Categoriespersonal training psychology

The Words We Use Matter

Much of what stresses us out as fitness professionals and gym owners is the psychological side of things as it relates to our clients:

  • Why won’t so and so listen to what I am saying?
  • If they just simply followed the plan as outlined things would be fine.
  • If I hear one more client bring up whether or not they should train for Hyrox I am going to jump through this pane glass window.

Nevertheless, motivation and long-term success in the gym often begins with possessing the soft skills necessary to communicate more effectively and efficiently.

As a reminder: The Core Collective Fall Seminar will cover a lot of this (and much, much more) the weekend of Oct 24-25th – HERE.

I hope to see you there!

A few years ago, while in Los Angeles presenting, I was asked a simple question by one of the attendees:

“What’s the one thing you’ve adopted or changed the most as a coach in the past 2-3 years?“

A simple inquiry to be sure. However, it required a bit of heft to answer.

I mean it’s not like they asked my thoughts on Linear Periodization1, kipping pull-ups2, or, I don’t know, the atomic mass of Manganese,3all of which can be answered with witty footnotes.

My response was likely a bit of a curveball.

While I could have easily gone into the nuances of assessment, program design, and the importance of positional breathing and what philosophical pivots I’ve made on each in recent years – or waxed poetic on why “textbook technique” doesn’t exist – I didn’t choose to.

Instead, I brought up the words we use as coaches.

Copyright: alphaspirit / 123RF Stock Photo

Words Matter

Let’s start with an inane example.

A word.

A word we use all the time in the fitness industry and one that serves as a cornerstone for what we do as a profession:

Assessment

For us (coaches, personal trainers, physical therapists, athletic trainers) the word infers or implies a start. We use an amalgamation of our expertise in anatomy, program design, bodily movement, and exercise technique/prescription (amongst other thing) and apply all of it to best fit the needs, goals, and ability level of the person sitting in front of us.

In other words: We attempt to find the most efficient, safe, and straightest line possible between Point B (where the client wants to go/goals) and Point A (where they are presently).

Alternatively, for them (clients/athletes/pirates), the word “assessment” can mean a plethora of things:

  • An evaluation
  • A screen
  • A test

Above all, though, I think most people feel an assessment is nothing more than 45-60 minutes of a complete stranger judging the shit out of them:

  • Your shoulders are internally rotated and rounded.
  • You have anterior pelvic tilt.
  • Your core is weak.
  • Your glutes don’t fire.
  • Your left eye is lower than your right. That’s weird.

In short: It’s a window of time where some douchy trainer takes every opportunity possible to showcase how much of a walking ball of fail someone is.

via GIPHY

I’ve personally taken steps to try to omit the word “assessment” from my vocabulary. I just feel the connotation breeds a negative tone out of the gate and is something I’d rather avoid.

Instead, I’ve opted to using terms such as “success session,” “meet and greet,” or “diesel deadlift house of fantastical dreams power hour.”

It just feels less judgy, doesn’t it?

The Power of ‘Of Coursing’

I have many friends in the fitness industry and it’s not uncommon for us to commiserate with one another about asinine things we read on the internet or maybe share a frustrating story regarding a client.

Here’s a recent back and forth I had with a friend:

“I have to share this with you…

Yesterday a lady who was given a gift certificate to take my women’s strength training class approached me after class to tell me she would have to take a month or two off from my class so she could “get some of this weight off…”

While I tried to control the stream coming out of my ears I said to her…

Well that’s kinda counterintuitive

She says:

I’m gonna start taking spin again! It really helped me lose weight…

Me: still trying to control the rage monster…

Well, have you done anything to change your eating over the last month? No. When you were taking spin, what did your diet look like? Well, I was tracking my calories and writing everything down that I ate.

So, you think the spinning helped you lose the weight?

Crickets

I burned 800 calories in spinning…. And I forgot to mention she sleeps horribly due to triplets (age 4 😳🙄) and she’s a DIETICIAN!

So I went on to explain what I thought she needed to do and how three days of spinning would be equivalent to pouring gasoline on the hormonal shit storm her body currently lies in…

Just ugh…”

Admittedly, after reading his description of events, I too had to resist the urge to jump in front of a bus. Why are people so adamant on repeating the same thing(s) over and over and over again to the tune of the same inconsistent results?

Not-to0-long ago Tony would have handled things the same way my friend did.

Present day Tony had this to say:

“Next time something like that happens do this:

Say, Of course.

Of course, you’d want to go back to spin class again. You enjoy it and it seemingly helped you lose weight. And, of course you want to go back to the same classes as before because they’re familiar and comfortable and not so intimidating.

However I do feel there’s a more efficient way for you to attain your goal(s) and to MAKE THEM STICK.

Give me 60 days. Let me take the reigns for 60 days. Do what I say, learn, try something different. If you don’t feel better after 60 days and feel as if you haven’t made progress, I’ll buy your next spin package.”

This is a tactic I stole from my wife few years ago and is a keen example of the plethora of tactics she covers during her Psych Skills For Fitness Pros course.

Instead of berating or guilting a fat-loss client who ate a bowl of Golden Grahams before bed – “you’re weak,” or “I guess you don’t want it bad enough,” or “I’m not mad, just disappointed” –  I’d opt to “of course” him or her to death.

“Of course you want to eat Golden Grahams before bed. They’re fucking delicious. However, let’s see if we can come up with some healthier alternatives together that may be a better fit for your goals.”

Or what about the client who misses a few workouts?

“Of course you’d rather go to a Noah Kahan concert rather than come to the gym to deadlift. He’s a delight and a national treasure. That being said, no matter how many times you listen to “I have no idea what any of his songs are called” it’s not going to help you hit your goal. Let’s see what we can do to prioritize your sessions more?”

Or what about the client who wants to give keto a try?

“Of course you want to try the ketogenic diet. It’s all the rage right now and everyone is doing it. If it’s sustainable and matches your lifestyle I see no reason why you shouldn’t give it a go. However, if after two weeks of not having carbs your response to your office mate saying “hey, good morning,” is to stab them in the throat with a stapler, we’ll likely need to have a talk.”

By leaning in and recognizing why someone would choose to do what they do – and not being an uppity curmudgeon about it (and more importantly…offering a solution or alternative) – you open up the doors for change to actually happen.

Try it.

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

peopleimages12@123rf.comCategoriescoaching personal training

What Planning For a Dinner Party Can Tell You About Designing Training Programs

One of my least favorite things to do as a bonafide member of the “I’m an introvert and would rather jump into a live volcano than entertain people” club…is to plan for a dinner party. Granted, it’s pretty much a requisite as a man who’s married to a woman who loves to host dinner parties that it’s going to happen every so often in our household.

Don’t get me wrong: I can turn “it” on when I have to. It may drain my social battery for the next week, but I can.

Which brings me to today’s musings. We hosted friends for dinner recently and all the preparation for that got me thinking about writing training programs. Because you know, I’m normal.

What Planning for a Dinner Party Can Tell You About Writing Training Programs

No surprise, there’s a lot to consider and plan for when constructing a classy dinner party:

  • Picking the perfect Canva template for the invitations.
  • Should you get catering or will this be a self-culinary event?
  • What kind of playlist for background music?
  • Should there be any board games involved?4
  • Finally, and I’m just spitballing here, but what about maybe requiring a password to enter? We could go all Eyes Wide Shut and make things weird:

Annnd, Get Me the Fuck Outta Here

via GIPHY

All of the above are important things to ponder.5

(Don’t you dare forget about the cheese board).

Above all else, of course, would be ensuring your place is spic and span for your guests.

Think about it this way: If you’re planning on having guests over for dinner, and you need to tiddy up the place, where are you going to concentrate your efforts?

  • Vacuuming the floors?
  • Dusting?
  • Cleaning (and putting away) all the dirty dishes in the sink?
  • Making sure there isn’t any dirty laundry laying around?
  • Fluffing the pillows on the couch?
  • Lighting a few scented candles for some added ambiance, perhaps?

Those all sound like winners to me.

You’re likely not going to focus on iron pressing your ties, scrubbing down the shower, or, I don’t know, organizing your spice rack alphabetically.

The point is: You’re going to focus on the “big rocks” and save the superfluous, extraneous minutiae for another time.

By comparison, when working with a personal training client and you only have, if you’re lucky, two, maybe three hours per week with them, what should be the priority with regards to their training program?

More globally, what THEMES should be emphasized to help him or her make long-term progress that sticks?

NOTE: The answer to both questions can (and should) be dictated by one’s goal(s), injury history, and ability level (to name a few)…

…but let’s briefly take fat-loss as an example.

Speaking for myself, if a client of mine expresses interest in focusing on fat-loss, from a programming standpoint I’m going to concentrate my efforts toward the BIG ROCKS:

1️⃣ Discuss Strategies to Promote a Caloric Deficit

There’s myriad of things to consider and take into account:

  • Lifestyle
  • Social Support
  • Medical History
  • Favorite Color
  • Socioeconomic Considerations
  • Food Likes and Dislikes
  • One’s “Relationship” With Food
  • And Other Psychological Factors

Instead I’ll just direct you toward people like Core Collective’s own registered dietician, Cristine Seitz,  Andy Morgan, and Dr. Spencer Nadolsky who are more authorities on this topic than I.

Needless to say…if fat loss is the goal, a caloric deficit needs to happen in some fashion.

2️⃣ Strength Training

Sure, we can have a discussion on the efficacy of utilizing approaches such as supersets, compound sets, intervals, finishers, circuits, AMRAP sets, and so on and so forth to help promote more metabolic type training.

However, for me, I’m still going to have my client lift appreciable weight to “remind” the body to keep as much muscle as possible during a caloric deficit, which means I’ll still emphasize compound movements such as deadlifts, squats, rows, and various presses in order to hit as many muscle groups as possible in a minimal amount of time.

Seems pretty logical, right?

Again, if I only have a limited number of hours per week with a client, I’m going to use that time as efficiently as possible.

Why, then, would having your client perform 15 lb. standing tricep extensions followed by 1-legged lateral raises while standing on a wobble board even enter the equation?

Sadly, I see this type of programming a lot.

Going back to the dinner party analogy, that’s akin to me vacuuming the insides of my shoes in the in the bedroom closet.  It makes absolutely no sense!

Stop Majoring in the Minors

Far too often I see trainers focus on the minor, sweating the details to the detriment of actually giving their clients lasting results.

When you think about it, it’s the Pareto Principle to a T.

“80% of your results are going to come from 20% of the work.”

My good friend, Bryan Krahn, said it about as succinctly as possible not long ago:

I am by no means suggesting I know the best way to train every client – particularly yours.

All I’m saying is that when it comes to program design – and by default, exercise selection – trainers need to take it upon themselves to think critically and ask: “is this really going to get my client the best results in the quickest, most time efficient way possible?”

If not, then start over.

Now, excuse me while I go wipe down my Blu-ray collection.

mudkung@123rf.comCategoriescoaching personal training Program Design

Working Hard vs. Always Making Exercise Harder

I want to make something crystal clear before I proceed:

Exercise – I.e., lifting weights in particular – should have a degree of sucktitude attached to it.

No one became a brick shit house in the gym or built an impressive physique without pushing their body to the limits on a consistent basis. I’m often flummoxed by people who, when I post a video of myself or one of my clients doing something badass, will sometimes chime in with something to the effect of “oh, you better be careful. Such and such exercise causes too much stress on the body.”

I can’t help but think to myself: “Um, that’s kinda the point of exercise isn’t it?…

…to stress the body and force it to adapt?“

It’s a narrow-minded and boneheaded take if you ask me.

That being said, I do feel there’s a distinct difference between working hard and (always) striving to make exercise harder.

The former = good. Great, even.

The latter = meh.

Working Hard vs. (Always) Making Exercise Harder

The easiest way for me to explain my train of thought here is to use a real-world example.

I have a client I started working with a few months ago. She’s a trainer herself, actually, and is no stranger to being a gym-rat, getting after it, and satiating her inner-meathead.

She reached out to me because she had been training on her own for several years and was sorta “stuck” in her progress. Namely she wanted someone to audit her technique with the barbell lifts (squat, deadlift, bench) in addition to having someone take over the mental gymnastics that’s often a side-effect of writing your own programs.

I can totally relate (even coaches need coaches).

As is the case with every client I work with there’s always a window where the two parties are kinda feeling each other out and getting the lay of the land. On my end I’m trying to ascertain how I need to temper my coaching style to better fit the personality, ability level, and needs of the client.

On their end there’s undoubtedly an adjustment to Techno Tuesdays and Wu-Tang Wednesdays or, I don’t know, the fact I don’t wear pants on Thursdays.6

This was no different.

One thing that struck me in our initial sessions together was her proclivity to always want to beat her previous workout. Meaning, if she deadlifted “x” weight the week prior and didn’t surpass that number the following week (or at least attempt to) she’d be disappointed.

Now, in a general sense I LOVE this kind of attitude.

I want people to work hard and to push themselves in the weight-room. A continual, consistent pattern of progressive overload – gradually doing more and more work over the course of weeks, months, years – is the key to long-term progress & success. It makes my job infinitely easier when someone “gets” this concept.

However, it can also be a double-edged sword.

In the case of my client, I got the impression that she was stuck in the trap of constantly testing her strength rather than building it.

More to the point, she was stuck in the trap of trying to always make exercise harder.

But Tony Didn’t You Just Say You WANT Your Clients to Work Hard?

Yes, I did (and do).

But working hard and always making exercise harder are two different things.

To help ruminate my point further I always recall this idea of “80% Workouts” I picked up from strength coach Paul Carter.

In short:

  • 10% of the time you will feel like Leonidas leading his Spartan soldiers to battle and crush your workouts.
  • 10% of the time you will feel like you spent the night in the Sunken Place (<– Get Out reference) and your workouts will crush you.
  • 80% of the time you will just show up, get your reps in, and leave.

THAT’s the key.

Those 80% workouts.

The workouts where nothing spectacular happens.

You just exist and do the work.

80% of the time or 8 out of 10 workouts (<— I’m a master in math).

Another way to think about it: You’re still working hard every session, straining, and training with intent…but it’s just not worthy of Instagram.

To that end:

  • You can still work hard despite having a poor night’s sleep.
  • You can still work hard despite being injured.
  • You can still work hard despite having a bad day at work and resisting the urge to throw a stapler into boss’s face.

The point is: Every session (and exercise) doesn’t have to be a ball-breaker or “battle” or leave you with no sensation in the left side of your face in order for you to make progress.

Life gets in the way often and it’s unhelpful to hold ourselves to the impossible standard of breaking personal records every single training session.

It doesn’t always have to be harder.

This is where using other metrics of effort – like Rate of Perceived Exertion or Reps in Reserve – can be useful. For example, lets say you have a client who had a poor night’s sleep the night prior or maybe lost a fist fight to Rambo.

Whatever, they’re in no shape to train at full throttle.

Instead of hitting that scheduled heavy double with their squats, maybe a better approach would be to have them perform 2-3 sets of squats aiming for 2-3 Reps in Reserve.

This way they’re still squatting and hitting a few challenging sets, but not risking injury or further piling on more CNS fatigue that will only continue to accumulate and further derail their training.

Alternatively, you can try this approach:

Week 1: 3×5 @ 70% of 1 Rep Max + one set of as many reps as possible (AMRAP).

  • If AMRAP >8 reps, go up 5 lbs next session.
  • If AMRAP 6-8 reps, repeat next session.
  • If AMRAP <5 reps, go down 5 lbs next session.

This is a healthy compromise because it satisfies my preference of each repetition being (somewhat) fast and crisp, but the AMRAP set also helps satiate the more competitive clients.

It’s a win-win in my book.

“Easy” training is good training.

BUILD strength instead of testing it constantly.

WU-TANG!

alexandrmusuc@123rf.comCategoriesAssessment personal training Program Design

The Dubious D Word of the Fitness Industry

Here’s a hint:

It’s not dorsiflexion, diastasis, disc herniation, or density set.

And it’s also not deload, DOMS, or dorsal talonavicular ligament. <– say that three times fast.

Nope, the most dubious “D” word I’m referring to and the word I wish more fitness professionals would use LESS is…

…dysfunction.

Stop It. Stop It Right Now

It’s a common tactic for fitness professionals, especially during an initial session or assessment, to go out of their way to demonstrate just how dysfunctional someone is.

“Okay, so, after everything we’ve gone through and discussed it seems you have an internally rotated right shoulder, a bit of anterior pelvic tilt, upper back kyphosis, you lack thoracic rotation on your left side, you need to clip your toenails, oh, and one eye is lower than the other.

We’ve got some work to do to fix everything.”

Now, I’m not going to sit here and say I’ve been perfect my entire career and that I never did the same thing.

I did.

And while hindsight is 20/20…I can’t even begin to imagine how much business I lost because I felt it a good idea to showcase to potential clients how much of a walking ball of fail they were on Day #1. To that end, I do believe there’s a natural growth or maturation (that only comes with experience) of any fitness professional where you begin to understand and appreciate this train of thought.

Of course it’s our job to “audit” movement and to ascertain, to the best of our ability, what will set people up for the most success possible given their goals, injury history, and ability level(s).

But I adamantly feel that one of the worst things you can do as a fitness professional is to highlight dysfunction and to make people feel broken out of the gate.

Take scapular winging for example, where the shoulder blade lacks congruency with the ribcage (I.e., it peels off the rib cage).

Is it actually a dysfunctional thing?

Now, admittedly, the picture above is a little a lot fucked up.

This is TRUE scapular winging, an actual medical diagnosis where the long thoracic nerve is not doing its job innervating the Serratus Anterior. No amount of Prone Trap Raises or Forearm Wall Slides is going to fix that dumpster fire. It’s going to entail meticulous manual therapy and someone with a keener sense of neurological wizardry to fix it.

However, many people walk around thinking they have “scapular winging” (HINT: pretty much everyone has it to some degree) and that they’re doomed to a laundry list of corrective exercise purgatory.

I have news for you.

Most people’s long thoracic nerve works just fine and most people are NOT in a state of dysfunction. In fact you can fix scapular winging pretty quickly by adding LOAD and by getting people to TRAIN. Load helps nudge people into better positioning and training just helps people not want to jump in front of a bus (trust me: corrective exercise purgatory is no fun for anyone).

There are a litany of ways to accomplish this.

In this short video (taken from Even More Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint) , I outline some of my thoughts and manage to not swear the entire time.

shevtsovy@123rf.comCategoriesExercise Technique Exercises You Should Be Doing personal training

Ab Rollouts: How to Perform Them Well and Two Variations: 1 Entry Level, 1 John Wick Level

Ab wheel rollouts are a common choice for those looking to work their (anterior) core muscles. The main objective of the exercise of course is to make you hate life resist too much extension of the lower back.

In short: It can be considered a (mostly) anti-extension exercise.

Today I wanted to quickly share two different variations:

  • One entry level (that pretty much anyone can perform, and serves as a nice starting point for most trainees).
  • One John Wick level (that pretty much only world class assassins can pull off).

Let’s go!

But First (the kinda boring stuff)

I’d be remiss not to at least go into some detail on proper set-up and technique of a standard ab wheel rollout. There’s no need to go about re-inventing the wheel (👈 ha, I love puns) here or provide a dissertation. It’s an ab rollout not nuclear physics.

That said, in terms of general set-up and execution I do find most people set up the wrong way. More often than not I find many people set up with an aggressive arch in their lower back, and as they descend/extend toward the floor, the lower back arches even more.

Ouch. My eyes are bleeding.

This is not ideal for two main reasons:

1️⃣ This position places the abdominals in an already stretched position to begin with; which basically defeats the purpose of the exercise.

2️⃣ The lower back is then like “tha fuck!?”
👆
The goal is to feel the exercise in abs, not the lower back.

My preference is to start people with a slightly flexed lower back to begin with. Think: “belt buckle toward your chin.” 👈 this puts your pelvis in more posterior tilt. This way, as they lower closer to the floor, their lower back ends up in a more “neutral” position rather than overly extended (arched).

Starting point.

End point: “Neutral” spine position.,

I hope that helps.

Two Variations

All that said, performing a rollout on the floor can still be a rather aggressive choice for many people to start off with. Most lack the requisite strength/stability to get remotely close to the floor which can be deflating. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather try my best to demonstrate as much success as possible to a new client rather than make him/her feel like something is too challenging or out of reach.

Or, worse case: Painful.

To that point, I came up with the following regression that I feel works really well:

Incline Rollout

 

These are a great entry point for people just starting out with rollouts as the inclination helps to keep them from “falling” into their lower back excessively.

For those of you looking for something a bit more challenging I offer this:

Anchored Rollouts

 

Giving credit where it’s due: I originally got this one from strength coach Mike Volkmar and upon seeing it for the first time was like 1) this is awesome and 2) I’m an asshat for never thinking of this myself.

As he points out, anchoring the ankles against the band activates the hamstrings, turning off the hip flexors.

As a result, climate change is resolved!

YAY. WE DID IT EVERYONE. Congrats.

(In all seriousness, give these two variations a try and let me know what you think).

denis1203@123rf.comCategoriescoaching personal training Program Design

Training Strategies to Produce Your Own Army of Terminators

I wish I had someone sit me down when I first started in this industry to better explain programming. On one hand I guess it ended up working out, because I wrote a gazillion million kajillion programs over the course of my career and there’s really no better way to gain expertise on a topic than to actually do it.

There’s no other option but to get good at it.

(I’ll save the obvious self-deprecating jab at myself here about not having any girlfriends in high school here)

That said, it really would have saved me a lot of time and second guessing myself if I had a little “cheat sheet of programming wizardry” to help guide me and make my clients into invincible Terminators. Well kiddos…

…today is my gift to you.

What follows is by no means all encompassing nor the panacea of programming. But I think it’s a pretty good starting point for most new trainers and coaches in the industry and I hope it will serve as the bedrock for the bulk of their bulk of programming needs moving forward.

And before I go on, full-credit to Tasha Wolf Whelan who’s talent, expertise, and general badassery served as the inspiration for this compilation. The charts below have been adapted from her.

Linear Periodization

Pretty much  ALL beginners will (and should) start with a Linear Periodization scheme. This not only introduces the concept of progressive overload to them, but does so in a fashion that’s not overwhelming or complicated. And, in all honesty: most general population clients will LIVE here for the duration of their training career. 

3×8-12 will take someone a very long way in their training. Trust me: Phil from accounting doesn’t need contrast sets or Eastern Bloc periodization schemes to peak for his family trip to Toledo this summer.

Obviously the goal is not to keep someone at 3×8-12 the entire time. However, you’d be surprised as to just how long this can go on for. The idea is to start with a load and stay there until 3×12 is achieved on ALL sets. 

Week 1: 100 x 10, 9, 8

via GIPHY

Week 2: 100×12,10,10

via GIPHY

Week 3: 100×12,12,11

via GIPHY

Week 4: 100×12,12,12

Boom shaka-laka. Increase load and get to work.

Rinse, wash, repeat.

The bigger picture of Linear Periodization is that you’ll typically begin with a low(er) set/high(er) rep scheme using light to moderate loads and progress to high(er) set/low(er) rep schemes using moderate to heavy loads.

For the visual learners it may look something like this:

Weeks 1-4: 3×8-12
Weeks 5-8: 4×6-8
Weeks 9-12: 5×4-6

As the weeks progress the volume (total number of sets being done) is staying relatively the same, but the intensity (loads being lifted) is increasing.

Fixed Loading

A logical progression from Linear Periodization is something called Fixed Loading. Once a trainee begins to understand how to load his or her’s body and knows what their upper limits are, Fixed Loading is a great option to help push the envelope into more aggressive training.

The idea is to set a fixed load and to then hit a goal number of reps within a training session.

Something to consider here is that the load being used should “match” the rep scheme. Meaning, a higher total rep count would insinuate someone would be using a lighter load and vice versa. A good example would look like this:

Trap Bar Deadlift

32 reps @ 225 (6-8 reps per set)
.
.
.
12 reps @ 300 (2-3 reps per set)

Undulated Periodization

From there, one option that’s massively popular is UNDULATED PERIODIZATION. In short, the concept behind this method is to focus on a specific rep scheme/agenda per workout (or given microcycle; think week to week), or in other words…easy days, medium days, and hard days (from an intensity standpoint).

This is a popular scheme used by many strength & conditioning coaches working with athletes given athletes will typically have “competing” demands (practice, game days, travel, weight-room, etc) depending on the time of year (in-season vs. off-season). However, this is also a very doable approach for many gen pop clients (intermediate to advanced) as it allows for a bit more training variety and provides a different or unique stimulus per training session.

The two most common ways to implement undulated periodization is via a weekly emphasis or a session to session emphasis. Meaning, if you take the weekly approach each session within a week will mirror one another in terms of the end goal.

Week 1: Heavy (all exercises – or at least the main exercises – are completed in the 3-5 rep range)
Week 2: Medium (all exercises completed in the 8-12 rep range)
Week 3: Light (all exercises completed in the 15+ rep range)

The second option is where each session hits every stimulus. The easiest example would be to take the “big 3”  (squat, bench press, deadlift) and break if down that way:

Day 1: Squat variation (heavy), bench press accessory (medium), deadlift accessory (light)
Day 2: Bench Press variation (heavy), deadlift accessory (medium), squat accessory (light)
Day 3: Deadlift variation (heavy), squat accessory (medium), bench press accessory (light)

Stage Loading

Next up Stage Loading. This is a unique way of training I adopted during my days coaching at Cressey Sports Performance. In a nutshell your client or athlete will ramp up to a challenging (heavy) few sets of 3-6 reps and then perform a few back off sets at a lighter load within a high(er) rep scheme. When you think about it: It’s PAP (post activation potentiation) training 101. Lift heavy shit to “potentiate” more motor unit firing and recruitment, then when you back off, those subsequent loads will end up feeling lighter and less like you’re going to shit a spleen…

…comparatively speaking.

Here’s a quick example of what this would look like:

Front Squats

  • Ramp up to a challenging “stage” of 3×3 (these sets should be close to an RPE 9/10)
  • Don’t die.
  • Back off with another “stage” of 1-2 sets of 10 (added volume)

From there you can periodize things to look like this:

Week 1: 3×3, 1×10
Week 2: 3×3, 1×8 (<— a little heavier)
Week 3: 3×3, 1×5 (<— heavier)
Week 4: 3×3, 2×5

You can also invert the back off sets to begin with 2×5 and end with high(er) rep sets as the week progresses. There are endless permutations here and no ONE right way.

Rest/Pause and Cluster Sets

Speaking candidly, I don’t use any of the following modalities until someone has had a consistent 1-2 years of training under their belt. But I have to say…these are all really fun and I have used both these modalities with beginners in the past to help with work capacity and introduce them to heavier loads in a safe manner.

Important Caveat: Rest/Pause and Cluster Training are often lumped together and I understand why; they are very similar to one another. Kind of like how people confuse or think that Saruman and Sauron from Lord of the Rings are the same person.

WHY WON’T YOU LISTEN TO ME AND GET IT OUT OF YOUR THICK SKULL THAT THEY’RE NOT THAT SAME??!?! THEY’RE JUST NOT! (slams door) 

Rest/Pause = extended sets to (technical) failure.

Clusters = pre-planned load and rest periods.

I like to use rest/pause training as an accessory to the main lift of the day as a way to add extra volume in. After the main event (say, bench press) they’ll then do some Rest/Pause training as follows:

  • Set 1: 70% of 1RM for AMAP (as many reps as possible), rest 20-30s, AMAP again, rest 20-30s, one more set to AMAP
  • Rest 2-5 minutes
  • Set 2: 65% of 1RM repeating the same protocol

This is also a great option for clients or athletes who are competitive because the objective then is to try to beat their total # of reps week to week.

Clusters are best used with the main lift of the day. The main benefit is that it allows trainees to work with heavier loads compared to the same weight being done as straight sets (and with better technique because fatigue is managed).

Using the deadlift as an example: Goal is three cluster sets of 2 reps @ 85% of 1RM

  • Cluster #1: 2 reps, rest 15-20s, 2 reps, rest 15-20s, 2 reps
  • rest 2-4 minutes
  • Cluster #2: 2 reps, rest 15-20s, 2 reps, rest 15-20s, 2 reps
  • rest 2-4 minutes
  • Cluster #3: 2 reps, rest 15-20s, 2 reps, rest 15-20s, 2 reps

When I am feeling extra spicy, I’ll even have clients do GIANT CLUSTER SETS where I set a fixed time (5-10 minutes) and they perform 1-2 reps at a given percentage (75-85%) every 30s. By minute four this is common…

via GIPHY

Wave Loading

Last but not least is Wave Loading, which is another example of postactivation potentiation. The 1st wave more or less “potentiates” the nervous system into thinking the load(s) used for subsequent waves is lighter than normal compared to the same load performed as straight sets.

To quote the great Austin Powers, “Annnnnd, I’m spent.”

I hope that helps generate some programming juices for you and your clients.

Categoriescoaching personal training

Looking to Hire a Personal Trainer? Here’s a Short List of Things to Consider

Hiring a personal trainer is a big deal. Maybe not as big of a deal as purchasing a home or a new car (in terms of the initial monetary investment at least), but when you really think about it…
 
…it’s arguably a more important investment because it’s an investment in YOU. Hiring a coach to guide you, show you the ropes, and help you achieve your health/fitness goals (whether it’s to simply feel better, work around an injury, prepare for a competitive season, or be able to deadlift a bulldozer) in the safest and most time efficient way possible can be tricky.
 
I mean, there are A LOT of gyms (and personal trainers) out there; so how do you decide to pick one over another? Where do you even begin?
 

Here Are a Few Simple (and admittedly anecdotal) Guidelines to Consider:

 

1. Are They Certified?

 
 
Tony Gentilcore, CSCS, PhD in General Badassery
 
Some certifications are better than others (and they’re are some I like better than others), but the “gold standard” certifications to look for are ones through the NSCA, NASM, ACE, and Show Up Fitness CPT. Ensuring that whomever you hire has gone through (and passed) some formal education as it pertains to anatomy, physiology, and basic programming is important to consider.
 

2. Can They Concisely Describe What It Is They Do?

 
Watch out for word vomit. Once someone starts describing themselves as a “transformation guru” or, I don’t know, a “body architect,”  you have my full permission to queue up an eye roll parade.
 
They’re a personal trainer or strength & conditioning coach. Or just coach.
 
That’s it. I often find that when someone slaps on some nebulous title to what it is they do…they’re likely compensating for something.
 
Which segues to…
 

3. Do They Offer a Thorough “Assessment” or “Intake” Session?

 
 
Any quality trainer will go out of his or her’s way to take you through a proper assessment to better ascertain your current fitness level, discuss injury history & goals, and to consider any “speed bumps” that would prevent you from beginning a fitness routine.
 
If they don’t…run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, in-line lunge (<—- sorry, FMS joke) your way in the opposite direction.
 

4. Do They Seem Like a Personable Person to Hang Out With?

 
Sure, you want to hire someone who is knowledgeable, gets results, and places a premium on continuing education, but if having a 10-15 minute initial conversation with them is more painful than walking over broken glass, imagine what an hour will be like?
 
Some of the most successful coaches I know are just awesome people to hang out with and have superior interpersonal skills. It sounds cheesy, but it matters. Part of what builds consistency with a trainer (and hence, a routine) is the fact you enjoy spending time with them.
 
Are there myriad other things to consider? Yes, of course. Asking them to provide client testimonials (or even connecting you to current clients so you can ask them what their experiences have been like) would be a good idea. Do they dress professionally? I know this may come across as me being a bit of a curmudgeon, but nothing says “don’t hire me” than someone wearing a cut-off t-shirt. 
 
Lastly, don’t be timid to do a little reconnaissance on anyone you’re considering hiring by checking out their social media. If they’re feed is more about being a performative asshat (me, me, meeeeeeee), showcasing their physical attributes (you know exactly what I mean) than it is about educating or showcasing their clients then I’d question their experience and expertise.
 
NOTE: I am not saying people can’t have fun, show off their personality, or demonstrate how their pecs or glutes can cut diamonds. But when that’s the ONLY thing they’re doing on their feed that’s a red flag if you ask me.
 
Also, if they’re into Emily in Paris I’d view that as a unhirable offense.
 
Just my two cents. 
lightfieldstudios@123rf.comCategoriespersonal training Program Design Strength Training

The Art of the Indicator Set

The 21st century has graced us with a bevy of technological advances:

  • High-speed internet.
  • Telescopes that now treat us to images of Black Holes
  • Nanotechnology to help improve manufacturing, healthcare, climate change, and agriculture.
  • Pizza crust made out of cauliflower.

The health/fitness sector has also benefitted. Trainers have the ability to work with clients from all over the world in real-time. We also have the capability to measure things like bar speed and heart rate variability via applications on our phone; all of which provide data to help us gauge our “readiness” to train on any given day.

But seriously, cauliflower is now used to make pizza crust! Even more miraculous is that it doesn’t taste like sawdust.

Technology surely is great.

However, when it comes to ascertaining one’s readiness to train I tend to lean more toward the anti-app route, and instead rely on what I call “INDICTOR SETS.”

What the Heck Is An Indicator Set?

The easiest way to explain is via some anecdotal observances.

I was walking to my gym to train the other day where the plan was to show up, warm-up, crank a little Mobb Deep over the stereo, get angry enough to want to fight a tornado, and work up to a heavy(ish) triple on my deadlift (535 lb).

On paper it looked like a done deal.

But once I started warming up, things didn’t go quite as planned:

135 x 5

225 x 5

315 x 3

405 x 1 (didn’t feel horrible, but didn’t feel great)

455 x 1 (INDICATOR SET)

An indicator set basically lets me know whether or not I have “it” that day.

For instance, in the previous two weeks, 455 lbs (which is ~70% of my 1RM) literally flew up. Based on “feel” of my bar speed, and how effortless the set felt, I knew I could make a run for a high 500’s pull.

Put another way, I gave myself the green light to go for it, and I did.

Conversely, 455 felt like absolute garbage the other day.

It felt slow off the ground. And it felt even slower at lockout, which I normally never have any issues with.  The indication was: “Tony, if you attempt to go any higher you’ll run the risk of shitting your spine.”

So, I did the smart thing and called it.

I re-racked the plates, turned the page, and did my accessory work:  DB reverse lunges, a little pouting in the corner, and some pull-throughs.

via GIPHY

Listen, it’s not a perfect system, nor is it anything remotely scientific. To be as transparent as possible: I am not anti-technology. But I am anti-technology to the point that many (not all) people tend to miss the forest for the trees when it comes to their readiness to workout.

If their Apple watch indicates a modicum of fatigue they’ll shut that shit down faster than you can say, well, apple.

Just because your watch says you should avoid training on any given day doesn’t necessarily mean you have to. Besides, I’m not entirely sold on the reliability of those apps anyway. I’ve had clients walk into a session feeling like a million bucks only to have their watch tell them danger, danger, DANGER, and to not even look at a barbell.

On the flip side, I’ve also had clients show up feeling like they made out with a petri dish, only to warm-up, move around a little, and then feel like Leonidas leading the Spartans to battle.

via GIPHY

Indicator sets help you learn to FEEL whether or not you’ve got the juice on any given day. In short: It’s a form of auto-regulation that helps you to not have to rely on some algorithm.

Plus, it’ll save you a few hundred dollars…😙

At least in this scenario you’ll have some tangible, performance-based evidence to help you gauge things. Muscle fatigue is one thing and tends to be easier for many people to use as a metric.

If you’re overly sore you can feel that and tweak your programming accordingly. CNS (or nervous system) fatigue is a bit more nebulous and harder to pinpoint, or even feel for that matter.

Indicator sets help you with the latter.

To that end, I encourage you to start utilizing indicator sets as part of your warm-up on the days you know you’re going to be pushing the envelop. 

Pick a weight during your warm-up that you can use to “gauge” where you’re at that particular day. This number should be heavy enough to be challenging, but one you KNOW you can perform fast and with immaculate technique.

(this will likely be around 80% of your 1 rep-max)

Trust me.  The whole mindset of lift heavy or go home – while admirable – isn’t always the best approach.

Categoriespersonal training Program Design Strength Training

Maybe Your Shoulder Hurts Because Your Technique Sucks

Full Disclosure: I am not a fantastic presser. I’m not going to sit here and attempt to regal you with stories from high-school where I used to drive a Camaro, hookup with the Prom Queen, and bench 405 for reps (you know, before that nasty football injury in the State Championship ruined everything).

Nope, this is not that kind of story. I recognize the bench press often serves as a litmus test for general level of badassery, but I’ve always considered myself an average presser (personal best of 315 lbs at a bodyweight of sexy).

Or, in Dave Tate’s words “I suck.”

Not gonna argue with Dave…;o)

I know how to coach it, and have worked with many people in my years as coach to help them improve and increase their bench press. More commonly, though, is helping people work around a nagging shoulder injury that prevents them from “attacking” the lift in the first place.

NEWSFLASH: Many people complain that the bench press bothers their shoulder.

And while the first inclination is to nix the bench press altogether and jump into corrective exercise mode and start having people blow into balloons or perform any number of thoracic mobility or scapular stability drills to get at the (possible) root of the problem, I feel we sometimes need to pump the brakes.

I mean, I agree that for many people their upper back mobility is atrocious and that it’s likely a very good use of their time to address it. And yes, some people may have gunky tissue quality or less than exemplary scapular stability or kinematics which likely is playing a significant role in their ouchie shoulder.

A thorough assessment or appointment with a manual therapist can hopefully help.

But maybe, just maybe, the reason why someone’s shoulder(s) hurt during bench pressing is because their technique makes my eyes bleed?

*shrugs*

Maybe all they need is a little more coaching. As I always say:

“Correct movement can be corrective.”

This is why, when someone’s shoulder hurts during the bench press, my first “tier” to attack is technique. The fitness industry has become too corrective at the expense of coaching our athletes/clients. Taking the 5-10 minutes to address someone’s set-up can make a huge difference in how the movement feels.

  • Are they driving their upper traps into the bench?
  • Are they getting their scapulae retracted and depressed?
  • Do they press the bar up and out of the j-hooks, or do they “guide” the bar out?
  • Do they “let the bar settle” before they lower it?
  • Do they “meet the bar with their chest? Or do they allow their shoulders to roll forward?

All of these can be easy-to-fix snafus that may eliminate any shoulder discomfort during the bench press.

Bench Press Set-Up

What happens if you address technique, it’s sound, and the bench press still hurts? You can still implement other pressing variations that can work in the interim while you address the root cause(s).

Decline Bench Press

Think about what’s not happening during a decline bench press as opposed to a flat or incline bench variation?

In a decline there’s less shoulder flexion involved which helps keep many trainees out of the “danger zone” of shoulder pain. So if flat bench pressing hurts you may be able to get away with a decline.

Spoto Press (Invisible Board Press)

A common flaw I see is some people have a hard time “meeting the bar with their chest” and end up having their shoulders roll forward as they lower the barbell.

Popularized by Bench Press Captain America, Eric Spoto (722 lbs, unequipped), the Spoto Press is a variation to combat this where you stop the bar a few inches above the chest, pause, and then press back up.

When In Doubt, Use Dumbbells

When you grab a barbell with a pronated (overhand) grip, you “lock” the humerus in an internally rotated position which can be problematic since it narrows the acromion space.

Using dumbbells alleviates this issue because you can nudge a little more external rotation by adopting a neutral grip. This is a major reason why I prefer DB pressing variations for overhead athletes as opposed to straight bar.

Corrective Pressing Variations That Don’t Feel Corrective

While not always the case, a common thread I see when it comes to shoulder pain is the INability of the shoulder scapulae to be able to move. In order to move big weight you need to respect tension and stability. In some cases, however, the shoulder blades are kinda “stuck” (usually downward rotation) and lack the ability to move through a full ROM.

It’s still vital to be able to access scapular movement for overall shoulder health.

When this happens I prefer to use pressing variations that allow for a little more wiggle room. As in: we allow the shoulder blades a little breathing room. Push-ups will always be my first choice here. But relax, I recognize most would rather swallow a live grenade than read more about push-ups.

For those interested you can READ this brief article.

Off-Bench DB Press

Scooting a smidge to the side of a bench will allow more scapular movement. What’s nice about this exercise is that it’s also a great core exercise (you have to fire like crazy in order to not fall off the bench) in addition to an awesome way to further engage the glutes. You can’t quite see it with the angle of this video, but I’m also situated further down on the bench so my lower half isn’t resting on it.

Bottoms-Up Press – Off Foam Roller

I snaked this one off Dr. Joel Seedman. Using a KB and holding it in the bottoms-up position is a fantastic way to ramp up rotator cuff activation…you really have to fight to stabilize and keep the joint centrated.

Moreover, by lying on the foam roller the shoulder blades are now able to move to a higher degree. And, much like the off-bench variation above, there’s also a high degree of glute engagement as well as foot and ankle engagement.

And That’s That

Don’t be so quick to bust out the band external rotations and t-spine drills. Addressing technique on the bench press can be every bit as corrective in terms of addressing shoulder pain. Likewise, don’t be so quick to omit all pressing variations. All aren’t equal and it oftentimes is a matter of choosing the right variation for the individual and nice vice versa.

Press on.

nd3000@123rf.comCategoriescoaching personal training Program Design

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

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

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

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

Age Ain’t Nuthin But a Number

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That line changed my career.

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

Note from TG: Never heard of the guy…🙃

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

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

So I did.

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

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

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

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

1. Use Volume Instead of Intensity As Overload

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

Or from 8 reps to 10.

We build strength by layering volume—quietly and safely.

2. Use Range of Motion for Overload

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

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

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

3. Use Tempo for Overload

You noticing the theme here?

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

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

4. Glutes and Abs First. Everything Else Later 

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

Why?

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

My go-to progression:

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

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

5. Push With the Body, Not Against It

Pushups. Landmines. Bands.

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

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

Now?

I can’t remember the last time it happened.

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

About the Author

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