Categoriescoaching Program Design

5 Ways To Get Better At Writing Training Programs

I received a message from a young coach the other day asking if I knew of (or used) any tricks to help make writing training programs easier or less time intensive.

Outside of suggesting he build his own time traveling DeLorean, skip a head 50 or so years to clone himself 17 times (and to see if someone possibly cured male pattern baldness…asking for someone I know), and then travel back to 2025 with his small army of “hims” to help with the workload, I offered the following suggestions and advice.

I figured this was a good topic to expound on and decided to make it into a blog post.

Hope it helps.

1. Practice Makes Perfect (Kinda)

  • If you want to get better at playing the violin…play the violin.
  • If you want to get better at long division…do long division.
  • If you want to get better at free throws….practice more free throws.
  • If you want to get better at not getting laid…go to Star Trek conventions.

I keed, I keed.

There’s no way to sugar coat this:

“If you want to get better at writing programs…write more programs.”

I have a folder on my desktop labeled Lisa, Don’t Open This Folder Client Programs, and if I opened it right now and actually took the time to count the number of programs in it – which is an amalgamation of my eight years at Cressey Sports Performance in addition to the ten years I’ve been training people out of CORE and Core Collective – I’d garner a guess there’s at least, I don’t know, a kazillion, billion programs in it.

Okay, lets just say it’s a lot.

I am by no means insinuating I’m some program writing maverick and that I’ve got things dialed down to a well-tuned science, but it stands to reason in the 20+ years I’ve been writing training programs, I’ve gotten pretty okay at not sucking at it.

That being said, the sooner you acquiesce to the idea it’s going to take time, practice, and lots of experience on your part in order to get “adequate” yourself, the better off you’ll be.

To answer the question, though: Is there a way to expedite the program writing process?

Well, it depends.

Many factors come into play – one’s training age, injury history, goals, availability of equipment, total training frequency, favorite He-Man character (<– very important), to name a few.

I’d say on average it takes me anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes to write a program.

Moreover:

1. I rarely start from scratch.

I’ve written enough programs and have worked with enough people that I can Spidey-sense similarities and correlations between one client and another. If someone has the same background and/or goals as a previous client of mine I don’t need to re-invent the wheel. I can take someone else’s program, do a little bada-binging and bada-booing (tweaking), and cater it to someone else.

I take pride in writing individual programs for all my clients, but I’m also a realist. Most of the time most people need to be doing the same stuff anyways; at least in the beginning:

  • Less bench pressing.
  • More rows.
  • Better scapular rotation and reaching (general shoulder health).
  • More single leg work and carries.
  • More butt stuff (posterior chain in general).
  • Deadlifts DO NOT always mean using a barbell or that one is pulling from the floor.
  • No, deep squats aren’t dangerous.
  • Yes, your knees can go past your toes.
  • Give your clients a little of what THEY want to do. Key words to consider: “a little.”
  • If you ask me one more time whether or not you should go keto I’m going to throw my face into a wall.

2. Understand there’s NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT PROGRAM.

It’s inevitable you’re going to be overzealous with some people or underestimate others, especially with regards to exercise selection.

I don’t think a day goes by where I’m not crossing out things on a program or making minor adjustments, or hell, even overhauling the entire program.

No one is perfect (except Ryan Gosling).

via GIPHY

2. Remember: It’s THEIR Program, Not Yours

No quote is more appropriate here than one of Dan John’s classics:

“The goal is to keep the goal, the goal.”

Ranked #16 in my list of “man crushes”

If someone’s goal is to get strong or maybe compete in powerlifting, then, yeah, they should likely focus on the classic barbell lifts.

Write a program that reflects that.

Kipping pull-ups likely aren’t going to get the job done. In fact, kipping pull-ups are never going to get the job done.

Stop it.

Just, stop.

If someone’s goal is to lose a bunch of fat, again, I could make the case strength is still important and that the barbell lifts (which utilize multiple joints and make burning a bunch of calories in a short amount of time a thing. Plus, the goal of any fat loss plan should be to KEEP the muscle you have. What makes muscle, keeps muscle. Lifting heavy things is paramount.) may be of benefit.

But understand there are many methods to get any job done.

Maybe someone would rather jump into a shark’s mouth than touch a barbell.

Blasphemous, I know. But it happens.

If so, don’t be an insufferable dick about it and force feed YOUR preferences over your client’s.1

A glaring example here is when you see bodybuilders training 55 year old female clients like bodybuilders. Yeah dude, I doubt she’s interested in her bicep peak. I mean, maybe. But I doubt it.

Stick to the goals and consider your client’s preferences.

This can make writing programs much, much, MUCH more “freeing” and palatable. If someone likes using dumbbells, incorporate more dumbbells. If someone seems to be down with landmine exercises, use more landmine exercises.

Often, the #1 factor for a program’s success is ADHERENCE.

A client/athlete is much more apt to stick to a program when it’s one they enjoy and want to do.

3. Write Programs In Bulk

You’re bound to be more efficient and “in the zone” when it comes to writing program when you write them in bulk.

Instead of writing one program here and another one there, sit down, grab a cup of coffee (or tea), put on some of your favorite program writing music (for me it’s Deep House or Norah Jones, don’t judge), and get to work.

I think you’ll find it’ll increase your program writing prowess.

4. Have Someone Audit Your Programs

Asking a colleague to take a peek at some of your programs and to provide some honest feedback is a splendid way to hone and sharpen your skills.

via GIPHY

Of course it helps to be someone who can take constructive criticism well. If your default reaction is to get defensive, stomp your feet, and yell “YOU’RE RUINING MY LIFE” when a friend suggests it might not a good idea to program back squats for someone with limited shoulder external rotation and to maybe consider front squats instead, you may want to hold off on this idea.

Conversely, grow up, it’s only going to make you better and to allow you an opportunity to see things from a different lens.

5. When In Doubt, Simplify

The next time you find yourself sitting in front of your computer screen contemplating putting in Close Grip Bench Press cluster sets for your 16 year old high-school athlete with weight releasers utilizing a 5-0-7 tempo while also repeating the alphabet backwards, in Elvish:

  1. Stop
  2. Punch yourself in the pancreas.
  3. Hard.
  4. And remember to just keep things simple.

Believe me, I know how easy it is to be seduced into adding novelty to your client’s programs for the sake of adding novelty…but I assure you most of them do not care and more importantly most do better without it.

The “boring” stuff is almost always going to be the better fit and is likely all most of your clients will need for quite some time.

Seriously, when in doubt….simplify.

And then just coach the shit out of everything.

6. Miscellaneous Pontification

– It would also bode in your favor to actually lift weights. Practice what you preach.

– Refrain from adding things to your programs that you yourself have not tried first.

– Network. Make nicey nice with local coaches and physical therapists. You’ll learn a ton.

– I cannot WAIT for the 5th season of Ted Lasso to come out.

– Also, not for nothing, but did you not notice I used both words “amalgamation” and
“acquiesce” in this blog post? You didn’t, did you?2

ksuksa@123rf.comCategoriescoaching Program Design

4 Coaching and Program Design Digressions

4 Coaching & Program Design Digressions

1. Fillers Instead of Warming Up?

You know it, I know it, your mom’s second cousin’s Little League baseball coach’s sister knows it, everyone knows it…

…people always skip their warm-up prior to training.

Hell, [industry secret revealed] I skip my warm-up more than 50% of the time.3

Now, to back track a bit, I am not anti-warming up and I do advocate my clients and athletes do follow one.

I do write them in.

However, what I am not a fan of is the laundry list approach to warming-up.

You know what I mean: the warm-up that consists of a never-ending list – 10, 15, sometimes 20 exercises deep – of positional breathing, t-spine mobility, glute activation, and stretching drills.

I take a gander at something like that and am like…

via GIPHY

I can only imagine what some of my clients in the past were like…

via GIPHY

This is not an attempt to discount or demerit the importance of doing any of those drills mentioned above. I just know humans, and I know the vast majority of them would rather jump in front of a mack truck than do their warm-up.

Which is where the idea of “fillers” comes in.

These are nothing more than low-grade, low-intensity mobility or activation drills that are performed DURING the workout, typically during rest periods.

In short: It’s a sneaky way to put the shit that people need to work on in the program in a way that they’ll actually do it.

I’ve written about fillers in the past and how to best incorporate them depending on the main lift of the day:

2. Underwhelm Them Early

This is a phrase I stole from my good friend Mike Robertson, but it mirrors much of what I do with all of my new clients. In the beginning all I am really concerned with is letting my clients marinate in the basics.

I want them to hinge, squat, push, pull, carry, and perform some single leg work. Now what variation of all those things will depend on a multitude of factors: health & injury history, goals, ability level, not to mention their anatomy (anthropometry and leverages). When all is said and done, though, from a programming standpoint, my clients should be underwhelmed. I want their programs to be mind-numbingly boring.

People need reps out of the gate, a lot of reps…of the same thing(s). That is the only way they’re going to learn and begin to “own” their movement.

What they don’t need is a bunch of novelty and a coach who’s only goal is to entertain them. I can appreciate (and understand) that training should be fun and stimulating and fill everyone’s love tank to the ‘enth degree. However, in my eyes, that needs to be earned via lots and lots and lots of repetition of the same shit.

No one ever got strong or mastered any exercise by constantly changing things up.

Wow your clients with customer service; underwhelm them with exercise selection.

3. Easy Training is Good Training

Keeping in tune with the whole “underwhelming them early” vibe, I’m a firm believer in the anecdote – astutely stolen from Dan John – that “easy training is good training.”

Put into other words: I’m less of a “holy shit I can’t feel the left side of my face, that workout was awesome” kinda guy and more of a “huh, I could totally do more, but [insert anything from going to see a movie and hanging out with your spouse to reading a book and drowning in kitty cuddles]” kinda guy.

See, I’d rather my clients/athletes leave a session feeling as if they could do more, maybe even wanting to do more, but don’t.

This is not to say “easy” training doesn’t involve some amount of effort or uncomfortableness; far from it. It is to say that pounding your clients into the ground every…single…session isn’t necessarily making them better or more resilient or whatever other cute adjective you want to toss in here.

There’s a common saying I’ve seen many other coaches use and it bears repeating:

“Your progress in the weight-room is directly correlated with how well you’re able to RECOVER from said workouts.”

This entails training with sub-maximal loads (65-80% of 1RM) more often in addition to other things such as encouraging more GGP/Zone 2 work (think: heart rate hovers in the 120 BPM range), sleep, calories to support one’s goals, and hydration to name a few.

4. Is It Necessary to De-Load Often?

It’s common practice for many gyms and trainers to use every fourth week as a rudimentary “deload week” (or a structured tempering of training volume, load, or both) for their clients and athletes.

It makes sense…especially when you consider billing cycles.

For example, to a large degree I still use this approach because every month my clients “re-up” their packages and I get to ding their credit cards in exchange for a freshly curated program.

But even then I have to take into consideration a few things.

  • Training Frequency: someone who only trains 2x per week won’t necessarily do enough work to warrant a de-load as compared to someone who trains 4x per week.
    .
  • Training Experience/Goals: someone who is working out for basic health or is a complete newbie will have a stark difference in approach to de-loading compared to someone training for a powerlifting meet or has more experience and is just stronger as a general observation. The former may go weeks without the need for any type of deload while the latter may be best suited for one every 3-4 weeks.
    .
  • Life: Work, vacations, the beach, your slow-pitch softball schedule, your kid’s explosive diarrhea…all have a tendency of tossing us organic de-loads as it is. Oftentimes there’s no need to go out of my way to plan de-loads for some clients because “life” takes care of that anyway.

All of this doesn’t even get into the weeds on all the different types or ways to implement a de-load. I already touched on the idea of lowering one’s overall training volume or even intensity (personally I’m a fan of lowering volume but keeping intensity on the high(er) side of the spectrum, if not the same), but there are a bevy of other options too:

  • Omitting compound movements in lieu of more isolation type movements (I.e., less axial loading).
  • Going into full-on body-part-split-per day bodybuilder mode for a week or longer (<— this is fun).
  • Reducing training frequency (instead of 5x per week, go with two).
  • Get out of the gym entirely and partake in more outdoor activities.

For the Record: I’m very much a fan of people taking a full-week off from training – particularly if they’re consistent – 1x per year just to give themselves a break.

That said, I will sometimes push the boundaries with some of my clients and won’t implement an actual de-load until 1) I see a drastic decrease in their progress or performance on the gym floor 2) they’re eyes start bleeding or, you know, 3) they simply ask.

Often, especially if a client shows up to a session and they look like death, I’ll implement a de-load session, affectionately referred to as a Bloop, Bloop, Bloop workout.

HERE the idea is to listen to them, understand that, yes, life gets in the way sometimes, but to also not let them off the hook so easily.

They’re still going to workout and move – it just won’t involve working up to a heavy triple on their front squat.

 

vertolet@123rf.comCategoriescoaching Exercise Technique

1-Minute Deadlift Tip: Start Where You End

The “Reverse” Deadlift

What’s unique about the deadlift – as opposed to the squat or bench press – is that it begins with a concentric, or overcoming, movement.

For a variety of reasons like leverages, mobility restrictions, it’s Tuesday, etc., starting from the floor can be problematic for some people. One simple way to build context, especially as it relates to the starting position from the floor, is to start at the end (or top) with an eccentric, or yielding/negative, movement.

You’ll essentially be performing an eccentric deadlift (RDL) until the barbell reaches the ground. When I have my athletes and clients do this drill I’ll stop them once they hit the floor and say, “Feel that position you’re in right now? That’s what I want to see (and for you to feel) when you begin from the floor.”

It’s a foolproof way to help build familiarity and to not overcomplicate things.

No diggidy, no doubt.

Woman lying with her legs crossed indoorsCategoriescoaching

Confessions of an Introverted Strength Coach Revisted

People are often surprised when I state I’m an introvert.

What most people fail to recognize is that “being an introvert” is part of a spectrum. No one is 100% introverted, nor are they 100% extroverted.

Everyone’s a little of both.

Another common misconception is that introversion is somehow correlated with being depressed or sad or downtrodden. In attempting to find a suitable image to go along with this post I simply typed “introvert” into my image finder thingamajiggy on WordPress and was quite surprised (if not slightly appalled) by what appeared on my screen:

Image after image after image of various people looking dejected, anti-social, and altogether unhappy.

It was quite striking, because all “being introverted” means is that you likely need or require a little more down time (or down tempo activities) in order to reenergize and recharge.

Is time to recharge yourself 65

I remember when my wife and I first started dating there was a night where I had just gotten back from a full day of coaching and was zapped. All I wanted to do was collapse on the couch and watch House Hunters. Unfortunately (for me) it was a Saturday night and Lisa had already committed us to a get together with a bunch of her friends at a local lounge in downtown Boston.

Ten minutes in it took all the will-power I could muster to not walk out of the place and straight into the path of the #66 bus down the street.

I just stood there with a blank stare and repeated one word answers as she and her friends attempted to engage with me.

  • “Tony, Lisa tells me you’re a personal trainer?” Yes.
  • “How long have you been doing that?” Awhile.
  • “So, what do you think about keto?” Grabs beer bottle, breaks it over the counter, slits own throat.

When we eventually left we had one of our first arguments. Clearly I was acting like an a-hole, but after explaining to her that the last thing I wanted to do after coaching for eight hours was to go to a bar and listen to Panic! At the Disco, we had a better understanding of each other’s needs.

I explained I am not against going out and participating in social events, I just needed a bit of a “buffer.”

Being a coach – inundated with constant noise and non-stop interaction – can be draining.

An introvert requires the antithesis of that in order to feel rejuvenated and ready to go the following day.

To repeat: This doesn’t mean we don’t like to do or be involved in social activities.

Rather, in our free time we generally prefer to:

✅ Read a book
✅ Enjoy a barrage of kitty cuddles.

That’s pretty much it.

One common remark I receive from other coaches and personal trainers is what would I recommend they do to counteract their juices running on empty when they’re in the middle of a long work day?

What can they do when they’re five hours deep into a long work day and have a barrage of sessions yet to complete? It’s not like they can meander off into a hidden closet and take a power nap.

(or can they?????)

Likewise, is the expectation that we have to be the rah-rah, high-energy coach who jumps up and down everywhere and perform cart-wheels after every set in order to be considered “good” or successful?

Listen, the bulk of your clients aren’t expecting a Bad Bunny performance during their session.

DJ hands and remote and mixer DJ for music

Sure, there’s a time & place to amp things up and to be the cheerleader, but I’ve found that more often than not…

…most clients don’t care for the (fake) performative nonsense.

You can still be a switched on and attentive coach without the theatrics.

That being said, it still behooves you, introverted coach, to be proactive and give yourself sporadic breaks throughout the day. These could be brief 15-30 minute windows of solitude when you know you have a full-day looming. Or, when you know you have a solid line-up of clients scheduled, it may be worthwhile to break the day up where you get your own training session in half way through.

BUT MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL: Do NOT fall pray to this idea you have to be a performative coach in order to be seen as legit. That BS may get you likes on Instagram, but it’ll lead to nothing but eye-rolls in the real world. Not to mention it certainly won’t be doing you any favors from an energy conservation standpoint.5

BUT EVEN MOST MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL:  Be sure to grace yourself with ample “me time” when you feel you need it. This could be sitting at home binging a show, going to the movies, hanging out at a bookstore of coffee shop, or, I don’t know, perusing your baseball card collection.

Remember: All being an introvert means is that you’re a fucking psychopath you likely require more solo time in order to reenergize.

It’s important to lean into it.

It’ll help make you a more engaged coach and your clients will benefit as well.

So, hi fellow introvert. I see you. What’s up?

jiteshverma@123rf.comCategoriescoaching

Will Squatting Make You Tight?

Short Answer = No.

Long(er) Answer = Read more below.

Will Squatting Make You Tight?

I can’t believe we still have to have this “debate” in 2025.

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 I’m hangry and need to eat something).

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.

To steal a line (and photo op) from Chris Duffin:

“Squatting doesn’t make you tight. Squatting like shit does.”

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:

  • Active ankle dorsiflexion, knee and hip flexion.
  • Active femoral abduction (opening the hips).
  • Maintenance of “neutral” spine.6

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.7

cherezoff@123rf.comCategoriescoaching Program Design

The Lost Art of Simple

 

What’s our obsession with making things hard or complex?

The Lost Art of Simple

I remember when I was a kid all I needed to entertain myself was my bike. I’d ride around pretending I was Knight Rider talking to my bike as if it were KITT.8

“Turbo boost KITT.”

And then I’d pedal faster.

“Oh snap, we’re under heavy fire and need to perform counter measures.”

And then I’d swerve back and forth between trees avoiding every heat seeking missile sent in my direction.

“KITT, eject, eject.”

This is when I’d point my bike in the direction of some sweet jump I’d have constructed, and, well, this would happen:

 

Nowadays you ask a kid to go outside and play and they’re looking at you as if you have three heads and wondering how that’s even possible without an iPhone in hand. It’s almost as if there has to be some form of technology or gadgetry involved.

A frisbee? No way.

A wiffle ball and bat? Pfffft, whatever.

A tree? Hahahahahaha.

The simple days of simple games are long gone. I mean, I know they exist, and I know there are kids out there still playing hide-n-seek, kickball, and pick-up basketball.

But it’s few and far between. Pokemon Go, seemingly, has replaced the playground.

I can’t help but notice the same parallel in the fitness industry. People (on both sides of the fence: fitness pros and non-fitness pros alike) seem to be under the impression that fancy or complex is somehow better than simple. And maybe even more tragic: many believe that better results are always a result of adopting complex methodologies over the simple ones.

Sometimes this is true. Oftentimes it’s BS.

I’ve had my fair share of other coaches coming in to shadow and observe for a few hours at a time. It’s always an honor and I am more than willing to accommodate. Sure they could spend their time reading Mike Boyle or watching any litany of fitness people on Instagram, but no, some choose to come in on a Saturday to watch people deadlift and listen 90’s hip hop.

One theme I am becoming more cognizant of is how surprised some coaches are about how “simple” my programming is.

There’s very little glitz and glam or shiny bright objects to pivot from the fact that all I really want is for my clients/athletes to become unapologetically brilliant at the basics.

People squat, people hip hinge, and people perform these things called rows, push-ups, and Farmer carries.

You may have heard of them.

Antiques to some, I know.

Furthermore, is my assessment process.

The idea of simple starts there. Unless someone is coming in with a lengthy injury history or is training for something super specific like, say, I don’t know, the Mime Bombsniffing Olympics, what advantage is there in making the assessment more complicated than it has to be?

Taking a more global approach is a fantastic starting point for most people. There’s no need to put them under a microscope. If anything, for most people most of the time, their “assessment” is nothing more than an opportunity to weed out “red flags” by taking a quick peek at hip IR/ER, hip flexion/extension, and other things like overhead shoulder mobility.

In a sense I’m trying to see what their passive ROM is, are there any limitations, and if so, 1) does it match their active ROM and 2) are there any test/re-test strategies I can implement to see an improvement?

To a larger degree (and stealing a quote from my friend, Luke Worthington):

“Can you do the thing that you want to do? Yes. Good. No. Let’s fix that.”

Here’s the Thing: 80% of my assessments are done on the gym floor. There’s only so much poking and prodding I can do on table before A) shit starts getting weird and B) the client starts feeling like a patient.

In reality the assessment should be a watered down training session.

  • I want to see them squat.
  • I want to see them hip hinge.
  • I want to see them get up off the floor.
  • I want to see them Sparta kick the wall.

I can glean way more information watching people move. And too, they get a taste of what a typical training session will be like with me.

It’s a very simple procedure that, when some coaches observe, comes across as super-duper minimal, and it throws them off, as if to say, “Really? That’s it?”

Yep, that’s it.

People want to train.

They could give two flying shits about their big toe dorsiflexion. Trust me.

Funny Side Story: I was once given a “bad” review at a conference I spoke at because in my topic, “Shoulder Assessment,” I didn’t demonstrate anything “new and innovative.” To which I was like, “Well, since when does shoulder assessment need to be new and innovative?” Why not take the mindset of doing the “boring” screens well?

Note to Self: Bring a flame thrower to next speaking engagement. That will add some innovation.

Going Back to Programming.

This is another component where I feel simplicity has its benefits.

The never-ending game of  oneupmanship on social media many fitness pros play is exhausting. This is a conversation for another day, but the LOOK-AT-ME, performative vibe many take is absurd. I watch some of the videos people put up and all I want to do is say “Riiiiiigggghhhhttt.”

I also want to throw an ax into my face, but that’s besides the point.

Comparatively speaking my Instagram feed is probably batshit boring to some people.

I can hear the cacophony of “BFD” comments now. “Wow, cool Tony. You have your clients squat. What’s next: A set of chin-ups?

No, wait, Pallof Presses!?!?!”

Actually, yeah. Probably.

Call me crazy, but I’d rather educate and provide a rationale for putting up certain videos/pictures (cute cat pictures aside) than worry about whether or not I’m earning some fleeting social media credibility.

What’s more, you wanna talk about boring and vanilla? Grab two back-to-back programs of any client of mine and it’s a safe bet you’ll see more of a linear periodization approach, which is about as vanilla as things gets. Take my client Sara for example (the woman in the video above).

On the days she trains with me at CORE we tend to focus more on the coaching-intensive exercises like squats and deadlifts. We’ll first hit one of the two hard (generally, lower reps/mid to higher intensity loads) and follow suit with “everything else.”

Here’s how we approached her squats and deadlifts the past two months.

October

Sumo Deadlift (Weeks 1,3), Back Squat (Weeks 2,4) 
      
 WeekSetsReps Load
 152 85%
 2Hit 135×1then3×5115 lbs
 33×1 @90%then3×5 75%
 4Hit 140×1then3×5120 lbs

November

Sumo Deadlift (Weeks 1,3), Back Squat (Weeks 2,4)
      
 WeekSetsReps Load
 145 75%
 2135 x (2×1)then3×3 @125 lbs
 355 75%
 4145×1then3×2 @130 lbs

If you pay particular attention to her squat progression, it’s more or less me ensuring she was doing more work each week.

Nothing magical or advanced at all.

And it worked.

She smoked a PR of 145 lbs this past Monday. While listening to Lil Kim. Because that’s how we roll.

Program design doesn’t have to be complex.

All it really comes down to is ensuring you’re coaching your clients well (<– a lost art in of itself) utilizing stances and grips and bar placements that suit their goals and anatomy…

…and that they’re placing a premium on doing more work over the course of several weeks/months.

Simple and Boring. It Works

I’m willing to bet your clients will prefer a simpler approach (if not thrive on it) once you give it a fair shot.

  • People tend to not need as much novelty as they think. Muscle confusion is a stupid concept. People need consistency in order to master movement.
  • You don’t always need to increase load. People need to earn the right to increase weight on the bar. Staying within a certain range for several weeks and accumulating volume is often a undervalued way to progress.
  • Try not to make assessment to much of a thing. Granted, if someone has a lengthly injury history you may need to go down some sort of rabbit hole to figure out what exacerbates their symptoms. And then attempt to address it. But more often than not people will appreciate you not putting them under a microscope. If you treat the assessment as more of a training session and not some sick game to point out every miniscule dysfunction and how much of a walking fail someone is, they’ll be less likely to think you’re a douche.
pitinan@123rf.comCategoriesbusiness coaching Motivational

A Lesson to Fitness Pros: You’re Always Being Watched

NOTE: I was perusing some of my old blog posts recently and came across this one. I re-read it and remember how embarrassed I felt when what I describe in the post below actually happened.  I felt it resharing it would be a nice reminder to all fitness professionals to remember…you’re always being watched. Act accordingly.

I felt like an asshole yesterday. And when I say “I felt like an asshole,” I don’t mean in the rhetorical “haha, I did something goofy and feel like an asshole” sense. I straight-up felt like a heaping pile of asshole.

HINT: I was an asshole.

To get right to the point: I let a client down. And it was 100% on me.

I hope this will be a lesson to every fitness professional reading that you’re always being watched and that you’re always making decisions – whether directly or indirectly – that will affect your business and people’s perception of you.

However, before I dive into my assholiness from yesterday, I hope you won’t mind if I take a second to butter myself up and break down a scenario where I was less of an asshole.

I think it goes without saying most personal trainers and coaches – at one point or another, have experience working in a commercial gym.

Admittedly, it can (not always) suck. One of the biggest drags is many trainers are left fending for themselves in terms of harvesting their own clients.

This can be a daunting task for those new in the field, are a little more introverted, and otherwise inexperienced.

Whenever I’m contacted by someone asking me advice on this topic, my immediate response is:

“Act as if you’re always being observed or judged.”

A great example would be how you approach floor hours.

Most (new) trainers at most clubs are required/obligated to accumulate “x” number of floor hours per week. It’s more or less the fitness industry’s version of hazing or probation/purgatory, where you walk around the club feeling like a tool picking up after everyone else’s mess.

If I had to liken it to anything, it would fall somewhere between preparing your taxes and jumping into a shark’s mouth as far as things I’d rather be doing.

Anyways, when I had to do it I used it as an opportunity to get in front of as many people’s eyes as possible. I’d say hello, make eye contact, and occasionally offer some advice on technique, unique core exercises, or maybe strike up conversation on favorite GI Joe characters.

You know, cause I was cool.

All told I used my floor hours as an opportunity to provide a service and to reel people in as clients.

And speaking of clients, when I was with one, I’d always, ALWAYS make sure to give them my undivided attention. I’d be on-time, had my programs ready to go, and always prided myself on being more proactive, giving cues and feedback at all times. You know, coaching.

As a result, on many occasions, I’d be approached by other people asking if I had openings because they had been watching and observing me throughout the weeks or months prior.

Little did I know – at the time – that I was constantly be observed and judged.

It resonated with me then and it’s something, still, that’s important to me now. It never gets old when, after working with me for a handful of sessions, a new client mentions how much they appreciate my approach compared to past experiences they’ve had with other trainers and coaches.

They’re being coached rather than babysat for.

I don’t say this to be vainglorious, but interpret it as you will.

But Back to That Me Being an Asshole Part

All of this to say: we all fuck up from time to time. Or, maybe a bit more of a germane way to put it: have a slight lapse in judgement.

Most days I show up 10-15 minutes prior to clients showing up at CORE.

I had two clients scheduled to show up yesterday at 4 PM. 3:30 hit and I was still home prepping the day’s blog post and catching up on emails.

3:40 hit and, while I knew I was pushing my luck (my gym is only a mile from my apartment, but still a 10-15 minute commute that time of day), I had to post the article up on Instagram.

Priorities, right?

“Okay,” I thought to myself, “I’m probably going to be a teeny-tiny bit late. I’ll shoot my clients a quick email to let them know I’m on my way and that I’ll be a few minutes off.”

No biggie.

Feeling justified, I rushed out the door and headed to CORE.

I arrived at 4:03. Both clients waiting outside the side of the building trying to avoid the first oppressively hot day.

Joe, an accomplished businessman here in Boston (12,000 employees answer to him) who just started with me three weeks ago and has been an exemplary client – shows up on time every session ready to work his ass off – was the first to greet me.

“Hey man, it’s past 4 o’clock.”

“Yeah,” I said, “sorry I’m a little late.”

“Stop posting on Instagram and lets get to work.”

He saw my post. He called my BS.

What an asshole I was.

Joe wasn’t malicious or anything, or even that mad. I think. He didn’t even make me being late a thing. He said what he said, and we did, we got right to work. However, his matter of fact way of calling me out on my momentary hiccup really punched me in the gut.

And, honestly, it served as a nice wake-up call.

I’m better than that.

You’re better than that too.

Let this be a lesson: You’re always being watched.

Always.

nd3000@123rf.comCategoriescoaching personal training Program Design

How to Age-Proof Your Program Design Without Watering It Down

How to Age-Proof Your Program Design Without Watering It down

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a guest post on this site and I figured it was long overdue.

Today’s post comes courtesy of Austin, TX based trainer and gym owner, Nathan Stowe. Nathan is a long-time friend and colleague of mine who has owned and operated his own jam – HERE – for a number of years. He’s worked predominantly with “older” populations for most of his career and knows a thing or two about how to train and write programs for them without treating them as if they’re going to break their hip just by looking at a barbell.

Age Ain’t Nuthin But a Number

I’ve been working with people over 50 on increasing their longevity for over 16 years—way before it was cool. In fact, Pat Rigsby once told me I might have the strongest solo training business in the country for this demographic…

And when I think about how it all started, it still makes me laugh.

I was only a month into my first personal training job, killing it on the sales floor thanks to my background—then I tore my ACL playing a game of “21” with a buddy. I walked home on it. My friend, ever helpful, said, “Well… maybe I should’ve gone to get the car.”

Silver lining? The injury gave me time to get my NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist cert. I figured I’d pair the education with the experience and become the go-to for banged-up clients.

Plus, the gym paid more per session if you had more certifications—so win-win.

When I came back, I was the “knee guy.”

And in a runner-heavy city like Austin, that meant I got a lot of reps with real clients. I found out fast what worked in the real world… and what was just textbook theory.

One day, my manager asked if I’d work with a client who had a back issue. I said, “Matt, I hurt my knee. I don’t know anything about the back.”

He said, “I know. But I trust you the most to figure it out.”

That line changed my career.

I found a guy online named Eric Cressey—maybe you’ve heard of him?

Note from TG: Never heard of the guy…🙃

I devoured everything he put out and got great results with that client. So Matt gave me a shoulder client next. I told him, “Now that’s even farther from knees.”

Same answer: “I trust you the most to figure it out.”

So I did.

Eric led me to Tony (oh, hello!), Dean Somerset, Mike Robertson, Mike Reinold, Bret Contreras… the Mount Rushmore of evidence-based training for adults who don’t want to live in the PT clinic.

The deeper I dove, the more I realized this was it. I didn’t want to be the guy coaching from 5am–10pm every day. I wanted to be the specialist—the “jacked-up but not giving up” coach. Turns out, that meant working with a lot of adults who were free on Tuesdays at 10am and had real stuff to work around—past injuries, surgeries, chronic pain, or fear from all of the above.

And when you work with enough people like that, you start to notice patterns…

Here are five timeless training techniques I use with every client over 50 to make progress without breakdown—whether they want to deadlift their bodyweight in their 70s or keep jumping in their 70s with Parkinson’s (true story).

1. Use Volume Instead of Intensity As Overload

You’d be shocked how many people stall out (or get hurt) jumping from a 15 lb dumbbell to a 20 lb one. But anyone can go from 1 set to 2 to 3.

Or from 8 reps to 10.

We build strength by layering volume—quietly and safely.

2. Use Range of Motion for Overload

Most people in their 60s are tighter than a snare drum.

Rather than chase perfect form out of the gate, I let ROM be the progression.

Start RDLs mid-thigh → then to the knee → then below the knee → then finally to the floor. Same thing with step-ups or split squats—stack 2 inches of range per month, and in a year they’re moving like they’re 20 years younger.

3. Use Tempo for Overload

You noticing the theme here?

More time under tension = more adaptation without jacking up the weight. We’ll add longer pauses. Slower eccentrics. Controlled transitions.

It builds control, resilience, and confidence—especially in people who feel fragile.

4. Glutes and Abs First. Everything Else Later 

We go all-in on glutes and core for six months.

Why?

Because most of my clients come in with knees that feel like cement and glutes that forgot how to contract sometime around 2007.

My go-to progression:

 Barbell Glute Bridge → Cable Pullthrough → RDL → Rack Pull → Trap Bar Block Pull → Floor Pull → THEN Squats.

All the while? We pair every movement with isometric ab work to control that pelvis and build true trunk control.

5. Push With the Body, Not Against It

Pushups. Landmines. Bands.

Anything that lets the shoulder blades move and the body find its own rhythm.

Once they can do a picture-perfect pushup? Then we talk dumbbells and barbells. I used to have shoulder flare-ups with half my clients by week 12.

Now?

I can’t remember the last time it happened.

These are just five of the tools I use daily. There are at least a dozen more I could list—and if you’re curious, I talk about all of them on my blog at StoweTraining.com.

About the Author

My name is Nathan “Nate” Stowe, and when I’m not being Ella’s dad or Laura’s husband, I dabble in personal training—helping people in Austin, Texas live longer and get stronger. I write daily, so if you liked this, you can find more at StoweTraining.com.

 

serezniy@123rf.comCategoriescoaching Program Design

Introducing the Beginner to Badass Program

I am happy to announce I have partnered with the popular training app TrainHeroic to offer a new program to the masses titled Beginner to Badass. 

To no one’s surprise (I hope given the title), the objective of this program is to serve as an introduction to strength training for those who have limited experience doing so. I.e., this program is not intended for the likes of Eddie Hall, Olivia Reeves, or, I don’t know jacked lumberjacks.

No, the ideal candidate for this program is someone who wants to learn to lift weights safely in a realistic manner – no IG influencer vibes here – and in a way that will inspire them to become more consistent, and as a result, competent in strength training.

What this Program Features

    • Structure: 12 weeks of programming done 3x per week to keep you safe and to help you develop the CONSISTENCY you need to be successful. Master the basics of strength training!

    • HD Video Guidance: I have recorded video demoes for every exercise so that you don’t have to play guessing games. Follow the video, check your form, lift heavy things
    •  My Pecs: (👈 did I mention videos are in HD?) Videos are filmed in HD.

    • Expert Instruction: Each video comes with KEY COACHING CUES that are simple and to the point. I’ve been coaching people for over 20 years so you won’t be inundated with complicated concepts that require a phD in word vomit to interpret.

    • The TrainHeroic Platform: You will get seamless access to the program that you can take with you anywhere on your phone. No more PDFs or notebooks. Let the app be your guide to track your progress and stats.

If you’re a beginner and feel intimidated by the weight-room, or have no clue where to start, this program is designed for you. I’ll be there (in the palm of your hand) guiding you the entire time using exercises and principles I use with my in-person clients everyday.

In the same light, if you happen to have a family member, friend, colleague, or significant other who is looking to get started with a strength training program this would be an excellent choice because, you know, I am totally not biased…😉

 This program will be on sale for $29 ($10 OFF the regular price) from today until July 18th. 
 

Ready to get started? Go HERE. 

 

 

splitov27@123rf.comCategoriescoaching Conditioning Program Design

The Bloop, Bloop, Bloop Workout

Anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s is likely very familiar with the video game Super Mario Bros. I had my introduction to the game the morning of December 25, 1987 after spending half an hour going mental once I realized Santa had dropped off a Nintendo Entertainment System underneath our Christmas tree.

Back in those days each system came with a few “complimentary” games: Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt. The latter of which was included if you also had the system that came with the Zapper Gun.

Mine did.9

Anyways, Super Mario Bros has since had, I don’t know, 47 different iterations and has become a recognizable icon in our cultural fabric. As it happens my wife and I have a funny thing we do that’s a subtle reference to the game whenever we’re around each other and need a little “pick-me-up.” As an example she may hit up her Nespresso machine for a quick caffeine fix and I may inject an energy drink directly into my left ventricle.

What follows is often a sarcastic “bloop, bloop, BLOOP” sound that one of the two of us will make. You know, the same sound little Mario makes when he comes in contact with a Super Mushroom and becomes Super Mario.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.10

Really, though, anything that provides a bit of a boost or “power up” can be substituted here. A large glass of water, a power nap, a zombie Apocalypse, anything.

Even your workout.

Your workouts don’t always have to be a grind or always make you collapse in a pool of your own sweat. There’s a time and place for that of course. Like I always say, lifting weights or training isn’t supposed to tickle. However I find far too many people fall into the trap where they’re more concerned with constantly killing themselves in the gym – be it because they feel that’s the only way to make progress, or worse, to win some sort of popularity contest on social media – rather than make a concerted effort to get better, see results, and/or work towards a legitimate goal.

Training with purpose or with a goal in mind is never a bad approach. That being said, every training session doesn’t have to be life or death. I think it was Paul Carter who came up with the idea of 80% workouts.

  • 10% of the time you will feel like garbage. These workouts are the worst. It happens. It’s likely you’ll need a change of plan.
  • 10% of the time you will feel amazing. You walk into the gym and feel like you could beat Jason Bourne in a fist fight.
  • 80% of the time you’re just, you know, there. Nothing spectacular.

It’s those 80% “meh” workouts that matter most. You get in, do the work, don’t miss any reps, and move on with your life. Instagram doesn’t even have to know about it. It’s unsexy and boring, but it’s that consistent attack on being consistent that we should all strive for.

I don’t want to leave you hanging. What do you do when you walk into the gym, have an epic session planned, but one of those 10% days happen where you feel like a bag of dicks? On one hand you could just reverse trek, hop back into your Camaro, go home and crush a steak. On the other, you could still workout…but in a way that will enhance recovery and help you feel like a million bucks.

The Bloop, Bloop, Bloop Workout

The following are some Super Mushroom options to help turn you turn Little Mario into Big Mario.

Option 1: Glutes/Core/Bodyweight

I see Bret Contreras use the option often and it makes a lot of sense. Your glutes and core musculature tend to be harder to fatigue and can generally handle a little more volume without it affecting your subsequent training sessions.

Plus most people could use some additional work in those areas anyways.

Here’s a favorite circuit I like to use myself (and with my clients):

A1. Band Resisted Hip Thrust x 15 or Frog Pumps x Infinity (<— 25-50+ reps)

A2. TRX Row x 10-15

A3. Bodyweight Squats x 15-20

A4. Yoga Push-Up Complex x 5/side

 

A5. Birrdogs w/ Band RNT – x10/side

 

A6. Half Kneeling Hip Hinge Matrix – x3-5/each/side

 

The idea is to perform in circuit fashion with 60s rest at the end. I like to shoot for a total of five rounds. Total work time = roughly 10-15 minutes.

Option 2: I’m an Athlete Tony, Treat Me Like One Dammit!

Alternatively we can implement what’s referred to as a Neural Charge Workout.

What’s a neural charge you ask?  It’s simply a way to train the CNS in an efficient and non-ball busting way (<=== how’s that for science?).

Implementing more of this type of training is a great way to not only help with recovery, but also to improve inter and intramuscular coordination, increase recruitment of high-threshold motor units, increase rate coding, and lets be honest: it’s just plain fun.

As well, I’d even argue it’s a great way to decrease joint stress (as your utilizing (mostly) concentric based movements), not to mention there’s an obvious metabolic component as well. And it gets people more athletic.

Nevertheless the basic premise is this: Pick 5-6 exercises or drills and perform them as explosively as possible in circuit fashion. I should also note that it’s important to allow full recovery between each exercise. So when I say circuit fashion it’s not like you’re going to rush through it. And you’re not going to perform many total reps. I’d say 3-5 max.

A1. Band Resisted Broad Jumps – x3-5

 

A2. Med Ball Floor Stomps – x3-5

 

A3. Sprinter Step-Up – x3-5/leg

 

A4. Explosive Push-Up to Box – x3-5

 

Height of the boxes (or steppers) will vary here depending on ability.

A5. HAS (Heavy As Shit) KB Swing – x3-5 (you know, heavy)

 

This is where I may swing the beast around like a boss.

What’s listed above are just options. You can substitute anything you’d like in their place: box jumps, Heidens, 10 yd starts, pressing variations vs. chains, or whatever.

The important thing to consider is alternating between upper and lower body exercises, and if you’re going to include things like med ball work, core specific work, OLY lift variations, sled work, and the like, you need to put some thought into the order.

From there, as noted above, you’re gong to cycle through the exercises (making sure to recover between each) for a specific number of rounds or for a specific amount of time. Six rounds takes me around 12-15 minutes which is just about right in my book.

Remember: the idea here isn’t to hate life and train until you shit a liver. If anything after this type of session you should feel refreshed and ready to take on the world. This is what I mean by Bloop, Bloop, Bloop. You should feel energized and good after this session.

There’s a bit of autonomy and personal preference with regards to exercise selection, but I’d caution against going overboard. Stick to “easy” stuff for no more than 3-5 repetitions. Try to shoot for no more than 15 minutes of work and GO HOME.

Seriously, go home.