An Open Letter to New Fitness Professionals
Oh, hell0 (new) fitness professional. Congratulations on (pick whichever pertains to you): (A) Recently graduating college with a Health Science, Health & Wellness, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, or History in Shakespearian Literature degree. (B) Switching careers from accountant, computer programmer, or, I don’t know, professional mustache grower…to strength coach. (C) Passing your weekend personal trainers course…. Read more
Coach’s Roundtable: Two Things They Should Know
If you work with high-school athletes this is for you. Friend and colleague, Mike Anderson, who’s a strength coach in Ohio, reached out and asked if I’d be open to sharing a roundtable discussion of several coaches discussing the rigamarole of working with this population. I always enjoy other coaches riffing and pontificating on this… Read more
Porcelain Post: Fitness Marketing 101
NOTE: The term “Porcelain Post” was invented by Brian Patrick Murphy and Pete Dupuis. Without getting into the specifics, it describes a post that can be read in the same time it takes you to go #2. Huh, I guess that was more specific than I thought. Enjoy. Fitness Marketing 101 The fitness industry is growing fast…. Read more
How to Get Your Clients to Work Harder
I often say that what bogs down most fitness professionals, and what often causes the most stress, isn’t the x’s and o’s of program design, assessment, or breaking down the Creatine phosphorylation cycle. Nor is it the ability to break down squat or overhead pressing technique. Most coaches/trainers can do all the above without blinking… Read more
The Subtle Art of Shutting Up and Listening
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of TG.com regular, and my 1-day-per-week training partner, Justin Kompf. Listening, I mean really listening, is a learned skill and takes a lot of (purposeful) practice to master. Those who are able to so, however, are often the ones who separate themselves from the masses in the fitness industry. This… Read more
The Problems With Youth Fitness. With Solutions
I’ve got a guest post from Baltimore based strength & conditioning coach, Erica Suter today. She’s someone I respect a lot not only for her writing prowess (she gives me a run for my money with Lord of the Rings references), but also for her steadfastness in sticking to her guns. She could easily train… Read more
When to Bench Press With Your Feet on the Floor, and When Not To
I received an email awhile back from someone asking a simple question: “What are the reasons one would or would not bench press with their legs on the bench as opposed to the floor? Just personal preference? Back issues?” Tony of a few years back would have been like, “When would someone bench with their… Read more
6 Reasons to Consider the Semi-Private Training Model
I started my career as a personal trainer back in 2002. To give a little perspective on how long ago that was: Joe Millionaire was one of the top-rated television shows that year. The standard reaction to anyone requesting almond milk was one of two things: 1) a cold, blank stare into the abyss or… Read more