CategoriesMotivational

The Next Chapter: Reflecting On 8 Years at Cressey Sports Performance

FYI: this post is approximately 91% about me. Okay, 92%. Good news for those of you who’s favorite topic is Tony Gentilcore!

And good news for me, because I love writing about me.

In case you haven’t heard the news or have been out of the loop for the past week, I am no longer coaching at Cressey Sports Performance.

Contrary to typical fitness industry shenanigans when a co-founder and figure-head decides to part ways with a facility and institution he helped establish and build, the news comes with zero percent hard feelings, animosity, or any semblance of ill will.

In fact it comes with a degree of excitement.

Truth be told: it’s a decision – while not easy to make – has been slowly marinating for a few months (if not several months) on my end.

I reached a proverbial “tipping point” not too long ago when an opportunity arose that I couldn’t really pass up. No, I didn’t come to realization I was a boy wizard. No, I wasn’t asked to be the strength coach for team Victoria Secret. And no, I wasn’t hand selected by director Zack Snyder to play the next Superman.

Legitimate guesses on your end though.

No, an opportunity came up in Boston that will allow me (and my wife) to plan a head for our future while at the same time allotting me a degree of autonomy I couldn’t pass up.

I’ll tell you the details, but you have to keep reading. A little written prose foreplay first.

When It All Started

Some of you reading know the back story of Cressey Sports Performance. For those that don’t it literally started with a phone call.

Things fell through where Eric was working as a coach (as an independent contractor) and he called Pete Dupuis and left a voice mail saying:

“Dude, it’s time. Want to open up a gym?”

It was a well timed and fortuitous call because Pete was, in fact, out playing a round of golf waiting to hear back on another job offer.

If Eric had waited 30 minutes, CSP would have been out of a co-founder and one of the best fitness business minds in the industry.

Yep, that guy. 

But just so you know that Pete doesn’t make a habit of living a “sun’s out guns out” lifestyle at the office all time, here he is all cleaned up and professional looking:

Pete once wore sweatpants to a roundtable event at his alma mater, Babson College, geared towards business students who were given the opportunity to pepper local, successful, entrepreneurs with questions.  Straight up boss. And he can kick Chuck Norris’s ass.

Eric and I were roommates at the time, and he didn’t even finish the sentence “hey dude, I’m starting a gym do you want to……” before I was tearing off my commercial gym shirt Hulk Hogan style and giving my two weeks notice.

And off we went. The three of us. To start a gym.

Two 25 year olds and a balding 30 year old, all of whom had zero business experience what-s0-ever. The odds of everything panning out where on par with the odds of Godzilla losing a fight to a building made out of wet spaghetti.

7 out of 10 new small businesses last at least 2 years, half at least 5 years.

We ended up finding space to rent inside an indoor batting cage facility in Hudson, MA. We set up shop in the corner with nothing more than a barbell, a few plates, a sled, and one of those forearm gripper thingamajigs that had a weight plate attached to a rope.

And this was what the first iteration of CSP looked like:

You can see the limited gym equipment piled in the middle, but we still managed to train people.

We eventually put up our own walls and office space and stuff – 2200 square ft in all – but our roots were minimal to say the least.

[Best piece of advice to ANYONE interested in starting their own facility: START SMALL!]

We already had a decent sized client roster of local high-school baseball players that Eric had been working with at his previous location, and I had a handful of clients follow me from my previous location as well.

And things ballooned from there.

We started getting some local college players and general fitness enthusiasts (thanks in part to mine and Eric’s growing web presence), and that parlayed into a few local New England based professional baseball players starting to make their way in.

Including Tim Collins.

Little did we know at the time that the quiet, scrawny, 135 lb left-hander from Worcester, MA who wasn’t recruited by any Division I,II, or III college, but was eventually spotted by JP Ricciardi (then the General Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays) at a summer baseball game and signed to a professional contract, would grow into a bonafide Big League pitcher with the Kansas City Royals (not to mention an unofficial – but really official – CSP staff member).

I’m not going to wax poetic on every prospect or nook and cranny of growth we’ve ever accomplished in our history. But lets just say: we’re the shit holy cow I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.

Never in a million years would I have guessed as a teenager growing up in Central NY that I’d have the opportunity to work with hundreds of professional baseball players as a strength coach. Or that I’d get paid to do what I do on a daily basis, and wear sweat pants doing it.

What started as a 2200 square ft. facility which required a tetanus shot to even use the bathrooms (<– only a slight exaggeration) grew enough to warrant three expansions and a renowned reputation as one of the premier strength and conditioning facilities in the world.

Words can’t even begin to describe how grateful and proud I am to have been associated with not only the initial beginnings of CSP, but to have witnessed it’s growth and help foster it’s unique culture as well.

 

NOTE: sick bicep pose at 0:33. Just sayin….

  • We’ve worked with thousands of clients and athletes from all over the U.S and world. Name a sport we’ve (probably) worked with an athlete who plays it. Name an injury we’ve (probably) worked with an individual who’s succumbed to it.
  • We’ve had the opportunity to see 100s of interns and coaches walk through our doors – many of which have gone on to successful careers in their own right.
  • I’ve made Eric’s ears bleed innumerable times with all the amount of EDM (Electrical Dance Music) I’ve played.

It’s been an amazing ride with an abyss of PRs and laughs.

Did you know wearing CSP gear increases general level of badassery and sexiness by 717%?

Or that we don’t just test deadlift 1RMs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cXoNPTbe8s

And that during off-hours these sort of shenanigans take place?

Or that, contrary to popular belief, we don’t just train baseball players?

And, finally, that I can crush a finisher while listening to John Mayer?

 

All Kidding Aside

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to call Cressey Sports Performance my fitness “home” for the past eight years. I’d be remiss not to give credit where it’s due and concede that much of the success in my career has been because of CSP (and by extension, Eric).

Little do people know that Eric and I met on the internet. No lie.

And we didn’t meet at a time when that was just what people did either.

This was pre-Facebook. Pre-Tinder. Pre-text messaging. It was basically Creepy McCreepypants territory to say you met someone online; much less someone you’d inform your family that you’re going to quit your job in NY and move to CT to work and live with.

“Hey family, I’m moving to Connecticut to work with some dude named Eric. Oh, and we met on the internet. He’s totally not an ax-murderer, Mom. Promise!”

I think it’s safe to say that things turned out more than okay.

Eric’s been a major influence on me the past decade – both professionally and personally1– and I’m forever indebted to him for helping to “catapult” my career.

As it happened, it was through him why I pursued writing in the first place. Eric served as my first editor in fact.

It was via Eric that I was able to leave my comfort zone. I never would have left NY if it weren’t for him.

I mean, who knows where I’d be today?

Still a personal trainer at Bally Total Fitness in Syracuse, NY? Maybe a strength coach for a local high school near my home town? Most likely a professional grizzly bear arm wrestler.

Point is: it’s hard to fathom not being where I am today without having crossed paths with Eric.

I could make the case I never would have met my wife, Lisa.

All Of This To Say

I’m nervous to be leaving Cressey Sports Performance. Without sounding overly dramatic, a part of me feels naked and vulnerable to say I won’t be there on a day-t0-day basis anymore.

I know I’ve worked hard and performed the bulk of grunt work to build my own brand and make a name for myself in the industry, but it’s hard to picture myself not coaching with the #CSPFamily insignia hovering over my shoulder.

I’m nervous. Nervous as balls. Whatever that means.

It may sound silly, but a portion of me feels I’m losing a sense of prestige in stepping away.

But it’s that sense or nervousness and uncharted waters that will help propel me to continue to work hard and succeed in turning the page in my life.

I’ll miss a lot of things.

What I’ll miss most, though, is being around the other coaches. I am not kidding when I say I’ve been incredibly lucky to coach alongside some of the best coaches out there: Chris Howard, Greg Robins, Andrew Zomberg, George Kalantzis, Tony Bonvechio, Matt Blake, and Miguel Aragoncillo[/efn_note]Chingeda. Sorry, inside joke[/efn_note] (in addition to the un-sung hero of CSP, office manager, Stacie Leary).

All of them have kept me sharp as a coach and I was/am always amazed at how passionate, in-tune, and willing they were/are to always strive to get better.

TO ALL OF YOU (as well as past coaches/staff: Brian St. Pierre, George Abele, Michelle Elwell, Brittany Morgan): Here’s hoping I can continue to live up to the high standard of professionalism, integrity, and expectations you all have helped me mold and strive to attain.

I know I will. But thank you nonetheless.

Too, THANK YOU to the endless array of athletes and clients (some of which have become close friends) whom I’ve had the privilege to work with over the last several years.

It’s been a more than rewarding ride for me and I wish you all well.

So, What Now?

  • Cry? Did that.
  • Binge watch a new television show? Yep, Narcos.
  • Hang out with my cat, Dagny? Come on…of course.

What about starting my own “gig” in Boston?

Hell to the yes!

I’ve spent the better part of the past few days purchasing and collecting equipment – plates, barbells, matting, power rack, life size replica of He-Man, you know the important stuff – to outfit a small studio space in Brookline about a mile and half from my apartment2

For now I’ll be sub-leasing space at an already existing studio and blocking off times to train people in a semi-private format (groups of 2-4). I’m still in the throes of figuring out my schedule, but for now here’s what I envision happening:

Techno, techno, techno, AND MORE TECHNO.3

No shirt Saturdays. Kidding.4[

And lots of deadlifts.

My goal is to start this shindig towards the middle-end of October, and of course I have an open client roster.

Soooooooo, [cue bashful pose kicking dirt with feet] call or email me if interested? Please. I’ll be your BFF.

In all seriousness, if you’re interested in hearing more about what I’ll be offering shoot me an email and I’ll be happy to fill you in on the deets.

And on that note

Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you. I have more great memories than I could have ever possibly asked for.

The only way to appropriately summarize what I have to say is to defer to Boyz II Men.

Thanks again Cressey Sports Performance. I will miss you.

 

CategoriesMotivational psychology

Find Your Flow With Metacognition

My wife, Lisa, is taking the reigns today. She’s teaming with Artemis Scantalides for the I Am Not Afraid To Lift workshop at Iron Body Studios this November, and will speak to more of the psychological barriers that exist which often stagnate people’s progress in the gym.

We’re often our own worst enemy, and our inner dialogue can play tricky – sometimes harmful – games with our mind(s).

Lisa’s a psychologist (pretty much the best one in the world)5, leads an active lifestyle (she lifts heavy things and teaches several spin classes a week. So, you could say she’s a doctor who actually lifts), and sees a ton of value in combining both the power of the mind and the power of the barbell and using them in a synergistic manner.

In today’s post she discusses the concept of Metacognition, which sounds like an X-Men character but it’s not. It’s still cool though. You should totes read about it below.

Enjoy,.

Find Your “Flow” With Metacognition

Think about your thinking. Right at this moment.

What’s running through your mind right now? In that last minute? In the last hour? Sure, you’re reading these sentences, and maybe thinking about them, but you’re probably also thinking about one, or two, or seven other things, right now.

Before you continue reading, take a minute to observe your thoughts. If that’s too long, shoot for 30 seconds – you can set a timer. Don’t change them, just notice. Eyes open or closed, being still or moving… listen to your inner monologue…

What did you notice? Positive thoughts? Negative thoughts? Worries? Day dreams? Shoulds? To-Do’s? Hopes? Judgments?

Your thoughts are layered.

Your thoughts are constant.

Your thoughts influence your feelings and shape your behavior.

The exciting part is, you can control your very own thoughts and use them to improve every aspect of your life: work, relationships, and your training. You can learn what thoughts are helpful, and which aren’t, and then you can use them, shape them, change and augment them, to enhance your performance and your passion for your goals.

Thinking about thinking, or metacognition, is one of the nifty skills that set us humans apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. Not only can we be aware of our thoughts and reflect on them, but we can consciously change them.

When your thoughts are connected to the present moment, your emotions and behaviors will be as well. When your thoughts align with your goals, you are at your best; in your Zone! In other words, 100% percent of your thoughts are focused on your training. What do you do, or what can you do, to get yourself 100% present and focused on your workout?

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, one of my favorite psychologists, studied being in the zone, or what he calls “Flow” (1990). I’ve heard athletes and clients call it their “vibe”, or “space”, but whatever you call it, that’s the place you want to be when you train. Being in flow means that your mindset contains only constructive thoughts about the present moment. It means you and your thoughts are fully engaged in a goal-directed activity. Csikszentmihalyi explains:

“The optimal state of inner experience is one in which there is order in consciousness. This happens when psychic energy – or attention – is invested in realistic goals, and when skills match the opportunities for action. The pursuit of a goal brings order in awareness because a person must concentrate attention on the task at hand and momentarily forget everything else… By stretching skills, by reaching toward higher challenges, a person becomes an increasingly extraordinary individual” (p. 6).

When you train, what is the content of your thoughts?

One way I ask clients about this is by asking them to visualize their own mental pie chart.

If you can imagine a pie chart that represents all the various thoughts and appraisals you have during your training sessions, what are the slices inside the pie? How much space does each slice take up?

Are your thoughts unified and present, or are they splintered and disconnected from your workout?

Are you squatting while wondering about your email?

Swinging a kettlebell and taking an inventory of what’s in the fridge to whip up for dinner later on?

Thinking of some moron who never texted you back, or that tricky situation with your boss, and feeling angry or badly about yourself while trying to bench press?

Being one place in your mind and another with your body can impair performance and suck all the fun out of your training. When you are in the present moment, and your thoughts, feelings, and actions are lined up, fired up, and rolling along in your zone, you love it! It helps you, it changes you. It creates an opportunity for you to become better than you are.

The benefits to being in the zone, or flow, are both physical and psychological.

Your performance is maximized when you are present and focused on your training, which means you can train harder and progress more efficiently toward your goal. In addition, being in flow while training improves well-being, enjoyment of a goal directed activity, and leads to happiness, both in and out of the gym.

So, how about thinking about your thinking, and making some changes, in the name of better workouts?

Increased happiness? Bigger lifts?

To do this, you want to:

1. Minimize unrelated and distracting thoughts during your workout (those would be about errands, emails, relationships, and on and on) and,

2. Negative thoughts about your self, or negative self talk (“What if I can’t do the pull up and people at the gym see me look ridiculous?” or “I’ll never be able to deadlift 2x body weight.”).

Instead, your mental pie chart should be comprised of:

1. Task oriented thoughts and goals (“Inhale, hinge, sit back, drive, follow through!”), and

2. Positive self talk (“I can push myself and progress my training to do a pull up… I love to deadlift and know I can keep working hard and improve my PR!”)

Your prefrontal cortex is a highly evolved, super-fast, multitasking mammajamma, that communicates with your body, your awareness, and your emotions, to push you, drive you, and propel you toward your goals.

You may not be able to control your feelings, but you can control your thoughts. Then thoughts shape feelings. And feelings shape behavior. Your behavior will then impact your thoughts, and the cycle can either be facilitative or detrimental to your performance, your goals, and your enjoyment of your pursuits.

You can improve your training by honing your mental skills.

You can progress your mental fitness, or mental toughness, by creating a mindset that is 100% focused on your goals and fully present during your workout.

I hope thinking about your thinking can help you with your very next workout!

Just begin by noticing the content of your thoughts.

Visualize your mental pie chart, and take a look at what’s inside.

Then identify useful cues and positive statements about yourself and your training to facilitate your goals. Finally, practice! The same way you practice your physical skills, being 100% present and mentally tough means that you practice positive self talk over, and over, and over again. Thank you for reading.

I Am Not Afraid to Lift Workshop

Still interested in learning more?

I’ll be joining Artemis on November 7th  at Iron Body Studios just outside of Boston to provide psychological consultation at the I Am Not Afraid To Lift workshop!

Mental skills including positive self talk and goal setting techniques will be reviewed in conjunction with physical skills. If you’re interested, hope to see you there!

Learn more and register for I Am Not Afraid To Lift below…

Early bird ends on October 11, 2015.

Learn more about the workshop HERE.

Register for the workshop HERE under the “Events” tab.

About the Author

Dr. Lisa Lewis is a licensed psychologist with a passion for wellness and fitness. She earned her doctorate in counseling psychology with a specialization in sport psychology at Boston University, and her doctoral research focused on exercise motivation. She uses a strength-based, solution-focused approach and most enjoys working with athletes and athletically-minded clients who are working toward a specific goal or achievement.

Lisa is also a certified drug and alcohol counselor, and has taught undergraduate courses as an adjunct professor at Salem University, Wheelock College, and Northeastern University in courses including exercise psychology, developmental psychology, and abnormal psychology. Lisa currently works as the assistant director of a college counseling center in Boston, MA, and she has a small private practice in the nearby town of Brookline.

As a new addition to the “I Am Not Afraid To Lift” workshop, Lisa will integrate mental skills into the physical skills training of the day. Mental skills can enhance performance, maximize motivation and prevent barriers like negative thinking, fear, and self-doubt from interfering with goals.

CategoriesMotivational rant

The Law of Repeated Exposures and How It Can Help You Master Any Topic

As most who read this site know I spent this past weekend in St. Louis with Dean Somerset teaching our Complete Shoulder & Hip Workshop6 to a group of 25 personal trainers, coaches, and PTs at Blue Ocean Fitness located just outside of the city itself, in Chesterfield (if you’re in the area, give John Farkas a call. Great coach and amazing staff). In addition, I spent the last few days eating a fair amount of dead animal flesh.

For as much as Kansas City gets all the BBQ hype (and with good reason, it’s delicious), I have to say…St. Louis ranks right up there too.

Pulled pork aside, the entire weekend was a success – no one left early or asked for their money back. And from what I could tell everyone who attended walked away with a number of ah-HA moments.

A few “big rock” examples:

1. Shoulder assessment is much more in depth than only paying attention to anterior-posterior imbalances (rounded back). It’s crucial to pay close attention to superior-inferior imbalances as well; the ability to upwardly rotate the scapulae and control, eccentrically, downward rotation.

2. If someone lacks the ability to achieve ample shoulder flexion, they probably shouldn’t be performing overhead pressing, snatches for AMRAP, or kipping pull-ups. Ever.

3. The term “shoulder stability” is kind of a misnomer. Stability suggests broad bony structures and ligamentous attachments. This has nothing to do with the scapulae. Instead, a better term – I stole from Sue Falsone – is controlled scapular mobility.

4. The “anti-flexion” movement has given rise to a host of other equally deleterious imbalances to shoulder (and spinal) health; namely those “stuck” in gross extension, and subsequently depressed/low shoulder girdles and downwardly rotated scapulae.

This is important because how you go about “treating” and programming for these individuals will often be in stark contrast to the likes of computer guy (and zombies), who are stuck in flexion. For instance, for those in a more extended posture it’s not uncommon to hammer upper trap activation to help improve scapular upward rotation.

Something most “computer guys” won’t need. They may need to improve upward rotation, but NOT by means of MORE upper trap activation.

5. Not everyone is meant – or designed (we need to appreciate and respect people’s anatomy and bony limitations) – to squat ass-to-grass. The internet disagrees and it can go fuck itself.

6. Perceived mobility restrictions could very well be lack of motor control and/or instability. Don’t assume limited ROM in any movement means you need to stretch for endless hours or “smash” a muscle with a foam roller, lacrosse ball, barbell, or for the more hardcore SMR types, a live grenade.

Aggressive soft tissue work has a time and place, but I do feel many take it too far.

7. Along those same lines, improving proximal stability with things like plank variations and rolling patterns – to help aid core firing and stability – will result in improved distal mobility.

Dean and I didn’t film our lecture(s), but I encourage you to watch the video below of Dr. Perry Nickelston discussing the soft roll.

 

Also here’s an older video of Dean going all Gandalf on people, showcasing the power of planks at improving hip range of motion.

 

And here’s a video of me stabbing a SWISS ball. Because, corrective exercise.

 

And now it’s all over.

As the case is every time I complete a workshop, I did what any self-proclaimed introvert would do: collapsed on my hotel bed, vegged out, and binge watched HGTV.

What can I say: Nothing says I live life dangerously more than House Hunters and Property Brothers.

It was an early wake-up call this morning, and as I type these words on my keyboard I’m sitting here in the airport waiting for my flight to Cincinnati where I’ll connect back to Boston.

I didn’t have anything concrete to write about today, but then I remembered a question one of the attendees of the workshop this past weekend asked me prior to starting on Saturday:

“How did you get so good with shoulder stuff? Where did you learn it from?”

It was a huge compliment. It made me feel good. But it also caught me a little off guard, because I don’t consider myself anything special with regards to shoulder knowledge.

If we’re discussing the ability to quote the movie GoodFellas, regurgitate random Mark McGwire baseball statistics, and list, alphabetically, the name of each character to die in Game of Thrones…then I’m the shit.

But shoulders? I guess I’m okay. I’m also my own worst critic. I know I know a thing or two.

However, I think anyone would feel inferior in this department if one of their best friends was Eric Cressey.

Then again, that’s part of the reason I’m comfortable with the topic.

That and what I wanted to briefly discuss today:

The Law of Repeated Exposure(s)

Mind you, I don’t believe this is a real thing, much less a law. Not like The Law of Thermodynamics or The Law of Gravity or The Law of Paula Patton’s hotness.

This “law” is more or less something I made up, but nonetheless pertinent to the conversation.

Simply stated: the more you immerse or “expose” yourself to any given topic or thing (<- how’s that for science), the more likely you are to have some degree of mastery in it.

As an example Dean and I were discussing the Strong First certification this past weekend with the attendees, and he mentioned to everyone that when he took the course last year he performed roughly 3000 kettlebell swings in two days.

He got really good at swings.

Likewise, how does someone get better at deadlifting, squatting, or chin-ups?

They do them. A lot.

I work with a lot of women, and one of the common themes I notice is their apprehension or reluctance at their ability to perform a strict, full-ROM chin-up.

Whether it’s via negative self-talk (“I’ll never be able to do that!”) or the fact much of the mainstream media channels them into believing they’re these delicate flowers that can’t (or worse, shouldn’t) train with appreciable weight or intensity…many (not all) have waived the white flag before having tried.

And even if they do try, it’s less a real, valiant attempt than it is a whimper. Training the chin-up once – maybe twice – per week isn’t going to cut it.

I often defer to my good friend, Artemis Scantalides, who, is not only an outstanding coach, a Strong First instructor, one of only a handful of women to complete the Iron Maiden Challenge, and a black belt in Kung-Fu, but also champions the idea of training the chin-up in some way or fashion – varying set/rep schemes, accessory movements, etc – 4-6x per week.

That’s how you get better and more proficient with it.

Taking the “law” outside of the realm of health and fitness, it’s still every bit as efficacious.

What do writers do to get better at writing? They write.

It’s every bit as much of a learned skill as acting, throwing a baseball, learning to play guitar, or finally beating Mike Tyson in Mike Tyson’s Punch Out.

I’ve written well over 1,800 blog posts on this site, and cringe at some of my early work. I still cringe and struggle with the bulk of my writing today (I have yet to meet anyone who does a fair bit of writing and believes he or she is a “good” writer). But I know I’m better than I was 2006.

Chefs get better the more they cook. Dancers get better the more they dance. Nerds get better at not getting laid the more Star Trek conventions they go to.7

It all falls under the same umbrella.

The more you do something and the more you expose yourself to the material, the more confident you are in your abilities to master it.

Coming back full circle to shoulders: I still don’t consider myself an expert. But there’s a lot to be said from all the assessments I’ve done in the past eight years, the sheer number of overhead athletes I’ve worked with, programs I’ve written, the countless articles and books I’ve read, DVDs I’ve watched, and seminars/workshops I’ve attended.

Too, I understand that having access to someone like Eric Cressey and the amazing group of coaches I’m surrounded by on a daily basis puts me at a slight advantage.

But that’s also because I’ve worked hard to put myself if in that situation. Doing so has allowed me opportunities I otherwise couldn’t have fathomed ever happening.

Like teaching at this past weekend’s workshop.

Here’s the Lesson

Regardless of what you want to get better at: Shoulder anatomy, assessment, biceps, Scrabble, posting cute cat pictures on the internet, whatever. There is no one correct way or answer. The onus is on YOU.

Ask questions and be inquisitive. That goes without saying. But also do whatever it takes to get as many repeat exposures to the material as possible.

And then don’t stop.

CategoriesMotivational

13 Words That May Help Change Your Life

NOTE: if nothing else, if you decide not to read this entire article (don’t worry I won’t cry. Too much), scroll all the way down and read the last quote. It’ll knock your socks off.

13 Words That May Help Change Your Life

Like a lot of  people I don’t like to venture too far outside my own comfort zone.

Of course this begs the question of what each person’s comfort zone actually is? Cause, you know…different people are different.

For some people they’re perfectly “comfortable” jumping out of an airplane at 25,000 feet, climbing a mountain, or hanging out in a shark cage for the fun of it.

I’ll take a pass on all of those, thank you very much.

However, not all examples of comfort zones have to revolve around life or death situations. For some, stepping outside their zone could be something as vanilla and innocuous as saying hello to a complete stranger or just learning how to say “no” to someone, or something.

“No, I don’t want the extended warranty.”

“No, I don’t want dessert.”

“No, I won’t make out with you Jennifer Lopez. Please, stop asking.”

But that’s the thing: what’s vanilla and innocuous to YOU – and no big deal – could be the equivalent of being stuck up on stage talking in front of a bunch of people in your underwear.8

In short: A nightmare scenario for most.

Regardless of the varying degrees of comfortableness from person to person, the important lesson to learn as it relates to continued personal (as well as career) growth is that everyone, at one point or another, should strive to venture outside their zone.

My Comfort Zone(s)

I’m not immune to this message either.

If you would have asked me back in 2002-2003 – when I was working as a personal trainer in Syracuse, NY – if I’d be game to pack up all my things and move to Connecticut to live with and work with some guy I had met on the internet I would have laughed.

First off I would have given you a face like THIS, and then I would have laughed.

Knowing I was feeling complacent with my circumstances and knowing that if I (really) wanted to progress my career I’d have to get the hell out of dodge…that’s exactly what I did.

I packed my belongings9 and moved to Connecticut.

Now, giving full disclosure, the guy I met on the internet was Eric Cressey (not some creeper from Craigslist), and he and I had known each other for a few years via various fitness websites and forums.

He was hired as a trainer at a gym in Ridgefield, CT, had mentioned to me in passing they were looking to hire someone else, and he helped convince me to take the leap.

It wasn’t an easy choice to make, and it was easily the first time I had taken a GIANT step outside my comfort zone. Even more than that one time I took an ex-girlfriend to go see The Notebook.

I could wax poetic on all the other factors that came into play and the ups and down involved.

In the end, though, things worked out.

I could use any number of other examples from my past, too.

It wasn’t an easy thing for me to pursue writing.

I was never an avid writer growing up, and I’m 100% confident my high-school English teacher would shit a copy of For Whom the Bell Tolls if she knew I was a published author today.

However, at the time, I was five years into my career and I knew writing would be an excellent way to get more exposure and to get my name out there. Plus, I felt I had a lot to say and that I could help many more people through writing than I could by only training people one-on-one.

What made things more scary was the idea of putting myself out there. Opening myself up to criticism and internet trolls. It sucked (it still sucks), but comes with territory.

So I started a random blog that four people read.

I’m sure if someone decided to dig they could find it somewhere. Then I started submitting articles to random fitness websites…for free. And that led to getting a break with T-Nation, which obviously opened up some more doors with other reputable publications.

Writing still doesn’t come easy for me. I don’t really consider myself a writer writer. I’m a strength coach who happens to be competent with forming coherent sentences that can break down complex topics…sprinkled with pop-cultural references.

Infotainment if you will.

I have worked hard at it. When I first started dating my wife back in 2009 she’d be the first to tell you I’d bitch and whine about writing a blog post. 500 words seemed like a chore. A insurmountable feat.

1700 blog posts and countless articles later, 500 words is much less daunting.

One of my favorite authors, Steven Pressfield, wrote a book titled Turning Pro that I feel everyone should read. In one passage he describes the point in which he “turned pro,” and it had everything to do with sitting down and doing the work.

To stop bullshitting and to sit down and actually write.

I could (and still can) relate. That’s what stepping outside your comfort zone is all about.

Another anecdote would be public speaking and presenting in general. Again, if you would have told me as a teenager (or when I first started out in this industry) that I’d be traveling the world as Jason Bourne to talk about scapulohumeral rhythm and squat assessment I wouldn’t have believed it.

When I moved to Boston and we eventually opened up Cressey Sports Performance, and things started speeding up for me from a professional standpoint, I saw presenting as yet another way to grow.

At first, it was all I could do to manage my sphincter. As I can recall I was thiiiiiiiis close to backing out of my first speaking gig in Boston the morning of.

I woke up in a panic sick to my stomach. Again, giving credit where it’s due, my wife (Lisa) helped talk me through everything and I did it. It wasn’t pretty, but I did it.

She knew that if I backed out and didn’t go through with it, it would have caused more harm to my psyche than good. I probably never would have pursued it again. Ever.

She’s a psychologist, she’s smart like that.

Do I feel I’m a good public speaker? Hell no. Adequate, maybe. I’m no Dan John or Barack Obama. But people seem to stay engaged and not fall asleep when I do it. I’m also able to spread more of my message and help many more people and fitness professionals along the way.

I stepped outside my comfort zone and am all the better for it.

So What’s My Point?

I’ve been getting a steady stream of emails from young and upcoming fitness professionals asking me advice on their careers of late. Some are queries on how they can go about getting more clients or how they can differentiate themselves from other trainers.

Some are simply to ask how do they get better?

Some are “scared” to work in a commercial gym setting because they feel like a number, or worse, they feel it’s beneath them.10

Well, sorry. You’re not going to work with professional athletes and celebrities on day one.

Besides, it’s not all rainbows and butterfly kisses as many seem to think it is. Don’t get me wrong: it’s awesome working and hanging out with pro athletes. But it’s territory that comes with its own set of pitfalls and frustrations.

I think every new trainer should spend at least 1-2 years working in a commercial gym setting11. That’s the only way you’re going to expose yourself to as many different varieties of people and personalities as possible. It’s the only way you can guarantee you’ll get better. Assuming you actually WANT to get better.

You’ll be forced to step outside your comfort zone, repeatedly.

Others ask me about changing careers altogether. As in, “I work in sales and am a day or two shy from beating my boss senseless with a stapler. Fitness is my real passion, I love helping people. Am I crazy to think I can switch careers this late in the game?”

This is the point where stepping outside one’s comfort zone is going to manifest itself. A perfect opportunity. A daunting as fuck one, but an opportunity nonetheless.

Now, I’m not suggesting someone throw caution to the wind, quit their job tomorrow, go on a hookers and cocaine binge this weekend, and apply for a job at their local commercial gym on Monday.

That may be stretching the comfort zone too far….;o)

But who’s to say they couldn’t seek out a mentorship or “observational internship” on the side to see if this is something they really want to do? To ooch or wet their palette so-to-speak.

Or maybe this is a scenario where they say “screw it” and take a chance.

As my good friend (and strength coach), Todd Bumgardner, recently stated to me:

“Scare the shit out of yourself. It’s the only way to do it.”

Those are 13 words that really resonated with me, and wish I would have heard ten years ago.

What about you?

CategoriesMotivational Program Design rant

Evidence Based vs. Anecdotal Experience vs. Transformers: Who’s Right and Who’s Wrong?

In one corner we have the evidence based coach who won’t let his or her client/athlete perform anything without a PubMed reference in hand. And at the other corner we have the coach who relies on anecdotal experience and feels just because it worked for his or her’s clients/athletes that it must apply to everyone else.

It’s a never ending battle of back and forth shenanigans, name calling, and vitriol similar to the exploits of the Jedi vs. the Sith or the Autobots vs. the Decepticons.

Who’s right vs. who’s wrong? Who’s good vs. who’s bad?

I for one feel the best approach is one that adopts both sides. I see value in both…each having it’s own unique set of advantages and disadvantages.

Put another way: in terms of figuring out the “best” approach to anything (as it relates to getting people bigger, faster, stronger, and harder to kill) my thoughts mirror that of the Godfather of behavioral economics, Richard Thaler:

“I try out lots of ideas, get quick feedback, and learn in the best possible way: theory-driven intuition tested by trial and error.”

That’s about as fair and charitable of a statement as I can muster on the topic.

Which brings me to an email I received this past weekend from a young, up-and-coming fitness professional:

“I recently started an S&C internship at a D1 school (won’t give the name). I want to go into college S&C so I figured this was a great opportunity to learn from the “best.”

However I have been following you, Cressey, Boyle, and Somerset for a couple of years now and I love how you are pushing the field forward.

I mentioned to the strength coaches I follow you guys and they rolled their eyes at me and said “why would you follow random dudes and not read publications and research.”

I bit my tongue and stayed quiet because I’m an intern, but what I really wanted to do was punch a wall. I believe you all stay ahead of the game and you have inspired me and taught me so much. I would love your thoughts on college S&C and the mindset of the coaches I’m learning under now.”

My initial reaction.

I find this unfortunate to say the least. Not that I have to sit here and defend my honor (and that of my colleagues) – I believe our collective body of work speaks for itself – but I’m going to do just that. Only for a minute. Promise.

In terms of myself and Eric Cressey (and Pete Dupuis): we’ve grown a business that started in 2007 in a 2200 square foot space we rented inside an indoor batting facility training mostly local high-school athletes, to a now 15,000 square foot space training professional baseball players from every level from every affiliated MLB team, not to mention athletes and general fitness clients from all over the US and world.

I’d like to think that we’ve done so via an equal parts evidence based approach and anecdotal. And bicep curls.

Do I really need to defend Mike Boyle? Come on!

And as far as (Dean) Somerset is concerned: the guy is one of the smartest guys I know who can regurgitate studies by memory and who’s built one of the best reputations in the industry for being able to “dumb down” research into more bite sized information bons-bons that guys like myself can understand. That, and he has build a very successful fitness business training thousands of people in the past few years.

In short: even though guys like myself, Eric, Dean, Boyle, and a vast array of others are writing for various websites and our own blogs (how dare we!), we do in fact, actually coach people. In real life.

So, in many ways, we’re doing “research” on a daily basis, finding out what works and what doesn’t, and learning to assimilate the information we come across as it best applies to our athletes/clients.

Ol’ Boys Club

Giving credit where it’s due: I applaud the young coach who sent the email for keeping his mouth shut. The last thing he or she wants to happen is to yap away at their superiors and come across as some know-it-all entitled hipster after having coached for all of eleven seconds.

If you’re in someone’s “house” as a guest, you respect their rules and their way of doing things.

I don’t know what Division I program he’s referring to, but we have to understand that some (not all) strength and conditioning coaches at that level have one hand tied behind their back as far as how much “freedom” they have outside of the program itself.

As my colleague, Jim Laird, pointed out:

“I think much of that attitude stems from jealousy. Many college coaches just do not have time to do stuff online or not allowed to. They see private sector coaches doing stuff online getting recognition and it steals their thunder and authority.”

While I agree, I do feel it’s a minority mindset. A shitty mindset, mind you…but a minority one. As an example, I’m good friends with the entire staff at Boston University Strength & Conditioning and they couldn’t be a more open-minded staff willing to try new things and listen to what others have to say.

They use research all the time. I’ve seen their programs and I’ve seen the books and journals on their desks. But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked in – I train there 1-2x per week – and one of the coaches will pull me aside to ask my opinion on something or ask me what blogs I’m reading lately. It’s refreshing to say the least.

They don’t (always) need a double blind study to do the thinking for them. There’s a zero ol’ boys vibe.

As strength coach, Henry Lau, notes:

“As a S&C coach, it’s not one’s job to “read” research, though more likely to assimilate methodologies to make better athletes. Why some coaches think it’s great to read journals and make up their own ideas from a limited view is intellectual dishonesty.”

And We’re Doing A lot of Assuming

I for one HATE reading research. This isn’t to say I discount it or that I don’t understand (and respect) its role in furthering our knowledge in the field. But am I wrong to state that research is designed to ask more questions, not to necessarily answer all of them?

What’s more, what many fail to realize – and guys like Brad Schoenfeld, Bret Contreras, Nick Tumminello, amongst others can attest to – is that research studies and books are often 2,3, sometimes 4 years behind the curve with regards to the information it’s relaying. By the time a study or book is released – years after the fact – the information is already outdated (or has been expounded on).

Nowadays blogs and websites are what people read to stay “up-to-date” and relevant.

Besides that, we’re assuming that most people can actually read the research, and more importantly…understand it. It’s not as easy as one may think. Reading research is every bit as much of a learned skill as riding a bike or writing computer code or pretending to listen to your wife when she’s updating you on her day when what you’re actually doing is repeating the lyrics from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air in your head.

 

Take for example the following random study I found on PubMed using the keyword “muscle hypertrophy:”

Identification of a Novel Four and a Half LIM Domain 1 Mutation in a Chinese Male Presented with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Mild Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy.

Translated into Tony speak that reads:

“Bloop, bleep, blop, bloopidy, blop, bleep, science.”

I admire anyone who can read something like that and be all like “yep, makes total sense, got it.” For me though: I’d make it through the first paragraph and probably black out and not remember a thing I just read.

I’ll read it, pick up a few things (maybe), but it’s really hard for me to digest most of it.

Plus, and this can’t be discounted: Research is great, but it’s practical application can be limited because things are controlled quite strictly for the research to be valid and effective. We don’t necessarily live in this “research bubble” where everything is hunky-dorey.

That, and many (not all) fitness-based studies involve untrained, fasted individuals, or worse, mice. Not exactly the most relevant and useful ball of information to correlate to a trained, presumably high-level population.

And at the end of the day what do most people use research for anyways? To answer questions, yes….but to also validate their own set of beliefs and biases. I mean, technically, you can find research to back anything up. We used to have research that stated smoking was good for us.

To Summarize

BOTH sides of the argument (it’s a stupid argument to have IMO) are important and have their role. By reading journals, articles, and research one will expand their own knowledge and hopefully develop critical analysis of research, methodology, and conclusions.

However it comes down to more than only book smarts. As strength coach, Kevin Shattock so astutely states:

“It’s only after the above is reached where one can understand HOW and IF the findings can be applied to their particular settings and environment. This is what the likes of Cressey, et al do well.

But by simply “following ” these guys on social media, you may gain (& often do) gain great insights, thoughts, ideas etc the intern, young S&C is missing a crucial part of the coaching journey, the WHY you do something, the understanding on a fundamental level.

Research is NOT everything, but it can be a great starting point to develop YOUR OWN ideas, thoughts, perspective and methods, just as careful observation of great practitioners can be.”


In the end: To be a great coach you cannot discount either approach. I’d argue that in order to truly grow as a fitness professional (and by extension to possibly innovate) you should use practice both.

CategoriesMotivational

Why Gym Culture Is So Important

You’ve heard me mention it before, but it bears repeating: what I feel separates a good gym from a great gym is the notion of CULTURE.

There are a thousand and one gyms out there who hire the best trainers/coaches, have access to every piece of training equipment you could ever ask for, offer competitive rates, and spice things up with various amenities such as juice bars, WiFi, cafe, group exercise classes, yoga, pool, massage therapy, and maybe even access to steam rooms.

Although, if I were you, I’d steer clear of them. Trust me.

Yet, many often fail or have a less than stellar retention rate because they lack any semblance or culture or community.

Places like Cressey Sports Performance, Mark Fisher Fitness (in NYC), IFAST (in Indianapolis), Tuff Girl Fitness (in New Haven, CT), Movement Minneapolis (in Minneapolis), Results Fitness (in Newhall, CA), and yes I’ll even toss CrossFit into the mix here, are a speck of dust in comparison to some of the monstrosities that take up a city block.

None offer fancy amenities, may or may not even offer a place to shower, and are often set at a much higher price point compared to their big-box gym counterparts.

Yet, they thrive and have the most loyal members you could ask for. As Simon Sinek noted in his outstanding book Start With Why:

“There’s a big difference between repeat business and loyalty. Repeat business is when people do business with you multiple times. Loyalty is when people are willing to turn down a better product or a better price to continue doing business with you.”

Why the Loyalty?

Because every single gym above, in their own unique way, has placed a premium on building a culture where people want to train, want to spend their time, and more importantly feel empowered and encouraged by the staff and other members.

Training around like-minded people has a palpable effect on not only performance but overall experience too.

Take what happened last Saturday at CSP.

To give a little backstory: I’ve long championed the mentality that women should focus more on performance based goals in the weight room rather than things like scale weight or emulating a celebrity look or listening to anything the mainstream media has to say on the topic of women and fitness.

Most of it is unrealistic, toxic, and sets back women’s fitness 20 years.

I 100% feel strength training is the key to pretty much anything, even for more aesthetic based goals.

What’s more, using the popular analogy, strength training is a glass. Most people’s glass (men included) is far too small and they have little room to “express” any other qualities such as sprinting, jumping, hitting a golf ball 250 yds, deadlifting a tank, farmer carrying bags of groceries from the store to your apartment, fighting crime, or doing anything remotely athletic.

Strength training makes your glass bigger so that you can put more “stuff” into it. It allows you the freedom to not pull a hamstring just thinking about chasing after a taxi.

It allows for stuff like this to happen:

 

This is a video I took this past Saturday of four random women who train at CSP (admittedly, the first one, Nancy, is a current intern), the youngest of which is 15.

For the hell of it I challenged one of them to see if she could do a one-arm chin-up, and before I knew it several was lining up to try.

How baller is that?

None of them walked in on day one and said, “you know what Tony? I’d like to be able to perform a one-arm chin-up.”

But because we’ve built a culture where people (men AND women) love to lift heavy things and get after it, and because all four embraced the importance of hard work and bought into our way of doing things, it has allowed them to do stuff like this.

Because, why not?

CategoriesMotivational

Reflecting On Eight Years of Cressey Sports Performance

“Hey dude, wanna open up a gym?”

I had come home from a full day of training clients at SportsClub/LA (a former fancy pants high-end health & fitness club that was bought out by Equinox not too long ago) when Eric peeked his head through the doorway, plate of egg whites in hand, and said those seven words to me.

That’s more or less how Cressey Sports Performance came to exist.

That was roughly eight – eight! – years ago to this day. The two of us, along with Pete Dupuis12, decided to jump head first into gym entrepreneurship. The odds were against us to say the least.

Not that we weren’t confident in our abilities and work ethic, but if you were a betting man (or woman), and based off the somber statistics (8 out of 10 new businesses fail within the first 18 months of operation. A whopping 80% crash and burn.), there was more likelihood [cue Dr. Evil voice] Unicorns would fly out of an erupting volcano attacking us with freakin laser beams from their freakin heads than there would have been any chance in us succeeding.

I mean

1. We were (back then) two 25 year olds and one 30 year old with no track record of business ownership.

2. We were (back then) two 25 year olds and one 30 year old with no track record of business ownership.

3. We were (back then) two 25 year olds and one 30 year old with no track record of business ownership.

4. I was balding. Not that that had anything to do with anything, but I was sad.

The fact I’m writing this post eight years later speaks to the actual outcome.

We Survived. We Made It. We Beat the Odds

 

Make no mistake: the ride hasn’t been all butterfly kisses and rainbows. All three of us can recall very long hours, 6-7 day work weeks, sleep deprivation, limited time with significant others, subsisting on nothing but protein shakes, and any number of growing pains tied with opening a new gym (purchasing & assembling equipment, construction, lease negotiation, lead generation, marketing, payroll, cleaning, not to mention assessments, program writing, coaching, and arguing over what’s being played on the stereo).

Despite it all, we’ve managed to not only not suck…but thrive in the eight years we’ve been in operation.

I’m not going to sit here and blow sunshine up our own asses, but it’s pretty satisfying knowing the three of us have been able to build what started as a 2200 square foot gym located inside an indoor batting cage facility with broken windows and a bathroom which required a tetanus shot to use…

…to a 15,000+ square foot flagship facility that’s often regarded as one of the premier “go to” training facilities in North America (if not the world).

Not too shabby for a place located in little ol’ Hudson, MA.

And yes, I could easily sit here and wax poetic on all the things we did right. Work ethic, having a client roster right out of the gate (because we were both already sorta-kinda established in the area, between Eric and myself we had a list of 40+ clients who were willing to train with us on Day #1), starting small and only building out/expanding when it was appropriate (and fit our needs), only hiring when it was within our means, starting an established internship program, and understanding that by identifying an under serviced demographic (in our case, baseball players) it was more than okay to target – and eventually own – a niche market.

All of it played a role.

I’d also be remiss not to mention how fortunate we’ve been in how are coaching staff has grown throughout the years. Our first hire was Brian St. Pierre who has gone on to a very successful career with Precision Nutrition.

Right now we have eight coaches who, on top of being profound ambassadors of the CSP brand, have also gone on to build their own successful brands within the fitness industry. Something we adamantly encourage. Everyday I feel fortunate that I get to work in a place that’s not only super fun, but challenges me to get better on a consistent basis.

But more importantly, it’s about the people we have the privilege of working with on a day-to-day basis

While I still have to sometimes pinch myself at the shear number of professional athletes I get to interact with – my 13 year old self would flip out and punch my older self in the face in disbelief if he knew how many guys I’ve met whose baseball cards I collected back in the day – it’s everyone who makes CSP such a special place to work and train.

Gerry, a 60+ year old who first came to us after having major heart surgery 4-5 years ago, who’s now hitting the weights 3x per week without fail. And busting my balls every step (and Prowler push) along the way.

Emma, a 20 year old who originally started coming to CSP because her father, Clint, did, who’s now training for her third powerlifting competition. And can do this:

 

Or any number of our Strength Campers – male/female, varying ability levels, varying ages, all shapes and sizes – who come in and get after it week in and week out.

Everyone – athletes and general pop clients combined – buy into the #CSPFamily mindset, and it’s amazing and a testament to the culture we’ve worked so hard to establish, cultivate, and maintain.

And lastly, just to put things into perspective.

Pete and I were having a conversation the other day reflecting on the whole “eight year thing.” Everything I mentioned above (and the dozens, if not hundreds, of things I failed to touch on) could fall under the “why we made it” umbrella.

Pete brought up a good point, though.

Vision vs. Actuality

I find that many coaches, trainers, and people who love the gym (and will end up stabbing their boss in the neck if they have to spend one more day behind a computer) who entertain the idea of starting their own gym, tend to battle a large gap between their vision and what is manageable and realistic.

Pete never had the vision of turning CSP into a 10,000 square foot mecca. The thought never entered his head. Rather, his goal, the thing he day dreamed about, was to have his own office. A place where he could shut his door and not worry about signing people in, answering the phone, and listen to me and Eric bicker about why Tiesto should or shouldn’t be played more often on the gym floor.

He eventually got his office. In year FIVE of our business.

Thank you everyone for your support and patronage throughout the years. And thank you Lisa – my wife – who has always been my biggest cheerleader.13

CategoriesMotivational rant

Shut Up. And Do the Work.

My Junior College baseball coach, Joe Antonio, was a hard ass.

I played for him at Onondaga Community College (located in Syracuse, NY) from 1995-1997, and can honestly say it was two of the best years of my life.

Coach Antonio is #11 pictured above. Can you spot me?, taken during my first spring trip to Florida, circa 1996? Hint: I’m the pasty white guy.14

Coming out of high-school I was a good baseball player. I was a Varsity player for three seasons, earning All-Conference honors both my Junior and Senior years as a right-handed pitcher.

I was good, but I was also untested. I was a big fish in a small pond (graduating class of 55) coming from a very rural part of the state, a town devoid of any traffic lights and fast food joints, surrounded by dairy farms and corn fields, and wrapped in its own bubble of blissful naivete.

For the record: Yes, I did grow up with electricity, and running water. And no, even with a graduating class of 55 people my Senior year I wasn’t nominated for any “Best…” or “Most Likely To…” quips in the yearbook.

Not even “Best Biceps” or “Most Likely to Have Hair For All of Eternity15” or anything like that.

Pffffft, whatever.

High-School Senior Pic, 1995. Such a boss.

So anyways, off I went to Syracuse to play for Coach Antonio. Syracuse isn’t a huge city by any stretch. But when you hail from a town who’s highest building is three stories (if that), your options for “fine dining” aren’t limited to the rotating hot-dog rack in the local gas station, and you have access to, like, stuff, like, Old Navy and Applebees, it’s a pretty big deal.

Going to college in a somewhat big city immersed me in an environment where the lights blocked out the night sky, cars zoomed everywhere, there was stuff to do, and people stayed up past 11 PM.

On top of that, my coach, Coach Antonio, as a I noted above, was a hard ass. The complete, polar opposite of my high-school coach who was as laid back and easy-going as could be.

Coach Antonio’s style rubbed a lot of players the wrong way. I don’t know why, it just did. OCC was a very successful baseball program back then and every Fall dozens and dozens of guys would show up for tryouts (on top of the ones who were recruited by Coach, like myself).

He yelled, he cussed (not AT players), he held his players accountable, he was a perfectionist. There was a certain way he wanted everything done, and if you didn’t follow through he’d let you know…even during warm-ups.

Within the first week of tryouts many guys, some of whom were All-Conference (and in some cases All-State), from much larger schools than myself, started dropping out and quitting. I can only guess as to what their reasons were. But if I had to guess it was because most of them were coddled, maybe slightly entitled. and/or weren’t willing to put in the work.

Many expected to make the team based of their accolades alone.

Coach was tough, but to me, he wasn’t that tough. In my mind, if you did what you were told, worked hard, and didn’t slack, he’d be the guy in your corner and championing your praises once Division I,II, and III schools started contacting him for players.

And that’s exactly what I did. I showed up on time, did what I was told, put in the work, kept my mouth shut, and was often the guy (along with several other teammates), who would stay after practice to lift and do sprints.

All of this isn’t to insinuate I wasn’t ever chewed out. Boy was I ever! But I never took Coach chewing me out as an attack or some stroke against my manhood. He was trying to teach me and to better prepare me for what lied ahead in my baseball career (and life).

He made me a better baseball player (I ended up receiving several scholarship offers, and ended up at Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA). But he unquestionably made me a better, stronger, more resilient man. Attributes I feel, to this day, helped shape my career as a fitness professional.

What’s My Point?

Sometimes I want to tell young (sometimes old), upcoming (sometimes veteran) fitness professionals to shut up.

There’s a phrase that myself (and Eric Cressey) use quite often:

“You have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth. Use them in that order.”

Listen, watch, learn…shut up.

I was having a chat not long ago with a student who was a year or two away from graduating. In the ten minutes or so we were conversing I couldn’t help but notice all he was doing was railing on this and that professor; that “this guy (ex. phys. professor) was an idiot,” and that “this one (Sport Development and Human Movement) had no idea what she was talking about,” and blah blah blah.

I wanted to be like, “dude, shut the eff up. You haven’t done anything. Just because you read T-Nation and publish a podcast on the side that four people listen to doesn’t mean you’re God’s gift to wannabe strength coaches.”

Sure, are some of the things we learn in school out-dated and archaic? Absolutely. And when discussing higher education, I’d like to think there’s open discourse between professor-student and that, sometimes, questions DO need to be asked and conventional ways of thinking DO need to be challenged.

However, there’s a fine line between that and being a know-it-all-dick.

It’s analogous to the the personal trainer who’s been working for three months and starts worrying about building his or her “brand.” They can’t fathom why their self-published e-book isn’t making them six-figures yet, or why is it the only people who’ve signed up for their newsletter is themselves, their mom, second cousin, ex-girlfriend, and their kitchen toaster. Don’t ask.

Things aren’t just going to happen without earning it and putting in the work…over the long haul.

No, you’re not going to sip pina coladas while you swim in a pool of passive income. No, you’re not going to work with professional athletes on Day #1. And no, you’re not going switch on the lights to a brand spankin new 10,000 square foot facility tomorrow and people are going to be knocking down the doors. Nor will it happen next week. Or next month.

Could those things happen? Yep.

But not until you shut up and do the work.

[Drops mic, exit stage right]

CategoriesCorrective Exercise Motivational

Injuries Happen. Here’s How To Deal With It

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Dallas based personal trainer, Shane McLean. Shane’s an avid commenter on this website and passionate coach. Today he discusses injuries and how to best deal with them.

Enjoy!

Shit Injuries Happen. Here’s How To Deal With It

Ever played Whack-A-Mole?

Those smiling, annoying critters pop up faster than you can smack them down. How I love to thump them into the middle of next week.

Sometimes, don’t you feel the same way about those niggling injuries that hinder your progress in the gym? After one heals, another one rears its ugly head. Then it’s the never-ending story of rest, rehab and training around your current niggle.

Since I started taking this exercise thing seriously, I’ve trained around and rehabbed through several injuries (some have been my own fault) including:

  • Torn quadriceps X 3
  • Strained hamstrings
  • Knee and ankle tendonitis
  • Sprained triceps tendon
  • Tennis and golfer’s elbow
  • Right A/C joint inflammation
  • 3 herniated disks and several back spasms

Before you start rubbing your two fingers together to make the world’s smallest violin and tell me to “suck it up, wuss bag,” there’s a point to all this.

I’ve learned along this exercise journey that yes, shit happens, but it’s how you deal with it that counts. Trust me, I’ve found this out the hard way.

So next time you suffer a setback whether it’s your fault or not (I’m not here to judge) use one or all of the following strategies to get back on your feet sooner after the injury bug knocks you down.

Some may seem obvious, but it’s always good to be reminded. Well, that’s what my mother always said, anyway.

1. Lean On Your Network

With the advent of social media, it’s super easy to make nice with health and fitness professionals around the world, and personal trainers/strength coaches are just friendly guys all round, right Tony?

[Note From TG: Unless you attack one with a kettlebell.]

With direct messaging function on sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, it’s easy to reach out and ask questions about your current predicament.

When you’re asking, make sure your questions are as concise as possible to avoid possible confusion and wasting their time.

[Note From TG: Best piece of advice I can give anyone reaching out to a fitness professional for advice?: don’t write a dissertation. Nothing irritates me more then when I open an email and it looks like a Dickens novel.

I’ll take one glance and often archive those emails for a later time (which could be multiple weeks). It just reeks of the sentiment that “my time is more valuable than yours,” and comes across as woefully inconsiderate.]

While it’s almost impossible to diagnose over the internet, they can offer suggestions on what to do because they may have encountered a client with a similar injury.

At worst, they will completely ignore your question or offer a suggestion on who else to contact.

Either way nothing ventured, nothing gained. It never hurts to ask.

2. Learn Perspective

On my way to yet another physical therapy appointment, I was having a “woe is me moment.” My back was killing me, and I didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.

Okay, you can cue those violins again?

At that very moment I walked past two guys on their way to PT. One was in a wheelchair with no legs, the other had an amputated leg below the knee, walking with the aid of a walker.

I felt like complete idiot.

When my therapist Regan Wong asked me how I was feeling, I had a response all cued and ready to go.

“Regan I was going to tell you I felt like shit. But then I walked past two guys in the car park without the use of their legs. I’m good, Mate, so let’s get to work.”

No matter how bad you’re feeling, someone has it much worse than you.

So stop complaining. Stop telling everyone within ear shot at the gym that you’re hurt. That guy in the wheelchair doesn’t give a crap. Get back to rehab. Do the work.

“I don’t wanna go to rehab, no, no, no, no” 

3. Keep Your Eyes On the Prize

While others are hoisting weights around, you’re in the corner with your light dumbbells, stability ball and bands doing an exercise to activate your serratus anterior.

Boring.

Rehab is long, tedious and time consuming. I get that. After you’ve finished, there’s barely enough time to do your mindless cardio and bicep curls. Then it’s time to hit the showers and punch the clock.

There’s always a temptation to leave a few exercises out to get to the fun stuff sooner, or to totally skip the exercises your Trainer/Physical Therapist/ Chiropractor gave you so you can join your friends under the bar.

That’s a big mistake.

In my experience, that only leads to more heartache and pain. You end up on a merry-go-round, and not the fun kind with fairy floss and unicorns.

Keep the eye on the prize, which is your health and lifting heavy. Keep repeating the mantra “every little bit helps.”

Every rep, every set of rehab exercises will get you closer to getting healthy

Take yourself away from the iron, just for a little while, it isn’t going anywhere. Your body will end up thanking you in the long run.

4. Stay Positive, It Doesn’t Last Forever

When you’re hurt and you’re limited in what you can do, it’s very easy to get down on yourself. You may think you’re getting weaker and smaller by the second when lifting those pink dumbbells.

Breaking news flash……….you’re not.

While addressing muscle imbalances that you never knew you had (besides traumatic/chronic injuries) that may have led to getting hurt in the first place, you’re actually getting stronger.

Think about it.

Strengthening your weakness while maintaining a training effect for the rest of your body will help you come back stronger when you eventually hit the weights/playing field again.

[Note From TG: As a quick aside, no, you won’t develop an imbalance because you happen to train one side of the body or limb over the other. In fact, there’s a lot of research to indicate that training the NON-injured area or limb will result in a “feed-forward” or neural effect to the INJURED area/side which will make healing faster!

Besides, as noted earlier, it’s only temporary. What’s the alternative, don’t train at all because you’re scared one bicep or pec muscle will look bigger than the other? Come on.

Another quick aside: bacon is delicious.]

All those professional athletes that come back from serious injuries cannot be wrong. How often have you heard injured athletes say they will come back bigger and stronger than ever?

They’re usually right.

Maintaining this positive attitude throughout your injury rehab will benefit you because nothing is forever, including being hurt.

Wrapping Up

No one likes being hurt, but unfortunately it’s a part of our gym lives. However, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. Keep your head up, stay positive and stay on the rehab path.

You’ll be back crushing weights in no time.

About the Author

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean is a Certified Personal Trainer who works deep in the heart of Dallas, Texas. No, Shane doesn’t wear a cowboy hat to work. After being told his posture blows by Eric Cressey, he has made it his mission to rid the world of desk jockeys one person at a time.  

Shane loves coffee and deadlifts and always has a huge coffee mug by his side.
 
CategoriesMotivational

I Encourage You To Fail

I’m going to fill you in on a little TG trivia from back in the day. And it’s something I’m not too proud of.

I failed my driver’s license exam…twice.

Yeah, yeah…..ha, ha, ha. Laugh it up.

I deserve it.

I didn’t get my license until I was 18. Which, in hindsight, wasn’t the end of the world because there wasn’t much to do in my hometown in the first place, in good ol’ Groton, NY. Driving down Main St. took all of about 30 seconds, and outside of the local bowling alley the “hang out” spots were the parking lot of the local Sunoco station or any number of various corn fields.

There’s that, and I was pretty much a tool of teenager anyways. My idea of fun was staying at home lifting weights, thumbing through my baseball card collection, or watching 90210.

Chicks loved me.

And it’s not like I was in any hurry to be seen driving around in my parent’s car. Because nothing says “sexy mofo” than a 1992 Chevy minivan. With wood paneling on the side. Holla!

But yeah, I failed my driver’s exam twice. The first time was because, after successfully parallel parking the car (which was/is every teenager’s Mt. Everest), I was then asked to perform a 3-point turn. I put the car in reverse, and then kept it in reverse…and nailed the curb.

Oops. Mulligan?

I don’t even remember what happened the second time. I think it had something to do with failing to use the blinker, following the speed limit, not hitting pedestrians, whatevs.

The third time was the charm, though. I passed with flying colors, and no civil lawsuits were filed.

I’ll tell you what: I prepped my ass off for that third test. I was determined to pass, and I made it my mission to bug my mom every chance I got to let me drive to the store with her. I’d pop in my Tribe Called Quest cassette tape, and off my mom and I went…in the minivan. Like two bosses.

I practiced my parallel parking, made sure my 3-point turns didn’t involve any roadside curbs, and kept my hands on the steering wheel at ten and two o’clock at all times.

I used my past failures as a woefully inept driver to get better and to help prepare myself for future success.

And not to brag or anything, fast forward 20 years later, I can say I’ve never been issued a major traffic ticket (parking tickets don’t count, especially when you live in a large city) or have been in any major accidents16

Moreover, my wife – Lisa – and I survived driving in Australia back in March where everything is ass-backwards.

So What Does Any Of This Have To Do With Anything?

A lot, actually.

Not long ago I read a fantastic book titled The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success.

In it, the author, Megan McArdle, discusses why we shouldn’t fear failure or think of it as our enemy. More specifically she describes the concept of “normalcy bias,” which explains why so many people freeze when confronted with a crisis or why once successful companies like General Motors find it so hard to get out of their own way and learn from past mistakes.

Failing, in her opinion, and I agree, is the only way to get better.

Leaving alone the current debate over youth athletics and the “no one gets cut from a team, and everyone gets a trophy” mentality (which is grossly absurd, and a discussion for another time), people often forget that failing is what often builds resiliency.

If everyone wins all the time, or never faces adversity, or always gets the girl…how does that help better prepare him or her to change their ways, adapt, or grow?

It’s doesn’t. It leads to stagnancy, narrow-mindedness, and an inability to not stop sucking.

And that’s unfortunate, because there’s a lot everyone can learn from failing, and learning to fail well. Better yet: there’s a lot everyone can learn from understanding that failing is normal. It’s going to happen. How you interpret and handle it is going to be what helps separate you from the masses.

Take the fitness industry for example.

I can go back and look at programs I’ve written five years ago and chuckle. Actually, cringe. They’re that bad.

I can remember a time when we used the Sleeper Stretch on every baseball player that walked into our facility. We’d test them for GIRD (Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit), and if we saw they presented with it (generally: a lack of internal rotation range of motion), we’d have the athlete implement more Sleeper Stretches into their arm-care routines.

Fast forward a year or two later and we soon came to realize that GIRD was, holy shit balls, a normal adaptation of the throwing shoulder! It’s when there’s a lack of IR in conjunction with a lack of TOTAL ROM where more of a red flag exists.

All those Sleeper Stretches we’d been programming were probably making the issue(s) worse, not better.

We learned from our “failure,” and subsequently overhauled or approach to not only assessing the throwing shoulder, but how we went about programming for our overhead athletes in general.

And this speaks to writing training programs as a whole. I don’t think I’ve ever written a “perfect” program.

I’ll assess someone both statically and dynamically (watching your clients MOVE will give a gulf of information), ask all the relevant questions with regards to training history, injury history, favorite Mutant Ninja Turtle, and then write a program I feel will be the most efficient, effective, and safest way to get them from Point A (sucky) to Point B (less sucky).

Almost always I’ll have to re-arrange stuff, cross things out, or scratch certain drills or exercises from their program altogether. Sometimes stuff works, and sometimes it doesn’t.

Basically, I fail all the time.

But I use those failures to “correct my wrongs,” to learn, to get better, and to hopefully not make those mistakes again down the road.

So, what about you?  How “well” do you fail?