CategoriesMotivational rant

How to Prevent Burning Out as a Fitness Professional

I wanted to use a blog title that fit my personality more.

Like:

“Life as a Fitness Professional: See Brick Wall. Throw Face Into It. Repeat.”

But, you know, SEO and all.

Being a Personal Trainer/Coach Isn’t All Kitten Kisses and Rainbows

Forgive the nebulous tone out of the gate.

Let me be clear: I love what I do, and I wouldn’t have chosen to do it for the past 20 or so years if I didn’t gain some semblance of enjoyment from it.

[Although, truth be told, if Hollywood came knocking at my door tomorrow asking me to be the next Jason Bourne I’d peace out faster than you can say undulated periodization.]

I’ve been very fortunate and lucky (with equal parts hard work and insatiable consistency) building a career that not only provides an immense amount of pride and gratitude, but also satisfaction and sustenance.

Now, we could make the argument that being a fitness professional is a pretty sweet gig.

I mean, you get paid to hang out in a gym all day and wear sweatpants. There’s also a low-barrier to entry, which can be good and bad.

Good in that it allows people to pursue their passion without dropping $40,000 per year on a degree. Bad in that, well, there’s a low-barrier to entry.

Anyone can become a personal trainer.

via GIPHY

Additionally, I could go on forever listing all the other benefits to being a fitness professional:

  • You help and inspire people on a daily basis.
  • Free gym membership.
  • You more or less set your own schedule.
  • You can eat out of a Pyrex container and no one will judge you.
  • Did I mention you get to wear sweatpants to work everyday?
  • You get to wear sweatpants to work everyday.

There is a dark side, however.

While the numbers can vary, and it’s more or less an arbitrary, ball-park figure: many fitness professionals – personal trainers in particular – have a “life span” of 1-3 years.

Feeding that statistic, the average personal trainer makes roughly $32,000 per year, working a split-shift 60 hour per week schedule1 often with minimal (if any) benefits.

  • Spotty health insurance
  • No 401k plan. It can happen, but it’s rare.
  • Limited (if any) paid vacation.
  • But hey, you get to wear sweatpants.

While by no means a dirt poor scenario, there’s a reason a very finite number of fitness professionals ever hit the magical six-figure mark.

The ones that do often either work in a big city or in a very affluent area where people can afford high(er) price points for their services. Running the math, a trainer could work a 20-hour week charging $100 per session and easily make six-figures in a year.

However, that’s not realistic for most.

Not many can charge $100 per hour ($40-$50 is more like it), and not many are taking 100% of the profit. I.e., for those working out of a commercial gym, it’s often standard they take 30-50% of the cut (depending on what kind of “tier system” implemented).2

Not only that, cost of living has to be taken into consideration. Sure, trainers living in a more urban area can charge more, but they’re also paying $2000 per month to live in a closet (and $16 for a burger).

Another thing to consider is this:

This is NOT a “Demand” Career

Being a fitness professional means you’re in the service industry. How many people in the service industry do you know who are making bank?

Not only that…it’s not a “demand” career.

There’s always going to be a demand for funeral home directors, electricians, doctors, and, unfortunately, used car sales(wo)men.

Personal trainers and strength coaches? Not so much.

When the economy is stagnant people have a tendency to chop off what’s expendable. If it’s a matter of putting food on the table or paying someone 2x per week to take them through a killer front squat Tabata circuit while balancing on two kettlebells, what do you think is going to win out?

So, what can be done to not burn out and set the odds in your favor?

First: read THIS. <—The holy grail isn’t necessarily owning your own gym.

1) Grind, Hustle, [Insert Motivational Word Here]

To be honest, I hate the connotation of “grinding” or “hustling.” Every time I see a Tweet or IG status of someone saying how they’re up early “grinding” or how much they’re” hustling,” I want to jump into a live volcano.

I get it, though.

You’re reading anything and everything Gary Vaynerchuk has in print or paper and you’re listening to all of his podcasts.

I did too, for about three days. And then I got over it. His message, while good, just comes across as a broken record to me.

I don’t want to be Gary Vee, and I don’t think Gary Vee wants you to be Gary Vee either.

He works….all……the…….time.

Even he will admit he’s an outlier when it comes to work ethic and loving the grind.

There IS a degree of grinding and hustling that’s inherently conjoined to the fitness industry.

We work when others don’t.

Too, it’s a very, very, VERY saturated market…and you better bet your ass you need to do something to separate yourself from the masses (and by extension, begin to build a brand).

Being epically good at what you do is step #1.

This doesn’t require Twitter followers or a status update. It requires hard work, consistency, maintaining integrity, along with empathy and gratitude.

“Building a “brand” isn’t a social media illusion. Things like integrity, empathy, & gratitude (along with being good at what you do) count.”

What many refer to as “grinding” is just, you know, going to work. Like everyone else.

However, there’s a difference between going to work and actually going to work and taking pride in it…and working towards something bigger and better.

Learn and respect that difference.

2) “Brand” Building

It’s 2021: You better recognize that “building a brand” isn’t anchored on this idea that you need to optimize website SEO or hire a photographer to take nice looking photographs of you eating a kale salad next to a Ferrari so you can post them on your social media.

Renowned coach and speaker, Brett Bartholomew, shared a powerful message recently:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Brett Bartholomew (@coach_brettb)

As Brett notes, SOCIAL SKILLS are what’s missing in this industry; not more certifications and licensures. Brand building (and by extension, success) isn’t so much about putting more letters next to your name or having a 3x bodyweight deadlift.

It’s about CONNECTION and having the social skills necessary to build healthy and long-lasting client relationships & rapport.

NOTE: Anyone interested in that topic should come to Boston this November to attend Dr. Lisa Lewis’s 2-day workshop: Inside the Coach’s Mind. (wink wink, nudge nudge).

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

Social media is certainly part of the equation, however.

“But wait, Tony, didn’t you just say that social networks are a waste of time?”

Nope, that’s not at all what I said.

I said “do the work.”

Coach. Interact. Get people results. Get good at what you do.

CURATE RELATIONSHIPS.

Social media should serve as a complement to your brand. Not BE the brand. Pete Dupuis wrote an awesome article a few years ago on what Cressey Sports Performance did to build their brand.

“Believe it or not, we were open for business for 293 days before our Cressey Sports Performance website went live.  In fact, we strung together more than 1,200 days of operation before realizing we needed to get CSP up on Twitter.”

Anecdotally, I’ll be the first to admit I lucked out in this regard.

I helped build CSP from scratch, and both Eric (Cressey) and Pete encouraged me to build my own brand within a brand. I served as an ambassador for the CSP name, but was also able to leverage that to help construct the brand of “Tony Gentilcore.”

Having Eric and Pete in my corner helped, a lot.

It also helped that I jumped on the website and social media bandwagon before it became a “thing.”

I wrote my first blog post in 2006. I now have over 200o+ posts on this site. And this is not counting the hundreds of articles I’ve written on top of that for other websites.

It wasn’t until 2009-2010 that I invested in myself and hired someone to make a customized website for me.

Quick shoutout to Copter Labs on that front.

Nevertheless, I wrote hundreds of blog posts on my site and interacted with a lot of my readership before I “graduated” to being paid to write for other sites. I often joke that my high school English teachers would shit a copy of “Catcher in the Rye” if they knew I was a paid writer.

Moreover, once I started gaining more traction with my writing I started being asked to present at conferences and started to also be invited to gyms across the world to put on workshops.

Being transparent, open to other ideas, amicable, a good listener, and generally not an asshole have all served me well in growing my “brand.”

All of this to say: I now have other streams of revenue to not only bolster my brand, but to also help augment my coaching. I don’t have to be on the floor 30-40 hours per week (as it stands now, I coach 15-20 hours per week). What’s more, if COVID-19 taught us anything in this industry, it’s that having more “diversity” with your revenue streams is imperative.

  • In-person coaching
  • Distance/online coaching
  • Writing
  • Presenting/workshops (virtual *& in-person)
  • Affiliate income
  • Digital products/resources
  • Mentorships
  • And, sure, sponsorships and “influencing” can be tossed on the list too.

NONE of this happened over-night. And, if I were to be 100% honest: It’s only now – year 19 into my career – where I feel like I’m starting to “get it.”

Not be a Debbie Downer and all, there’s A LOT of noise out there. More and more fitness pros are out there vying for everyone else’s attention and a piece of the social media pie, and it’s becoming more saturated by the day.

It’s becoming harder and harder to make a name for yourself (if that’s what you choose to do).

However, it’s not an insurmountable feat to rise above the chaos.

The key, though: amazing, unparalleled, consistent content.

And not being an unapproachable tool canoe.

That helps too.

Categoriescoaching Motivational Nutrition

Carrots and Celery and Priming People to Kick-Ass

Do you recall a few years ago when (then) NYC Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, initiated a proposed ban on the sale of large-sized sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas, sweetened teas and coffees, as well as energy and “fruit” drinks?

The Big Gulp Experiment

The idea was that by prohibiting restaurants, delis, sports arenas, movie theaters, and food carts from selling sugary beverages larger than 16 oz – with a hefty fine of $200 for failing to downsize – people would be less inclined to drink copious amounts of said beverages.

What’s more, they’d be healthier, happier, smile, and say “good morning” as they passed one another on the street3

It worked, right?

People stopped drinking those ginormous ‘Big Gulps’ and instead starting crushing almond milk kale smoothies laced with organic acai berries harvested from a unicorn’s rectum (<– I’ve been told they’re super delish).

Um, no…it didn’t work.

First: We’re talking about NYC here folks. A lovely city by most counts, full of diversity, sports, art, music, fashion, food, and an obsession with hip-hop loving dead Presidents.

Second: People in general, whether we’re referring to NYC or not, hate being told what they can and cannot do.

When this happens, we revolt.

Just look at teenagers. We tell them not to drink alcohol and not to have sex and we usually end up with more costly and less than ideal consequences.

In much the same way, the soda experiment didn’t work.

Consumption of sugary beverages DOUBLED!

Why?

It’s a topic I first heard a handful of years ago from Dr. Gnel Gabrielyan of Cornell University’s PHENOMENAL Food & Brand Lab.

In short, he brought up a litany of valid points with regards to our food biases and how (ir)rational we tend to be when it comes to the decisions we make.

Let’s just say the food industry is sneaky and shady as f*** when it comes to marketing their products. Portion distortion and how that interplays with recommended serving sizes comes to mind here.

Likewise, ever notice how many sugary cereals have their characters looking down?

Do you know why?

It’s to target the kids looking UP at the shelves. They feel the character on the box is looking at them.

“Tell your mom to buy me little Johnny. No, beg her. Fall to the ground and scream and flail your legs until she submits. Do it. DOOOOOOOOO It.”

I mean, talk about brilliant marketing.

However, one point I remember Dr. Gabrielyan highlighting – which I felt helped explained the phenomena of what happened during the soda experiment above (and why it failed so miserably) – is the concept of REACTANCE.

“Reactance is a motivational reaction to offers, persons, rules, or regulations that threaten or eliminate specific behavioral freedoms. Reactance occurs when a person feels that someone or something is taking away his or her choices or limiting the range of alternatives.”

Basically, you tell someone that they can’t do “x” or that they have to do “y,” and they’re going to get a little irritated.

Possibly punch you in the face. Who knows.

Framing

Another point Dr. Gabrielyan touched on was the idea of framing.

“The framing effect is an example of cognitive bias, in which people react to a particular choice in different ways depending on how it is presented; e.g. as a loss or as a gain.”

A quintessential example of framing would be the North Dakota Wine Experiment.

  • 117 Diners; Pre-fix meal of $21.
  • All diners given the SAME wine, but with two labels. One marked “Wine from California” and one marked “Wine from North Dakota.”
  • Post Meal Measures: People rate “California Wine” as tasting better than “North Dakota” wine and believe that the food served with the California wine tastes better too.
How we “frame” a product or service can absolutely effect its perception by the consumer.

Priming

Another Jedi mind-trick to consider when attempting to change people’s perceptions or behaviors is the concept of priming.

“Priming is an implicit memory effect in which exposure to one stimulus (i.e., perceptual pattern) influences the response to another stimulus.”

While a bit sensationalistic, here’s a good example from the Will Smith movie, Focus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwS68ixemAQ

 

Another great example of priming people is a well-known grocery store study whereupon the premise was this: Can exposure to healthy samples lead to healthier shopping?

  • 118 participants at a large grocery store.
  • Conditions: Apple sample, cookie sample, no sample.
  • Amount spent on fruits and vegetables then recorded.
  • No surprise: people receiving an apple sample spent more money on fruits and vegetables.

Note to self: Figure out ways to “prime” my wife into buying me an Xbox for Xmas this year.

Even cooler (and bringing this whole conversation full circle), another well-known and relevant study to bring to light is one where participants were given a carrot prior to sitting down to eat at a restaurant to see if it would increase the likelihood of them making “healthier” good choices.

It didn’t go quite as planned, because, as we learned above, people don’t like being told what to do, and more to the point, people like CHOICES.

Not many people accepted the carrot(s).

The next layer to the study was to then offer participants a choice of either a carrot or celery.

Ding, ding, ding…..success.

More participants grabbed a vegetable prior to sitting down to dinner and subsequently were “primed” to ingest more vegetables at dinner.

How Can We Frame & Prime Our Clients?

As personal trainers and coaches, anything we can do to set our clients up for a higher rate of success and enjoyment in their training, the better.

Some Suggestions

1) Allow your clients to choose their main lift of the day. Squats or deadlifts?

2) Allow them to choose the variation of the lift: Back Squat vs. Front Squat? Sumo Deadlift vs. Trap Bar Deadlift?

3) Allow them to choose their mode of exercise: Barbells only? Kettlebells?  Maybe they dig Landmine exercises?

4) I often like to give my clients a window at the end of their training session to do whatever they heck they want. If they want to thrash their biceps, go for it. Add in some additional glute work? Go! Push the Prowler around (you psycho), have at it. Turkish get-ups dressed as He-Man? Whatever floats your boat, dude.

4) Here’s a cool trick I did with one of my female clients this week to “prime” her into lifting more weight. After a “top set” of deadlifts I was like “that looked awesome. Easy! Wanna maybe add 5-10 lbs and up the ante on your next set?” 

I gave her the choice to stay put or go heavier. Either way it was a win, but she chose correctly…and added weight.

[Cue evil strength coach laugh here]

Giving your clients a sense of autonomy and control over their own training is a powerful tool in their long-term success.

Don’t get me wrong, you should still be the boss. They’ve entrusted you to coach them and write programming that best fits their needs and goals.

However, it’s never a bad thing to give them a little of what THEY want.

Even better: Provide them a sense of choice.

Categoriescoaching Motivational psychology

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

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

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

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

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

If so, read on…

Copyright: etiamos

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

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

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

Times were sucky.

Needlessly adhering to silly, arbitrary rules hurt me.

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

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

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

Bad session (miss our numbers) =

via GIPHY

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

No!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

“Should” Rules That Aren’t Actually Rules

I should….

1. Lift More Weight Every Week

Macho bullshit.

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

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

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

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

2. Lift More in Competition Than in the Gym

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

3. I Shouldn’t Get Injured

You’re not Wolverine.

Injuries are part of this journey.

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

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

4. Deadlift More Than I Squat

Not necessarily.

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

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

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

5. Front Squat

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

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

What does this mean?

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

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

6. Low Bar Squat

“LOW BAR SQUAT OR NOTHING!”

-Low bar squat extremist.

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

Find a squat variation you DO get on with.

7. Sumo Deadlift

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

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

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

8. Max Out EVERY SESSION

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

This is macho bullshit hampering your training.

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

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

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

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

9. Take Pre-Workout Before Every Session

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

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

via GIPHY

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

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

10. Be Able to Train Hard All the Time

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

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

Some sessions will be awful.

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

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

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

11. Train “x” Amount of Times Per Week

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

  • 6 times a week?
  • 5 times?

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

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

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

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

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

12. Train Through Injury or Illness

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

This is a good thing.

About the Author

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

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

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

Website: HERE                 Instagram: HERE

Categoriescoaching Female Training Motivational

Showcasing Strong

What is strong?

That’s a good question, and one I feel I don’t have a concise way of answering.

I mean, some questions are a cinch to answer:

Q: What would be your weapon of choice during the zombie apocalypse?
A: Easy. Samurai sword.

Q: If you could pick one career to have what would it be?
A: Professional Jason Bourne. Boom.4

Q: Who’s the best Care Bear?
A: Birthday Bear. Come on.

But to definitively answer the question…”what is strong?”

Well, that’s a bit more abstract.

For some, strong is looking a certain way, and for others it’s about how much weight you can lift on a certain exercise.  And maybe, to some faction out there, strong is about how many tacos you can eat in one sitting.

While I certainly have my biased take given I’m a strength & conditioning coach, I think in the grand scope of it all…

…strong is a sentiment.

Copyright: alicephoto / 123RF Stock Photo

Showcasing Strong

Recently, actress Rosamund Pike (of Gone Girl fame) shared a video on her Instagram feed from when she and I worked together while she was in Boston – in the before times – filming her latest movie.

The video shows her hitting a personal best 100 lb. deadlift for multiple reps (and making it look easy).

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rosamund Pike (@mspike)

For starters, I guess this is as appropriate a time as any to lean into it and announce the obvious:

I am now officially a celebrity trainer.

KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!!!!!!!!

via GIPHY

Kidding!

(But seriously, kneel).

Secondly, I can’t take full credit for Rosamund’s technique and overall badassery in the video above.

She had plenty of experience beforehand working with other trainers, and to her credit was no rookie in the weight room.5

Nevertheless, I was elated that she took it upon herself to share that video with her fans and followers if for no other reason that it showcases to women that they CAN lift appreciable weight and that they won’t turn into Conan the Barbarian after one set.

I have long been a champion of encouraging women to strength train and to help them recognize the myriad of benefits it can provide:

  • Improved strength – obviously – and to be better prepared for life’s curve balls.
  • Improved performance.
  • Improved body composition.
  • Improved bone density.
  • Improved confidence and body image.
  • Improved mental health & stress relief
  • Telling societal norms to f**k off.

Unfortunately, much of the mainstream media muddies this message.

Instead we’re inundated with images of women lifting dainty weights.

Take for example this image, which, I kid you not, was one of the top suggestions while doing a search for “strong” within the stock photo service I subscribe to:

Copyright: treewat0071 / 123RF Stock Photo

Many women (not all of course) are programmed, if not indoctrinated, into thinking that that is strength training and that anything involving a barbell (or a modicum of effort) is, well, let’s be honest…

…for men.

And it’s bullshit.

Granted, at the end of the day whether or not an individual does this exercise or that, and more to the point: if they’re performing it with appreciable weight, depends on their injury history, ability level, and more importantly, their goals(s)

However, speaking for myself, the last thing directing my thought process or programming is whether or not someone has Y chromosome.

Which is why I dig (profusely) the message Rosamund conveyed in her video above:

“Marla Grayson (NOTE: that’s the character she plays in her upcoming movie) is a lioness. And lionesses need to be strong. Tony celebrates the strength of everyone he trains, and pushed me to find more than I knew I had. Thanks Tony.”

Again, strong is a sentiment with many iterations and roots of inspiration.

It’s not necessarily about a number.

But it certainly doesn’t hurt…;o)

CategoriesMotivational Program Design

A Foolproof Plan For Starting an Exercise Program

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of TG.com regular contributor, Shane McLean and touches on a topic that may resonate with many reading…

…Top 10 keto recipes that don’t taste like sawdust.

LOL – just kidding.

How to finally conquer that hurdle of starting an exercise program.

It’s not quite as daunting as you think it may be…;o)

SIDE NOTE: Be sure to check out Shane’s latest resource, his six-week ‘Back in the Saddle‘ program; perfect for beginners or anyone who’s stuck in a rut and needs some direction.

Copyright: andreypopov / 123RF Stock Photo

A Foolproof Plan For Starting an Exercise Program

No one wants to look like a fool, especially when you’re starting an exercise program with the will and determination to finally get in shape.

You want to know what you’re doing or at least fake it until you make it. And If you’re NOT confident, you’re less likely to start and finish. Then you’ll (maybe) chalk it up to another failure which you’ll add to your ever-increasing list.

Am I the only one who keeps track?

How Do I Know This?

Because I tried and failed several times when I started exercising and now I’ve been a trainer for 13 years and have seen people start, stop, and fail with the greatest of intentions.

I’ve trained clients who have made great progress to only then see them fall off the wagon when their accountability disappears, or life gets in the way.

Plus, I’ve watched the gym flood with new year’s resolution goers who are eager to put all their failures behind them to finally lose the flab.

But slowly and surely, they drop by the wayside when their motivation wave crashes.

Your health and fitness requires time and an emotional commitment, not a six-week shred. Instead of crashing and burning in your fitness quest, use my advice below to avoid adding another failure to the list.

1. Starting Easy

There’s a plethora of health and fitness info on the worldwide web. Enough to have your brain spinning around and around. You should try to avoid this analysis by paralysis by

  • Just starting
  • Picking something doable

If you don’t understand the article or program with the big fancy words then move on to something else. Because when you’re starting something, complicated things don’t work because this leads to confusion. Then this confusion may lead to throwing in the towel.

You know what does work? Starting easy.

2. Start With The Basics

There are fundamental human movements which were installed in your brain before you were born.  These are squats, pushing, pulling, locomotion (walking, running, carrying), hip hinging and groundwork (rocking, rolling, crawling and everything else).

Don’t believe me? Ever seen a baby drop into a deep squat without a coach yelling in their ear?

And when you’re starting out, these need to be your focus and not walking on a treadmill or watching yourself do curls.

Although there is nothing wrong with either because something beats nothing every time, training the fundamentals will reestablish neglected movement patterns and get you where you want to go faster.

3. Don’t Program Hop

And once you’ve chosen a program, it’s natural to think the grass is greener on the other side. After all, you’re saturated with new exercise fads and their results look incredible. Besides, your program sucks and you’re not making any progress anyway.

However, change is not always a bad thing.

Change may be needed if you’re plateauing or when your routine (or you) is stale. But too much change doesn’t give your body a chance to adapt to your current program because not everything happens right away.

There is plenty of room in the middle of these two extremes.

My general rule of thumb is finishing the program first and then evaluating whether it worked or not. For example, loss of body fat, smaller waist, or bigger muscles. If you have not seen any positive changes after 6 weeks, then it’s okay to try something new.

4. Schedule Your Training Time

During the COVID-19 pandemic a lot of us have more time on their hands than usual. And finding time to exercise is not a problem but it’s not always going to be this way.

Regardless of how much time you have scheduled, treat your exercise like you would any important appointment. Setting aside time for training will help get you in the right mindset and not another thing you can blow off on your to-do-list.

For example, I train Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the same time and is scheduled in my Google Calendar which reminds me 30 minutes before go time. It’s now a habit I follow through on even when ‘I don’t feel like it.’

Which leads me to my next point.

5. Showing Up And Being Consistent

Nothing gets done without being present, so ‘show up’ even when you don’t feel like it. 99 % of anything you do (based on scientific fact 😊) needs you showing up and being present.

Without it, it’s pointless.

It doesn’t matter if you exercise 2, 3 or 4 days a week, pick a day, schedule a time, show up and get it done. Then do this over and over for the foreseeable future. Yes, life is going to get in the way and when exercise is the furthest thing from your mind.

However, finding a way to stay active, even when the odds are stacked against you does wonders for your health and sanity. Being consistent is not about being perfect, it’s about showing up.

Wrapping Up

These five suggestions will hold you in good standing when starting and continuing any exercise program. Because exercise isn’t just for a six-week burst to lose the fab, it’s for life and your health.

If you’re looking for an exercise program to start after a layoff or if you’ve never resistance trained before, I have a 6-week program called ‘Get Back In the Saddle’ that will give you a fantastic exercise foundation to build on.

It can be purchased HERE.

CategoriesMotivational personal training Program Design

The Art of Distraction

You ever head to the gym, get there, and then all you want to do is leave?

No matter how hard you try you just can’t muster the mojo to get going and preserver through a training session.

I had one of those days yesterday, actually.

I stayed and swallowed a somewhat decent session down, but I definitely veered off my program and just opted to perform some random exercises that filled my training love tank that day.6

In today’s guest post by TG.com regular, Shane McLean, he shares some ideas you can implement when you just need a slight change of pace on any given day.

Enjoy!

Copyright: undrey / 123RF Stock Photo

The Art of Distraction

Years ago, my son was getting a cavity filled. Let’s face it, nobody likes going to the dentist and getting those big needles stuck into your mouth.

It sucks.

My son’s first shot didn’t take, and needed a second one to numb the pain.

Then the water works started. Who can blame him? Those needles are scary.

The dental nurse had no bedside manner plus no clue on how to turn the water works off, so I had to think fast.

“Hey, do you realize your bottom lip is so fat the astronauts in space can see it,” I said.

“What are you talking about, Dad? It’s not fat!”

“Feel it. It’s huge,” I said. He smiled, touched his lip and the crying stopped. Problem solved.

You’re thinking, “What the heck has this got to do with exercise?”

Let me explain.

Sometimes you are sore, tired, or uninspired and the last thing you want to do is knock out sets of deadlifts, squats, and overhead presses. The trick (when feeling meh) is to exercise without realizing it.

Hence, the art of distraction training.

I find the best way to achieve distraction is through game play, plus a little friendly competition because you can have fun while exercising, even if you have goals.

Plug the following drills into your warmup or as a substitute for any exercise you have planned. You’ll be sweating and smiling in no time.

NOTE: These ‘games’ work well in a personal training and group exercise setting too.

1. Balloon Tennis (Not Just a Kid’s Game)

This is a great substitute for planks, pushups, or shoulder work, and it’s simple and easy to play.

Set Up – For your “net” you need three step up risers on either side, a body bar, space, plus a blown-up balloon.

Rules – Imagine a straight line down from the edge of your risers. That is your boundary.

Now you and your partner assume a pushup position with feet wider than hip width apart and set up within arms distance from the net.

“Serve” the balloon over the net and bat it back and forth over the net until

  1. The balloon lands out
  2. The balloon touches the ground
  3. You or your opponent lose the plank position

All the above results in a point.

First to 5 points wins.  You’ll be surprised at how much this drives up your heart rate.

2. Reaction Ball Squash

This is a great drill to get you moving in all directions quickly while improving your hand to eye coordination.  Play this on the squash or racquetball court. Think of it as squash without a racquet.

Set Up – The server serves from inside the service box while the receiver stands anywhere within his or her service half.

Rules – Once the ball has been thrown against the far wall and bounces once, it is fair game. If the ball is dropped, missed, or has bounced twice this results in:

  1. If the server wins, he wins the point and the right to serve again.
  2. If the receiver catches the ball, he wins the right to serve.
  3. Only the server wins a point.

The first person to 10 points wins.

3. Core War

 

This is a fantastic drill that I “stole” from PTA Global. Core war works on the anterior, posterior, and lateral core while challenging balance.  This drill will improve hand-to-eye coordination and quickness.

Set up– Face each other with 1-2-foot distance between each other. Place your hands to shoulder height, elbow bent and palms facing towards your opponent.

Rules– Each person is trying to slap the others hand while avoiding being slapped. You can do this for time for warm up purposes PLUS each partner can keep score. First to 5, 10 or 15 slaps wins.

To make things interesting, the winner can decide a “punishment” for the loser.

4. Stability Ball Wrestle

I know some fitness professionals debate the use of stability balls and Bosu balls in a gym environment. Even some have taken their anger to extreme levels.

Note From TG: It was a dark time in my life.

However, I see them as another tool in the toolbox.

Stability ball wrestle can be used in place of single leg or balance exercises. You’ll be too busy trying to knock each other off balance you’ll never realize (and workout partner) you are training your ankle stability, mobility, and balance.

 

Set Up – Standing in front of the stability ball put your right foot on top of the ball making sure your right knee is bent 90 degrees. Your partner who is directly across from you on the other side puts their left foot on the same ball, right beside your foot. Your other foot is flat on the ground, This is your stabilizing leg.

Rules – You are both trying to knock your opponent’s foot off the stability ball by rolling the ball aggressively with the foot on the ball. There is no kicking, just pushing the ball any way possible to knock your opponent’s foot off the ball.  Person whose foot stays on the ball wins the point.

This can be done as a timed warmup, for 30 seconds on each foot.  Or turn this into a friendly competition. Every time some loses his balance it results in a point for the opponent.

First to 5 or 10 points wins.

5. The Boxer

Use this in place of any chest or shoulder exercise. This drill will work on power, muscular endurance, and hand-to-eye coordination. Think of it as a fun band chest press.

Set Up – Use a resistance band with handles looped around a solid anchor point and bring hands to shoulder level with the resistance band under and not over your arms.  Your partner puts his or her hands up, open palms facing forward and away from their face.

Rules – You hit the open palm (with a clenched fist), one hand at a time.  Your partner can change his hand position up, down, or left and right to increase the challenge.

You can do this for time and record the amount of hits or use it as an upper body finisher, using a timed interval of your choice.

Wrapping Up

These five games can be integrated into any training session to turn the tedious part of your workout into something fun that can help improve your performance too. Let’s put some fun back into exercise.

About The Author

Shane “Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.

CategoriesMotivational Program Design

Top 4 Mistakes Beginners Make When Starting a Fitness Program. And How to Fix Them

I’m stuck in the midst of an avalanche of entrepreneurial shenanigans this week, so apologies for the lack of content on my end.

I do, however, have a first-class guest post from TG.com regular contributor, Shane McLean today discussing some common mistakes many beginners make in pursuing their health/fitness goals. But unlike a lot of articles with the same theme that go on and on and (and on) about what people do wrong, he actually provides some simple strategies to address things.

Enjoy!

NOTE: Be sure to check below for a special (and FREE) 4-week program offer from Shane.

Copyright: ramain / 123RF Stock Photo

4 Mistakes Beginners Make When Starting a Fitness Program (and How to Fix Them)

Starting something is easy.

This is evidenced by the crowds that pour into every gym after January 1st.And how many of these people are still in the gym after February 1st?

Probably not a lot.

They realize that a year’s worth of debauchery is not undone in four weeks, no matter what Dr. Oz says.

No cleanse, no magic exercise, no magic pill or diet will undo all that unhealthy living.

Like anything worth doing, it takes time and patience.

If this sounds anything like you (or a friend) here are some other mistakes (besides impatience and listening to Dr Oz.) you need to watch out for when starting out your fitness quest.

And if you recognize them and made them before, here’s what to do about it so you don’t do it again. Because learning from your mistakes is a good thing.

And learning about a potential mistake (before you make it) is even better.

1. Changing Too Many Habits at Once

When you’re first starting, your gun-ho to get this show on the road.

You want to hit the gym four, no, five days a week.

You throw away your junk food and buy all the fruits and vegetables.

And you vow to drink more water and less soda. However, the more you try to change, the less those changes stick according to Leo Babauta, the author of ‘The Power of Less.’

He states:

“In order to create a sustainable habit, you need to address one habit at a time.”

His research tells us that you will have an 85% success rate adopting one new habit at a time. Trying to change two habits at once the success rate to 33%.

That’s a huge drop off.

Trying to change more than one habit at a time is more likely to lead to failure than success.

What to do instead

  1. Start small– Most people want to create big change as quickly as possible. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight start with drinking a glass of water before each meal

 

  1. Get hooked on your habit- That’s the point. It takes a little while to make it a habit to stick. Don’t worry if you miss a day. Just don’t miss twice. The only way to fail is to quit.

2. You Think Rome Was Built in a Day

Following from above, because you’re making all these changes at once you (may) expect instant success. You feel the weight should fly off and the scale and mirror become your best friends.

Hold your horses.

Usually, it takes 4-6 weeks to see any visible changes in your body. During this time your nervous system, ligaments and tendons are getting used to the exercise you’re throwing at them.

They’re all busy making new connections and getting stronger.  Once this period is over, you’ll start seeing some changes when you flex in the mirror. The trick here is to stick it out and be patient.

Because it doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

 

What to do instead

Realize it took you awhile to get here and it’s going to take some time to turn this ship around.

You need to celebrate the small wins along the way. Even if you walked for an extra 10 minutes or did an extra rep of an exercise, give yourself a pat on the back. This helps keep you going.

3. Making Vanity Your Only Reason

Self-improvement for whatever reason is a worthy pursuit.

The trick here is to keep it going and to find your why outside of vanity.

For example, training for a 5 k or bending over to pick up your kids without pain.

Because when vanity is your only reason and if your results dry to a trickle, it’s easier to give up and listen to your thoughts that are saying this exercise thing isn’t for you.

That’s why it’s important to find your WHY.

Because when you have a deeper reason for your health outside of vanity, you’re more likely to keep going.

What to do instead

Spend some time in self-reflection and ask yourself the 5 whys.

Here’s an example.

Why do you want to exercise? To lose weight.

Why do you want to lose weight?  Because I don’t like the way I look.

Why don’t you like the way you look? Because I’m 35 pounds overweight.

Why is losing 35 pounds important to you? Because I’m pre diabetic, have low energy and I can’t keep up with my kids anymore.

Why is keeping up with your kids important? Because they’re young and I want to be a better parent to them for as long as possible.

Boom. Now you do the same.

4. NOT Asking for Help

When everything is shiny and motivation is at an all-time high, exercise is easier. You’re going to the gym consistently; you’re eating better and you’re looking sexier.

Everything is going to plan until you hit a roadblock.

It could take the form of:

  • A fat loss plateau
  • Your hours increase at work
  • Your caregiver duties increase because of sickness
  • You get hurt or injured
  • Life and all it entails 😊
  • Bears. What out for those jerks.

Then you either think power through it or you begin to drop off your good habits, little by little. Either way, reaching your goals is more difficult.

But you still got this, right?

What to do instead

I’m all about making it easier, (on myself and clients) not harder. This is why I enlist the help of a friend and coach to write my programs. Because a trainer who has himself as a trainer has a fool for a client.

Please make it easier for yourself by asking for help.

This may take the form of asking the trainer at your gym for tips to work around an injury or exercising when you have limited time. Enlisting help from your spouse or loved ones, so you carve out a little time for yourself for health purposes.

Because when you don’t ask, the answer is always no.

Wrapping Up

Starting something is easy. The follow through and the ability to keep going is more difficult. Especially when things are not going your way.

But, the only way to fail is to quit. And you’re no quitter, right?

Do you need help with your exercise, getting started or overcoming roadblocks to be your best self?

Download my 4-week program here to get you on the road to better health.

About the Author

Shane “Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.

CategoriesMotivational

My Half-Hearted Attempt at Helping You Succeed With Your Health and Fitness Resolutions in 2020

It’s a new year.

Nay, a new decade.

And with it comes the inevitable avalanche of fitness professionals giving advice on how to make your New Year’s Resolutions “stick.”

This isn’t quite one of those posts.

Copyright: ilixe48 / 123RF Stock Photo

Meh

Don’t get me wrong: I think it’s great many people use this time of year to renew their goals, use it as an opportunity to rejuvenate themselves and kickstart a healthier lifestyle, and/or otherwise press the refresh button.

  • You’re finally going to purchase that gym membership? Great.
  • Okay, you’re intrigued by this whole Vegan thing? Fantastic.
  • You’re going to make a concerted effort to get more sleep and drink less caffeine and more water? Lovely.
  • You’re gonna start taking CBD oil to help manage your anxiety and diabetes, curtail inflammation, and help you beat Jason Bourne in a fist fight? Cool.7.

But honestly, part of my soul is dying that I’m taking time to write a “resolution post” in the first place.

It’s so cliche.

I mean, what’s next? Me posting a picture of me smiling to the camera while draping my arms over a barbell in the squat rack to make my arms look bigger?

Pfffft, whatever.

What could I possibly say or do (from the internet) to inspire people to not be a statistic and stick with their New Year’s Resolutions past next week?

Well, thankfully, my good friend, and non-sexual life partner, Dean Somerset, wrote a bang-up post on his Facebook page the other day doing just that.

It’s short and sweet and provides a ton of actionable context.

Check it out HERE.

via GIPHY

I don’t want to come across as a complete curmudgeon, however.

I recognize my words have some power in the industry and I wanted to take a few moments to share a quick example of how, when the time comes (and it WILL come), when you want to quit or cheat a workout, what you can do to re-frame your train of thought

As you embark on your fitness journey it’s unavoidable you’ll encounter days you’ll want to skip or give up altogether.

Who needs to workout when you can binge watch The Witcher on Netflix?

This feeling is normal.

Hell, I’ve been lifting weights since I was 13 (at this point it’s part of my DNA) and have made my living telling people to do the same since 2002, and even I have days I’d rather jump into the depth of Mordor than look at a dumbbell.

Too, sometimes I’ll be in the middle of a workout, exhausted, or just not feeling it that day, and think to myself, “I really don’t want to do this next exercise/set/finisher/what-have-you.”

I’m going home.

Yes, it’s true. Despite our best efforts to portray otherwise on social media…

…even us fitness pros succumb to epic cases of the “Fuck It’s.”

Honestly, it’s okay and a perfectly acceptable human emotion.

And sometimes you should give in to it. A day or two (or three) off from the gym isn’t going to be the end of the world and often begets better and more productive subsequent workouts.

However, and this is my inner Captain Obvious coming straight at you…

…this shouldn’t be a regular thing.

Whether you want to call it grit, resiliency, or mettle, there’s a lot to be said about sticking to the plan and building upon that base of consistency. Instead, and using myself as an example, when these thoughts enter my mind, I’ll acknowledge them and let them metabolize, but then take a page from my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, and do a slight re-frame.

Instead of quitting the exercise/set/workout or cheating I’ll think to myself:

“Okay, here comes the tough part. This is what I want. I’m about to get stronger, more diesel, and/or altogether more badass. My wife is totally going to want to make out with me when she sees these pecs.”

I don’t beat myself up for thinking the negative thoughts.

Again, it’s normal.

You do it, I do it, I suspect Tom Brady does it, we all do it.

I’ll allow the thoughts to happen, to ruminate for several seconds, but then I’ll set the re-frame, turn the page, and complete my set/workout.

The mind-trick works.

It could be used for other, non-lifting goals too. Embrace the power of the re-frame.

Do it. DO IT.

Categoriescoaching Motivational

The Lost Art of Adult Play

I’m currently in the Barossa Valley with my wife.

There’s not a chance in hell I’m writing a blog post this week. Thankfully TG.com regular contributor, Shane McLean, was a champion and took it upon himself to pinch write for me.

Thanks Shane!

Copyright: szefei / 123RF Stock Photo

The Lost Art of (Adult) Play

When you were a kid, (I assume) you were a blur of movement.

One moment you’re tugging on your dads leg and the next moment you’re chasing the dog (or cat, sorry Tony) throughout the house, tearing shit up while your father is trying to figure out how you moved so quick.

Like the flash baby.

 

There was no stopping you.

Then age, responsibilities, jobs, kids, bills and a mortgage took care of all that. With more adult time there comes less play time because you have to grow up sometime, correct?

Well some of us do and some of us don’t.

I’ll leave it to you to determine where you are on the kid scale.

However, now to keep up your lean machine look, you hit the gym and do squats, presses, pulls and curls so you can keep up with the younger generation, to feel less like an old fart and more like a superhero, crushing everything in your path.

However, trying to recapture your childhood through exercise is fine but acting like a one (or Flash Gordon) is okay frowned upon.

So please keep your tantrums under control.

You cannot have desserts before your main meal.

Whoops, I’m projecting. Let me get back on track.

During your early childhood, you discovered what you were capable of and what you get away with through playing.

But What is Play?

Play is an activity done for its own sake, with no real goal in mind and play is characterized by flexibility (making up stuff as you go along), and the positive effect it often has on the person playing (smiling, laughing, and having fun.) (1)

The exact role of play in learning is often debated and opinion tends to exaggerate the evidence for the essential role of play.

However, other evidence suggests the important benefits of play and its contribution to learning. (2)

What Has This Got to Do With You?

 How does play benefit you now, the adult trying to shed fat and crush PR’S in the gym?

Firstly, it gives you a welcome break from the barbell. When you get wrapped up with the weight on the bar and have the blinkers on, other things like moving in different directions and a little thing called cardiovascular exercise gets neglected.

When ‘playing’ you may discover your weaker points that are holding you back.

Secondly, it may help you through a plateau and improve your co-ordination.

When you were a child, you engaged in locomotor (exercise) play, which involves physical activity to support the training of your muscles for strength, endurance, and skill.

Think of the local school or park playground and all the fun you had on the swings and monkey bars.

Back then, play was the neural and muscular basis of your physical co-ordination and physical growth. And going back to ‘play’ may help you break through your sticking points and make exercise more enjoyable. (3)

And when things are enjoyable, you’re more likely to do them.

Who’s up for crushing their goals with a smile on their face?

If you answered yes, start inserting these ‘play’ drills into your routine (or separately on off days) because the gym is the one place where nobody cares if you act like a child.

Because they’re all too busy taking Instagram selfies.

1. Reaction Ball Drills

 

And who doesn’t like playing with balls?

The beauty of the reaction ball is movement without thinking. See the ball, go get the ball. And before you know it you’ve performed squats, hinges and dozens of lunges without realizing it.

Furthermore, training hand-eye co-ordination never goes astray.

And with so much of your program planned, it’s great to add a little chaos and uncertainty to it.

2. Agility Ladder Drills

 

Some coaches’ poo-poo on the agility ladder while other coaches over emphasize it with athletes trying to get them faster.

However, there is plenty of middle ground and they’re another tool in the toolbox.

But for the regular joe, who’s looking for a little variety, a fun way to get the heart rate up and to raise a sweat while improving their co-ordination, these drills are perfect.

The agility ladder will help you learn a wide array of different movement patterns without you even realizing it because you’ll be having too much fun.

3. Friendly Competition

Exercising with a partner is shown to increase exercise adherence. Use these fun drills will a friend and you’ll be sweating and smiling in no time.

4. Stability Ball Wrestle

You and your partner will be too busy trying to knock each other off-balance, and not realizing that you’re working on your ankle stability/mobility, balance and core stability.

Set Up – Put one foot on top the ball making sure your knee is bent 90 degrees. Your partner puts the opposite foot on the ball, directly across from you

Rules – Both people are trying to knock the other one-off balance by rolling the ball aggressively with their feet.

This exercise can be done either as warm-up, for 30 seconds or so on each foot or you can turn this into a full-blown friendly competition. Every time some loses his/her balance it results in a point for the opponent. First to 5 or 10 points wins.

5. The Boxer

This exercise with work on your power, muscular endurance and hand-to-eye co-ordination. You’ll be too busy hitting your partner’s hands to realize any of this.

Set Up – Use a resistance band with handles looped round a solid anchor point. Bring hands to shoulder level and keep the resistance band tight.  Your partner puts hands up, open palms facing forward and away from the face.

Rules- Hit the open palm (with a clinched fist), one hand at a time. Your partner can change his/her hand position up, down or left and right to increase the challenge.

Do this for time (30 seconds) and record the amount of hits, and then your partner can try to beat it. Winner takes all, baby.

Wrapping Up

Exercise doesn’t always have to be a grind. Taking a slight break to think and play like a child is reinvigorating and a welcome break from the barbell.

And because you’re an adult now, you can have dessert before dinner.

Knock yourself out.

About the Author

Shane “Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.

References

  1. Learning Through Play PETER K SMITH, BA, PhD ANTHONY PELLEGRINI, PhD Goldsmiths, University of London, UNITED KINGDOM University of Minnesota, USA
  2. Smith PK. Children’s play and its role in early development: A re-evaluation of the ‘Play Ethos’. In: Pellegrini AD, ed. Psychological Bases for Early education. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.; 1988: 207-226.
  3. Byers JA, Walker C. Refining the motor training hypothesis for the evolution of play. American Naturalist 1995;146(1):25-40
CategoriesMotivational

Achieving a Goal Versus Achieving Success: My Take

I’m currently reading Dan John’s latest opus, 40 Years With a Whistle: Life Lessons From the Field of Play.

I enjoy Dan, and I really enjoy his writing.

One chapter in particular – Chapter 8: Achieving a Goal versus Achieving Success – resonated with me, and I wanted to take today to pontificate, mirror, and expound further on Dan’s message.

Humor me.

Copyright: yarruta / 123RF Stock Photo

Achieving a Goal vs. Achieving Success

As Dan notes:

“Achieving a goal and achieving success are not the same thing.”

My life is replete with goals I’ve achieved:

  • Earning an athletic scholarship to play baseball in college.
  • Building a career that pays the bills and doesn’t make me want to throw my face into a brick wall.
  • Finding a life partner that fulfills all my love tanks.
  • Abs.

Conversely, my life is also a bevy of goals that never came to be:

  • Playing professional baseball (so close, though).
  • Asking out Nicole Kot.
  • Becoming the third official member of the “Bash Brothers.”

The thing is though, and this was the umbrella theme of Dan’s chapter, many of our high points in life have nothing to do with achieving a specific goal – realistic or far-fetched.

They have everything to do with marinating in life’s successes.

Here are my top 10 moments in sport (and a few life):

1. 1996 & 1997 – Being Named Team (Pitching) MVP

Not many kids play past the high school level where I’m from (Groton, NY, graduating class, 55. Number of cornfields, 555). I played two years of JUCO ball at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY, which had a highly competitive baseball program.

I chose to go to a community college rather than a four-year school out of high-school because I wanted to increase my chances of getting as much playing time as possible my first two years. I wish more kids and parents today would appreciate the power of actually playing over prestige in choosing a school.

I was named the team (pitching) MVP both my freshman and sophomore year.

This was a big deal given the bulk of my teammates hailed from schools who’s graduating classes were larger than my entire school (7th – 12th grades) and I was very much a small fish in a big pond.

2. April 25, 1996 – OCC: 9, MCC: 1

Our league rival when I was at OCC was MCC (Monroe Community College located in Rochester, NY). Man, were they a bunch of a-holes.

I was handed the rock (pictured above) on April 25, 1996.

I was nervous.

The very first pitch I threw that day was rocketed to right field for a single.

Okay, now I was more than nervous. I destroyed the back of my pants.

I ended up pitching a complete game earning a decisive 9-1 win.

It was a good day.8

3. 2017 – 600 lb Deadlift

Okay, technically, this counts as a goal, but whatever.

 

The kicker here is that I was finally able to hit this lift after turning 40 AND during my first year of fatherhood.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

4. 2006 – Being Intentionally Walked In a Beer League Slow-Pitch Softball Game

When Eric Cressey and I were both working as trainers in Ridgefield, CT we joined a local slow-pitch softball team.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and say Eric and I were the stars of the team, but lets just say the year prior the team didn’t make the play-offs and the year both Eric and I were on the roster the team made it to the championship series.

Eric batted lead-off and I batted fourth in the line-up.

In Game #1 of the best of three series I was intentionally walked in…

…and I can’t stress this enough: SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL.

Granted, we ended up losing in the third game, but that’s beside the point. My grandchildren (and their grandchildren, and their grandchildren) will forever be reminded of this unprecedented athletic feat.

5. ~1984 – Unassisted Triple Play During Kickball Game

I remember it like it was yesterday.

5th Grade.

We were outside playing our daily game of kickball during recess.

You know, when school’s still had such a thing.

I was playing the outfield right behind second base. Someone kicked a liner right towards me and I caught it in mid-air (Out #1) as I simultaneously stepped on second base (Out #2) to then pivot and throw a dart straight into the back of the runner who was attempting to retreat back to 1st base.

Not today motherfucker.

Out #3.

I was king for a day.

6. 2019: This Past Sunday – Julian Displaying His Rap Skills

Mommy was away having a ladies’ weekend in Florida with a few of her high-school friends.

It was early Sunday morning and Julian and I had a few hours to burn before I took him to gymnastics class. I turned on the Sonos to play some music, KRS-One came on, and this happened…

 

Proud daddy moment.

7. 2008 – Striking Out 20 Batters in Over-30 Baseball League Game

I joined an over-30 baseball league in 2008.

We had just opened up Cressey Sports Performance the year prior and were starting to see an influx of baseball players coming to train with us.

This led to an itch to play again.

There are several very competitive leagues in or around Boston and I tried out for one of the local teams that year: the Framingham Orioles.

To be honest, I think I was throwing harder at age 31 than I was when I played collegiate ball.

It’s amazing what sound, legitimate training can do.

Anyway, that same year I had also moved in with my then girlfriend. To make a long story short, she broke up with me.

My heart was broken and I happened to have a big game that weekend.

I remember arriving to the game and giving my teammates a heads up that if I seemed a little off, well, “I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying.”

I struck out 20 batters that game and gave up one hit.

Apparently sadness, bewilderment, with a sprinkle of rage is a recipe for conjuring up your inner Roger Clemens or Kerry Wood.

8. 1995 – Passing My Driver’s License – On the 3rd Attempt

Attempt #1 – I botched my 3-point turn (put the car into reverse only to then forgot to put it back in drive. When I stepped on the gas again I went into reverse, and then slammed on the brakes. Oops).

Attempt #2 – Nailed the 3-point turn, but botched a bunch of other stuff. Forgetting to use my blinker, going 20 MPH over the speed limit, I don’t remember.

Attempt #3 – It could have gone either way, but I passed.

Boom, chaka-laka.

9. 2015 – Not Flubbing My First Dance

Lisa and I got married on May 30, 2015.

In the weeks prior we hired a choreographer to help us with our first dance as a married couple. We wanted to do something different with a non-traditional song so we felt it best to utilize a professional.

Our song was this version of “Settle Down” by Kimbra.

 

This was serious business.

We met with our instructor for an hour each week for several weeks.

This in combination with the endless “flash rehearsals” Lisa and I would perform in our kitchen or living room.

Few things intimidated me more than the fear of performing our dance. I was scared I was going to flub it.

1-2-3, twist, 1-2-3, turn right (no, wait, left), 1-2-3, oh shit, 1-2-3, I’m lost, 1-2-3, pity claps from Aunt Celia.

I’m happy to say none of the above happened: Lisa and I turned heads.

We crushed it.

10. 1995 – Hitting a Home-run off a Future 1st Round Draft Pick

In 1994 my high-school varsity team made it to the Section IV Finals in baseball. We had to face one of the best pitchers in the state, Matt Burch of Edison High School in Elmira, NY.

I never batted against him in that game. I was in a bit of a batter’s slump towards the end of that season and while coach still had my play the field (second base) he ended up DH’ing me.

He schooled us, struck out something like 15 batters (in 7 innings), and we lost the game 2-1.

Fast forward to 1995 and the IAC Exceptional Senior All-Star Game.

I was the starting pitcher on my side, and low and behold who was the opposing pitcher on the other?

Matt Burch of Edison High School.

Matt had another dominant season that year and was drafted in the late rounds by the Boston RedSox.9He would end up going to Virginia Commonwealth to play college ball and be drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 1st road in 1998.10

Even though I was the starting pitcher I was also batting second in the line-up that day.

In the first inning I dug myself into the batter’s box and ran the count up to 2-2. Matt threw the next pitch, and with my eyes closed I swung and made contact!

I sprinted towards first base and as I was rounding it to head towards second the umpire got my attention to let me know I could slow down…

…I had hit a home-run.

You would be correct if you guessed the first person I called after the game was my coach…;o)

Dan’s Sage Words

In closing, I leave you with a quote from Dan’s original article:

“If you are striving for just achieving goals, I’m not always going to be able to help you. Your DNA, discipline and luck might be far more important than me saying, “two sets of five.”

But success?

I have always wanted health, fitness, longevity and performance as part of my life. What you see on my list is six decades of competitions. But, the competitions and the trophies pale when compared to the friendships, the love and the fun.”