Categoriesbusiness Media

Should You Invest In Your Own Website?

My website – the one you’re reading right now – is, in many ways, a family member to me. I know it seems a little weird, borderline crazy, to refer to a website as a family member…but hear me out.

It gives me an immense sense of pride and accomplishment. It provides sustenance. And, much like what happens to you when you’re crazy Aunt Jane comes to visit, it can drive me batshit crazy sometimes.

This site has gone through several iterations and “face-lifts” through the years, and I’d like to use today to describe the journey as it’s a topic I am often asked from other fitness professionals:

– Why did you start it?

– How’d you do it?

– When and why did you decide to hire someone to make a customized site?

– What were the advantages (and disadvantages) of doing so?

– How long did you clench your sphincter when you realized how much it would cost?

I hope this helps.

Copyright: bowie15 / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Should You Invest In Your Own Website?

I believe the short answer here is a profound “yes!” Paying for (investing) in having a website professionally made is, in a roundabout way, a way of investing in yourself.

However, I could just as easily say “it depends,” and/or “only when the time is right.”

Out of the gate I don’t believe most need to worry about hiring someone to make them a customized site; at least not right away. The ROI just isn’t there when you only have a handful of clients to begin with and the only people reading your stuff is, well, lets be honest, your mom is the only one….;o)

I do feel it’s important for people to have access to you, though. Meaning, I think it behooves any fitness pro to have a generic website that explains who you are, your experience, maybe take the time to describe your ideal client, as well as your contact information.1

If you really want to throw people for a loop maybe include a video of you doing an interpretive dance to an Adele song. I don’t know, I’m just spit-balling here.

My First Website

Your first website doesn’t have to be all fancy pants. My first site was something I jimmy-rigged from Blogspot.com. I think it’s called Blogger.com now.

NOTE: there are plenty of free website to help you get started nowadays: WordPress, Medium, etc.

The main selling point was that it was free, idiot proof, and I could pick from several templates to get things up and running quickly.

It was 2006 and I had just started getting several articles published on T-Nation.com, so of course I needed my own website goddammit. You know, cause I was someone important and had important things to say.

I signed up for a free account and within minutes I had my very first website.

Regrettably, wading in a pool of my own bravado and naivete, I named my freshly minted website, of all things, “The G-Spot.”

My last name started with “G,” I thought it was witty, and there’s a reason why I never went into marketing. I’m sure if someone dug deep, they’d be able to find it.2

This all happened within a few months of me having moved to Boston right when I had started working at a posh club downtown. During my free time between clients I’d head to the cafe and write maybe two posts a week, mostly concentrating on common myths and misconceptions I’d come across via conversations with them:

  • Why Sit-Ups Are a Bad Idea
  • Did You Know Deadlifts Mold Badonkadonks?
  • Why Squats Are the Awesome
  • No, You Existential, Metrosexsual Douche, HAN SHOT FIRST

Alas, the “G-Spot” served it’s purpose. It allowed me a place to hang out with myself, an opportunity to practice my writing, and served as a “home base” for people to get a hold of me.

The Step-Up Blog

My big “blogging break” came a few months after starting The G-Spot. I had started working with a client who worked at the Boston Herald and she mentioned to me they were looking for someone to provide online content for their health/fitness blog.

She asked if I’d be interested, I said okay, and internet history was made.

Well, not really.

I did grow the “Step-Up” blog to one of the more frequented blogs on their site, and ended up staying there for close to two years, writing 3-5 posts per week. It was an awesome experience and definitely gave me some added prestige to be affiliated with a known brand.

During that time I continued to write for T-Nation, started getting courted by places like Men’s and Women’s Health3, and also helped start and co-found a little ol’ gym called Cressey Sports Performance.

Things were going well and it soon dawned on me it would work in my favor to start writing for myself again, on my own site

TonyGentilcore.com – #1

I still wasn’t at a point where I felt I needed to hire someone to customize a site for me. But I also recognized I didn’t want some vanilla looking site that looked like everyone else’s.

What to do, what to do?

I ended up trade-bartering services with a friend. I was good and making people diesel and he was good with 0’s and 1’s. I offered to write him several months of programming in exchange for a website.

BOOM.

Again, nothing too fancy…but a step above what most people had at the time. I even took the picture of that weight plate on the home page. No big deal.

My “homepage” was the blog itself, but I also added tabs like “Services,” and “Recommended Resources.” The latter two, in addition to the blog, allowed me a little more opportunity to monetize the site, which was a goal of mine all along.

TonyGentilcore.com – #2: When Shit Got Real

In 2009-2010 I decided it was time to put on my big boy pants on and hire someone to make a customize website for me.

At that point I had accumulated close to 5+ years of content and my blog was starting to become a legitimate added source of revenue via affiliate income and distance coaching inquiries.

I figured if I wanted to take my site to the next level I’d need to make it stand out. I reached out to Copter Labs, and they produced this gem:

It consisted of many of the same functions/features as the previous website, but looked way sexier and appealing, and had all the bells and whistles to boot.

It wasn’t cheap – to the tune of a few thousand dollars.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

via GIPHY

Putting things in perspective, though, I had reached a point in my career where investing in myself seemed a wise move.

You know the saying “you have to spend money to make money“?

It applied here.

The design and features alone weren’t the selling point for me, nor is it where I felt I received the most value.

It was the BENEFITS they provided.

First off, I have no effing clue how to make a website. I can barely run a microwave without blowing up my apartment.

Many companies make beautiful websites, but why I chose Copter Labs was because I knew they knew the fitness market.

Moreover, I knew they’d take care of every detail from the photography to the general functionality of the site.

It’s something I heard Mike Samuels write about recently:

“No one gives two shits about features.

What people care about is the BENEFITS.

What’s the specific outcome they’re going to get?

I see this a lot when I talk to clients for the first time.

You ask them why people should buy their product and they say things like –

– The design is incredible.
– They get a different task every day
– I only use the finest ingredients

Okay. Cool.

None of these are bad, but none of them compel people to buy either.

They’re very ‘nice’ … and nice is the most abhorrent, repugnant, obnoxious thing to be.

If you TRULY believe that these features matter, then run the ‘so that’ test on them.

For example –

‘The design is incredible SO THAT this course is much easier for people to follow than any other on the market.’

“I only use the finest ingredients SO THAT the meals stay fresher for longer, and taste so much better than generic, crappy microwave meals.”

However, this isn’t to short-change the importance of a baller design. I DO feel it matters, especially now, in an age where everyone is vying for everyone else’s attention.

I think one of the biggest things people don’t pay attention to is the value of design. A well designed website, visually appealing / aesthetically pleasing, one that stands out from the crowd, one that doesn’t look like it was built on top of a template, can, and almost always will separate you from the masses

[IMPORTANT NOTE: Assuming, of course, your content doesn’t suck]

People can tell the difference and know when they’re visiting a poorly designed website. What’s more, they can tell how it “feels” while using the site. It may seem low quality, hard to use, disorganized.

What’s the point of this site?

While it may seem obvious to the business owner, it’s never that obvious to the site’s visitor.

How does a potential client find what they’re looking for? Do they have to work at it, click a bunch of links and read through a bunch of unorganized copy? The site’s design and structure should lead them right to their answers.

A template can’t design a website for you. A site builder platform can’t either. Just like an app can’t be a personal trainer, an app can’t be a web designer either.

TonyGentilcore.com – #3

Maybe a year or so later I hired Copter Labs again to give the site a bit of a face-lift.

A crisper look to say the least.

And, what can’t be appreciated by a screenshot alone was the “flow” of the site. That was improved as well. If you had the ability to scroll down on the picture above you’d see an area to sign-up for my newsletter as well as links to all my social media accounts.

Flow is crucial.

It didn’t (and doesn’t) take a rocket scientist to navigate the site. If you wanted more info on me and what I was about you’d click the “About Tony” tab, if you wanted to read more articles I had written, you’d click “Articles” tab, or if you wanted to hear a cacophony of hip-hop horns all you had to do was click on my left forearm.

The ultimate Easter Egg.4

TonyGentilcore.com – #4

Is what your eyes are transfixed by today.

The last update was back in 2014 and at that time I had ZERO idea my site wasn’t compatible with mobile devices and tablets. I had noticed a slight drop in traffic which resulted in me eating more Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and watching Julia Roberts’ movies. It was a dark time in my life. I don’t want to talk about it.

Here I was thinking I lost my blogging mojo and that I should just give up and become a crazy cat lady, when the real issue was there were a fair number of people unable to read my site because they weren’t able to access it via their mobile devices.

Giving credit where it’s due, Copter Labs were a head of the curve, recognized the snafu, and went in and fixed it…amongst other things, like, connecting an email marketing platform to build targeted audience segments, and helping me to plan out a more diverse e-commerce section in the near future.

And, possibly, a photo gallery of my cat.

In reality, the site is always a work in progress. I am constantly tweaking this and changing that. And that’s the beauty of it: while the shell is 100% customized to me and my goals for the site, the deeper levels – adding services, speaking engagements, new resources, etc – are what I have control over at all times.

That’s That

This isn’t a love-letter to Copter Labs. And just to throw it out there I receive zero kickback from mentioning them.5

I wanted to write this today because it’s something I am constantly asked by many fitness pros, young and old, and I wanted to share my experience(s). I DO feel there’s value in hiring someone to customize a site for you, but would caution people to do so too quickly before they’re ready.

But if you are going to do it, there’s a lot of shady people out there. I’ve heard several stories of people spending several thousand dollars on website developers only to be disappointed, or worse, left empty handed.

I wouldn’t steer you in the wrong direction. I got your back. If this is something you’ve been on the fence on, consider my peeps at Copter Labs and give them a shout. They’ll take good care of you.

I’m out.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/7/17

Lisa and I (and Julian) are traveling back to Upstate NY this weekend to visit family and to both present at the SUNY Cortland Health & Wellness Conference. As you’re reading this we’re en route (and likely on our 11th pit-stop, give or take, to change a diaper or feed our little Gremlin).

Lets jump right to this week’s round-up.

Copyright: urfingus / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Stuff to Check Out Before You Read Stuff

1) Strong Body-Strong Mind – Toronto

Lisa and I are happy to announce we’re bringing back our Strong Body-Strong Mind workshop.

Last year we had the privilege of presenting together in Austin, TX and London, UK, and we’re elated to be heading to Toronto, Ontario to pick up where we left off.

In a nutshell I speak to a little assessment talk, program design, and breaking down technique on a few common lifts such as the squat, deadlift, get-up, and blindfolded chainsaw juggling, and Lisa speaks to more of the mindset side of the equation and how we can help build better rapport and “buy in” with our clients/athletes.

For more information and to sign up, please go HERE.

2) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Orlando

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.

You can go HERE for more details and to sign up.

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work

Complete Sports Conditioning – Mike Boyle

Sha-ZAM this is a doozy. I was sent an advance copy of Mike Boyle’s latest resource and while I’ve only just begun watching it, what I have seen is really, really, really good.

I mean, come on…it’s Mike Boyle.

The man has been coaching for 35+ years and knows a thing or two about how to prepare athletes well. I appreciate Mike’s candidness and no BS, commonsense approach.

You can currently purchase the entire set at $100 off the regular price, but it the sale ends TONIGHT (4/7).

Check it out HERE and hurry!

How to Improve Ankle Mobility and Stability – Brad Cox

The Biggest Problem for Personal Trainers – Michael Keeler

The “problem” doesn’t = lack of program design skills or the ability to name all the muscular attachments to the scapulae in alphabetical order (and in Latin). Nope, it has everything to do with a skill that’s becoming rarer and rarer in the fitness industry.

Lack of people skills.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Rack Pull-Up

I’m a huge fan of pull-ups/chin-ups. Pick your flavor. I find the ability to perform either of the two is a great litmus test of one’s upper body strength and overall body composition.

Copyright: dolgachov / 123RF Stock Photo

 

For many of my female clients both points are particularly true:

  • Getting strong enough to bang out one, if not several reps, is never going to be a bad thing from a strength standpoint.
  • And if they can perform several reps, it’s likely they have their body composition in check.

Unfortunately, not many women (and men too) can conquer the exercise on Day #1. It’s then on me to implement progressions that not only build context and prepare for the movement, but also builds confidence and elicits a training effect.

Priority #1 is MORE frequency. You’re not going to get better at hitting a pull-up/chin-up if you only train it once per week.  To that end there are several ways to break things down with floor-based drills (hollow position holds, push-ups, rollouts) in addition to drills hanging from an actual bar (straight-arm hangs, flexed-arm hangs, eccentric only, accommodating assistance).

One pulling variation I’ve been having my female clients perform of late is this:

Rack Pull-Up

 

Who Did I Steal It From: Fellow T-Nation contributor Paul Carter.

What Does It Do: This is an excellent exercise for a few reasons: it forces the feet out front which helps maintain “canister” position throughout (preventing excessive ribs flaring out and cranking through lumbar spine) in addition to allowing more t-spine extension and scapular retraction.

It’s also an excellent exercise that hammers the lats and I love how you can accentuate the “stretch” at the bottom.

Also, to steal a line of thinking from Paul, at the top, the legs should be parallel to the floor. Any higher and you gain a leverage advantage and they’re not as difficult.

My client Sara makes these look easy, but trust me they’re more difficult than she makes them look.

Key Coaching Cues: The foot position noted above is important, so don’t skip that part. I also like to tell people to think about “pulling through their elbows” and to think about keeping their shoulder blades in their back pocket.

This drill can be used for people who can’t yet perform a chin-up/pull-up or are looking to increase that number by building a little more pulling strength/volume.

Categoriescoaching Female Training

It’s Time for Women to Buy Into Strength Training

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of NY-based personal trainer, Meg Julian and covers a topic I feel is very important: the notion that some women still have a phobia about walking onto a weight room floor.

It’s gotten better in recent years, but there are still some roadblocks which Meg discusses below.

Enjoy.

Copyright: mavoimage / 123RF Stock Photo

 

It’s Time for Women to “Buy Into” Strength Training

Houston, we have a problem.

Most women understand the importance of strength-training, but there is still a full-blown phobia of the weight room floor.

In case you missed it, strength-training

  • Builds muscles,
  • Increases or maintains bone density,
  • Boosts mood by relieving stress and building confidence,
  • Helps fight against chronic disease and
  • Exponentially increases your awesomeness.

So what’s the hold-up?

This video might offer some clues:

 

Even though most women know they should be lifting, a number of factors inhibit the urge to actually cross over the threshold of the weight-room floor—which isn’t just disappointing, but bad for their health.

So how can we convince women to buy in to the idea of committing to the iron jungle?

John Kotter and Lorne Whitehead have a tremendous book, “Buy-In: Saving Your Good Idea From Getting Shot Down,” about the concept of getting others to buy into an idea. Kotter and Whitehead provide four reasons why a magnificent idea (see: strength-training) gets shut down:

  • Death by delay
  • Fear-mongering
  • Confusion
  • Character assassination

Let’s look at how these issues are often at play in women’s heads when it comes to strength-training.

Death by Delay  

We are great at finding a good reason to put off obligations… until Monday/after exams/once we get past the holidays. This can be a never-ending cycle,  Because a “good time” is never going to knock on the door and offer us Girl Scout cookies. The good news is that we can create “a good time.”  

The more we put off strength-training, the more our muscles, hormones and mind-set get stuck in the same old comfy rut. It doesn’t get easier. On top of that, women reach our peak bone mass in our 30s, which means fighting an uphill against osteoporosis going forward.   

Don’t delay. The time to start is now.

Fear-Mongering

There can be a lot of fear when starting to lift weights.  Fear of the unknown or looking like you have no idea what you are doing is something I often hear from clients, and that’s something that gets its own section, below.

In the meantime, we also might have a lingering fear of being watched or judged by others. I understand, but really, most people are either too focused on themselves to notice you or are praying you won’t take the piece of equipment they want to use. But to be safe, here is a list of gym etiquette rules.

If someone if making your feel uncomfortable, please alert the gym staff and they will handle it… because that’s not cool.  The gym setting shouldn’t be unlike any other public setting.  Think of the grocery store. Yes, there is a chance someone is looking at you and your cart, but so what? You need food and you need the benefits from strength-training.  

Fear of other’s sweat and grossness? Valid. But most gyms have antibacterial spray and paper towels  everywhere —which is better than most public settings. Just sayin’.

Confusion

Back to the fear of not knowing what to do.

I highly recommend hiring a personal trainer, even for a couple sessions, to show you the ropes. Some gyms even offer a complimentary training session or orientation to the facility. The money you invest in your health early on will save you from doctor’s bills in the future, so it’s a positive return on your investment.

If working with a trainer isn’t possible, here are some basic moves I put together to get started.

Character Assassination

This one is a heart-breaker, but I’ve seen it too many times before. It’s when women doubt themselves and their ability to reach their goals despite previous accomplishments or even before making any attempt. You might not believe you can be successful and that you don’t deserve to be on the weight-room floor. Well, consider this your personal invitation… because you do have a place among the bars, bells and cables.

Need more of boost? Again, I recommend a session or two with a trainer to affirm that you are capable of being “Queen of the Iron Throne.” Aside from that, tap into the power of  friends, family, social media or Beyoncé to encourage you to slay. It is essential to be your own cheerleader, rather than your enemy.

With all the benefits of strength-training, it’s time to quit talking yourself out of this wonderful process. Address your concerns and excuses, then move on. You’ll be glad you bought into this idea.

P.S. To crush any lingering concerns: You won’t bulk up, unless you’ve been blessed with the genetics of Xena Warrior Princess.

About the Author

If you enjoyed what you read, want to learn more or just need to know where to send the hate mail, visit me at https://trainermegj.wordpress.com, where you can subscribe to my weekly email dedicated to tips like these and improving technique and strength for obstacle course racing. You can also follow me on Instagram at @TrainerMegJ.

Megan Julian is a New York-based NASM Certified Personal Trainer, with additional certifications such as, FMS L2, NASM-CES and CFSC. She specializes in preparing brides for the big day, helping obstacle course racers improve their times and working with clients of all ages overcome injuries. In her free time, she enjoys running through the woods, jumping over walls and crawling under barbed wire — sometimes at events such as the World Championship Obstacle Course Race in Canada.

Sources

Buy-in Saving Your Good Idea From Getting Shot Down

John P. Kotter – Lorne A. Whitehead – Harvard Business Review Press – 2010

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 3/31/17

I’m in Vancouver!

Copyright: jakobradlgruber / 123RF Stock Photo

 

I’ve been before, back in 2014 for a friend’s wedding, and ever since I’ve been wanting to come back to visit.

It’s a lovely place…prime with excellent food, culture, and scenery. I’m here because Dean Somerset and I are teaching our Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint this weekend. I came a day early so I had a day to walk around, explore, and marinate in introvert heaven.

As most of you know I have an 8-week old back in Boston, and as anyone who has a child knows, there’s little “me time” in that mix. You’re always on, ready to bust into action – whether it’s to feed or perform an emergency diaper change – at any moment.

Even when things are seemingly quiet you’re on high-alert. Every noise coming through the baby-monitor comes with a degree of jumpiness, unease, and foreboding.

It’s like adult Spidey-sense

Except in this case, instead of an extraordinary ability to sense imminent danger, as a parent to an infant, this version of Spidey-sense gives you a sixth sense for blowout diarrhea and 2 AM whateverthefucks.

So, selfishly, I was very much looking forward to a day of being in my own thoughts, walking around the city, and having a restful night of sleep in my hotel room watching Netflix and eating German chocolate cake.6

It was glorious.

I’m actually sitting in a coffee shop as I write this and then doing a staff in-service at TWIST Conditioning Vancouver this afternoon. Later on I’ll meet up with Dean and we’ll head to Langley, BC for our workshop at All Around Fitness this weekend.

Stuff to Check Out Before You Read Stuff

I got nothing, sorry. I want to bounce and go walk around.

Stuff to Read

Capacity vs. Conditioning – Dan Frantz

 

As a follow up to THIS post I wrote last week, and Mike Connelly’s guest post that followed suit, The Art of Getting Your Shit Together, this post by Dan Frantz speaks to our constant struggles to incessantly compare ourselves to others and do what they do.

How to Hit a Triple Bodyweight Deadlift – Mike Sirani

You know I’m a sucker for a good deadlift article.

A Deep Investigation Into the Safety & Performance of the Deep Squat Part 1 – Dan Pope

This is an older article (2015, not that old) but just came across it other day and had to share. Excellent stuff by Dan.

Also, if it peaks your interest (and it should, I have excellent in taste in articles) HERE’s part two.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

**Maybe check out some of the comments in this one?….particularly by @Realfitnessformums. She had some issues with this video which I felt were kind of shortsighted and woefully out of context.

CategoriesAssessment Corrective Exercise

Foam Rolling: This Is How We Roll

Foam rolling was never a “thing,” at least in mainstream fitness circles, until the early 2000’s. Since then it seems you can’t lift a weight or make a tuna salad without first taking yourself through a myriad of foam rolling drills to ensure “safety.”

Do I have my clients foam roll? Yes. Do I feel it’s imperative? It depends. In today’s guest post by Dr. Nicholas Licameli, he sets the record straight on what foam rolling is and what it isn’t

Copyright: tammykayphoto / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Foam Rolling: This Is How We Roll

In the fitness world, foam rolling has become just about as popular as yoga pants, bright stretchy shirts with motivational and quirky quotes, and transformation pictures on Instagram. That being said, a foam roller can be an effective tool, if used correctly.

Some buzz terms you may have heard when it comes to foam rolling are muscle lengthening, breaking down scar tissue, freeing up adhesions, remodeling of collagen, curing cancer, etc., however recent research does not support these claims as the mechanism by which foam rolling works.

In reality, we as humans cannot produce the amount of force necessary to remodel our tissues. Our tissues are much more resilient than that. It actually takes thousands of pounds of force to accomplish this, which is probably a good thing because we don’t want our tissues breaking up or remodeling when we’re carrying groceries, sitting on a park bench, squatting with 500lbs on our backs, or anytime we put weight into them.4,5,8

Last time I checked, no one is foam rolling with that much force!

But…We Feel Better and “Looser” After We Foam Roll. Why????

The mechanism by which foam rolling works seems to be neurophysiological rather than physical.

Neurophysio what? Neurophysiological.

This means that foam rolling induces a global decrease in muscle tone. Muscle tone is the continuous passive contraction of a muscle controlled subconsciously by the brain. In other words, it’s a muscle’s resistance to passive stretch. Tone is created by a constant subconscious message from the brain telling a muscle to contract. Many times the sensation of muscle “tightness” has more to do with tone and less to do with actual muscle length.

This is similar to how pain is perceived. Pain is a sensory input. Foam rolling adds a sensory input (the pressure) to override another sensory input (tightness or pain) to disrupt that subconscious message between the brain and the muscle to contract or perceive pain.1,6,8 This is why we feel better, looser, and less pain after foam rolling.

A Word (Or two. Or three.) On the Iliotibial Band (IT-Band)

By understanding the neurophysiological mechanism by which foam rolling works, it is now clear why you should NEVER FOAM ROLL THE IT-BAND.

The IT-band is a long tendon that has connections to the hip musculature, lateral quads, and lateral hamstrings…but it is only a tendon, not a muscle.

It is not made up of contractile tissue and therefore cannot have tone. The IT-band becomes tight as a result of increased muscle tone of its muscular attachments.

Think of it like this…imagine attaching the rear bumpers of two tractor-trailers with a chain. Both drivers hit the gas and the trucks try to move away from each other, increasing tension on the chain. In order to lessen the tension on the chain, it’s obvious that you would have the drivers ease off the gas. The chain itself does not cause the tension. The force of the trucks causes the tension.

The same goes for the IT-band. To improve IT-band tightness with a foam roller, focus on the hip musculature, lateral quads, and lateral hamstrings. By rolling directly over the IT-band, you are only causing yourself pain, which is most likely causing a global increase in muscle tone throughout the body.

Great Let’s Get Rolling! I’m Going to Foam Roll Every Muscle of My Body 3x/day For the Rest of My Life!

Not so fast.

The above-mentioned benefits of foam rolling seem to be very short lived. If you spend 10, 20, or 30 minutes foam rolling different muscle groups, by the time you’re done, you’ve likely lost the benefits of the first 5-10 min.

Although the research has not shown an optimal dosage for foam rolling, it has been shown that short bouts of 10-60 seconds is effective.7,8,9 That being said, do not focus on time. Focus on “feel.” Feel that muscle release!

Don’t just roll and roll and roll.

Note From TG: ^^^ Sorry, I couldn’t resist. And, you’re welcome.

Start off with a slow, steady roll covering the entire muscle group scanning the area for tender spots. Think of scanning the area as a blind person would scan a new environment.

Once you find a tender spot, pause and hold on that spot until a release is felt and the tenderness lessens. Follow this up with another slow, steady roll over the entire muscle just like you started. It is true that foam rolling should be a bit painful, but too much pain will cause an increase in muscle tone, which, as previously mentioned, is exactly the opposite of what we want to do.

More pain is not better. Better quality is better.

Foam rolling should be done with a specific purpose targeting specific muscles (see a qualified healthcare practitioner to pinpoint target areas specific to you). Stop mindlessly flailing around on the dirty gym floor rolling every muscle of your body. Foam rolling should address a specific movement that is limited.

ALWAYS TEST/RETEST.

Test/retest means you test a movement (like a squat) before and after performing soft tissue work to determine if there was any significant change. A useful way to do this is between warm up sets.

So I Understand That the Benefits of Foam Rolling Are Relatively Short Lived, but Can Foam Rolling Help Achieve Long-Term Improvements in Tissue and Movement Quality?

Yes!

That is where loaded movements come in. During the window following foam rolling, it is important to load the movement that you are trying to improve. This is why I recommend performing soft tissue work between your warm up sets.

It will allow you to test/retest as well as gradually load the movement, given you are gradually increasing load with each warm up set.

Take a squat for example.

You feel tightness and restriction in your hips halfway into the descent of your squat. You test and retest your squat and notice you are able to squat deeper and with less tightness. As you load the squat and work up to your working/heavier sets, this newly achieved movement pattern will be trained.

Training this movement with loads will, over time, lead to long term improvements in tissue and movement quality.2,8   Foam rolling can also be a great way to kick-start the recovery process by tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system, but that’s for a different article.

So do not fall victim to the latest trend or claims from gurus. I hope this helps shed some light on what foam rolling is, what it isn’t, how it works, and how to implement it into your training routine.

Let’s roll!

Author’s Bio

Dr. Nicholas M. Licameli, PT, DPT

Nick’s passion lies between his love for the journey of bodybuilding, education, spreading happiness, and helping others. He views bodybuilding through the eyes of a physical therapist and physical therapy through the eyes of a bodybuilder. Nick is a doctor of physical therapy and professional natural bodybuilder. He graduated summa cum laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey with his bachelor’s degree in biology, then furthered his education by completing his doctoral degree in physical therapy from Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences (previously the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) at the age of 24. His knowledge of sport and exercise biomechanics, movement quality, and the practical application of research combined with personal experience in bodybuilding and nutrition allows him to help people in truly unique ways. Passion. Respect. Humility.

References

  1. Andersen, L. L., Jay, K., Andersen, C. H., Jakobsen, M. D., Sundstrup, E., Topp, R., & Behm, D. G. (2013). Acute effects of massage or active exercise in relieving muscle soreness: Randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(12), 3352-3359.[PubMed]
  2. “Andrew Vigotsky: Foam Rolling”. Iraki Nutrition Podcast. N.p., 2016. Web. 22 May 2016.
  1. Beardsley, Chris, and Andrew Vigotsky. “Foam rolling and self-myofascial release. “www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com. N.p., n.d. Web 19 Sept. 2016. https://www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com/foam-rolling-self-myofascial-release/
  2. Chaudhry, H., Schleip, R., Ji, Z., Bukiet, B., Maney, M., & Findley, T. (2008). Three-dimensional mathematical model for deformation of human fasciae in manual therapy. JAOA: Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 108(8), 379-390.[PubMed]
  3. Chaudhry, H., Bukiet, B., Ji, Z., Stecco, A., & Findley, T. W. (2014). Deformations experienced in the human skin, adipose tissue, and fascia in osteopathic manipulative medicine. Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 114(10), 780-787.[PubMed]
  4. Goats, G. C. (1994). Massage–the scientific basis of an ancient art: Part 2. Physiological and therapeutic effects. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 28(3), 153-156.[PubMed]
  5. MacDonald G., Penney M., Mullaley M., Cuconato A., Drake C., Behm D.G., Button D.C. An acute bout of self myofascial release increases range of motion without a subsequent decrease in neuromuscular performance. J of Strength Cond Res. 2012. (published ahead of print).
  1. “Mobility Myths With Dr. Quinn Henoch- Foam Rolling”. JTSstrength.com. N.p., 2016. Web Sept. 2016.
  1. Sullivan, K. M., Silvey, D. B., Button, D. C., & Behm, D. G. (2013). Roller-massager application to the hamstrings increases sit-and-reach range of motion within five to ten seconds without performance impairments.International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 8(3), 228.[PubMed]
Categoriespersonal training Program Design Strength Training

Maybe Your Shoulder Hurts Because Your Technique Sucks

Full Disclosure: I am not a fantastic presser. I’m not going to sit here and attempt to regal you with stories from high-school where I used to drive a Camaro, hookup with the Prom Queen, and bench 405 for reps (you know, before that nasty football injury in the State Championship ruined everything).7

Nope, this is not that kind of story. I recognize the bench press often serves as a litmus test for general level of badassery, but I’ve always considered myself an average presser (personal best of 315 lbs at a bodyweight of sexy). Or, in Dave Tate’s words “I suck.”8

Copyright: shakzu / 123RF Stock Photo

 

I know how to coach it, however, and have worked with many people in my years at Cressey Sports Performance and now presently, at my studio CORE, to hone their bench press prowess. More commonly, though, is helping people work around a nagging shoulder injury.

NEWSFLASH: Many people complain that the bench press bothers their shoulder.

And while the first inclination is to nix the bench press altogether and jump into corrective exercise mode and start having people blow into balloons or perform any number of thoracic mobility or scapular stability drills to get at the (possible) root of the problem, I feel we sometimes need to pump the brakes.

Telling a guy to stop bench pressing is tantamount to this:

I mean, I agree that for many people their upper back mobility is atrocious and that it’s likely a very good use of their time to address it. And yes, some people may have gunky tissue quality or less than exemplary scapular stability or kinematics which likely is playing a significant role in their ouchie shoulder.

A thorough assessment or appointment with a manual therapist can hopefully help.

But too, maybe the reason why someone’s shoulder(s) hurt during bench pressing is because their technique makes my eyes bleed?

*shrugs*

Maybe all they need is a little more coaching. As I always say:

“Correct movement can be corrective.”

This is why, when someone’s shoulder hurts during the bench press, my first “tier” to attack is technique. The fitness industry has become too corrective at the expense of coaching our athletes/clients. Taking the 5-10 minutes to address someone’s set-up can make a huge difference in how the movement feels.

  • Are they driving their upper traps into the bench?
  • Are they getting their scapulae retracted and depressed?
  • Do they press the bar up and out of the j-hooks, or do they “guide” the bar out?
  • Do they “let the bar settle” before they lower it?
  • Do they “meet the bar with their chest? Or do they allow their shoulders to roll forward?

All of these can be easy-to-fix snafus that may eliminate any shoulder discomfort during the bench press.

Bench Press Set-Up

 

What happens if you address technique, it’s sound, and the bench press still hurts? You can still implement other pressing variations that can work in the interim while you address the root cause(s).

Decline Bench Press

 

Think about what’s not happening during a decline bench press as opposed to a flat or incline bench variation?

In a decline there’s less shoulder flexion involved which helps keep many trainees out of the “danger zone” of shoulder pain. So if flat bench pressing hurts you may be able to get away with a decline.

Spoto Press (Invisible Board Press)

 

A common flaw I see is some people have a hard time “meeting the bar with their chest” and end up having their shoulders roll forward as they lower the barbell.

Popularized by Bench Press Captain America, Eric Spoto (722 lbs, unequipped), the Spoto Press is a variation to combat this where you stop the bar a few inches above the chest, pause, and then press back up.

When In Doubt, Use Dumbbells

When you grab a barbell with a pronated (overhand) grip, you “lock” the humerus in an internally rotated position which can be problematic since it narrows the acromion space.

Using dumbbells alleviates this issue because you can nudge a little more external rotation by adopting a neutral grip. This is a major reason why I prefer DB pressing variations for overhead athletes as opposed to straight bar.

Corrective Pressing Variations That Don’t Feel Corrective

While not always the case, a common thread I see when it comes to shoulder pain is the INability of the shoulder scapulae to be able to move. In order to move big weight you need to respect tension and stability. In some cases, however, the shoulder blades are kinda “stuck” (usually downward rotation) and lack the ability to move through a full ROM.

It’s still vital to be able to access scapular movement for overall shoulder health.

When this happens I prefer to use pressing variations that allow for a little more wiggle room. As in: we allow the shoulder blades a little breathing room. Push-ups will always be my first choice here. But relax, I recognize most would rather swallow a live grenade than read more about push-ups.

For those interested you can READ this brief article.

Off-Bench DB Press

 

Scooting a smidge to the side of a bench will allow more scapular movement. What’s nice about this exercise is that it’s also a great core exercise (you have to fire like crazy in order to not fall off the bench) in addition to an awesome way to further engage the glutes. You can’t quite see it with the angle of this video, but I’m also situated further down on the bench so my lower half isn’t resting on it.

Bottoms-Up Press – Off Foam Roller

I snaked this one off Dr. Joel Seedman. Using a KB and holding it in the bottoms-up position is a fantastic way to ramp up rotator cuff activation…you really have to fight to stabilize and keep the joint centrated.

Moreover, by lying on the foam roller the shoulder blades are now able to move to a higher degree. And, much like the off-bench variation above, there’s also a high degree of glute engagement as well as foot and ankle engagement.

And That’s That

Don’t be so quick to bust out the band external rotations and t-spine drills. Addressing technique on the bench press can be every bit as corrective in terms of addressing shoulder pain. Likewise, don’t be so quick to omit all pressing variations. All aren’t equal and it oftentimes is a matter of choosing the right variation for the individual and nice vice versa.

Press on.

Categoriescoaching

Listening: A Lost Skill of Coaching

I had a busy weekend moving and our new apartment currently looks like a HAZMAT scene. My hands are full figuring out where to put my Blu-Ray collection and fancy towels. Luckily my good friend and fellow coach, Kim Lloyd, was kind enough to pinch-write for me today.

How good of a listener are you when you’re coaching?

Copyright: ammentorp / 123RF Stock Photo

I came into this industry later than most. I quit my job to do an internship at Cressey Sports Performance when I was 38 years old – older than all of the coaches at CSP and most of the clients.

Note From TG: ahem, not older than all the coaches.

I spent the bulk of my internship and even my first few months as a coach stressing about how much I didn’t yet know. Periodization, how to do a half-kneeling 1-arm manual resistance with external rotation at 90 degrees, valsalva breathing (wasn’t the valsalva that hangy ball thing in your throat?)…the list went on and on.

As I was busy cramming my brain with the ins and outs of exercise physiology, it became easy to lose track of what coaching is really all about.

Listening.

It isn’t what you say to your client. It’s what your client is willing to say to you. Yes knowledge is important. But that whole business about two ears and one mouth and using them in that order?

That’s coaching.

Sure you have to know anatomy and exercises in order to help clients, but the knowledge does nothing if you can’t get to the heart of what motivates them and what’s important to them.

Listening by itself isn’t an easy skill.

Every morning on my drive in to work I either listen to a podcast or an Audible book (although somedays it’s Whitney Houston, because you know, Whitney Houston.) And without fail, at some point during my 50 minute commute, I’m reaching to hit the 10 or 30 second rewind button because I zoned out.

Recent research suggests that humans now really do have the attention span of a goldfish. According to a 2015 study from the Microsoft Corporation, people now lose concentration after eight seconds, where the goldfish can actually concentrate for nine seconds. Back in 2000, we could concentrate for a whopping 12 seconds. But not any more.

Note From TG: Unless you’re a twelve year old kid.9 I give you exhibit A:

So what does that mean for us as coaches?

We all fall into the trap of constantly “nexting,” as author Daniel Goleman reminds us in the book Primal Leadership. I know I often catch myself in a conversation with a client waiting to talk as opposed to actively listening. She just said something that reminds me of a great post I read about core training and I know exactly what she needs to do.

If she would only stop talking so I could fix it.

Actively listening means responding to the client in a way that makes her feel understood. That sounds easy, but training ourselves to stop, pay attention, and be present with someone is as much a matter of practice and conditioning as any exercise set we assign. I’ve found that the following tips help:

1) Maintain Eye Contact

No, not in a creepy, bug eyed way.

In a way that is absorbing the entirety of what’s being said. You’re looking at the client and watching her facial expressions and nodding when it’s appropriate. Our clients need to know we’re listening.

This can be tough to do if a client decides to divulge some important information to you while you’re in the middle of a session with three other people, but in this case, I try to schedule another time to talk. Hey, you’ve got some important stuff to say and I want to give you my full attention, so let’s talk about this after the session.

2) Don’t Interrupt

Have you ever tried to tell a story and had someone finish your sentence for you? But not in a cute, we’ve-been-married-for-fifty-years kind of way. More in a what-the-hell-I-was-just-pausing-to-breathe-it’s-not-an-invitation kind of way.

Stop doing that. No really. Cut it out.

Listen to the whole sentence. And then listen to the next whole sentence. And wait until there’s more than a 0.5 second break to start talking. In fact, wait several seconds. Make sure you’ve heard her. Reflect what she’s told you to make sure you understand.

3) Don’t Give Advice

This is a tough one and is the staple of motivational interviewing. You’re not so much solving the problem for a client as helping them solve it themselves. You can guide the process, but telling people what to do isn’t the same as having them come up with the solution on their own. To help them get to that solution, you have to be paying attention to the information they give you, and absorbing enough to point out connections they may not have initially recognized.

4) Empathize

Some coaches are naturally empathetic. And some are guys.

Note From TG: ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh10, snap.

Just kidding guys, just kidding.

Empathy comes naturally to many of us in this industry – it’s why, hopefully, we are in the business of helping others. According to Brene Brown, who did all kinds of research on vulnerability and empathy, the very definition of empathy is “feeling with people.”

Rarely does an empathetic response start with the phrase “At least.”

“I just had shoulder surgery.”

“At least you have one good arm.”

Um, yup. Thanks for that. Makes my spending six weeks in a sling and six months doing rehab completely better.

Good coaching has many components, and we are all working tirelessly to figure out what those pieces are. But I know for me as a client or a patient, the most satisfying and important criteria in choosing who I’ll work with is a feeling that I’ve been heard. That you are not just nodding and smiling and waiting for your turn to talk.

And I believe all of our clients want the same.

Author’s Bio

Kim is a former Cressey Sports Performance intern, and currently works as a strength coach at Spurling Fitness in Kennebunk, Maine. Prior to working in the fitness industry Kim worked in college athletics as a softball, lacrosse, and cross country coach. She has a Masters in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University and is a proud graduate of Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.
She maintains a website at www.kimlloydfitness.com
Facebook: HERE
Instagram: HERE
CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 3/24/17

Lisa and I are right smack dab in the middle of moving this week. All with a 7-week old in tow. It’s not been fun. In fact, I’d garner a guess that a colonoscopy would be more fun that what we’re going through right now.

Alas, the show must go on….

Copyright: urfingus / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Stuff to Check Out Before You Read Stuff

1. Just Announced

Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Orlando

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.

You can go HERE for more details and to sign up.

2. SUNY Cortland Health & Wellness Conference – Cortland, NY, April 8th.

I’ll be at my alma mater the weekend of April 8th speaking at what I believe is the 4th or 5th annual SUNY Cortland Conference. Other guest speakers include my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, Mark Fisher, Brian St. Pierre, and Dr. David Just.

For more information you can go HERE.

3. Complete Preparation for the High School Athlete – April 1-2nd, New Jersey

Two coaches I respect a ton and had the luxury of working with for a few years when I was at Cressey Sports Performance, Greg Robins & Tony Bonvechio, will be hosting this all-inclusive event at the Annex Sports Performance Center in Chatham, NJ next weekend.

They’ll give a detailed look into how they train and prepare high-school athletes (ages 13-18) covering everything from assessment and building a winning culture to program design and myths and fallacies regarding how to really train for speed and acceleration.

For more information go HERE.

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work

The Speed Encyclopedia – Travis Hansen

Guess what this manual doesn’t cover? The incessant use of speed ladders and foot drills. If you want to get your athletes fast, they have work on getting stronger. And, yes, some attention to detail on sprinting mechanics and joint angles need to enter the mix too.

Travis has put together and really detailed manual and something I feel is one of the best resources out there on the topic.

6 Tips for Writing Conditioning Programs – Mike Robertson

How in the hell did I miss this one when Mike first published it back in November? Shame on me. Well, better late than never.

Awesome stuff from Mike per the usual.

Progress is Progress and Fat Loss is Not Linear – Stacey Schaedler

This is a message I have to remind my clients about all the time: Progress IS progress. Some excellent real world examples given by Stacey in this article.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

Here’s one of my female clients, Emily, hitting some Landmine Deadlifts. She’s very close to hitting a 200 lb straight bar deadlift, but I find hitting a “traditional” deadlift variation (conventional, Sumo, trap bar) more than once a week can (not always) be a bit much for trainees from a neural fatigue standpoint. That said, training the hip hinge more than 1x per week IS important and very doable. We just need to understand that we don’t always have to load it heavy. This variation is one of my favorite spine sparing ways to deadlift and help keep people fresh long-term. Pretty darn good technique here too. Nice hip snap at top and she keeps lats on (arms long) throughout so her shoulders don’t roll forward. Addendum: maybe neural fatigue wasn’t the right choice of words to use here. However there is something to be said about implementing less “aggressive” variations into the mix to help nudge more frequency without killing people. That’s the real lesson here.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

Categoriesbusiness

The Art of Getting Your Shit Together

Getting your shit together is a skill that escapes even the best intentioned and seemingly organized people. This is especially true in the fitness industry, where the expectation is we work while others don’t. All…the…time.

In today’s guest post by Chicago-based strength coach, Mike Connelly, owner of Rebell Strength & Conditioning, he shares some of his insights on how to balance the teeter-tottering of work/life balance.

Copyright: vicnt / 123RF Stock Photo

The Art of Getting Your Shit Together

If you read Tony’s last blog, The Grind: Hashtags, BS, Truth, and a Little Too Much at Times, and found yourself questioning your value in “the grind” then I have some good news for you. You’re not alone. I hate “the grind”. Can’t stand it.

You know what I like? I like spending time with my wife and daughter. I like going out for some drinks with my friends on the weekends. I like reading books that have nothing to do with what I do for a living. I like watching documentaries. I just really, really, really like not working.

There, I said it and I meant it.

Don’t get me wrong. I do like coaching people. I like managing a team, setting goals, and accomplishing goals too. But, and I’m going to steal a gem of a thought from our industry, I want to use the minimum effective dose to get that shit done.

If we want to cut the fat off of our work load then we are going to have to first determine what is fat and what is essential to our success. It takes some effort and help to get your shit together but I can tell you, without hesitation, that it is well worth the trouble.

Here’s a couple of things that helped me get my shit together. I hope they help you too!

1) Make Sure You’re On the Right Path.

We spend a lot of time outside of ourselves these days. We are heavily influenced by the outside world, leaving little to nothing coming from within ourselves. That can be a huge detriment to our productivity. A lack of confidence in creating our own paths leads us to chasing someone else’s and we end up completely void of any idea of what WE want out of this.

When I first started coaching I had this idea that I wanted to be that guy that can rattle off a bunch of science terminology and statistics from studies and that would legitimize me as a coach. I was overcompensating for never having finished school and thought it was going to keep me from ever being successful.

I wanted to follow the path of the coaches I admired, which is logical. Here’s the thing though, I was chasing a ghost. I am not the coaches I admire. I am just me and that’s just fine. I don’t have a laundry list of pro athletes that I train. I do work with some, but the overwhelming majority of my business is with general population clients.

Do they need me to recite Anatomy Trains to them for them to achieve their goals? Nope. Do I need to revolutionize training to grow my business and make people happy? Nope.

Here’s what I need:

  • I need to create a community that provides comfort and motivation to those that choose to be a part of it.
  • I need to be competent in the basic training facets. In my book, that’s one form of an assessment, one method of movement preparation, a solid template to build my programs from and an understanding of what differentiates programs, and a reliable network that I can refer my clients to should a problem arise that is outside of my lane.

Believe me, if you find one of each of these facets, that is all you need. If it works, it works. No need to pile on.

The point here is that while it took a while, I have finally found MY path. In discovering that, I have been able to cut the fat off of my to do list and save myself a ton of time. If you want to know what will make you happy in your work, the answer lies within you and not on social media.

2) Huge Dumps Are Healthy.

For a very long time I lived under the lie that I didn’t need to write things down to be organized and productive. My thought was that my accomplishments to this point were proof that my “system” worked.

That’s special, isn’t it?

What I was disregarding is the fact that regardless of what my perception of my level of success and happiness to this point was (which were somewhat miraculous considering the dumpster fire that I have going on in my head sometimes), tightening the screws on your processes is never a bad idea.

Enter the brain dump.

Every Sunday I perform a ritual. I lather myself in shea butter, light my favorite candles, put on some Yanni and spend an hour inside my head. Some of that is true. Well, ok, it’s an hour that I spend inside my head.

It is somewhat of a ritual though.

I do get away from “the noise” to center myself and dig through the rocks inside my head. Not literal rocks, although if you have met me before you may wonder. I use “rocks” in the sense that it is used in Gino Wickman’s book, Traction. “Rocks” are the big things that I want to get done in the long term. They are my big goals that are comprised of a ton of smaller points to work through.

While a legit list of “rocks” is going to be relatively small, the action steps that get you to your “rocks” can be lengthy and hard to keep track of. Unless of course you take some time every week to check yo’self.

A good brain dump will clear your head, relieve you of stress, and leave you with a list of steps that will help you dominate your work week in a clean and efficient manner. Knock that shit out every Sunday afternoon and I will bet you dollars to donuts that you will sleep like a baby come Sunday night. That’s right! No more Sunday Scaries (that’s what my wife calls stressed induced insomnia)!

Brain dumps are not only good for clearing your head, but they will keep you laser focused throughout the week. Keep that list with you and use it as a guideline for what you need to get done. This will keep people like me that get distracted by shiny objects on task. It might take some practice and getting used to, but once you get it down you will not know how you survived without it!

3) Find Your Bible

Now that you’ve dumped your brain out what are you going to do with what you came up with?

Figuring this out wasn’t easy for me because even though I had started doing my brain dumps, I was still left with the task of organizing all of it’s products. It’s a legit obstacle that presents itself in different ways to everyone. The key is to find some sort of tool that works best with how your brain works.

My good friend, Todd Bumgardner, uses a notebook. He’s a hipster. If something like that works for you, go for it.

I need a little more structure and flow. Something that looks and performs cleaner. For me, the Action Day Planner works like a charm. It has a simple and manageable layout that does not confuse my apish mind.

Does it matter what you use?

No. Just use something that you can log all of your brain dumps and weekly notes in for easy reference. Anything above legal paper folded into your pocket should suffice but it’s going to depend on your style and what you need to keep up with the task. I suggest that you not just buy any old planner. Shop around and flip through them until you find one that makes sense to you.

And That’s That

There it is. Three things that will help you organize your grind and leave you with as much time as possible to do the things that we actually want to do. And let’s face it, if you are telling us that working more is something you actually want to do, you are full of it.

If you would like to gain a deeper understanding of how I have successfully organized my time and so much more, join us in Chicago on May 6th and 7th for the Spring Strength Faction Seminar. HERE is a link with more information