Categoriescoaching rant

5 Traits of a Successful Coach

Ask ten different people their opinion on what traits or characteristics make for a great or “successful” coach – in this case strength coach, personal trainer – and you’re bound to get ten different answers and iterations.

Copyright: neydt

5 Traits of a “Successful” Coach

Some people will use adjectives like strong, looks the part, experienced, knowledgable, professional, motivating, or “destroy the back of my pants scary.”

Others will use less germane markers such as bald, has an epic beard, or sleeps with a copy of SuperTraining underneath his or her’s pillow at night.

All are important (some more so than others) and all can be used to describe many strength coaches – or any kind of coach for that matter.

It should go without saying, but this is not an exhaustive list.

Today, though, I’d like to cover some less obvious characteristics I feel constitutes a great strength coach and/or personal trainer. Some are based off of my own personal experiences, while others fall into the camp of “it’s true because it’s my blog, and because I said so.”

1. Coaches Coach

Seems like an obvious point to start with, right? But it amazes me how many “coaches” out there don’t train anybody.

Like, ever.

Such is the paradox of this technological age we live in. The internet has made everyone into an expert or authority all because 1) they say so and/or 2) because # of followers = the pantheon of expertise.

Listen, having thousands of followers on Twitter or Instagram is impressive. Anytime you have that many people interested in what you have to say, you’re obviously doing something right.

But don’t call yourself a coach or “expert” if you’re not actually coaching people.

And this is where things get little murky and where the weeds get a little higher.

This isn’t to disrespect or devalue those who make a living online. I get it.  We live in the 21st century and if nothing else, the pandemic taught us that we should be ready, willing, and able to pivot to the online space when needed.

I have many friends and colleagues who do really well for themselves coaching people in a distance based fashion:

  • They’re able to help more people this way.
  • They get people results.
  • I can’t bemoan that.

I do it too.

However, I also still spend 15-20 hours per week in my studio coaching athletes and clients in person. That’s still very important to me. It keeps me fresh and in touch with my coaching skills. And I can guarantee many coaches online who are crushing it were FIRST doing so with in-person coaching. If you can’t coach a deadlift in person, the likelihood you’ll be able to do so over a WiFI connection with someone hundreds of miles away is pretty slim.

Moreover, if I’m going to sit here and write blog posts and articles about how to train people, I better be practicing what I preach.

But that’s just me, I can’t speak for everyone.

That’s a degree of integrity I am not willing to give up.

2. Embrace Your Coaching Style

I always gain of sense of entertainment when other coaches come to observe me coaching. I think many are surprised to recognize that I’m fairly tame in my approach.

Sure, I’ll get animated, crank up the music, and pump people up when it’s needed and warranted. But for the most part I’m about as laid back as it gets. What can I say…

…it’s my inner-introvert living it’s best life.

To be clear: No one – coaches, pirates, airplane pilots, Orcs – is 100% introverted or extroverted. We’re all a mix-n-match of the two. What I find unfortunate is that it’s the more introverted side of the spectrum that tends to get society’s consternation.

via GIPHY

Introversion is often seen as aloofness or worse, a weakness. When all it really means is that some people are mentally drained in more social environments and need a little more kitty cuddles “me time” to re-charge.

As such, those who are more introverted are often forced to be something they’re not…much to the detriment of their comfort level, happiness, and ability to not toss their face into a brick wall.

Extroversion – while having its own set of advantages and disadvantages – is seen as a strength and preferred trait in our society.

We introverts have a ton to offer as coaches – we tend to be better listeners and are more patient as an example. I’d encourage anyone who falls into this camp to embrace their introversion, understand that compromises are going to have to be made of course (read my article linked above), and that preferring to hang out with a book on a Friday night is total boss status.

3. Pull Coaching vs. Push Coaching

It’s been pointed on many occasions in recent years – especially by the likes of Nick Winkelman and Brett Bartholomew – the power of using EXTERNAL (as opposed to using internal) cues when coaching – particularly when working with beginner or intermediate level lifters.

To Summarize:

Internal Cues = Specific bodily actions or what it’s doing in space.

External Cues = Intent, distance, or an action.

Exercise                                          Internal Cue                                        External Cue

1. Deadlift                                          “Chest up.”                                          “Show me the logo on your shirt.”

2. Squat                                             “Knees out.”                                        “Spread the floor.”

3. Bench Press                                  “Arch your back.”                               “Meet the bar halfway.”

4. Sprinting                                       “Extend your hip.”                             “Push the ground away.”

External cuing tends to have more “sticking” power and resonates more with most lifters. Nick Tumminello has a nice way of putting it:

“Speak client, not trainer”

Taking things a step further, I really love the idea of “Pull” coaching vs. “Push” coaching – a concept I stole from my good friend and colleague Tony Bonvechio.

Pull Coaching = Helping someone solve their own problems…listening to understand, asking questions, paraphrasing, suggesting options.

Push Coaching = Solving someone’s problems for them…telling, instructing, giving advice.

Both scenarios have efficacy and have their time and place. However, I’d argue we need more of the former compared to the latter. As a coach I want to EDUCATE my athletes and clients to be their own best asset; to figure shit out if I am not there. I don’t want them to have to rely on me for everything.

Like:

  • When to add weight to any given exercise.
  • When to temper their workouts and when to push themselves further.
  • How to make simple exercise substitutions if equipment availability is an issue.
  • To understand why burpees (and kipping pull-ups) are straight up dumb.
  • And, do I really need to remind you to g0 Watch Beef on Netflix? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!

You know, the important stuff.

I think far too many coaches and personal trainers push at the expense of pull. Strive to empower your clients by making them more competent and encourage more autonomy (making their own choices).

4. Insatiable Desire to Get Better

Dan John sits in the front row whenever he attends a workshop or seminar. Mike Boyle still attends numerous events every year and is never afraid to backtrack or admit when he’s wrong. Ali Gilbert is the same. Eric Cressey just bragged the other day he’s listened to 25 books on Audible this year.

On 2x speed (the psychopath).

All of them have decades of coaching experience, and all are still striving to get better.

Who in the holy f**k are you?

You’ve got it all figured out huh? No need to continue to learn from others, right? It’s YOUR way or the highway? Everyone else is a moron?  Got it.

A-hole.

5. Lets Stop With the “Grinding” and “Hustling”

While it’s a bit more toned down now, I’m so sick of seeing stuff like this.

We see them on social media all the time.

The “Grinders.”

The ones who are soooooo busy and soooooo swamped and have sooooooo much more of a work ethic than everyone else.

Listen, I can appreciate people with work ethic. And I’ll be the first one to champion hard work and the notion that nothing happens without some degree of sacrifice, uncomfortableness, and inconvenience. And yes, long-ass hours.

But please, spare us the inspirational quotes and grandstanding because you happened to get up before 5 AM two days in a row or, I don’t know, haven’t eaten a carb since March.

Grinding is four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Grinding is raising a child as a single parent. Grinding is going through intensive chemotherapy and still putting a smile on your face. Grinding is listening to your co-worker brag about their CrossFit workouts and attempting to keep your eyes from rolling out of their sockets every time (s)he waxes poetic about how you’re going to die tomorrow for drinking a Diet Coke.

It has nothing to do with how superior you are because you avoid seed oils or because you train eight clients per day, six days per week.

Speaking of which:

To the “rise and grinders”…I love the work ethic, but there’s only a finite # of hours per week you’re an affective coach.

You’re not the same coach at the end of the day as you are at the start. You’re not the same coach at the start of a week as you are at the end. Touting the early wake-up times and hustle mentality isn’t the long-term flex you think it is.

It’s not a coincidence most trainers/coaches putter out after two years. They inevitably hate life.

I understand bills need to be paid, and I want to reiterate that I also understand there will be a window of time where long hours are going to happen. But be cognizant that there are only a finite number of hours where you’re an affective coach and where you’ll inevitably burn out.

There’s is a healthy balance and I hope you can find it.

Categoriescoaching Program Design rant

Fitness Industry Hyperbole is Exhausting

We all know hyperbole when we see it.

In general, it’s purposeful use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. It’s often used in writing (and communication as a whole) to evoke strong feelings and reaction from the audience. These reactions can range from a chuckle and an “aww shucks” eye roll to someone getting punched in the throat.

Hyperbole is everywhere (politics, dating, sports, Thanksgiving dinner) – for better or for worse.

More innocuous and inane examples of hyperbole – the “aww shucks” variety – would be:

  • I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
  • “So and so” is about as intelligent as a ham sandwich.
  • Attack of the Clones is a cinematic masterpiece.1

As a writer I love hyperbole because it can be a useful tool to add a bit of panache and entertainment value to a blog post or article in order to maintain people’s attention for more than 27 seconds.

Where I hate it is where this particular blog post comes into play.

Copyright: iuphotos

Fitness Industry Hyperbole is Exhausting

A few weeks ago I was perusing Twitter when my feed fed me this piece of gargantuan eye wash (because, of course):

“STOP DOING BARBELL SQUATS!!! It’s a useless exercise that does way more harm than good to your body.”

This, my dear reader, is a choice example of the latter example of hyperbole mentioned above. You know, the kind that makes you want to wash your eyes with broken glass.

Now, I don’t know the person who wrote it (I’m choosing not to directly mention them here), and I have zero insights into why this person is so vehemently against barbell squats. What I do know – from checking out this person’s profile – is that they’re a Chiropractor, they seem to build a lot of their online persona around this idea that most people lack mental toughness, and that “bad posture” is the reason why most people are in pain.

Not for nothing, but…

…I’d make the case that the reason why a lot of people are in pain is because they’re chronically weak (muscularly), not because their TL junction needs adjusting every two weeks.

(Which, not ironically, can be improved, drastically – and long-term – with some properly progressed strength training.2 If you don’t force the body to adapt to load or stress, then how can you really expect meaningful change? If the only intervention is adjusting and cracking someone’s bones to fit some “textbook perfect posture” narrative, and it’s something that needs to be repeated over and over and over again, to me, this is akin to using nothing but a band-aid to address a knife wound).

Male osteopath doing a postural evaluation

But let’s move beyond that.

The thing that rubs me the wrong way with this person’s train of thought is that it’s so egregiously self-aggrandizing. One thing that I despise in this industry – and something that makes me lose a lot of respect for someone when they do it – is thinking that THEIR WAY is the ONLY way to do something.

The easy comparison here is Mike Boyle.

I was in the room when, back in 2005, while recording Functional Strength Coach, he revealed to the strength & conditioning world that he no longer included back squats in his athletes’ programs.

I’m pretty sure this was the collective mood in the room when he said it:

via GIPHY

He wasn’t tarred and feathered by the entirety of the profession, but in the years since he’s routinely received flak for his stance.

However, I’ve always respected his take and have never taken issue with it.

Why?

Because he’s never said:

“Stop doing barbell squats with YOUR athletes.”

He’s only said:

“I’ve stopped doing a barbell squats with MY athletes.”

Moreover, he’s always followed that up with a sound rationale & explanation of why he came to that decision in the first place. And whether or not you agree with him isn’t the point:

  • They’re HIS athletes.
  • My man is still producing bonafide beasts in the weight-room and on the playing field.
  • Hard to argue with results.

Bringing things back to our friend from above.

Where I take issue is the insinuation that barbell squats – of any kind, in any situation, with any person, at any moment in time, even if they’re YOUR client and not mine – is dangerous or turning everyone into spinal compression walking balls of dysfunction.

To steal a quote from strength coach Gerry DeFilippo on that matter:

“How about this. Do exercises that fit your anatomical parameters and needs. More information, less fear mongering/cancelling of exercises.”

No diggidy, no doubt.

CategoriesMotivational rant

How to Prevent Burning Out as a Fitness Professional

I wanted to use a blog title that fit my personality more.

Like:

“Life as a Fitness Professional: See Brick Wall. Throw Face Into It. Repeat.”

But, you know, SEO and all.

Being a Personal Trainer/Coach Isn’t All Kitten Kisses and Rainbows

Forgive the nebulous tone out of the gate.

Let me be clear: I love what I do, and I wouldn’t have chosen to do it for the past 20 or so years if I didn’t gain some semblance of enjoyment from it.

[Although, truth be told, if Hollywood came knocking at my door tomorrow asking me to be the next Jason Bourne I’d peace out faster than you can say undulated periodization.]

I’ve been very fortunate and lucky (with equal parts hard work and insatiable consistency) building a career that not only provides an immense amount of pride and gratitude, but also satisfaction and sustenance.

Now, we could make the argument that being a fitness professional is a pretty sweet gig.

I mean, you get paid to hang out in a gym all day and wear sweatpants. There’s also a low-barrier to entry, which can be good and bad.

Good in that it allows people to pursue their passion without dropping $40,000 per year on a degree. Bad in that, well, there’s a low-barrier to entry.

Anyone can become a personal trainer.

via GIPHY

Additionally, I could go on forever listing all the other benefits to being a fitness professional:

  • You help and inspire people on a daily basis.
  • Free gym membership.
  • You more or less set your own schedule.
  • You can eat out of a Pyrex container and no one will judge you.
  • Did I mention you get to wear sweatpants to work everyday?
  • You get to wear sweatpants to work everyday.

There is a dark side, however.

While the numbers can vary, and it’s more or less an arbitrary, ball-park figure: many fitness professionals – personal trainers in particular – have a “life span” of 1-3 years.

Feeding that statistic, the average personal trainer makes roughly $32,000 per year, working a split-shift 60 hour per week schedule3 often with minimal (if any) benefits.

  • Spotty health insurance
  • No 401k plan. It can happen, but it’s rare.
  • Limited (if any) paid vacation.
  • But hey, you get to wear sweatpants.

While by no means a dirt poor scenario, there’s a reason a very finite number of fitness professionals ever hit the magical six-figure mark.

The ones that do often either work in a big city or in a very affluent area where people can afford high(er) price points for their services. Running the math, a trainer could work a 20-hour week charging $100 per session and easily make six-figures in a year.

However, that’s not realistic for most.

Not many can charge $100 per hour ($40-$50 is more like it), and not many are taking 100% of the profit. I.e., for those working out of a commercial gym, it’s often standard they take 30-50% of the cut (depending on what kind of “tier system” implemented).4

Not only that, cost of living has to be taken into consideration. Sure, trainers living in a more urban area can charge more, but they’re also paying $2000 per month to live in a closet (and $16 for a burger).

Another thing to consider is this:

This is NOT a “Demand” Career

Being a fitness professional means you’re in the service industry. How many people in the service industry do you know who are making bank?

Not only that…it’s not a “demand” career.

There’s always going to be a demand for funeral home directors, electricians, doctors, and, unfortunately, used car sales(wo)men.

Personal trainers and strength coaches? Not so much.

When the economy is stagnant people have a tendency to chop off what’s expendable. If it’s a matter of putting food on the table or paying someone 2x per week to take them through a killer front squat Tabata circuit while balancing on two kettlebells, what do you think is going to win out?

So, what can be done to not burn out and set the odds in your favor?

First: read THIS. <—The holy grail isn’t necessarily owning your own gym.

1) Grind, Hustle, [Insert Motivational Word Here]

To be honest, I hate the connotation of “grinding” or “hustling.” Every time I see a Tweet or IG status of someone saying how they’re up early “grinding” or how much they’re” hustling,” I want to jump into a live volcano.

I get it, though.

You’re reading anything and everything Gary Vaynerchuk has in print or paper and you’re listening to all of his podcasts.

I did too, for about three days. And then I got over it. His message, while good, just comes across as a broken record to me.

I don’t want to be Gary Vee, and I don’t think Gary Vee wants you to be Gary Vee either.

He works….all……the…….time.

Even he will admit he’s an outlier when it comes to work ethic and loving the grind.

There IS a degree of grinding and hustling that’s inherently conjoined to the fitness industry.

We work when others don’t.

Too, it’s a very, very, VERY saturated market…and you better bet your ass you need to do something to separate yourself from the masses (and by extension, begin to build a brand).

Being epically good at what you do is step #1.

This doesn’t require Twitter followers or a status update. It requires hard work, consistency, maintaining integrity, along with empathy and gratitude.

“Building a “brand” isn’t a social media illusion. Things like integrity, empathy, & gratitude (along with being good at what you do) count.”

What many refer to as “grinding” is just, you know, going to work. Like everyone else.

However, there’s a difference between going to work and actually going to work and taking pride in it…and working towards something bigger and better.

Learn and respect that difference.

2) “Brand” Building

It’s 2021: You better recognize that “building a brand” isn’t anchored on this idea that you need to optimize website SEO or hire a photographer to take nice looking photographs of you eating a kale salad next to a Ferrari so you can post them on your social media.

Renowned coach and speaker, Brett Bartholomew, shared a powerful message recently:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Brett Bartholomew (@coach_brettb)

As Brett notes, SOCIAL SKILLS are what’s missing in this industry; not more certifications and licensures. Brand building (and by extension, success) isn’t so much about putting more letters next to your name or having a 3x bodyweight deadlift.

It’s about CONNECTION and having the social skills necessary to build healthy and long-lasting client relationships & rapport.

NOTE: Anyone interested in that topic should come to Boston this November to attend Dr. Lisa Lewis’s 2-day workshop: Inside the Coach’s Mind. (wink wink, nudge nudge).

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

Social media is certainly part of the equation, however.

“But wait, Tony, didn’t you just say that social networks are a waste of time?”

Nope, that’s not at all what I said.

I said “do the work.”

Coach. Interact. Get people results. Get good at what you do.

CURATE RELATIONSHIPS.

Social media should serve as a complement to your brand. Not BE the brand. Pete Dupuis wrote an awesome article a few years ago on what Cressey Sports Performance did to build their brand.

“Believe it or not, we were open for business for 293 days before our Cressey Sports Performance website went live.  In fact, we strung together more than 1,200 days of operation before realizing we needed to get CSP up on Twitter.”

Anecdotally, I’ll be the first to admit I lucked out in this regard.

I helped build CSP from scratch, and both Eric (Cressey) and Pete encouraged me to build my own brand within a brand. I served as an ambassador for the CSP name, but was also able to leverage that to help construct the brand of “Tony Gentilcore.”

Having Eric and Pete in my corner helped, a lot.

It also helped that I jumped on the website and social media bandwagon before it became a “thing.”

I wrote my first blog post in 2006. I now have over 200o+ posts on this site. And this is not counting the hundreds of articles I’ve written on top of that for other websites.

It wasn’t until 2009-2010 that I invested in myself and hired someone to make a customized website for me.

Quick shoutout to Copter Labs on that front.

Nevertheless, I wrote hundreds of blog posts on my site and interacted with a lot of my readership before I “graduated” to being paid to write for other sites. I often joke that my high school English teachers would shit a copy of “Catcher in the Rye” if they knew I was a paid writer.

Moreover, once I started gaining more traction with my writing I started being asked to present at conferences and started to also be invited to gyms across the world to put on workshops.

Being transparent, open to other ideas, amicable, a good listener, and generally not an asshole have all served me well in growing my “brand.”

All of this to say: I now have other streams of revenue to not only bolster my brand, but to also help augment my coaching. I don’t have to be on the floor 30-40 hours per week (as it stands now, I coach 15-20 hours per week). What’s more, if COVID-19 taught us anything in this industry, it’s that having more “diversity” with your revenue streams is imperative.

  • In-person coaching
  • Distance/online coaching
  • Writing
  • Presenting/workshops (virtual *& in-person)
  • Affiliate income
  • Digital products/resources
  • Mentorships
  • And, sure, sponsorships and “influencing” can be tossed on the list too.

NONE of this happened over-night. And, if I were to be 100% honest: It’s only now – year 19 into my career – where I feel like I’m starting to “get it.”

Not be a Debbie Downer and all, there’s A LOT of noise out there. More and more fitness pros are out there vying for everyone else’s attention and a piece of the social media pie, and it’s becoming more saturated by the day.

It’s becoming harder and harder to make a name for yourself (if that’s what you choose to do).

However, it’s not an insurmountable feat to rise above the chaos.

The key, though: amazing, unparalleled, consistent content.

And not being an unapproachable tool canoe.

That helps too.

Categoriesrant

The Unsexy, No BS Guide to Actually Getting Results

No bullshit.

What follows is what most people, most of the time, probably outta concentrate on in order to see results with their health & fitness goals.

(NOTE: This is a repost of a blog post I wrote back in 2017. It still holds).

Copyright: dorian2013 / 123RF Stock Photo

 

1. Stop Chasing Optimal.

What’s the optimal number of days per week to train? What’s the optimal set and rep scheme to perform? What about optimal exercises to include and in what order?

People get so caught up in optimal that they’re often paralyzed to start. Optimal is often equated with “perfect” and that’s a lot of pressure to put on oneself.

If I had to define optimal it would look like this:

3×52

Get to the gym and do something – anything – 3 days per week, 52 weeks out of the year. It could be your standard 3x per week full-body strength program, three days per week of yoga, group classes, CrossFit, or, I don’t know, Krav Maga naked arm wrestling ring gymnastics.

It doesn’t really matter.

What matters is being and staying consistent.

Shut up and do that.

2. Results Require Recovery

I always tell my athletes that they’re only going to be as strong, fast, and unstoppable as how well they allow themselves to recover.

Recovery and recovery strategies is all the rage nowadays.

Rightfully so: recovery is important.

However, I’ve never seen a more blatant game of oneupmanship of late than people discussing what they do to recover.

The latest fad is people paying money – and a lot of it, mind you – to stand in a cryo-chamber for a few minutes and, literally, freeze.

Cool. <— hahaha, get it? I’m being sarcastic & ironic at the same time.

As far as it’s efficacy, I’ll just drop THIS here and let you talk amongst yourselves.

You might be able to convince me this would be a viable option for Bulgarian or Russian weight lifters who train 3-4 times per day six days per week.

But even that’s a stretch.

Yet, you have guys who’ve squatted 225 lbs once bragging about utilizing cryotherapy.5

“Gotta recover. #YOLO.”

I have a better idea:

  • Go to bed.
  • Eat ample calories to support your goals.
  • Get a massage.
  • Meditate.
  • Get laid.
  • Pick your nose.

Any of those would be a far better option that freezing your balls off.

3. Easy Training is Good Training

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

“Lifting weights isn’t supposed to tickle.”

There has to be a degree of uncomfortableness if you want to see results in the gym.

However, it doesn’t have to be every…single…workout.

Working hard and training with purpose/intent is one thing. (Good).

Not being able to feel the left side of your face is another. (Bad).

A talk I have often with my own clients is the idea of 80% workouts. It’s a concept I stole from strength coach, Paul Carter.

Someone may walk in one day and say something to the effect of:

“Tony, I feel like my last workout was too easy.”

My typical response is something to the effect of:

via GIPHY

Okay, only slightly kidding.

Of course there’s always the chance I was a bit too conservative with loading or the mode of exercise. If that’s the case I’ll adjust accordingly.

Most of the time, though, I’ll reiterate it’s okay to have “easy” workouts.

Easy training is good training.

  • 10% of the time you’ll feel like a rockstar and these are the days the weights fly up.
  • 10% of the time you’ll feel like a bag of dicks and weight you normally crush feels heavy.
  • 80% of the time are your “easy” workouts.

80% workouts are the ones where you show up, do the work, don’t miss reps, and then go the eff home and Netflix and chill (emphasis on chill).

Those are the workouts that matter most.

Refer to Point #1.

4. Miscellaneous Tidbits & Tomfoolery

– Train alongside other strong, albeit supportive people. Find an environment, even if it’s just once per week, where you can be amongst your people; your tribe. It’ll make all the difference in the world.

– If your gym doesn’t allow chalk, you’re a member of the wrong gym.

– More Tiesto…;o)

– Stop wasting your money on detox diets or organic Acai berries fertilized using the shit from a Centaur’s rectum. If you’re not accounting for or cognizant of total calories per day (as it relates to your goals) it’s pointless.

– Drink more water (best detox diet their is).

– Walking is a undervalued and underutilized form of exercise.

– I’m sure I could pontificate longer and muster up some more gems, but 1) I’m hungry 2) I need to go relieve the nanny and 3) I want to hear what YOU have to say.

Categoriespersonal training rant

The One Question I Hate Answering

Hate is a strong word.

I generally reserve that word for things like:

  • Mushrooms6
  • Kipping pull-ups
  • Attack of the Clones
  • Talking about my feelings
  • White supremacists

However, a few weeks ago I received an email asking me a question I really do hate answering. No, it wasn’t asking me to send money to a Nigerian Prince. Instead it was from an editor of a website (I don’t recall which one) asking me if I’d be willing to send over a few thoughts regarding “what I felt were some of the best innovations in strength & conditioning heading into 2021?”

Copyright: khosrork / 123RF Stock Photo

SERIOUSLY, EVERY…SINGLE…YEAR

I’m sure I could scour my email’s trash bin from the past decade and find a similar email from an editor or freelance writer asking me some iteration of the exact same question.

I’d be remiss, if not come across as the ultimate curmudgeon, if I didn’t recognize that there truly has been some fantastic and innovative advances in strength & conditioning/personal training since I entered the industry in 2002.

The internet, for one thing, has made it infinitely easier to run one’s business and gain access to a wider array of clientele. When I first started offering remote coaching services I had clients mail me a check via the actual mail and had to use a digital camera to take & upload videos onto my computer, which then took three hours per video (give or take a week) to send via email.

Now there are entire websites and resources that make the process seamless. A one-stop shop of fitness-business prowess.

There’s an endless tapestry and selection of exercise equipment, specialty bars, and the like that we can choose from to hone in on specific goals and even body parts.

We also have a vast array of gadgets that bleep and bloop and do everything from measure one’s bar speed to offering feedback on technique to using heart-rate variability to help dictate one’s readiness to train on any given day.

I am not against innovation and stuff that’s new and exciting. I’ve had my fair share of leaning into the latest, brightness, and shiniest new thingamabobbers out there.

That said, I’d also be remiss not to note that we often get far too carried away and miss the forest for the trees. We’ve gotten to the point where technology sorta handcuffs us. We’ll renege on a workout because some app told us a rainbow didn’t appear in Mississippi today.

Okay, I’ll admit I’m being overly facetious here…

…but I am not too far off the mark.

Old Shit Still Works

What worked in 1985, still works today.

More to the point, barbells and dumbbells still work.

Then again, maybe I really am a curmudgeon and today’s fitness crowd requires a bit more gamification in order to be incentivized to exercise?

Either way, here’s my “recipe” for fitness innovation:

1. 3×52

Whenever I teach workshops, especially to other health/fitness professionals, and I go out of my way to expound on exercises I drills I like for this and that, I’ll inevitably be asked…

…”So, Tony, why do you insist on presenting with your shirt off how many sets and reps do you suggest?”

My answer is always 3×52.

If you can motivate yourself (or your clients) to workout 3 times per week, 52 weeks a year, some cool shit is bound to happen.

My bias is toward simple stuff like using easily accessible equipment (barbells and dumbbells), but if it has to entail a super attractive instructor taking you through a workout on a $3000.00 bike/screen in your dining room while listening to Daft Punk go for it.

Consistency of exercise matters more than the mode.

2. Strain a Little

You don’t need to shit your spleen in order to make a workout effective.

Conversely, if your workout consists of 5 lb weights while you watch an episode of Real Housewives you need to try harder.

There has to be a degree of strain in order to force the body to adapt to a stressor.

Keeping things as simple as possible on this front, this is why I’m such a fan of a 5×5 approach for most people. Pick an exercise, say, bench press.

Choose you weight you KNOW you can do for 6-8 reps (but not 10 or more).

Chances are the first 1-3 sets will feel quite doable if not easy. Once you enter the 4th or 5th se territory, that weight is going to become more challenging (as fatigue sets in).

You may find it will look something like this:

Set 1: 155 x5
Set 2: 155×5
Set 3: 155×5
Set 4: 155×4
Set 5: 155×3

The objective would be to stay at that weight until you’re able to complete 5 sets of 5 repetitions.

Once you do, you can then increase the weight 5-10 lbs and start the process all over again.

Easy training is good training. This approach ensures progressive overload without crushing your soul.

3. Make Sure Nutrition Matches Your Goals

One word: Keto.

Just kidding.

Tha fuck outta here.

But seriously, I won’t belabor this point, it’s just common sense.

4. Go to Bed

It amazes people will spend hundreds (if not thousands) of $$ on supplements, Theraguns, fancy boots, and contrast showers that use distilled water filtered through the beard of Jesus in the name of optimal recovery…

…when the cheapest (and best) thing they could do on that front is just go to bed at a decent hour.

That’s not click-baity enough though.

5. That’s It

That’s it.

Categoriesrant

Confessions of a Strength Coach: Come At Me, Bro 2021 Edition

Full Disclosure: Friend and colleague, Mike Perry, serves as inspiration for today’s post.

He posted something very similar on his various social media feeds last week and I was inspired to toss in my two cents on the matter after reading his list.7

Send any hate mail to: relax@thisisntanindictmentonyourcharacterifyouhappentodisagreewithme.com

If for some reason the email bounces back try: [email protected]

Copyright: tommaso79 / 123RF Stock Photo

Bros Are Coming At Me

1. I don’t pigeon hole myself into any one way of thinking; except for Tuesdays are for Techno Tuesday and Wednesdays are for Wu-Tang.

But take squatting for example.

Some of my clients squat to parallel (or even above), while others squat below.

2. Outside of someone coming in with an extensive injury history, my assessment is generally just taking someone through a “doable” training session: squat, push-up, hinge, amongst other things.

Can they do stuff? And can they do it without this being my reaction?

via GIPHY

If so, we’re probably good.

3. Speaking of assessment: Asymmetries are normal. I don’t make a big deal out of it. It’s most likely nothing and by highlighting them you’re leaning into the notion that people are inherently broken.

It’s information, of course. But I’ve long gotten over the idea that asymmetries are the end-all, be-all of predicting jack squat

(NOTE: Read THIS for a better understanding of what I mean).

4. Getting people stronger isn’t always about more reps or more sets or more load. “Feel” of a set matters too. If a certain weight “feels” faster or easier week to week that’s progress as well.

5. This doesn’t have anything to do with anything, but figured I’d say it anyway:

Ted Lasso is a splendid show.

6. Sometimes my only verbal cue to a client when they’re performing a new exercise is “figure it out,” or “find a way,” or
“WU-TANG PROTECT YA NECK.”

Inundating people with incessant cues can be more detrimental than helpful. Sometimes it’s prudent to just let people figure it out on their own. You know, assuming they’re not going to shit a spleen or anything like that.

7. I don’t begin to hyperventilate into a paper bag whenever I see a client flex their spine. In fact, sometimes I encourage it.

8. I’ve never read the book Supertraining. I don’t know who’s more annoying: a CrossFitter who’s keto or a strength coach who can’t talk shop without quoting Mel Siff…;o)

9. Most of my general population clients (read: all of them) don’t follow a periodized program. Life – sick kids, overbearing bosses, global pandemics, Thursdays – tend to get in the way.

This is NOT to insinuate I don’t feel general pop clients don’t require planning or structure within their programming. I just don’t feel having them follow a Block Periodized program so that their bench press peaks to coincide with their kid’s clarinet recital in the Spring is really the panacea for progress.

10. In terms of building increased motivation with clients I find two things help:

  • Allowing the client – sometimes – to choose their main lift of the day. If they’re going to deadlift, I’ll let them choose the variation that fills their training love tank for the day.
  • Ending sessions with a 5-10 “arm farm (I.e., biceps & triceps)” or “badonkadonk (I.e., butt stuff)” circuit.
  • IN SHORT: Allowing a smidgeon of CHOICE can be a game changer.

11. Almost always, when a client experiences a niggle (cranky shoulder, tweaked knee) it’s either a programming volume issue or a technique issue.

I’m less inclined to give clients a laundry list of corrective exercises to perform and more inclined to simply audit my programming and/or exercise selection.

12. Easy training is good training. I’d rather a client/athlete leave a session feeling as if they COULD do more. This way I know they’re likely going to recover well and be ready for their next session.

13.  Seriously, give Ted Lasso a look. It’s wonderful.

Categoriesrant

The Overlooked Stuff That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked That Almost Always Helps People Get Results

People want the quick fix.

They want to be told that 7-Minute Abs (or maybe we’re down to 5-Minute Abs now?) is all it takes to be beach ready, or that drinking an Acai berry detox tea mined from the belly button of a Centaur is the key to fat-loss.

And then there’s the high-school athlete who reaches out two weeks prior to tryouts, as if I’m a wizard and all I have to do is wave my wand (and insert a few sets of box jumps) and PRESTO…

…they’re going to be as equally prepared as those athletes who have been training and working out for several months.

It’s quite interesting isn’t it?

Everyone is seeking the silver bullet to success.

However, on the contrary, in my experience, whether someone’s goal is weight-loss/fat-loss, muscle gain, improved athletic performance, general health, or, I don’t know, to beat John Wick in a street fight, the “x-factor” often comes down to the mundane.

[email protected]

The stuff most people scoff at and altogether dismiss in lieu of the new, bright, shiny object in the room.

Like This Stuff

1. Expectation Management

You know how it’s popular nowadays for personal trainers and strength & conditioning coaches to go out of their way to not refer to themselves as personal trainers and strength & conditioning coaches?

You know, stupid shit like…

  • Body Architect
  • Human Performance Advocate
  • Movement Mechanic
  • Supreme Chancellor of Douchiness to the Douchiest Power

I feel as if I have a superlative title for myself too.

Manager of Expectations

Whenever someone asks me “how long will it take to….[insert goal here]” I’ll respond with “I have no idea.”

Moreover, I’ll say something to the effect of:

“Consider me your Sherpa. I’m here to guide you and point you in the right direction towards your goal(s) to the best of my ability, and to do so in a time efficient, fun, and safe manner.”

And if that doesn’t impress them I’ll say this:

“3×52.”

Meaning, if I can nudge them in the gym 3x per week, 52 weeks out of the year, then it stands to reason some good shit is going to happen.

Rather than place a specific number or time frame on a goal, it’s my job as their coach to titrate their expectations and to reframe things towards the idea of CONSISTENCY.

Then, after a while (and yes, with a bit of butting of heads), they’ll learn that progress is more about appreciating the journey rather than the destination.8

2. Walk, Sleep, Hydrate

Honestly, whenever I have a conversation with a client/athlete and (s)he is concerned about progress (or lack thereof), before I audit their program/nutrition I’ll look to see whether or not they’re doing the following.

Go for a Walk

What’s more, going for a (brisk) walk is a great way to expend energy in addition to helping to improve mental health.

What’s more (even morer), walking is exercise that’s accessible to anyone with working legs – so it’s pretty hard for someone to conjure up an excuse to not do it.

Do yourself a favor and check out the hashtag #walkeverydamnday and maybe reconsider your position if you’re someone who feels telling someone to go for a daily walk is silly or beneath your superior coaching skills.

2. Go to Bed

I am a huge fan of going to bed.

In fact I am such a fan of going to bed (early) that I’m pretty sure I have entered cantankerous curmudgeon territory at the age of 42.

My answer for pretty much everything is…

“Meh, go to bed.”

via GIPHY

SLEEP = RECOVERY (and bevy of other benefits).

Feel like a bag of dicks all the time?

Maybe stop bragging about getting up at 4 AM every day because #hustleandgrind and the subsequent contrast baths and get some sleep instead?

3. Hydrate

By now some of you reading don’t have enough eye rolls to give. But here’s one more suggestion to bring things to a nice, tidy, conclusion.

Ask your clients whether or not they’re hydrated?

This isn’t so much a “are you drinking 8 glasses of water per day?” kind of question as it is “what color is your pee?” question.

  • Clearer Pee = good to go.
  • Pee the color of battery acid = not so good to go.

It’s been clearly shown in the literature that chronic dehydration can affect performance in the weight room  – upwards of 8-10%. Likewise, chronic lethargy can be attributed to lack of hydration, in addition to it affecting basic  metabolic functions.

I.e., the body’s ability to burn energy is diminished the more dehydrated someone is.9

“Wow, Tony. Telling people to go for a walk, get more sleep, AND to drink more water? This is next level shit. What’s next? Flossing? No, wait…look both ways before crossing the street?”

I get it.

I am not saying anything revolutionary, nor anything we all haven’t heard before.

That being said…

…we do a superb job going our of our way to overlook these factors.

But, you know, ketosis.

Categoriescoaching rant

Porcelain Post: Trying to Answer a Question That Has No Right Answer.

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

Huh, I guess that was more specific than I thought.

Enjoy.

Copyright: nexusplexus / 123RF Stock Photo

Trying to Answer a Question That Has No Right Answer

This past weekend I had the honor of teaching alongside my good friend Luke Worthington as we put on our 2-day Strategic Strength Workshop here in Boston.

Side Note: We will be teaching it again in London this September. You can find out more details HERE.

We had an eclectic group of 30 fitness professionals ranging from personal trainers and coaches to physical therapists and gym owners, young and old, newbies to those with more experience, all under one roof to listen to the two us speak about assessment, program design, coaching up specific strength exercises, and swoon over Luke’s British accent.

I’m all like, “blah, blah, blah, who’s your favorite Power Ranger?, blah blah blah.”

Luke and I covered a metric shit ton of information (FYI: which is more than a metric boat load), and as is always the case, we had a bevy of questions.

This is a good thing.

Nothing is worse than when you ask “does anyone have any questions?” and all you get is a bunch of tumbleweeds. I am elated when attendees ask questions, and I always attempt to answer every single one to the best of my ability.

Attendee: “Tony, what muscles upwardly rotate the scapulae again?”

Me: “Serratus anterior, upper and lower traps.”

Attendee: “Thank you. Also, can you put your pants back on?”

Me:

via GIPHY

However, there’s one question in particular – which can present itself in a variety of ways – that I often have a hard time with when I present.

Invariably, after two days – and close to 14 hours of content – where I’m showcasing a litany of drills, exercises, concepts, and breaking down my way of doing things (which isn’t to suggest they’re the right way) I’ll get the following question:

“If I implement “x” exercise how long before my client will see results?”

I understand why it’s asked.

If I take the time to demonstrate a particular drill and how I like to use it for a given scenario, it’s only logical for someone to ask the question: “hey, if I use that, how long before it works?”

 

But the truth of the matter is…

…I don’t know.

How good of a coach are you?

I mean, how long did it take you to master deadlift technique, the intricacies of the Turkish Get-Up, or, I don’t know, the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique?

Chances are it wasn’t overnight or during the course of a 1 or 2-day workshop.

Are you the type of coach who, after taking a weekend course, heads into work on Monday to torture your clients with new stuff you only knew existed a few hours prior?

Or, are you the type of coach who lets things marinate for a bit, gives yourself some time to understand the information, and try it out yourself before unleashing it to the masses?

My suspicions are that old(er) fitness professionals – or those with more experience – take the latter approach; they want to spend time with their notes, go through with a fine toothed comb, and really digest things.

Conversely, new(er) fitness professionals – or those with less experience – are quick to start posting “this cool new drill I learned” on Instagram.

So maybe there IS an answer here: Don’t be that coach.

CategoriesCorrective Exercise personal training rant

The State of Corrective Fitness: 2019

This 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.

Copyright: tammykayphoto / 123RF Stock Photo

The State of Corrective Fitness: 2019

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…

Let’s Be Clear Though:

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.

But:

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.

Those segments are:

  1. Scapulothoracic Region and Glenohumeral Joint (Shoulder/Shoulder Blades and T-Spine)
  2. T-Spine, L-Spine, and Pelvis
  3. Ankle to Knee and Knee to Hip

Each one will work to answer the following question:

“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.

via GIPHY

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.

About the Author

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.

Categoriesrant

One Simple Piece of Advice For Fitness Pros to Consider in 2019: Put Your Clothes On

Not surprisingly I’ve noticed an inundation of “inspirational” or informative post over the past few days offering insight from “How to Save More Money in 2019” to “What Are the (Fitness) Trends to Watch Out For?” to, I don’t know, “Who Would You’d Rather Have as a Dinner Guest: Your Boss or a Balrog?”

Too, this is the time of year many people write their “stuff I’ve learned” posts to reflect on their personal growth over the past 365 days (and to totally brag about how many books they’ve read…wink, wink. Don’t worry, I’m not judging.10

This is not that kind of post.

Copyright: tverdohlib / 123RF Stock Photo

Well, It Kinda Isn’t

Truth be told, I didn’t read that many books last year (due to a very active and rambunctious toddler at home. And Netflix), so I’m afraid I wouldn’t have many sage and/or Earth shattering “new things” to divulge anyway.

That said, in an effort to ring in 2019, I would like to toss my hat into the ring, take a few minutes, and share one good ol’ fashioned, “seasoned veteran” piece of advice to new and upcoming fitness professionals who may be following along.

Full Disclosure: What follows may come across as a bit preachy or me being a cantankerous curmudgeon.

Whatever, it’s my blog, deal with it.

AND GET OFF MY LAWN while we’re at. And GO TO BED.

Put Your Clothes On

I came across an interesting conversation on Facebook the other day, and it only came to my attention because it was started by an ex-client of mine (who’s also a trainer) who tagged me in it.

She posited this question:

“Curious, are you more or less likely to hire a trainer if they post pictures of themselves with their shirts off or in a bikini?”

Now, don’t get me wrong: I understand why someone who’s in the health/fitness industry would feel it necessary to market themselves by showcasing their, shall we say…assets.

HA – see what I just did there?

I do feel there’s a time a place for it, and I do feel there’s little harm in the occasional “look at me, I’m sexy AF, and my pecs can cut diamonds” photo op.

It’s not lost on me that a significant part of a trainer’s job is to look the part.

I mean, if someone’s going to dedicate their life to training 4-5x per week, taking spin classes “for fun,” and crushing kale & avocado smoothies that taste like algae being blown through a whale’s rectum, you better be sure as shit they’ve reserved the right to showoff the fruits of their labor.

But even then I feel there’s a spectrum of acceptable instances for someone to do so.

One thing to consider is if they’re a competitive bodybuilder, figure athlete, or even model. If that’s the case then I can definitely see a scenario where they’re allowed a bit more leeway.

The ratio of shirtless to cute cat pics should likely be bit more skewed to the former.

However, most fitness professionals aren’t competitive bodybuilders, figure athletes, or models. And, while I recognize my age (42) likely plays into my thought process, I do feel it’s in most everyone’s interests to keep their clothes on more often than not.

Reading through the bulk of people’s answers in the Facebook thread mentioned above, a vast majority mentioned they’d be less likely to hire a trainer who went out of his or her’s way to routinely pose with their clothes off.

Answered ranged from “it comes across as too self-absorbed” to “unprofessional” to “intimidating and that they might be too judgmental of my appearance.”

My former client even chimed in with the following:

“I’ve never once seen Tony G pose with his shirt off for a promotional or marketing piece, and he has one of the best physiques I’ve ever seen.11And what prompted this question to my Facebook friends is an inundation of trainers posting promotional and marketing pieces with their shirts off.

I always wonder how that resonates with the average Joe?”

I’m sure for some people it motivates them.

And that’s great.

But I think for the vast majority of people it sets an unrealistic expectation. And, to speak candidly, from a business standpoint, I have a hard time believing it helps to exponentially increase one’s bottom line.

And before anyone fires back with “well, Tony, my business targets people interested in FAT LOSS or people who want to look better naked, what am I supposed to do: fill my feed with pictures of me attending a turtleneck party?

No, that’s not what I’m saying.

What I’m Saying Is This: Looking the part is one piece of the fitness business puzzle. But it’s not the only piece. Most clients are going to be more interested in training with you long-term because you’re not an asshole, not because your delts  look great using the Perpetua filter.

What’s more, as my friend from above stated herself:

“As a trainer, it’s going to stick with your clients more if you teach them that the journey is less about how they look at all times and more about how they feel about themselves.”

Fitness shouldn’t be centered around one’s ability to showcase six-pack abs in an effort to garner likes (and creepy followers) on Instagram. It should be about helping as many people, from all shapes and sizes and backgrounds as possible.

For some niche markets, I understand that this train of thought won’t resonate and that posting an incessant number of pictures of yourself with your shirt off (or in minimal clothing) does bode in your favor and helps to grow your business. This isn’t meant to come across as confrontational or that what decisions you make to run YOUR business is wrong. I have plenty of friends in the fitness industry who do it and are very successful. The thing that differentiates them is that they’re ALWAYS going out of their way to provide quality content.

It’s not just about them.

I suspect, though, that most of you reading will have enough common sense and wherewithal to separate that from my larger point.

Which is……

Posting naked pictures of yourself is not necessary or mandatory to be successful.

For the bulk of potential clients out there posting shirtless pictures for promotional purposes likely won’t work, it likely won’t resonate, and it likely won’t be relatable. Rather, the better business approach will be to go out of your way to showcase your content, expertise, and knowledge instead. How can you help people? What separates you from the masses?

I doubt it’s your bicep peak.

Maybe you have a unique pull-up drill progression you’ve found successful? Maybe you have a lot of success working with people dealing with low back pain? Maybe you do have an adorable cat?

Highlight that, please…;o)