2)
For instance, Tony’s tear was caused by aggressive eccentric load (jump back start) combined with poor load management and then “jumping” right back into sprinting.
NOTE FROM TG: Exactly. Part of the problem was sheer bad luck. But too, up until that point – eight or so weeks into pandemic quarantine – I hadn’t been doing much (if any) plyometric activity.
In his mind it was all systems go. The main point here is there’s not one definitive “cause.” of Achillies tears. It’s equal parts shit-happens and bad luck.
Big Picture With Tendon Pain Modulation
1. CNS Response
The CNS is incredible at responding to and adapting to pain modulation. This is a good thing to keep going and for our survival but makes understanding our tendon health much trickier because damage can exist without pain.
2. Load Management and Exposure
This is probably the single most important component to tendon health that we should seek to understand and pay attention to. It can be intimidating to truly track your loads/exposure, but the better we get at it, the more we increase our chance of avoiding injury.
All of the research continues to bear out controlling the load on tendons is the best way to make any kind of change. The analogy I often use when explaining this to patients is the comparison to a wall that continues to take damage or have a crack and we need to keep adding spackle to it every 48 hours to reinforce it and strengthen the overall structure.
How To Prevent Achilles Tears
The experts and research are a bit mixed on this therefore the safest approach in my mind is to increase the variety of loads you place on the tendons.
Unless training for a specific sport or activity, then we should focus on preserving the natural capacity of what the tendon is meant to do, which is to absorb and transfer forces effectively in the simplest of terms.
Pogo Jumps
Heel Taps
A Daily Routine to Incorporate Into Your Movement Prep
You need tendon loading with multiple angles and a plan for tempo for the long term. My go to is often for heavy slow resistance, four seconds eccentric, three seconds concentric, carefully plotted over 12 weeks. There is strong research to support this concept.
A quote I really like about this:
“We start dying when we stop jumping.”
Assessment can be vital, but there is no Gold standard. Personally, I use my hands to assess pain tolerance to pressure at the tendon as one way to track progress of tendon health, but this is not well supported by research and requires me to have physical access to you which can be limiting indeed.
If you haven’t loaded the tendon recently, some easy options are
Calf raises with full range of motion, faster up slower down, aiming for 20 reps per leg as a baseline for tendon health. This allows us to look for asymmetries as well as an overall deficit based on training age.
In terms of a plan to increase your activity tolerance:
Firstly, I like to think of the principle of 10% per session as a safe progression. Meaning, in terms of a weekly volume a nice progression is to add 10% to the previous week.
Secondly, the quote that drives me here is:
“We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a month and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year.”
Therefore, a long term strategy for tendon health should be implemented.
Exercise Is Important But So Is Diet
It goes without saying reducing stress, sleeping soundly, and eating nutritious foods not only helps you…
…but your tendons specifically.
But I said it anyway.
However, there are a few supplements on top of eating and sleeping well, reducing stress and moving better which help heal and keep tendons resilient. Notice the word supplement. These should NOT be your priority to help your tendons stay healthy or heal after an injury.
Primary should always be eating real high quality foods.
The first and most obvious supplement is Vitamin C.
Vitamin C is absolutely essential for synthesis of collagen which makes the tendons type 1 slow twitch fibers strong. Pre clinical studies have shown vitamin C has the potential to accelerate bone healing after a fracture, increase type I collagen synthesis, and reduce oxidative stress after a tendon injury. (3)
Supplementing with Vitamin A helps the process of forming new tissue (collagen) and your immune system. A stronger immune system can prevent microorganisms from further damaging your tendons.
Vitamin E has anti-inflammatory properties which helps reduce tendon inflammation, and helps the healing of damaged tendons which can lead to a reduction of tendon pain. (4)
The science and research is limited on diet and tendon health and there are probably other things out there that can help. It is an ever expanding field so stay tuned.
NOTE FROM TG: At the moment, I like the Collagen Peptides from Momentous because they use Vitamin C, and FORTIGEL® , which is a formula designed and tested to promote collagen synthesis in tendons and ligaments.
(👆👆👆 Discount:GENTILCORE25 gets you 25% off your first order when you sign up for a subscription 👆👆👆)
Most collagen out there is basically like buying a pack of J-E-L-L-O, focusing on hair, skin and nails, but this stuff is solid and provides a bit more heft.
Here’s the daily “Wolverine Cocktail” I’ve taken every day since my surgery on June 1, 2020:
Tendon tears often happen without warning and it doesn’t discriminate on whether you’re fit or not. One moment you’re about to move quick and the next you’re on the ground.
The best things you can do before engaging in risky tendon activities:
Warm up properly
Load the tendon appropriately
Reduce stress, eat and sleep better.
But as you’ve seen by Tony’s experience, there are no guarantees. Please do your best so you don’t hear the pop from hell.
Authors’ Bios
Shane “Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.
Dr. Bo Babenko is the owner of FitCare Physio focusing on virtual health coaching and helping people attack the 5 pillars of health: movement, nutrition, recovery, mindset, connection.
References
Michael Wong; Achraf H. Jardaly; John Kiel.Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Achilles Tendon.
Nicholas N DePhillipo et al. Efficacy of Vitamin C Supplementation on Collagen Synthesis and Oxidative Stress After Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Systematic Review. Orthop J Sports Med 2018 Oct 25;6(10)
Christopher Tack,Faye ShorthouseLindsy Kass. The Physiological Mechanisms of Effect of Vitamins and Amino Acids on Tendon and Muscle Healing: A Systematic Review. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2018 May 1;28(3):294-311.
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.
It’s never been more relevant to consider a more “hybrid” approach to your fitness business than now. COVID-19 has forced many gyms and personal trainers to shut down their in-person coaching intermittently, and in some cases permanently.
Having the ability to (smoothly) transition to more online options is likely going to be the key to long-term success in the industry moving forward.
You can do no better than the Online Trainer Academy – the OGs of online coaching.
TODAY is your last chance to take advantage of their $0 trial offer.
