In today’s guest post by Shane McLean he touches on a topic that affects every fitness professional: the “line” or boundary that exists between trainer and client.
What the boundary is and how far a coach/trainer is willing to go to cross it is every individual’s personal choice. It’s an important topic and I’m glad Shane took the initiative to discuss his own experiences.
I’m going to pull back the curtain on training clients in a one-on-one environment. There’s a lot more to personal training than designing programs, counting sets and reps and wearing tracksuit pants. Sometimes the professional/personal line that exists between coach and client gets crossed.
Let me explain. Since being a personal trainer, I’ve had
Three clients pass away
Three who have beaten cancer
One who’s got dementia
Several clients who have had their joints replaced and gone through painful rehabilitation
When studying to become a trainer, these situations never came up in any of my textbooks because nothing prepares you for things like that.
Only life can.
When dealing one-on-one with these clients while they’re suffering, the professional boundaries that trainers should have with their clients gets blurry.
How can it not? Trainers are not robots.
Although my (and most) personal training clients come to the gym to forget their problems, sometimes the burden they carry is too heavy and they need someone to talk to. All a trainer can do is lend a sympathetic ear much like your hairdresser or local bartender.
And for most personal trainers (myself included), personal training is much more than a pay check or a business transaction. It’s a real opportunity to make a difference in the lives of their clients whether they’re fighting fit or not.
Trainers share in their clients’ successes, failures and heart aches. Often exercise is the easy part of the equation during a session but the mindset or ‘getting into the mood’ can be more difficult.
Trying to get clients into the right frame of mind when they are in pain takes this mindset thing to a different level. Because let’s face it, exercise can be hard enough even when we’re healthy, let alone sick.
Over two years ago I was hired to work privately with an elderly couple in their home. Both had their share of health problems but the male was in bad shape. He was unable to perform simple self-care duties and found walking extremely difficult.
He and his wife performed simple balance and mobility exercises and fundamental human movements once or twice a week. Even at their advanced age, they were looking to improve their quality of life.
Both were so sweet to me that it was difficult not to get close to them. I would often stay after our sessions to hear their stories and join them for lunch. They welcomed me into their home like I was a part of their family.
However, the male’s health took a turn for the worst a few months into our time together and a few weeks later he passed away peacefully.
It was one of the saddest situations I’ve ever witnessed and made me feel very fortunate that I got to spend time sometime with him and his wife. I’ll cherish the stories they told me forever.
Earlier this year, I was rocked by the death of former client who was taken from this earth because of pancreatic cancer. When we worked together, over two years ago now, he had turned his life and health around.
He was fit, strong and full of life and then cancer robbed him of this. He fought to the end with humor, grace and dignity. I still miss him to this day.
Both of these situations provided a challenging conundrum for one who’s business is personal. When does professional become personal? When is it ever okay for professional/personal boundaries to be crossed?
Most of us know it’s not okay for a trainer to sleep with their client and for a teacher to get sexually involved with a student.
That’s clearly crossing the line.
However, on the other hand, is it okay to visit a client who’s on life support in hospital and to be there for support? Is it crossing the line to go out to lunch with a client and share personal stories?
Like some laws are meant to be broken, some boundaries (I think) need to be crossed, especially when it’s a matter of life and death. However, there is some inherent risk involved here.
When putting yourself out there and crossing boundaries your feelings or the client’s feelings may get hurt. Your wallet may suffer, and if you ever witness sickness or death it’s going to be painful for all involved.
I made a judgement call (and will continue to make it) that I’m going to be there for clients when it comes to life, death and sickness. Am I crossing the line?
You can be the judge.
However, I feel in matters of the heart, you should follow the heart more often than not and the boundaries that exist between a service provider/client should be tossed away.
Wrapping Up
Personal and professional boundaries exist for a reason. It can stop laws and feelings from being broken. However, when suffering and death happens and you’re in the middle of it, lines will get crossed.
About the Author
Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.
A few weeks ago I watched a video a friend of mine, Luka Hocevar, put up on his FB page showing a landmine press variation I had never seen before using an attachment I had also never seen before.
The Viking Press
Anyone who’s read this site for any length of time knows I’m a huge fan of landmine pressing variations as I feel they’re a more joint friendly less vomit in my mouthish way of performing “overhead” pressing.
The Viking Press is an old-school strongman event that people the size of Mack trucks perform with an insanely absurd amount of weight.1
It’s not a practical exercise to perform in a commercial gym setting. It can be done, it’s just cumbersome, usually ends up annoying a bunch of people because it takes up a lot of space and equipment, and the asshats who like performing it are obnoxious and wear way too much Axe Body Spray.
Anyways, I saw Luka’s video and immediately got an erection got excited.2
In it he was performing the Viking Press with an attachment he purchased from Blackwidowtg.com.
I contacted Luka to find out where he found the attachment.
FYI: I receive ZERO kickback from this company for pointing you in their direction. I just feel it’s a solid product many of my readers would be interested in.
So I’ve been fiddling with it for a few weeks now and love it. My beat up meatheads and general pop clients are appreciative, as are my athletes. It’s been a great addition to the gym.
But are there any other exercises you can perform with the attachments other than the Viking Press?
Yup.
Viking Chest Supported Row
Who Did I Steal It From: Boston-based strength coach Jarrod Dyke. Jarrod’s a coach who also works out of CORE and he’d been experimenting with the attachment and come up with this doozy.
What Does It Do: It serves as a decent alternative to chest supported rows for those who don’t have access to an actual machine or apparatus either at their commercial or home gym.
Now, admittedly, it shouldn’t be seen as a straight up substitute for the chest supported row. This variation, while still great for hitting the upper back, doesn’t quite nail the lats as much as the real thing.
That being said, it does still hit the upper back (retraction), as well as the biceps and forearms. And, if you’re going to purchase a piece of equipment, it’s nice to know it can be used for other things outside of it’s intended purpose: Presses, rows, single leg variations (RDLs), squat thrusts, paper weight, bludgeoning weapon during the zombie apocalypse.
Key Coaching Cues: Set up is pretty seamless. The only snafu is for people with shorter arms. You may need to use a stepper (or something similar) to elevate the plates so people can reach. Also, I don’t foresee this as something you’d be loading 4, 45 plates on. However, you should still be able to load this up fairly heavy and perform for high(er) reps.
You can also perform ISO holds at the top, or even controlled eccentrics to add a little more time under tension.
All told, the attachment is great for what it’s designed to do; I think it’s well worth the price. However, this is just something else you can utilize it for as an added option in your exercise toolbox.
Next weekend, Saturday, August 5th my wife, Dr. Lisa Lisa Lewis, and I will be hosting our Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop here in Boston.
Like, IN Boston.
There’s no workshop out there catered for fitness professionals that deals with both mindset/mental strategy skills – helping to build rapport, competency, and autonomy with clients/athletes – and exercise technique and assessment.
So, why not combine the two?
There are still a few remaining spots left so if you need some CEUs or want to come to a cool city to hang out and talk about the Transtheoretical Theory of Change or upper extremity assessment like a motherfucking boss, lets do it.
Our Vancouver shindig in April sold out, but Dean and I have recently announced a stop in Orlando, FL later this year, October 21-22nd at Spark Fitness.
I’ve never been to Orlando. There’s no way in hell I’m visiting Disney World.
HEADS UP: We’ve also added Boston into the mix later this year. Not Burlington, MA Boston or Beverly Boston. Like IN Boston… in the heart of the city Boston at AMP Fitness.
If you’re super excited and want to sign-up early you can go HERE.
I had the opportunity to chime in on this article on T-Nation asking a bunch of coaches what are some daily habits they use themselves or suggest their clients use to lead healthier lifestyles.
I don’t know if it was on purpose, but the fact the picture above was used as the lead in to this article says it all.
Spotting a DB press by the elbows is fucking moronic, and any trainer who does should be forced to walk off a plank into Mordor. Or Sparta kicked in the chest. Either one is appropriate.
However, this line from the article says it all:
“Oh, and why do you always have fat people do triceps kickbacks? Could anything be less effectual for weight loss and/or conditioning?”
Social Media Shenanigans
Twitter
Sometimes the best coaching is to just shut up & let clients/athletes figure things out for themselves.
When my wife and I first started dating there’s one thing I used to do that used to drive her crazy.
It didn’t involve placement of the toilet seat. I put that shit down like a champion. And it didn’t involve my use of colorful language; she’s equally as potty mouthy as me.
In hindsight this “thing” was borderline unforgivable, and, to be honest, I’m kind of embarrassed to admit this. Here goes:
My name is Tony Gentilcore and I used to order my steaks well-done.
At the time I just didn’t know any better. Prior to meeting Lisa a romantic dinner out for me was hitting up Applebee’s on 2 for 1 entree night.4 So you can imagine the look of disdain on her face when we went to a fancy schmancy restaurant in the North End here in Boston on date #3 and I did what I did.
I might as well have belched the theme song to Fresh Price of Bel Air while being seated or, I don’t know, farted in her Caesar salad. Both would have been less egregious dinner etiquette snafus than ordering a steak well-done.
I mean, WTF?
She married me nonetheless. But not until we had a “talk” and she made me watch every season of Top Chef.
Speaking of “talks,” I posted this Tweet the other day and it sparked some good comments:
What’s the one thing you have the hardest time getting clients to adopt? Mine is rest periods. More specific: actually taking rest.
I’ve been coaching people for a little over 15 years now and the idea of rest periods – or, to be more specific – actually taking rest between sets – is the one thing I still have the hardest time getting many of my clients to adopt.
Whether it’s because they’ve taken one too many CrossFit classes or because of their supercharged Type A personality on steroids, the idea of taking rest between sets – let alone a rest day – doesn’t compute.
Half my battle with new(ish) clients is to get them to understand there’s a rationale and purpose for rest periods, that they’re good for them, will help them, and more importantly…that they won’t lose any points for Gryffindor for standing in place for more than 30 seconds without performing a burpee.
Don’t get me wrong: there’s a time and place for metabolic or circuit-based training that require diminished rest periods; especially if the goal is to increase conditioning and/or work capacity. However, I can’t tell you how many times someone has started with me, expressed an interest in getting stronger, and I have to do everything in my power to get them to chill out.
Day one/program one is always interesting. They’ll do a set and before I can offer any feedback they’re half-way through set #2.
Eight minutes later they’re done with their program and asking for more.
I can appreciate their willingness to get after it, but the “go go go” approach is almost always why 1) they haven’t seen any significant improvements in their lifts in eons and 2) they have an inane proclivity at being hurt all the time.
As strength coach, Mike Sheridan, wrote in THIS post on my site last year:
“Despite the ‘rest makes you weak’ mantra from aerobic instructors, or the ‘no pain no gain’ philosophy of many CrossFitters, we start training a different energy system when rest is too short.
We’re not trying to exhaust the muscle, we’re trying to strengthen and improve it.
When we perform an endless number of muscle contractions (repetitions), we end up building muscular endurance as opposed to hypertrophy or strength.
And start training aerobically, instead of anaerobically.
Compromising our ability to build strength and muscle, and facilitating an overall loss in power and explosiveness.Whether it’s resistance training or not.
Even though shorter rest periods produce a larger hormonal response and more metabolic stress, while longer rest periods allow for more weight to be lifted on subsequent sets, there is still a minimum threshold for proper recovery.
If rest periods are too short, the number of reps declines, the weight lifted declines, and so does the total workout volume.”
Shorter rest periods do have a positive effect on metabolic stress, one of the factors that plays into improved hypertrophy (growth) of the muscle. However when strength is the goal it’s important to note that too short of rest, while great for increasing things like levels of testosterone, IGF-1, and gH, can be offset due to the decrease in mechanical tension and strength output, all of which stems from accumulated fatigue (due to lack of rest).
To keep things to a nice, short, and succinct stopping point I can’t state things any better than what Mike says here:
“We don’t want our rest period at a point where it’s difficult to perform as much ‘work’ as would be possible with slightly longer rest.Which means keeping it high enough to maximize the number of successful reps over multiple sets, while still experiencing adequate metabolic stress to stimulate hypertrophy.”
The “sweet spot,” then, is 90-180 seconds of rest between sets.
This can seem like torture to some people, analogous to scratching nails on a chalkboard or worse, being forced to watch What the Health in a room full of vegetarians.5
To that end I find rest periods to be opportune time to take advantage of “filler” exercises. You know, exercises that activate or mobilize stuff that people are supposed to do in their warm-ups that they inevitable always skip.
If someone has poor T-spine rotation or extension I’ll have him or her perform some Side Lying Open Books in between sets of deadlifts:
Side Lying Open Book
Or maybe they need to work on a little adductor length and opening up their hips more. If that’s the case this drill works wonders in between sets of squats:
Happy Baby Stretch
NOTE: I mis-spoke and called this the “goalie stretch” in the video, but I also have a 5-month old at home and haven’t slept since January, so fuck off…;o)
Filler exercises can be anything: glute activation drills, scapular upward rotation drills, T-spine mobility drills, hip flexor mobilizations, a particular stretch, naming all the members of Wu-Tang Clan, anything. The idea is they’re low-grade, low-demand, easy, and address something that won’t sacrifice performance on subsequent sets of iron work.
Heck, if all else fails, if someone is still flying through things, this would be one of the rare instances where I’d encourage them to go peruse their Instagram feed or post a picture of their protein shake on Twitter.
There’s little room to be ambiguous. More times than not, if someone wants to make and see progress in the gym…getting them to respect rest periods is going to be an important conversation to have. It’s the easiest way to ensure one recovers and is able to sustain performance and high(er) outputs during their training sessions.
Having a discussion about “off-days” is a blog post for another day.
In today’s guest post by strength coaches and physical therapists, Sam Spinelli and Jason LePage, they break down the hip hinge from beginner level to more advanced iterations.
Your hips have a powerhouse of potential for performance. In the realm of athletics hip extension is one of the most vital components for success. Through the progression of strategies to develop incredible hip extension, the start is to learn how to hip hinge. By hip hinging we can develop a potent supply of hip extension strength and movement capacity that will feed into our other exercises (jumps, cleans, snatches, etc.).
In a hip hinge we are moving our body through hip flexion and extension, while maintaining our spinal position in a neutral range. In most hip hinge exercises we are minimizing (not eliminating) knee movement, allowing for a focus to be placed on the hips; this is often referred to as a “soft bend” in the knees.
By having this soft knee bend, in contrast to a squat motion, we are going to encourage bending over. Due to this, understanding how to move through the hips and not the low back is vital to long term development.
While the hip hinge holds the opportunity to develop some awe-inspiring power, it is not the most simple movement, and for some people can be a real struggle to just pick up. That is where the following “hacks” come in. These are a collection of some of our top picks for learning the hip hinge motion.
Wall Referenced Hip Hinge
Back to Wall Hip Hinge
Wall Facing Hip Hinge
By using the wall we can have an external source of feedback guiding us. When we have our back to the wall, if you aren’t able to do a posterior weight shift and move your hips, you won’t reach the wall.
In contrast, when we face the wall, if you aren’t able to do a posterior weight shift you’ll make contact and not get very far.
Combine the two to get the best of both worlds and own the hinge pattern.
Handcuff Hip Hinge
With the weight held behind our back, it gives a reference of where to push into and guide the weight shift. As well, it places our shoulders in a more retracted and depressed position which cues to keep our chest proud through the movement.
Finally, with your arms secured behind your back you can feel if your lower back begins to round during the movement.
Kneeling Band-Assisted Hinge – Video link + Commentary
Struggle to move through just the hips and not bend the knees excessively or arch your back?
This variation will be a huge help.
The tall kneeling position temporarily eliminates the ankles which brings the focus to the hips! For this drill, simply try to sit your butt onto your heels. If you are struggling to move at the hips, the band will assist that movement to show you what it feels like to perform a hinge.
Some repetition here will help your body sense what the hinge feels like before moving on to a standing strategy.
Foam Roll Assisted Single Leg Hinge – Video link + Commentary
With this hip hinge hack, we transition to a single leg to hone the mechanics for unilateral hinging. In this variation, the foam roller functions as an external cue that allows you to create tension using the entire body as well as increase the stability of the movement allowing you to move slower if needed.
In most people, the foam roller will fit nicely between the foot and hand and is a solid option if you are struggling with a single leg variation of the hinge prior to loading the movement pattern.
Once you’ve begun to hone the hinge pattern, it’s time to start loading it up and building a monstrous posterior chain. Below are some of our top picks for beefing up your training program and solidifying your backside.
Pull Through
Banded Pull-Through
Pull-Through Added Band Resistance
Transitioning from the hip hinge hacks to loading can be challenging for some people. That is where the pull through can be utilized perfectly.
The pull through is an excellent exercise for novices to begin loading the hip hinge as it helps to give great feedback through the cable/band pulling your hips and weight in the direction we want them to move. As well, due to the direction of pull, their is a greatly reduced amount of loading on the back, making it a very safe exercise to begin with.
For those of you who are more advanced, the pull through can still be a great option for loading the hamstrings and glutes without putting as much stress on the low back/erectors. If you find yourself struggling with having enough load, consider adding in a band for additional loading.
Elevated Deadlift
The deadlift is arguably one of the best movements in general – challenging most of the body in one motion, but it is in particular one of the best posterior chain exercises.
It allows for great loading of the hamstrings, glutes, and lumbar extensors while also incorporating much of the upper back musculature to stabilize the spine and shoulders. Most people struggle to effectively pull off the floor and by elevating the bar a few inches we can get into a much better starting position and focus on good mechanics.
Hip Thrust
When we talk hip hinge, we are generally referencing movements that have us in an upright posture. However, there are some fantastic exercises that use the hips that are not done being upright. The hip thrust is an incredible strength movement for the glutes and other posterior chain muscles and really helps those who have a need for horizontal force production – such as most field sport athletes.
Landmine 1-Leg SLDL
Working the posterior chain on a single leg can put a big focus on hip, knee, and ankle stabilization, while also reducing how much loading is on the lower back and placing more on the legs and hips.
However, many people struggle initially learning the mechanics of the 1 leg SLDL. Utilizing the landmine we are able to take advantage of the arcing motion of the bar and also the increased amount of structural stability to have a slightly easier time learning the motion.
KB Swing
The KB swing offers us the ability to ramp up the speed of the movement and incorporate some higher rate of force development. This can be very beneficial for all athletes and incorporated as a primer before heavy work. As well, the KB swing can be a great exercise to use in a conditioning format as it can really get the heart rate going.
About the Authors
Sam Spinelli
Sam Spinelli is cofounder ofThe Strength Therapist, a company devoted to educating people about strength training for rehab and performance.
Coming from the great white north of Canada, Sam spent 5 years working with high level hockey as a strength and conditioning coach. Currently he has taken up a nomad status in the United States to pursue his doctorate of physical therapy and hang out with really smart people (Like Tony G).
Outside of spending his time reading research papers and drinking coffee, he is a competitive strength athlete in sports such as powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman.
Jason LePage is a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Quinnipiac University and the founder of PrimePhysioFitness. For the last 4 years, Jason has worked as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor with a passion for promoting fitness and wellness for all ages. Outside of school and work, Jason loves playing a variety of sports including basketball, tennis, and volleyball and spending time with his family. If you want to learn more from or connect with Jason:
There was a giant leap last night. Lisa had to go away to NYC yesterday, which meant last night was the first night in Julian’s life mommy wasn’t under the same roof.
We had a blast. We ran around the apartment with scissors, visited the asbestos factory, took shots of Nyquil. It was awesome.
Note to Lisa: Julian is still alive.
He’a actually taking his morning nap, which means I have a finite amount of time to get this post done. Lets get to it.
This weekend is the last weekend to take advantage of the Early-Bird price for the Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop. After Sunday (7/23) the price jumps up $50.
The idea is simple: there’s a corner in the industry that’s underserved….mental skills.
There are a lot of people out there who write about “mindset” and describe themselves as mindset coaches (whatever the heck that means) who, by and large, have zero academic background in that department.
SPOILER ALERT: Lisa’s a Jedi Doctor of Psychology and went to school for that shit.
I went to school to help turn people into badasses.
So, why not combine the two?
Lisa speaks to building competency and discussing how to build the skills to develop rapport with clients. I can speak to getting people bigger, stronger, and faster.
Our Vancouver shindig in April sold out, but Dean and I have recently announced a stop in Orlando, FL later this year, October 21-22nd at Spark Fitness.
I’ve never been to Orlando. There’s no way in hell I’m visiting Disney World.
HEADS UP: We’ve also added Boston into the mix later this year. Not Burlington, MA Boston or Beverly Boston. Like IN Boston… in the heart of the city Boston at AMPFitness.
If you’re super excited and want to sign-up early you can go HERE.
3. Bros Do Science Interview
When Dean and I were in London last month Rocco Venizelos of Bros Do Science stopped by Third Space in Canary Wharf to talk shop with the two of us.
I don’t envy new trainers and coaches coming into the industry. Today’s market is so saturated with gimmicks, tomfoolery, and bluster, everyone vying for everyone else’s attention, a total shit-show, that it’s become increasingly more challenging to give advice.
Most of what I have to say falls on deaf ears because, well, what I have to say isn’t sexy, takes a bit of persistence and resiliency, and doesn’t involve quick fixes (or the letters SEO).
I’m empathetic towards today’s fitness professional, though. I really am.
When I first started in this industry – way back in 2002, when smart phones didn’t exist – the industry was pretty barren. At least it seemed that way.
Today, seemingly, everyone is in on the action. All anyone needs nowadays is an IG account, a badonkadonk or a bunch of tattoos (or both), and sha-ZAM….a bonafide fitness expert is made.
Here’s a little secret:a pretty good litmus test as to how to tell the fitness celebrities asshats from the fitness professionals is the ratio of pictures of themselves to that of actual clients, or better yet, actionable content/advice.
What’s more, when I first started blogging waaaaaaay back in 2006, there weren’t many people in the industry who were doing the same. Off the top of my head I can think of Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, Mike Boyle, Krista Scott-Dixon, and John Romaniello.
I was lucky in that I jumped on that train early.7
Fast forward ten years….the cacophony of “noise” and competition from everyone blogging, Tweeting, Snapchatting, using Facebook Live, and starting their own Podcast is intimidating if not absurd.
It’s never been easier to be heard; the internet and social media has given everyone a voice. However, it’s never been harder to get heard; because the internet and social media has given everyone a voice.
It can be a cutthroat, shallow, cynical, often opaque industry rewarding those who, for all intents and purposed, wouldn’t know their ass from their acetabulum.
It’s less about actually wanting to help people, and more about winning a popularity contest.
On a deeper level, I’m truly empathetic to those trying to make a living in the “real” world. There’s rarely a week that goes by where I don’t receive an email from someone that’s an iteration of one of the following:
“I’m having a hard time getting or maintaining clients.”
“It’s taking all my mental energy to not want to throw my face into a chainsaw. Working in a commercial gym sucks.”
Here’s Some Advice (In List Form Because I Like Lists)
I’ve said this before and I’ll repeat myself until I’m blue in the face: I believe every (new) trainer should work in a commercial gym setting for a minimum of two years.
It’s there you’ll learn to build some resiliency, fail (which is a good thing), fail again (which is even better), and eventually learn from those failures.
You’ll have rockstar clients you’d train for free, as well as those clients you’d rather jump into a shark’s mouth than spend one more minute with.
Suck it up.
Use it as an opportunity to get better.
It’s going to happen. Be patient. (Good) coaching is just as much about sets/reps and exercise selection as it is becoming a people person and adapting to different personalities.
2. Shut Up
If you hate working in a commercial gym setting so much or feel you’re not getting paid enough, do something about it. Make yourself a commodity and more indispensable to the company.
Dean Somerset wrote an amazing post on the topic HERE.
3. Shut Up Even Morer
One of my biggest pet peeves is when fit pros complain about how much stuff costs.
Stop bitching.
NOTE: It’s not lost on me I make a fair portion of my income traveling around the world offering workshops. I am not implying you’re wrong for not wanting to hang out with me. Although, I am….;o)
There’s too much complacency in this industry. I have zero PubMed studies to back this up, but I’m willing to bet those trainers who complain the most about how much shit costs – like workshops – are the same ones who won’t hesitate spending $700 on the new iPhone.
Going to a workshop or purchasing a resource to make yourself better isn’t a cost…it’s an investment.
I guaranfuckingtee whatever you end up paying will almost always pay for itself tenfold.
All you need to do is learn one thing. One. that’s it. And when you apply that one thing to the right person, that’s the person who starts training with you twice a week for a year.
What’s more, you can write off all continuing ed (workshops, DVDs, books, digital products, Kama Sutra) on your taxes.
It’s a win-win.
Eric Cressey puts it a little more eloquently than myself recently:
“Early in your career, the opportunity cost of your time is far less expansive. You need to make money and build your reputation, so you should take on just about every client and continuing education opportunity that comes your way. And, if you want to be successful in writing and speaking, too, then you need to write and speak at every opportunity, even if nobody is or reading listening. The opportunity cost of your time is basically just watching the same episode of Sportscenter for the 47th time.”
4. Stop worshiping everything Gary V says.
Listen, I like Gary V. I think he has a lot of valuable things to say, and I think he does a superb job at giving people tough love when they need it.
He’s someone who advocates and pushes for people to work their ass off.
I’d be remiss not to give props where props are deserved.9
Here’s the thing though: people are so seduced by his passion, f-bombs, and proclivity to tell people to grind, that what many fail to comprehend is one important detail: Gary V was/is actually good at something.
Really good.
He built his reputation, first, as a wine connoisseur. He took over his family’s wine (shop) business and made himself into a wine expert. He attacked it, relentlessly. In fact, he was one of the first people to use social media to tout his (then) weekly hit-podcast, Wine Library TV.
That snowballed into a career in marketing, public speaking, and brand development.
And that’s the thing: A lot of fit pros today are too quick to worry about building a brand before they have a brand to build.
Many act like a deer in headlights the second you ask them to coach someone through a set of squats. Yet, they’re asking Gary V how they can get their ebook out in front of more eyes.
Again, be patient. Coach the shit out of your clients. Get good. Real good. And then get better than that. Wash, rinse, repeat.
As Lou Schuler famously said when asked what’s the best piece of advice he gives fit pros aspiring to see their names in reputable fitness publications:
“When the industry is ready for you, it’ll let you know.”
The answer is career capital and experience.
Want more clients? Coach the ones you do have well. Get really good. Simple concept, hard to execute because it’s painstakingly vanilla and boring.
Sorry
5. Be Authentic.
The clearest example regarding authenticity is something Complete Human Performance coach, Jonathan Pietrunti, noted on his Facebook Wall the other day
“Write blog posts about coaching/training…4 people read them.
Write a post about my life drama and disasters…viral.
Are you guys trying to tell me something?”
I’d argue nothing is more valuable in this industry than unapologetic authenticity. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way to air your dirty laundry to every ear that’ll listen; no one wants to hear about your explosive diarrhea. However, it does mean people want to know you’re relatable.
Not to blow up your spot or anything, but most people could care less that you’ve memorized the Kreb’s Cycle or that you can regurgitate all the insertion points of the rotator cuff. Sure, they’re looking to hire a trainer who can get results.
They’re also looking for a connection.
I don’ know, I think people are more likely to stick with you long-term if you’ve memorized the map of Mordor or can regurgitate all the insertion points of the rotator cuff…in Klingon.
They want to see that you’re human, and not just someone who lives, eats, and breaths Paleo recipes.
Whether you’re into powerlifting, bodybuilding, early 90’s Mariah Carey, or wearing capes while you coach a group fitness class…be authentic to who YOU are. Don’t copy someone else.
Ever wonder what some of the best coaches/trainers say their favorite mobility drills are? Squat regressions? Favorite exercise in general? No? Well, too bad.
Shane McLean asked some well-known coaches (John Rusin, Meghan Callaway, Meg Julian, Eric Bach, and myself) what some of their favorites are. Go learn something.
My favorite food is potatoes. I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like yet.
My favorite movie line is “I feel the need, the need for speed.” I’m pumped that Hollywood is making a sequel to Top Gun. I’m already counting down the days to its release next July.
I wonder if they’re going bring back Goose from the dead?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O1ZhHts8MI
Bring the subject back to exercise, my favorite move is deadlifts. If left to my own devices, I’d deadlift, do some curls, slam down some coffee and then go home. However, my coach makes me do a bunch of stuff I hate but really need.
That’s what great coaches do.
Great coaches also have their go to exercises that end up in most of the programs they write. Usually, you need to attend a seminar or deep dive the internet to find out what the smartest minds in the fitness industry are doing.
However, let me save you the trouble. I’ve asked some of the industry biggest names about their go to moves and exercises they never go without. Who knows, you might learn something.
Tony Gentilcore. <– That’s Me
1) Number One Foam Roll Drill. And Why?
My #1 foam rolling drill comes in the form of a brief rant. Now, mind you, understand I am a fan of foam rolling and do encourage my clients to partake prior to each training session. Or after, I don’t care.
This is my ” go to” series.
That being said I do feel many people place too much credence/emphasis on foam rolling. I can’t tell you how many people have come to me seeking advice on why this hurts and that hurts and why they can never stay healthy. Whenever this happens I’ll inevitably ask them to show me their warm-up.
Fast forward 30 minutes.
Yeah, that’s right….it’s not uncommon for some people to spend upwards of 30 minutes (sometimes more) foam rolling. Foam rolling. After that long even Sting, a proponent of something like 7-hour tantric sex sessions, would be like, “come on already, let’s get it over with.”
When this happens, I’ll come straight out and say it: “THAT’s why you’re always hurt.”
People need to get out of this delicate flower, corrective exercise bubble mentality. Sure, foam rolling helps…but not for the reasons most people think. Do it if it makes you feel better. But get the eff off and go TRAIN.
2) Number One Mobility/Flexibility Move. And Why?
My favorite move is the Yoga Push-Up Complex.
I like it because it’s ONE move that hits a lot of trouble areas for most people:
T-Spine Extension & Rotation
Hip Flexor Length
Glute Activation
Hamstring & Adductor Length
Scapular Protraction & Upward Rotation
About the only thing it doesn’t address is small biceps….;o)
3) Your Number One Squat Regression. And Why?
Slowing people down.
Lets discuss this under the guise of butt wink and squatting. It’s a thing.
Basically, it’s a less nerdy way of informing someone “dude(tte), you’re running out of hip flexion so you’re compensating with excessive lumbar motion.”10
Many think the culprit is tight hamstrings. Nope.
The hamstrings are bi-articular muscle crossing both the knee and hip joints. When we squat (go into deep(er) hip flexion) the hamstrings shorten at the knee and lengthen at the hip; there’s very little net increase in length.
When butt wink occurs it’s almost always a lack of tension issue. Meaning, often, there’s lack of pelvic control either due to one of two scenarios:
Lack of strength/stability.
Lack of motor control.
If your trainer tells you it’s because of tight hamstring he’s a dickwad.
In either case one of the best ways to address it is to slow down. You need to control slow before you can control fast. Coaching people up to adopt a better bracing strategy (core on, spread the floor with feet, PULL down into the squat in a controlled manner) will make a significant improvement for most.
On an aside: what may present as a mobility issue (unable to squat deep) may just be a stability issue. Adding a slight anterior load (plate or Goblet Squat) can fix things quickly.
4) One Exercise You Cannot Do Without. And Why?
I know most people who read my stuff think I’m going to say deadlifts here. But I’m not. I think the one exercise I do the most – and incorporate into my client’s programs the most – are carry variations.
What’s not to like about them? They work on core stability, hip stability, posture, grip, and take little to no coaching to perform them. And, they can be done with dumbbells, kettlebells, various barbells, people, you name it.
Just don’t make these common mistakes:
Trainer Meg J (I Guess It’s Like a Self-Titled Album)
Touch Down, or a wall slide, on a foam roller. Not an actual rolling drill, but a great chest opener and client favorite. Much of the general population (and even athletes), battle “Upper Crossed Syndrome“.
Due to how much time we spend behind computers, looking down at phones, or sitting behind a wheel or TV, our necks and shoulders begin to round down and in. This can be a factor in neck, back, and shoulder pain, as well as impact breathing. This drill allows gravity to help naturally open the tight chest area.
2) Number One Mobility/Flexibility Move. And Why?
Wall slides. Like the Touch Down on the foam roller drill, wall slides help opens the chest, engage the back muscles, and bring more blood flow to those areas.
3) Your Number One Squat Regression. And Why?
Goblet squat with raised heels. Goblet squats are excellent for building anterior core (abs) strength and maintaining balance while learning the movement pattern. If someone has tight calves, or several other potential lower body issues, adding plates under their heels allows them to move more smoothly.
4) One Exercise You Cannot Do Without. And Why?
While I’m tempted to pick the phenomenal, almost as good as bacon, exercise of the Deadlift, my final answer will the ASLR (Assisted Straight Leg Raise) with band. This exercise is incredible for building core strength, teaching tension, and getting the hips and abs to work in unison.
Meghan Callaway, Strength Coach
1) Number One Foam Roll Drill. And Why?
Truthfully, I don’t do much with the foam roller. In most cases, I find that when you prioritize stability, the need for foam rolling is much less. While rolling out your quads might feel good, I don’t think it will make or break your performance or overall health.
Many people expend too much of their time energy aimlessly using the foam roller, when their time would be better served focusing on improving other areas of their overall health and fitness.
Note From Tony:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAryFIuRxmQ
2) Number One Mobility/Flexibility Move. And Why?
I will occasionally use the foam roller to perform thoracic mobility drills, particularly flexion and extension. Of course, whether I use this drill will depend on the individual, and their unique needs.
I like to use the roller to perform band resisted hamstring curls, a single arm push-up/roll-out combo, or ab roll-outs, but obviously these are not flexibility/mobility drills.
3) Your Number One Squat Regression. And Why?
The goblet squat is one of my go-to squat regressions. This exercise helps people master the squatting movement and acquire the requisite levels of technique, strength, and controlled mobility so they can progress to performing more advanced squatting variations.
I also like the landmine squat for the same reasons. (Are Meghan and John Rusin related?)
Negative Goblet Squat
Negative 1.5 Rep Goblet Squat
4) One Exercise You Cannot Do Without. And Why?
I can’t pick one exercise, so I’ll choose two. I cannot go without trap bar deadlifts, and pull-ups, particularly some of my crazier ”play” variations.
It’s important to understand that just because you are utilizing the foam roller as a tool doesn’t necessarily mean that you are addressing soft-tissues. The foam roller can be a powerful manipulator of position in the spine, pelvis and extremities due to the acute force angle it has the ability to create.
So, do I view the thoracic spine foam rolling technique as a self-myofascial release technique? No. I view it as a corrective exercise that addresses the mobilization of the thoracic spine. Like this for example.
2) Number One Mobility/Flexibility Move. And Why?
Single Leg Adductor Rock Back with T-Spine Rotation
Most people have lost the ability to stabilize their pelvis and lumbar spine. This is a problem since the lower portion of the spine is anatomically designed to be stable; it functions best under low amounts of relative movement.
Creating super-stiffness at the pillar is nonnegotiable if you’re a lifter. It starts with positioning the pelvis and lumbar spine together synergistically. But achieving a position is vastly different than maintaining a position, especially when there’s a heavy barbell on your back.
That’s where this movement comes in. It’ll help you brace your core by creating tension in a controlled environment. You’ll relearn what stability should actually feel like.
3) Your Number One Squat Regression. And Why?
Landmine Goblet Squat
This variation provides the full body stability benefits of placing a load into the anteriorly loaded goblet position, but also aids in the balance and coordination requirements of the squat pattern by increasing the ground contact between the barbell and your hands.
Instead of just having your feet in contact with the ground, the barbell is in contact as well.
The unilateral position of the barbell also alters the strength curve, pushing you back into your hips further and further as you ascend deeper into the squat pattern. This characteristic is what makes this variation of the goblet squat the logical starting point for rebuilding the movement pattern from the ground up.
4) One Exercise You Cannot Do Without. And Why?
Trap Bar Farmers Carry.
For long-term orthopedic and functional success, you should be able to pick up a heavy object, stabilize, then walk with it. The inability to do so is a sign your grip is fragile and that you’re susceptible to chronic issues in places like the lower back, shoulders, and elbows.
Not many gyms have dumbbells that go up into the 200’s, so don’t think carries are limited to dumbbells. If you want to train grip with continuous progressive overload, the trap bar or farmers-carry handles, which can be loaded with weight plates, are your best bet.
Why: Chances are you’re spending hours each day in a crouched, internally rotated position which leaves you with poor posture and terrible thoracic mobility. And chances are you like to hoist heavy bench presses every Monday despite your shoulders screaming at you.
While I’m not going to tell you not to bench press, I will tell you to combat poor posture and battle back against achy shoulders with the side lying windmill on a daily basis. Posture takes time to improve. This simple drill attacks one of your biggest weak points to long-term, pain-free training.
2) Number One Mobility/Flexibility Move. And Why?
Groiner with T-Spine Rotation
Why: The groiner with the t-spine rotation attacks two common weak points: hip and thoracic mobility.
By killing two birds with one stone you’ll open up pain-free ranges of motion to improve both upper body and lower body training during a warm-up.
3) Your Number One Squat Regression. And Why?
To improve the squat patterns, I’ll move clients from a typical back squat all the way back to a bodyweight squat to a box.
Why such a regression?
It’s much easier to rebuild a movement from the beginning than taking a stab in the dark with other regression models. By doing a body weight squat to a box you’ll reinforce basic mechanics from holding an active foot position to properly shifting the hips back, pushing the knees out, and bracing the abdominals without weight.
Often, this simple regression will progress quickly through the following process: bodyweight squat to box>bodyweight squat>goblet squat to box>goblet squat> goblet squat with 5 second eccentric> barbell squat of your choice.
4) One Exercise You Cannot Do Without. And Why?
Front Squats.
For starters, front squats require hard work, which most gym goers avoided like the bubonic plague, opting to post every gym P.R. and dozens half-naked selfies on Instagram. Further, few exercises match the high-performance benefits of the front squat.
Anterior bar placement keeps the torso vertical, preventing the hips from going into an excessive anterior pelvic tilt, and requiring incredible core strength to prevent flexing forward.
Anterior bar placement forces lifters to attain an upright posture, decreasing shear stress on the spine, a bonus for minimizing back pain.
Front squats require scapula and clavicle elevation and upward rotation to keep the elbows up and the bar in proper position. This requires the traps, serratus anterior, levator scapulae, rhomboids, and lats to work in conjunction to hold position and prevent you from dumping the bar forward.
This gets you yoked and prevents you from developing smeagol like posture.
Wrapping Up
I hope you take this new-found knowledge and apply it to your own or client programs. These exercises will have you and your clients moving and feeling better and crushing life.
And it didn’t cost you a dime.
About the Author
Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.
What often separates the okay trainers from the kinda-sorta good trainers to the great trainers is often their ability to write effective, thorough, albeit simple programs that help get people results.
However, there aren’t many people better at that than Robert Dos Remedios. His Certified Program Design Specialist resource is currently on sale at $100 off the regular price and I think it’s a “must have” for any fitness professional looking to hone their program writing skills.11
Dos was kind enough to talk some shop with me on the topic of program design below. You should read it 1) because I said so and 2) because Dos knows his shit.
Dos Knows His Shit
TG:What your take on individualization? I mean, in the beginning, when someone has such little experience, how much individualization does someone need from a program design standpoint? How does it change from intermediate to advanced level lifters?
Dos: Individualization can often be over emphasized in training – it can also be unrealistic in many situations (think large teams without multiple coaches etc.). I personally don’t think we need to overthink this at times. The templates in CPDS allows for lots of individualization in terms of choosing exercises, types of program layouts, circuits etc. but the best part is that it keeps us honest and doesn’t let us overemphasize movements or leave out important exercises.
TG:Outside of a current injury, unique health history, or if someone happens to be training for something specific, most beginners don’t need that much individualization. It’s not uncommon for me to use a program I’ve already written for a new client and I just tweak it here when warranted.
Then, a month or two (or three) down the road, when he or she has a little more experience under the bar, that’s when I start to make it more individualized based off where technique breaks down, glaring weak points, etc. Just my two cents.
Okay, this will be a very vanilla question, but it HAS to be asked (and please feel free to drop as many f-bombs as you see fit). What are the most common mistakes you see trainers/coaches making when it comes to program design?
Dos: I think this is probably threefold: Overthinking things, trying to be different for the sake of being different, and simply making up internet style workouts that have never actually been tested on actual human beings.
Let me explain a bit….
With the first one, sometimes we think more complicated programs equate to better results. I think this is the complete opposite – I want to make things simple so we can focus on the important aspects of training, sound layouts, loading, and becoming great at performing movements.
For the second one I am referring to workouts like ones that sort of go against the majority of trainers or focus on one piece of equipment or movement. You know what I’m talking about….the guy who says “All you need to do is carries!” or the one that says “This (insert tool or piece of equipment of choice here) is all you need for a complete training session” – this is simply untrue, we know what movements NEED to be trained and we know the best exercises to train them.
For the third one I see lots of ‘outside the box’ thinking but like I always say it’s great to think outside the box…as long as you know what’s inside the box. There are some time-tested rules we need to follow before we get crazy with unrealistic protocols – just browse the internet for 5 minutes after googling “HIIT Circuits” and you will see what I mean, folks breaking rules without ever really knowing the rules.
TG:YES. I wish your answer in that last paragraph would be the litmus test for every trainer thinking about writing an ebook on program design who only has four months of experience in a commercial gym.
Are they are tenets of program design you feel are non-negotiable? And, if so, what are they?
Dos: OVERLOAD. I can’t stress this enough. I see too many trainers with programs that simply don’t work hard enough.
We cannot expect change without sacrifice….you should face some form of adversity (at least that little voice in our head that says ‘HEY! What the heck are you thinking?!” numerous times during your training regardless of your training goals.
The #1 premise of my training philosophy is WORK CAPACITY – building our conditioning, strength, and even our mental toughness so that we can continue to improve and thrive as we continue to train.
TG:I know you train a lot of athletes (and I “think” general pop too). Regardless, what similarities and differences are there when writing programs between the two?
Dos: In Men’s Health Power Training nearly 10 years ago I wrote about just this – that there are VERY FEW differences in how I write programs for my athletes and my general population clients.
Of course choice of exercises, intensities, even format of the workout may look different but we always go back to programming the essential movement patterns for each person.
For example, I would program an explosive exercise for both my college volleyball player and my 86 year old mother…..but they would look very different. I may use more of a Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT) circuit for a general population client vs. a full body “traditional” lifting session for my sport athlete…. But all the same essential movements will be programmed.
TG:What are some things about program design that some people give way more credence towards? You know, things that you look at and are like, “really?” What are some things you feel most people tend to gloss over?
Dos: I think the whole ‘whiteboard workout’ craze that we see really hosts a ton of problems – lots of programs that look to gas trainees for that crushed effect. Workout Dice, poster workouts with crazy, unrealistic HIIT protocols etc.
There’s a lot of ‘throw a bunch of stuff at people…get them tired…get them sore…and this will help people reach their goals.
An overall lack of actual PROGRAMMING is what I tend to see these days.
I think the thing people tens to gloss over is LOADING. Even the general pop client who is trying to get wedding dress ready needs to lift heavy stuff – I’m not saying we need to be max lifting but we need to be doing much more than burpees and tricep bicep curls…. This goes back to the overload comment I made earlier. Nothing great comes easy ;o)
Dos: I really don’t think there is anything like this available to folks – I like to feel like this is programming that has developed over years and years of training, literally thousands and thousands of ‘subjects’.
The program and philosophy you will find in CPDS is a proven, not only in my personal training experiences but in many other teams, gyms etc. I like to think that my plug and play system is almost foolproof and the choices allow for anyone to find the perfect match for their athletes and clients.
Those who complete the program and pass the exam will have a solid based of knowledge in designing programs for Performance, Fitness, and function.
I’m heading out to Cressey Sports Performance later on today to participate in the 10-year anniversary BBQ. Hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Eric, Pete, and myself opened up shop in the corner of an indoor batting facility in Hudson, MA and that CSP has grown to what it is today.
Even though I am no longer coaching there I wanted to thank everyone for their support of CSP (and by extension) this blog/website. Maybe when I arrive there today they’ll let me rehash Tony’s Techno Tuesdays for old times sake….;o)
I’m really excited to announce the Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop, coming to Boston (finally!) later this summer.
NOTE: Next week the early-bird special ends, so act quickly. Price will jump up to $249. Availability has been capped at 30 seats due to space, and there’s 10 left.
The idea is simple: there’s a corner in the industry that’s underserved….mental skills.
There are a lot of people out there who write about “mindset” and describe themselves as mindset coaches (whatever the heck that means) who, by and large, have zero academic background in that department.
Lisa, SPOILER ALERT: she’s my wife, went to school for that shit.
I went to school to help turn people into badasses.
So, why not combine the two?
Lisa can speak to building competency and discussing how to build the skills to develop rapport with clients. I can speak to getting people bigger, stronger, and faster.
Strong Body-Strong Mind = see you there? Here’s the itinerary12
Our Vancouver shindig in April sold out, but Dean and I have recently announced a stop in Orlando, FL later this year, October 21-22nd at Spark Fitness.
UPDATE: We’ve also added Boston into the mix later this year as well. Like, IN Boston. Stayed tuned for details coming soon.
I’ve never been to Orlando. There’s no way in hell I’m visiting Disney World.
Adding chains into your training programs can look intimidating – especially the how? and why? parts of the equation. What’s more, chains are only for advanced lifters, right?
Trish sheds some light and answers all those questions.
Skipping a workout, hitting up Cold Stone Creamery while on a diet, not crying during an episode of This Is Us….all can be considered failures by some.
The mental gymnastics that goes on in some people’s minds and the all-or-nothing vibe that many gravitate towards when it comes to fitness, that they’re a failure if they don’t do “x” or they’re not as cool, sexy, or worthy because so and so can do “y,” is very common and can stall anyone’s progress.
Lets relax shall we?
Excellent pep-talk from Ryan in this one.
Social Media Shenanigans
Twitter
Client: “My last workout was too easy.”
Me: “Heavier dumbbells are located over there. Make it harder.”
