The third and final installment of my “30 Days of Shoulders” series went live today over at T-Nation.com. All three parts cover everything from shoulder assessment and tips on shoulder friendly pressing t0 how to improve shoulder health and performance.
Collectively it’ll make all your hopes and dreams come true.
Check it out —-> HERE
I’m still overseas in the U.K.1
I’ve got some of my own content lined up for later this week, but today TG.com regular, Travis Hansen, was kind enough to pinch write for me today.
It’s on static stretching and whether or not there’s any efficacy towards it helping to improve athletic performance.
Enjoy.
Does the science on traditional stretching actually benefit measures of athlete performance? I’m not sure that the notion has ever been questioned and we have all, including myself, just accepted the fact that by stretching our muscles we were actually taking positive steps towards running faster, jumping higher, and becoming an overall better athlete.
Before we dive into a lot of the research lets first look at some theories for and against stretching. We will start with the pros of stretching.
First, it’s a common belief that stretching can effectively alter the tissue length resulting in more potential energy to be stored and an effective reset to the muscle allowing it to stay healthy and perform better. The effects of stretching on injury prevention is another article topic in itself, so we will just focus on the benefits of performance for now.
Unfortunately, it’s by no means fair to sit here and say that stretching will help you perform better although it sounds great on paper.
However, stretching does affect the viscous properties of muscle fibers and creates less resistance temporarily allowing for more potential ROM; although it doesn’t seem to be a permanent adaptation. Stretching can also improve fascicle length which may have implications on muscle recruitment rates, so there is another plus for stretching.
Moving on, stretching also deals with the aftermath of training.
Stretching has been shown to improve Parasympathetic Nervous System Activation.
This is the rest and digest part of our nervous system that you probably already know about and stretching can impact this branch of the nervous system, hasten recovery, and increase the potential to train harder in subsequent sessions if the stretching is timed right.
Lastly, stretching can make sure that there are no limitations in movement.
There is a bevy of research showing that its biggest influence is through creating more range of motion and degrees of movement freedom.
There are several scenarios you could think of which would require more ROM as an athlete (i.e. deep squat prior to vertical jump takeoff, loading phase of throwing or swinging, etc.) and you wouldn’t want a limitation in flexibility to prevent any success in your skill execution.
But what if stretching doesn’t really work as well as we thought and had hoped for…………?
I read about this theory awhile back when Chris Beardsley brought the idea to light in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Basically, there are specific angles and ranges of motions where we will be most successful with different styles of training.
For example, with low velocity movements like bench press, squatting, and deadlifting the larger the range of motion and joint angle…the greater amount of force can be generated.
Conversely, with high velocity movements the ranges of motion and angles need to be much smaller in order to be successful.
All else being equal, stretching isn’t really going to offer a whole lot if you’re an athlete who relies upon high velocity performance on a regular basis.
Another thing to consider is that if you analyze the nature of most power and speed based activities, often times, athletes and clients already possess the capacity to load sufficiently and unload and propel their bodies in the intended direction.
So why then would they need to stretch more if muscles are naturally elastic and they’re already capable of the desired response?
Kelly Baggett referred to this idea of movement specificity as limits of flexibility.
Most movement in sport doesn’t even come close to what a person is already capable (stretching wise) and the tasks don’t require a tremendous amount of stretching in order to perform well.
Lastly, is the old Length-Tension Relationship.
A muscle has a sweet spot in terms of optimal contraction that we should all aim for.
If there is too little or too much stretch then there will be resultant decreases in force production and performance.
Stretching then becomes questionable with this in mind since it aims to drive more motion into the tissue and surrounding joints which could cause our efforts to dissipate when the time comes.
Note From TG: I wanted to take a quick time-out to expound a bit on this topic. Please don’t take this post as an all-out attack on static stretching. My thoughts (and I think Travis’s are as well) mirror that of Mike Boyle, where, years ago there was a study that showed stretching before a vertical jump affected performance.
The knee-jerk reaction by the fitness industry was to avoid stretching with a ten-foot pole. However, if I recall, the study had it’s participants do a metric shit-ton of stretching (like 10-15 minutes worth, give or take? maybe more?), which of course isn’t ideal for performance. There’s a stark different between that and having an athlete engage in a few quick stretches.
Basically, it’s likely best not to take a yoga class right before a timed 60. Outside of that, a smidge of static stretching prior to competition isn’t going to alter the space-time continuum.
Okay, I’ll shut-up now.
“To determine whether SS produced similar performance changes in different performance activities, the findings of the studies were separated into power–speed- or strength-based tasks. Fifty-two studies reported 82 power–speed-based measures (i.e., jumping, sprint running, throwing), with 56 nonsignificant changes, 21 significant reductions, and 5 significant improvements; collectively, there was a small 1.3% reduction in performance. Seventy-six studies reported 188 strength-based measures (i.e., 1-RM, MVC), with 79 nonsignificant changes, 108 significant reductions, and only 1 significant improvement. There was a moderate reduction in performance (–4.8%), which indicates a more substantial effect of SS on strength based activities. The stretch durations imposed between activity types were considerably longer for strength-based activities (5.1 ± 4.6 min) than for power–speed-based activities (1.5 ± 1.6 min), which may explain the greater mean performance reductions after SS.” (1)
And here is some more…
“Twenty-six studies incorporating 38 power–speed-based measures used <60 s of SS, with 29 nonsignificant changes, 4 significant reductions, and 5 significant improvements in performance; collectively, there was a trivial change in performance (–0.15%) (Supplementary Table S41). It is interesting to note that although most of the findings were not statistically significant after short-duration stretching, a greater number of significant improvements than reductions were found in jumping (Murphy et al. 2010b), sprint running (Little and Williams 2006), and cycling (O’Connor et al. 2006) performances. Thus, there is no clear effect of short-duration SS on power–speed-based activities, although changes may be observed on a study-by-study (and hence, subject-by-subject) basis. Nonetheless, when 28 power–speed-based studies (44 measures) using ≥60 s of stretching were examined, 27 nonsignificant changes and 17 significant reductions were found, with no study reporting a significant performance improvement. Compared with shorter-duration stretching, the mean reductions were marginally greater (–2.6%) (Supplementary Table S41).” (1)
If you’d like to hear a little more on what Travis has to say on the topic check out his resource Zero Nonsense Stretching HERE. (<– affiliate free link).
You can also check out his website HERE.
My good friend, Mike Robertson, released is latest resource this week…the Complete Coach Certification.
Check it out here —> http://bit.ly/2lWGhpJ
It’s on sale this week only (until Friday, 9/6) at a hefty discount.
If you’re a strength coach, personal trainer, you work with athletes, non-athletes, Doug from accounting, or ninjas, this resource will make you a more well-rounded health/fitness professional.
I had some questions for Mike about the product, but more specifically about his coaching philosophy and what he feels we (as an industry) need to do better.
TG: Mike, first things first: When I came onto your podcast a few weeks ago I introduced you to muy new favorite obsession: the Take It Personal Radio Podcast. How much do you love me it? Which has been your favorite episode (I know it’s hard to choose)?
I have only two words:
Life changing.
Seriously, I love that show so much. I mean, it’s all of the artists I grew up listening to, chopped and mixed to perfection.
My favorite so far is the Wu-Tang episode, but anyone that really knows me knows that I’m a pretty massive fan of the WU!
Note from TG: It’s hard to pick my favorite, but if I had to choose I’d go with the DJ Premier Tribute. Eight freakin hours or Premier beats. My head just about exploded when I listened to it for the first time. And then there’s the Native Tongues (Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah, Money Love, etc) tribute that’s something like 12-13 hours long.
I can’t handle it.
TG: Okay, let’s get on track: What was your vision/goal in creating the Complete Coach Certification?
MR: Simple: To push our industry forward, and over time, positively influence 10,000 trainers and coaches across the globe.
Unfortunately what I’m seeing nowadays is a dearth of trainers/coaches who have gone the traditional route – school and a certification – and then struggle to be of any value whatsoever on the gym floor.
They can’t interact with other humans.
They can’t progress or regress clients.
And forgot about asking them to write a program! Their brains are so scattered and influenced by random Instagram trainers you can’t get a cohesive, streamlined program out of them to save their lives.
And while I may sound a little harsh, the fact of the matter is, it’s not really their fault.
So my goal is to fix that.
To show trainers and coaches how systems and procedures can make their lives easier, and help them get better results.
To show them it’s not about knowing 1,879 exercise variations, but knowing 10-15 really good exercises, being able to progress/regress as necessary, and then coach the hell out of them.
And to show them that if you act like a professional and get really good at what you do, this can be an amazing career.
One where you can make real money and have a life outside of the gym as well.
At the risk of sounding bold or narcissistic, here’s where I’m at:
I’m only 41 but I don’t think it’s too soon to start thinking about my legacy.
If I go out tomorrow, I want people to be like “That Mike Robertson wasn’t perfect, but damn he did his part and made a massive push to drive this industry forward.”
TG: I, uh, taught my toddler to go pee-pee in the potty last week. That’s my legacy…haha. I know this is about as lame of a question as I can ask (but I’m going to ask it anyway). What are some common mistakes you find coaches make with regards to program design?
MR: I don’t think it’s a lame question – it’s actually one we need to be asking more often.
I mean I could go on and on here, but hopefully you catch my drift.
As an industry, we have a looooooooong way to go to get our program design skills up to snuff.
TG: What do you feel has been the biggest change or maturation in your own programming since you first started coaching? As an example, for me, it was the under-appreciation of sub-maximal training; I’m a firm believer (now) that easy training is good training.
MR: Man this is a really tough one, so I’m going to give you two:
1 – I do a better job of planning and programming all elements of a program nowadays. For instance in the past, I was a powerlifter so I skewed everyone towards a strength focus.
Because if it was good enough for me, it was good enough for them. Right???
It’s taken me a long time to break that habit, but now I can write a really smooth and well-rounded program for virtually any client or athlete.
TG: Oh man, good one!
2 – The second piece is I’m better at streamlining and transitioning clients between two programs.
Let me explain that in a bit more depth…
Imagine taking a client who is doing an accumulation phase and they’re using like 60-70% of their 1 rep max.
Then the next week, you decide they need to move to max strength and so you start crushing them with 90% loads.
Can you imagine how jarring that is to the body?
So it’s been a big goal of mine to smooth out all of the elements I have to program for my athletes – from speed/power, to strength, to conditioning – and trying to make those transitions from block to block smoother and easier on the athlete.
It’s never perfect, but I’m light years of where I was even a few years back.
TG: Complete off-topic, but is Bill (Hartman) a cyborg?
He is, but here’s the strangest part – he’s not alone.
There are actually a few hiding in plain sight in our industry.
I’m sure there are others, but these three I can confirm from first-hand experience.
TG: I lived with Eric for two years and was a business partner for eight, I can confirm he’s not a T-1000 (but close).
One of my biggest pet peeves in this industry (other than kipping pull-ups) is how some coaches take this bravado approach and more or less “bully” people into thinking that THEIR way is the only way to coach “x” exercise.
I feel this is a narrow-minded take and fails to appreciate (much less consider) each person’s individual anatomy and how that will dictate set-up and which variation of certain lifts will be best suited for them.
Your take? Agree? Disagree?
MR: Couldn’t agree more.
TG: Okay, whew, good. Cause if you didn’t shit was gonna get awkward.
MR – and that’s where I think progressions/regressions come into play.
I have a model for what I want a squat/deadlift/push-up/whatever to look like, but I also realize that everyone is going to move different.
So while I might have my model, I also have to realize that every/client athlete is going to find the strategy that works most effectively for them, based on their goals.
Part of the evolution of coaching is realizing that how you think/feel/move is great, but it shouldn’t necessarily impact how you train other people.
Once you get there, training and coaching become a lot more fun.
TG: One missing component of program design, I feel, is centered around the soft skills of coaching. It’s one thing to write a solid program, but then how it’s executed and coached is whole different matter.
I know you touch on this in the certification, but can you maybe elaborate on this here?
MR: Look man, I got by for my first 3-5 years on the floor because of soft skills, so I’d like to think I’m better to speak on this than most!
A big part of my success early-on was due to my ability to relate to people, to empathize, and to build rapport – NOT due to my coaching or program design skills.
I know John Kiely has talked about this in the past, but there’s actual research out there that shows if a client likes you and has positive emotions about you, that they could potentially get better results than someone who might have a “superior” program!
TG: The fuck outta here Mike Robertson! What’s next? Telling me bacon isn’t delicious? That Bachelor in Paradise isn’t where one find true love?
Isn’t that crazy?
When they like you, they have the right biochemical make-up when they enter the gym, and they end up getting better results.
But this is why I’m such a stickler for finding that blend between the hard and soft skills.
Relationships, rapport, and trust are critical – if you don’t have them, you won’t have success in this industry.
Period.
But the results are fast tracked when you have streamlined programming and coaching on top of that.
I’m sure you would agree, it’s not an either-or proposition – but finding the balance that works best for you as a trainer or coach.
I know I say this all…the…time, but it needs repeating:
Those who invest in themselves will last longer in this industry, are less likely to burn out, and, frankly, will often make more money and be more successful.
There aren’t many coaches whom I direct other coaches to more than Mike.
I’ve learned a ton from him throughout the years, I still do, and he’s really outdone himself with the Complete Coach Certification.
It’s on sale this week only and includes the option to pay with installments rather than one-lump sum. Everything from basic anatomy, breathing mechanics (<– SO important), keys to coaching, program design, and Mike’s “R7” protocol is covered.
There’s also a bevy of additional bonuses, including training templates, exercise regression/progression charts, and access to Mike’s fitness business webinar.
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.
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, 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, I outline some of my thoughts and manage to not swear the entire time.
This is a short clip from mine and Dean Somerset’s new series Even More Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint, a brand new product with entirely new content from the version 1 workshop, which is on sale until Sunday for $70 off the regular price, and digs into individualization concepts like this, plus so much more to help you get the best possible plan of action for your clients in order to get them results in the fastest, easiest and safest manner possible.
Posture.
This is not an exhaustive blog on the topic.
It’s more like an amuse bouche or bite-sized commentary on a pet peeve of mine: Fitness professionals who place waaaaay too much emphasis on it (often times to the detriment of the client/athlete).
As well as a scenario where we might pay a little closer attention to it.
I like cheese.
Take a look at this picture.
What do you see?
I see two shoulder blades that are making out.
C’mon you two, get a room. Goddammit, I can’t take you anywhere.
The therapist or coach (or someone more mature) with a keen(er) eye may likely say something to the effect of:
Now, to be clear: I am NOT someone who places a ton of credence on one’s static posture. While we’re getting better of late, I think the industry as a whole has gotten into a bad habit of placing all if its eggs into the posture basket…
…labeling people as dysfunctional the second we see forward head posture or a hair that’s out of place.
I’ve witnessed some coaches reaching for their “corrective exercise” bag of tricks before they’ve even seen the person they’re assessing do anything:
“Okay Mr. Smith, I notice you exhibit a slight kyphosis in your upper back, your right shoulder is a bit internally rotated, and it looks as if your left eyeball is lower than the right.
Weird.
But here’s the deal: You should purchase a 424 pack of training, and maybe, just maybe, after 62 weeks of dedicated corrective training where we dive deep into some transverse fascial line reactive neuromuscular breathing techniques we’ll be able to progress towards looking at a barbell.
I’m pumped. How about you?!”
This is not to short-change the importance of someone’s static posture and the information you can glean from it. Of course, if someone walks in with a lengthy injury history and it hurts to blink, then, yeah, it’ll have a bit more weight.
However, we can’t assume that just because a particular person presents with “y” – posturally speaking – that that automatically means “x.” I’ve seen some individuals walk in for their initial assessment with questionable (textbook) posture only to reveal the cleanest health history you’ve ever seen.
Zero injuries. Zero discomfort. Zero fucks to give.
No one is a walking ball of fail because he or she presents a certain way.
Besides, we also need to respect that “good” or “bad” posture is relative to the load in addition to the task at hand. The latter point is especially cogent to the conversation because as my good friend Alex Kraszewski notes in presentation for The Trainers’ Toolbox:
“Posture/position will govern where motion is available from, as well as who much and where load is distributed. The task will dictate the appropriate range of posture available.”
How I want someone to “look” when attempting a challenging set of deadlifts is quite different compared to someone who’s just sitting there in front of me, sitting.
What’s more,
Anyway, back to the original picture above.
You forgot didn’t you?
Here, this one:
This is a very common theme or resting “presentation” amongst athletes – especially overhead athletes – as well as fitness professionals who 1) stand a lot during the day and 2) lift heavy things for a living.
Again, nothing is cemented as an absolute here, but if an individual walks in complaining of shoulder pain, and you ask him/her to take off their shirt (don’t be creepy about it) and their shoulder blades rest in a more retracted and downwardly rotated position, we can deduce that said individual (may, not always) need to work on more protraction to nudge them back to a more neutral position.
Neutral Scapular Position = Superior/inferior border of the scapulae rests between 2nd-7th thoracic vertebral levels, medial border is ~1-3″ from midline.
Photo Credit: MikeReinold.com
Someone “locked” in a more downwardly rotated position will almost always have a hard time achieving ample scapular UPWARD rotation (protraction is part of this equation), which is kind of a big deal for overall shoulder health & performance.
But don’t assume, you should check.
This is why it’s crucial to include both load AND movement in the initial assessment; sometimes scapular position will clean up on its own with minimal intervention.2
But let’s assume it doesn’t, and the person has been complaining of shoulder ouchies.
What then?
Here are a few drills I like to use and I offer for your consideration:
NOTE: I will say the bigger umbrella theme here is addressing ribcage/thorax position. The position of the shoulder blades are at the mercy of the T-spine.
I have a crush on deadbugs and their infinitesimal variations.
They’re a bonafide rockstar when it comes to improving anterior core strength and lumbo-pelvic control (which comes in mighty handedly when you’re working with someone who’s stuck in a more extended position).
Simply “reach” towards the ceiling as you extend your legs towards the floor and perform a FULL exhale with each repetition.
Same as the above, but now we add a smidge of load in the form of a med ball, kettlebell, dumbbell, a basket of He-Man figures, anything.
Sometimes adding a very slight load here can help clients/athletes “feel” the protraction more.
This is a drill I stole from my good friend and business partner, Dean Somerset.
He’s Canadian.
1. You can blame my buddy Justin Kompf for the verticalness of this video.
Amateur hour.
2. This was/is a staple exercise from my days at Cressey Sports Performance. Start with a foam roller against the wall with your forearms against the foam roller. Protract (push away) from the foam roller and then slide up the wall making sure not to crank into your lower back and flair your rib cage.
Reset at the bottom.
Repeat.
It won’t take long for it to be Serratus O’clock.
I received the following question from another trainer via Instagram the other day:
“I wanted to know how you got clients when working in a commercial gym?”
I felt it prudent to share my thoughts as a blog post in the hopes it may help some fitness pros out there.
Hahahaha – just kidding.3
In all seriousness I haven’t worked in a commercial gym since the summer 0f 2007 when I “retired” to go off and help co-find Cressey Sports Performance.
It’s been a while.
That said, I did spend the first five years of my career working in both corporate and commercial fitness and even though I may be a bit rusty much of what follows is still relevant and undoubtedly help some of you reading to separate yourself from the masses.
Lets assume the obvious: 1) You have a degree or certification, 2) you’re competent in the areas of assessment, exercise prescription & technique, and Shaolin shadowboxing (hey, I don’t make the rules), 3) you practice basic hygiene and don’t smell like an old lady fart passing through an onion, and 4) at the very least you can name all four muscles of the rotator cuff and their functions (you’d be surprised how many trainers are unable to do this).
You’re already a step a head of your competition if you can place a checkmark next to all of those things.
And while I can sit here and wax poetic on the importance of all the things mentioned above in addition to the nuances of psychology, basic anatomy, undulated vs. concurrent periodization (what they are and when you’d use them), how to write a program for someone dealing with secondary external impingement, breaking down the Kreb’s cycle, or, I don’t know, even knowing what the fuck the Kreb’s Cycle is….
…..none of that, truly, will be the “x-factor” in determining whether or not any one specific trainer is capable of filling their client roster.
Although, if you know this by heart we should hang out.
Will possessing those attributes help?
You betcha.
However, I think it was my good friend, former business partner, and Cressey Sports Performance business director, Pete Dupuis, who stated it best:
“If you can’t hold a basic conversation and make small talk with people, you’re going to have a hard time in this industry.
Also, Tony’s pecs can cut diamonds.”
The best piece of advice I can give any trainer is to always act as if you’re being watched and observed.
Because you are.
When I was a commercial gym trainer I always treated every session as an opportunity to audition for other prospective clients. Meaning, my actual client – you know, the person who was paying good money for a service – got my undivided attention.
I didn’t want to come across as the cliche trainer who just stood there counting reps waiting for the hour to be over with.
Or worse, this trainer:
An acquaintance of mine, who’s a coach himself, posted this picture on my Twitter feed today. This is a trainer “working” as his client attempts a 2x bodyweight squat.
#byefelicia
Now, if you’re a trainer struggling to fill your client roster or struggling to hit session quotas every month and EVERY other member of the gym saw that this is what they’d be paying for, would you have any room to bitch and moan about how the man is keeping you down?
A few months ago my wife and I were in Florida visiting family and we needed a place to train for a few days. We ended up going to a CrossFit that was two miles away. The first morning we arrived was Day #1 of the 2019 Open. The energy when we walked in was palpable.
Loud music, people getting after it, coaches coaching, it was awesome.
I just went into one of the corners and did deadlifts.
Fast forward 30 minutes, everyone left, and the next group came in which happened to be two older women not competing in the Open. The coach then sat down in a chair and maybe every ten minutes who would look up and half-heartedly say “nice job” and then go on doing whatever the hell she was doing.
Talk about a 180 (and a complete letdown as an observer).
Be a shark, in motion at all times.
Be an active coach…always.
Give feedback, provide cues, give a shit.
Be a participant for crying out loud.
That’s how you’ll get clients.
This is Mike Boyle 101.
People don’t want to train with an asshole. They don’t want to train with someone who talks over their head and uses big words all the time and they don’t want to train with someone who’s a judgmental jackass.
YEAH…I ATE A CARB YESTERDAY, TONY. DON’T JUDGE ME!!
Smile, say hello to other members, introduce yourself, offer some pointers here and there, put on free 15-30 minute clinics to get more eyes in front of you to showcase your value, and, if you’re going to train where you work, maybe consider not turning into “I’m wearing headphones, I’m a psychopath, don’t you dare look at me guy,” or be overtly obnoxious, hooting and hollering all over the place and sniffing ammonia packs before a set of deadlifts.
Being approachable is part of the game.
If members are watching you sniff ammonia packs before every set deadlifts you’re not doing yourself any favors.
CategoriesCorrective Exercise personal training rantThis is going to be neat.
My friend and colleague (and author of the brand spankin new book, Day By Day: The Personal Trainer’s Blueprint to Achieving Ultimate Success), Kevin Mullins, reached out to me recently and asked, “Tony, why don’t you wear pants when you coach can I write a series for your site that covers joint/segment-by-segment breakdown and how to train to improve those regions WITHOUT going too far down the corrective train?”
Kevin understands people don’t have 40 hours per week to train and he’s found a sweet spot with his clients that improves function, hacks away at pain and immobility, and delivers results.
And, he wants to share that shit with the world (<– my words, not his).
Today’s post sets the tone on the over-inundation of corrective exercise (something I wrote about recently HERE), and each week (or two) after that, he’ll discuss a part of the body – shoulders, mid & low-back, and ankles, knees, & hips – and smack everyone in the face™ with how to improve function in that area.
Cool?
Cool.
Every year seems to bring a new set of ideals into the world of fitness. On one hand it is exciting to see that there are constantly new ideas, concepts, and tactics being brought into play. Much like living in a city with a lot of construction going on – it’s a good sign when the economy can support growth. The fitness industry, like a budding metropolitan area, is on the upswing.
Demand couldn’t be higher for products in the health and wellness field – as the modern world continues to gain weight and lose function. Millions of people around the world are ready to spend their hard-earned money on anything that will be a solution. It doesn’t matter if the goal is to lose weight, build strength, improve athleticism, get out of pain, or simply recreate the dance battle from the end of Step Up 2 – there is a product out there for them.
Having “money-on-the-table” is key in commercial real estate; a contractor must be confident that someone can afford the building project that is being proposed. When a company, such as a wealthy investment firm, wants to build a high rise and can prove they have the capital, the flood gates open and the contractors start fighting each other for a seat at the table.
In fitness, the “money” is on the table and the eager fitness professionals out there know it.
Personal websites and social media profiles have made “internet-fame” possible for anyone with a camera, microphone, and a desire to make money and be heard. This sort of opportunity has brought forth a litany of incredible fitness professionals that we might not know of otherwise. Just as the music industry found Justin Bieber on YouTube, many great coaches have been found in blogs and videos.
(I know this because I’m one of them).
Yet, with all things that are good in this world there exists the potential for them to turn bad. In this instance the unflinching availability of fitness advice makes it easy for bad information to get out, poor ideas to propagate, and for biased, and unfortunately dense, coaches to steal the spotlight.
In 2018 that spotlight was on all things corrective exercise.
It seems like everyday brought a new way to mobilize this joint, stabilize that segment, and improve breathing capacity by .00002ml.
Coaches from the furthest reaches of physical therapy school began talking about the need to invest hours on mobility, stability, and corrective work each week. Products began flowing into the industry like candy out of torn bag of skittles. Before long everyone was tasting the proverbial rainbow with their favorite flavors in hand: foam rollers, lacrosse balls, Theraguns, foot straps, mini-bands, mobility towels, and specialized assessments derived from the ancient wisdom that powers the Iron Fist.
Note From Tony: ^^^ This show is not as good as Punisher, DareDevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, or watching a dog take a shit in a yard for that matter.
It’s open season on corrective exercise in the fitness industry – a modern day gold rush of fitness equipment designed to drain your wallet and decorate your home with odd instruments of pain and pleasure.
What a glorious time it is…
Developing one’s mobility – especially in troublesome joints such as the shoulders, thoracic spine, hips, and ankles is never a bad thing. Most people spend twelve hours a day sitting at desks, in cars, and on couches, all in poor posture that stresses their spine, weakens their bodies, and causes long-term health risks to take hold. Every person reading these words can benefit from working on their mobility, except for Kelly Starrett (if he’s reading this) since the guy is a Supple Leopard.
Improving your segmental stability is also important.
Many people struggle with maintaining tension in their core, their mid-back, and their hips and legs. This lack of tension correlates to weaknesses that cause posture to degrade over time. Lifting heavy gets harder too. Weak muscles and poor neural connections make force production elusive.
Specific corrective exercises have their place too.
We are all a little messed up.
Some people have whacky shoulders, while others experience low back pain. Runners often have achy knees and tightened fascia in their shins and ankles. Other folks are pretty jacked up head to toe. For any and all of these people there are certainly movements and therapies that can be done to improve their condition and inch them closer to optimal performance capacity.
A personal trainer’s job is to accomplish these things while also moving the ball forward in terms of their client’s fitness level. Far too many coaches obsess over the missing ten degrees of mobility in someone’s scapular downward rotation and depression while ignoring the additional forty pounds hanging out in their midsection.
Other coaches refuse to load a client even a little until their form in a movement is beyond perfect.
Even then they’ll question whether the client can repeat the performance in future sessions and insist on three more workouts with just an unloaded barbell to make sure. Meanwhile, no sweat has been released and no forceful stimuli are placed against the body. The client might end up with the best looking back squat form in the world (with a forty-five-pound bar), but that is about it.
This sort of absolutism and obsession is not good for a client and not good for the fitness industry either. If a client’s issues are so severe that any sort of intensity causes a series of negative events in their kinetic chain, pain, or lingering discomfort, then they must be referred out to physical therapist, or whatever medical specialist could heal their ailing.
Again, on one hand it is awesome to see so many coaches taking their client’s joint health, core strength, breathing quality, and fascial integrity so seriously. It is much better than an undereducated jack-wagon haphazardly throwing intensity at people in hopes that it gets them in shape and they keep paying. Nothing is more disturbing than a coach who lets their client put themselves at risk of serious injury repetition-after-repetition and session-after-session.
Yet, the coach who spends forty minutes of a sixty-minute session on a variety of implements meant to “improve” a person’s health is still quite the foul. People are paying for the results they want while also experiencing the growth that they don’t know they need, and our job is to give it to them.
Our job is not to force our obsessions upon them while completely ignoring their goals and needs.
A great fitness professional is someone who understands that self-myofascial release and zero-intensity correctives are just tiny pieces of a much larger puzzle that they must solve.
This series of blogs aims to bridge the very gap that has formed in the industry over the last few years. Over the next three installments you’ll find very specific methods of integrating new and better corrective strategies in each of the important joint segments of the body.
“How do we as a profession properly apply all of the information and modalities that emerge while still honoring the primary function of our profession (deliver a fitness stimuli to create a fitness result)?”
Our job as fitness professionals is to deliver the results our clients want while also giving them what they don’t know they need. As stated earlier, this sort of juggling act is hard to accomplish in a world where some trainers are exchanging thrash for cash and others are acting as extensions of physical therapy (when they aren’t qualified to do so).
The fact that you are already here on Tony’s site demonstrates that you aren’t like a lot of the “noise” of the industry. You realize that heavy things need moving, that the body needs a little oil and grease every now and again, and that hard work is the only pathway to really cool results. The fact that you clicked on this article demonstrates that you are looking to improve your methods, clean up your practices, and deliver better results for your clients.
Some of you might be shaking your head and clenching your fist right now.
You are thinking, “who is this Kevin Mullins guy and why in the hell does he think he can tell me that corrective exercises are a waste of time.” If that is you, then I want to say that I’m sorry if that is how you are reading this – it certainly isn’t my intention.
My goal is to help, in whatever way I can, move the ball forward so that we can continue to deliver better results to our clients in a variety of ways. In my opinion, absolutism is never good practice. It doesn’t work in politics and it doesn’t work in fitness. We must be willing to accept that there is always a better way to do something or else innovation will cease to exist.
Others of you might be wondering where I’m going with this piece.
Heck, you might even be a little irritated that you’ve read this much and didn’t access the secrets to hacking the body and winning the lottery every day. I apologize to you too. I just wanted to set the table for the first of three mega articles that are going to dive into the anatomy, physiology, and practical exercise and program design.
And so, I conclude our teaser with this important quote that I’ve taught every client, and fellow trainer, since I concocted it a few years back:
“It is important to always remember that strength causes stability – stability allows for mobility – and mobility improves the speed and accuracy for which strength can be executed.”
See you next time for a deep dive into the scapulothoracic region, the glenohumeral joint, and the core.
Kevin Mullins, CSCS, is a personal trainer and group exercise instructor at Equinox Sports Club in Washington D.C.
Kevin utilizes a listen first, coach second strategy to ensure his clients, and programs, are exceptional…and not his ego.
When he isn’t training clients or writing content Kevin can be found deadlifting, Bicep curling, or finding new, corny ways to emphasize squeezing the glutes. Kevin maintains his own personal site HERE.
Categoriespersonal training Program Design Strength TrainingIf you’re a personal trainer or strength coach you likely work with clients and athletes who 1) have glutes4 and 2) are looking to up their glute game.
Today’s guest post by strength coach, Menachem Brodie, goes a bit further down the rabbit hole than just giving you a bunch of glute-centric exercises to consider. There are a plethora of factors to consider when trying to ascertain what exercise will be the best fit for any one individual’s derriere.
What’s more, simpler is often better…;o)
What is it about glutes that has made them the “back to the future” of strength and performance training?
Was it Bret Contreras creating the Barbell Hip Thrust and spreading the Gospel of Glutes?
Was it the invention of Yoga Pants?
Or maybe it was Mike Jureller going on his “International Tour of CrossFit gyms” that made them popular… The world may never know.
What is undisputed, is that glutes (and mid & lower traps) are signs that someone is an athlete, or at least training like an athlete.
Today we’ll grab our Glute Dolorean’s and head back to the past, to help us understand why glutes are so important, why squats are not enough, and what you need to consider when programming glutes for your athletes and clients.
The glutes, all three of them: Glute medius, Glute minimus, and Glute maximus, need to be developed in proper proportion to allow the hip joint to sit more properly. As the glutes lose strength they tend, like every muscle, to lose their optimal resting length.
This in turn affects performance, and in the case of the hip joint, can lead to the head of the femur sitting at a poor angle in the acetabulum, which as I found out, over time can lend to bone growth in paces we don’t want it, leading to impingement, or other mechanical issues.
One such issue that can arise, is what has been called “gluteal amnesia,” which simply put is the glutes losing the ability to execute hip extension, leaving the hamstrings to do all the work and can cause the head of the femur to clunk around in the acetabulum like a drunkard in a demolition derby.
In order for us to have the best chance of fully expressing our athleticism, we have to have a solid base.
Now while (especially) the average client, cyclists, and triathletes tend to think of “core” as being the base, this is not the full truth.
The base involves the Axial Skeleton (Spine & rib cage) + the Pelvis. This is of critical importance, as failure to stabilize these two together can sap power and strength. There are of course sports that are exceptions to this, such as rowing, but it’s this author’s opinion that this is why we tend to see disc injuries in that population.
Butt, developing your glutes REQUIRES that you have a stable and strong midsection: the rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, the pelvic floor, and quadratus lumborum all work together to stabilize the pelvis from the top & middle. I won’t go into these items in this post, but you can read more and learn a few exercises to help address your midsection in this great post from Sarah Duvall, DPT.
You should also read Tony’s piece “Stack the rings for better Squat Performance” , and check out his friends’ Dr. Sarah Duvall, Kellie Hart, and Meghan Callaway’s stellar product Glutes, Core, and Pelvic Floor Online System.
Note From TG: It’s stellar!
It’s often necessary to break down movement(s) into their respective parts to make certain we’re getting motion from the right areas and that we’re using/engaging the areas we want to use/engage to perform exercises well, which is what we’ll dial in on next.
When glutes are strong and full and the diaphragm, ribs, and pelvic floor all move properly for breathing, EVERYTHING works better: Squats are more full range, your back feels like a titanium beam, and jumping and sprinting tend to be out of this world (for a 6th grader).
Butt (<– haha, I see what you’re doing there Menachem) when one starts spending more time in a seated position where the glutes are partially stretched, but not used, and the diaphragm is out of alignment with the pelvic floor, these muscles tend to lose some of their abilities, as they are essentially being told to shut off in those static positions: We don’t need them to work because we are slouching and hanging off the ligaments/connective tissues instead.
Cyclists and triathletes also suffer this problem due to the inherent position of their sport.
You lose power potential in a muscle that cannot stretch, or is in a stretched position for so long. This is an issue many cyclists, triathletes AND our clients/ athletes face, due to the long periods of time that we spend sitting with our glutes in an elongated position, and “the rings” (pelvic floor + diaphragm) out of alignment.
While the running joke is that “I got glutes cuz I squat a lot,” Squats actually are NOT enough to fully and properly develop the glutes. There is far more that goes into developing glutes than being able to perform the 30+ something squat variations.
I know what you’re thinking:
But this is important, as it relates to an oft-missed portion to training the glutes: PELVIC CONTROL.
Pelvic stabilization and control is extremely important if we are to get true hip extension, and not extension from places not intended to work “like that”, such as the lumbar spine.
If I had a dollar for every time I saw a trainer or coach working on “Hip extension” with a client/ athlete who was getting movement from the lumbar spine, I’d be a very rich person.
In order for us to build up the glutes properly, we have to begin by thinking about giving stabilization to the pelvis through teaching the hamstrings, internal obliques, the deep hip rotators (pelvic floor), rectus & transverse abdominus, and Quadratus lumborum to all fire in good sequence and with great strength.
This is a challenge for many, as we tend to perform our front planks by hanging off the hip flexors, we work our hamstrings by laying down on the machine, and often don’t include many anti-rotation exercises (although, you ARE reading Tony’s blog, so you’re officially “one of the smart ones” who does in fact train rotary stability).
Glute work isn’t simply throwing a few exercises into your dynamic warmup and main routine, there is much more that needs to be done to maximize your athletes results.
We MUST think about the different positions the athlete will be required to perform in their sport:
Each of these questions must be answered, as they help us understand the joint positioning of the hip….and as we all know:
JOINT POSITION DICTATES MUSCLE FUNCTION
If we’re actually to train the athlete and their glutes to perform in their sport, we MUST know how the muscles will be asked to work in the “real world”- that of dynamic movement and uncertainty required by their sport.
This is one of the things many of us forget as we write programming: What positions are the joints going to be in, and due to these changes in joint position, how will the muscles ACTUALLY be responding/used for movement?
What kind of lever arm should you use for the athlete when training the glutes?
Weighted at the lower leg? (Reverse Hypers)
Weighted at the shoulders? (Barbell good mornings)
Weighted at the hip? (Barbell Hip Thrust)
Weighted long fulcrum? (Deadlifts)
Weighted medium fulcrum? (Sumo Deadlifts)
Resistance bands at the knees?
Resistance bands at the shins?
Resistance bands at the feet?
Resistance band at the crotch? (Band Pull throughs)
Bodyweight weight-bearing? (Hip lifts)
Bodyweight non-weight-bearing? (Side lying straight leg lifts)
The answer to this can and should vary throughout the training year, but there should always be one or two lever arms which are staples to that athletes program, to help combat the movement deficiencies that their specific sport, AND POSITION in that sport, entail.
After all, you wouldn’t train a pitcher as you would train a shortstop.
Every single warmup we do here at Human Vortex Training starts with some form of the hip series, depending on the athletes ability to recruit the glutes & stabilize their midsection. This doesn’t mean that these exercises are the only warmup, that would be poor planning. Rather, we should be looking to include at least 1-2 of these moves in our dynamic warm up to help the athlete/client connect with, and utilize their glutes.
Here are the foundational warm-up exercises which I’ve used a mix of over the years:
1 @ 8-15 each
1 @ 15-30
Side Lying Clamshells (beginners)
1 @ 8-15 each
Side Lying Half Clamshells (intermediate/advanced)
1 @ 8-15 each
1 @ 8-15 ea
1 @ 5-8 each
PLEASE Don’t butcher the Birddog exercise! Our affable, giant-triceped host, Tony Gentilcore, has a great video about this and how to better teach it here:
1 @ 8-15 each
Along with 2-4 of the above exercises, we would get 1-2 breathing exercises, and 2-4 other dynamic warm-up exercises to prepare for that specific days session.
At the end of a session is a great place to add in some more sport-related fatigued state specific glute training. These are usually done bodyweight only, as we’re looking to help improve the athletes resilience and strength-endurance in sport-specific positions, although it’s best to find what works for YOUR athlete….Some respond better, or actually need weighted or resisted variations.
Use your best judgement to find what’s best for your athlete at that time.
As we all know, simply making a muscle stronger and better able to work in chorus with other muscles, doesn’t make it a rock star. We still need to ensure it’s able to work through it’s full intended range of motion, as well as to rest at its ideal resting length.
1) Brettzel
I like all of these as they also help the athlete learn where the rest of his or her body is & what it’s doing as they get into the proper positions… a big win for Proprioception!
Give these a shot, and let the glute gains begin!
Menachem Brodie, NSCA-CSCS, PCES, is a leading Strength Coach for Cyclists & Triathletes. In the health, fitness, & wellness fields for nearly 20 years, he has worked with professional & amature atheltes from around the world. He has authored 2 courses: Strength Training for Cycling Success and Strength Training for Triathlon Success, and has presented internationally on Strength Training for Endurance Athletes, including at the 2018 USA Cycling Coaching Summit.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of TG.com regular, and my 1-day-per-week training partner5, Justin Kompf.
Listening, I mean really listening, is a learned skill and takes a lot of (purposeful) practice to master. Those who are able to so, however, are often the ones who separate themselves from the masses in the fitness industry.
This is a quick read, but worth your time
I take a deep breath before I knock on my advisor’s office door.
“Keep it together Justin, whatever you do don’t cry”
I take a seat in his office and immediately start crying. We don’t need to go into details, but I was in a tough place.
Fine, my girlfriend broke up with me and I had no idea where I was going with my career. Okay, great, sharing feelings, my favorite.
Can we move on?
I’m sitting in his office, which mind you is surrounded by other offices, just balling.
But as I’m talking, I’m starting to feel better.
Why?
Well, here’s what he was doing. Just listening, providing me with enough silence to think thoughts and say them out loud. He asked me open ended questions without giving advice. That was special for me because up until then I don’t recall ever really being heard like that.
Of course, there are friends I could say anything to, but I never really had this kind of experience before. This experience profoundly changed the way I interacted with people and even changed my approach on coaching.
The other day in a lecture I hammered home the importance of forming relationships with the people you coach.
Given enough time in anyone’s life, something stressful (which is not necessarily bad) or crappy is bound to happen with different magnitudes of crappiness.
Sometimes I like to think of God as Donkey Kong from Nintendo just throwing barrels filled with crap (like bad or stressful events not actual poop) at people. It’s not a bad thing, that’s just life and it happens to everyone but it’s nice when you have someone to help you work through it.
Low levels of crappiness might be failing to get a promotion at work whereas high levels of crappiness might mean going through a divorce or a death in the family.
Many of the clients I train I’m close with, especially those close in age to me. I’m sure lots of other trainers are the same. Over time, trust forms and when things that bother them come up, they know I’ll listen.
This isn’t to say that a lift should turn into a therapy session, because it shouldn’t. But imagine how much a client would appreciate it when something came up and you just said:
“Hey, it sounds like you’re going through some tough stuff, let’s grab a coffee after the session”
I don’t have set in stone guidelines on how to accomplish this, but I know when I’ve done it the right way and I know when I’ve failed.
I think one of the biggest issues people have in conversations is that they wait for their turn to talk. They have already concluded what they are going to say next even before the person in front of them has finished talking.
Yes Karen6, you’re guilty of this so pay close attention.
As soon as you’re thinking about what you are going to say next, you’re not fully engaged with the person, so that means you’re not listening.
Side Note: This is also super important for a successful initial consultation with a client if you want to truly understand their goals and why their goals are important.
If you’re going to be a good listener, you need to suspend your thoughts.
Good listeners don’t jump to give advice or relate their experiences to the person in front of them. If you feel like you have something that the person can relate to, try saying:
“You know, everyone’s experience is different, and I don’t want to pretend like we’ve gone through the same thing, but I’ve got a story that I think you might relate to.”
People don’t always talk to get advice back.
They just want to talk because things are tough, and they want to get it off their chest. If they want advice, they’ll probably say “what do you think I should do?”
The last thing that I know for sure is that if you want to be a great listener you need to put your phone down.
All the incredible memes will still be there when your conversation is over.
Listen…
Listening is incredibly important. Yea, sometimes it can be just about as comfortable as being single for the third year in a row at your families Thanksgiving get together.
Right…
But in order to be a good listener, you need to shut up.
Something great happens when a person feels accepted and can speak their mind. You might find out way more about the person you are working with, whether it’s about their goals or about their life, by saying nothing.
Just like lifting, writing, or slipping high brow poop jokes into casual conversations with your highly successful clients, listening is a skill that needs to be practiced.
So, I would encourage all of you to go out their and in the appropriate times, just shut up.
Justin Kompf is doctoral student studying exercise and health sciences. He is a personal trainer in Boston at CLIENTEL3.
I’m still in London at the moment.7 I’ve been having a blast taking in the sights and hanging out with my wife and little man. I’ve done zero writing.
Fret not. I coaxed another friend of mine – with a handmade coupon for a redeemable tickle fight – to write a guest post for the site while I’m away.
Kevin Mullins nailed this one. Couldn’t agree more with what he has to say.
The fitness industry is rife with opportunity these days.
It seems that anyone with an interest in health and wellness, human performance, or aesthetics is a personal trainer. The qualifications are just as diverse with individuals having degrees in kinesiology and nutrition or certifications in personal training, strength and conditioning, or bathroom lighting management.
It seems that the industry is expanding upwards and outwards at an exponential rate each year.
This landscape of opportunity is both thrilling and concerning as the fitness industry has become a sort of “Wild West”.
On one hand, every day thousands of people begin studying for their personal training certification, converting their Instagram profile into a business, and launch transformation groups for low introductory rates.
The addition of online training has surely changed the game as so many fitness professionals have never trained an in-person session.
In a similar manner, thousands of talented minds who have acquired multiple degrees and certifications in the field pour into the workforce each year – all looking for the same things.
Determined that they are “above-the-fray” these educated individuals apply only to small facilities owned by the top coaches, become interns for universities, or begrudgingly accept jobs at a local gym until they get found. The lure of the strength and conditioning arena, in addition to working at exclusive locations, convinces an entire population that there are no other options.
And holding steadfast and steady remains commercial fitness.
Oh yes, that commercial fitness – the dreadful, evil corporations that employ trainers by the dozens and just throw them onto the gym floor with an iPad and biceps veins in search of profits.
These are the brands that hire you because you look the part, are willing to be taught, and can work the early mornings and late nights.
The hours spent training for a commercial brand nets a trainer invaluable experience in programming, problem solving, sales, and patience.
If you can build a business that persists for years on end while employed with a commercial brand, then you are certainly capable of doing your own thing, applying to an “elite” facility, or interning for your favorite sport.
The workload that you must have to meet standards and pay your bills is exhausting, but invaluable as your work ethic develops at an exponential rate. Each facility like a proving ground where the challenges range from the complexity of a special populations client to the arrogance of a client who no-shows and still wants their sessions in their account.
It’s also the very same commercial fitness that gets disrespected when you submit for publication, an opportunity to speak at a conference, or work side-by-side one of the industry “legends”.
It’s the arena where no matter how incredible you are at your job there is always someone who thinks “well, if you were any good you’d just open your own spot”. It seems that you can only be great at your job if you are doing your own thing – as if being a business owner is a desire of all who join the field.
Plain and simple, commercial fitness is hard.
And it demands respect from new trainers and industry legends a like.
Far too many people look past it and its merits as though being a personal trainer for a commercial brand is the worst thing that could happen to your career.
Hint: It isn’t and here is why:
Working the last seven years for two lifestyle fitness brands, Sports Club LA and Equinox, I’ve literally trained everyone.
Congressmen, pregnant women, young students at George Washington University, budding high-school athletes, retired old ladies with scoliosis, retired old men with multiple sclerosis, young guys with poor posture and no legs, CEOs who master everything I teach them, and the run-of-the-mill “I just don’t want to be fat” person. From disability to amazing ability, I’ve seen clients all along the spectrum.
And it taught me that you must be good at everything before you can become incredible at something specific.
If you would have poked at me when I was graduating college and asked who I wanted to coach, then you would have heard “I want to be a baseball strength and conditioning coach”. I still do today, but I’m so happy I wasn’t given an opportunity to be one early in my career because I would have bobbled that chance like a barehanded double play exchange.
It wasn’t because I was dumb – I had just graduated from University of Maryland with a degree in Kinesiology, had obtained my USAW level 1 and a personal training certification in one summer, and had spent time learning directly from some great coaches. I would have failed because I had never trained anyone, experienced the gut-wrenching moment when you over-program someone and get them hurt, or learned what personal training actually is.
See, commercial fitness and its wide variety of clients help you isolate which variables in the fitness spectrum matter and which ones don’t.
Calculating a geriatric client’s one rep max doesn’t cross my mind, nor does a push up repetition test.
You want to know what does?
Assessing their hip and ankle mobility, lower-back strength, and posture. So too does strengthening their posterior chain, moving them in three-dimensional space, and accounting for the challenges of falling well, and getting back up correctly.
But, tell a young trainer who wants to start his own gym at 22 that he needs time to learn how to train and you’ll be met with a list of qualifications, their body fat percentage, and some pseudo-motivational quote about how Einstein found the theory of Relativity at age 26. I love the fire, but we need to learn to control the flame.
And that is where the experience of training people of all ages, sizes, goal-types, physical conditions, and viewpoints on Michael Jackson’s contribution to music is critical.
You must be able to train the person in front of you and not force the person into your program. You can’t even be “specific” if you don’t know what is general in the first place. Thus, the greatest gift commercial fitness provides a good trainer is the ability to shape-shift programs to the unique aspects of the unique individuals you are presented with.
In the gym by 5:30am and out by 9pm – that was my life for the last eight years (I’ve recently limited my evenings to only two nights per week). The alarm clock goes off five minutes after you set it, or so it feels as your days turn to nights and nights to mornings before you do it. Each morning a series of three or four people in a row, with no breaks, and a night schedule that isn’t much different.
Sure, you get the middle of your days to workout, study, take a nap, binge Netflix, and generally live your life while everyone else is at work.
But you work when others don’t.
You often bill five or six hours before noon – an incredible realization at times. Your meal schedules are all jacked up and you have no idea of what shows other people watch at night because you’re still at the gym training.
But that is what is so amazing about commercial fitness.
If you are good at your job and you are capable of building, and maintaining, a client base, then you’ll undoubtedly work these absurd hours. While it is absolutely exhausting, and at times nauseating, this schedule builds character, work ethic, and hours of experience in quick fashion.
In my nine years of fitness I’ve done roughly fifteen thousand one-on-one sessions, a few thousand group fitness classes, and have taught a couple hundred hours of lectures in-house.
Point of that last sentence – is that I’ve worked a lot over the years and that experience is now invaluable as I teach other trainers, write text like this, and coach my clients on what works and what doesn’t. This is how it works at commercial fitness facilities – you grind and grind until you either burn out, get promoted into management, leave to do your own thing, or go back to school.
I know coaches with double my experience who still show up everyday and deliver amazing work.
So, if you are new to the industry – full of energy and hope, then it is imperative that you spend time working these hours. First to build your work ethic, but then to build your bank of training assets. Only weeks of thirty or forty sessions can help you refine your craft so quickly. Success in personal training is so dose dependent, for the trainer and the client, it is absurd.
A great trainer from a commercial gym knows what a real workday feels like, has been humbled by the stress of meeting standards, has thought about leaving to do something else at least hundred times, and knows that squatting on a BOSU ball is as useful as cooking in a freezer. All of this is invaluable.
Working alone, at least in your early years, is one of the worst things that could happen to your career.
While you may be proud of your independence and feel empowered by business acumen – you will not get better as a trainer until you’ve had other trainers see you in action. For one, knowing other people are around keeps you from doing dumb shit that has no place in a training session. But secondly, and more appropriately, the camaraderie of a fitness club allows for healthy discussion on a variety of topics and methods.
I remember my early years well.
I was loud (still am), always trying to do things in the front of the gym and trying to find the most spectacular way of doing things possible. I wanted the members of the club, my peers, and the world at-large to know that I was there to train, and it was going to be awesome. Except this behavior caught the attention of some veterans who pulled me to the side and metaphorically slapped me back into reality. I still look up to these people as mentors no matter how much I’ve accomplished since those days.
Being in a commercial setting means you aren’t in a bubble and someone can observe you at all times (both members and trainers alike). This responsibility makes you pause when you program and ensure you are doing the right thing.
Moreover, knowing eyes are on you should make you pay extra attention while your client is moving. You’ll focus on cueing instead of counting and cheering them on. You should be adjusting and only programming movements that make sense for the individual in front of you.
Throwing burpees at the fifty-year-old lady who just wants to lose a few pounds and feel better when she wakes up?
Well, this isn’t going to go well for you when I see you around the desk later. Want to let your client deadlift two plates with a spine that looks like an egg? That’s cool – we’ll talk about it during the next meeting and make you own your suck in front of everyone.
Afraid to coach harder exercises because you don’t quite understand what you are doing and fear hurting someone? No worries, we’ll sit down and discuss the biomechanics and then workout together to make sure you got it down.
See, it does take a village and every trainer should experience the phenomenon of the group vetting process. If you are great at what you do, then you’ll have no issues, but if you are not – you’ll know about it and quick.
The final point emphasizes how different being a trainer is from being a business person. The two can absolutely overlap, but one does not make the other better inherently.
This fact is why many great coaches have business minds involved, or partnered with them, in their endeavors. Just because you can coach the shit out of a deadlift doesn’t mean you can manage the books, design a successful marketing plan, and maintain inventory of your toilet supplies well.
Being a business owner is admirable and a goal of many coaches out there. Yet, being a business owner does not mean you are a great trainer. How many people are out there making stupid amounts of money selling lies and poop-on-a-stick? Those folks are great business people but horrid trainers.
So, with that said, one of the perks of working in commercial fitness is that your focus is on training first and foremost. Sure, you need to manage your clients and stay on-top of their billing and session counts, but you aren’t paying the electric bill, dealing with equipment maintenance, and handling new member acquisition. You aren’t figuring out how to pay debts, pay yourself, and have enough left over for growth. Instead, you wake up and put on your pants and train your ass off until you can take them off.
Which is perfect for those formative years where you need to learn how to train.
In time you’ll find yourself asking managers for a better look at the big picture or sitting in on meetings that discuss profit margins and retention. You can read the works of Pat Rigsby or spend a day interning for guys like Tony – where you are a fly on the wall and simply watch how a trainer runs a business.
But, when you have a few hundred hours of training experience you need more training experience…not your own spot.
I think it is important for some of the coaches who do the lecture tours and the brands that host them to realize that being a commercial trainer isn’t a kiss of death. You aren’t less than someone who runs their own business just because you don’t want a mountain of debt. You can be an incredible strength and conditioning coach even if you aren’t being paid in T-shirts and light beer at a division II school.
Sure, there are some “not-so-good” characters at every gym that are doing the unthinkable. Yes, commercial fitness can make trainers care more about session quantity over quality. And of course, there are way more divas and ego-lifters flexing in the mirrors of these gyms then there are SC coaches or business owners.
But, it isn’t a wasteland.
I’d argue that the advent of online training brings greater concern than commercial fitness when we factor in that no one is overseeing the actions, or programs, that are being implemented. That doesn’t mean online trainers are bad, or that training online is bad, but it does acknowledge that bad online coaches have no checks and balances.
I think is imperative for the industry to rethink how we view commercial fitness. Instead of mocking it and the people they employ – let’s look to build up the new trainers, refine the veterans, and harvest the skill-sets and experiences of the best in the bunch to only further our industry. Like anything we must retain our fine-tooth comb and brush away the noise. But we don’t have to shave the whole head.
Great trainers, private or commercial, must be at the helm of the crazy landscape that is the fitness industry. Where you work means much less than how you work. Let’s never forget that.
Kevin Mullins, CSCS, is a personal trainer and group exercise instructor at Equinox Sports Club in Washington D.C.
Kevin utilizes a listen first, coach second strategy to ensure his clients, and programs, are exceptional…and not his ego.
When he isn’t training clients or writing content Kevin can be found deadlifting, Bicep curling, or finding new, corny ways to emphasize squeezing the glutes. Kevin maintains his own personal site at KevinMullinsFitness.com.
