Don’t get me wrong: My readers have excellent taste in the articles that resonate with them. They’re up-to-date and “in-tune” with the latest strength & conditioning research (oftentimes more than myself) and don’t fall prey to the smoke-n-mirrors facade that much of social media regurgitates as valid and efficacious fitness content.
In case you missed it, HERE‘s a link to the top articles from my site over the past year based off the one’s that received the most web traffic.
HOWEVER.
Sometimes you guys don’t know what’s up. The whole landscape of what will and what won’t “stick” still perplexes me. Some days I’ll write something I’m sure will win me a tsunami of accolades and/or possibly a Pulitzer, only to see the net result as a puff of literary smoke.
My prose fizzles into the dark void, trumped by articles highlighting detox teas, keto recipes featuring sawdust, and TikTok videos of people climbing milk crates.
Pfffft, whatever.
To that end, today it’s MY turn. Here are the top articles of 2021 according to me, because…
…We’re All Still Living in a Never-Ending Dumpster Fire
COVID, COVID, COVID
Insurrections
Inflation
Sex and the City reboots
The incessant parade of awful things seemingly won’t end.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that 2022 will bring all of us a bit more good news and things to look forward to. I know for one I can’t wait to begin traveling again. I had a bit of an amuse bouche earlier in the fall when I was able to jet away and spend five days in London.
I was in introvert heaven. No wife, no kid, and no workshops. It was just me meandering about my favorite place in the world for a handful of days.
Speaking of workshops, however, 2022 looks to be shaping up as a bit of a comeback. I have four events in the coming months:
January:
1. Kabuki Education Week (virtual) – January 9th – 15th – Info & Registration HERE.
2. Coaching Competency Workshop – Saratoga Springs, NY (January 23rd) – Info and registration HERE.
February:
COACHED: Raise the Bar Conference – Orlando, FL – Info & Registration HERE.
March:
Strategic Strength Workshop – Boston, MA (March 19th-20th) – Info & Registration HERE.
And on a somewhat related note, I really, really, really hope to get back on the writing more content train in the coming year.
2021 saw my worst output since this website/blog began and I truly hope to up my game in the coming months. Like everyone else my mind was preoccupied with other “life events” this past year, and while part of me wanted to beat myself up over it…
…I also had to have an honest compromise with myself and realize that other things had to be more of a priority. Family, gym expansion, The Witcher Season 2.
“Jaxon, you know I eat meat, right? I have a beef jerky of the month subscription for crying out loud! I don’t know if I’d be the right fit for your audience.”
I was assured, however, that we wouldn’t be touching on anything specific to nutrition and that all Jaxon really wanted to discuss was how “regular” people can go about training like athletes and how I go about progressing exercises and programs.
I’m excited to announce that I will be part of the Raise the Bar Conference. An event focused on the missing links in our industry: Communication, collaboration, connection, behavioral psychology, business & marketing skills, and much more.
It’s an honor to be invited back to speak at Kabuki Strength’s Education week this year. Last year’s event was a MASSIVE (in both knowledge bombs and brawn) event and this year I am expecting more of the same.
You’ll get access to 54 lectures from some of the best minds in the health/wellness industry. The early bird rate is currently in effect so don’t miss out on taking advantage of that.
“Oh, wow, check out the Serratus on that person over there…hubba, hubba, hubba, CHAWOOOOGA.”
– said no one, ever.
Alas, the Serratus muscle IS an important muscle, especially for shoulder health and it deserves your attention. Here are some excellent choices from Meghan.
It’s been over two years since I’ve announced any IN-PERSON workshops. I’m elated to announce that Luke Worthington and I will be hosting our popular Strategic Strength Workshop in Boston, Massachusetts this coming March (2022).
*Cue the trumpets*
Shut Up and Take My $$ Tony – Register HERE (1 installment) or HERE(2 installments)
The Deets
The Strategic Strength Workshop is an opportunity for fitness professionals (or those who just like to lift heavy things) to gain better understanding and insight into how we structure assessments and subsequent training programs to help our clients – whether they’re A-list celebrities, professional athletes, or “regular” people – get stronger, move better, and be healthier.
All under the umbrella of taking into account each individual’s unique injury history, goals, ability level, and anatomy.
Topics Covered:
Day 1:
8.30 am – Registration – Tea (for the one British person, Luke) / Coffee (for everyone else)
9.00 am – Introductions
9.00 –10.30 am – Coaching Competency – How to better “match” your coaching style to your clients’.
10.30 – 12.30 pm – Why Do We Assess?
Alternating Segment Model
Kinetic Chains
Active vs. Passive Tissue
Active vs. Passive ROM
Assessment Hierarchy
12.30 – 1.30 pm – Lunch
1.30 – 3.00 pm – Assessing the Shoulder
3.00 – 4.00 pm – Breathing Mechanics
4.00 – 5.00 pm – Coaching Upper Body Movements
Bench Press
Pull-Ups
Shoulder Friendly Shenanigans
Day 2
9.00 – 11.00 am – Assessing the Hip
Anatomy of the Pelvis
What is “neutral”
Pelvic inlets and outlets
Common myths and misconceptions (stop blaming the hamstrings for everything)
11.00 – 12.00 pm – Squat Assessment
12.00 – 1.00 pm – Lunch
1.00 – 3.00 pm – Exercise Continuums
3.00 – 4.00 pm – Coaching the Deadlift & Squat (Finding Your Clients’ Trainable Menu)
4.00 – 5.00 pm – Programming for Strength
5.00 -5.30 pm – Neuromechanics
Date: Saturday, March 19th & Sunday, March 20th, 2022.
I was 25 at the time, and had just started working at my first “gig” in the fitness industry as a “Health & Wellness Specialist” at a corporate fitness center just outside Syracuse, NY.
The company I worked for, which at the time was a branch of Johnson & Johnson, was contracted by other companies to come in and “run” or otherwise operate their gyms on premise. Employees either before work, during their lunch hour, or after work would come in to not stab their boss in the face run on the treadmill, lift some weights, or let off a little steam…and it was my job to show them the ropes.
It was a win-win. Employees had access to state-of-the-art facilities (at $9 per month, a steal), and the company had reduced health care costs.
I wasn’t training professional athletes or Victoria Secret models or anything like that, but like I said…it was my first gig as a fitness professional, and I found the work rewarding. It was easy, I was getting paid to chill in a gym, and I enjoyed the people I was surrounded by.
As I recall, it was later in the afternoon, and because my supervisor encouraged us to workout/train on site, I’d usually get my workouts in at that time when several other guys would come in to train.
Many of them I knew well.
Like any gym there were many regulars and I was able to build a rapport with them. We’d lift, we bust each other’s balls, I’d play my EDM, life was grand.
I was younger than the bulk of them by a decade (if not more), and I remember one day after a heavy(ish) set of deadlifts one of the Clint Eastwood types (who didn’t train with us and spent the majority of his time on the elliptical) looked at me and repeated the quote above:
“You just wait till you’re my age. You won’t be training like that.”
I laughed and shrugged it off. I was in no way confrontational. What would have been the point?? He was watching a rerun of Murder, She Wrote.
It would have been too easy.
Plus, you know, I wasn’t interested in getting fired.
I’m not gonna lie…there was a part of me that was downright irritated. “Tha fuck outta here,” I said to myself. I loved training. I loved lifting heavy things. I was 25. I was bulletproof. I was going to do this till I was 90 years old. What the hell did this guy know?
I’m now 45.
And while I still feel the guy who blurted out that nonsense was and still is a tool, I’d be remiss not to acknowledge that he was kinda-sorta, in the teeniest-tiniest of ways…right.
Come Again Now, Tony?
Now, this is in no way to insinuate that I feel being over 4o is over-the-hill. Sure I have a few aches and pains here and there, but who doesn’t?
I look pretty good too.
Granted, male pattern baldness entered the picture a long time ago, but I still can hold fort with many guys younger than myself.
But I’d be lying if I said I haven’t had to alter my training the older I’ve gotten.
I can chalk 1/3 of that up to maturity.
Another 1/3 to life…(running a business, spending time with family, kitty cuddles).
I still love training, and I still love lifting heavy things, but it doesn’t have the same panache or gravity as it had when I was 25.
Back then it’s all I did. I lifted weights, weighed my food, hung out at bookstores, and watched Alias like a boss. As you can imagine I was a major hit with the ladies.
Now that I’m older, my priorities have changed.
I still train 4-5 times per week, but my life doesn’t revolve around it. I don’t hyperventilate into a brown paper bag if I happen to miss a training session (for the record: I don’t miss many).
And, Alias reruns are still a thing.
The last 1/3 of the equation, and I say this reluctantly, can be attributed to physiology. Yes, as we get older, our body’s will inevitably remind us that we’re not 25 anymore.
However, rather than succumb to the adage “that’s just how it is, deal with it,” I’d like to offer some insight on how guys my age can (and probably should) tweak their training to help set themselves up for long-term success.
1. Train Like a Powerlifter & Bodybuilder
I’m a strength coach and meathead through and through, so of course I’m a little biased when it comes to the “Big 3.”
If you want to get bigger and stronger it behooves mostly everyone to cast a spotlight on the squat, bench press, and deadlift. This is not to say other exercises don’t enter the discussion, but those three tend to be the big players when it comes to building an impressive physique that performs well.
An easy equation I like to use for old(er) guys is:
“Train the “big 3” like a powerlifter, then satiate your inner bodybuilder.”
What I mean by this – and this is just a suggestion, nothing set in stone – is that every training session should start with one of the “big 3” and you’d work up to a few heavy sets of three or sets of five.2
Once you do that: you’d drop the weight (10-20%) and perform 1-2 sets of AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible). Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 is a great example of this protocol.
Another option I like is using the EDM (Estimated Daily Max) protocol. The advantage of this approach is that it takes into account daily/weekly fluctuations in one’s readiness to train.
In other words: Some days you feel like the Rock and want to get after it hard in the gym. Other days you feel like you’ve been hit by a rock and just don’t have the juice.
Using EDM sets just means you work up to a “daily max” (usually 3-5 reps) FOR THAT DAY. It’s not a true max effort.
It’ll look something like this:
Back Squat
A. EDM of 5: Take as many sets as you need in order to hit a challenging set of 5 (where you have 1-rep left in the tank).
Once you hit that number, stay there, and then perform an additional 2-4 sets of THREE reps. This will allow you to get some more volume in with an appreciable weight, but you should still be able to perform them reasonably fast and with impeccable technique.
After that, all your accessory/assistance work will be high(er) rep in nature. For me accessory work should have a purpose.
Namely it helps address a weakness or technique flaw in one of the “big 3.” So for example, if you tend to be slow off the chest with your bench press a great accessory movement would be the Spoto Press.
High-reps reduces the loading, which results in less wear and tear on the joints. And you still get the pump.
In reality, though, the benefit is that training in both fashions provides more of an undulated approach where sets/reps/loading is constantly altered.
In essence: you get the best of both worlds.
2. Hire a Coach.
This was a game changer for me personally. Part of the reason why I hired my own coach was because I was sick of doing my own thinking. I write hundreds (if not thousands) or programs each year, and by the time it’s time to write my own program…I’d rather swallow a live grenade.
My brain is mush and I don’t want to deal with it.
Having my own coach takes the guess work out. I tell them my goals and they write me monthly programming to help me get there.
It’s fantastic. Coaches need coaches too.
3. Live a Little
Remember that part above where I mentioned how I used to weigh all my food? Looking back, it sucked.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I understand there’s a time and place for it. I’ll often recommend it to people just so they have a better appreciation for just how much food they’re actually eating.
Too, I understand that competitive aesthetic athletes or fitness models may need to be a little more meticulous with keeping tabs of what they put into their body.
Where I believe it becomes a problem is when this action starts to have an effect on people’s relationship with food and/or has a negative effect on their day-to-day routines.
I like to follow the lead of my good friend, Bryan Krahn, who, outside of the times when he’s purposely trying to get shredded (at 40+), doesn’t sweat the technique when he has a few slices of pizza and beers one night or heads out for some extra dessert.
He trains like a beast, so who cares if he wants to have some homemade apple crumb!?
The key is that he’s back on task the following day. A one-day “excursion” is exactly that…one day.
It’s like what Dan John has to say on the topic:
Recently, a woman told me her friends can’t make a mistake.
What? Well, what she told me was this: Since they were attacking fat loss with aerobic work and strict dieting, they didn’t have any wiggle room. The woman, who holds herself nearly year-round at a very impressive 19% bodyfat, told me she enjoys desserts, cocktails, BBQs and fine food. But, and this is a big but, she can also do 10 pullups. She is very strong in the weightroom. In other words, her glass is so big, she can afford to cheat a little here and there.
That made no sense to me. Then I watched her train and thought about some other women I work with. When she presses an impressive kettlebell overhead (half her bodyweight with one hand!), her entire system has to gather up resources, and then adapt and recover from the effort. When little Edna at my gym thinks the five-pound dumbbell is heavy, she isn’t going to tax her body very hard.
Edna can’t eat cake.
4. Caloric Intake Should Match Activity Level
I’ve been at this long enough to know what I need to do – nutritionally speaking – to lose some fat or gain some weight if I choose to do so. I know what foods I need to eat and which ones I tend to “handle” well.
On days I train – especially on lower body days – I tend to push my calories a little higher.
On days I don’t train, I don’t push the envelope as much.
One Caveat: We tend to forget that even I days we don’t train our body still needs calories to promote recovery. I feel many make things way too complicated than they have to be by following some sort of periodized Lunar Intermittent Fasting protocol on non-training days and Carb-Back Loading on training days, and then, every other month, Paleo.
Stop making things so complicated. It’s a fucking apple. Eat it.
Admittedly, this “rule” could be applied to anyone at any age. But I find that as we get older and we’re a little less active and little less spontaneous, and “things” tend to slow down, it provides a ton of merit.
5. Hey, Guess What? You’re Not a Spartan Warrior (or a Navy SEAL)
Stop purchasing and following programs that cater to this bullshit.
With my gym expansion here in Boston now back on the “to do” list, this guest post from New England based personal trainer and educator, Casey Lee, couldn’t have come at a better time.
I’ve always felt that one of the things many gym owners fail to prioritize is the client experience.
In short: From the minute a client walks into the facility to the point where (s)he leaves, what is happening?
Where do they place their belongings?
Where do they warm-up?
Does the layout of the facility make sense? Is it designed for 1v1 or semi-private or group sessions?
Where do the Jean Claude Van Damme posters go?
All of these are important, pertinent questions that are sewn into the client experience and play an integral role in the success of any facility.
If you polled ten strangers on the street and asked them what personal trainers did for a living, what do you think the breakdown of their answers would be?
Workout? Probably a solid 33%
Count reps? Cue eye roll. That probably gets a vote.
Eat out of tupperware? You know the real ones would say this.
Seriously though, whenever I would attempt a bite to eat between clients, the second I cracked the lid, like clockwork, my client would open the door.
The perfect X-mas present for any trainer in your family
Ultimately the biggest answer, I think, would be that we write workouts for people.
I like to call it ‘fitness prescriptions’, because, well, that’s what we’re doing.
We prescribe sets, reps, tempo’s, which you implement to use for your bicep curls, and of course, the occasional tupperware recommendation for our protege’s of strength that are trying to eat their gains on the go.
But Coach, I have a novel concept for you to include in your prescription.
Yes, I used the word novel. This is a big flippin’ deal!
Okay, maybe not novel, but it is truly important and I think has been ignored & overlooked alongside the many advancements of fitness programming.
Facility Logistics
Facility logistics can be a pretty big list. How many squat racks on the training floor? What increments do the dumbbells increase by? Ranging all the way to client-facility logistics like the time of day you train and how busy it is. For my brothers and sisters who train at a commercial gym, you’ll appreciate this one…
…is there going to be a small group or group exercise class going on that will boot you from the area needed to train. Anyone who’s been privy to being ousted from their power rack because of a looming “Tank Top Triceps” class I’m sure can commiserate as follows:
In 12 years of coaching out of a commercial health club, I can recall countless times that clients would receive their exercise prescription, full of thoughtful movement variations and calculated training volume, only to have a group exercise class bump them from a training spot on the floor or have some gaggle of high school kids monopolize 2 of the 4 squat racks.
I can visualize the email right now. I’ve seen it dozens of times.
“Hey Coach, went to the gym last night for my workout and couldn’t get any of the equipment. Ran for 45 minutes and went home.”
Sweet.
I think there is a case to be made that facility logistics, not exercise selection, sets, reps, tempo, or any of that jazz, is the most important programming variable that we need to consider. Specifically the facility that your client will be using when they are not training with you (boutique and aspiring online coaches take note).
So consider it we must!
And here’s how…
During the client onboarding, consider these questions:
1. When you’re not training in our private sessions, where do you envision your other workouts taking place?
(At said place) what time of day do you think you’ll be training?
*If the answer is at a commercial-style or big box gym, follow up with something like this…
2. Do they have equipment you feel comfortable using? Could you send me pictures of what the gym’s set up looks like?
Have you ever had a client tell you that they don’t want to use dumbbells because “that area of the gym is full of scary meatheads?”
Knowing your clients comfort level in their own gym should never be taken for granted.
3. Is the training space tied in with any kind of small group or large group exercise style class?
(Pro tip- Trainers, want to make your new client feel comfortable and let them know you’re invested in their success? Call their gym and secret shop the facility. Ask these questions as if you are a prospective member).
If someone is training at home, because there are a special set of facility logistics…consider asking the following
4. When you work out at home, what are a couple possible interruptions that could occur?
This is basically asking if a toddler is going to come storming in and demand that you stop what you’re doing and color.
5. Do you have any questions on the equipment you have at your house?
The answer may surprise you. Never assume.
6. Do you have the ability to preheat the area if needed?
January garage gyms in the northeast. Frostbite galore!
Summary
Though these questions may seem routine to us, to a client they are simply part of your process. A process that not only takes into consideration the client’s feelings towards their training facility, but will also help you write a program prescription that your client will actually be able to do with confidence and consistency.
Last I checked, those two things help clients achieve their goals 154% of the time.
That’s a proven percentage. Trust me. I graduated from Gentilcore University with a degree in AT-AT engineering. It’s a real thing, look it up.
Coaches, the biggest take away here is that before you sit down to look at movement screens, calculate training volume, map out a periodized training block, take into consideration the facility logistics of your clients training space. Put yourself in their shoes, program for their confidence and consistency, and the rest will fall into place.
About the Author
Casey Lee is the Director of Coaching and Education for the Parisi Speed School and also has an online personal training business called Purposeful Strength.
Both positions intersect at writing successful training programs for over 100 Parisi Speed School affiliates as well as a diverse private client population. What both have in common is that every client and their respective gym is unique in their own way and accounting for facility logistics as the first programming variable has led to better client success and business retention, and that’s pretty cool.
I’m excited to announce that I will be part of the Raise the Bar Conference. An event focused on the missing links in our industry: Communication, collaboration, connection, behavioral psychology, business & marketing skills, and much more.
It’s true: How many times have you come across someone who, upon being asked what they’d really love to improve on, they came right out and said, “you know what, I could use some more coordination. That’s what I’m missing in my life. Who needs pecs?”
In all seriousness, Shane does a great job breaking down what coordination is and WHY you need more of it in your training repertoire.
Ab wheel rollouts are a common choice for those looking to work their (anterior) core muscles. The main objective of the exercise of course is to make you hate life resist too much extension of the lower back.
In short: It can be considered a (mostly) anti-extension exercise.
Today I wanted to quickly share two different variations:
One entry level (that pretty much anyone can perform, and serves as a nice starting point for most).
One John Wick level (that pretty much only world class assassins can pull off).
I’d be remiss not to at least go into some detail on proper set-up and technique of a standard ab wheel rollout. There’s no since in re-inventing the wheel (👈 ha, I love puns) here, because I actually posted about this on my IG feed not too long ago:
That said, performing a rollout on the floor can still be a rather aggressive choice for many people to start off with. Most lack the requisite strength/stability to get remotely close to the floor which can be deflating. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather try my best to demonstrate as much success as possible to a new client rather than make him/her feel like something is too challenging or out of reach.
Or, worse case: Painful.
To that point, I came up with the following regression that I feel works really well:
Incline Rollout
These are a great entry point for people just starting out with rollouts as the inclination helps to keep them from “falling” into their lower back excessively.
For those of you looking for something a bit more challenging I offer this:
Anchored Rollouts
Giving credit where it’s due: I originally got this one from strength coach Mike Volkmar and upon seeing it for the first time was like 1) this is awesome and 2) I’m an asshat for never thinking of this myself.
As he points out, anchoring the ankles against the band activates the hamstrings, turning off the hip flexors.
As a result, climate change is resolved!
YAY. WE DID IT EVERYONE. Congrats.
(In all seriousness, give these two variations a try and let me know what you think).
Endurance athletes tend to be grandfathered into this train of thought that strength training should be avoided like an invite to a Squid Game and that it will slow them down.
Weightlifting is critical for runners who want to get the most out of their training. While it’s easy to skimp on weights in favor of running more miles, weight training for runners has so many benefits:
Increased speed and power
Greater running economy that helps improve endurance
The ability to handle a greater workload (i.e., you can run more!)
Improved injury resistance
I was recently re-invited onto the Strength Running Podcast hosted by Jason Fitzgerald and he was kind enough to parse out a 40-minute snippet from our close to two-hour conversation that we recorded for his private High Performance Lifting Program group on his site.
We covered myriad of topics:
How do runners find a great strength coach or gym? What are the top 1-3 things to look for?
Should weightlifting routines be modified for older runners?
If an athlete wants to avoid any Olympic lifts but still wants to develop power and explosivity, are there alternative exercises that would be helpful?
How can runners tell if they are over or under training with regard to strength?
