CategoriesWriting

4 Ways to Become a Better Fitness Writer

I recognize this post won’t resonate with some of you reading. For many a post about fitness writing is about as exciting as watching NASCAR or, I don’t know, a documentary about tree bark.

That said, I have long championed the idea that the ability to write – and write well – is an undervalued skill that would behoove many fitness professionals to indulge in.

Why does it matter?

  1. It’s a great way to separate yourself from the masses and to leverage your ability to create additional revenue streams.
  2. Also, everybody knows basic human decency and decorum revolves around the appropriate and valid use of the Oxford comma.

Fear not!

This post will not deteriorate into a diatribe on grammar or any “rules” centered on writing. Instead, the purpose of today’s post is to provide some palatable, bite-sized insights – based mostly off my own experience – on how you can become a better (fitness) writer if that’s something you’re interested in.

Copyright: rangizzz / 123RF Stock Photo

I Write Stuff

Growing up I never thought those words would define me in any significant way. To be fair, when I was growing up in the 80’s and 90’s my goal(s) in life were to beat Mike Tyson in Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, have the ability to talk to animals, and becoming an honorary member of the “Bash Brothers.”

I wasn’t much of a reader, nor writer as a kid.

Sure, I read Encyclopedia Brown and Choose Your Own Adventure books, but the bulk of my reading as a kid growing up in middle-of-no-where central New York consisted of Sports Illustrated and The Source magazine.

“Writing,” for the most part, consisted of nothing more than me curating varying iterations of that year’s MLB All-Star team; going so far as to drum up my own 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Divisional All-Star teams.

Yeah, you’re welcome Tim Teufel.1

I never thought in a million years I’d be a writer, much less get paid to do it. I often joke that if my high-school English teacher, Ms. Davie, ever found out I was a published author she’d likely die of elevated levels of flabbergastedness.

Nevertheless, here we are.

The other day on Instagram I made mention of a recent book purchase: Kurt Vonnegut & Suzanne McConnell’s “Pity the Reader:  On Writing With Style.”

I noted in the caption that I place a lot of value in my growth and maturation as a writer – an adequate one at best – on my proclivity to READ books written by authors on their writing process.

Their thought process, how they structure a sentence (a paragraph, a story), how to better engage the reader, them pontificating on their struggles and subsequent caffeine consumption, and, sure, whether or not they use a semicolon (;)…is fascinating to me.

SIDE NOTE: Kurt Vonnegut didn’t care for the semicolon, noting:

“Do not use semicolons. They represent nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.”

Sheepishly, I use the semicolon; I assume correctly.

Anyway, not to bore you with a detour, but my first introduction to Vonnegut was in my mid-to-late 20’s. I went through a hefty “Vonnegut phase” after a break-up.

Long story short: My girlfriend broke up with me, I was heartbroken, and I needed something to take my mind off her. One day I randomly came across a list online titled “Top 100 Ways to Spy On Your Ex and Not Get Arrested” “The Modern Library’s Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century.” I noticed some guy with the last name Vonnegut was on there numerous times – Cat’s Cradle & Slaughterhouse-Five – and that both novels were relatively short (a key factor, at that time, on whether or not I’d even attempt to read it).

I started with Cat’s Cradle.

BOOM.

I was hooked.

That summer I read in the ballpark of 15-20 novels from that same list (including the likes of Hemingway, Steinbeck, Lee, Salinger, and Nabokov).

But Vonnegut’s work was the one that resonated with me most.

I awed in its simplicity and beauty. Too, I was inspired by his uncanny ability to use humor in his writing. It’s not at all a stretch for me to say Kurt Vonnegut’s style of writing helped to shape mine.

To that end, and to get to the point already, I came up with a nifty (yeah, that’s right…nifty) graphic which displays my “formula” to becoming a better (fitness) writer.

1. Write

It’s that simple.

Just like you wouldn’t expect to get better at cooking, making your foul shots, or speaking Klingon without partaking in those activities ad nauseam…

…the same goes for writing.

You have to, you know, do it.

It’s a skill, like everything else, which requires repetition in order to master.

Moreover, and this is a point that’s lost on many people, writing doesn’t mean writing a novel. A Tweet counts as writing. An email counts as writing. Hell, a thank you letter counts as writing.

Take every opportunity, even the seemingly inconsequential ones, to hone the craft.

2. Read

Fiction, non-fiction, autobiographies, graphic novels, comic books, the Kama Sutra.

…read them all.

Immerse yourself in a diverse pool of prose.

Good writing is good writing.

I firmly believe those who are m0re avid (and diverse) readers tend to be better writers because, well, it just makes sense. Reading good writing is a splendid way to inspire your writing.

And speaking about books focused on writing, for those interested, here’s a picture I took from my own bookshelf:

3. Actually Workout and Coach People

One of the most common questions I’m asked from other fitness professionals is:

“Where do you come up with so many ideas to write about?”

See #2.

More to the point, however, there’s a reason why I don’t write about fixing cars, Rococo art, or how to train bomb sniffing dolphins.

None are my area of expertise.

I do, however, like to lift heavy things and actually coach people.

Both provide more than enough “meat” for me to write about.

Plus, and it saddens me I have to say this: I think if you’re going to write about fitness you should actually, you know, practice fitness.

It’s not hard to tell the difference between those articles written by people who actually workout and have experience coaching real people compared to those who do neither.

4. Seriously, Shut Up and Write

No, seriously…shut up.2

Writing is hard. What you write will be awful, likely for a long time. You will feel like an abject failure.

Welcome to the club!

Embrace the suck.

Write.

CategoriesWriting

Giving Credit Where It’s Due: A Simple Guide For Fitness Pros on Plagiarism

This post will be brief today.

While it may be a bit dearth in prose I hope to make up for it with ample bluster in message.

Here it is:

“Don’t be an asshole.“

It’s rather simple:

  • Call your mother.
  • Don’t recline your seat on an airplane.
  • Turn your phone off in the theater.
  • Give credit where it’s due and stop taking credit for work/ideas you didn’t come up with.
Copyright: sifotography / 123RF Stock Photo

I Don’t Get It

I can’t comprehend why some people risk their reputation and credibility plagiarizing the work of others.

– Is it for the additional clicks and page views?

– Is it due to our infatuation with “likes” and shares on social media and the facade of success it insinuates?

– Is it because some people just lack any form of original thought and commonsense?

I honestly don’t know the answer, and it dumbfounds me why some people would jeopardize their integrity at the prospect of maybe gaining more of a following, maybe generating a few more hits on their website, and/or maybe making a bit more money.

It seems obvious to me it’s not worth the risk given the fleeting euphoria of all of the above when news comes out you’re nothing more than a cut and paste hack.

There have been some egregious examples of plagiarism within the fitness industry of late.

My friend, Georgie Fear, used Facebook earlier this year to call out another fitness professional who was repeatedly copying her work. She only went public after all previous attempts to rectify the situation privately failed to stick.

I’m not gonna lie, it made for great reading.

via GIPHY

Likewise, Sohee Lee took matters into her own hands not too long ago and took another fitness pro to task for blatantly taking credit for her work (and other’s)…repeatedly.

You can read about it HERE.

Heck, I remember a few years ago, when I was still at Cressey Sports Performance, Pete Dupuis typing CSPs mission statement into Google and watching, in a matter of 0.007 seconds, several examples popping up on screen of other fitness facilities having cut/pasted that – word for word – and using it as their own.

I mean, if you can’t even come up with your own mission statement for your facility why are you even in this industry?

What Is Plagiarism?

noun

pla·gia·rism

The practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own.

What Is Not Plagiarism?

Now that we’re all on the same page – thanks to Webster’s – of what plagiarism is, lets discuss what it is not.

Not Plagiarism

  • Anything that is not plagiarism.
  • A cheese sandwich, a free month’s subscription to Hulu, my wife’s curling iron, that weird oddly shaped mark on your left leg below your kneecap (you might want to get that checked out), anything else that’s not plagiarism.

It’s Simple

Go out of your way to give credit.

You will not lose demerit points and people will not think any less of you in doing so. Speaking on a personal level I can’t tell you how many times people have gone out of their way to commend me on my persistence to always give credit.

Whether I’m presenting or writing I’m always name dropping other coaches who’s information and intellectual prowess I borrow.

Here’s an example yesterday from my IG account:

And here’s an example from an article I wrote last week on this site:

In neither scenario did I risk my reputation, compromise my integrity, or spontaneously combust in a flash of ineptitude because I had the audacity (and conscious) to reference someone else’s work.

I didn’t lose credibility in anyone’s eyes (I think).

Give props, people.

It’s not that hard.

CategoriesWriting

How to Write Content That Will Get Read

Yesterday I made a cameo at a sports training facility located just outside of Boston where I was asked to come in and speak to the staff about writing. More specifically, they asked if I could come in and offer tips and insights on how they could go about writing more engaging content for their members and general public.

Copyright: michaklootwijk / 123RF Stock Photo

At first I was mystified. Me? Come in and speak about writing and the writing process? I’m not even a writer. I mean, I write, sometimes coherently. But I’m just a strength coach who happens to dabble in “writing.” What could I possibly have to offer that couldn’t be covered in, say, Stephen King’s On Writing or THIS excellent piece written by my boy Bryan Krahn a few years ago?

Then I thought about it for a second and looked at the facts:

1. On this website alone, counting this masterpiece (<— only a slight exaggeration), I’ve published 1,843 posts. Holy shit.

2. According to Alexa.com, today (September 21, 2016), my site ranks as the 275,122nd most visited in the world (77,401st in the U.S). I’m coming for you Yahoo. And it’s just me, a one-man show, tapping away on my keyboard.1

  • For the record: You’re doing pretty good for yourself if you’re under the 1-million marker.

3. I’ve also had the honor of having my work printed in many of the most reputable fitness sites & publications in the industry: T-Nation.com, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, BodyBuilding.com, STACK, and Women’s Health respectively.

4.  And while it has nothing to do with anything, it’s a fact my cat is the cutest thing ever. #beautifulbeautifulprincess.

The cutest.

A photo posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

I say none of this to brag.2 However it demonstrates I must be doing something right and that the content I put out on a weekly basis is resonating with a fair number of people out there. Thanks by the way.

So, in no particular order, here are some of the tidbits I shared yesterday.

It’s Never Been Easier to Be Heard, But It’s Never Been Harder to Get Heard

* Apologies to whomever this quote is attributed to. It’s awesome – thanks.

Think about it: it’s not very hard to get your stuff out there; the barrier to entry is nothing more than clicking “publish” or “send” on your computer screen.

The internet has allowed an amazing opportunity for people to have their voice heard when it otherwise would be muffled. Blogging and the advent of social media has opened the floodgates to everyone’s prose; and, unfortunately, word-vomit.

And therein lies the dilemma.

As wonderful as the digital age has been at giving everyone a “voice,” it’s also the ultimate catch-22. I.e., EVERYONE has a voice.

It’s never been harder to get heard amongst the cacophony of Tweets, Facebook updates, Instagram posts, articles, blogs, and endless e-books from trainers who have been in the industry for all of two months.

All the more reason to up your game and get a leg-up on the competition so you can better separate yourself from the masses.

1) Write, A Lot

I realize this is akin to me telling someone who’s thirsty to go drink some water, but I can’t stress this point enough.

Almost weekly I’m asked by fitness professionals how they can go about getting better at writing. The snarky Tony wants to say:

“Stop emailing me about writing, and go write.”

But I don’t do that. I’ll offer these quick-hitting tips:

  • Ideally, write for 60-90 minutes every day. As Ann Handley noted in her wonderful book, Everybody Writes, writing doesn’t always mean you’re writing the next To Kill a Mockingbird. Writing an email counts as writing. Writing a Facebook update counts as writing. Writing a detailed biography of your favorite characters from He-Man: Masters of the Universe counts as writing. It all counts. If you don’t have 60-90 minutes, start with 30. If you don’t have 30 minutes, who are you, Barack Obama?

 

  • Figure out when you’re most creative. The last thing I want to do after a full-day of coaching is to sit down at my desk at 8 PM and attempt to write. I’d rather throw my face into a wall. However, in the morning, when my wife leaves for work, that’s my magic time. And yes, I understand that that sounds very creepy. Everyone is different, so figure out when your inner Vonnegut appears and roll with it.
  • Once you have momentum, it’s VITAL you stay CONSISTENT.

“Someone once asked Somerset Maughham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. “I write only when inspiration strikes,” he replied. “Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.”

― Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles

2) You’re Right; Nothing You Say Is New

One of the common themes I run across with new writers is their proclivity to bum themselves out before they even start.

“What could I possibly write that hasn’t already been said?”

You’re right: nothing you say will be new or revolutionary. However, whether you’re writing on deadlifts, undulated periodization, or, I don’t know, sharing a recipe on Paleo M&Ms (I’m not surprised if this exists)…it hasn’t been written in your voice and with your perspective.

Your experiences and your opinions matter to your readers. Don’t forget that.

3) Finding Your Style

Writing style is one of those things that can help differentiate you from everyone else. I’m a firm advocate in writing how you talk, which is why, sometimes to my detriment, turns some people off to my writing.3

I have a potty mouth.

I swear when I talk, and I swear when I write. I can’t help it. And, there are many, many, really fucking good writers who are right there with me.

Writing how you talk takes practice (see #1), but it breeds authenticity. And even though it’s in written form and not face-to-face, people can sense it. And they will relate to it.

Of course, I am not implying you have to swear when you write. If that’s not you, don’t force it.

If you’re funny, be funny. If you’re not, you don’t have to be.4

If you’re someone who nerds out on PubMed on a Friday night (go you!), then nerd out when you write. There are plenty of dorks out there – myself included – who will read that.

4) Also, Stay in Your Lane

Tony Bonvechio once wrote,

“The internet is a scary place to try to establish yourself as a knowledgable authority. Droves of keyboard warriors are constantly at the ready to cut you down and point out your inaccuracies, especially when it comes to exercise. If you can’t back up your statements with a combination of scientific research and experience, you’ll quickly be tarred and feathered by the masses.”

Nothing is more authentic than writing on topics you’re passionate about and/or have first-hand experience with. I’m pretty good at deadlifting, assessment, and program design. That’s my wheel house and where the bulk of my writing gravitates towards. Breaking down the nuances of Intermittent Fasting or the Kreb’s Cycle? Not so much.

Also, be careful here. Just because you’re “passionate” about something doesn’t mean you should write about it. I’m passionate about deadlifting 8000 lbs and winning a rap-battle vs. Nas. Doesn’t mean I’m going to write about it.

5) Content Is King. What Your Content Looks Like Matters Too

I’m a firm believer if you’re someone putting out quality content consistently, it will get noticed. It won’t happen overnight, or maybe this year, but it will happen. Stay patient.

How many of you reading ever think about what your content LOOKS like, as in how it appears on the screen?

It matters.

  • Introduction: 1st paragraph (and sometimes the 1st sentence) with either engage people or make them click away. Try to ensure it compels people to keep reading.
    • What’s the point of the article or post? How is this going to help them?
  • Main Content: meat and potatoes of the post. You better fulfill that promise from your intro. I’m spitballing, but most blog posts should be in the range of 500-1500 words. It’s blog post, a quick hitting topic or idea, a train of thought…not a dissertation.
  • Avoid long paragraphs. Nothing shuts off people’s attention more than no spacing.
  • Use Sub-Headlines: most people scan and rarely read a post word for word.
    • People love numbers and bullet points.
    • Use Videos and pictures to break up text.
    • And speaking of pictures, Copyright is no joke. Sign up for an image service like 123RF or Stock Unlimited. Google Images is like playing with copyright infringement fire.

I’ll End With These Gems

Grammar counts. Tick for tack, someone is going to place more credence on an article that can differentiate between there/their/they’re than one that doesn’t. Grammar Nazis are annoying, and nothing is worse than someone who takes time out of their day to point out you spelled a word incorrectly, but to their credit they know when to call a spade a spade.

Tip from Bryan Krahn: whatever you end up writing, in the end, chop 20% of it. Note: I didn’t do that to this post because fuck that guy…;o)

Voracious reading begets vehement writing. Read those writers you admire. All of them, not just fitness writers. You’ll hate them because they’re so good, but you’ll learn.

Hope this helped.

CategoriesWriting

5 Ways to Become a Better Writer: Written By Not Stephen King

The fact I’m writing a post on how to write, much less how to do it well, dumbfounds me.

I’ve joked in the past that I don’t consider myself a “writer” in the first place. I’m a strength coach who happens to have an ability to construct two coherent sentences back-to-back. And sometimes, usually through sheer luck, use a semicolon as it’s intended.

I’ve also joked in the past that my high-school English teachers – Ms. Davie, Ms. Gambitta, and Mrs. LaVack – would shit a copy of For Whom the Bell Tolls if they knew that Tony Gentilcore, the same kid who could never grasp the difference between there/their/they’re and whom used adverbs incessantly (<— HA, see?!), had thousands of people read his website everyday and was a published author.

[Full credit to them for their patience back in the day.]

There’s other stuff that dumbfounds me too.

Like, why did Hollywood feel the need to remake Point Break?

And what’s the rationale in calling something “vegetarian meat loaf?” That makes no sense. There’s no dead animal involved. Why not just call it vegetarian loaf?

Or, I don’t know, sawdust?

But as it stands, as far as things that really dumbfound me, seeing my name in the likes of Men’s Health, T-Nation.com, Women’s Health, Men’s Fitness, and many other reputable fitness publications on a regular basis is nuts.

However that dumbfoundedness (did I just make up a word?) isn’t devoid from a sense of pride and accomplishment.

There is a small degree of bravado on my end. #sorrynotsorry.

Nevertheless, whenever I travel for workshops (or open up my inbox) it’s not uncommon for the conversation to sway towards writing and how to get better at it.

Fitness professionals from all walks of life and backgrounds are interested in this topic. And it makes sense. Writing is a fantastic way to get your name out there and your information/expertise in front of more eyes.

Due to the digital nature of our society and the ease of access to information there is something to consider:

It’s never been easier to be heard, however it’s never been harder to get heard.

The fitness industry is saturated with everyone vying for everyone else’s attention. Writing, writing well, and possessing the ability to get (and maintain) people’s attention is a bonafide way to separate yourself from the masses.

Here are some ways to do so.

1. Becoming a Better Writer = Becoming a Better Reader

I don’t know of any writer worth his or her’s weight in number 2 pencils who doesn’t also have an insatiable appetite for reading.

“Reading—the good and the bad—inspires you. It develops your palate for all the tricks that writers have invented over the years. You can learn from textbooks about the writing craft, but there’s no substitute for discovering for yourself how a writer pulls off a trick. Then that becomes part of your experience. – Roz Morris“

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught myself marinating in a sentence or paragraph when reading, transfixed by the genius and wordsmithery (I think I just made up another word) of the author.

I’ve heard of other writers doing the same – so I don’t feel weird in divulging this – but it’s not uncommon for me to read someone’s prose and re-write it in a notebook or on my laptop just so I can gain a sense of what it feels like not to suck.

From Ernest Hemingway to J.K Rowling, Malcolm Gladwell to Lou Schuler, and Robert Ludlum to Dr. Seuss…try to immerse yourself with a variety of authors and genres (books, blogs, articles, etc).

It’ll not only broaden your palate, but help you to find your own writing style to boot.

2. Write To Your Strengths

Who better to quote here than one of my all-time favorite writers, Kurt Vonnegut:

“Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.”

This is a particularly prudent piece of advice for (fitness) writers.

If your passion and strengths as a fitness professional reside in fat-loss, how to get people shredded, and arguing over ideal macronutrient breakdowns, then that’s what you should write about.

If you work with athletes, tend to gravitate towards getting people stronger, and want to turn people into deadlifting Terminators, then it makes sense to stay in your lane and talk about that sort of stuff.

If your speciality is how to train bomb-sniffing dolphins, write about that.

Of course, this isn’t to imply you should never go off the beaten track; there’s only so many articles you can write about the deadlift before you want to jump through a pane-glass window.

However, be forewarned that if you do choose to go outside your scope of expertise, you do run the risk of opening yourself up to an exponentially increased level of fuckery.

The internet trolls will get ya.

3. Everything Counts as Writing

I spend a large portion of my day responding to emails. Does that not count as writing?

We’re programmed to think that “writing” only counts if we’re writing a novel, and that’s simply not the case.

Writing a blog is writing.

Answering emails is writing.

Tweeting is writing.

Updating a Facebook status is writing.

Signing another restraining order is writing.

It all counts, and it all allows for an opportunity to get better. Check out Ann Handley’s book, Everybody Writes. It’s a game changer.

4. Find Your Creative Space (and Time)

Some people find their writing groove sitting at home in the peace and quiet. Others prefer to head to their local coffee shop or cafe, where the ambience and background noise helps them to focus more.

Everyone’s different.

Me? My best writing occurs while flying in a F-16 fighter jet.1

Likewise, some people find their creative juices are flowing more in the AM hours; others in the PM. I’m in the former camp. After coaching for a few hours the last thing I want to do when I get home at night is sit in front of my computer and pontificate on what to write about.

Not when there’s Netflix to be watched anyways.

Suffice is to say I’ve found my most productive hours to write are between 8-12 in the morning. Anything outside that window is a bonus.

Find what works best for you and what fits your schedule.

5. F*****G Write!

Stop emailing me or reading articles on “how to write,” and just go write for crying out loud. Make it a habit to do it everyday – whether it’s 50 words or 500.

You have to start somewhere.

It’s not a sexy piece of advice, but consistency and repetition is paramount. It’s what every writer in the history of ever will tell you to do.

It’s that simple.

CategoriesOff Topic

The Secret to Getting Good At Anything

I’m not a good writer.

In fact, I don’t consider myself a “writer” in the first place. I’m a strength coach who happens to have the ability to write sentences that don’t suck. Sometimes back to back; and sometimes including the proper usage of the semicolon.

Full Disclosure: I don’t even know if I used the semicolon correctly in that last sentence. If I did, sweet. I win the internet today. If I didn’t, whatevertheflyingfuck. I don’t care.

Kurt Vonnegut hated semicolons:

“Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.”

My buddy, John Romaniello, a talented writer in his own right (and someone who, too, lifts a metric shit-ton of weight), by contrast, loves the semicolon:

“I think it’s a splendid little piece of punctuation.

While I don’t think it’s really necessary in any respect, I do notice that people who use the semi appropriately tend to be solid writers; or, at least, have a firmer grasp of structure than most. (An observation of cognitive bias, perhaps.)

….to me, the semicolon implies, “there’s always more to say.”

So, yeah, I’m not a good writer.

But I don’t think anyone who writes thinks he or she is good at it. Only a select few can be Kurt Vonnegut, Ernest Hemingway, David Eggers, Anne Lamott, Stephen King, or He-Man.1

Most people who write – at least in my experience – will describe their prose as “bat-shit awful” on average days to an “indiscernible, incoherent attempt at passable English” on the good days.

I 100% fall into this camp.

I’ll admit that writing doesn’t come easy to me. I am not one of those people who can sit in front of their laptop, swiftly tap away on their keyboard, and conjure up some masturbatory masterpiece that’ll live in literary lore.

Fact: that last paragraph alone took me five minutes to write. But hot damn, alliterations are awesome aren’t they?

Writing can, and often is, a marathon of agony for me.

However, what can I say: I love it. As a self-described introvert…nothing recharges me or satiates my inner “leave me the fuck alone” troll than writing.

I can sequester myself in some corner at a cafe, or, preferably, in my office with my cat, Dagny, and be as content as content can be.

Oh my god, I can’t stand it how cute my cat is. Writing programs for clients and she snuggles right up to my laptop.

A photo posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

As agonizing as writing can be now, it used to be way, way, way worse.

However, as with anything, you get better at doing it by, you know, doing it.2

I’m approaching 1,800 blog posts on this website. That’s a lot of writing. And that number doesn’t include all the articles I’ve written for other publications and websites.

I started, and I got better.

I often receive emails from other fitness professionals asking me how they can get their names out there and how they can become better at writing.

I’m honored they’d ask me in the first place, and feel obliged to be honest:

“First of all, thank you for the kind words. You obviously have impeccable tastes in the strength coaches you follow. I bet you’re super good looking too. To answer your question: Just start. Shut up, and start. Stop emailing me (and everyone else you’re asking the same question to) and start.”

Okay, maybe I’m not such an awful “writer” after all.

I’m leaps and bounds better today than I was when I first started a little over ten years ago. I can see growth in my writing. I have a style. There’s better sentence structure, transitions, flow, and I finally know the difference between there/their/they’re.

But all this happened because I started.

And haven’t stopped.

Still working on that semicolon, though.

CategoriesMotivational

What The Princess Bride Can Teach You About Dealing With Critics

Behind deadlifting and eating carrot cake my next most favorite thing to do in the world (that’s PG-13 enough to discuss on this blog, wink wink, nudge nudge) is watching movies.

I’d say “going to the theater” or “watching film,” but I don’t want to come across as some uppity, Pruis driving, bourgeoisie snob.

I go the movies dammit.  Just like I order large drinks at Starbucks and not “Grande,” and prefer to not correct people when they refer to soccer as futbol and not, well, soccer.

For those that do do that….get over yourself will ya!

I often joke that if I weren’t a strength coach or baseball player (or professional tank driver), I’d opt to watch, review, and write about movies. I freakin loooooooove watching movies.

As many of you know, and maybe sometimes hate, I often digress about the movies I go see or make random pop cultural references to movie quotes all the time on this blog. One minute I’m discussing rotary stability and how it applies to rotational sports, and the next I’m quoting Tarantino or making my 118,306th reference to Star Wars.

HAN SHOT FIRST.  HAN SHOT FIRST!!!!!

It’s my blog, so unfortunately you have to suck it up and deal with it. But I do try really hard to stay on task and keep it strictly fitness and lifting heavy things 98.97% of the time.

This is not one of those times.  At least, not entirely.  Bear with me.

Going back to my movie obsession, as it happens I’m a member of the local independent theater house here in Brookline, The Coolidge Corner Theater, or The Coolidge for short.

It’s an amazing place, showcasing smaller, lesser known, independent movies, some of which have subtitles and stuff (okay, fair enough, I’m getting a little snobby, sorry), and as a member I’m privy to many of the special events they’ll host throughout the year.

Last night Lisa and I were able to attend a special advance screening of director Rob Reiner’s upcoming movie And So It Goes, starring Michael Douglass and Diane Keaton, and afterwards, Rob Reiner himself appeared in person for a brief Q & A.

Freakin Rob Reiner.  In person!!!  The man is a legend!  You’d be hard pressed to discuss the history of Hollywood and not mention his name at some point.  On top of being an established actor (TV show All in the Family, as well as numerous bit roles in movies like Sleepless in Seattle, Edtv and The Wolf of Wall Street), where he’s (arguably) more recognized and established is as a director.

See if you recognize any of these famous quotes from movies he’s directed.

1. “My name is Inigo Montoya.  You killed my father, prepare to die!”

2. “I’ll have what she’s having.”

3. “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!”

4.“Leeches!!!!!”

Stumped?  Need a little help? Here you go……

1.  The Princess Bride

2.  When Harry Met Sally

Note:  Quick movie trivia.  The woman who actually says “I’ll have what she’s having” at the end of the scene is Rob Reiner’s mother, Estelle.

3.  A Few Good Men

4. Stand by Me

Like I said, the man is a legend, and none of the above take into account his other films like This is Spinal Tap, Misery, The American President, and The Bucket List.

If you’re a movie buff (or even if you’re not), chances are you’ve seen one of his films.

So needless to say, I was in full on fan-boy, geek fest mode when Mr. Reiner showed up last night to discuss his latest project as well as answer questions from the audience. Here’s a pic I took from my seat:

I was too much of a wimp to ask anything, fearing I’d pull a Chris Farley from his uproarious skit back in the day on Saturday Night Live, The Chris Farley Show.

Me:  So, uh, Mr. Reiner, you remember that scene in A Few Good Men where Tom Cruise’s character yells at Jack Nicholson’s character, “I want the truth!!!” and Jack Nicholson’s character yells back to Tom Cruise’s character, “you can’t handle the truth!!”??

Rob Reiner: Yes, yes I do.

Me:  That…..that was awesome.

However, there was one question asked from another audience member that struck a chord with me which had a lot of relevance to the fitness world.  And Mr. Reiner’s answer was the tits.

The question related to the movie and how it ended. Don’t worry I won’t spoil anything, but the audience member asked whether or not he (Mr. Reiner) would take issue with the critics (possibly) bashing it and whether or not it would bother him?

SLIGHT Spoiler Alert:  the movie ends in a predicable, borderline overly sentimental fashion, and Mr. Reiner himself was quick to note that he KNOWS that that will be what many of the critics will take issue with.

More or less he had this to say:  f*** em.

He went on to say, “I’ve had a fair share of bad reviews, as well as been fortunate enough to receive many good ones.  In the end, though, I don’t really pay much attention to what critics say because, when all is said and done, I’m doing what I love to do.

I’m doing.”

To bring his point home, he went on to share two anecdotes.

One was about a baseball player –  I don’t remember who – whom he idolized as a kid growing up.  He remarked how this particular athlete, during his rookie year, would demonstrate an extreme spectrum of emotions.  Whenever he hit a home-run he’d be super excited and jump all over the place.  Conversely, whenever he struck out, he’d toss his bat, yell, and go into tantrums.

This is not dissimilar to what Mr. Reiner had gone through with critics or what I (or anyone else who makes a part of their living writing) goes through.  You have those people who go out of their way to praise your work (and you react one way), and you have those people who are life-sucking vampire doucheholes who go out of their way to shit on your work (and as a result, you react another way, and not coincidentally they deserve a raging case of genital herpes).

The moral of the story was that it wasn’t until later in his career  when the baseball player realized that BOTH events – hitting home runs and striking out – were part of the game and that both came with territory.

The other parallel Mr. Reiner shared involved legendary Hall of Fame basketball coach, John Wooden.

Coach Wooden is widely regarded as the human equivalent of Yoda (make that 118,307 references!), and there are endless stories of him sharing sage advice. In this case, the story revolved around him telling his players that it’s okay to act one way when you win a game, as it’s okay to act the polar opposite when you lose.

The key is to make sure that once you leave the arena and you’re around friends, family, and loved ones that they won’t be able to tell the difference.

You leave happens there, there.  And you don’t take it with you.

Which is as appropriate of a segue as any to my point.

I’m often asked by interns that pass through Cressey Performance or by others I know if it ever bothers me when someone goes out of their way to be nasty or derogatory towards me with an article I write or anything else I put out there?

I’d like to think that I consistently put out good content and that it doesn’t happen often, but sure, yeah, sometimes it bothers me.  I’m human after all.

When I first started getting stuff published some remarks I’d receive would bother me a lot. It dumbfounded me how some people, without even knowing me, would say some really mean things.

I’d grab a pint of Ben&Jerry’s, put on Notting Hill and cry myself to sleep.

Of course, if I said something wrong and someone called me out or corrected me, I’d own up to it (and still do)…..but I’ve learned to tune out the ad hominem garbage that some people spew no matter what.

Likewise, I don’t expect every person to agree 100% with everything I write about, and I’ve learned to accept (and respect) other’s opinions.  Unless they’re just flat out wrong. Then I’ll push back a bit.

That said, at the end of the day, much like Mr. Reiner, I don’t care what critics or internet meanie heads have to say. And if you’re someone just starting out in the industry and exploring putting your stuff out there for the masses to see, you should feel the same way (in time).

Don’t get me wrong:  it’s one thing to have open dialogue and discourse with people with varying opinions, especially within the context of the learning process.  But if it comes down to someone simply “not liking” an article or blog post, who cares?

I take pride in what I do as a coach.  I help people on a daily basis get better and achieve things they never thought possible.  Too, I take pride in the creative process of writing. This shit is hard, and I challenge anyone to try to CONSISTENTLY put out quality content.  Many times for free.

I have the opportunity to reach and inspire thousands of people.  How cool is that?  I can’t expect to please every single one, however.

What matters most to me is that I’m a good coach to my athletes and clients, I’m a good boyfriend to my wonderful girlfriend, I’m a son, a brother, a friend, and I’m just being me.

What some random person who probably has never trained anyone in his or her life and thinks they know everything there is to know about strength and conditioning because they read SuperTraining once five years ago has to say about one of my articles doesn’t matter.

If it’s high praise, cool….thank you!   I can’t tell how much I appreciate that.

If it’s negative, derogatory, or otherwise devoid of any constructive criticism what-so-ever, that’s cool too. I guess.  I  just hope that person has a massive case of explosive diarrhea.  Just kidding. But not really.

Either way, and especially in the case of the latter, I’ll move on with my life.  I encourage others who are creative junkies to do the same.

The end.

CategoriesMotivational Off Topic

Creating Content and Writing Style: An Introspective On Arguably the Most Boring Topic Ever

I received an email the other day from a good friend of mine, Jon Goodman, whom many of you may recognize from The Personal Training Development Center (an awesome, FREE, resource for any trainers out there reading), as well as such book as Ignite the Fire, Race to the Top, and his soon-to-be-released project, Viralnomics, which he’s currently writing in Hawaii.  On a beach. While starring at the ocean. And probably being hand fed grapes and coconut milk.

I hate you Jon.  I hate you so much……;o)

Anyways, he reached out to me the other day with an interesting query, and I felt compelled to use it as blog post today as I know there are a lot of trainers, coaches, and exercise enthusiasts who read my site on a daily basis (thank you) who often contemplate and express interest in writing.  Unfortunately, for whatever reason, many wind up dragging their heels out of intimidation or frustration.

Anyways, here’s Jon’s email he sent in its entirety:

Hey man,

I’ve got a question for you because it’s something that I’ve struggled with a lot and continue to struggle with. Perhaps you can lend some insight.

I’m asking you because you are the most consistent blogger out there. You pump out quality content multiple times a week and have been doing it for years.

So here’s my question:

How do you not get bored? You manage to keep the information fresh and always write in an inviting and entertaining tone but let’s be honest, how many articles have you written about deadlifts, and women lifting weights, and shoulder health etc.

I seem to lose interest really quickly.

Any ideas to ignite my fire?

Note:  what follows isn’t (entirely) what I sent to Jon. Some of it is, but I also added a bit more knowing that 1) I had more to add and 2) I knew a fair number of people reading would hopefully benefit from it.

First off:  how in the heck am I supposed to “ignite the fire” for a guy who wrote a book titled Ignite the Fire?  Talk about pressure!!!

Your question is a good one, and it’s something that I’ve struggled with myself all…..the……time.

I get writer’s block just like everyone else, and often find myself sitting in front of my computer screen thinking to myself, “I have absolutely no idea what to write about today.”

I’ll load up on some caffeine……nada.

I’ll put on some classic music to inspire some creative juices……nope.

Hell, I’ll even talk to my cat who’s usually lying there right next to me….and that generally leads to nowhere. Except for a slight detour to Snugglesville, USA.

 

While it rarely happens, it happens.  And when it does, sometimes I just call a spade and spade, admit that I don’t have anything to say that day, and go make a tuna sandwich.

Typically, though, I somehow I manage to fight through it, and feel the following strategies and insights are what help the most as far as helping me continue to stay consistent with my writing:

1.  I write!  I’m stubborn like that.  Giving full disclosure:  the whole process of writing does not come easy to me. I used to struggle quite a bit just to type 500 words.

500 words gave the impression that I was writing my own version of War and Peace.

While that’s a bit of an exaggeration, it’s what it felt like back in the day.

Sometimes it’s still an arduous task, and I feel like throwing my face through a wall.  But as with anything, it’s about setting a schedule and sticking to it.

For the most part, every morning from 7-9 AM, I sit in front of my laptop and write.  That’s what I’m doing right now, and it seems to works for me.

Some people on the other hand, like John Romaniello, prefer to do the bulk of their writing at night.  That’s when he feels he’s most productive.

Everyone operates differently, and maybe it’s just a matter of finding out when you feel you’re most productive and your creative juices are flowing?

2. I think one of the things that keeps me “fresh” is that I’m not scared to go off-topic when I want to.  I mean, I have Miscellaneous Miscellany Mondays which allow me to write about movies, books I’m reading, hot chicks, and/or discuss cool restaurants that my girlfriend and I go to.

Take for example this past weekend. While I ended up NOT making this part of some random blog post, I easily could have.

Feeling absolutely drained from the previous work week, I had absolutely no intention of doing any work at home. Sometimes I carve out a little time on Sunday to catch up on programs I need to write or any articles I need to work on.  This past Sunday, however, I was a complete sloth.

Instead I decided my time would be better spent watching a Michael Mann marathon.  In succession I watched The Last of Mohicans, Collateral, and The Insider.

All of them were ones I’ve seen before – repeatedly – but I love Michael Mann and always enjoy watching his films and dissecting every nook and cranny that come with them. The man is a perfectionist to the “t,” and it’s not unheard of for him to use 50 takes for any one scene.

I think Collateral is one of the most underrated movies of the past decade, and I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve reacted the scene from The Last of the Mohicans where Daniel Day Lewis’s character screams, “You STAY ALIVE.  I will find you, no matter what occurs.”

I give an Oscar worthy performance every time – except, you know, instead of Madeline Stowe saying her lines back to me, I use a pillow, and I don’t end everything by plunging through 50+ foot waterfall after the fact.

But other than that, it’s uncanny how spot on I am.

 

And while I can’t say for sure, I think some of what makes my blog and writing style so “successful” is the fact that it’s relatable and that it’s not uncommon for me to talk about non-fitness stuff.

I’m not just some strength and conditioning cyborg that does nothing but talk about deadlifts and how to address glenohumeral internal rotation deficit.

I think much of what keeps me engaged and interested in my own writing is that I’m not apprehensive to go off-topic, take myself too seriously, and throw in the occasional poop joke from time to time.

Make sense?

So, with that, maybe you just need to write about other stuff?  Not that you need to go into heavy detail on your personal life or anything, but don’t be scared to open up just a teeny tiny bit and give people more of a taste of your personality.

I find that when I do that, I get into a sorta “flow,” which makes transitioning into what I ACTUALLY want to write about – fitness, training, making people more badass – easier.

3. But I’ll be honest…..I’m lucky in that I live in a perfect bubble where I’m surrounded with a lot of bright people at the facility.  I have Eric (Cressey), Greg Robins, Chris Howard, and all of our interns (who are always eager to talk shop) by my side all day, and we’re always bouncing ideas and thoughts off one another.

If anything, this environment serves as the perfect “incubator” for coming up with new ideas and things to write about.

Along the same lines, we have staff in-services every week. We tend to alternate on a week to week basis where we discuss anything from assessment, program design, case studies, or why Eric is so obsessed with Linkin Park.

Too, we’ll often have people come in to perform in-services.  Case in point, Mike Reinold came in a few weeks ago and discussed which is more important to establish first: stability or mobility?

That’s actually a trick question, because neither matter much if someone is out of ALIGNMENT.

As Mike noted, if you stretch into mis-alignment, you create more instability.

Conversely, if you strengthen into mis-alignment, you create more muscular imbalances.

This is easily something I may turn into a blog post in the near future.

Additionally, I have any number of clients and athletes who ask me questions (or say something completely asinine) that I can use as ammo for blog posts or articles.

I can’t advocate going out of your way to surround yourself with more like-minded individuals enough.  Even if it’s just going to observe someone else coaching for a day or heading to a local commercial gym to watch people train is enough to spark some kind of fire.

With the latter, you may even be lucky enough to find blogging gold like this:

 

You’re welcome.

4.  Another thing to consider – and this will definitely pertain to Jon (it’s not unheard of for him to write 8,000+ words per day) – is possibly thinking about writing LESS.  Just like people in other careers who tend to burn out and go “postal,” the same can apply to those who engage in a fair amount of writing.

I make it a point of posting a blog 3-5 times per week, which can easily stock pile the word count on a weekly basis.  And this doesn’t take into consideration all the time that goes into answering emails and writing articles.

I’m sure there are some out there who may feel otherwise, but I “think” I’m able to provide solid content with each and every post.  But I don’t consider it the end of the world if I truly have nothing to say on any given day.

If that’s the case, I don’t write.  Simple as that.  Or, I just find someone to write a guest post for me instead (Holla!).

To that end, maybe for some it’s a matter of CUTTING BACK and reducing their writing frequency.  Sort of analogous to a deload week from training.

I’ve often found that when I take a day or two off from writing content-heavy posts, I’m able to come back with a bang.

5.  Lastly, this doesn’t necessarily pertain to Jon, as I know he’s well read guy.  But for others out there who are still paying attention and have made it this far (which is saying something), go out of your way to read.  A lot.

I’ve stated on numerous occasions that I’m reading anywhere from 2-4 things simultaneously – most of which are related to my field, but not always.  I’m always reading some non-fiction (Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Ariely, Michael Lewis, etc)  and fiction too (anything but Twilight).

I’m constantly in awe (and envious) of certain writers, and often gain valuable insight and pick up on lesser known things like style, sentence structure, and how to use a semicolon correctly.  Still learning that last one.

And all of this isn’t to say that I know what the hell I’m talking about.  I don’t really even consider myself a “writer,” but in the 6+ years that I’ve been doing it, I like to think that I’ve picked up a thing or two.

Anyways, I hope that helps somewhat.  Certainly nothing earth shattering, but hopefully it helps shed some light.

CategoriesUncategorized

How to Write For Fitness Mags

Q: Tony…love the blog!

Real quick, what would your suggestions be on how to get featured in magazines like Mens Health? I have a blog and am going to be writing locally in Philadelphia.

I wrote a Masters Thesis on Golf Biomechanics…and now I love to write about physiology and fat loss….any advice is much appreciated!

A: Great question, and it’s a topic that I’ve been meaning to dive into for quite some time now since I receive one of these emails every few weeks or so.

In light of this, and before I offer my own thoughts, two of my good friends – Mike Robertson and John Romaniell0 – recently wrote similar posts that I feel would be great starting points.

HERE Mike offers some sage advice to a young up and comer with some lofty goals.

And HERE, Roman writes an amazing response to someone who clearly made a major boo boo.

Now, I am in no way insinuating that either of the two scenarios above are relevant to YOU – I checked out your blog and you seem like a good dude who’s approaching things the right way, and with a sense of humbleness I might add. A rarity nowadays – but I felt it was a nice way to open up the conversation to other fitness professionals who may be reading this and wondering the same thing:

How can I become more of a bigger deal?

In all honesty, it comes down to one simple fact: When it’s ready for you, the industry will let you know. In other words, when you’ve put out enough great (good doesn’t cut it here) content, and have put in the time and effort to hone your craft, the higher ups in the industry will seek you out.

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t happen over night. I had my first article published on t-nation.com in the spring/summer of 2006 (a big deal in it’s own right) after having been rejected a handful of times.  Before that, I had been writing articles FOR FREE for various websites in an effort to just get my name out there.

In fact, my first article ever published was a two-parter titled You Are What You Eat that appeared on a small, no-longer existing website called RuggedMag (which, coincidentally enough, was run by a few dudes you may have heard of:  Joel Marion, Eric Cressey, and John Romaniello).

Trust me, don’t read it.  It sucked.

Which brings me to my first piece of advice.  While a blog is a nice start (more on this below), it’s in your best interest to reach out to other sites/publications/local newspapers/etc to write for them…….FOR FREE.  Editors are ALWAYS looking for unique content, and if you approach them with some solid ideas, you’ll undoubtedly garner some attention.

An important note however: PLEASE actually take the time to familiarize yourself with whatever publication you’re going to pitch to. The last thing you want to do is pitch an article idea on How to Swolify Your Biceps when their target demographic is middle-aged women who train on BOSU balls.

That said, above all, content is king. Having a blog that’s informative and consistent is important!!!!  People need easy access to YOU and what you have to say. In my case, I did it backwards.  I was published on t-nation before I started a blog.

I think I had a handful of articles published before I put two and two together and realized that everyone who read them had no way to contact me.  Yeah, that was a brain-fart moment if there ever was one.

I started small, opening an account on blogspot. On a good day I had like 30 views.  I wouldn’t be at all surprised if 25 of them were my mom.

Soon thereafter, an opportunity came up where I “graduated” to The Boston Herald (a client of mine worked for them and she reached out to me when they needed someone to write their fitness/health blog).  Those who are long time readers of this site may remember the good ol’ Step-Up Blog days.

And this is where Men’s Health comes in.  You see, not surprisingly, you don’t just say “Hey, Men’s Health, I want to write for you!”  It’s not quite that easy.  Remember what I said above:

When it’s ready for you, the industry will let you know.

I had been writing a blog for close to two years (and had a handful of articles on t-nation) before MH even gave me the time of day. I liken it to the hot chick in high school whom I sat next to in “Home Room” for four years, but never had the balls to ask out.  Then, one day, I had a “get your damn hands off her” moment.

Except, that’s a horrible analogy and instead of punching Bif in the face, all I did was respond to an email one of their writers sent asking me if I’d provide a short blurb on an article he was writing on gynecomastia (AKA:  man boobs).

I know, not the sexiest topic in the world……but I was in baby!!!!

Apparently their then fitness editor, Adam Bornstein, had been reading my stuff for a while and eventually reached out and asked if I’d be down with providing some expert insight? Does Dolly Parton sleep on her back?  Hell yeah I’d be down.

What started as a blurb here and there (holy shit, my name is in the second paragraph of page 57!!!!) turned into writing a handful of 15-Minute workouts, which then turned into my first full-blown article that should appear in the mag in a month or two.

The key points to remember, though, are that when you ARE given the opportunity, you need to do a few things:

1.  Be concise and, I can’t stress this enough, know the target audience.  For instance, how I write on t-nation (as well as this blog) is completely different than how I write for publications like MH or Livestrong.  You won’t find me making any references to poop or drop kicking kittens with the latter examples.  Believe me, I tried. They weren’t fans.

2.  When given a deadline, do your best to meet it – especially in the beginning.  I’m sure both of my editors – Adam Bornstein (now at Livestrong) and Bryan Krahn (for t-nation) are LOL’ing right now, because I’m notorious for procrastinating.

But they also know I’m coaching 8-10 hours per day as well as have other responsibilities like writing programs, running my own side business (blog, consulting, other writing endeavors, crushing protein shakes), as well as being the best boyfriend in the history of the world.

Needless to say, they’re both VERY accommodating and understanding (not to mention ungodly good looking and smart).

Of course, all of that is jumping the gun a bit.  The real question is how do you get your foot in the door in the first place?

  • Keep up with the blog. The only way to get better at writing, is to write.  At the expense of sounding like a broken record, content is where it’s at.  If you write amazing content, people will find it and read it.
  • Again, write for free. It seems you’re already doing that, so run with it.
  • Moreover, it never hurts to reach out to editors. Hey, you never know! Pitch them ideas that you feel would be a good match for their respective publications, but at the same time, you need to be unique and as to the point as possible.  Remember, they get dozens (if not hundreds) of inquires a day.  So, in the end, you need to somehow separate yourself from the masses.
  • If you choose to go down that road, though, I’d highly encourage you to be professional, to-the-point (don’t write a dissertation), and maybe most important of all, don’t make any grammatical errors. As an example, nothing turns an editor off more (and makes you come across as a little douchy) than not knowing the difference between their/there/they’re or you’re/your.
  • Do a search on Google for “query letter,” and start there.
  • As well, as far as ideas are concerned, make sure you have several to share rather that just one or two. Editors like to have several options to choose from.
  • Additionally, in terms of exposure and how it relates to income, LOCAL media trumps national media any day of the week.  The fact that you’ve already got an “in” in the Philly area is pretty freaking baller.  This isn’t to say that MH isn’t something to strive for, but don’t underestimate the power of local media and the exposure that that can bring you.

And that’s about all I have to say at the moment.  My apologies if my thoughts were kind of all over the place on this one, but hopefully I was able to shed some light and point you in the right direction.  I’m sure there are some major points I forgot to mention, and maybe others would like to chime in, but like I said, you’re definitely on the right track, and you’re doing the right things. Hopefully, in the end, it will all work out.