CategoriesMotivational Strength Training

Lessons Learned Preparing for My First Powerlifting Meet

Today’s guest post is brought to you by a good friend of mine, Ryan Wood.  I first met Ryan back in 2010 when he came up to Cressey Sports Performance from Virginia as a collegiate baseball player.

In the years since he has played professionally, interned at CSP, and since retiring from baseball has moved to Boston to pursue a career in fitness in addition to spreading his love for the word “BOOOOOM.”

Seriously, I’m not kidding. He’ll scream it every time someone hits a big lift, or whenever he walks into a room, or if it happens to be a Tuesday. It doesn’t matter.

Ryan’s gearing up for his first powerlifting meet in a few weeks and I asked him if he’d be interested in shedding some insight on some of the lessons he’s learned in the process. I really enjoyed what he had to say. And even if you don’t compete or have any interest in competing, I feel much of what he says applies to everyone regardless of their goals.

Enjoy!

At the beginning of 2014, I decided to move on from baseball and jumped right into power lifting. For the longest time, I had a burning desire to train the big 3, and train them hard. I wanted to get stronger, and because of  my competitive nature I had to find something to fill the void from no longer playing baseball; I knew I wanted to “compete” at some point, and powerlifting seemed like the perfect fit.

I was a pitcher for many years so my training wasn’t geared towards getting as strong as humanly possible. Due to the nature of the sport, it wasn’t of tremendous benefit to back squat, barbell bench press, or even conventional deadlift.

Once I retired, it didn’t take long for me to decide to register for my first power lifting meet. I started training right away. In preparation for my upcoming meet October 11th, I’d like to share some lessons I’ve learned along the way.

While I have been strength training consistently for the last 4-5 years, my time spent training for powerlifting is fairly limited. My training was geared towards making me a better baseball player, and much of my time was spent training at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts.

With limited experience back squatting, barbell benching, and conventional deadlifting, it was time to get under the bar. A lot.

I’d like to thank Jamie Smith and Greg Robins for helping me prepare for my first meet.

1. Experience is Important

To get better with the Big 3, I needed to get some quality training in.  My competition was many months away so my training began more generalized. I started out doing 50 total reps for each lift.

I can remember starting with 135lbs on squats just to get the patterning down and get more comfortable with the bar on my back. I had done plenty of front squats, cambered bar squats, and safety bar squats, but time spent back squatting was very limited since I began training seriously for baseball.

My goal was simply to get more experience with the competition lifts.

I trained four times a week and the bulk of my training time was spent getting better with squatting, benching, and deadlifting. I started light with these movements and increased the weight steadily during the first few months of my training. If you have limited experience with a certain lift, you have to get experience with that movement or else you won’t get stronger. I soon became more familiar with the competition lifts and steadily increased my weights.

Greg’s Building the Big 3 Plan served as the backbone for much of my training during the initial months.

2. Technique Actually Does Matter

Although I was brand new to the world of powerlifting, I was familiar with how the lifts were done. I learned a lot of technical cues from my time spent at Cressey Sports Performance, surrounding myself with guys that were way stronger than myself.

In the sport of powerlifting, technique plays a major role. An individual can get stronger with poor form, however at a certain point the gains will come to a halt and technique will become the limiting factor.

One thing I learned from the very beginning of my training was that good technique from the get go would be crucial to my success. Creating tension will make or break a solid lift.

Here are some key technical points I learned for each lift:

Squat

Photo Credit: Alastair Montgomery

  • Find a bar position that suits your squatting style. I have been experimenting with bar positioning and have seem to found that a slightly higher bar position works best for me.
  • Get tight and stay tight. Drive your upper back and chin back into the bar and fill your belly with air. Keep this tension during the entire squat.
  • Do not worry about “sitting” back so much if you are a raw lifter. Think more in terms of unlocking the hips by pressing the glutes back slightly and then squatting between your knees.

Bench

  • Get as tight as possible through your entire body.
  • Drive your upper back into the bench.
  • Bar speed is important. When I first started benching, I brought the bar down to my chest way too slow. In doing so, I became fatigued by the time I went to press off the chest. Try bringing the bar down with good tempo but not dropping the bar onto the chest.
  • Stay up the entire time. Driving the lats up and keeping the sternum as high as possible will not only shorten the distance the bar has to travel, but will also allow you to press more weight.

Deadlift

Photo Credit: Chris Phillips

  • Get your air before you pull. Some like to get their air twice, others prefer once. Do what works for you. Think about putting air into your abdomen, sides, and lower back.
  • Pull the slack out of the bar and get your chest up. Try to get your shoulders over the bar whether you pull sumo or conventional.
  • Start pulling back as soon as you break the ground. This will create tension in the glutes and hamstrings which will make the lift much smoother and connected.

3. Follow a Plan

My training partners, Jamie and Greg, introduced me to Block Periodization. There are many different programs designed for building maximum strength but Block Periodization is the one they believe in and utilize themselves.

Note from TG:  Triphasic Training by Cal Dietz is a nice introduction to the “idea” of block periodization.

Sticking to a plan is critical to staying healthy while continuing to get stronger in the gym. With block training, there are periods of heavier loading and volume, and times with less volume and lighter percentages.

With this type of training, I was able to hit my percentages during each block, which I feel will help set me up to be successful at my first meet.

Following a plan will keep you honest and keep your ego in check.

Greg Robins always tells me to work on building my strength instead of constantly testing my strength. During the last few months, I have been working on building strength so that I can test it come meet day.

4. Have a Mentor/Coach

Without Jamie and Greg’s coaching and programming, I would have been completely lost trying to prepare for my first meet.

As I progressed with my training, Jamie took over programming for me and set me up with a block periodization plan to help me  prepare. Having someone to help you along the way is crucial.

Jamie gave me cues to help me with proper technique week in and week out. I took his advice seriously because I knew that it would help me immensely in the long run.

With benching in particular, doing pause reps were very important for me. Jamie stressed the importance of doing pause reps because this ensured that I was staying tight and keeping my sternum up throughout the lift.  He recognized a weakness in my technique, kept me honest, gave me feedback and coaching, and I’m all the better for it.

Moreover, a mentor and coach is also a great support system. As weights start getting heavier, having a coach to guide you with cues during a set is priceless. I’ve been fortunate enough to train with Jamie and Greg and have learned many invaluable pieces of information from them both.

5. Build Strength, Don’t Test It

Photo Credit: Greatist

Building strength takes time.

Sometimes several months go by before your strength can come to fruition. With the way my training was set up, I was able to increase my strength over the course of months with the intent of peaking for my upcoming meet. Work on hitting your numbers during training. Do not miss reps.

The preparation I went through was not designed so that I could set gym PRs. It was designed for me to peak on the platform.

I’m looking forward to competing for the first time. I can’t wait for the adrenaline to rush through my body as I step onto the platform. Getting stronger is a hell of a lot of fun, and displaying that strength will be the real test.

Some Other Great Resources on the Topic

All About Powerlifting – Tim Henriques (this book literally covers everything about powerlifting).

2×4 Strength Program – Bret Contreras (this program is basic and boring. But basic and boring is what works!).

Learn to Squat Seminar – Jordan Syatt (<— he holds world records. You should listen to him).

About the Author

 

Ryan Wood is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise. He interned at Cressey Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts, coaching athletes, professional baseball players, and general population clients for the last several years. He now works as a personal trainer in the Boston area.

He is passionate about about all things lifting and wants to help his clients reach their ultimate goals. He recently began powerlifting and will compete for the first time in October 2014.

You can check out his website HERE or become BFFs with him on Facebook HERE.

CategoriesMotivational

How My Favorite Movie of the Year (So Far) Holds the Key to Fitness Success

I’ve always joked that if I weren’t a strength coach I’d try to figure out some way to get paid to watch movies.

Scratch that. First, I’d figure out a way to get paid to be a Victoria Secret photo shoot poolside cabana boy; second, professional baseball player; third, grizzly bear tamer (cause why not?); and then someone who gets paid to watch movies.  Not necessarily a movie critic per se – most critics are uppity, bourgeois, a-holes who wouldn’t know a good movie if it slapped them in the face, and place films like the The English Patient in their Top Ten list because it takes place in the desert, includes some subtitles, stars a few Brits, and is over three hours long – but rather just someone who watches movies. And can deadlift over 500 lbs.  For reps.

No big deal.

I’ve always loved movies. I can’t say for sure what my first “going to the movies” experience entailed, but I want to say it was either Bambi or E.T.

And of course, as most guys my age can attest, once the original Star Wars entered the picture it was all over. Once the opening dialogue scroll sequence ended and the camera panned to a Rebel spaceship being chased by a GINORMOUS Star Destroyer that seemingly never ended, I was hooked.

I can remember growing up and watching films like Back to the Future, The Breakfast Club (<— don’t judge, I had an older sister), Return of the Jedi, Rambo, An American Tail, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Field of Dreams and just melting into the various stories and appreciating the journey each film glided me through.

Light saber battles were always a highlight, though.  And I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I watched the final Arnold vs. an entire army cartel battle scene in Commando.

At least 47 times.

And, not for nothing (and serving as a bit of movie trivia), who knew the actress who played Arnold’s daughter in that movie in only her second role – Alyssa Milano – would eventually become one of the sexiest women of our era and make it up onto the walls of many, many teenage boys?

As I moved through high-school and into my college years that’s when I really started to appreciate movies on a more cerebral level. Before, a good movie was anything that showed boobies and/or included curse words (I.e, Bachelor Party, Police Academy), whereas after awhile, sliding into the 90’s, I started to appreciate things like the performances of the actors/actresses themselves, plot development, character development, story telling, and cinematography.

The 90’s kicked movie making ass if you ask me. GoodFellas, Saving Private Ryan, The Shawshank Redemption, Rushmore, Amelie, Terminator 2, American Beauty, American Pie (boobies!!!!!!), Titanic, Good Will Hunting, Heat, Swingers, Seven, to name a few.  And we saw the advent of a film industry icon, the man, Quentin Tarantino.

I defy anyone to make a list of the best movies of the 90’s and not include Reservoir Dogs and/or especially Pulp Fiction. And eff it, I’ll also toss Jackie Brown into the mix because for some reason that’s like the red-headed stepchild of his filmography and people always seem to dismiss it, despite it being brilliant.

So yeah, I love watching movies.

I love watching movies so much that I even went to a screening of Brokeback Mountain by myself back in the day.

Awwwwwwkward.

I love the popcorn movies like Independence Day or The Avengers for the eye candy and sheer fun and enjoyment they offer. And, like most people, I like watching things blow up.

However, and forgive the snobby context, I often find myself gravitating towards more visceral, independent, artsy-fartsy movies because they allow me to draw many parallels between what’s happening on screen and what’s happening in my own life.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not battling many space aliens in my day-to-day life.

Which brings me to the point of today’s post (I promise, I’m getting there).

I’ve seen just about all the “must see” movies this summer.  Guardians of the Galaxy was amazing. The Grand Budapest Hotel was beautiful to watch (and hilarious). Lucy was okay. Neighbors was really, really funny. Godzilla was, well, Godzilla. What’s not to love? It’s a giant monster wrecking s*** up!

Chef was probably the best movie I saw that no one else ever heard of (if you’re a foodie I HIGHLY recommend it). Obvious Child was a bit overrated (but I appreciated its uniqueness and that it tackled a serious topic in a non-serious way). The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and X-Men: Days of Futures Past were nerdtastic. Snowpiercer was out there, but in a good way. Hated the ending.

My favorite movie of the summer, though, was one that was praised by the critics and moviegoers alike, and for good reason.  It’s AMAZING.

Boyhood

The movie follows a boy – Mason, played by Ellar Coltrane – through his life from the age of 5 to the age of 18.

It follows his “boyhood” as he deals with his parent’s divorce – played by Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette – and managing the juggling act and chaos that ensues.

Moreover, as the movie progresses we follow Mason as he has to deal with an absent father and a step-father who’s a dick, and we work our way through high-school, first loves, first kisses, first experimental drug use, and before we know it Mason is entering college.

In all we follow Mason (and the people in his life) through a span of twelve years. The kicker? It’s the same people playing the same roles throughout the entire movie. We literally see Mason grow up – from a boy to a young man – in a span of three hours.

The director, Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, etc), used the same actors and actresses (including his own real-life daughter, who plays Mason’s older sister) throughout the entire movie, filming bits and pieces over a twelve year span.

Each year, for twelve years, everyone would get together for a few weeks to film more of the movie. A scripted movie, not a documentary!

How amazing is that? It’s a phenomenal act of film making.

Think about the dedication, persistence, attention to detail, planning, patience, and CONSISTENCY it took from Linklater to complete this project?  I can’t even imagine.

Key Word(s): Patience and Consistency

Now think about your health and fitness goals.

We live in a time where people want results yesterday.  They want quick, fast, & dirty. They want the easy fix.

People are more apt to buy into “smoke and mirrors marketing,” follow some stupid cleansing diet that has them eating a grapefruit every other day and drinking unicorn tears, along with choking down “x” number of pills per day that results in a quick (albeit non-sustainable) 10 pound loss.

All of this…..over the less sexy way.

The less sexy way calls for making better food choices, getting more sleep, staying hydrated, and exercising.  More importantly, it calls for detailed planning, PATIENCE AND CONSISTENCY. Two attributes that, sadly, many people are lacking in an age where we have entire conversations in 140 characters.

The same mindset can be applied to strength or performance goals.  Far too many people program hop and switch programs or goals far too often before they’re ever able to see any results.

One week they want to work towards a 2x bodyweight deadlift. The next they want to follow a Smolov squat cycle. Two weeks later, when they hate life, they decide to ditch Smolov (he’s such a jerk!) and follow more of a bodybuilder approach.

No wait!……lets do a bulking cycle!

Only to freak out three weeks later when they can’t see an ab, and they decide to give intermittent fasting a try.

And then they join their neighborhood CrossFit affiliate.

 Photo Credit: Remy Zed

Almost always, without fail, the #1 culprit as to why many people never see results is because they lack patience and consistency! They don’t stick to the program. They don’t plan. Or worse, they never have a program to begin with.

They don’t allow enough time to see the fruits of their labor manifest or to kick in.

Slow down. Relax. Stay patient. Good things come to those who remain consistent.

And On That Note:

Sometimes you just need someone to do the thinking for you, and to help keep you consistent.  Try out my Premium Workout Group or Deadlift/Strength Program: Pick Things Up and Put Them Down.

Also: a slight kudos to John Romaniello for the inspiration for today’s post. He wrote an excellent movie themed post today too that hit a chord and inspired me to write this one.

CategoriesMotivational Program Design Strength Training

How to Get Stronger

There are two types of people in the world: those who love Chipotle and those who hate it those who overanalyze E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G and those who don’t.

Photo Credit: Thomas Hawk

Take the philosophical question “what’s the meaning of life?” for example. Not to insinuate that this is a question that doesn’t deserve to be overanalyzed – admittedly it’s loaded and a question that’s pretty freakin deep – but it’s surprising how much of a dichotomy there is from person to person as to how it’s analyzed and thus answered.

Of course, the more introspective of us will dive into the existential components and gravitate towards a discourse of philosophy, religion, theology, science, the universe, as well as sub-components pertaining to one’s happiness (what makes someone “happy?”), spirituality (which may or may not include a God), social ties, morality, value, purpose, and a host of other equally important factors. Like kitten kisses and a Lord of the Rings marathon on TNT.

For the more critical and analytical in the crowd the meaning of life parallels that of Socrates where one should live a life of virtue and that which agrees with nature.

For someone else the meaning of life may revolve around the notion of “oneness” and developing a well-rounded relationship with oneself and with one’s surroundings (family, friends, environment, community, etc).

For the less analytical and for those people who tend to go with the flow, the meaning of life may be to make babies, have a lot of money, or, I don’t know, 2 for 1 pizza night at Papa Johns.

The point is: some people are deep thinkers (for better or worse), and some aren’t (for better or worse).

I’m not sure if the introduction above served as an appropriate segue (if you’re still reading I guess it did. I win!!!!), but when it comes to the topic of getting stronger I do feel many people fall into the trap of overanalyzing and making things more complicated than they need to be.

There are a million and one articles and blog post out there delving into the nuts and bolts of what it takes to get stronger – and 90% of them say the same thing.  What do they say?

Lift heavy shit, a lot.  Repeat.

Note:  yes, there’s a typo.  But who cares!  This is hilarious.

The fact of the matter is this:  if you want to get stronger it’s standard procedure to focus on “the big 3” – squat, bench press, deadlift – and to make those lifts THE HEART of your training approach and philosophy.

These movements generally allow you to use the most weight and there’s a reason why they’re the staples of most – if not all – successful training programs geared towards making people into animals:

5/3/1 – Jim Wendler

The Cube Method – Brandon Lilly

Building the Big 3 – Greg Robins & Eric Cressey

2×4 – Bret Contreras

The Texas Method – Justin Lascek

All of the above programs (or to put it more accurately, SYSTEMS) stress barbell training and progressive overload. No fluff and no fillers.

The knock against them is that they’re boring. To which I respond, “suck it up buttercup. Boring is what works.”

There’s something to be said about building a relationship with the barbell and spending time underneath it, pushing it, pulling it, and hoisting it over your head.

I’d argue that if more people just performed TWO barbell movements per training session and worked on perfecting their technique, and poured their heart and soul into those two movements that day, they’d see tremendous results.

It’s not a sexy approach, but it works.

So to recap:  the universal prerequisites to getting stronger are to focus on compound, multi-joint movements (preferably the big 3) and to try to lift move more weight in those lifts on a weekly, monthly, yearly basis.

We’re all on the same page, right?  Mmmmkay.  Moving on.

95.65% of me would like to end this post now. I’m definitely in the latter camp from above and prefer not to over-think things.

Which reminds me of a funny story.  Forgive me for going off-topic for a second.

One day I was spotting a buddy of mine on the bench press.  He was gearing up to travel abroad to play some professional football (American football) and was training pretty hard. He had something like 335 lbs on the bench press – give or take 10 lbs – and missed the lift.

He racked the weight, turned around and looked at me, and asked “dude, was my bar path off? Did my elbows flare out? Leg drive?  What?” He wanted a complicated answer.  All I said was “nah, it was just too heavy.”

Hahahahahahahahaha.

Trust me it was funny.  You had to be there.

We probably could have made an argument for all the things he brought up, but the simple answer was that, like it or not, gravity won.

And it’s on that note I wanted to offer a bit more insight other than the cliched “just lift something heavy” mantra that’s regurgitated time and time again on the internet.

1. Aim for Small Gains

Every Thanksgiving I go home and inevitably I’ll pile on more food than I can handle onto my plate. It’s the epitome of having my eyes be larger than my stomach.

In that same vein, far too often I notice people making overly ambitious training goals.

Don’t get me wrong it’s great to have goals, and I wish more people would take the time to write them down. Doing so gives people purpose in their training!  However, saying that you’d like to squat 600 lbs by the end of the year when you can barely perform a squat now without looking like a newborn baby giraffe is a bit of a stretch.

It’s like some guy saying “I WANT TO MAKE OUT WITH SCARLET JOHANNSON,” when all he’s ever done is practice on his pillow.

Calm down big guy and lets be a bit more realistic.

Squatting 600 lbs is cool and all, but why not just make a goal of perfecting your technique first? Then we can graduate to loftier things like a 2x bodyweight squat and then some!

Think about it this way: If you break a max by 5 pounds a month, that’s 60 pounds a year. If you keep doing that, you’re going to make some fantastic progress.

As the godfather of badassery and getting strong, Louie Simmons, states: “Stay focused, stay strong, stay patient. You’ll get there.”

2. Restoration and Recovery Matter

It sounds borderline counterintuitive – but you DO NOT make gains in the weight room. Lifting weights breaks down muscle tissue – that’s the point! – and serves as the stimulus for the body to repair itself and come back stronger.

If you’re not getting ample sleep, hitting up the foam roller here the there and working on maintaining adequate tissue quality, and/or taking precautions to RECOVER from your training (like including scheduled deload weeks)….then it’s all for not.

As the saying goes, fatigue will mask your true fitness.. You can’t consistently beat your body to a pulp and expect to make continued, long-term gains/progress.

Try this:  take an off day.  And by “off day,” I don’t mean perform a strongman circuit or head to the track and perform a bunch of 400m tempo runs.  I mean exactly what it implies.

Relax. Chill out.  Stay at home, fire up Netflix, and watch some 24 re-runs.

If you’re one of those people who shits a stability ball if you’re not in the gym on any given day, maybe try an ACTIVE RECOVERY day – this THIS one – where the objective is to move around a little, get the blood pumping, and to break a small sweat.

You don’t need to be running on all cylinders 100% of the time to make progress.

3.  Make Your Foundation Wider In Order to Gain Higher Peaks

This is a profound point that fellow Cressey Sports Performance coach, Greg Robins, hit on yesterday during his “Optimizing the Big 3” workshop.

The idea is this:  in order to hit higher peaks in strength, you HAVE to develop a wider base.

For beginner and intermediate trainees it makes little sense to spend time performing lifts in the 90% + range (of one’s one-rep max) and testing PRs when their PR isn’t that impressive in the first place.

Think of things in terms of a triangle:

To the right is someone who hasn’t spent a lot of time accumulating VOLUME in their training. Their base is fairly narrow, and hence their peak (I.e., strength) isn’t anything to brag about.

Conversely, to the left, is someone who’s spent a lot of time under the bar and has amassed more volume and frequency in their training.  As a result, their base is wider and peak is much higher.

Put another way:  how you get strong is by moving what you could originally do for 3 reps and perform it for 5.

What was originally your 92.5% 3RM is now 87.5%.

You can only do this by accumulating volume and by putting in the work. It’s not just going to happen.

4.  The Best Supplement?

What would a post on strength be without some sort of commentary on supplements!?

I had a high-school athlete walk up to me the other day asking me what I felt was the best supplement to take to get strong and to add on weight.

All I said was……….

CALORIES.

Calories is the best supplement.

He looked at me all perplexed. He was expecting me to go on some diatribe on creatine or protein powder or some Mass Gainer Hypertrophic Matrix 2000 Unicorn Antler Advanced Formula.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:  supplements are progress ENHANCERS not progress STARTERS.

If your current diet and training plan isn’t getting the job done, then the “x-factor” isn’t what supplements you’re not taking.

Your training is suspect or you’re not ingesting enough calories. Most likely it’s both!

See!  It doesn’t have to be so complicated.

CategoriesMotivational

The “Key” to Results. A Hollywood Actor Tells the Fitness Industry What’s Up.

I had an interesting interaction on Facebook yesterday I wanted to share with everyone. No, it has nothing to do with an internet troll trying to one-up me (although it happens a lot).  And no, it has nothing to do with ice or buckets or pouring anything over my head (which, I happily did thank you very much).

<—– LOL (and, I smell an abs alert!!!!!!!!)

It has everything to do with a story I shared on my Wall concerning actor Chris Pratt and his sincere interaction with a fan admiring the actor’s physical transformation for a recent movie role.

For those of you who have no idea who Chris Pratt is, he’s probably best known for his role as Andy Dwyer on the television show Parks and Recreation.

In addition he’s also had bit roles in a handful of hit movies such as Moneyball, Zero Dark Thirty, Her, and most recently as the lead (voice) character – Emmet – in The Lego Movie.

Even more recently, you can see him in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy as the lead character and protagonist Peter Quill/Star Lord.

It’s been regarded as a “break out” role for Pratt who, up until now, has never been the main attraction in anything he’s been associated with. Movie geeks like myself, however, have been familiar with his work for some time now and understood that it was only a matter of time before people jumped on the “where did this guy come from?” bandwagon.

Not for nothing:  he has several HUGE projects in the pipeline. He’ll be the main character in the upcoming Jurassic Park reboot, Jurassic World, and it’s been rumored that he’ll also be involved with the Knight Rider reboot.

And before I give my hopes up that this will actually happen, can I just say how obsessed I was with Knight Rider when I was kid!?! I may or may not have pretended that my BMX bike was Kitt and I was Michael Knight (sans the chest hair).

Anyways, all of this to say: Chris Pratt is kind of a big deal and don’t be surprised if you start seeing him all over the place.

More germane to the point of this post is that, outside of how awesome Guardians of the Galaxy is (4.5 lightsabers out of 5) and how perfect for the role Chris Pratt was, is the fact that it’s widely known he got into phenomenal shape in order to play the part.

You see, he’s never been associated with muscles or anything to do with fitness, and he’s certainly never been mentioned in the same breath as The Rock, Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), or hell, even Gina Carano.

But it’s hard to look at his transformation and not be impressed.

Like, whoa!

As is the case whenever a Hollywood actor makes such drastic changes to his or her’s body, people want to know how they did it?  What’s their secret?

Of course, we can’t forget that these people have many more resources at their finger-tips compared to the average person and it’s their job – and often in their contracts! – to “look the part.” So part of me feels we have to put things into perspective and perform a little “expectation management” when comparing ourselves to actors.

I.e., what works for them in a span of six months won’t necessarily correlate to “bringing sexy back” in the same six month span for us.

Regardless, people are always curious and want to know how said person was able to accomplish their goal(s), in addition to looking up to said actor/actress for inspiration and insight.

And it’s with that I want to share Chris’s answer to a question he received asking him “how did he do it?”

I LOVED his answer.

It’s amazing how his answer makes much more sense (and I suspect will resonate with more people) compared to much of the garbage and hearsay that’s promoted by a lot of quote-on-quote “fitness experts and gurus.”

I wasn’t able to link directly to the video, but you can watch it below. It’s only like three minutes long and worth the time.

HERE

Was I right, or wha I right?

He didn’t fluff anything. He didn’t allude to a magic pill or elixir or special gadget that’s going to lead to better results.

All he said was START.

Doing SOMETHING, along with CONSISTENCY is the key.

Whatever your goal is -whether it’s to shed some weight, lose a few inches, or look like a badass – there’s no need to make things more complicated than they have to be.  You need to START and be CONSISTENT.

I had someone make a comment in the original thread on Facebook:

“I agree everybody makes everything so complicated. Just move more and eat less!”

I couldn’t DISAGREE more.

Listen, people aren’t stupid. They know that crushing a bag of Doritos before bed isn’t the wisest (or healthiest) nutritional choice they could be making.  They know that regular exercise – any form of exercise – is far more productive than trash talking some 13 year old kid who lives across the country while they attempts to increase their kill rate in Call of Duty.

People KNOW they should move more and eat less. That’s not the problem. The problem is trying to figure what obstacle(s) prevent them from exercising more and eating less in the first place!

If someone’s cupboards are filled with nothing but highly-processed foods – cereal, chips, cookies, etc – and they have easy access to such foods…..it’s going to be really hard to lose weight.

The answer isn’t telling them to “just eat less.”  The answer is figuring out a way to get those foods out of their reach in the first place.  Educating them on how to make better food choices would come in handy.  If the shitty food isn’t there to eat, then we’ve tackled a huge obstacle.

From there we just have to make sure there’s a level of CONSISTENCY!!!!

Likewise, if lack of exercise is the bottleneck.  Just telling someone, “dude, you idiot, you just need to move more!” isn’t going to help matters.

Maybe they don’t have easy access to a gym. Showing them some bodyweight routines to follow or directing them towards something they can do at home with minimal equipment would help.

For shits sake, maybe the reason why they don’t go for walks is because they don’t have a decent pair of walking shoes!

Sometimes, you just need to lead the horse to water, ya know!?  But of course, as the saying goes, you can’t make it drink the water.

I understand the frustration, though.  At a time where people have entire conversations in 140 characters or less and want (and expect) instant gratification, it’s a tough sell to say to someone “you have to be consistent.”

Unfortunately health and fitness doesn’t happen instantly. It just doesn’t.It doesn’t come down to simply telling someone to follow “x” program or “y” supplement.

And what I LOVED about Pratt’s message is that he makes no connotation to that point.

Many of us (fitness professionals included) would be wise to listen to Star Lord.

CategoriesMotivational

Walking With Purpose

Today’s guest post is brought to you by current Cressey Sports Performance intern, resident practicing veterinarian, and lover of all things lifting heavy, Hannah Wellman.

You heard me correctly. Hannah is indeed a veterinarian; an equine veterinarian as a matter of fact. She’s originally from Australia, worked in the U.S for several years (in Kentucky no less, working with horses), went back home, and then had the crazy idea of coming back to the States to hang out with us at CSP for a few months.

I can say unequivocally that we’ve been the benefactor of her presence.

How many training facilities get to say that one of their coaches is a practicing veterinarian?

Anyhoo, one day she and I were chatting and out of nowhere she made the comment, “Tony, ever notice how you walk with purpose?“

Having no idea what she was referring to, I pressed further.

“What do you mean?” I asked, envisioning, in my head, some form of crossbreed walk between The Rock strutting down the ramp towards the wrestling ring and Rupaul in the video Supermodel.

You know, purpose!

Come to find out, it was nothing close to that…..;o)

I asked her to expound on her comment and below is what she came up with.  It’s pretty amazing.

Hope you enjoy it.

Walking With Purpose

A couple of weeks after meeting Tony I mentioned to him that I thought he “walked with purpose”. It wasn’t something that I had planned to say or formulated in advance, and I can’t remember the exact circumstances surrounding the comment. I was just stating a simple observation. There’s something about how someone carries themselves when they think nobody is looking that reveals a lot about their character.

Because of this comment, and perhaps my slightly unique background, Tony asked if I would share my thoughts on what I think it means to “walk with purpose”. I broke it down from my perspective.

1. People who ‘walk with purpose’ know who they are.

Understanding who you are is probably one of the trickiest things to authentically achieve as it requires some hard-hitting self reflection and honesty. Additionally, it is a constant process.

I’ve worked hard at this over the last five years and know I’m on my way. This doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes. I still fall for the wrong guy sometimes, lose my confidence in certain situations and make the wrong Dairy Queen Blizzard selection.

The difference is I am now more aware of it, and more importantly, I learn from it.

When you know who you are trying to the best of your ability you can start to align your life with your foundational beliefs, values and principles.

Leading a congruent life leads to less resistance and more purposeful choices.

2. People who ‘walk with purpose’ epitomize SWAG.

To me this parallels someone who has a goal. Goals create the stepping stones forward and promote accountability to keep your foot on the gas.

Nothing is more devastating than watching someone coast through life on cruise control well under their potential. The business philosopher Jim Rohn stated it is often not about the goal itself but who you become on your way to achieving it.

There is also a big difference between an idea and a goal. Ideas are things you are interested in. I had an idea once to cycle the length of Africa from Cairo to Cape Town. I have yet to buy the required bicycle or book the ticket.

Goals are things you commit to. I had a goal to learn more about coaching and the principles of strength and conditioning six months ago. Here I am on the other side of the world at Cressey Sports Performance.

You have to turn your innovations from ideas into goals with an expiry date…and then, this is the clincher, execute them.

3. People who ‘walk with purpose’ live by their principles not by their feelings.

I was at a conference recently where Eric Thomas spoke on this subject. He stated that “at the end of your feelings lies nothing, but at the end of your principles is a promise.”

Feelings will take you all over the place and can be heavily influenced by external environmental and human factors. There’s a reason they call it an emotional roller-coaster. You feel like you are moving forward but in fact when it’s all said and done you get off right where you started.

Coach Wooden would purposefully not give a pre-game speech to stir up emotions in his athletes. He believed for every artificial peak created there was a valley. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t acknowledge and reflect on your feelings as they occur, it just means people who ‘walk with purpose’ don’t live at their mercy.

Principles on the other hand are strong and stable. You have complete control over them. They are built from experience and a deeper understanding of the world and your place in it.

In a mess? Check your feelings. You can’t get lost on the straight road marked by your principles.

4. People that ‘walk with purpose’ embrace change.

I’ve made some big changes in the last year and I’ve noticed a theme from some of the unhappier people in my life. When they hear about some of my choices (many of which have been a little “out of the box”), they suggest how lucky I am that change is easy for me because it’s hard for them.

I want to set a couple things straight.

Firstly, change is inevitable. The difference is you either try to drive the bus or let the bus drive over you.

Secondly, change is generally uncomfortable for everyone. In the last year or so just about every major facet of my life has changed. Every step has been challenging but every stage has pushed me forward. The difference between those who embrace change and those who avoid it has nothing to do with circumstance.

Those that embrace change are not deterred by “hard”. To ‘walk with purpose’ you realize that change and growth are inseparable and you’re willing to feel uncomfortable through the transitions forward.

5. People who ‘walk with purpose’ realize their purpose is to serve.

As Gandhi said; “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”.

There is nothing more rewarding than giving your best to someone else. I currently volunteer as a telephone crisis supporter for a national suicide and crisis hotline. The role required extensive training. As a veterinarian I have some experience with emotional situations so felt fairly confident about the process before I started. Was I ever in for an awakening!

I struggled through the first few months of the training program. I’m naturally a ‘problem-solver’; come to me with an issue and I’m going to immediately start formulating a plan to work through it.

This works for animals but not people.

When applied to the human species it’s kind of an arrogant and disempowering philosophy.

People need to be heard first. I had to learn to slow it down, be in the moment and get comfortable directly acknowledging and talking about someone’s feelings without offering advice…ever.

Next time you’re having a conversation, monitor what you’re saying. When someone states something do you automatically respond with a similar experience or your thoughts about theirs?

Try talking to someone for an hour without giving advice or passing an opinion. Be in the moment and really hear what they’re saying. It’s about them not you. That’s the challenge. That’s the foundation of service.

Conclusion

People who ‘walk with purpose’ hold their own compass to determine their path. Their principles align with their actions. Since my comment I’ve been lucky enough to spend a little more time observing Tony’s “walk” and I can tell you he “walks the talk”. I’ve seen him wear a Transformers t-shirt (be who you are), build his business (SWAG), travel (embrace change) and mentor and support many fitness professionals (service).

This man ‘walks with purpose’.

About the Author (By Tony)

Hannah (Wellman) doesn’t have a website or a bunch of links to social media that I can link you towards (although, HERE’s her Facebook page).

All I can offer is that she’s easily one of the most caring, easy-going, and genuine individuals I’ve ever met.

As alluded to above, she’s a practicing veterinarian (both in the US and Australia) who also has a passion for lifting heavy things.

She’s the sh#t.

(<—–) She’s also the one pictured on the left.

CategoriesFemale Training Motivational

A Woman’s Journey of Strength: How Lifting Changed My Life Forever

Note from TG: Today I have a special weekend edition post from fitness & lifestyle coach, and writer, Neghar Fonooni.  Neghar was someone I featured on my “go to” female resources last week and she’s also the wife of my good friend, John Romaniello, which basically makes them the fitness equivalent of Beyonce and Jay-Z.

I don’t typically post on the weekend, but I felt this article deserved some special attention. It’s flippin fantastic!

I’ve been lifting weights, seriously and consistently, for eight years. That’s eight years of deadlifting, squatting, pressing, swinging, and even pull-ups. It’s been an incredible journey, but it actually started with a great deal of frustration.

Let’s go back to 2006. I had just given birth to my son, Isaac, and after gaining 50 pounds during my pregnancy, I was feeling pretty out of shape. I’ve always been active, playing sports since I was a kid, and having (and using!) a gym membership since senior year of high school. In fact, I exercised throughout my entire pregnancy, running 3 miles a day until I was 7 months pregnant and switched to walking for comfort purposes.

But until those first few months post-partum, exercising for me had always consisted of running, yoga, and machines.

Don’t get me wrong, running and cardio have their place in a well-balanced fitness regimen—especially if you participate in endurance sports. Plus, well-programmed cardio has a lot of benefits, including mental and emotional health. And, as an avid yogi, I have developed a very advanced practice over the last 14 years, and am no stranger to how challenging bodyweight workouts can be. I’m not ripping on yoga and cardio here, as I utilize both regularly and I think, with the appropriate application, they are invaluable tools.

What I am saying is that all I was doing was running and yoga—to no avail.

I didn’t feel as though I was in control of my body, and I felt weak and defeated. Add to that the inevitable stress of raising a beautiful infant, and I was just fed up. 

Discouraged with my body and my lack of progress, I knew that if I continued exercising the way I had that nothing would change. But, like many who have never embarked on a journey of strength, I lacked guidance and education, and was lost in the endless sea of exercise information. I’m embarrassed to say that even as a certified personal trainer, I would often pull workouts out of women’s fitness magazines and rarely followed an intelligently designed program.

So, out of sheer frustration, I began to delve deeper into the world of strength training, reading every book I could get my hands on, and learning from great coaches like Mark Verstegen, Mike Boyle, and Gray Cook.

I started by following their programs, and eventually learned to write effective and efficient programs, no longer looking to Shape or Self for quick fix workouts. I learned how to properly squat and deadlift, was introduced to Olympic Lifts, started sprinting instead of taking long runs or spending 60 minutes on the elliptical, and my yoga practice even benefited from my jaunts in the weight room.

I lifted weights initially with the intention of losing fat and transforming my body, but eventually shifted towards lifting because it was good for my soul. I was empowered, and felt truly capable of anything, for the first time in my life.

Six months post-partum I’d lost all the baby weight, but perhaps more relevant is how different my body looked and felt than it did pre-pregnancy. I was more muscular, athletic, lean, and strong, even though I weighed the same as I did before the baby. My body and mind had completely transformed, all through lifting weights.

Today, while I practice yoga regularly, take leisure walks on the beach, stand up paddle board a few times a week, and do fun things like trampoline jumping and salsa dancing, the heart of my exercise regimen is still (and always will be) smashing weights. It’s the firmest foundation of any fat loss program, and its benefits are vast and undeniable. While an exercise program can be comprised of a myriad of activities, lifting weights is at the top of the fat loss and fitness hierarchy.

Muscles and Metabolism

Lifting weights regularly promotes the growth of lean mass, which is an integral part of any fat loss journey. Put simply, muscle helps cultivate a healthier metabolism because the more muscle your body has, the more calories it will burn at rest. In addition to increasing metabolism, lifting weights promotes natural growth hormone production, which in turn helps reduce insulin sensitivity.

In my time as a coach, I often hear ladies afraid that lifting weights will make them “bulk up.” They can sometimes be deterred from lifting weights for fear of being “manly” or “too muscular” so let me go ahead and allay your fears: lifting weights won’t turn you into She-Hulk overnight (although I would argue that She-Hulk is pretty much the best Super Heroine ever, as she promotes body acceptance and self-love).

You’ll build muscle through strength training, of course, but you won’t pack it on in absurd amounts and it won’t happen instantly.

Simply put, women do not have the testosterone necessary to support that kind of muscle growth. If gaining muscle were so easy, body builders wouldn’t spend hours in the gym for years on end in an effort to bulk up.

Genetics, nutrition, and training methodology all play a part in how your body will transform, but if you train to be strong, and eat to support that, you’ll end up with an athletic, feminine physique.

Not to mention, that although you can certainly lose fat and gain strength doing a number of things, only lifting will allow you the most bang for your buck. As a busy mom and entrepreneur, I understand deeply how precious time is. It’s our only non-renewable resource, and we must use it wisely, especially when we’ve got multiple commitments and obligations.

I don’t always have a lot of time to devote to exercise, but if time is limited, I always prioritize lifting.

You can easily make use of 20, 15, 0r even 10 minutes of weight training to maximize your time, by speeding up the rate at which you lift or ramping up the intensity. Utilizing training methods such as Metabolic Resistance Training, Complexes, Density Training, and what my good friend Jen Sinkler calls “Lifting Weights Faster” you can burn fat and build strength even when time is of the essence.

Meaning that you don’t have to spend an hour doing cardio, and another 30 minutes on the machines, followed by 30 minutes of stretching. You can save time and attack your fitness goals, all by choosing to prioritize weights. “I don’t have time to exercise” can be a statement you never utter again. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of setting a timer for how much time you do have, and then doing as much as possible in that time frame.

If you utilize the right training programs, you’ll build a strong, athletic, lean physique—provided that your nutrition is on par with your fitness intentions.

You’ll want a good mix of strength training and metabolic resistance, paired with a nourishing diet packed with protein, fresh produce, and healthy fats. If done correctly, lifting weights will help turn your body into a fat loss machine—making the weight room one of the most important stops on your fitness journey.

The Power of the PR

I remember the first time I performed an unassisted pull-up.

It was early 2008, and I was (unfortunately) awaiting knee surgery for an old sports injury. The extend of my infirmary kept me from doing any lower body training, which although it was frustrating, encouraged me to focus more on strengthening my upper body.

So, strengthen my upper body I did, paying special attention to things like pull-ups, pushups, and overhead pressing.

One day I had an “I wonder if I can do that moment,” deciding to forgo the band, and try my hand (or my lats) at an unassisted neutral grip pull-up. Astonished at my body’s ability to get my chin over the bar, I hopped down and looked around the crowded gym; “did anyone see that?!” I wondered. To this day, it remains one of my proudest moments.

Note from TG:  Oops, obviously the video I posted right before that last paragraph doesn’t jive. You get the idea folks.  Carry on.

Every single time I workout, I get better. I lift heavier, or faster, or even more efficiently. I might be able to stick a handstand more easily, manage a heavier squat, or do one extra pull-up.

Sometimes it’s not a matter of more, but simply better.

Other times, my progress is more intrinsic, lying in my ability to give my body a break when it needs one. Regardless of the exactitudes, I find myself consistently improving in some way, shape or form. This is what my friends at The Movement Minneapolis have termed “PR every day.”

Breaking records, or setting PRs, is incredibly mentally rewarding. It keeps you coming back for more, and creates a sense of purpose in the weight room. While aesthetic goals, such as losing a few inches on your waist, are certainly worth pursuing, performance goals are notably more sustainable.

It really wasn’t until I shifted my intentions towards performance, and away from aesthetics, that I was actually able to significantly change my physique.

What I didn’t realize completely the moment I performed my first pull-up, was how much that simply act would profoundly affect the rest of my life.

That pull-up, as benign as it seems, sparked a greatest sense of self worth, an escape from feeling defined by what my body looked like, and instead taking pride in what it could do.

If I can pull myself up over a bar, without any assistance, what else can I do? Feats of strength in the gym began to translate to strength outside of the gym—the intrinsic strength needed to thrive and excel. When I crushed it at the gym, I felt more capable of crushing it at life. And without stressing out over my weight or my body composition, my body changed as a result.

Lifting weights helps boost confidence like nothing else I have ever seen. I’ve helped timid, overweight, stay-at-home moms go on to crush feats of strength and then start their own personal training businesses. I’ve seen beginners afraid of lifting a kettlebell move on to chasing a double bodyweight deadlift while breaking out of their comfort zones.

Physical strength contributes to strength of character, which in turn boosts confidence—and there’s just no downside to that.

Being strong makes everything else easier

Moving furniture? Carrying multiple bags of groceries? Hoisting a heavy carry-on into an overhead compartment? Keeping up with your kids? All of these things are not a problem when you’ve got strength on your side.

When my son was in kindergarten, I visited his class to speak about the importance of exercise and proper nutrition. I’ll never forget an adorable little kindergartener named Lizzie, with her long locks and her matter of fact demeanor. I asked the class why they thought exercise and strength were important, and Lizzie said, “because it makes everything easier.”

Lizzie was one smart little 6-year-old. Exercising to be strong, mobile, and fast makes every day tasks less cumbersome.

I spent many years as a single mom, unable to rely on another adult in the house to accomplish household tasks. It’s because of the strength I’ve gained from lifting that I was able to carry a sleeping child from the car with minimal effort, and move a twin sized bed into the apartment with no help whatsoever.

Bottom line: Strength reigns supreme.

From fat loss to empowerment, there isn’t a downside to lifting weights. All you need is a willingness to learn and listen to your body, and a program that will support your intentions.

Note from TG: Neghar’s Lean & Lovely program is something I can’t recommend enough to any woman looking to improve her health and fitness in a way that DOES NOT fall into the “I’m not sexy enough” trap that the mainstream media often conveys.

It’s not about being “sexy” anything.  It’s about making the best version of YOU possible.

The long and short of it is that it’s an amazing program that will help women get fit and gain confidence all while loving their bodies and not hating them!

Unlike a lot of program out there this one does NOT sell sex or use target terms to make a woman feel she’s not sexy enough or has to look a certain way to feel sexier.

Rather, the message of Lean & Lovely is for women to meet their body where it’s at, and to be more mindful of the transformation – both physically and mentally.

Every part of this program is incredible, and every part will help you in some way. Here’s just a few pieces…

  • Firstly, as mentioned before, there are 12 full weeks of amazing, fat burning workouts
  • Then there’s the comprehensive Nutrition Handbook, which will teach you how to lose fat without dieting
  • There are over two dozen bonus “sweat session” workouts to do whenever you like, with minimum time and equipment
  • Instructional videos to teach you how to do every exercise in the program.
  • A series of MINDSET exercises and strategies to help you be happier, more positive, more productive, and make the program more effective

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. For more info click HERE.

About the Author

Fitness & lifestyle coach, writer, veteran and mom, Neghar Fonooni is passionate about empowering women through strength.

A Los Angeles native with 14 years experience in the fitness industry, Neghar believes that a positive mindset is the most important aspect of a fit lifestyle. Through her blog, Eat, Lift & be Happy, she teaches women how to embrace their bodies and enrich their lives with food and exercise.

Neghar is a contributing blogger to several sites, including My Fitness Pal and Schwarzanegger.com, and is the author of the 12-week total transformation system, Lean & Lovely.

An unabashed sci-fi and fantasy nerd, Neghar snorts when she laughs and loves lifting weights, yoga, red wine, dark chocolate, travel, fashion, and reading and collecting books. She resides in Santa Monica, California with her husband, son, and two silly bulldogs.

 

CategoriesMotivational Off Topic personal training

Confessions of an Introverted Strength Coach – Part II

Oops, one day late.  My bad.

In part I of Confessions of an Introverted Strength Coach I discussed some of the misconceptions of what it actually means to be an introvert and then dissected some of the characteristics separating introverts from extroverts.

I also linked to a simple test you can take to figure out where on the spectrum you lie (Note: no one is 100% either/or), as well as shared some personal perspective throughout my own life on how I’ve learned to embrace and accept my introversion.

I.e., I’ve hugged myself a lot.

You can catch up HERE in case you missed it.  Don’t worry, I’ll wait.  

To say I was thrilled with the response part one received would be an understatement.

I knew it would be a hot button topic and strike a chord with a lot of people, but I had no idea so many would go out of their way to say “thank you,” say how much they could relate, or be willing to name their first born after me.

Okay, that last part is a slight exaggeration.

It’s with that I first want to first say THANK YOU to everyone who responded and for all the kind words. I guess being in a relationship with a psychologist for five years – outside of learning some nifty Jedi-mind tricks (and yes, I just used the word nifty in a sentence) – has spoiled me into assuming that most people had a general grasp on the topic.

I’m elated everyone is now more aware that being an introvert isn’t a disease and that it doesn’t mean you’re weird, socially inept, or a recluse.  It just means you have an affinity for using your inside voice, books, and, I don’t know, maybe spending an evening watching old re-runs of Party of Five episodes by yourself.

Oh, and cats……;o)

Just to save face, however, and to be clear:  all of this isn’t to say that being an extrovert is bad or that extroverted people are horrible human beings.

I know many delightful, enjoyable, and overly pleasant people who are extroverts (ahem, my girlfriend is one).  Many of my good friends and colleagues are extroverts.  Heck, my own brother is the KING of extroverts.

It’s not as if I’m trying to instigate a 90’s East coast-West coast hop-hop battle where introverts represent Biggie on one side of the fence and extroverts represent 2Pac on the other.

We can all get along here. There’s no need for tension or judgement or mix-tapes calling one another bad names.

On the contrary all I want to convey is that the two sides are just…….different.

More to the point, that being an introvert, especially in world that seemingly rewards and encourages the polar opposite, may take some minor tweaking on your part to thrive.

This is especially true if you happen to be a coach or personal trainer for a living.

I played baseball all through high-school and was lucky enough to earn an athletic scholarship to play in college.

I was a pitcher and between high-school and college combined I had a variety of coaches who challenged me both physically and mentally.

My high-school coach was a very level headed and calm coach. I don’t think I ever saw him lose his temper in practice or during a game.  Sure, he’d get fired up, like any coach would, if someone missed their cut-off man or missed the sign to bunt.  But all in all, he was a coach who kept his cool at all times.  And I responded very well to that because it matched my demeanor.

Similarly, I rarely lost my shit on the mound. Whether I was pitching a complete game 2-hitter or I was taken out in the 3rd inning, I generally kept the same levelheadedness at all times. I never liked to show emotion or demonstrate to the other team I was flustered. I was like Liam Neeson’s character in Taken, except without the hand-to-hand combat skills and not remotely as badass.

My JUCO (Junior College) coach was a bit different.  He was the type of coach who was intense, expected a lot from his players, and didn’t refrain from letting you know when you did something wrong. But he coached, and it just made it all the more sweet when he praised you for doing something right.

He was an amazing coach, and I appreciated the fact he was hard on us at times. He definitely rubbed some players the wrong way – some ended up quitting the team – but I think some guys just didn’t like being held accountable and were used to being coddled.

When I eventually transferred to Mercyhurst College (now Mercyhurst University), I had the misfortune of being recruited by one coach, only to see him leave once I arrived, and then go through two coaches in two separate years my Junior and Senior seasons.

My senior year coach was a nightmare. He was from the south and as hotheaded as they come. He’d get in player’s faces during practice, he’d get in their faces on the team bus, and he’d almost always get in our faces during games.  It got to the point where we’d start betting one another what the over-under was for when he’d get kicked out of a game.

He loooooooved guys who showed emotion. I wasn’t one of those guys.

I remember one instance where I gave up three consecutive hits to the first three batters of a game. He called time out and charged out to the mound to tell me, in no uncertain terms, to “get my ass into the game” and that I better “start giving a shit.”

You know, as if I wanted to give up three straight hits to start the game.

For whatever reason he always took my demeanor on the mound as being cavalier and that I should get more fired up.

Anyways, on occasion he’d come out and do his song and dance, I’d take it in stride, and then I’d just continue doing what I always did.

Long story short: I ended up pitching a complete game where we ended up winning 5-2. Whatevs. No big deal.

Funnily enough a few of my old teammates sent me THIS story on coach Norwood which was featured on Deadspin.com a few months ago.

Give it a listen.  That’s what I had to deal with.

NOTE: then again, anyone with the same name as an infamous field goal kicker who lost a Super Bowl would probably have a case for being an assclown.

Needless to say he was one of those RAH-RAH coaches. Admittedly he was an outlier and took the RAH-RAH to a whole nother “douchey to the douchiest” degree, but it speaks to the topic at hand.

I am not a RAH-RAH coach

I think most introverts would agree that they aren’t either. This isn’t to say that we never get animated or fired up for our athletes, but those instances tend to be few and far between.

In truth ‘m much more animated at the gym than I am at other social events. Being in the gym is what’s comfortable for me and is where I feel at home. Also, it doesn’t hurt that if there’s ever a place where making noise is warranted and par for the course…..it’s the gym.

Still, while exceptions are made whenever a good EDM (Electrical Dance Music) track comes on the stereo, I think if most people watched me coach and saw what my animated looked like, they’d think I was drinking tea, or at most, playing a friendly game of Jeopardy.

It may be a bit naive on my part to say this, but I truly feel, as one person put so succinctly in the comments section on my Facebook page, “if you put off the laid back ‘I’m just here to make you better not break you down to rebuild you’ vibe your clients feel comfortable quicker. You get to know them and they reveal more about themselves, what they like, what makes them tick, which in the long run enables you to motivate them for the longer haul.”

My coaching style definitely feeds into this mindset.

I often chuckle to myself when I’m watching someone perform a lift and after their set they look up at me like a sad puppy expecting me to berate them or go off on some tirade about neutral spines, tucked chins, knees not being pushed out, or WHY THE HELL DID THEY MAKE ANOTHER TRANSFORMERS MOVIE??? DID YOU SEE THAT LAST PIECE OF GARBAGE???? AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

*runs through brick wall*

In fact what usually happens is I give a nod of approval and say something like, “naw man, you’re cool.  Looked good!”

I always like to give feedback, but my introverted tendencies sometimes get the best of me. Athletes or clients will occasionally take my silence as me thinking they’re doing something wrong or that they’re past the point of help.  This couldn’t be further from the truth,

Something that has helped me (and is something I “stole” from fellow CP coach Greg Robins) is to give a new athlete or client a bit of a heads up. I’ll preface their set by saying something along the lines of, “I’m just going to be a fly on the wall and let you go.  If I ever feel you’re going cause any harm or hurt yourself, I’ll let you know and stop you.  Don’t take my silence as something bad or that I’m not paying attention.”

I’m paying attention.  I’m paying attention like no one’s business!

Sometimes as coaches and trainers we get too carried away with OVER-coaching, throwing out cues and feedback at a lightning pace.  It can get overwhelming for some, especially if you’re working with an introvert.

I like to allow (some) athletes to feel they’re way through an exercise.

When I do need to give feedback I break it down like this:

1.  Show correct technique and what I’d like them to do.

2.  Show what they did wrong.

3.  Show them, again, correct technique and what I’d like them to do.

I may give a “WTF was that look” from time to time, but for the most part there are no theatrics, no yelling, and no tossing of chairs.

Here’s the Part You Skipped to Anyways (Tips for the Introverted Coach)

1. Set-up recharge blocks between clients so you don’t murder a client or co-worker.

This is something I lived by when I worked in the commercial gym setting. As coaches and trainers we work when everyone else doesn’t, and our schedules can be pretty sporadic to say the least.

I always had colleagues who would schedule clients from 7 AM all the way through the afternoon, and I never understood how they could do it. Most would burn out pretty quickly doing that long-term.

Personally I’d always “stagger” my schedule and purposely place gaps throughout so I could allow for some down time between clients.

Sometimes I’d use the time to get my workout in. When I was a trainer at Sportsclub LA in downtown Boston I’d use my re-charge time to hang out in the lounge and catch up on some reading or write. Sometimes I’d just go for a walk across the street in Boston Common. And sometimes I’d walk over to the adjacent movie theater and catch an afternoon flick.

Let me tell you, those re-charge periods were GOLD in my eyes.  So whether you’d prefer to take that time for power nap or to read or to play Candy Crush….I can’t recommend it enough.

2. Be You

Don’t be something you’re not. Don’t feel as if you have to cater to what society tells you you should be.  If you want to wear white after Labor Day then do it, dammit!

Too, if you’re not a RAH-RAH coach, then don’t be one

That being said, as an introvert that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be willing to adapt to some degree.  CP coach, Chris Howard, gave an excellent presentation at last year’s Cressey Performance Fall Seminar on this very topic.  He noted that two of the more prominent challenges of the introvert coach is that 1) he or she may seem unapproachable and 2) he or she may not give as much feedback or encouragement.

To point #1:  Smile!  Was that so hard?

To point #2: Read above where I discuss how I cue new athletes and clients.  See!! I knew you skipped to this section!!

3. But to Add to That

Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert I feel utilizing more EXTERNAL cuing when coaching new movements and exercises is more valuable than INTERNAL cues.

Internal cues focus within the body or a specific movement, while external cues focus on things outside of the body and/or on an effect or outcome of a movement

Using the deadlift as an example:

Internal Cues: flex the hip; extend at the top; squeeze your abs; arch your back; squeeze your glutes; rotate pelvis upward; flatten your back.

You might as well be speaking Elvish.

External Cues: Rope around waist pulling you backward (helps with people pushing their hips back); tap the wall with your butt (same thing); plates should rattle at the top (gets people to explode with their hips); pretend you’re getting punched in the stomach (instead of “squeeze your abs”); show me the logo of your shirt (helps with neutral spine and chest up); push away from the floor (gets people to put force into the ground).

Try it.  I bet you’ll be surprised with how much more smoothly things go.

In addition, learning how to coach an INTROVERTED client is important too. Stealing from Chris Howard (again).  When coaching an introvert it will help to:

– Be patient

– Check in regularly (they won’t be as verbal and won’t demand your attention)

– They generally won’t ask questions, so you should ask them!

– Let them observe first.

I’ll Shut Up Now

For a so-called introvert I sure had a lot to say! You deserve some kind of gold star for making it this far.

Hopefully this was somewhat helpful, and helped shed some light on the topic.

By all means I’d love to hear YOUR thoughts, insights, or any advice you’d have to offer. But remember:  use your inside voice….;o)

CategoriesMotivational Off Topic personal training

Confessions of an Introverted Strength Coach – Part I

Hi. My name is Tony Gentilcore, and I’m an introvert.

I always have been, and always will be. And, if I’m going to be honest with myself it’s only been within the last few years of my adult life where I’ve accepted it, embraced it, and recognized that it’s played a massive role in not only molding me into the person I am today, but that it’s also played a role in my success as a coach, trainer, and writer.

Rather than beat around the bush and talk about “feelings” (which is every introvert’s nightmare), I guess it only makes sense to dive right into it and discuss – albeit briefly – what makes an introvert an introvert and an extrovert an extrovert.

To that point, I’d be doing a huge disservice to all those reading if I didn’t direct you to the outstanding book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain.

If there was ever a book that “spoke” to me (and to all introverts), this was it.  I can’t recommend it enough.

In the introduction Cain notes that “there are almost as many definitions of introvert and extrovert as there are personality psychologists, who spend a great deal of time arguing over which meaning in most accurate.”

Still, today’s psychologists tend to agree on several important points:

1. Introverts and extroverts differ in the level of outside stimulation that they need to function well.  Introverts feel “just right” with less stimulation, as when they go for leisurely walks, have coffee with a close friend, read a book, or, in the case of me, snuggle with a blankie watch a movie alone.

Extroverts are the exact opposite and tend to gain energy and re-charge by being around more people, meeting new people, and seeking out stimulation.

This is something that describes my relationship with my girlfriend to a “T.” By the time the weekend rolls around, I’m ready to veg the f*** out, plop on the couch, and become a home-body. Lisa, on the other hand, at times, would prefer to go out and meet up with friends and socialize.

I remember one instance when we first started dating heading out into the city to meet up with a bunch of her friends at some swanky lounge.

I spend the bulk of my week constantly stimulated by overactive athletes, weights clanking together and being dropped to the ground, and loud my-mother-never-loved-me music blaring over the stereo.  The last thing I want to do once the weekend arrives is go to a crowded bar.

Honestly, I’d rather swallow a live grenade.

But relationships are all about compromise, right?

Well, I did it……and while I can usually suck it up and be social (when I have to be), in this one instance it was just too much. I was withdrawn, I wasn’t interacting with anyone, and when I was engaged by someone I’d respond with one word answers. I was miserable and I’m sure I looked it, too.

I’ll be the first to admit I was a asshat that night, that I was a jerk and that I probably slept on the couch when we got home (I can’t remember).

The silver lining, however, was that Lisa and ended up having a long discussion about it a few days later.  We came to the conclusion I just need to communicate with here when something is too much or if I’ve had enough. If I need a night of “Tony Time” (I.e., nights where I can go to the local coffee shop and read, write, or watch LOLCat videos), then all I need to do is let her know.  No harm-no foul.

We literally came to terms with our introvert-extrovert dichotomy.

In the end, all I’m trying to say is that the main difference between the two is that introverts tend to re-charge by being inside their own heads, while extroverts re-charge by being in everyone else’s.

2.  There are a host of other attributes that can breakdown both personality types that Ms. Cain addresses in her book.  Some other highlights:

– Extroverts tend to tackle assignments quickly.  They make fast (sometimes rash) decisions, and are comfortable multi-tasking.  They enjoy the “thrill of the chase” for rewards like money and status.

– Introverts often work more slowly and deliberately. They like to focus on one task at a time and can have Jedi-like powers when it comes to concentration.

– Extroverts are often the life of the party, laugh gregariously at everyone’s jokes, and tend to be assertive, dominant, and tend to be comfortable with conflict.

– Introverts, not so much. They listen more than they talk, think before they speak, and (I 100% relate to this) feel as if they can express themselves better in writing than in conversation.

What Introverts Aren’t

Being deemed introverted – whether it’s “self diagnosed” or not – has had a history of having a bad or unfavorable connotation in our society.

Hermit, misanthrope, recluse, and “anti-social” are all common adjectives used to describe an introvert. Highly intelligent and good-looking rank up there as well (<– it’s science).

Shy is also a common word tossed around to describe introverts.  As Cain states, “Shyness is the fear of social disapproval or humiliation, while introversion is a preference for environments that are not overstimulating.”

Which lends itself to the next question:  how do you know whether you’re an introvert or extrovert?

The “go to” resource for that would be the Jung Typology Test or how it’s better known…the Myers-Briggs Personality Test.

It’s a quick test, totaling 72 questions, all designed to give you a 4-letter formula which will serve as the crystal ball into your personality type.

Honestly, I think they could have narrowed it down to ONE question:

1.  Do you own a cat, and if so, is it like, the cutest most adorable thing in the history of the world?

Y_____  N_____

You check marked Yes?  You’re an introvert.

Kidding aside (I should note that it took a lot of will-power on my part NOT to include a picture of my cat here), the Myers-Briggs test, while not perfect, will help give people a little more insight as to which side of the fence they reside on.

So, Now What?

You’ve taken the test, you have a group of 4-letters jotted down on a piece of paper, and after deciphering what they mean, you’ve come to conclusion that you’re an introvert.

Relax, it’s not a death sentence.  Deep breaths.

As much as introversion has a negative stigma in regular ol’ society (and hopefully by now you understand that it shouldn’t be stigmatized), I think it’s twofold in the fitness industry.

Shows like The Biggest Loser don’t help matters.  The trainers and coaches on that show (and I use the word “coaches” lightly here, as I feel they’re namely actors playing the role of coaches) have a very in-your-face, crude, and quite frankly, obnoxious way of going about things.

Screaming and yelling and insulting their clients is the name of the game. Unfortunately this is what most regular people expect when they hire a personal trainer or coach.

In the same vein, many will watch YouTube clips like the one below of Alabama strength coach, Scott Cochran, and assume that this is the norm:

This isn’t to disrespect Coach Cochran – his results obviously speak for themselves – but this is a FAR cry from the norm.

None of the coaches at Cressey Sports Performance act like this.  This isn’t to say that none of us ever get animated or pumped up or start screaming and yelling to motivate someone…..but it’s an exception and not the rule.

I’m the farthest thing from a rah-rah coach. I don’t do a lot of yelling, I don’t get in people’s faces, and I tend to keep a calm, cool, and collected demeanor at all times. And my athletes and clients do just fine.

In tomorrow’s post I’ll outline some strategies I – as well as some of the other coaches at CSP – use to take advantage of our introverted tendencies.  Not only do you have to understand it from a personal level, but you how you coach and cue INTROVERTED CLIENTS comes into play as well.

Until then, I’d love to hear everyone else’s experiences as an introvert.  Agree with me? Disagree?

CategoriesMotivational personal training

What Every Personal Trainer Should Know

Like many of you I’m a member of a few Facebook groups. Some private, and some not so much. There’s a family page, a Cressey Performance page, a page that’s dedicated to my old JUCO baseball team, another one that I frequent which is for movie nerds, and another that may or may not be nothing more than a ode to………..you guessed it…..bacon.

What can I say? I love the stuff.

Another group I’m a member of is one that I was invited into recently – there’s a secret handshake and everything! – run by a group of young fitness professionals on the up and up.

They’re a group of young men and women whom I know and have a personal, if not a more than an informal relationship with, who asked myself and several other colleagues of mine if we’d be willing to participate and to serve as “mentors” so-to-speak.  Nothing fancy or time consuming, but rather just a place where they can ask questions, seek advice or just talk shop.

I said yes, but only under the stipulation that whenever I’m addressed directly they’d have to do this first:

It’s been great so far, and I’ve enjoyed the open dialogue and discourse.

One question in particular caught my attention the other day:

What are subject matters you think every personal trainer must know? And what are some subjects matters personal trainers should know, depending on what kind of niche they want to work with?

It’s a loaded question for sure, right on par with your girlfriend asking “do I look fat in this?” or “wanna talk about our feelings?”

But I felt it was a question that deserved some attention and something I’d attempt to tackle in today’s post.

Upon graduating from school back in 2002, when I first started out as a personal trainer I felt I knew everything.

I had been lifting weights since I was 13, played four years of college baseball, had a six-pack, and had graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Health Education. How hard could it possibly be to train Jim from accounting?

Come on dude…I got this.

Needless to say, out of the gate, it was a rude awakening for me.

It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t a cakewalk. I quickly realized I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. And, to be honest, I considered it a success/borderline miracle if my client happened to finish his or her session with all ten fingers and toes still attached.

Of course the panic button was pushed less often the more experience I got.  After a few weeks I started hyperventilating less and less into a brown paper bag.  After a few months I started hitting my stride and getting more confident in my abilities.  And after a year or two I was basically a personal training Jedi.

Okay not really, but I was far cry from the rookie trainer who was green around the gills not long beforehand.

I can only speak from my own experience, but below are a few candid thoughts which I feel every personal trainer should consider:

1.  Career vs. Hobby

What’s your goal?  Are you doing this “personal training thing” because you see it as a viable, rewarding, long-term career, or something that, because you like to lift weights and stuff, will help you pass time until something better comes along?

Collecting baseball cards is a hobby. World of WarCraft is a hobby.

Taking people’s health and well-being into your hands is NOT a hobby.  At least it shouldn’t be.

I know I could sit here and wax poetic about how the barrier to entry in the personal training field is spotty at best.  At this point it is what it is.  There’s nothing I can do to stop people from getting certified on the internet by paying a random site $79.99.

That said, I truly feel that those trainers who approach this as a CAREER – and not just something to do – are the ones who are going to last the longest and do well for themselves.

2.  Know Anatomy

This seems like an obvious point, but you’d be amazed as to how many seniors in college on the cusp of entering the work force can’t even name all four rotator cuff muscles, let alone each’s function.

Let me ask you this:  shoulder bone connecting to the arm bone jokes aside, how do you expect to train someone’s body if you don’t even know what it is or how it works?

Now, I’m not saying you have to be an anatomy savant like Eric Cressey, Bill Hartman, Mike Robertson, or Bret Contreras – all of whom are on another level if you ask me.

But you should have a basic understanding of how the human body works, and I’m not just referring to insertion points and actions of the muscle.  You need to know FUNCTIONAL anatomy.

Take the glutes for example.  Read any anatomy book and you’ll learn that the glute max extends and abducts the hip, as well as externally rotates.  Cool, we’re all on the same page there.

But it also decelerates hip internal rotation and adduction, as well as pronation of the foot.  All of which are kind of important with regards to non-contact ACL injuries.

Knowing this will undoubtedly help a trainer (hopefully) choose appropriate exercises and movements that train the glutes (and posterior chain) in a more “functional” manner.

That’s a very rudimentary example, but it helps showcase my point.

Check out my Resources Page for recommendations for books, DVDS, and the like.  There are a lot of them.  Then again, I know a lot of smart people.

3.  Know Program Design

This goes hand in hand with anatomy, and is just as much of a learned skill as anything else. I love the analogy that Mike Boyle has routinely used in the past on program design and how it’s like following a recipe.

Some people need are cooks and NEED to follow the recipe as it’s written.

Some people are chefs that can write new recipes.

You can read more HERE (<—- please read it).

Along the same lines, trainers should write programs and NOT workouts.  Programs are planned, well-thought out, structured training plans with a goal or purpose in mind (fat loss, training around an injury, preparing for a competitive season, etc).  Workouts are nothing more than a trainer babysitting.

You’re not a babysitter.

4.  Know Technique

Whenever I train at a commercial gym I can’t help but observe my surroundings. Yes I always see some eye wash like a guy deadlifting with a rounded back or a woman who’s 40 lbs overweight performing DB curls on a BOSU ball.

Part of me wants to walk over, shake the shit out of them, and point them in the right direction. But it’s not my place.  And, to be honest, they don’t know any better.  At least they’re doing something, right?

What really sets me off is when I watch a trainer doing dumb shit with a client. Worse is when I watch the trainer allow poor technique and do nothing to correct it.  That to me is UNACCEPTABLE.

The problem, most of the time, is that the trainer doesn’t know what good technique is.  Well guess what???  It’s your JOB to know what good technique is!!!!!

A little humility goes a long way if you ask me.

If you don’t know how to coach something, don’t put it into a client’s program! Simple as that.

I’m often asked why I never include any of the Olympic lifts into my programming. My answer: I don’t have a lot of experience with them!  Not to mention they’re not a great fit for the population I work with.

Regardless, as a trainer or coach it’s imperative you hold yourself to a standard.  Use the window test.

If you were an outsider looking through a window watching your athletes or clients train, would you be proud of what you see?  Are they squatting to good depth?  Are their knees caving in on each rep? Do their backs round every time they do a 1-arm DB row?  Do their hips sag and elbows flare out when they perform pushups?

If so, why aren’t you fixing it?  Why aren’t you regressing the exercises?

You’re a coach, so coach!

5.  Get Into People’s Heads

One of the comments left in the original discussion was this (which I’m stealing):

For me, client compliance and communication with general pop. If you can’t convey your message and set up systems that your client can find success with then you’re basically a walking overpriced textbook that no none can read.

I read a lot of books on behavioral economics by authors like Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Ariely, the Freakonomics guys, Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner, as well as others like Robert Cialdini and Chip & Dan Heath.

The reason being, because of the statement above.  It’s important to learn how to communicate with people.  If you’re an uppity a-hole who talks over people’s heads all the time, how do you expect them to follow through with your advice?

Conversely if you’re someone who “just shows up,” counts reps, and does nothing to set people up for success other than charge their credit card each month…..then you’re not doing much.

To understand why people do what they do, and why they think what they think can be an invaluable asset to you as a trainer and coach.

No one is insinuating that you have to sit people on a couch and become a psychologist, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a better understanding of what goes on in their head and how you can better motivate them to not hit up McDonald’s on the way home or take their freakin fish oil……..GOSH!!!!!!!

CategoriesMotivational personal training

How to Get to Where You Want to Be

I was up late this past Saturday night.

Granted, late for me (10 PM) is not late for everyone else, especially on a weekend night. Moreover it’s probably when things are getting started for most people.

Lisa and I had just gotten home from the movies where we saw the new Whitey Bulger documentary Whitey: United States of America vs. James J. Bulger.  As resident pseudo Bostonians (neither of us born here – Lisa: Florida, myself: New York) we both felt obligated to go see it.  And boy oh boy was it a fascinating peek into the story of Whitey Bulger and the “was he or wasn’t he an informant for the FBI?” clusterf*** of a mystery.

If you get the chance, I’d highly recommend it.

Anyways, like I said, it was late. Lisa wasn’t feeling too well, so we decided to get ready for bed. Of course I made the mistake of checking my email just one more time to make sure there wasn’t anything pressing or important to take care of.

And that’s when I read the email.

It’s an email that I get at least once week, if not every couple of days. And while I understand that it comes with good intentions, I sometimes can’t help but feel a sense of wanting to throw my face into an ax.

While they come in a variety of iterations, the theme is generally the same: “Tony, you’re about as close to a real life Han Solo as they get, how did you get to where you are today as a coach?”

I’m often dumbfounded by the question. Sometimes, even at a loss for words. But I wasn’t at precisely 10:07 PM (or thereabouts) when I read the email. Do people really think there’s an easy answer?

I started typing a response, and when I was done, 20-30 minutes later, rather than send it to the person who wrote the email, I posted it on my Facebook Fan Page because I figured it was a message that more than one person needed to hear.

And it’s what that, I felt I’d share it on my blog today.

And Here It Is

How did the Beatles become “the Beatles? How did Steve Jobs build Apple?  How did the Golden Gate Bridge get built? Or, how did Will Hunting solve that seemingly unsolvable, hard as balls formula that Professor Lambeau left on the chalk board in MIT hallway outside his classroom?

HARD WORK, that’s how!!!!

Listen, Dr. Oz likes to propagate false claims and wishful thinking using flashy buzzwords and phrases like “magic pill” and “I’ve got the miracle answer for….”

[Cue hardship here: diabetes/fat loss/heart disease/raging explosive diarrhea/you name it.]

He prays on the notion that there’s an easy fix for “stuff”, an easy route to success, and caters to people’s lack of accountability for their own actions, or lack thereof.

There is no easy fix. It doesn’t exist.

Just like there’s no easy answer I can offer to the above query.

To put things into perspective, I started out as a personal trainer at a small corporate gym back in 2002. N’Sync was Dirty Pop’in, gas prices were $1.43 a gallon, and the iPhone didn’t exist. Not that 2002 is ancient history, but it certainly wasn’t yesterday.

I’ve been doing this for a little over a decade now, it’s only been within the past year, maybe two, where I’ve finally started to feel I kinda-sorta know what the heck I’m doing.

That’s countless client/athlete coaching hours, countless programs written, countless books read, and DVDs watched, and workshops/conferences attended. Not to mention innumerous words written from articles and blog posts. Well, technically, I could probably go back and count, but you get the gist of what I’m trying to say.

I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am. I didn’t get my first article published on T-Nation until 2006 (four years into my career). I didn’t train my first professional athlete until 2007.

And, to speak bluntly, I don’t feel “where I am” is anywhere close to where I’d like to be. I still have soooo much more to learn and understand.

I still feel like a moron whenever I’m in the same room as Eric (Cressey) or Bret (Contreres) or Gray Cook or Mike Boyle or Jim “Smitty” Smith or Dean (Somerset) or Mike (Robertson) or Nick (Tumminello) or Cassandra (Forsythe) or any other countless fitness professionals I look up to.

On a daily basis I’m reminded how much of an idiot I am. This isn’t to say I don’t recognize any of my success or that I de-value myself.  Instead, it’s a subtle reminder that I’m not that special and things don’t just happen.

None of this – whatever this is? – happens overnight. Or in a week. Or in a month. Or in a decade.

It takes however long it takes. No one knows, really.

What I can tell you is that you have to put in the work, you have to have an insatiable appetite to always want to get better and improve, and you sure as hell better be willing to be humbled in the process.

Stop asking how long it will take to be successful or how long before you get your first article published or when you’ll get 1000 “likes” or when you’ll train your first professional athlete or when you’ll whateverthef***.

That’s not the point, and if that’s all you’re concerned with why are you even in this profession?

Instead, ask yourself how are you getting better today? How are you making your clients and athletes better?

That’s the more appropriate question.

Do the work. Consistently give a shit. THAT’s how you get to where you want to be.