Categoriescoaching fitness business Motivational

The 5 Most Important Things I Learned From My Internship

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of former CSP intern (and now staff member in the Jupiter, FL location), Ashley Crosby.

I really liked this, as it served as a stark reminder that internships can provide more than just monetary value1 Particular to fitness industry internships it’s also a reminder that the “true” value is in learning the intricacies behind working with people, and not just getting good at breaking down deadlift technique and regurgitating Prilepin’s chart.

Enjoy!

5 Most Important Things I Learned From My Internship

When I did my internship at CSP-FL in the spring of 2015, I was mostly concerned with nailing down the technical aspects of coaching. How do you write the best program? How do you spot compensation patterns? What are the best exercises and progressions for each individual at each point of their season? Why choose one exercise over another? What’s better?

See, I was finishing up grad school, and though I was lucky enough to have some experience in the field, I was still mentally stuck in finding the one correct answer. I wanted cut and dry answers, steps to follow, and I wanted to be the most proficient in each and every exercise.

I studied relentlessly–not just the database and in-services we have access to prior to our internship to prepare us, but for my exams as well. I read every article I could get my hands on. I spent a lot of time with my head in books. (To be fair, I still do.)

I recently asked our new class of interns what they were most interested in learning about, and saw similar topics: nutrition supplementation for sport, arm care and managing injuries after surgery and rehab, set/rep schemes, developing throwing programs, density training–the technical aspects of what we do day in and day out.

But here’s the thing: the most important lessons I learned as a coach were not technical in nature.

Comfort in the technical aspects comes with time and practice, from reading both the science and articles from other coaches on how they apply techniques, and from making mistakes and trying new things.

Being on the other end of the internship process now as a staff member and watching the newest class of interns go through their internship experience, I feel these are five of the most important things I’ve learned (by doing and seeing):

1. Learn everybody’s name, and a few facts about them.

Greet them by name every day.

As Dale Carnegie said in How to Win Friends and Influence People (a book I highly suggest every coach out there read), there is great power in a person’s name. Use it often.

2. Learn how to ask questions and genuinely, actively listen to them.

Start every session by asking athletes how they feel, how their weekend was, how their game was, or some other question to see how they’re feeling. It gives you a good idea of their level of fatigue or their mood, and gives you a chance to set (or re-set) the tone for the day.

NOTE from TG: I listened to a recent interview on The Fitcast with Mike Boyle and he mentioned a program that he and the staff at MBSC are experimenting with called CoachMePlus.

The idea is to have better access to the metrics that affect athletes on a daily basis and to better prepare coaches to augment training and programming variables accordingly. Seems interesting.

3. It doesn’t matter what kind of day you are having; leave your troubles at the door.

As a coach, you are an emotional rock and set the tone for the facility and for the session. Don’t let your bad day become your athlete’s bad day.

4. Whether it’s busy or dead, don’t lose your focus.

When it’s slow, it’s easy to mentally check out and want to hang out with the other coaches or interns. It’s great to be friends with your fellow interns–in fact I genuinely hope you are, because they’re part of your new professional network.

However, when people are in the gym, your focus should be on them. Use it as an opportunity to get to know your athlete better, to spend a little more time working on a movement they struggle with, and as a chance for you to become better as a coach.

 

5. Seek out the quiet ones and the young ones.

These are often the hardest to work with—not the pro guys who are very talented athletes and cue up quickly, but the ones who are still figuring out how their bodies are supposed to move or are too shy to ask for help.

Not only do they need the most help technically, they need to feel a part of the gym culture that you’re creating as a coach.

While I learned a lot of the technical aspect during my internship (and continue to every day through articles and books and interactions with my coworkers), they’re all just in the background of what I do all day, which is interact with people, and build a relationship and trust with them.

As Teddy Roosevelt said and Eric often quotes, people won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Author’s Bio

Ashley Crosby recently finished her MS at Bridgewater State before coming to Cressey Sports Performance, first as an intern and then as a coach. A CSCS and Pn1 certified coach, she runs the strength camps in the CSP-FL location. Before she went back to school for her masters, she was the social media director for the Cape Cod Baseball League. When she’s not coaching or lifting, she’s usually watching baseball.

CategoriesMotivational

Porcelain Post: The Key to a Perfect Training Program

NOTE: the term “Porcelain Post” was invented by Brian Patrick Murphy and Pete Dupuis. Without getting into the specifics, it describes a post that can be read in the same time it takes you to go #2.

Enjoy.

The Key to a Perfect Training Program

Here’s the thing: there is no “key,” or ideal way.

First of all, everyone is different. What works for one person may not be the best fit for someone else.

We can sit here and argue over ideal exercise selection, exercise order, sets/reps, high-bar squats vs. low-bar, rest intervals, and whether or not it’s best to use a 2-1-2 tempo or a 1-2-1.2.

None of it matters if you don’t show up.

3×52

Props to Charlie Reid for this.

The best set/rep scheme for your client(s), especially beginners, is the one that gets them in the gym 3x per week for 52 weeks. Get them to master that – the art of SHOWING UP –  and magical things will happen.

Categoriescoaching Motivational psychology

Disfluency and Why It Can Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals

In the Spring of ’96 I made my first collegiate start as a pitcher. I was playing for Onondaga Community College out of Syracuse, NY, and we were down in Florida for our annual Spring Training trip.

Can you find me?

Not only was it the first time I saw green grass in several months (winters in Central NY are long and brutal), but it was my first trip to Florida, which meant it was also my first time seeing palm trees.3

We arrived in West Palm Beach to play West Palm Beach Community College. On the bus ride from our hotel to the field I was fidgeting, listening to my Discman – remember those? – probably Wu-Tang Clan or Tribe Called Quest, and trying everything I could to take my mind off of destroying the back of my pants.

It was my first collegiate game, my first start, so of course I was nervous.

And if that wasn’t enough, I heard inklings from some of the players and coaches that 8 of the 9 players in the line-up for WPBCC were drafted out of high-school in the previous year’s MLB draft.

Okay, now I was really nervous.

I took a few deep breaths, said a few words of encouragement to myself4, and proceeded to do my normal pre-game ritual of stretches, long-toss, and warm-up.

And then it was game time.

1st Batter: ground ball out.

“Whatever, this is easy.”

2nd Batter: strike out.

“MLB prospect my ass.”

3rd Batter: walk

“Okay, you can’t win them all.”

4th Batter: 0-2 count, I threw a hanging curveball, and I think the ball is due to pass Neptune’s orbit any day now.

 

If my memory serves me, I lasted four innings, and we ended up losing that game 12-4. Or 72-4. I don’t remember all the details.

Whatever the score ended up being it stands to reason I didn’t do well.

That said, it was a learning experience:

1) Don’t throw hanging curveballs on an 0-2 count to arguably the team’s best hitter.

2) Even though I was nervous heading into that game, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad bit smug. I mean, I was an All-League selection in high-school, twice! I got this.

Um, no.

My first college game served as a wake-up call for me, and provided the slap in the face I needed to respect that anything can be a lesson you can learn from. And it’s how you observe, reflect, digest, and use those lessons moving forward that will make all the difference in the world. It’s how you prevent history from repeating itself.

While I didn’t realize it at the time I was using a form of DISFLUENCY to my advantage.

In his book Smarter, Faster, Better, Charles Duhigg, discusses this phenomenon:

“The people who are the most successful at learning – those who are able to digest the data surrounding them, who absorb insights embedded in their experiences and take advantage of information flowing past – are the ones who know how to use disfluency to their advantage. They transform what life throws at them, rather than just taking it as it comes. They know the best lessons are those that force us to do something and to manipulate something.”

In other words: people who are actively “disfluent” take data and transform it into experiments whenever they can.

Taking an example from the book, Duhigg references a study performed in 2014 at UCLA which examined the relationship between learning and disfluency by looking at the difference between students who took notes with their laptop and those students who took notes the old fashioned way.

By putting pen or pencil to paper.

As Duhigg states:

“Recording a speaker’s comments via longhand is both harder and less efficient than typing on a keyboard. Fingers cramp. Writing is slower than typing, and so you can’t record as many words.”

In not so many words, students who use laptops put forth less effort and can “collect” twice as many notes as their pen holding counterparts.5

“Writing is more disfluent than typing, because it requires more labor and captures fewer verbatim phrases.”

Common sense would make us assume that the students who took notes with their laptops – and thus, collected twice as many words – would score better on tests and be able to recite more of what the lecturer said.

Of course, you would be 100% incorrect in assuming this.

Don’t worry, if it’s any consolation, when I first heard Eminem I thought to myself “no way this guy lasts.”

There was also a time I thought Mariah Carey and I were soul mates.

Shows how much I know.

What the researches found was that, time and time again, those students who wrote their notes down out-performed laptop users on test scores of the lecturer’s content.

What Does This Have To Do With Your Health and Fitness Goals?

When we bump uglies with new information, and want to learn from it, we should force ourselves to do something with the data.

NOTE: it’s not physically possible to “bump uglies” with information. It’s just a metaphor. Don’t be weird. Unless, you know, you’re part of The Matrix or something and you actually can do it.

If so, we need to hang out.

To quote Duhigg one more time:

“It’s not enough for your bathroom scale to send you daily updates to an app on your phone. If you want to lose weight, force yourself to plot those measurements on graph paper and you’ll be more likely to choose a salad over a hamburger for lunch.”

Likewise, those people who take the time to track their training sessions – recording exercises done, sets, reps, and total weight lifted – tend to stay more consistent and make better progress than those who don’t

Too, when it comes to honing technique on any given exercise, reading other coach’s insights and perspectives on it is great. You may learn a new cue or subtle tweak that resonates.

However, I’d argue it’s those people who take a more laborous approach, take the time to record their lifts with a camera, and analyze their lifts that end up hitting their goals quicker and with more efficiency and precision.

Disfluency. Use it.

CategoriesAssessment coaching Motivational personal training

3 Questions to Assess Your Clients’ Willingness to Change

You may have heard I’m traveling in Europe.6

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Canadian health and fitness professional, Dave Smith. He shares some excellent advice on how we can better assess our clients’ willingness to change.

Have you ever had a client who was extremely eager to jump into the health and fitness lifestyle?

They’ve bought their new fancy running shoes, pedometer, sweat pants, and they’re ready to go.

You sense this eagerness, and to help them, you construct an intensive diet and training plan that will help them achieve their goals.

1 week passes – everything is going well.

2 weeks pass – they’ve missed a training session.

3 weeks pass – they’ve missed 3 training sessions and only followed the diet plan for 2 days of the week.

4 weeks pass – they’ve given up. Dieting and training just “isn’t for them.”

We’ve all had these types of clients in the past, and it can be very misleading – one day they’re inspired and motivated to be healthy, the next day they’ve given up and are back to their old ways.

It’s important that when you’re working with new clients, you assess the stage that they’re at regarding to how willing they are to make changes.

You have to see past the initial excitement that they may have, and make a proper assessment of their level of dedication to changing.

The 5 Stages Of Behavior Change

The Transtheoretical Model is a handy little tool that you can use to assess your clients willingness to change – in this case, a change in their training and eating habits.

These 5 stages are:

  • Pre-Contemplation: The person is not planning on taking action at all
  • Contemplation: The person is aware that their behaviour is problematic, and is beginning to educate themselves on the changes necessary
  • Preparation: The person is preparing and is ready to take action in the near future
  • Action: The person is making changes to their behavior
  • Maintenance: The person has now made those changes a habit and is a part of who they are

Using these 5 stages, we are able to assess our clients and their willingness to change.

The Reason Why The Stages Of Change Are So Important

Understanding the stages of change is crucial for being able to properly assess a new client’s ability to build new habits.

For example, let’s look at a new client that we’re working with named Jimmy.

Jimmy’s a cool guy. He’s 32 years old – wife and two kids, works a standard office job.

Jimmy wants to make some real gains. He wants to put on some muscle.

So Jimmy comes to you looking for a training and diet plan that will help him with his goal. He seems extremely eager, energetic and ready to go all out with the new plan that you’ve written up for him.

But you’ve seen this too many times.

Too many times clients have come to you with the energy of a kid in a candy store, only to have that energy drained after a mere three weeks.

Not only have they upset themselves, but it can also can give the impressions that the service you’re providing is sub-par.

The reason why it’s important to recognize the 5 stages of behaviour change is because it allows you to see past the initial excitement and assess your client’s willingness to change in a long-term perspective.

So now when Jimmy comes to you ready and wired, it’s your job to ground his excitement and assess where he’s really at.

Not only will it prevent him from being upset in the future if he decides to drop off at the three week mark, but it also prevents the chance that your reputation is tainted.

3 Questions For Assessing Your Clients

To do this assessment, here are three questions you can ask Jimmy that will bring down the initial wavering excitement levels and decide if he REALLY is ready for change.

1. Have you tried anything previously to make progress towards your goals?

If Jimmy tells me he’s tried everything from calisthenics to Olympic lifting, there’s a good chance that he’s probably in the preparation stage. He’s searching for answers but hasn’t figured out an appropriate action plan.

This is shown by Jimmy’s inability to pick a path and stick with it. This might also tell you that Jimmy is looking for a “magic pill” to solve his problems. Maybe he’s looking for the quick fix rather than sticking with one plan.

2. What, specifically, has stopped you in the past from reaching your goals?

This is where you get to see if Jimmy comes up with an external excuse or not.

If Jimmy tells you he hasn’t had enough time because of work, or because his wife and kids have kept him too busy – you can recognize that he’s probably in either the Contemplation or Preparation stage.

While he sees value in adding more muscle to his frame, his priorities lie elsewhere.

Throwing him into an intensive program is doomed to fail (at this point).

Jimmy needs to be introduced to change more slowly.

3. Using a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being “there’s no way” and 10 being “definitely will do”), would you be able to exercise for _minutes for _days this coming week?

This is the ultimate test of Jimmy’s willingness to change.

In this case, Jimmy says that he’s probably at a 6 when it comes to exercising 45 minutes, 4 times per week: He’s got a lot of commitments next week, but he’s ready to “try his best.”

Is a 6 rating really that convincing?

Do you really want to give a client a task that has at least a 40% chance of failure? (I say “at least” because most clients overestimate their ability to take on change in the beginning!)

Identifying a Willing, Ready, and Able Client

Question #1 gets the ball rolling. It lets you see how new or experienced your client is with training and nutrition, and also his level of interest in these two areas.

Question #2 throws a curve ball to the client. He is perhaps thinking you’re just asking a basic question, but really you’re screening the client to see his attitude and willingness to change.

If your client blames the reason of not reaching their goals on external factors – deflecting the reason to things such as not enough time, too busy with work, the wife not cooking healthier meals or the kids bringing home junk food – then this is a sign of someone who’s in one of the earlier stages of change.

Again, the notion of wanting change is there, but perhaps not at the expense of other enjoyable things in life.

However, if they take responsibility for their actions or lack of, then that’s a good sign of someone who could possibly be ready to get started.

Question #3 is the true test of a client’s willingness to change. “Action speaks louder than words”, and we’re about to find out how loud their actions really are.

Any number they give you shows their level of commitment to following a training and nutrition plan.

  • Any number between 1 and 3 is a sign that they’re probably not ready for much of a change.
  • A number between 4 and 6 is an okay, mediocre response. A small change may be possible.
  • A number between 7 and 10 is a good sign that they’re ready to go. Let’s take them into Action.

Changing Your Plan For Different Behavioral Stages

You can’t give a client an intensive, thorough training and nutrition plan when they’re not ready to change, so it’s important to identify which stage your client is at and adjust their needs from there.

Remember, the majority of them are going to say “they’re ready for everything right now” when their excitement levels are high, but it’s your job to assess how willing they truly are.

Clients that are in the Precontemplation stage need help finding their “why.” Help them see why it’s important to work out and eat healthy. You can relate it to having more self-confidence, living longer so they will be able to spend more time with their family etc.

Once you find their why, keep tapping on that pressure point.

Clients that are in the Contemplation stage will benefit by showing what they can achieve as well as the sacrifices they’re going to have to make to achieve it. Also a basic level of the how to achieve their goals will help them.

 

Clients that are in the Preparation stage will benefit from organizing a custom plan for them. Sorting out times that they’re able to exercise, recipes that are healthy and they also like etc. Anything that is customized for them and moves them towards taking action.

When the client has reached the Action stage, they’re now to start working on the fitness plan that you’ve customized for them. Remember to not jump the gun and start with extreme exercise sessions to begin with. Gauge where your clients fitness levels are at and work your way up from there in small steps.

Once your client is in the Maintenance stage, you’re now able to just keep the ball rolling and help them so they don’t fall back to their old ways. Spice things up every now and then with different exercises, challenges; perhaps increasing their training frequency or adding some extra healthy snacks.

Remember, you’re the professional. You’re the leader. It’s up to you to properly assess a new client and then deliver a program that has the highest likelihood of success.

About the Author

Dave Smith is a professional fitness and weight-loss coach who was chosen as “Canada’s Top Fitness Professional” in 2013. He shares awesome health and weight-loss tips through his blog and podcast that you can find at makeyourbodywork.com.

CategoriesFemale Training Motivational psychology rant Strength Training

Striving to Be More, Instead of Wanting to Be Less: Why Strength Training is a Perfect Fit for Women

I was going to title this article “Why Women Should Strength Train,” and then, being my witty/whimsical self, write something to the effect of:

“Because, it’s the shit.”

[Smoke bomb, smoke bomb. Exit stage left].

Copyright: bialasiewicz / 123RF Stock Photo

 

But that would have been lame for a few reasons:

  1. The title wouldn’t have been click-baity enough.
  2. There’s little to no context.7

It stands to reason if you’re reading a blog who’s tagline is “Because Heavy Things Won’t Lift Themselves” you need little convincing on the merits of strength training.

You’ve already been converted to the “dark side.” (<— Best if said using the same accent and inflection as Darth Vader from Empire Strikes Back).

 

However I’m hoping the commentary that follows will resonate with those who aren’t yet “converted,” have preconceived notions, and/or who have been programmed into thinking strength training is something women should not be doing, which saddens me deeply (and makes me want to hurl myself into a live volcano).

NOTE: If you happened to have stumbled on this website by accident using the key words “adorable,” “World’s best hugger,” or, I don’t know “crazy cat gentleman” then welcome! I hope you stick around for awhile.

What Strength Training Is Not

To be clear: “strength” is subjective. I feel part of the problem as to why some (not all) women refrain from strength training is that some (not all) automatically assume they have to be lifting heavy-ass weight.

Not true.

Yes, possessing the ability to deadlift 2x body-weight or to be able to bang out ten bodyweight chin-ups is impressive and is strong.

But strength can also be other things.

I mean, have you ever watched a Cirque du Soleil show and the crazy positions those performers can get into and hold? That’s strong too.

All that said, I’ve long been a champion of doing my part in debunking and offsetting the message the mainstream media often perpetuates to the masses (women in particular) with regards to strength training.

The message that strength training is for men and that women should focus more on “toning” or “lengthening” or any other vomit-in-my-mouth worthy phrase or comment the likes of Tracy Anderson has regurgitated over the years.

She’s had some doozies.

“No woman should lift a weight heavier than 3 lbs.”

“I would never recommend (kettlebells) to women, even women who are fans of bulkier muscle lines. While bulkier muscle looks OK on women in their 20s and 30s, it doesn’t age well.”

“It’s important to use lighter weights so we can target our deep, less angry, stabilizing muscles. Also, dipping your left hand into a bucket of unicorn tears detoxes the body of sadness.”

One of the quotes above I made up. The fact you may have to figure out which one speaks to her asininity.

In General:

For men the message tends to lean towards “building” or “make stronger.”

For women the message tends to reverberate towards “to lessen” or “to slim” or “to make smaller.”

There’s nothing wrong with any of those things; if that’s your bag, that’s your bag.

So be it.

I just find the overall message of smaller, thinner, sexier, to be very toxic in nature and encourages a mindset that paints strength and strength training (with regards to women) as something that should be avoided altogether.

Strength = bulk, mass.

Strength = BAD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytCEuuW2_A

 

It Needs to Stop

Sure, I could wax poetic about how strength training for women helps to increase athletic performance, increase muscle mass (which helps improve body composition (muscle takes up less space than fat), metabolic rate, and overall caloric burn “at rest”), stave off osteoporosis/osteopenia, in addition to reducing the likelihood of injury.

ALL of these are wonderful things.

Yet still, many women refrain from the iron.

Like myself, my good friend, Ben Bruno, trains a lot of women.

He does a masterful job of framing strength and strength training as something that should be embraced and that more women should adopt and gravitate towards.

“It’s about strengthening the right areas,” he often says.

What makes his message all the more effective is that he works with some high-profile clients, and has them performing some kick-ass stuff.

Stuff that many women would be reticent to try because they’re deemed unconventional and don’t involve sitting in a room set at 106 degrees.

Kate Upton pushing 500+ lbs on the sled:

 Chelsea Handler hip-thrusting some significant weight:

No pink dumbbells in sight.

Embrace Strength & Strength Training

Why?

1) Because I Said So

I don’t treat the women I train any differently than the men I train, and I think they appreciate that.

What can I say: I’m a feminist.

I don’t “baby” them, I don’t treat them like delicate snowflakes, I don’t have them perform “girl push-ups,” and I don’t feed into any fanatical nonsense that placing a barbell on a their back is going to turn anyone into He-Man.

I treat the women the same as I treat the men.

Giving credit where credit is due: CrossFit has pretty much nipped this mindset in the bud in recent years. I see more and more women ditching the elliptical machines in lieu of barbells, and it’s amazing.

However, I’m not married to the barbell.

One’s goals and ability level will always dictate the path I’ll take with any client. Sometimes, and I credit Ben (Bruno) for this little tip, a little reverse psychology can help nudge a woman to the benefits of strength training.

The body can’t differentiate a barbell from a kettlebell from a dumbbell from a band.

Tension is tension.

While there was no “trickery” involved with the video above – I was using the KB and band to better groove Yael’s hip hinge – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a female client give me the stink-eye when I tell her to lift “x” weight with a barbell, only to nonchalantly crush the same weight with a kettlebell or dumbbell.

As a coach, sometimes it’s best just to meet people where they are.

But it’s fantastic once the switch flips, and I can get a female client comfortable and more confident with barbells.

2) Body Acceptance

It’s impossible for me to elaborate more eloquently on this subject than how Jen Sinkler did recently:

“This weekend I was told by a man I knew in college that I was “unrecognizable” now thanks to my “really big arms.”

I love how I look. I love the thickness. It’s one of the reasons I lift. My concept of beauty is different now. It involves more determination.

No one gains muscle by doing nothing. It takes action, diligence, and a strong work ethic. Muscle represents those qualities, tells me about that person.

Hard work is beautiful.”

Another fantastic quote, from Fabienne Marier, which was in response to Jen’s quote above (as well as served as an impetus for the title of this article) also hits the nail on the head:

“I love that my body is now an ally, instead of being an adversary.

My look is deliberate, not accidental. And it’s the result of striving to be more, instead of wanting to be less.”

3) Get S*** Done

Every so often my wife is approached at the gym while she’s training, and in between sets of deadlifts or chin-ups, is asked by a curious onlooker, “what are you training for?”

Many people – men and women – watch her train and assume she’s training for a competition of some sort.

It’s a compliment, and she takes it as such.

But how often is a man asked that same question? No one blinks an eye when a man is using the squat rack.

Yet when a woman is using it, it’s assumed she’s a competitor.

Lisa has the most appropriate response, though:

“I’m training for life.”

BOOM.

Not coincidentally…she’s never asked me to open up a jar for her, she isn’t timid to move furniture, and she certainly doesn’t back down when she has to (farmer) carry the groceries a few blocks from the grocery store to our apartment.

She’s strong.

She…gets…shit…done.

4) Provides More Purpose and Intent

Strength training by it’s nature yields itself to more performance-based goals, which I am a huge fan of.

Whenever I start working with a woman and she’s all like “I want to lose ten lbs,” I’m all like (fast forward to the 0:35s mark in this clip)…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDQx1Kn9wUM

 

This IS NOT to discount or belittle someone’s goal to lose weight…it’s my job as their coach to dig deeper, peel back the onion, and figure out why this is the case (why do they want to lose 10 lbs?, why do they feel they need to lose 10 lbs?)….and then set them up for the best path of success possible.

However, in my experience, often (not always), it’s a lazy, shallow, and meaningless goal.

If anything, the sentence “I want to lose 10 lbs” is nothing more than a default setting many women have been programmed to say because, well, they don’t know what else to say.

Ladies: You’re not Microsoft Word.

You’re better than that.

Striving for more performance-based goals, and setting a higher standard for why you head to the gym day in and day out can be a game changer.

It frees you from a stagnant, poisonous mindset

Take my client, Shannon, as an example.

Client of mine, Shannon, hitting a top set of 260 lbs on her deadlift today. Solid lockout.

A video posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

Her goal is to deadlift 300 lbs. It’s not every female’s goal.

She arrives to every training session with a sense of vigor and passion that wouldn’t come close to what it consistently is if her goal was to “just lose 10 lbs.”

I’d argue that setting performance-based goals sets the tone for aesthetic goals anyways. All the hard work and dedication it takes to nail the performance goal –  whether it’s performing your first chin-up or hitting “x” number of reps of squats at “x” weight – allows for the aesthetic goals to just kinda happen.

Strength training helps to mold, shape, and add contour to the body.

You don’t “shape” anything by spending copious hours on the treadmill. You may lose weight, but you make yourself a smaller, weaker version of your original self.

If that’s what you want, cool. But I doubt that’s what you want.

Yeah, strength training is the shit.

Categoriescoaching Female Training Motivational psychology

Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop

I’m pumped to announce the inaugural Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop featuring myself and my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis.

*smoke bomb, smoke bomb*

TA-DA!

This is an event Lisa and I have been marinating on for a few months now, and something we’re really excited to explore and hopefully make into a “thing.”

The 10-second Elevator Pitch:

1) I’ll spend the bulk of my time speaking on the Art of Coaching, program design, as well as sharing pictures of my cat spending a fair portion of time dissecting common barbell lifts; going over technique cues, troubleshooting strategies, and regressions/progressions.

2) Lisa (Doctorate in Sports Psychology) will speak to the Psychological Art of Coaching, as well as peel back the onion with regards to behavior change and how fitness professionals can best set up their clients and athletes for long-term, consistent success. In short, she’s totally going to demonstrate some Jedi mind-tricks.

This workshop will be an asset to any fitness professional or enthusiast looking to not only hone their coaching/programming prowess, but it will also provide more depth into the art of mindset, in addition to helping attendees learn to create/develop better interpersonal skills (with themselves and their clients).

The Deets

When: Saturday, June 18th.

Where: Life Time Fitness – Austin South, Austin, TX.

Why: Because Lisa and I are the bomb to hang out with (and we want some good BBQ).8

Cost: Early Bird (until June 1st) – $149, and $179 thereafter.

CEUs via the NSCA will be available.

Sign-Up: Click link below to register.




CategoriesMotivational Product Review

Tony Gentilcore Swag Now Available: Building a Brand

If you were to tell me ten (0r even five) years ago that I’d see my name plastered on a t-shirt as some sort of “brand,” I would have laughed at you.

“Yeah, right” I would have said back then. “What’s next, lightsabers are real? Donald Trump will be considered a viable presidential candidate?”

And here were are, in 2016, my name is plastered on a t-shirt and Donald Trump is considered a viable presidential candidate.9

Special Edition “Because Heavy Things Won’t Lift Themselves” Tee: Front View

Special Edition “Because Heavy Things Won’t Lift Themselves” Tee: Back View

For those who want to skip the foreplay, you can go HERE to order your fancy schmancy TG apparel.

For those looking to be wined and dined a bit more and seduced with a little word play and backstory, continue reading….

Building a Brand

To be fully transparent: there’s still a small part of me who feels like an impostor, a fitness industry fraud. Who am I to put my name in a t-shirt?

I graduated college in 2002 with a degree in Health Education and was lucky enough to find an internship at a local corporate gym that summer.

For eight weeks I was an intern.

I opened the gym some days, and closed it on others. I worked long hours and felt woefully unprepared the entire time. I remember when I was handed my first “client” and felt like crawling into a corner and hyperventilating into a paper bag.

That internship led to a full-time job, which then led to several simultaneous part-time gigs as a personal trainer in local commercial gyms.

I did that rigmarole for three years.

And then I met some guy named Eric Cressey and we immediately became good friends. I ended up leaving central NY and moved to CT where Eric encouraged me to interview at a gym where he was hired out of grad school.

We worked together for a year and through a series of events decided to move to Boston in the Fall of 2006. It was during this time when I started dabbling in fitness writing. I wasn’t any good then (some may argue I’m no good now), but seeing my first article published on T-Nation was an amazing feeling.10

It wasn’t long after moving to Boston and getting a job at a swanky downtown establishment that an opportunity arose to write a fitness blog for the Boston Herald.

Some of you reading may remember the Step-Up blog. If you do….my sincerest “thank you” for sticking around. I owe you a steak dinner or something.

In the summer of 2007 Eric, myself, and Pete Dupuis opened up Cressey Sports Performance. The rest, as they say, is history.

Since it’s infancy, CSP has grown into one of the most recognizable and respected training facilities in North America (if not the world).

And up until a few months ago, that’s where I happily resided in my little strength and conditioning bubble.

It’s where “the magic happened.”

Yes I was (and am) a co-founder, but as far as the ‘business’ was concerned my main role was to serve as an ambassador for the CSP brand. To help build an army of deadlifting Terminators and 95 MPH baseball throwing assassins.

On the side, however, I was given free-reign to build my own brand underneath the CSP umbrella; to try to make Tony Gentilcore a thing.

I had hoped.

I transitioned my blog on the Boston Herald to my own website and continued to hammer away at building that. The more I wrote, the more I started getting inquires from the likes of T-Nation, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Men’s Fitness, and various other sites and magazines.

Mind you: this was all happening 5-6 YEARS into my career.

I didn’t start with a brand…..I built one.

I’m now 14 years into my career, and finally feel accomplished enough to have a t-shirt.

It’s a lesson I wish more fitness professionals would understand – particularly those just starting out. Many are more enamored with building a brand before building anything.

I’ve seen some trainers who have been training people for less than six-months writing ebooks on how to train people. Worse still, I’ve witnessed some people act as consultants on how to build a successful fitness business, yet don’t run a business.

Let alone a successful one.

And don’t even get me started on Insta-celebrities:

Then again, I’m not the one with millions of followers. FML.

And Yet I Can’t Help (But Sometimes) Feel Like an Impostor

Impostor Syndrome (source Wikipedia):

“Also known as impostor phenomenon or fraud syndrome) is a term coined in 1978 by clinical psychologists Dr. Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes referring to high-achieving individuals marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as “fraud”. Despite external evidence of their competence, those exhibiting the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved.”

I know it’s my own stupid negative self-talk talking, but when people place my name amongst many of the elite coaches in the industry (Mike Boyle, Dan John, Robert dos Remedios, Gray Cook, EC, Mike Robertson, Bret Contreras, Mr. Miyagi, to name a few) I can’t help but revert back to when I was handed my first client back in 2002, and feel woefully ill-prepared and ill-suited to accept such claims.

I mean, these are coaches who I still learn from, who I still feel indebted to for making me better. Who have numerous gyms, products, and speaking tours amongst them.

And now people are inferring I’m on the same level or on par with them?  Pfffft, maybe if you gave me a +47 handicap.

Look Tony’s got a t-shirt. That’s cute.

 

Okay, that’s enough: I know I’m good. I know I’ve helped a lot of people. I feel I’ve done things the right way. I don’t think I’ve made many enemies. And I’ve stayed in my lane.

I’ve written over 1,700 blog posts, countless articles, and have coached innumerable athletes throughout the years. The past few months, since leaving CSP and venturing off on my own, have been equal parts amazing and scary as balls.

I don’t even know what “scary as balls means,” but for the sake of argument lets say it’s somewhere in between Indiana Jones in a snake pit and watching an episode of The Biggest Loser.

As a good friend told me last year:

“There’s a reason who’ve worked so hard to build your own brand the last 10+ years. You’re going to be okay. People want to listen to and support you”

So, Long Story Short: Buy a T-Shirt….;o)

First off: props to Nor East Apparel for their amazing work in getting this t-shirt design made.

I’ll be selling t-shirts directly at the studio, but I’ve also partnered with the site TheLoyalist.com who will be handling both domestic and international orders.

Basically, you go HERE and:

  • Choose from a variety of apparel
    • Regular tee (TG Logo only),
    • Special Edition: “Because Heavy Things Won’t Lift Themselves” tee,
    • Hoodie
    • Sweat pants.
    • Coming soon: skullies, tank-tops, and I don’t know, stemware, glassware, and fuck it…F-16 fighter jets.
  • Choose your material: 100% cotton, 50/5o, or Tri-Blend (<– my personal favorite).
  • Choose color.
  • Increase your level of awesome by 717%

THANK YOU, everyone, for all your support throughout the years. None of this would be possible without your continued readership.

NOTE: Whether you’re breaking PRs, hanging at home, or out fighting crime, be sure to post pics via social media of you wearing your TG apparel. I’d love to see it!

CategoriesMotivational psychology

Ready. Mindset. Lift: Mindfulness For Optimal Workouts

Today’s post comes courtesy of reader’s favorite, and my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis. Both Lisa and Artemis Scantalides will be presenting their I Am Not Afraid To Lift (the Power of Mindset Edition) at Dauntless Fitness & Health in Severna Park, Maryland on April 2, 2016.

For more information and to register go HERE.

Ready. Mindset. Lift

Your day is chock full of tasks, distractions, and to-do’s. Between family and friends, your work, and your workouts, all those texts, emails, television, and other technology-based diversions force you to focus on one thing while doing another.

Multi-tasking is currently the norm in our busy western lifestyles, and although many of us feel that we’re highly skilled at attending to multiple chores and responsibilities at one time, research has demonstrated were actually not very good at it (Medina, 2014).

While attention deficits are higher and multi-talking is standard, the most popular intervention in psychology today is mindfulness.

Applied to many medical and mental health concerns, Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBI’s) have been used to treat anxiety, depression, insomnia, disordered eating, stress management, (Dimidjian & Segal, 2015) and problems with attention (Zylowska, 2012).

Universally, it seems that regardless of how we struggle, one of the current ways to help ourselves is to get mindful.

But what does being mindful even mean? Good question:

“Mindfulness is about being fully aware of whatever is happening in the present moment… mindfulness consists of cultivating awareness of the mind and body and living in the here and now… while mindfulness as a practice is historically rooted in ancient Buddhist meditative disciplines, it’s also a universal practice that anyone can benefit from… some of the greatest benefits of mindfulness come from examining your mental processes in this way, observing them dispassionately, as a scientist would (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010).”

Now, keeping the idea of mindfulness in mind, let’s take a look at your workouts.

Consider the time just before, during, and immediately after your training sessions.

1) What are you doing on the way to your workout? Singing in the car to the 90’s on 9 XM radio (my personal favorite)? Making a to-do list of things to handle tomorrow at work that you forgot about today? Listening to voicemails or catching up on texts? Worrying? Resenting? Inhaling your lunch?

2) When you arrive at the gym, what your the pre-workout routine? Makeup off, hair up, workout clothes on? Is there a special playlist? Magic lifting shoes? A sexy Zoolander look and pec flex all by yourself in the locker room mirrors?

3) And how about during your warm up? Are you focused on the present, noticing how your body responds to stretches, mobility drills, and foam rolling? Are you using positive self-talk to get excited about your deadlifts, or are you still in your inbox, mentally reviewing tasks and to-do’s?

Are you visualizing a perfect RDL, or the content of your refrigerator back at home?

4) Most importantly, how do you feel while all this is going on?

If you are half-awake, hungry, frustrated, or just downright not-feelin’-it, the quality of your workout suffers. More importantly, you miss the opportunity to be ready and present for a highly valued part of your life!

If you’re reading this article and making it to the gym to train regularly, you care. You’re into it. The point is, your values and goals should be on your mind and WITH YOU before, during, and just after your training sessions.

Mentally prepare yourself for your workouts by getting mindful, and practice staying that way before, during, and after your time at the gym.

Let’s review these four phases of your training, and how mindfulness can apply:

Mental Preparation

On your drive, walk, or subway ride to wherever you workout, begin to think about what you’ll be doing, and what you want out of that time and effort. As one of my private clients once taught me, create a space for the workout, with your thoughts.

If you love music, select a song or playlist that will boost your motivation and energy level. Tailor your playlist to your preferred energy level or “vibe” for the best workout for you (this may include Rage against the Machine or Nora Jones).

Remember your fitness or training goals, and connect with whatever affect you have about that (pumped, fired-up, ambitious, and so on). While you drive, change clothes, and otherwise get ready to being training, tune in to the content of your thoughts and feelings. “Weed out” anything unrelated to training, if you can. Make a conscious decision to be present during your workout, and focused on the processes and sensations of your time in the gym, as opposed to people, places, and things outside of the present moment.

Mental Rehearsal During Your Warm-up

Whatever your warm-up routine includes, consider adding a warm-up for your mind. Mental rehearsal, or visualization, enhances performance (Wilson, Peper & Schmid, 2006).

Used by professional athletes and Zen masters alike, rehearsing in your mind can be just as useful as in-the-flesh deliberate practice.

While your mobilizing and foam rolling, create an image in your mind of your “big movement” for the day. Recall an optimal experience you’ve had with this lift, or mentally rehearse all of the technical components of that lift. In my private practice, I routinely create a “script” with my clients so that they have a written narrative for these rehearsals.

Maintain Mindfulness – Be Ready and Present During Your Workout

As you move through your reps and sets, what’s going on up in that noodle of yours?

If you drift away from your pull-ups and into your upcoming work presentation for the finance team, just notice it, recognize that your PowerPoint slides about the TPS report have nothing to contribute to your goal, and return to the present moment.

If this feels difficult, mentally rehearse the exercise, and use self-talk to consciously think your way through the movement.

For example, you could use one of my favorite coaching cues from Arteims, “Get tight to Get light!, and focus on those words during the execution of your pull up. Remember that mindfulness is a practice – not a perfect state at which to arrive and never leave.

Review the Data

Upon finishing your workout, you may quickly move on to the next task, begin to think about a pressing errand, or free fall into worries and stressors outside of the gym.

As you grab your bag, jump in your car or on the train, and move on with your day, try to take at least 60 seconds to evaluate what just happened.

How did it go? Just like a scientist reviewing the data, you have a fresh set of experiences to observe.

Anything ouchie or awesome today?

Did you increase your weight or reps on an exercise?

If it was a tougher workout than usual, or just no fun, what could have been contributing factors?

These observations can help to acknowledge elements that help and harm your workout quality, and to identify new goals for future performances.

Many of us go elsewhere during our day.

Focusing on the future and worrying about what may happen brings anxiety; reciprocally, thoughts stuck in the past bring us regret, disappointment, and feelings of depression. The present moment is where it’s at!

When you are at work – be at work. When you are with your loved ones – be in the room and tuned into the conversation. When you are at the gym, keep your mind in your body, on your weights, and aligned with your goals and the process of achieving them.

You may be reading this and thinking, “easier said than done!!”

Remember that we are what we practice doing, and so your mind is currently automated to go and do wherever it is going, and whatever it is doing; to change that pattern requires deliberate practice and conscious effort on your part – just like changing a hip hinge pattern.

If you decide to practice mindfulness before, during and/or after your workouts, remember that you are developing your mental muscles. It will take time.

On stressful days, or days when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (HALT), you may return to your automated thoughts and foci. Try not to judge that. It’s just data. You can notice it, let it go, and come back to your present moment and the task-at-hand.

Remember that your workout belongs to you – not your boss, your significant other, your kids, or the other important relationships that often hijack our thoughts. Compartmentalize your thoughts so that you can think about your body, your health, and your fitness while you are actively working on that part of your life. And always, always, remember to enjoy!

Dimidjian, S. & Segal, Z (2015). Prospects for a clinical science of mindfulness-based intervention. American Psychologist, 70, 7, 593-620.

Medina, J. (2014). Brain Rules. Pear Press, Seattle.

Stahl, B. & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Oakland, CA.

Wilson, V., Peper, E., & Schmid, A. (2006). Strategies for training concentration. Book Chapter from Applied Sport Psychology, Williams, J. ED. McGraw-Hill, NY.

Zylowska, L. (2012). The mindfulness prescription for adult ADHD: an 8-step program for strengthening attention, managing emotions, and achieving your goals. Trumpeter Books, Boston.

Categoriescoaching Motivational personal training

Doing Your Time: The Value of a Good Strength and Conditioning Internship

I never quite understand the infatuation some fitness professionals have with telling the world how much they’re “grinding” or hustling.” As if to imply their work ethic deserves more praise than the thousands of other coaches and trainers getting up early to, you know, go to work.

What’s more, those who continuously gloat about their grinding prowess and how “busy” they are sure do have a lot of extra time to post 37 different reminders on social media about it.

Of course, this isn’t to insinuate that people don’t actually work their butts off and have a right to brag about it. Someone like Eric Cressey or Joe Dowdell or David Dellanave or Molly Galbraith or Mike Reinold or Mike Robertson or Cassandra Forsythe or any number of fitness pros I know11 who have built a successful fitness business (and have unmatched work ethic) can do whatever the heck they want!

Here’s the kicker, though: they’re not the ones on Twitter and Instagram belaboring over the grind.

In my experience, those who do go out of their way to routinely market to the world about their hustling ways, are generally working exponentially harder to maintain the facade.

A facade that does nothing but mask what’s really going on.

He or she gets up like everyone else, trains people 4-5x per week like everyone else, and takes weekends off like everyone else.

In short: nothing special.

Nevertheless, all of this is to say that hard work – REAL hard work – does enter the conversation and matters. The fitness industry is one super saturated mess and everyone is vying for a piece of the pie.

Everyone is trying to separate themselves from the masses by worrying, first, how to market themselves or “build a brand” before gaining any experience and skills that will actually make themselves marketable.

Most often without understanding that – and please forgive the cliche – there’s a degree of “paying your dues and putting in the time” that’s involved.

“Putting in the time” is not referring to setting up twelve different social media platforms and posting videos of yourself talking to the camera about “time saving hacks” or what you had for breakfast while you’re driving down the highway.

Come on! You’re not that busy that you can’t sit down and talk without risking the lives of other drivers.

Don’t get me wrong: I understand that in today’s world part of running a successful business is staying on task with technology and understanding how to utilize it to build a brand. I’m not a hypocrite.

However, I’m referring to real work.

Real interactions with real people during real training sessions.

Basically, building real skills.

It’s a lesson many up and coming fitness pros need to understand.

It’s not sexy, but it’s what works and helps builds integrity, resiliency, and character. Annnnnd, I’m getting a bit too ranty and taking away the spotlight from today’s guest post.

Recent Cressey Sports Performance coach (and intern), Ricky Kompf, had a similar message to say on the matter. I encourage all young fitness professionals to give it a read below.

Doing Your Time: The Value of a Good Internship

Have you ever heard of the phrase….

“If you’re good at something never do it for free”?

When it comes to being good at your future career (especially in the fitness industry) the phrase should really go…

“If you’re good at something never do it for free and the road to being good at something is paved with a whole lot of free labor.”

Not as catchy but a lot more accurate.

When you begin your career in the fitness industry it’s hard to get a whole lot of hours of experience right away. Most of the time you’ll be in a situation where you are in a commercial gym and you’ll have to build up your clientele in order to get more experience.

Depending on where you are it can take a while to build up the hours you need in order to be a good coach.

With internships you have those hours right away and you’ll be able to hone your craft, become a great coach and build up confidence within yourself…all while under the mentorship of more experienced individuals.

I am a better coach now than I was seven months ago, and I owe that to my internship experience.

The value of a good internship will help you make leaps and bounds in your career as an up and coming fitness professional. Internships give you the opportunity to gain experience, be mentored by some of the top professionals in your field, work with the population you want to work with and expand your network.

I’ve been a personal trainer for two and a half years and have been lucky enough to have some influential people guide me along the way. This led me to take part in two internships that have been the greatest learning experience in my young career.

My first internship was at a successful training facility in Rockland New York called Rockland Peak Performance (RPP).

For three months I worked close to 40 hours a week with a wide variety of clientele that I had previously never been exposed to. This included youth, collegiate, and professional athletes all the way to general population clients of all ages and backgrounds.

As soon as I finished at RPP, I went directly to Massachusetts to start my second internship at Cressey Sports Performance.

For the next four months I honed my craft 32 hours a week coaching on the floor of CSP and worked alongside arguably some of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the country.

Tallying up close to 1,000 hours of experience right off the bat after graduating.

Not too shabby I’d say!

Never under estimate the value a good mentor.

The people you surround yourself with will have huge impact on who you are and who you will become as a person and a professional. When you place yourself in a situation where you are surrounded by people who are successful and good at what they do you have a better understanding as to how you can get there too.

Working with others who have a strong desire to learn and become better is a major benefit to a good internship.

A good coach’s commitment to become better may have a positive impact on you. You may find yourself picking up on the behaviors and habits they have that make them successful. I’ve always seen myself as a hard worker, but throughout my internship experience the phrase work ethic has taken on a new meaning to me. The habits I’ve developed over the past seven months have made me better and more efficient at coaching and communicating with others.

One of the least talked about advantages of pursuing an internship of your liking, is that you can choose the population you want to work with.

In the beginning of your career you have to build up your clientele…meaning you can’t choose who you want to work with; not when bills need to be paid.

By going through an internship you have the opportunity to work with the population you might want to specialize in.

Note From TG: Conversely, it opens up the possibility you may dislike it and realize what you thought you liked, you don’t. In their book, Decisive, Chip and Dan Heath calls this an “ooch,” or, a way to test one’s hypothesis or experience a small sample size.

You may in turn use that as a way to market yourself in the future.

Baseball players come to Cressey Performance because CSP is known for being the go to place to train if you are a baseball player. When you have experience with a certain population that population is more likely to pay for your services.

Finally an internship is a great networking opportunity.

Building a good network in the fitness industry gets you jobs and more clients. Knowing people who know people opens the door to where you want to be.

For example, as a previous Cressey Performance intern, you are a part of a CSP alumni intern page where job opportunities are posted regularly. This is because people in the fitness field know how good of an internship process CSP has and come to Pete and Eric asking if they know anyone good to fill a position at their facility (chances are, they do).

If you have an internship opportunity and are hesitant because it is unpaid, I highly encourage you to consider the opportunities that will open up from the experience.

If you are required to go through an internship as part of your undergraduate degree I encourage you to look at it as an investment in yourself.

Go for the internship that you will be challenged the most from.

This will give you the foundation that you need in order to become successful in this field.

About the Author

Rick Kompf is a SUNY Cortland Graduate with a degree in Kinesiology and a concentration in fitness Development. After completing his degree he went on to perform seven months of unpaid internships and is currently a Personal Trainer for Trillium Personal fitness in Syracuse New York.

Also the Founder of GainzTheoryFitness.com.

CategoriesMotivational rant

I’m Not a Businessman. I’m a Business, Man.

Any hip-hop junkie will recognize the title of today’s post.

It’s a quote from Jay-Z.

I’m in no way putting myself in the same company as one of rap’s biggest historic moguls, but I felt the title was appropriate given the context of what I wanted to write about today.

It’s something I rarely broach on this website, yet it’s an integral component to just about every fitness professional’s day to day life.

Surprisingly, I’m not referring to energy drinks. Or protein.

Let’s Talk a Little Fitness Business Mmmkay?

It’s been a little over two months since I left Cressey Sports Performance to pursue other opportunities and my own “thing” in Boston.

NOTE: I put quotations around “thing” not as some ubiquitous attempt to insinuate I have no plan. I do! But, well, just keep reading……

Since leaving CSP things have been great. Life has had a nice pace to it.

I’ve been able to keep up with writing and running this website while also building whatever it is I’m building here in Boston. I.e., a small army of deadlifting psychopaths…;o)

As it happened, maybe a week or two ago, Pete and I were texting back and forth and he mentioned that it would be interesting if I spoke to what it’s been like for me during this transitional phase in my life. What have been some of the hardships (if any?) and lessons I’ve learned in starting my own “thing.”

Sorry, there’s that word again.

The “Thing”

At the CSP staff Christmas Party this past weekend, Mike Reinold and I were chatting about how hard and impossible it must feel for upcoming fitness professionals to make a name for themselves.

On one side of the fence the internet has made everything – and everyone – more accessible. Fitness celebrities and can be constructed in a matter of months.

On the other side, however, the market is so saturated with Instagram feeds, Facebook likes, websites, blogs, and hashtags that everything – and everyone – is seemingly invisible.

There’s too much noise.

When we opened CSP back in the summer of 2007, I had already been working as a trainer for five years and writing on my own website and sites like T-Nation for a little over a year (my first article on T-Nation was published in 2006).

I joined Facebook not long after with little comprehension of A) knowing what the hell it was and B) definitely not knowing what it would become. Nonetheless I crushed LOLCats on it.

Likewise, I joined Twitter in 2010. Again, not really understanding what the point was. All I knew was that all the cool kids were doing it.

The important thing to consider, though – and this is where many upcoming fitness pros miss the boat – is that I didn’t initially use any of those platforms to build my brand or market myself or use them to build some semblance of “fake experience.”

I spent years training and coaching people before any of that shit entered the equation or even mattered.

Too, I spent over a year writing to the 10 people who read my blog – for free – before I got my first break on T-Nation.

Long story short: I did the work. I worked the long hours, I trained hundreds and hundreds of people, got up early/stayed up late, and I paid my dues. The work is what helped to mold me as a professional. Not the race to accumulate friends and arbitrary “likes” and “shares”

But I also recognize I lucked out to a degree.

I was an early adopter of all those social media thingamabobbers (particularly blogging). Today I’d feel super intimidated if I were to start a blog.

Another thing I lucked out with was having Eric and Pete in my corner….and I feel they would corroborate the sentiment: me being in their corner as well.

Eric: There is only one Eric Cressey. The man is a machine and has the work ethic of a rabid rhinoceros. I don’t even know that means, but suffice it to say that it’s hard to know someone for a decade, live with them for two years, start a business, and not have some of their traits and habits rub off on you.

Pete: Part of what I feel made CSP so successful to begin with was because Pete assumed the role of “business guy” from the start. He was the one responsible for scheduling, invoicing, taking phone calls, ordering equipment, negotiating the lease, and all the other dirty work many people can’t fathom or appreciate.

This allowed Eric and I to do what we do best…..coach!

And argue over the music.

All of This To Say….

I have NO interest in opening or owning my own facility.12

I’ve spent over a decade building my own brand and a “business,” but I am in no way, shape, or form a businessman.

I think one of the biggest fallacies in fitness is thinking that the end-all-be-all destination is to be a gym owner.

Ask ten young trainers/coaches what their end-goal is and I’m willing to bet 80-90% of them will raise their hand and say “to watch Tony Gentilcore train shirtless to own my own facility someday.”

It’s a respectable goal to have; albeit a lofty one.

Strength coach, Clifton Harski, has this to say on the matter (and I tend to agree):

“I would wager that over half of gym owners did it due to their own EGO and an initial goal they had when they started – which they never really thought to reevaluate over time. It seems like the next logical step for someone. However, it’s not – quite often.”

Moreover, I feel there’s an “expectation management” gap that exists when it comes to gym ownership. The expectation is that someone decides to open a gym, they buy a bunch of fancy equipment, and they think that by turning on the lights that a drove of people are just going to show up and hand over their money.

Realistically, someone will come up with the idea of opening up their own facility, buy a bunch of fancy equipment, make sure the electricity is turned on (always an important step), and then are quick to realize it’s not as much of a cake walk as they had originally planned.

(NOTE: there’s nothing I can say with regards to fitness business that Pete hasn’t discussed over on his website. I’d highly encourage you to check it out (linked to above) and thank me later)

This is what I like to call the “Commercial Gym Trainer Conundrum.”

Typically what happens is that someone who’s been working at a commercial gym for all of two weeks thinks they’re getting screwed by the man. I mean, they’re the one doing all the work, right? Yet, they’re only getting 1/3 of the cost of a training session, and the gym is just pocketing the rest. Like a bunch of a-holes.

Um, no.

The “man” is paying your health insurance, taking care of utilities, equipment upkeep and replacement, and ensuring the rent/lease is paid each month. And this doesn’t even take into account paying the salaries of any support staff – janitorial, front desk, etc – in addition to any CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charges that may exist (snow removal, landscaping, building upkeep).

ALL of these will be YOUR problem the second you open up your own facility. In addition to things like lead generation, scheduling, invoicing, bookkeeping, to add on top of your coaching and programming responsibilities (which can vary depending your business model).

Oh, and the case of phantom explosive diarrhea in the bathroom…guess who’s cleaning that up?

Dean Somerset wrote an excellent article on why being a commercial gym trainer isn’t such a bad thing.

I don’t know about you, but none of that sounds fun to me. I’d rather jump into a shark’s mouth. Which is why I had to sit down and figure out what it is I wanted to do for the next 5-10 years of my life and what was going to be right fit.

I had to have a hard conversation with myself and come to the realization that I AM NOT A BUSINESSMAN.

Don’t get me wrong, I run a business – coaching, writing, this website, speaking engagements – but I don’t consider myself a businessman in the sense of having the desire to own and run a facility.

So, To Conclude My Rambling

1.  I’m sub-leasing in Boston at a space called Run Strong Studio. I have no overhead other than paying “rent” for the time I use, and paying for my own liability insurance (via the NSCA).

It’s the right fit for ME.

2. I did purchase around $5000 of my own equipment to get started (which I can write off for tax purposes), but I made sure to give myself a HARD AUDIT as to what I’d really need.

This is a mistake many fitness professionals make. Their eyes are often bigger than their wallets and they end up purchasing equipment that’s 1) cool and only they’ll use or 2) takes up too much space.

Think of if this way: Power rack = something everyone will use. Big, fancy leg press = not so much.

3. And speaking of taxes: GET A GOOD ACCOUNTANT!!! I’ve had the same one for five years and he’s more of less my BFF.

4. My goals at this stage in my career is to coach 20 or so hours per week, which still allows me plenty of time to keep up my writing responsibilities and allow for windows of travel for workshops.

[It’s funny: many trainers/coaches want the same scenario that I am doing right now, but fail to understand I spent 13 years coaching people and writing 1,800 blog posts and countless articles to get there.]

Could I coach more if I wanted? Yes, and, honestly, I could make more money if I did so. However, I love the freedom and autonomy I have now.

I mean, if I want to go to an afternoon matinee or, I don’t know, practice my nunchuck skills, I can.

Autonomy is sweet.

I remember reading something somewhere (<— how’s that for a citation) that many people feel happier and more fulfilled being their own boss….despite making less money.

I have to say, I concur.

5. You’re only as good as your systems.

Knowing my limitations, and after asking several colleagues, I signed up for a service called Front Desk, and it’s been spectacular.

Any peace of mind I can give myself in terms of management of money and “systemizing” things is all good in my book.

My eight years at CSP helped to prepare me (and dampen) the inevitable failures I’ll come across on my own. However, I’m a firm believer that you learn more in failure than you ever do in success.

And in the end, that’s some solid business advice.