I can’t believe we still have to have this “debate” in 2020.
While it’s not nearly as prevalent of a thought process as a decade or two ago, there are still people out there under the impression that lifting appreciable weight – and therefore, by extension, squatting – will result in big, bulky, and stiff muscles.
Merely looking at a barbell will make you tighter than a crowbar.
I don’t even think that makes sense, but whatever…you get the idea.
The same people who fall prey to this mind-trap are the ones who likely still believe lactate acid causes muscle soreness, creatine is a steroid, starvation mode exists, and that Tom Selleck doesn’t have the sexiest and manliest mustache of all-time.
I could opine judiciously on why I feel the argument that lifting heavy/squatting makes you tight is a tepid and weak one at best, but I’m not going to because 1) this is blog post and 2) it’s not a dissertation (and my 3-year old is going to wake up from his nap any minute now).
Too, I can respect and appreciate that people are at the mercy of their milieu and can often succumb to the atmosphere, anecdotal experiences, and the echo chambers that feed into their biases.
I get it: You watch one too many Tom Brady documentaries and the idea of touching a barbell (or a tomato) makes you sick to your stomach.
Nevertheless, I do feel it’s a silly stance to take.
“Squatting doesn’t make you tight. Squatting like shit does.”
I’m stuck
Make no mistake: There are many nuances to consider with regards to squat technique and what variation, setup, and execution will be best suited given an individual’s injury history, goals, ability level, genetics, and anthropometry.
I don’t think there’s any ONE best way to execute or coach the squat, and I lose a lot of respect for coaches and trainers who play all hoity-toity and think THEIR way of coaching it is the only way to do so.
Again, and this can’t be reiterated enough:
Injury/health history
Goal(s)
Ability level
Genetics
Favorite He-Man character
Anthropometry/leverages…
…all need to be taken into consideration when coaching up the squat.
The internet likes to argue semantics on bar position, hand position, depth, stance, what day of the week it is, barometric pressure, and a myriad of other things that may or may not matter when it comes to enhancing squat technique and performance.
For me, so long as the feet, ankles, knees, and hips are appropriately positioned and loaded (using all the info above as guidance), “neutral” spine is maintained, and we’re doing all we can to prevent any destroying back of pants…
…we’re (probably) accomplishing some good things.
Moreover, if you think about what’s required to pull off a decent looking squat:
We could make the case that everything listed above is a splendid way to “offset” sitting at a desk all day, particularly when you consider a loaded squat will nudge or force people to adopt a little more thoracic extension, which is rarely a bad idea for that population.
By contrast, squatting (and by proxy, lifting appreciable weight) correctly can be viewed as the opposite of making someone tight.
NOTE: For some more insights on how I address squat technique check THIS and THIS and THIS out. Oh, and if your favorite He-Man character isn’t He-Man you need to check yourself before you wreck yourself.2
The fitness industry, though, in an admittedly personal and biased take, is really hurting.
The bulk of businesses across the health & fitness community have been forced to shut down for a seemingly indeterminate amount of time as the COVID-19 pandemic runs its course and disrupts everything.3
I felt it prudent to share this splendid initiative courtesy of LiveMomentous.com designed to help small businesses in the fitness industry generate much needed revenue/income to help offset expenses and overhead during this difficult time.
#SupportYourSweat
#SupportYourSweat
How It Works
Whether you’re a trainer, a small gym owner, run a yoga/pilates studio, operate a bike shop, or train Kumite fighters (hey, I’m sure they still exists) there’s no question you’ve been grossly affected by this public health crisis; or know someone who has.
The #SupportYourSweat initiative was created to get funds into the hands of these businesses now, even while they are closed and struggling.
The website will promote and facilitate the buying and selling of “Sweat Bonds” for small businesses in the health and fitness industry. Sweat Bonds are discounted services to be redeemed in the future, once your business is allowed to operate again.
Apply to the program HERE by simply filling out a five minute form.
Many of you reading are small business owners yourself and/or have friends and colleagues in the industry. This initiative will only succeed if the message is spread and businesses apply.
Moreover, many of you reading are members and patrons of small businesses/gyms in your area and would love to support them in some way.
This is how you can do it.
If you know of people within the fitness industry who can benefit from this, please share this program with them!
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done the last Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work, and I figured given the current pickle we’re all in I’d keep it real by naming this iteration something different.
What’s an “underrated” movie you think is the shit that many people never heard of but should watch immediately?
My pick:
Wind River – stars Jeremy Renner & Elizabeth Olsen, and directed by Taylor Sheridan (who also wrote Sicario & Hell or High Water….also two SUPERB movies).
Leigh chimes in with some much needed “therapy” and a nice collection of resources to point people towards to keep them sane during this weird, weird time.
The Future of Fitness Podcast: Vulnerability in Crisis…and Cat Memes
I had the pleasure of being invited back onto The Future of Fitness Podcast recently with my good friend Eric Malzone. If there’s ever a time to sit down, take a breath, and really talk about your feelings…it’s now.
There’s no sugarcoating anything.
Stuff sucks.
At this point I want nothing more than to tell 2020 to just go stfuuuuuuu.
Like many other fitness professionals out there I’m at a loss as to what to say and what to expect. I’m trying to figure things out as I go too.
Like:
Should I purchase the Pro or Business plan on Zoom?
How can I best serve my clients?
What can I expect once things turn back to normal? What will “normal” even be or consist of? What percentage of clients will come back to the gym?
How hard am I going to have to resist tossing my face into an ax over (gym) lease and rent negotiations?
Will my wife ever see me NOT wear gray sweatpants again?
I don’t know a lot, but what I do know is that it’s okay to feel our feelings during this weird, weird time. I don’t know about you, but I feel pretty damn vulnerable of late and I discuss it during my chat with Eric.
Give it a listen below.
Or check it out on The Future of Fitness website – HERE.
In fact, you can purchase that OR the combo pack (includes both version 1.0 & 2.0) for a hefty discount in addition to taking advantage of a payment plan option.
Other benefits:
Continuing Education credits.
Instant digital access.
30 day money back guarantee (you will learn something that’ll improve your coaching skills and business).
Comes with a 5×7 autographed copy of Tony’s pecs (limited time offer).
Anyone who’s been lifting weights for a significant amount of time will, at some point or another, have a shoulder (or two) that isn’t too pleased with them.
Sometimes it’s a niggle —> you know, something that doesn’t feel good but also isn’t something that’s going to derail your workout plans.,
Sometimes it’s a lot more than a niggle —> but you’re an idiot and proceed to max effort bench press anyway; you idiot.
Needless to say, niggles happen – to varying degrees. Here are a few short-n-sweet preventative measures you can implement TODAY to keep your shoulders from hating you.
1. You Can Never Do Enough Rows
A simple audit of one’s program often gives a lot of insight.
It’s no surprise that the bulk of people who come to me with cranky shoulders tend to have a programming issue. Meaning, they perform a lot more pressing compared to pulling movements.
In other words: People like to train the muscles they can see in the mirror.
This can lead to an infatuation of sorts with pressing movements.
I find it rarely ever hurts to add more ROWING variations into everyone’s programs. A one-to-one (pull:push) ratio is a nice starting point. However, a 2:1 or even 3:1 (pull:push) ratio is often what’s needed.
We need to take an UNBALANCED approach to “balance” things.
In other words: More rowing variations.
Sometimes it’ll be something heavy – Seal Rows, Bent Over Rows, DB Rows, Seated Rows, Chest Supported Rows.
Sometimes it’ll be something medium – TRX Rows, Face Pulls
NOTE: This isn’t to imply that the exercises listed after “heavy” can only be done heavy and that the ones listed after “medium” can’t be performed with more challenging loads. Rather it’s just to point out that those exercises tend to be better suited for those type of loading parameters.
And sometimes it’ll be an exercise that is better suited for “lighter” loads.
Like this:
Split Stance 1-Arm Band Row
2. Reaching = MONEY for Shoulder Health
I wrote about this in detail a few weeks ago in THIS article, but you probably didn’t read it because I titled it something lame:
“Exercises You Should Be Doing: This Is One That Will Make Your Shoulders Feel Better”
See? Lame.
What I should have done is title it something like:
“101 Bicep Variations That’ll Make More People Swipe Right on Your Tinder Profile.”
And then I would have LOL’d because you would have been expecting an article on how to build swole biceps and what you would have really have clicked on is an article about the Serratus and the benefits of reaching for shoulder health.
Inspired by my good friend and Baltimore based personal trainer, Sivan Fagan, this is a SUPERB movement prep series to get your shoulders primed and ready to handle some subsequent big boy (or girl) weights.
Or if you just want a good ol’ fashioned shoulder pump.
All good.
4. The Arm Bar
Outside of sounding like an 80’s WWF finishing move, this is easily one of the most under-rated exercises for shoulder health out there.
I like to use this one as an extended warm-up for those clients with a history of shoulder issues because it hits a few major big rocks:
Grip (irradiation = more rotator cuff activation).
Trains the rotator cuff in a more “functional” manner (keeping humeral head centered in glenoid fossa).
Scapular stability (I actually like adding a reach/protraction at the top to help train scapular motion AROUND THE RIBCAGE)
Thoracic mobility (namely extension; great for those stuck in front of a computer for hours on end).
Julian is LOCKED IN to Spiderverse over there in the corner.
5. Following a Ketogenic Diet
The fuck outta here with that nonsense.
6. Bottoms-Up Carry Variations
I love bottoms-up carries because they’re a supreme way to train the shoulders in a more “functional” manner with minimal load.
There aren’t many exercises more humbling than this.
Many of us have a bit of extra time on our hands of late.4
You’ve finished Tiger King on Netflix.
You may have even gone a step further and watched every episode of Love is Blind.
If so, MARK, WAKE UP, JESSICA IS NOT THAT IN TO YOU.
The next logical choice in this line of binging, of course, is something revolving around shoulders & hips.
Copyright: mihalec / 123RF Stock Photo
Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint and (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint on Sale
(Tony pulls up a chair)
Dean and I had planned to go through with this sale about two months ago, but obviously world events gave us some pause.
We went back and forth with the idea of selling during this time because we knew many people would be going through some financial struggles and we didn’t want to come across as too tone deaf.
That being said, we also understood the fitness industry has been put on pause for the foreseeable future and there are a lot of personal trainers, coaches, and physical therapists trying to figure things out and/or are sick of posting their 47th variation of split squats on Instagram.
This is an opportune time to sharpen your skills and get smarter.
Dean Somerset and I have put the ENTIRE Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint series on a hefty sale starting today (with finance options for those who’d prefer to spread out their payments).
A special discount code to Tony’s reenactment of the entire Star Wars saga (with shadow puppets).5
If you’re still on the fence or skeptical on just how much this series will melt your face here’s a few sneak peeks on the some of the content Dean and I cover:
1. Squat Set-Up
A ten minute clip outlining how we determine a client’s ideal stance for their squats based on their individual anatomical considerations.
2. Shoulder Stability Training
Almost 13 minutes of drills to help improve shoulder stability while getting a training effect along the way.
3. Breathing for Mobility
A nine minute video outlining how we use positional breathing drills to access more range of motion, plus make exercises instantly more challenging.
4. Plyometrics for the Elderly Client
Say what? Yep, you can use a stretch-shortening cycle with older clients to improve power output and keep their functional capacity as high as possible for much longer than slower movements. This 8 minute video shows the how and why.
Whether you’re a fitness professional or just someone who likes to lift heavy things and geek out over scapular upward rotation and the miracles of posterior pelvic tilt, the Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint series will undoubtedly provide you a TON of actionable, real-world, evidence-based content to help you connect the dots between assessment and helping your athletes/clients perform at a high(er) level.
We’re limiting this sale through this Sunday only (4/5/20), so take advantage while you can.
Before you go a head and post your 47th bodyweight exercise of the week on IG or send out another free e-book to your followers, give today’s guest post by Jonny Pietrunti and Erica Suter a read.
If you are a coach, you need to be leading right now. No one cares about how many fitness stories you are posting on Instagram. And I’m not talking about me not caring…your clients largely don’t need this either.
What people really need now is LEADERSHIP.
I’ve been telling you for years you needed to hone your leadership and you thought learning 7,428 different Dead Bug variations and counting reps was more important than learning motivation theory and actually communicating with human beings outside of sales calls.
You mad? Good. I have your attention.
Also: we have a pandemic.
For better or for worse, I’m still in the wellness industry. Though I’ve largely discontinued diet and exercise programming, I still own a massage therapy and bodywork studio, and I still do a fair amount of mindset coaching.
I’m also a Navy Chief Petty Officer, and that’s something that never leaves you. I was trained to lead through change and crisis, embrace adversity, and run toward fires when others were running away. I was trained to be responsible for my actions and those of the Sailors that were in my charge.
The thing is: even if you train for the worst case scenario, you never really know how you will react when it happens, and even if you have a plan for it, no plan ever survives first contact. That’s the reality of it.
When Coronavirus started to make the rounds – and later kick in the door to crash every party around the globe – I began to notice workouts in my social media feeds. This started off innocently at first, with many gyms and trainers powering through, as we really weren’t sure about the severity of this virus.
But this phenomena grew to the point where everywhere I turned, I was seeing this crap in my feed.
Everywhere. From, EVERYONE.
Home workout stories.
Garage workout Facebook Live.
Push your car workouts.
Push up “challenges” and “nomination” chain-letters.
And it continues unabated.
I would make a crude virus analogy, but now is not the time or place for that level of nihilistic snark.
This is all very Kubler-Ross.
Between my leadership and psych backgrounds, it seems like a preponderance of people in the fitness industry are stuck in the middle of the Bargaining Stage of grief. The reaching out, the rationalization, the “if only”.
Much of this is a manifestation of fear.
People aren’t crowding onto Instagram to pump out an array of home workouts solely because they think it will be useful.
Granted, I know plenty of trainers that have clients that legitimately need some workouts, but a lot of people are simply panicking because their way of life is completely uprooted. It’s a coping mechanism.
It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but it is something to be AWARE of.
People are terrified and are operating out of fear. You and I are susceptible to this, too. I’m not knocking this or even saying that these feelings of fear are things you should repress or deny. Those of you that are familiar with me or are in my Facebook group know that I hate “toxic positivity”.
The world is not all sunshine, rainbows or unicorns, and if there is at all a reason that your mindset sucks, it’s because gurus are trying to tell you to ignore all of the bad things that are happening…and you are listening.
The majority of people don’t need home workouts right now.
Think about this: there are millions of resources for workouts, for both in gym and at-home settings. There are millions of simple books that anyone could buy if they really wanted to get a decent calisthenics workout.
I was in the military for over a decade, what do you think we did on the grinder? What do you think we reverted to while deployed to austere locations?
I’m not saying this to gloat, but to prove a simple point: people aren’t coming to you as a coach for simple information like bodyweight workouts. Rather, they are coming to you for leadership and the transformation that you provide.
They are coming to you for COACHING, Coach.
Your primary job is to lead. If you are in a panic mode and are unable to step back and provide sound leadership and guidance to your clients, whether through text, skype, zoom, or email, then you have essentially had a major gap in your skillset revealed to you.
I’m not immune to this, either.
This was a time of reckoning for me. My massage studio for athletes is closed until god-knows-when, and when I took stock of my mindset coaching options, I realized that I have middle and high-ticket coaching options for people, but I DON’T have entry-level offerings for mindset and goal setting.
Not even a lousy eBook!
If you are in the business of coaching, training, programming…you are also in the business of leading. Period.
You cannot have one without the other.
If you are training without leadership, you are an overpaid, glorified rep counter.
If you are coaching without leadership, well, that’s actually not possible while simultaneously being effective.
Social media, specifically in the fitness and wellness industries, breeds the exact behavior that ISN’T needed right now.
FitPros, by and large, exhibit a ridiculous amount of attention seeking behavior. This is great for marketing – I mean, you need to have a certain amount of flash and “it” factor in order to stand out from the sea of carbon copies and make a living.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the process of content creation as a marketing tool.
But…
The problem is that this isn’t the time for “Look at Me! Look at Me! Look at Me!”
Now isn’t the time to bask in the limelight of being an “influencer.”
People aren’t going to feel safe and at ease by watching you do a workout.
People don’t need to be giving you attention.
You Need to be Giving THEM Attention
You need to be LISTENING. What are your clients saying? What do they really need? Are you hearing this? It is very easy for us to get caught up in the cacophonies in our own minds during times like these and completely disregard what others are saying.
Pay attention.
Listen.
You need to be EMPATHIZING.
Some people are getting hit with this harder than others. Some have lost jobs. Others have lost loved ones. Do you understand this? Or are you just waiting for the smoke to clear so you can get them back on their normal billing cycle?
You need to be setting an EXAMPLE.
Show people that you are concerned, and that you are taking it seriously. For my part, I have been very candid about the fact that I have certain anxiety about this, and I have been using this as a way to educate followers on the importance of mindset training so that fear does not paralyze you, but rather drives you to positive action.
You need to be LEADING.
Pure and simple.
Some people don’t realize that when they sign on to be a trainer, they are also signing on to be a leader. Hell, leadership was something I didn’t want initially, it just came with the territory of being in the military. But I rose to the occasion. It wasn’t about me. It was about people that depended on me.
It’s time for all of us to rise right now. We don’t have a choice. It’s game time and the stakes are simply too high.
Let’s Get This ‘Free’ Thing Out Of The Way
Hi all, Erica here now.
^^ Erica ^^
Thank you, Jonny for opening this piece.
Of course, there were so many mic drops above, that he could’ve just exited stage right, and I could’ve gone home with my take-out pizza and called it a day.
But yo.
He fired me up and I’m ready to light this fire further.
In fact, let it burn.
So.
First and foremost…
Just like New York, it’s bad here in Baltimore, MD.
People are breaking into people’s cars. Ambulance sirens are going off every minute. Helicopters are hovering over my house. Crime rates are rising. Crab cakes are running low.
It’s scary times, no doubt.
The last thing I want to discuss are personal finance and spending more money in the midst of a global crisis.
Oh! And how “free services” are real freaking stupid.
However, I feel it’s necessary to unpack what people need during this time.
To kick things off, in the past week, I’ve seen more fitness influencers offer free workouts and programs than ever before. People who have been quiet in the online space are now suspiciously bubbling to the surface, and screaming, ‘get my FREE bodyweight workout at-home eBook!’
Look. I get it. People are scared out of their minds, offering free stuff with the hopes of retaining (or getting new clients) when this all blows over.
Or, on the other end of the spectrum, they’re financially privileged and are already in a good position to blast out free stuff. It doesn’t harm them to send out free coaching to the masses, as they sit comfortably in their abode, with a glass of wine, their spouse, a wearable blanket, Netflix, and a fully stocked refrigerator.
It is what it is.
Whatever the reason – fear or privilege – the fitness industry continues to be infused with people who don’t view themselves as valuable professionals with something high level to offer.
If you’re scared and offering free services, you’re devaluing yourself.
If you’re privileged and offering free services, you’re also devaluing yourself.
OH, And PRIVILEGED WITH NO CONCERN TO PAY BILLS AND FEED YOUR KIDS.
It’s frustrating, to say the least.
Let’s go over this first: I don’t want to be inconsiderate of the handful of people this might be helping now. Your free stuff is benefiting some…maybe.
Chances are, though, if these people are struggling to make ends meet, pay rent, and pay credit card bills, as they homeschool their kids, and argue with their spouse about taking the trash out, the last thing they want to do is your 100 burpee, 100 air squat, 100 push-up free workout.
Instead of taking into account people’s emotional needs, they’re blasting out general, cookie cutter templates.
Moving on…
We’ve All Been Giving Free Stuff for Years, Anyway
This isn’t a novel concept.
At least, I’d hope.
Whether this has been through blogs, podcasts, email newsletters, Tweets or Instagram posts, or continuing education “office hours” we’ve been overdelivering the free content.
And then guess what? If your audience enjoys it, respects you, and wants more access to you as a professional, you tell them about your coaching services.
Not just any coaching, but quality, intensive, detailed coaching.
It’s hard to give this out for free, especially if people want to make it tremendously transformational and life changing.
With that said, I urge fitness professionals to sell away during this time.
For one, selling doesn’t have to be this greasy thing.
Two, selling during times of crisis isn’t out of integrity.
Three, there will always be people appreciative of your expertise and willing to invest in you and themselves.
For the past eight years, I’ve given out so much free content with a smile on my face.
And I’m going to say this right off the bat: I’m incredibly happy that this free content has been life changing for some, especially my most motivating and empowering articles HEREHERE and HERE. And not to mention, creating this content has truly been passion, in-my-flow work that doesn’t take the brain power it takes to solve backwards calculus equations.
To that end, customized programming to the athlete takes an immense amount of brain power. And for me, I’m so incredibly picky with how I coach and write workouts, and want to bring the juice, if not, overdeliver it. It takes energy, man. And admittedly, I lose sleep over it at night.
Too, the people who have seen the most sustainable change, the consistent habits, the daily routines, and the best results, have been my paying coaching clients. For years.
Let me backtrack before the “money is the root of all evil” crowd comes at me.
Last week, I offered a free email campaign to my email list. I sent out two at-home exercises a day from the kindness of my heart. I ran this campaign for 10 days, and initially, I was only going to do it for 5 days.
Not only did it take me 30 minutes to draft these emails in the midst of my most chaotic work schedule of 12+ hour days, it left me with a jarring outcome.
The open rate of my free workouts was immense. A boasting 600 opens.
On the other hand, the click rate on my exercises was disappointing. A meager 15 clicks.
OUT OF 600 OPENS.
That’s Pathetic, to Say the Least
Especially for a woman who truly wanted to provide and service people with some free stuff during a crisis.
The click rate on the free exercises started strong (I guess) with an average of 50 clicks, then 30, then 25, then 20, then 15…
Now this isn’t to discount the folks who actually did my workouts. Shout out to you! You rock. I appreciate you and I’m so proud of you for doing them.
But this begs the question to everyone else, what do the majority of you need during this time to stick to something meaningful? It sure isn’t a library of free workouts.
No.
Right now, humans need leadership and accountability – two things that empower you to stick with something for the long haul, and be inspired to take action on consistently. As Jonny mentioned, you need to feel safe and connected to another human in times of isolation.
And it shows in my private coaching groups. With my in-person and remote athletes, they are committing to a program as a community, with weekly check-ins, training sessions, added resources, personalized teaching videos, mental journaling habits, and accountability from group exercise video uploads.
People thrive on engagement within a community. The lazy, once-a-month check-in, or quick email blast, or free circuit on Facebook LIVE are not going to suffice.
People are in turmoil more than ever before, so high level coaching – from accountability, to motivation, to community, to meticulous programming, to technique teaching, to direction, to done-for-you-outsourced-work, to connection, are all needed.
Good old-fashioned leadership.
Transformational leadership to be exact.
I’m sure some of you are exclaiming now, ‘well no one needs more people selling right now!’
Listen, Bunky, selling is a service.
It’s a service to tell people what gems you will bring into their lives.
It’s a service to tell people how you’re going to help them maintain a routine.
It’s a service to tell people how you’re going to track and measure progress.
It’s a service to tell people how you’re going to weave them into an empowering community.
It’s a service to tell people how amazing you are to hang out with.
Selling. Is. A. Service.
Also, here’s your stimulus package for your crashing economy: PAY YOUR SERVICE PROVIDERS.
And surprise! Training is a service. Coaching is a service. Mentorship is a service. Programming is a service.
Pay.
These.
Professionals.
To take the conversation away from the fitness industry, would you not pay your hair stylist now?
Your accountant?
Your maid?
Your babysitter?
Your gas station?
Your Uber eats delivery man?
I digress…
Why do trainers work for free? It’s unprofessional.
And why do people expect we work for free? It’s disrespectful.
And why does the fitness industry laud that we work for free? It’s degrading.
Now more than ever, I’ve had to adapt so hard to be able to deliver for my athletes. Even in the online space, prices stayed the same, too.
Why would I drop them? Why would I offer for free?
It’s not like I became a bad coach overnight as soon as the apocalypse happened.
It’s not like I lost my Master’s Degree as soon as I went into quarantine.
It’s not like my strength coach certification disappeared as the toilet paper supply ran out.
I’m still the same coach, offering the same service, if not more quality than ever before. Virtual coaching has its way of pushing my creativity, channelling my infectious aurora through, as well as forcing me to sharper and more articulate with verbal cues.
Mind you, it’s a tremendous amount of work to deliver the passion through a glowing screen and ensure your clients feel your energy x one billion.
So it’s business as usual.
And then some…
I’m adding more value, more service, more energy than in person training – from extra Zoom calls, to articles, to private YouTube videos for my paying clients, to guest trainers, to customized training phone apps based on equipment access at home, to technique coaching Google Drive folders, to community with group messages, to mental coaching with accomplishment journals.
Truthfully, I’m happy to do so.
Yes, I go hard as an in-person coach, but I’m going even harder as a virtual coach, doing more than what is expected of me…multiplied times 100. Again, people need connection now, and better yet, personalized coaching videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhlLfbhS6Xo
So I’m pointing at you, trainers, who are offering a free service. I ponder if you are working this much overtime?
I wonder if you are paying for advanced systems?
I wonder if you are writing painstaking, personalized programs?
I wonder if you are working 12+ hour days to go above and beyond for your clients?
I wonder…
Coming back to Jonny’s point, ‘if you are coaching without leadership, well, that’s actually not possible while simultaneously being effective.’
Be a leader.
People need you during this time, Coach.
Sure, some people you train may go through the motions and get by with free workouts thrown together on the web. And some people you train may be going through lay-offs and income cuts. Fine. This article isn’t for them.
This is for people who need connection, accountability, and leadership, and who can afford it, which is most of your clients right now.
In times of chaos, it’s a disservice to yourself and others if you play small and scared.
Play big.
Value yourself.
Rise above the noise.
But more critically, be a leader.
About the Authors
Jonny Pietrunti is a former Navy Chief Petty Officer and the owner of Brooklyn Body Mechanic in Brooklyn, New York. He specializes in massage and bodywork for athletes as well as mindset coaching. He holds a BA in Applied Sport Psychology, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and has numerous other letters after his name that no one cares about. In his spare time you can catch him rescuing pitbulls and playing video games.
Erica Suter is a certified strength and conditioning coach in Baltimore, Maryland as well as online for thousands of youth soccer players. She works with kids starting at the elementary level and going all the way up to the college level. She believes in long-term athletic development and the gradual progression of physical training for safe and effective results. She helps youth master the basics of balance, coordination, and stability, then ensures they blossom into powerful, fast and strong athletes when they’re older.
I enjoy every podcast I am invited on to, but this one in particular was a delight take part in. The Grafters podcast is hosted by Chris Kershaw and Reanne Francis who are both personal trainers located in Leeds, UK.
In this episode we discuss what it’s been like to navigate the apocalypse (COVID-19) and what I have done to “pivot” my business. In addition we go into some of the mental gymnastics surrounding helping our clients/athletes during this weird, weird time.
We’ve worked on everything from me finally addressing the fact my biological father left me when I was three to my incessant negative self-talk to, I don’t know, Michael Bay deciding to make more than one Transformers movie.
She’s helped me through some shit, to put it mildly.
When we first started working together we met upwards of 1x per week for about a year (OMG was that hard). That was eventually “downgraded” to every other week for a number of years. And now we’re in a nice routine of meeting once per month as a sort of “check-in” on life and other shenanigans.
Truthfully I’ve felt great for awhile now and have questioned whether or not I should even bother continuing on. As tepid as I may be at times, I still consider my therapy session(s) a stand-alone, non-negotiable appointment akin to getting my car’s oil changed every 5,000 miles, or, I don’t know, working out.
In short: It keeps me from wanting to throw my face into a brick wall.
As it happens, my most recent session served as a stark reminder of all of this.
I left the States for Europe on February 26th…just as the Coronavirus had kinda-sorta started to take shape here in the States (and had most certainly entered the day-to-day psyche of the average European).
I spent five days in Athens, Greece (workshop and pleasure).
Two days in Paris, France (pleasure; mostly to eat cheese).
Five days in London (two more workshops and because I’m obsessed with it).
Each day that passed I saw more face masks in public, more people carrying hand sanitizer and keeping their distance, and more general unease.
I flew back to the States on March 10th.
Two days later the US had made the decision to implement travel bans while entire countries had started the process of shutting down completely.
A week after that, a Thursday, was my first therapy session. By then the world had changed (and toilet paper seemingly ceased to exist).
And boy-oh-boy did I unload on my therapist.
The theme was loss:
I “lost” clients.
I “lost” all my workshops scheduled for later in the year.
I “lost” my new gym (I had to renege plans to expand CORE to a larger location).
I “lost” all my pants (I mean, shelter at home advisory = who needs pants?).
After 20-30 minutes I finally gave pause and my therapist, with a reassuring smile, made the time-out sign with her hands.
She said simply:
“You didn’t LOSE anything. Things are just on pause at the moment.”
NOTE: Now, of course, this wasn’t meant to imply there wasn’t substantial suffering and real loss going on the world (then or now). No one, least of all my therapist, was making light of the situation.
That said:
Holy Fuckin A – what a baller re-frame!
Her words punched me in the kidney.
It was exactly what I needed to hear (and something I hope resonates for the bulk of fitness professionals who may be reading).
Like many of you I’ve vacillated between determination, fatalism, ennui, and just trying all I can to clone anything that feels normal.
The health/fitness industry – like many industries – has been decimated in recent weeks.
There’s no sugar coating things.
It’s bad.
Thousands of us have been left to marinate in uncertainty, doubt, and the feeling of inevitable loss.
The unknown.
It’s not fun and it’s going to stick around for a while.
But not forever.
As cheesy and as impossible as it sounds…
…the pause button has been pressed.
What this means for me:
– Checking in and being there for my clients.
In the end I know my clients will come back (or I’ll kill them). It’s important to recognize we’re in the service industry and that we should still serve our clients. This could mean accommodating them with at home workouts of course, but it also could mean nothing more than sending a “hey, how are you doing?” text.6I haven’t lost my clients; the pause button has been pressed.
– Making the pivot to more online & virtual training until social distancing measures are loosened. Who knows: maybe it’ll turn into a more viable and robust revenue stream when all is said and done? I haven’t lost in-person training; the pause button has been pressed.
– Recognizing that I can (and will) reassess expanding my gym at a later point this year. I haven’t lost my new gym; the pause button has been pressed.
– Recognizing 2021 will be an EPIC travel year for workshops. I haven’t lost all my workshops; the pause button has been pressed.
– Finally getting my head out of my ass and watching Ozark on Netflix. No excuses here.I suck.
I figured we could all use a reprieve from the barrage of “at home” exercises and workouts everyone is posting of late.
#COVID19sucksdonkeyballs
My good friend and London based personal trainer, Luke Worthington, released his Core Training Guidebook recently and in light of that wrote up this guest post that takes a bit of a different “take” on the topic.
Luke’s one of the smartest coaches I know and I think you should check it out (not an affiliate link).
Actually, now that I think about it: the timing of this pans out.
You’re all stuck at home and can’t go to the gym.
Everyone wants a core you can cut diamonds with.
Training the core doesn’t require a lot of equipment.
We have known for some time that core training and core control was about so much more than a six pack. But did you know it also plays a role in your mood, how you sleep, and even how you laugh or cry?
It’s generally accepted that movement is good for us on both a mental and a physical level. However, do we know just how closely the two are linked?
Our nervous system has two parts – parasympathetic (rest & digest) that takes care of all our subconscious actions. And sympathetic (fight or flight) that is our reaction to situations around us.
Generally in life we want to spend as much time as we can in a parasympathetic state – because quite simply, its easier!
However, moving from one to the other has just as much to do with how we move, as how we think.
Our neural anatomy isn’t just enclosed in our skull – the sympathetic ganglion (the part of or neurological system that activates sympathetic activity), are actually situated in the thoracic spine. So extending that part of your skeleton (arching your back) actively stimulates them, and therefore creates a sympathetic state. (one of the reasons why we stretch in the morning to wake ourselves up).
Note from TG: Also another “advantage” to powerlifters accentuating the low back arch during their bench press setup?
Moving ourselves into an extension position (also known as ‘scissor’ position) stimulates us, which makes us more alert, more able to exert force, run faster, jump higher, and generally be more ‘alpha’.7 Excellent for when we’re playing sports or fighting for our lives.
However, it also means that recovery, sleep, decision making and empathy are significantly reduced…
Not so good for maintaining relationships and resting – which we also need to do at times!
How Position Feeds This
One of the primary activities we must do in order to stay alive is breathe.
In order to perform this apparently simple activity we have quite a complex array of musculature supporting it. Our primary respiratory muscles are the diaphragm and the intercostal, which drive air in and out of the lungs with the purpose of exchanging gas and essentially stopping us from dying.
Whereas we may assume that inhaling oxygen is the primary cue for breathing – its actually blowing off carbon dioxide.
“A failure to do this results in our system becoming more acidic leading to a state of anxiety, increased sympathetic activity (fight of flight), impaired nerve conduction, restricted blood flow in cerebral cortex (poor decision making), increased phobic dysfunction panic attacks, and fatigue.”
LaghiF, Tobin F. Disorders of respiratory muscles. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Vol 168: 10-48 2003
The majority of the ‘good stuff’ in respiration happens in the lower 1/3 of the lungs.
Where the majority of blood vessels are situated.
However, in order for gas exchange to happen adequately here the ribcage and the pelvis have to be in the correct positions.
In simple terms they have to oppose each other – the pelvis in neutral, and the ribcage oriented over the top of it – almost like a cereal bowl with another one upside down on top of it! In coaching parlance we often call this the ‘cannister’ position.
If this doesn’t happen – then gas exchange cannot happen at this part of the chest cavity. But as a pre cursor to life it has to happen somewhere! If its not happening at the bottom, then it will happen at the top, however, in order for this to occur we have to engage additional musculature to help out (think upper back, trapezius, neck) as we need to elevate the upper chest to create space for airflow.
As well as the more direct consequences of creating unwelcome hypertonicity (over activity) in those areas (trapezius trigger points anyone).
This drive to create space in the upper chest requires thoracic extension, which as we know stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, creating a heightened state of anxiety, which in turn causes an increased desire to breathe…. but… we’re in the wrong position to!
This means we drive further into thoracic extension (scissor position), so we further stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and so we go around in a constant feedback loop…
To propagate the situation even further, the chest /neck breather is far less efficient at blowing off excess CO2 than the diaphragmatic breather (simply due to the fewer blood vessels available for gas exchange in the upper parts of the chest).
Not blowing off enough CO2 makes us more acidic, therefore more anxious, therefore having a greater desire to breathe, therefore driving further into thoracic extension
Poor position = poor breathing mechanics = greater level of anxiety.
However it also places us at a greater risk of further mechanical issues.
“In situations where respiratory drive is increased such as stress, disease or physical exercise, the ability of the respiratory muscles to perform their postural tasks is reduced. The presence of respiratory disease is a stronger predictor for lower back pain than other established risk factors”
International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine 12 (2009)
This constant feedback loop is what is occurring on a physiological level when a person suffers from a panic attack or hyperventilation. What they actually need to do is exhale fully, allow their torso to flex, and reducing the mechanical stress on the sympathetic ganglion, blowing off some CO2, restoring PH, and eventually settling back to homeostasis (balance).
When we’re over stimulated, hyperinflated, and unable to moderate our nervous systems – we push the emergency button.
When we cry, we exhale fully, and flex out of scissor position and into cannister.
Not sure if you’ve noticed but you don’t see people cry in an upright, extended position – they restore canister – get themselves neutral, and exhale. This is why we feel better after we do it, and why we often feel tired afterwards, and also why it makes our abs hurt!
Note from TG: All you have to do is watch me watching the ending of Notting Hill and you’ll see what Luke is referring to.
Training our core to resist movement through all three movement planes, whilst in incrementally more challenging positions will help us lift more and do more cool stuff – but it can also just make us better at life.
