Categoriescoaching personal training

Top 3 Lessons I’ve Learned From My Clients

Man, I’ve got a treat for everyone today. Charles Staley, mentor, strength and conditioning connoisseur, and titan in this industry, reached out recently and asked if he could write a little sumthin, sumthin for the site.

Is water wet?

Is grass green?

Is Aragorn, also known as Strider, and son of Arathorn II, the High King of Gondor and Arnor?

Um, yeah.

Enjoy my friends. This is good.

Copyright: venezolana74 / 123RF Stock Photo

3 Lessons I’ve Learned From My Clients

It’s probably just natural to assume that in a teacher/student relationship, the transfer of knowledge only travels in a single direction. Over the years however, I’ve found that this assumption is far from the truth. In fact, there’s even a well-known saying that you may have heard:

“When one teaches, two learn.”

In fact, if I’m being honest, the primary reason I became a coach in the first place was to learn more about the subjects I intended to coach. I’ve often remarked that you might be confident in your knowledge of a topic, but only when you attempt to teach this topic successfully do you discover the gaps in your understanding.

In fact, Cal Newport, the best selling author of the highly acclaimed book Deep Work, passionately advocates a studying technique that he claims will dramatically reduce the time it takes to learn a subject — it’s called Active Recall.

 

This method is disarmingly simple, yet it requires a very high level of discipline.

Very simply, you first read the materials you’re attempting to learn, and then (this is where the rubber hits the road) you stand up in front of an imaginary classroom and teach what you just learned (or more often than not, what you thought you just learned).

Very quickly, you’ll be painfully aware of the gaps in your understanding. So, back to the books, then deliver another lecture to your imaginary students, rinse and repeat until you’ve got it down cold.

In a very real sense, the methods and philosophy I currently impart to my clients is almost entirely built upon the backs of my previous clients: these are the people who, through their successes and failures, not to mention their often challenging questions, are largely responsible for what I know today.

So with those thoughts as an introductory backdrop, here the top 3 lessons I’ve learned from my clients over the years:

Lesson # One: The Clients Who Communicate With Me The Most, End Up Doing The Best

It’s very common for my clients to apologize when they think they’re asking too many questions, but what they probably don’t appreciate is that I’m actually relieved when clients ask lots of questions, because that demonstrates that they are highly invested in what they’re learning.

Translation: long-term, happy client.

Translation #2: Happy coach.

By contrast, the worst thing I can hear from a new client is along the lines of “Please just tell me what to do.” Words to this effect send a strong signal that my client need a high level of external reinforcement, which leads me to…

Lesson # Two: I’m Not Everyone’s Cup Of Tea (And That’s OK With Me)

Now don’t miss my point — there’s nothing “wrong” with just wanting to be told what to do. If I were to hire someone to help me with something I found particularly challenging, I’d probably do the same thing.

Of course, whenever you need significant external support from a teacher or coach, your chances of long-term success are reduced. Thankfully however, there are some very good coaches who are remarkably successful with clients like this — I’m just not one of them.

And that’s OK — a cardinal rule of marketing is to avoid trying to be all things to all people.

Identify and constantly reinforce your specific strengths, and then restrict your marketing efforts to that narrow slice of the population who can benefit most from what those strengths happen to be. My primary market is highly-motivated (although not necessarily advanced) “over-40” men and women (And, for reasons that continue to elude me, for some reason, nearly all of my local clients are women, and nearly all my online clients are men. Seriously, I have no idea why).

It’s very common for new coaches and trainers to feel they don’t know enough to train other people, and while that may be true, I’ve been studying my craft for over 30 years, and in complete honesty, I have never had more questions than I have today.

Sure, I’m very good at a small handful of things, but I’m also completely incompetent in a much, much larger number of subjects and topics. The key to managing your competencies and shortcomings is to 1) know the difference between the two, and 2) stay within your wheelhouse when working with your clients. When issues arise that you’re not qualified to deal with, refer them out to other pros who are.

Both client and colleague will respect you for this.

Lesson # Three: It’s OK To Be Weird

In case you haven’t noticed, the fitness marketplace is a very crowded place. If you’re just like everyone else, well, you kinda get lost in the sauce, don’t you?

Lots of coaches have insecurities about the various idiosyncrasies and/or perceived inadequacies that they may have, but to them I say, embrace and even promote whatever makes you stand out.

In my own case, I don’t know if I’m weird exactly, but compared to most trainers, I probably stand out in a couple of different ways:

  • I’m older than most trainers (58 to be exact). Yes, the average age of the American population is slowly increasing, but fitness coaching is still a young person’s game by and large.

 

  • I’m not especially well-built. Don’t get me wrong — my physique probably puts me in the top 1% of guys my age. But, compared to some of the guys I respect and look up to, I’m nothing special at all.

  • The previous two points actually work in my favor as it turns out, and here’s why: Although I’m of retirement age and “skinny” (6’2” and currently 190 pounds), I’m actually pretty strong. And (I almost forgot to include this point) I’m not all busted up like a lot of my older lifting buddies. In recent months, I’ve deadlifted 465 for 3 reps, done 8 pull-ups with 25 pounds strapped to my waist, and I’ve benched a pair of 90-pound dumbbells for 10 reps. And, I have no pain at all, ever. Nothing hurts. Now what’s interesting about all this is that, as much as I’d love to be a conspicuously muscular 240 pounds, I’ve found that many of my current male clients hired me specifically because they know they can’t be, or don’t want to be big muscular dudes. But, they DO want to be strong and athletic. And those guys my age who are bigger and stronger than me? I’m not their cup of tea obviously, and that’s perfectly understandable.

 

  • Finally, although I assure you that I’m not terribly smart, I do seem to attract an intelligent breed of client. This is no doubt due to all the writing I’ve done over the years, or it may also be because I probably resemble a university professor more than a bodybuilder. Or (and I’d like to think this is closest to the truth), through my writing and coaching, it’s clear that I’ve thought a LOT about what I teach. And it’s also abundantly clear that I walk my talk. I’ve been living and breathing this stuff for over 3 decades now, and I’d like to think it comes across to prospective clients.

 

  • I don’t really give a shit what other coaches do or don’t do. Now just to clarify, there are MANY coaches who I deeply respect and who I seek to learn from whenever I get the chance. What I mean here is that I am confident in my approach and what teach, and it doesn’t sway me one bit that my methods are different than many of my colleagues.  I don’t have clients do direct arm, calf, or ab work when they train with me — most trainers do. I don’t use “functional training,” whatever that is. I don’t use stabilization exercises. I don’t like forced reps, and I don’t text with my buddies or perv on nearby women as I’ve seen many, many trainers do. Again, I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.

Bottom line: You might view some of your unique characteristics as shortcomings, when in truth they may actually be strengths. Be yourself and embrace whatever makes you “weird,” because that’s what will help you stand out to all the folks who actually appreciate your weirdness.

Coaching Is A Privilege That I’m Deeply Grateful For

One sad aspect of my professional community that I sometimes notice is an unsettling tendency for some trainers to view their less-fit clients as somehow inferior, simply because they might be carrying a few extra pounds, or because they don’t know how to lift.

As if fitness is the only thing that matters in life.

News flash: You can (and many people do) live a perfectly long, healthy, and satisfying life without EVER exercising or counting carbs — crazy right? Imagine — some people actually focus their energy on their careers, or their family, or other hobbies. The idea of a perfectly balanced life sounds good in theory, but it’s terribly difficult to pull off in reality.

So to my trainer friends, please remember that your clients have lots of skills and talents (and challenges for that matter) that you probably don’t even know about. And to my client friends, thank you for all you teach us during our time together in the gym. We can’t do what we do without you.

About the Author

Charles Staley is known as an iconoclast and a leading influencer in the fitness arena. His reputation and self-effacing style have lead to appearances on NBC’s The TODAY Show and The CBS Early Show, along with numerous radio and podcast appearances. He has authored more than 1000 articles for leading fitness publications and websites, and has lectured to eager audiences around the World.

 Charles is not only a thinker, but also a doer: At age 58, he competes in the sport of raw powerlifting, and is a 3-time World Champion (220 and 198-pound weight classes). His popular online coaching program (Staley Strategies) allows people to train under his expert guidance, regardless of where they live.

 Find Charles online HERE.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 12/8/17

T-minus one week until The Last Jedi comes out. Wanna know what’s ironic? I’m not seeing it next weekend.

Bull to the shit, right?

It’s a chorus of a few things coming into play: waiting too long to attempt to get tix, having to play catch-up on a few things, and, you know, life.1

So, enjoy my fellow nerds. I hate you. NO SPOILERS.

Lets get to this week’s list.

Copyright: epokrovsky / 123RF Stock Photo

But First

1. Coaching Competency Workshop – Dallas, TX

I’ll be in Dallas, TX later this month to put on my Coaching Competency Workshop.

I’ll break down assessment in addition to troubleshooting common strength-based exercises such as deadlifts, squats, shoulder-friendly pressing, to name a few.

This is ideal for any personal trainer, coach, or regular ol’ Joe or Jane looking to learn more on my coaching process.

Details are located on the flyer above, and you can purchase HERE.

Stuff To Read

L2 Fitness Summit – Dean Somerset & Dr. Mike Israetel

 

Dean Somerset and Dr. Mike Israetel released a killer resource this week. In a nutshell they filmed a workshop they did together earlier this year. It’s 11 hours and it’ll melt your face.

Dean takes half the time and breaks down assessment, and then Mike takes over and spends the other half talking about how to get people swole.

Smart-n-swole.

It’s on sale right now for $50 off the regular price (however, it only lasts until 12/10).

The Dark Side of Fitness – T-Nation Compilation

I’d make the argument that this compilation article that was featured on T-Nation earlier this week – featuring myself, Chris Shugart, TC Luoma, Paul Carter, Tom Morrison, Mark Dugdale, and Akash Vaghela – may be the best and most important one to date.

6 Months Ago I Had to Learn to Walk Again. Here’s What I Discovered – Lee Boyce

My man Lee Boyce, a friend and colleague, ruptured both his knee tendons playing in a pick-up game of basketball earlier this year.

Ruptured….both….knee….tendons.

I.e., He couldn’t fucking walk.

Not only did he basically keep the entire ordeal to himself – he purposely didn’t tell many people about it2 – but he made mental notes along the way to write this amazing piece.

His resiliency astounds me.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

CategoriesFemale Training psychology Writing

Sex In the Industry: Why Men Need to Lean In and Listen

Today’s post is a teachable moment. At least I hope it will be. It covers an uncomfortable albeit important topic and something that, up until this past weekend, I thought I’d never get called out for.

And that is….

The sexualization of women in the fitness industry.

Copyright: takoburito / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Last weekend I presented at the NSCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference just outside of Philadelphia, PA.

It was a splendid event.

A record breaking event in fact, with well over 500+ attendees, making it the most highly attended NSCA event in the organization’s history outside of a national conference.

I was asked to present on both days of the conference, choosing to do the following 50 minute presentations:

  • The Deadlift (breaking down my preferred hip hinge progressions and general coaching concepts as it relates to the deadlift, and how to go about choosing the right variations for people).
  • The Shoulder: From Assessment to Badass (the main theme here was how to improve overhead mobility).3

I arrived back in Boston early Sunday morning feeling great about the weekend and pretty good about my performance overall.

While I could nitpick a few things I would have said or done differently, all in all, I felt I did a good job and was able get my message across. And the feedback I received from people at the conference was phenomenal.

Later that same day, however, while sitting at home, I received the following email from a female attendee, Amy:

“Hi Tony –

I just returned from the NSCA conference in PA. this weekend, where I was fortunate to hear you speak on both the deadlift and the super-exciting shoulder. I had the opportunity to meet your fabulous wife a couple of years ago when she presented the ‘I Am Not Afraid to Lift’ workshop with Artemis Scantalides in Severna Park, MD.

I follow you on the interwebs and really admire both the quality of the information you provide, as well as the generosity you show toward the coaches and trainers who are trying to get to where you are. I have to tell you, though, that I was thoroughly disappointed during your deadlift presentation when you chose to use a gratuitous and offensive ass-shot of a woman doing a cable pull-through.

None of your other slides featured women and you made some lame joke about Googling ‘cable pull through’ and that was the first hit that came up. It’s 2017.

I (and I know several other women in your audience shared my opinion) am fairly tired of attending strength seminars and workshops and being repeatedly confronted by presentations that (a) don’t attempt to equally represent women as examples/study participants/research subjects (b) objectify/sexualize women and (c) actually demean women in a public forum of fitness professionals.

I guess I was mostly surprised because I think you generally do a great job of supporting the strong women in your life. That slide and your presentation of it came across as exceedingly tone-deaf and I hope you will consider replacing it for future presentations on the deadlift. You have great information to share and you’re a talented and charismatic speaker. It’s a shame that you chose to offend a significant percentage of your audience in order to get a laugh.”

Needless to say, the second after I finished reading that I got a pit in my stomach.

I…felt…horrible.

It’s been four days since I received that email and I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I’ve emailed back and forth with the woman who sent the email (to apologize, to thank her for the constructive feedback, and to say this topic deserves discussion), I’ve discussed it with a few of my female clients, and I’ve broken it down at length with my wife, a psychologist.

I’ve purposely spent a few days digesting, un-packaging, and reflecting upon what Amy had to say in her email before I put fingers to keyboard.

So, I guess the best place to start is with the image itself:

In the middle of my presentation, as I was breaking down hip-hinge progressions, this is the image I used as an example of the cable pull-through.

Even though my first inclination was to be defensive – that’s Dani Shugart (the wife of my editor at T-Nation.com, Chris, and amazing writer herself), it was used in an article I wrote for the site titled “Pull-Throughs For Elite Strength,” the picture was taken at an angle, she’s wearing appropriate gym attire, and she’s demonstrating correct hip-hinge technique, that’s why I used it – Amy’s comments and feelings were/are valid.

Here’s why.

I don’t feel it was about the picture per se. It’s fairly neutral in nature.4

However, what wasn’t neutral was my momentary lack of tact and professionalism.

By chuckling when the slide first appeared on screen, making light of the situation with my “Google image” commentary, and making a joke out of it…I can see how it came across as objectifying and demeaning.

I made it a thing by my actions.5

In our subsequent email exchange I clarified with Amy that I DID use another image of a female in my presentation – I included a slide of a woman attempting a heavy sumo deadlift – however, the mere fact I chose to use that picture for that particular slide should come under scrutiny.

More to the point, the bigger theme at play here, I think, is that my commentary colored Amy’s experience. Those 20-30 seconds influenced what she got out of my presentation and what she remembered.

It wasn’t good, and that sucks.

It’s my goal to train women. To empower them. To show them that strength has its roots everywhere (and that the weight room is a wonderful place to harvest it).

In the end this was a teachable moment for me.

The last thing I want to do is sexualize women. It’s not lost on me that what happened in that room, in those 30 seconds, was, in some ways, a microcosm of what’s happening in today’s society.6

I don’t want any woman I work with or speak in front of to feel embarrassed, uncomfortable, objectified, or ashamed.

Ever.

It’s our responsibility, especially as men, to lean in, listen, and be open to change.

Thank you Amy.

CategoriesFemale Training muscle growth

Women and Hypertrophy: Why Should Jill Get Jacked?

I train a lot of women.

In fact, if I broke down my client roster I’d say it’s about a 50/49/1% split (women/men/Centaur7). I live in a little strength & conditioning bubble where the bulk of women I work with don’t blink an eye at the idea of adding muscle to their frame.

In fact, most want that to happen.

Today’s guest post by my boy, Dean Somerset, explains why most women can (and should) want the same thing.

NOTE: Dean and Dr. Mike Israetel released an amazing resource this week, The L2 Fitness Summit Vol 1, which delves deep into assessment and how to get your clients results (specifically, how to get them diesel).

It’s really, really good (and it’s on sale for this week only)

Copyright: annotee / 123RF Stock Photo

Women and Hypertrophy: Why Should Jill Get Jacked?

The vast majority of my clients are female, somewhere around 70% at any given time. The reason these women are training with me varies a lot, either they’re working against some medical disorder, an injury, or other significant problem, or they’re training for some performance goal like running a faster marathon or deadlifting twice their bodyweight.

In most of their goals, the thought of getting bigger muscles often ranks somewhere between stubbing their toe and waxing their eye lashes off.

In some instances it’s a pragmatic element.

If a client has invested a significant amount of money into their wardrobe and suddenly their lats are just too gunny, they’re going to have to spend a lot of money on alterations or worse, go shopping for new clothes.

 

It might come down to spousal support too.

It’s all too common for a female client to say their husband told them they don’t want them to turn into a man, a statement so ridiculous to hear that it’s hard to bite my tongue.

Guys, 3 lbs of muscle on a female will not make them manlier than you. Maybe you should put on a couple pounds of muscle and not worry so much about your girlfriend or wife out lifting you.

In any case, training to gain some muscle (read, some. It’s very hard for anyone to gain a lot, male or female) is very much a good thing for most if not all goals you could have in the gym.

  • Muscle looks better at almost any body fat percentage than not having it.
  • Muscle helps performance goals, like doing a chin up or deadlifting a dump truck
  • Muscle improves cardio performance, making you a faster runner, cyclist, or whatever the rage is these days
  • Muscle demands calories, which means you can justify eating a little more without affecting your body composition
  • Muscle can improve bone density, hormonal function, and sleep quality.
  • Muscle helps yoga pants or your favorite pair of “butt jeans” fit better.
  • Science.

Now, will training for hypertrophy make you bulkier?

Possibly, but there’s a lot of factors that have to go into that.

First, it’s a long process to see notable increases in muscle, and for the purpose of this article we’ll assume a 5% increase in body mass as notable.

So for someone who weighs around 130 lbs, a 5% increase would be around 6.5 lbs.

Male or female, an individual would look notably different with an extra 6.5 lbs of muscle on their build.

If you talk to most competitive physique or figure competitors, a 6.5 lbs gain of muscle can take a very long time of very dedicated workouts, nutrition, and frequency. What would be reasonable would be to see about 3 lbs a year of actual muscle gain in a caloric surplus, so if you’re looking to gain, you’ll likely be dedicated to 4-6 hypertrophy-focused workouts a week for a full 12 month phase while eating enough to support that development.

This isn’t to say it’s impossible to gain more than this in shorter time frames, but just what seems reasonable for a lot of female lifters.

Here’s an example of this process in action with a friend of mine, Kait Cavers. She looks to compete in figure competitions and dedicates a large portion of her training calendar to gaining muscle.

She recently posted a before and after pic of her at the same weight, and you should see how awesome a comparison it is:

To be clear, as she stated in her post, it’s not about one being better than another, or which one would be preferred, but just showing that you can look vastly different at the same body weight with differences in muscle and body fat.

She’s considerably more muscular in the right pic, but her waist and hips are miniscule compared to the left.

Now if you didn’t want to dedicate to this kind of work load, the gains of muscle will be much less, and if you wanted to phase in hypertrophy training for a few months out of the year versus make it your whole focus all the time, you could do different things without worry about packing on some lat muscle or thicker delts.

That’s the great thing about training: you don’t have to do the same thing all the time and can cycle your training calendar throughout the year to focus on different stuff as you see fit. Hypertrophy can fit into the flow, be the entire goal, or just have a sprinkling for flavor on other stuff as you go.

This is a concept used by another friend, Ben Bruno, when he trains a lot of Victoria Secret supermodels. None of them would be judged to be too bulky, but most of their training uses heavier resistance training, hypertrophy protocols, and intense conditioning elements.

Example #1

Big congrats to @barbarafialho1 for crushing it at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Hard work pays off! A lot of women who want to have a body like Barbara steer clear of weights out of fear of bulking up, but I want you to know that 70% of Barbara’s routine is comprised on heavy strength-based circuits consisting of deadlift variations, hip thrusts, sleds, chin-up variations, and core work. The other 30% is a mix of high-intensity interval cardio on the ski erg, endless rope, and Airdyne bike mixed in with some lower-intensity cardio in the form of hiking outside in the sunshine. The analogy I like to use is to think of strength training as the entree and cardio as the side dish. If you’re a woman who is hesitant to strength train, or if you’re a trainer who works with women, I hope Barbara can serve as inspiration to get out there and get STRONG!

A post shared by Ben Bruno (@benbrunotraining) on

Example #2

Example #3

Example #4

Facebook reminded me that it’s been five years since my friend and former client @megangrahamfitness earned third place in the Miss Bikini Universe contest. This was so exciting. We trained very hard for 12 weeks with a program centered around getting STRONG on RDLs, hip thrusts, reverse lunges, inverted rows, sleds, etc. She was also very disciplined with her eating (but didn’t starve herself) and cut way back on drinking alcohol. She completely transformed her body, yet we never once stepped on the scale for the whole 12 weeks, and interestingly, she didn’t lose any weight (may have even gained a few pounds, actually) even though she looked MUCH more slim and toned. And as you can see, she clearly didn’t “bulk up”. After the contest, I wrote a blog post titled “Look Like Barbie, Lift Like Ken” where we showed videos of her crushing 225×10 on hip thrusts, 12 feet elevated inverted rows, and several other impressive feats of strength, and the blog ended up going viral because tons of women shared it amongst themselves, which I think is so cool because it’s such a great message.

A post shared by Ben Bruno (@benbrunotraining) on

Aside from gaining muscle, what other good could training for hypertrophy offer?

If you’re training for a specific goal, such as powerlifting, running, or even weight loss, shifting gears for a phase or two can offer a type of cross training that can help refresh your mind about training, and give your body a break from the stuff you were doing consistently.

An example of this is my own wife. 10 months of the year she puts in a lot of miles on her bike as a competitive road and track cyclist. During the bulk of her in-season, she’s on the bike upwards of 15-20 hours a week with a mix of long duration low intensity rides and max effort sprints.

During the offseason, she wants to jump into some heavier weights, which definitely have their place in her program, but going straight from cycling and minimal weight training into maximal resistance training isn’t that great of an idea, so we involve a phase of 6-8 weeks of hypertrophy training due to the lower relative loads, and easier recovery compared to max lifting.

This helps to prepare her for the heavier stuff, give her body a break from the bike, and still look to gain a small amount of muscle after a hard in-season, which will help her performance on the bike next year, but also prepare her for the heavier weights of the off season.

Another example was a recreational skier who tore her ACL and needed surgery to fix the injury. During the pre-op phase, we involved work to keep some muscle mass through the quad with lighter loading and moderate volume, and following the surgery her workouts progressed from next to no loading, through to loading to technique failure, and then on to muscular failure through drop sets or extended set options.

A major goal of ACL rehab is to regain quad volume, so we went after it, using the progressive range of motion her knee was re-establishing, and as her strength development allowed.

She’s back on the ski hill now and having a great time 6 months after her surgery.

Gaining muscle can be a very challenging goal, especially if someone is already somewhat well established in their training and have been at it for a while. Because of the requirements to see notable increases in muscle, women shouldn’t fear training for hypertrophy, but should involve it in their programming on a regular or even occasional basis to help augment their goals, what ever those may be.

Having some extra muscle is often a major benefit under any goal set, including fetching water from up the hill.

Maybe if Jill lifted a bit more, she wouldn’t have come tumbling down after Jack, but would have farmer carried that shit all the way back home with Jack on her shoulders, straight up Medal of Honour style, so he could get some medical attention to fix that broken crown.

She could use that water to make some tea to sip while thinking if only Jack had trained he wouldn’t have fallen from such a simple task, but that’s none of Jill’s business.

Special Limited Time Offer

Dean Somerset and Dr. Mike Israetel filmed 11 hours of amazing content at the recent L2 Fitness Summit and it’s nuts.

Half of it is Dean breaking down assessments and the other half is Dr. Mike talking about getting people jacked and swole.

 

It’s on sale THIS WEEK ONLY (12/5-12/10) at a heavily discounted price of $50 off the regular price. As if the content and quality of presenters isn’t enough to entice you: If you’re still seeking CEUs to finish off your certification requirements this bad-boy offers 1.2 CEUs via the NSCA.

Holla.

—> Get Jacked and Swole and Stuff <—

Categoriespersonal training psychology

Why Is It So Hard To Be Healthy?

Being or not being healthy, by and large, is rarely an information problem. Most people know regular physical activity is good for their health, as is not crushing an entire bag of Doritos right before bed.

Why, then, are so many of us struggling with attaining a “healthy” lifestyle?

Simple (but not really): Lack of behavioral interventions.

In today’s guest post strength coach and PhD to be, Justin Kompf, discusses the dilemma.

Copyright: paulgrecaud / 123RF Stock Photo

Why Is It So Hard To Be Healthy?

Four facts keep me thinking on a consistent basis.

  • The majority of us are overweight or obese
  • The majority of people who lose weight will gain it back
  • The majority of us are getting insufficient amounts of exercise; and
  • The majority of people who start an exercise program will quit within six months

Physical inactivity contributes to 9% of premature deaths.

Maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising regularly are two of four health behaviors (the other two being not drinking your face off and not smoking) that can extend a person’s life by over a decade.8

Mathematically, the odds of a person doing two behaviors is lower than doing one behavior, and the percent should keep getting smaller as more behaviors are added on.

Still, the number is staggeringly low.

Only 4.8% of us do all of these health behaviors. Stated otherwise, 95.2% of people either have a poor diet, are insufficiently active, drink too much, smoke, or do some combination of the four behaviors.

Why Don’t People Do These Health Behaviors?

I was recently at an interview for a new training job and my interviewee asked me why I train people.

It’s because we sell time. We can give people additional high qualities years on their life so that they can continue doing what they love to do.

The question of why; as in, “why don’t people do these healthy behaviors” sits around in my mind a lot. The question of adherence also hangs out up there.

The environment exerts such a strong influence on us that it makes it challenging to be healthy. I would also say that most people lack an appropriate plan and a strong enough form of behavioral regulation.

Environmental Influence

We live in an ‘obesogenic environment’.

The term “obesogenic environment” refers to an environment that promotes gaining weight and one that is not conducive to weight loss. This environment helps, or contributes to, obesity.

So, quite literally when we try to lose weight or exercise there is a fight against the environment.

Imagine going to work, trying to get a project done but Jim the cubicle invader keeps barging into your office to talk about his weekly Tinder dates. Then, because he thinks it’s funny, he flips your desk too.

That’s what weight loss is like in our environment, keeping focus despite distractions and going back to work despite setbacks.

What to do Then?

Full disclosure, I don’t have all the answers. Everyone is different so a one size fits all answer would be a disservice. All I have is experience and a decent understanding of behavioral research.

So, what to do?

In my opinion, the best thing a person can do no matter what is to simply start.

That being said, as people start, there are things I would encourage them to do in regards to their behavioral regulation.

Whenever someone sets a goal, they have a motive.

For example, “I want to lose 20 pounds” or “I want to gain 10 pounds of muscle” are both motives. They are a person’s WHAT and are a part of a person’s goals.

WHAT’s also have WHY’s.

A person’s WHY is their form of behavioral regulation.

People can be extrinsically motivated or they can be intrinsically motived.

Intrinsic motivation refers to doing an activity out of sheer enjoyment. But, let’s face it most people won’t always run, lift or eat broccoli for sheer enjoyment.

Within extrinsic motivation are four different categories. They are (see chart above and below) external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and integrated regulation.

Regulation type Description Example
External regulation Achieve an external reward or avoid punishment

Compliance with demands from others

 Exercising because of doctor’s orders
Introjected regulation Avoiding shame, enhancing ego or pride Exercising to avoid feeling guilty
Identified regulation Acceptance of the value of the behavior Exercising because it is important to do so
Integrated regulation Behavior is congruent with a person’s values and needs Exercising because the outcome is valuable

Being fit is part of one’s identity

Behavior Change is Like Battle

Recall, the obesogenic environment is programmed to make us fat. In order to overcome it there must be a ‘fight’ against it.

Most behavioral theories discuss a motivational phase and a planning phase.

Motivational phases are the precursor for a planning phase. A person has to have some form of motivation (i.e. not be amotivated) to make a plan.

However, it certainly helps in the planning phase to have a strong form of behavioral regulation (why you are motivated to do a behavior).

Here’s how I think about it; when a person goes to battle they have their own strengths as well as a weapon of choice.

Thor doesn’t go into battle without his hammer (RIP Mjolnir), Luke Skywalker doesn’t leave his light saber at home, and the Punisher (watch this series9) is always packing.

These heroes also have their plan.

The Punisher doesn’t just go in guns blazing, he’s tactical. Luke Skywalker blows up the death star with a good plan (Thanks Rogue One) but gets his hand cut off when he takes on a challenge that is too big for him.

Think of motivational regulation as a person’s strength and think of the plan of attack as the strategy for success.

The more powerful your weapon (or the weaker the adversary), the less necessary a specific plan becomes.

If a person loves weight lifting (intrinsic motivation), they wouldn’t really need instructions to make a specific plan because nothing can stop them. Odds are they would make plans with no help.

In geek language, Superman wouldn’t need a plan to beat a common criminal. His strength is sufficient to just get the job done.

Strength and Plans

Any form of motivational regulation is enough to get a person started. However, there are some forms that are more likely to keep a person going.

If motivational regulation is closer to the extrinsic side, the challenge shouldn’t be made too hard. Barriers are likely to derail people like this.

To me, having external regulation to fight the obesogenic environment would be like Luke Skywalker going to fight Darth Vader with a rubber chicken.

He’s going to need a damn good plan to win, and even then, it’s likely that he will get his other hand chopped off.

Regulation type Description Metaphor
External regulation Achieve an external reward or avoid punishment

Compliance with demands from others

 Rubber chicken
Introjected regulation Avoiding shame, enhancing ego or pride sling shot
Identified regulation Acceptance of the value of the behavior One of those laser guns Chewbacca has
Integrated regulation Behavior is congruent with a person’s values and needs The force and a lightsaber

On the other hand, if a person wants to achieve a goal because the behavior is congruent with their life values (i.e. to be a better parent) that’s the same as going into a fight with the full use of the force and a lightsaber.

You still need a plan, but you’re better equipped to win.

Planning Phases

Planning phases dictate specifically when, where and how a behavior is going to occur.

For example, if someone decides that eating more vegetables will be beneficial to their health, they should plan exactly when and where they are going to eat vegetables.

These plans are called implementation intentions. They link situational cues to desired behaviors.

If a person wants to eat more vegetables they might say “when it is my lunch break I will have the bag full of baby carrots I brought to work”

I propose that a stronger motivational foundation when paired with specific planning will contribute to more favorable outcomes.

Motivational foundation Planning phase Predicted behavioral outcome
External regulation

 

 Weak
Introjected regulation Implementation intention formation Moderate
Identified regulation

 

 Strong
Integrated regulation Very strong

What to Do?

With a weak foundation (i.e. external or introjected) plans are more necessary but still likely not as effective as if they were based on a strong foundation (i.e. identified or integrated).

There are many reasons why people fail but I consider behavioral regulation to be an especially important one.

Changing motivational foundations is challenging. A weight loss goal is great. However, as people go through the process they should try to find activities that they love doing. For example, they could do the following:

  • Try a variety of exercises and see which one makes you feel great, ones you love
  • Set a small goal: (1) do 1 pull up (2) do one perfect push-up (3) run a 5k (4) learn how to master a squat or a deadlift
  • Learn to make new foods that taste good and are also healthy
  • Try connecting your goal to a different value. Sure, losing weight will make you look better but it will also make you healthier which means you will have better quality time to do the things you love doing. Try making the link between your goal and life values.

Reference

Ford, E.S., Zhao, G.Z., Tsai, J., Chaoyang, L. (2011). Low-risk lifestyle behaviors and all-cause mortality: Findings from the national health and nutrition examination survey III mortality study. American Journal of Public Health 101(1): 1922-1929.

Author’s Bio

Justin is a PhD student in the exercise and health sciences department at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. He is a certified personal trainer and certified strength and conditioning specialist. Justin blogs at Justinmkompf.com.

You can follow Justin on Facebook HERE.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 12/1/17

I’m sitting here in my hotel room as I type this, in my comfy bed, enjoying SportCenter, and getting mentally prepared for this weekend’s NSCA Mid-Atlantic Conference I’m speaking at.

I’ve got two presentations prepared and there always seems to be some tweaking and fine-tuning involved up until it’s “go” time:

  • Shuffling slides.
  • Changing titles.
  • Shirt or no shirt?

You know, stuff like that.

So while I hunker down and do all of that, why don’t you enjoy this week’s list of stuff to read.

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

 

But First

1. Coaching Competency Workshop – Dallas, TX

I’ll be in Dallas, TX later this month to put on my Coaching Competency Workshop. I’ll break down assessment in addition to troubleshooting common strength-based exercises such as deadlifts, squats, shoulder-friendly pressing.

This is ideal for any personal trainer, coach, or regular ol’ Joe or Jane looking to learn more on my coaching process.

Details above, but you can purchase HERE.

2) The Right Way to Fail a Squat

Failing or missing a lift is rarely ideal.

However, it’s always best to be prepared for when the shit hits the fan.

Read THIS article I wrote for Men’s Health on how to fail a squat properly.

3) Ben Bruno’s Stache

 

This was a great video by Ben Bruno detailing two tricks on how to improve grip on the deadlift. But more importantly, kudos to his epic mustache.

Stuff To Read

All Pain, No Gain: Why the High-Intensity Training Obsession Has Failed Us All – Joel Jamieson

Mostly, in part, to the rise in popularity of things like CrossFit, Tabata Training, and bootcamps…by and large people are training harder than ever before.

Putting oneself through brutal or intense workouts is the metric many now use to gauge its effectiveness.

Joel sounds off on why we may have gotten it all wrong.

Getting Started In Strength Training Later In Life – Brandon Morrison

Is the secret to a youthful look and vibrance eating organic, gluten free sawdust chips and/or daily kale enemas?

Nope.

It’s the the lifting lifestyle: regular strength training, and the decent diet that comes with it.

Better Than Regular Squats – Charles Staley

The case for touch-n-go box squats. Thanks for writing this Charles.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

This is amazing. Stole this from @jonherting

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

Categoriespodcast

I Did a Podcast With Lee Boyce

I’ve been woefully vacant with writing content of late, and I am so sorry.

Life. Is. Busy.

As I type these words I’m sitting in Logan Airport waiting for my flight to Philly where I’ll be speaking at the Mid-Atlantic NSCA Conference this weekend.

Who ever thought that having a 10-month old cruising around the apartment would be time consuming?

Oh, and it’s my Birthday today.10

So, yeah….unfortunately, writing has been taking a back seat to other shenanigans of late. I hope to be picking up the pace soon though.

Copyright: dr911 / 123RF Stock Photo

 

In the Meantime

All of this isn’t to imply I haven’t been busy in other avenues of fitness. Last week I was invited back onto the Cut the S#!t Get Fit Podcast with host Rafal Matuszewski.

This time, though, there was a special circumstance.

Almost as special as a double rainbow.

I was part of a DOUBLE GUEST episode alongside my man Lee Boyce.

We had a blast.

We spent the first 15 or so minutes catching up and discussing our favorite movies and tv shows of 2017. You know, important shit that any fitness podcast would want to cover.

But after that we get into the nitty gritty particulars of lifting heavy things and just go off.

So sit back, relax, and listen to the succulent sounds of strength & conditioning’s version of Ebony and Ivory.

CategoriesStrength Training

Making the Squat Look and Feel More Like a Squat

Squat technique is a daunting topic to write about. No matter what, despite logic, sound reasoning and the fact not everyone falls neatly into any one way of doing anything (especially as it relates to lifting weights), some people are going to get triggered and go batshit crazy.

This post may rub some people (and coaches) the wrong way, but I beg you to take a deep breath, listen to what I have to say, and understand that this is not an attack against you or your way of doing things.

Rather, what follows is a brief look into what works for me and what I feel works best for the bulk of people I work with on a weekly basis as it relates to coaching the squat.

In short: Making the squat look more like a squat.

Copyright: Kurhan / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Huh, Come Again Now?

Gone, I feel, are the days where we’re overzealous with cueing people to aggressively sit back during their squats.

For competitive powerlifters, who are into powerlifting, and who are wearing squat suits, while they powerlift…the cue to sit back makes a lot of sense.

For everyone else?

Mmm, not so much.

Call me crazy (and some may do just that), but I’d garner a guess that many trainees would benefit from two subtle tweaks to their squat:

  1. No more (or less emphasis on) sitting back.
  2. Finding and maintaining foot pressure.

The former is not to say I don’t advocate to sit back. I do. It’s just I feel there should be a simultaneous break with knees going forward AND hips going back on the descent. The net result is a SQUAT down.

The latter takes a bit more practice, but has a profound effect on one’s ability to have a bit more “umph” out of the hole (quads, baby!) and to stay in a better position throughout the rep/set (I.e., less falling or dipping forward).

Check out the brief video below. Hopefully it’ll make sense and not cause anyone to punch a wall with their face.

Making the Squat Look and Feel More Like a Squat

Categoriespersonal training Program Design Strength Training Uncategorized

10 Steps To Dominate Your Deadlift Technique

The better title of this post should be: “10 Steps To Ensure You Won’t Destroy the Back Of Your Pants (With Your Spine) When You Deadlift.”

The deadlift, as with any compound movement, requires precision and attention to detail in order to 1) Perform it well 2) Not get hurt and 3) To have any shot at lifting appreciable weight. There are many moving parts to the lift, however, to speak candidly, of the “Big 3,” the case could be made it’s the least technical.11

This is not to insinuate it’s altogether easy or simple. Simple in concept? Yes. I mean, picking a barbell up off the ground and locking it out isn’t rocket science. Simple in execution? Well, that’s where things get a bit more complicated.

Below are some overarching (<—Ha, pun intended) “themes” with regards to setup and execution of the deadlift I feel are important across the board.

Copyright: spotpoint74 / 123RF Stock Photo

 

1) First, Lets Clear the Air

The internet likes to argue. It’ll argue whether or not the dress was gold or blue (remember that stupid debacle from a few years ago?), DC vs. Marvel, high-bar vs. low bar squats, and/or who’s the most bad-ass He-Man character not named He-Man.

Cyclone anyone?

More cogent to the topic at hand, people will also argue on the internet that anyone who SUMO deadlifts is cheating.

The prevailing, uppity, train of thought is that, because one is closer to the ground when performing a SUMO deadlift (compared to a conventional stance) it’s easier and thus it’s cheating…and somehow less relevant of a lift.

To which I say: bull to the shit.

Unless your name is Professor Dumbledore and can somehow make someone’s femur change length when they switch from a conventional stance to SUMO stance…the whole “it’s less ROM, it’s easier” argument is a moot one.

The moment arm (femur) doesn’t miraculously change from conventional to SUMO stance.

It’s just…..different.

What you lose in the sagittal plane during conventional, you gain in frontal plane when performing SUMO style deadlifts.

Generally speaking (due to the moment arms and levers at play):

Conventional Pulls: easier/faster off the ground, harder at lockout.

SUMO Pulls: harder/slower off the ground, all out sexification at lockout.

Stephanie Cohen hit a 525 lbs deadlift at a bodyweight of 123 lbs recently. It was done SUMO.

 

True to form, (some of) the internet projectile vomited all over itself calling her out, saying it didn’t count, and that it’s not real powerlifting (I guess because she was using straps?).

1. Hahahahaha. I have to assume most commenters calling her out couldn’t sniff her warm-up weight.

2. Um, the lift didn’t take place at a powerlifting meet. So thanks for making the stupidest argument you could possibly make.

[For the record: most powerlifters I know are some of the most respectful, courteous, and supportive people I know. They would never turn their nose to such an impressive lift.]

Step one to successful deadlift technique is to figure out what style feels best FOR YOU.

What feels better? What feels more powerful and stable? Which one places you in the best position possible?

Some people will do well with conventional style, while others may prefer SUMO. Both are fine.

Relax internet.

2) Get Your Air, Set Your Ribcage

Gone are the days of cuing people to excessively arch their backs. Gross, repetitive extension can have just as many negative ramifications on spine health as gross, repetitive flexion.

Ideally we want to shoot for more of a canister (or pillar) position where the pelvis and ribcage are “stacked” on top of one another. Most specifically, the pelvic floor and diaphragm are stacked on top of each other.

I like to cue people to get a big gulp of air and aim for 3D expansion (breathing into their stomach, sides, and back) before bending over to grab the bar.

Admittedly it takes a bit of practice but makes a profound difference in how the lift feels.

3) Chest Up, Show Me Your Logo

This is a cue I stole from Eric Cressey and a staple at Cressey Sports Performance. Generally speaking I like to see the following on the deadlift setup:

  • Shoulders above chest
  • Chest above hips
  • Hips above knees.

This isn’t the case for everyone, mind you, but a good rule of thumb to follow. This will ensure most people stay in a “neutral” position and offset the bulk of shear forces on the spine.

I’ll often stand in front of an individual and just say “show me your logo the entire time” as he or she descends down to the bar.

The end result should look like the picture above.

If not, this happens:

4) Armpits Over Barbell, Max Hamstring Tension

Regardless of style of pull, the goal with one’s set up should be armpits over the bar with maximal hamstring tension.

This will help ensure 1) hips are as close to the bar as possible (without making it too squatting. In that case the hips are actually further away….laterally) and 2) people will be less likely to pull via the lower back.

 

5) Turn Lats On

The lats are a big player with regards to deadlift technique. You want to make sure they’re “set” to help with upper back stiffness during the lift itself.

The best cue I’ve used to help with this is to tell someone to “squeeze the oranges in your armpits.”

Works like charm.

6) Pull Slack Out of the Bar or Bend the Bar

7) Push Away

The deadlift is just as much of a PUSHING exercise as it is pulling. You want to generate force into the ground and drive AWAY, thrusting your hips forward as you stand up.

People who solely focus on pulling the weight up – via their back – are often the ones that complain about it low back pain the most.

8) Finish at Top or Stand Tall

A common mistake I see some trainees make is either not getting their hip through at the top (AKA: the sexy stripper butt) or going too far.

“Hump the bar” at the top. Finish. Stand tall. All are cues I’ve used that work and get people to finish with their glutes.

9) Don’t Let Go

On the descent, don’t let go.

Stay engaged.

It’s here where I’ll often see people round their shoulders or lose their upper back position. And it makes me sad.

Keep your abdominals engaged (and keep squeezing that orange), even on the way down.

NOTE: Disregard for max effort pulls….;o)

10) Reset or Peel the Shoulders

There’s a time and place for tap-n-go deadlifts, but I have to admit I rarely use them. Instead I’ll tell people to “reset” between each rep – albeit it’s brief – to gulp their air, “peel their shoulders back,” and to make sure they’re in a good position for the next rep.

The video below is of me demonstrating this with a dumbbell, but you should still get the gist:

 

These Aren’t Set in Stone

None of what I said above is concrete.12 There will always be some slight deviations based off someone’s anatomy, ability level, and goal(s).

However, I have found that for most people, most of the time, they all work really well to get people’s technique in check.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

CategoriesMotivational personal training

Community is the Change You Need: A Call to Action For All Fitness Professionals

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Syracuse, NY based strength coach, Ricky Kompf. Ricky interned at Cressey Sports Performance when I was still a coach there and has been doing a superb job building a reputation as a “go to” coach in the Central NY area.

Today he discusses the importance of community and how building one can make all the difference in the world with your clients/athletes and fitness business in general.

Enjoy.

Copyright: ammentorp / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Community is the Change You Need

I consider myself a pretty mindful and deep guy. Over the years of working with people I find myself delving deeper and deeper into psychology based reading and realizing what I read to be valuable and applicable to my job as a coach.

Many times that little gold nugget of knowledge in a book on psychology is even more powerful than the knowledge bombs I find in strength and conditioning text books.

I would like to share an experience with you that was pretty excruciating yet gave me quite the breakthrough.

This moment not only gave me confirmation that I am doing the work I was set out to do and I am fulfilling my purpose in life, but also gave me a realization that there are more people out there that NEED our help as fitness professionals but don’t necessarily WANT our help.

That experience was of course while serving for jury duty…

I was in a room filled with 375 random people who live in Central New York waiting to hear if they have to sit in on trial or not. Whatever picture you have in your head right now… Trust me it was worse than that.

People were pissed, impatient and probably a little hungry.

It’s pretty safe to say no one wanted to be there.

I know I didn’t want to be there, but there was no point in stressing over something I couldn’t control. So I practiced some diaphragmatic breathing while sitting in a room for 8 hours waiting to hear my fate.

It was then that I started to look around the room and become the silent observer. This was the perfect sample size of what society around me is like. Many were overweight, seemed slightly depressed, poor posture, and just looked a little run down. I actually counted in the room how many people seemed like they were in pretty good shape.

I could count them all on my hands.

It was then that the lady in charge asked a very important question, “If you have a medical condition that could affect your ability to serve as a jury please come up front.”

Half the room stood up and walked/limped to the front.

That’s right…there were just as much people sitting down as there were people in line waiting to tell this lady about their illness. That was well over 150 people! I’ll factor in that some people were just trying to get out of jury duty but still!

via GIPHY

That’s when I realized something, something that really speaks to our society as a whole.

We live in a nation where it is the minority to be healthy and not have issues with your health.

We are fat and depressed; we rely on the drugs of pharmaceutical industries to keep us just barely going. All the while we are living with this belief that this is the norm. We look to the people around us and see that they’re unhealthy and it gives us unconscious confirmation that it is okay to be unhealthy as well.

To me the words healthy and happy are prerequisites to each other.

You have to be healthy to be happy and you have to be happy to be healthy.

The more and more people I come in contact with and work with, I realize it’s not the great physique they’re after or the even the edge on the competition. Even if they really think it is.

It’s happiness.

It’s the feeling you get when you’re in control of your health, the quality of life you have, and most of all control over your own destiny.

As a fitness professional remember you’re not just delivering results, you’re delivering happiness.

Like the feeling you get when you witness two kittens snuggling. That kind of happiness.

So you may ask yourself, I’m a fitness professional but how do we get all these people who either don’t want our help or can’t afford our help to change and become healthier?

It all starts with community.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “you are the average of the 5 people you hang around with most?” The people you hang around with will influence every decision you make.

Well How Do You Use This Information?

As strength coach’s or personal trainers you may notice that you’ve build a mini community around you. These communities of clients are like minded people, they want to become healthier and support each other.

If you’re really good at what you do they even hangout with each other outside of the gym!

That’s your change right there.

You may have even noticed that most of your clients now are word of mouth based, which means people are talking about you outside of the gym and sending business your way.

The more you double down on your community and focus on building a support group of people, the more likely you will make an impact on your community’s health as a whole.

This may even be indirectly.

The larger the community you make the more of an impact you will have. This is also why I think one-on-one training can be detrimental to your business if your goal is to influence as many people as possible.

Community is the secret sauce to your goals.

Mark Fisher Fitness: the epitome of how to build a lasting fitness community.

Community gives people permission to change; or, more to the point, “nudges” people to change.

Having a community of like-minded individuals who implement a healthier lifestyle and share common goals is often the key determining factor that help others change their behavior.

Look at your clientele base now:

  • Do they hangout with each other?
  • Do they communicate on social media?
  • Do you show them off on your social media?

And how excited are they to tell people about what you’ve done for them?

If you’ve never thought to consider these questions, or worse, the answers are a resounding cricket chirp, then I’d recommend getting your butt in gear.

As a fitness professional, you are the mayor in your “health conscious” community. Exercise is a vehicle for a life well lived.

…. Mic Drop.

via GIPHY

Actionable Takeaways

  1. Create a Facebook group that brings all your clients together to support each other and give information to them regularly. Hold special 10-15 minute Live Events that inform them and keep them engaged in the journey. Highlight THEIR videos and exercise accomplishments.
  2. Use your Instagram account to show off how badass your athletes and clients are. Everyone loves recognition.
  3. Plan out events to do as a group that brings people together outside of the gym. This could be Spartan races, 5k’s, team dinners, book and movie clubs, even mass text messages can go a long way.
  4. If you have athletes, go to their games! They worked so hard for you, and they will love to see your support.

About the Author

Richard Kompf, BS, CSCS

Strength and conditioning coach and Internship supervisor for Scollo Strength and Performance. Located inside of Pacific Health Club, based just outside of Syracuse, NY. Specializing in explosive athletes and general population clientele.