Categoriescoaching psychology

The Story of a Shitty Deadlift Turned State Record

HEADS UP: My newest and latest continuing education resource – Strategic Strength – is now officially available to make out with purchase. It’s on sale all this week at $50 off the regular price.

I hope you’ll check it out. (waves Jedi hand – you WILL check it out).

This is a story about a woman, her deadlifting journey, and how the words we use matter.

Unfortunately there are no dragons involved, but it’s a BALLER tale nonetheless.

It begins in 2019 (remember those carefree days!?!) and takes us all the way to a mere three weeks ago where a Colorado State Record was broken.

👇👇👇👇👇

Copyright: ammentorp

The Words We Use Matter (again)

To serve as slight prelude, I’d be remiss not to point you in the direction of a blog post I wrote in early 2020 titled The Words We Use Matter.

In it I discuss the often negative connotation the words we use have on the psyche of our athletes/clients.

The best example is the initial assessment/evaluation.

Instead of using it as an opportunity to empower someone and to demonstrate to them what they CAN do, we’ll often use the assessment as an invitation to chop them down a peg or two and hone in on their faults thinking, mistakingly, that by doing so we’ll “woo” them into submission; that the only way they can be “fixed” is by purchasing a 24-pack of sessions.

It’s bullshit.

And we need to do better.

You can read the original post HERE.

It’s relevant because 1) I go into detail on what NOT to do during an assessment in Strategic Strength and 2)  in hindsight the seed(s) of that article were very much planted a year prior, in 2019, at a fitness event I was involved in.

The quick backstory is that I was invited to Colorado Springs to record a webinar at NSCA Headquarters for their 2019 Virtual Personal Trainers Conference.

My presentation was on “Hip Assessment” and how fitness professionals should lean more into the idea of asymmetry (brief take: it won’t kill you) and that it behooves us to take time to better individualize one’s squat and deadlift set-up & execution.

I.e., little tweaks here in there with regards to foot position, stance, or even the variation can go a long ways in helping a lift not only feel better, but feel more stable and powerful too.

Part of my presentation involved taking someone in the audience through a real-time assessment in addition to a technique audit.

Here’s visual proof of the interaction:

That’s me on the left and  Jenny (Stein) on the right – you can check her out on IG HERE), a personal trainer located in Colorado Springs.

If I recall correctly, Jenny volunteered her deadlift because, according to her, “it had never felt great.” So I spent a solid 20-30 minutes taking Jenny through some shenanigans.

She had always performed her deadlifts with a conventional stance (feet closer together, hands just outside the knees) but it had always bothered her back.

So I widened her stance to a modified Sumo stance (pictured above) which allowed her to maintain a more upright torso and placed less shearing on her spine. I then got her to have a better appreciation of what it really feels like to ramp up full-body tension:

  • Finding her hamstrings by experimenting with hip position (up, down, back, forth, BAM, okay, right there).
  • Finding her lats: “squeeze an orange in your armpits.”
  • Having her put more force INTO the ground by PUSHING away from the floor rather than pulling.
  • Connecting the bar to the inner circle of the plates – “taking slack out of the bar.”

All these things helped her stay better engaged and helped her to maintain a neutral spine throughout each rep (no more back rounding).

Was she perfect?

No.

All I was after was “better.”

I kept things positive, focused on the “big rocks,” and tried my best to cement the things that were clicking with her at the moment.

(Another really brief digression: I go into MUCH more detail on ALL OF THE ABOVE in Strategic Strength. Hint, Hint Like, you get to SEE it for yourself).

In all, at the end of the live session, her deadlift felt and looked better, which was a win in my book.

Unbeknownst to me (at the time), during one of the breaks in filming, another male trainer in the audience approached Jenny to make some small talk. He asked her in passing if she had ever deadlifted before?

She said yes, but that she hadn’t a ton of experience.

His response:

“Yeah, those looked pretty shitty.”

What profound feedback!

Fucking asshat.

It was weeks later, when Jenny sent me a message thanking me for the coaching cues I gave her, that she told me about her exchange with the other trainer in attendance.

We had a chuckle about it, and shared a few eye rolls…

…but it made me wonder about this guy’s coaching style. Obviously I have no way of knowing for sure, but if he had such callous and insensitive commentary towards a complete stranger, wasn’t it safe to assume it was more of the same with his own clients as well?

Some people may respond positively to such feedback. In my experience, most would crumble.

(shrugs)

The words we use matter.

I mean, what if I had taken the same approach?

Let’s say we had a time machine and went back to my first interaction with Jenny and my initial feedback mirrored his (albeit with a bit more drama):

“OH MY GOD. MY EYES. MY EYES. THEY’RE BLEEDING. MAKE IT STOP. MAKE IT STOOOOOOOOOOOP.

Sorry Jenny, those looked really shitty. Also, your dog is ugly. Next.”

Chances are I’d have turned Jenny off completely and she never would have pursued training with deadlifts ever again.

Instead, This is What Happened

This is a message I received from Jenny in early 2020:

“Hey Tony!

I’m the girl from the NSCA with the “shitty deadlift.” I wanted to tell you that my ugly deadlift is now 335 pounds and I have entered my first powerlifting competition and may even grab a state record next year.

The time you spent with me that day last year sparked something and it may sound ridiculous, but I don’t know where I would be today without the magical creature called the deadlift. For some reason I felt compelled to share this with you today. What may have seemed ordinary and mundane to you completely changed my life.

Again, probably sounds over-dramatic but I truly mean it. You’re a gem. Keep doing what you do.”

Me:

via GIPHY

But the story get’s way cooler.

Fast forward through a pandemic.

I received the following message from Jenny in 2021:

“Hi. This real ugly deadlifter now holds a Colorado state record!!!! I of course had to share with you.”

Jenny pulled a whopping 363 lbs and turned her “shitty” deadlift into a state record.

Fast forward another year (three weeks ago):

Jenny pulled 402 lbs in a recent state powerlifting competition, which I believe solidifies her as a bonafide deadlifting badass.

Way to get Jenny! (and fuck you lame trainer guy who probably couldn’t lift this much anyway):

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jenny Stein (@jennypikefitness)

CategoriesCorrective Exercise Program Design Uncategorized

Programming Considerations: Shoulders

Fair warning: This will not be an all-encompassing post on how to train the shoulders or how to program around nagging shoulder injuries.

Frankly, I don’t think anyone wants to read a Dostoyevsky length diatribe on shoulder impingement or how improving scapular upward rotation leaves me sexually aroused.

Yep, I’m weird.

Instead I want to give a quick, bite-sized tidbit on programming for the shoulders that pretty much applies to everyone.1

Copyright: maxriesgo / 123RF Stock Photo

But Before I Continue…

Dean Somerset and I have put our flagship digital course, Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint AND (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – on sale this week at $50 off the regular price.

Why?

  • We moved both courses to a new platform which will make both the delivery and user experience more enjoyable and seamless.
  • Dean and I both have a bunch of new followers2 since we last put them on sale.
  • It’s a new year and as such a lot of fitness professionals will need to start thinking about ramping up their continuing education and getting their CEU requirements in order.
  • Last but not least, we’re awesome.

Go HERE to enroll in one (or both courses).

IMPORTANT: use the coupon code wutang50 to receive your $50 off credit at checkout.

Now to the Shoulder Stuff

We can easily make the case that the shoulders are the most annoying and often injured part of the body for many people, meatheads in particular. And, to be candid, there are any number of things to consider with regards to why:

  • Rotator cuff weakness
  • Poor scapular stability (<– better term would be Controlled Scapular Mobility)
  • Postural considerations
  • Acromion type
  • Scapular kinematics (inability to upwardly rotate, for example)
  • Poor programming choices
  • Poor technique
  • Losing an arm wrestling match to a Sasquatch.3
  • To name a few….

It’s weird, though, when it comes to programming for the shoulders there’s this dichotomous yin-yang approach we have to consider:

What’s best for optimal (shoulder) performance?

And.

What’s best for optimal (shoulder) health?

Shoulder Performance

I’m in the business of helping people get bigger, faster, stronger, and generally more dieselfied.

This usually (but not always) revolves around lifting objects of appreciable weight. Watch any strong person bench press, squat, or deadlift a lot of weight and there’s a common theme you’ll notice:

1. You’ll likely have to unclench your sphincter after watching someone do something you never thought humanly possible:

 

2. With regards to the shoulders – specifically the shoulder blades – there’s meticulous attention paid to their positioning.

Those bad boys are locked down. Retracted and depressed.

Or, in non-geek speak: They’re not moving.

Doing so provides an infinite more amount of stability to the joint and also provides a more stable base of support (particularly for the bench press) to push from. When it comes to the deadlift and/or squat it allows one to maintain a more “rigid” torso, stay tight, and decreases the chance of energy leaks.

Force is more efficiently transferred within the kinetic chain.

Also, in non-geek speak: Just fucking trust me.

I’m no Eric Spoto, but I know how to coach the bench press and what to consider when it comes to performing at a high(er) level and making it so your shoulders don’t hate you.

Bench Press Set-Up: Shoulders Together & Down

 

Shoulder Health

It’s funny, when Dean Somerset and I teach our Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint workshop I’ll spend half a day imploring attendees to adopt the strategies mentioned above.

“Lock them down.”

…is what I’ll tell them. Referring to the shoulder blades and how it’s crucial to recognize ideal placement for performance

Then, after the lunch break, I’ll do a complete 180 and spend the rest of the day saying something to the effect of:

“Let those fuckers move.”

The shoulder blades do a lot:

  • Retract and protract
  • Elevate and depress
  • Upwardly and downwardly rotate
  • Posteriorly and anteriorly tilt.

It’s imperative to have “access” to the full spectrum of scapular motion in order to obtain optimal shoulder health.

We spend so much time telling people to squeeze their shoulder blades together – which, all told, isn’t a bad cue in of itself, but can cause a whole host of shoulder ouchies; downward rotation syndrome for starters – that it’s no wonder I get a range of quizzical looks whenever I tell people to let them move.

Protraction (or reaching) is a game changer for many.

1-Arm Quadruped Protraction

Easy Scapular Winging “Fix”

 

To go a step further and outside the “corrective” realm, when I coach people through a push-up or any kind of row variation a common mistake I find people make is keeping their shoulder blades pinned or glued together.

With push-ups I try to tell my clients to push away or “finish” at the top.

I don’t want their shoulder blades making out the entire time.

And with rows…

This Makes Me Sad

 

You’ll notice my shoulder blade isn’t moving at all; it’s staying in the retracted position throughout the duration of the set. This often leads to bicep tendon issues and anterior shoulder instability, amongst other things.

Instead I try to tell people I want their scapulae to move around their rib cage. After all that’s what they’re meant to do.

That’s More Like It

 

It’s profound how much this seemingly minor tweak will help with a lot of shoulder woes.

That’s It

Pretty easy, right?

Short, precise, and won’t require a book report.

Making a concerted effort to recognize and address both ends of the shoulder performance-health spectrum can and will make a huge difference and help you write more effective programs.

Categoriespodcast

Appearance on the Coachable Podcast

I had the opportunity to be invited onto the Coachable Podcast recently hosted by Kevin Dineen. Kevin and I met back in 2012-13(ish) at The Fitness Summit in Kansas City.

That year was my first year attending (as a speaker) and his first year attending (as an attendee). I don’t recall whether or not we Predator hand-shaked or not, but we probably did.

Because we’re both awesome.

In the years since he and I have crossed paths several times and as it happens he has invited me to be a presenter at the inaugural St. Louis Fitness Conference he’s organizing to be held later this Spring.

Go HERE for more information.

As a precursor to the event he invited me onto his show to chit-chat.

Copyright: noname3132

Kevin & Tony Chit-Chat

Ever wonder how I started my own training studio? Or what I thinks is the key training numbers for success?

I answer those questions and many more during our candid discussion. Like:

✅ How I career started in corporate fitness

✅ How important the environment was / is at Cressey Sports Performance to my growth

✅ How I eventually took back some of my articles (especially on gym ownership)

✅ My current business layout and coaching hours

✅ How far I plan out for my career

✅ How important my original partnership was in my growth

✅ How I integrated semi private training into my studio

✅ What business model the fitness industry is heading towards

✅ Why everyone squats and deadlifts (but not the same)

✅ My 3 x 52 method

Choose your listening/streaming service HERE to check out the episode (#17).

CategoriesExercise Technique Strength Training

Should You Use Straps When Deadlifting?

Copyright: maridav

Lifting Straps. Yes, No, Maybe So?

Starring at the barbell on the floor I couldn’t help but think to myself, “holy shit that’s a lot of weight.” Also, “I hope I don’t shit my spleen.”

The year: 2004. The place: Albany, NY, at some random Golds Gym.

I was visiting my sister and her family after a recent breakup with my then girlfriend and I decided to do what most guys would do when stuck in a vortex of rage, anger, sadness, and endless Julia Roberts movie marathons…

…I went to the gym to take my mind off of things.

This trip to the gym, however, would be different. I decided it was going to be the day.

No, not actually do some cardio.

I was going to deadlift 500 lbs for the first time.

via GIPHY

I know this will surprise a lot of people when I say this, but I didn’t perform my first (real) deadlift until 2002 when I was 25 and still wet behind the ears with regards to my fitness career.

Mind you I had been lifting weights since I was 13, so it’s not like up until that point I had never seen a barbell.

It didn’t take long for me to become enamored with the deadlift. I loved that I was actually good at it, and I really loved how it made my body look and feel. It wasn’t long before I made it my mission to pull 500 lbs. It took me a little over a year to get there.4

Funnily enough, how I went about doing it was all sorts of contrarian compared to how I would approach the same task today.

Well, not 100% contrarian….but, you know, different.

1. I didn’t perform any traditional 90% work (working up to heavy singles). Instead I stayed in the 3-5 rep range, sometimes adding in some high(er) rep work for the hell of it. Whoever says you can’t improve your 1RM by working with sub-maximal weights is wrong.

As I like to remind my own clients today:

“you need to build a wider base with sub-maximal loads in order to reach higher peaks (in maximal strength).”

2. I didn’t use any special periodization scheme named after a Russian. I used good ol’ fashioned linear progression.

3. I didn’t rotate my movements every 2-3 weeks or follow some magical formula that had me incorporate the Mayan calendar. Nor did I perform some sort of dance to the deadlift gods every time there was a Lunar eclipse.

I performed the conventional deadlift almost exclusively.

Year round.

4. And maybe most blasphemous of all, I sometimes used wrist straps!!!

I know, I know…I didn’t want to be the one to break the news to you, but it’s true.

I believe straps should be used (sparingly) by pretty much everyone. For stark beginners it allows for more volume to be completed because grip becomes a limiting factor. For deadlifting terminators (I.e., really strong lifters) it also allows for more volume because grip becomes a limiting factor.

But this serves as a nice segue to a few question I receive almost without fail whenever I present:

Will using a mixed (under/over) grip when deadlifting cause any imbalances or is it dangerous?
 

Do you think straps should not be used during deadlifts?

First things first: Lets address the pink elephant in the room. I don’t feel utilizing a mixed grip is bad, and I do not think it’s dangerous.

close-up athlete and barbell 270 kg exercise deadlift

This isn’t to say there aren’t some inherent risks involved.

But then again, every exercise has some degree of risk. I know a handful of people who have torn their biceps tendon – while deadlifting using a mixed grip. The supinated (underhand) side is almost always the culprit.

A LOT of people deadlift with a mixed grip, and A LOT of people never tear their bicep tendon. Much the same that a lot of people drive their cars and never get into an accident.

Watch any deadlift competition or powerlifitng meet and 99% of the lifters are pulling with a mixed grip. And the ones who aren’t are freaks of nature. They can probably also smell colors.

Pulling with a mixed grip allow someone to lift more weight as it prevents the bar from rolling in the hands. Sure we can also have a discussion on the efficacy of utilizing a hook grip, which is also an option.

I’m too wimpy and have never used the hook grip. If you use it I concede you’re tougher and much better than me.

Here’s My General Approach:

1. ALL warm-up/build-up sets are performed with a pronated (overhand grip).

2. ALL working sets are performed with a pronated grip until it becomes the limiting factor.

3. Once that occurs, I’ll then revert to a mixed grip….alternating back and forth with every subsequent set.

4. When performing max effort work, I’ll always choose my dominant grip, but I feel alternating grips with all other sets helps to “offset” any potential imbalances or injuries from happening.

Now, As Far As Straps

Despite what many may think, I don’t think it’s wrong or that you’re an awful human being or you’re breaking some kind of un-spoken Broscience rule if you use straps when you deadlift.

As I noted above, both ends of the deadlifting spectrum – beginners to Thanos – use straps. I think everyone can benefit from using them when it’s appropriate.

When I started deadlifting I occasionally used them because it allowed me to use heavier loads which 1) was awesome and 2) that’s pretty much it.

Straps allowed me to incorporate more progressive overload. My deadlift numbers increased. And I got yolked. Come at me Bro!

But I also understood that using straps was a crutch, and that if I really wanted to earn respect as a trainer and coach I had to, at some point, work my way up to a strapless pull. No one brags about their 1RM deadlift with straps in strength and conditioning circles. That’s amateur hour stuff for internet warriors to bicker over.

If you’re a competitive lifter, you can’t use straps in competition (outside of CrossFit, and maybe certain StrongMan events?)…so it makes sense to limit your use of straps in training.

If you’re not a competitive lifter, well then, who cares!?!

It’s just a matter of personal choice.

Note:  If I am working with someone who’s had a previous bicep tendon or forearm injury, has elbow pain, or for some reason has a hard time supinating one or both arms, I’ll advocate that they use straps 100% of the time.

Offhandedly, straps do tend to slow people down which could be argued as a hinderance to performance. One mistake I see some trainees make with their setup is that they’ll bend over, grab the bar, and take way too long before they start their actual pull.

The logic is this: If you spend too much time at the bottom you’ll miss out on the stretch shortening cycle. As I like to coach it: Grip, dip, rip!

Digital Strategic Strength Workshop Coming Soon

For more insights on deadlifting, coaching, programming, assessment, and general badassery keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming continuing education resource which should be available this coming January!

 

Categoriespodcast

How to Write Workouts That Work: Appearance on the Principles of Performance Show

I wanted to direct your attention to my latest media appearance…

The Amazing Race

Jack Ryan – Episode 4 (as bald badass #2)

Rosario Dawson’s massage oil putter on’er

Okay, for real: I made zero cameos on those shows. But what I did do….

Copyright: noname3132

How to Write Workouts That Work

I WAS invited onto the Principles of Performance Podcast recently hosted by Eric D’Agati and Mike Perry. If you’re looking for a much needed break from quality family time during the holidays I got your back.

You can download & listen from all major streaming services HERE.

Or, if you prefer to stare at my sultry eyes as I speak you can watch on YouTube below:

CategoriesCorrective Exercise Exercise Technique

The Real vs. BS Hip Flexor Stretch

I firmly believe static stretching is often over-prescribed; an easy default recommendation for some fitness professionals too lazy to dig a little deeper.

“Tight” hamstrings? Go stretch those bad boys.

“Tight” hip flexors? Better go stretch!

Bad hair day? Yup, you need to stretch.

SPOILER ALERT: 👇👇 this is not the correct way to stretch your hip flexors.

Copyright: fabrikacrimea

The “Real” vs. “BS” Hip Flexor Stretch

I don’t feel static stretching is a complete waste of time mind you.

Sometimes (<– key word, sometimes) it plays a crucial role in helping people get out of pain and addressing varying muscular imbalances or postural issues.

SIDE NOTE: Most people don’t realize that what we deem as “stretching” isn’t really doing what we think it’s doing. In order for a muscle to really gain length you need to increase the number of sarcomeres in a series. This takes a…………..metric………..fuck………ton…………of……………………………………………….time.

I could be out-dated in my research vernacular, but I believe it takes upwards of 20-60+ minutes of holding a continuous stretch to actually increase it’s length to any degree.

What most of use are doing when we drop down to the floor to stretch something for 30-seconds is increasing our tolerance to the stretch.

And even if static stretching is deemed necessary, none of this takes into account the most important – albeit most overlooked – detail.

Performing it correctly.

Take the hip flexors for example. Everyone loves stretching their hip flexors.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Thing is: You’ll rarely see someone do it right. Instead, despite endless efforts – sometimes to the tune of weeks, months, and years of “stretching” – nothing ever changes.

Many people will still point to the same area that feels “tight.”

I’m by no means the first person to point this out: guys like Mike Reinold, Mike Robertson, Dr. Evan Osar, and Cobra Commander have been pointing this out for years.

SIDE NOTE #2: I’m actually more inclined to toss in some dedicated hip flexor STRENGTHENING exercises in lieu of stretching (but that’s for another time).

So lets take a look at how to properly stretch the hip flexors, shall we?

“Real vs. “BS” Hip Flexor Stretch

CategoriesMotivational personal training

The Most Important Metric of a Training Program Is…

[Cue EPIC drum roll here]

First…lets first delve into what’s not important:

  • Access to special, fancy schmancy equipment.5
  • Being anal about nutrient timing/intake.6
  • Posting a picture or video of every workout and every exercise you performed on Instagram.7
  • Following the programs elite lifters do.8
  • The whole BS notion that muscle confusion is a “thing.”9
Copyright: zamuruev

And Those Things That are Important. But Really Only Kinda-Sorta Important. Actually, We’re All Just a Bunch of A-Holes Who Like to Argue Over the Internet

  • Exercise selection
  • Exercise order
  • Exercise technique
  • Goal(s). Powerlifting vs. bodybuilding vs. OLY lifting vs. CrossFit vs. Fat Loss vs. Mechagodzilla
  • Training history/age
  • Past and current injury history
  • Ideal number of sets/reps
  • Time of day to workout
  • Length of workout
  • Best exercises to make your pecs cut diamonds

[EPIC drum roll is still cued]

man playing the snare drum on a beautiful colored background

Facetious tone aside, all of the things mentioned above are important and play an important role in program design.

However, there’s one metric that seems to always get overlooked.

And that is…..

Attendance

“The most important metric of a training program’s success is…attendance. People need to show up”

You can write the most baller scientifically-based program addressing all the criteria listed above that’s based off block periodization with meticulous percentages written in, laminated with Vladimir Zatsiorsky’s10 chest hair, and none of it will matter if people don’t show up.

Make no mistake…getting people to “show up” is a skill in of itself.

Of course, the monetary commitment to hire a personal trainer or coach is enough to motivate most people to “show up.” But even then it’s often a crap-shoot, let alone entices someone to invest their time (and in themselves) long-term.

There are numerous, outside-the-box factors that often come into play:

  • The ability to listen to and validate someone. Are you a trainer/coach who likes to “win” or prove to everyone how smart you are and how you’re always right? Better, less uppity communication skills can have a profound impact on your sales and retention as a trainer/fitness business.11
  • It’s not about you. It’s about THEM. Get your clients to talk about themselves.12
  • Take the time to introduce your clients to one another. Maybe you have two clients who really enjoy squatting or, I don’t know, old-school Jean-Claude Van Damme movies. Either way, introducing client A to client B often helps build camaraderie and community.
  • With regards to program design: It’s not necessarily about choosing the best exercise possible to entertain people. Rather, it’s about choosing the most appropriate exercise(s) to better set people up for immediate and long-term success. These are really boring.
  • “Think trainer, speak client.”13You in your head: “Dan is really crushing his posterior Mediastinum on those squats.” You to Dan: “don’t arch so much in your lower back.”
  • Design for your space. You don’t always need all the bells and whistles to impress people. Audit your equipment. Almost always, the less you have, the better your programs will be. Most people don’t need as much variety as they think they need anyways.
  • Strive to make your clients autonomous.
  • Play more Wu-Tang. Just, because.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I do feel serves as a delicious amuse bouche in helping fitness professionals understand that it’s not always about credentials, certifications, and deadlifts.

Getting people to show up via other means is often the key to effective program writing.

Categoriescoaching

How to Guarantee Your Clients Will Have a Hard Time Actually Getting Results

If you train people for a living, read this.

Copyright: ruigsantos / 123RF Stock Photo

Don’t Guarantee Results

It’s seems counterintuitive, maybe even borderline asinine, not to guarantee your clients results, right? I mean, what the hell are they hiring you for?

HINT: It’s not to trade baseball cards or tickle fights.

I had a new client start with me recently and within ten minutes of her initial assessment she was relaying a story of her previous coach telling her she’d see results in “x” weeks.

Guaranteed.

Guess what didn’t happen?

via GIPHY

I don’t know about you, but I’d hate to set myself up for that kind of standard or expectation as a coach. Unless their goals are any of the following….

  1. Cut diamonds with their pecs.
  2. Build a deadlift that shakes the ground all the way down in Kentucky.
  3. Become a world class hugger.

…I’m not guaranteeing anything, let alone within a specific window of time.

When a new person shows up to CORE I have zero insight into their work ethic, degree of compliance, or any other outside factors that may or may not come into play (family responsibilities, work schedule, Andor marathon watching schedule).

Don’t get me wrong: There should always be an open dialogue and some form of communication with regards to goal setting. But don’t set yourself (or your client) up for a trap by guaranteeing results.

So, Uh, Since We’re Talking About Goals

It behooves any coach to encourage their client to be more specific with their goal setting. Having realistic and tangible goals in sight helps nudge more intent and purpose.

It keeps people more invested in their training.

Just be careful of someone being too vague (“I want to lose weight”), unrealistic (“I want to add 100 lbs to my deadlift in two weeks”), or downright batshit crazy (“I want to pet a Unicorn”).

Lets us a too vague example.

Too Vague = “I want to lose weight” or “I want to get stronger.”

Camera focusing on measuring tape and woman weighting on scales at bedroom. Concept of dieting

Neither is a bad goal. They’re just both vague as shit. It’s like me saying something to the effect of “I want food” when asked what I am in the mood for for dinner.

When someone suggests a vague goal like the ones above I’ll usually try to dig a bit deeper:

  • “Why do you want to lose weight/get stronger?”

  • “What’s prevented you from achieving those goals in the past?”

  • “How will attaining those goals make you feel once you hit them?”

Peeling back the onion with follow-up questions reveals quite a bit. The person soon understands they need to switch gears and latch onto something more concrete.

Which serves as a nice segue to…

Try to Encourage More Performance Based Goals

I’ve been a champion of this approach for a number of years now.

Setting performance-based goals is a game changer.

For example, with many of my female clients, instead of allowing them to default to the “I want to lose weight” trope, I’ll encourage them to pick a performance-based goal to train towards instead:

  • Perform their first strict, unassisted chin-up
  • Deadlift their bodyweight for five reps
  • Perform ten, strict pushups from the floor.
  • Beat Wonder Woman in a fist-fight.

Trap Bar Deadlift.

Setting a performance-based goal makes things so much clearer from a programming standpoint. First off, it makes getting rid of the superfluous foo-foo bullshit easier. Secondly, and most important, is that it gives people purpose in their training.

There’s a WHY behind the madness.

Each exercise, exercise order, load, set/rep, and rest period is curated for the sole purpose of hitting that goal.

To steal a famous quote from strength coach, Dan John:

“The goal is to keep the goal, the goal.”

Either your training program is bringing you one step closer to hitting your goal, or…it’s not.

What I find, more often than not, is when I can get a client to marry him or herself to training for a performance-based goal, the work and effort involved often results in them hitting that aesthetic goal anyways.

It’s a win-win.

The dose of empowerment is priceless.

Set Up Process Goals

This is so simple it’s absurd.

Basically, process goals are smaller, more bite-sized, DAILY, goals people should try to hit that will compliment their ability to hit “big rock” training goals.

I mean, how “strong” is someone going to get if they’re routinely only getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night? What are the chances someone is going to “lose weight” if their idea of a veggie is a piece of lettuce on top of their double bacon cheeseburger?

bacon cheeseburger on toasted pretzel bun served with fries and beer

Setting up 2-3 process goals – getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, shooting for 3-4 servings of vegetables per day, eating out less – for people to strive for every day is a great way to not only keep them on task, but provide an unparalleled sense of accomplishment as well.

As they check off hitting each goal per day, they gain more and more confidence and sense of “holy shit, I can do this.”

Build Autonomy, Competency, and Relatedness

These are just fancy-schmancy ways of saying people want to have a sense of freedom/choice in their training, they want to feel like they can do shit, and they want to be part of a community.14

Autonomy: People don’t like to be told what to do. When someone is told what to do or not to do, the human response is something called reactance.

They revolt. Go against the grain. Tell you to go fuck yourself.

Basically, they do whatever it is you told them not to do anyway.

Admittedly, when someone is paying you to be their coach, there’s a degree of “do what I tell you to do” that comes with territory.

However, I’d encourage any coach or trainer to build a level of CHOICE into their programming.

  • Maybe your client gets to choose what variation of deadlift they perform that day.
  • Maybe you let them choose if they want to use dumbbells or kettlebells for certain movements.
  • Maybe you give them a 5-10 minute window at the end of their session to do some additional glute training.

That sense of freedom/autonomy will undoubtedly build a greater degree of compliance.

Competency: This is easy. People don’t like to fail. I’d argue failing is good and part of the growing process, but that’s besides the point.

People want to feel like they can DO stuff. For example, if someone has little experience strength training, what’s the likelihood they’re going to feel great about barbell back squatting on Day #1.

Now, I’m not saying a good coach can’t teach someone how to back squat in a matter of minutes.

It’s very doable.

However, what I am saying is don’t be a dickhead. It can be intimidating for some people to place a barbell on their back, and you’re not doing them any favors by force-feeding it.

Doing squats with barbell

I feel the squat is a valuable pattern everyone should become competent with. That doesn’t mean everyone has to start with a barbell on their back.

Goblet squats are a splendid starting point for many people. Once they’re comfortable with that, we can progress accordingly.

Relatedness: Keeping this one brief, going out of your way to build a culture where people are surrounded by like-minded individuals and they can be themselves is paramount.

Don’t Be Scared to Dish Out Some Tough Love

Bringing this whole discussion full-circle: Remember that new client I mentioned above, the one who told me her previous trainer guaranteed her results?

She asked me an obvious question:

“When do you think I will see results?”

My response:

“If you kinda-sorta train, you’ll get kinda-sorta results.”

This was a (maybe not so subtle) hint that it’s up to HER.

You get out of training what you put into it.

As someone’s coach I’ll be there to support them and help augment their training experience. However, it’s also important to relay the message that part of the onus on them, too.

They have to take ownership and responsibility.

Categoriesbusiness

5 Things Fitness Professionals Need to Consider When It Comes to Taxes

There was time in my blogging career where I’d be more apt to dedicate writing energy toward topics like “Top 5 Carrie Bradshaw Breakups” than anything related to business, let alone taxes.

However, a major mishap I made back in 2007 when I transitioned to being self-employed made me change my tune quickly. 

Let’s just say I needed a new pair of pants when I realized I owed the IRS a lot of money because I didn’t properly prepare for things beforehand.

I get it. It’s not lost on me that most fitness pros reading would rather me write about assessment or how to turn people into deadlifting T-1000’s. I do plenty of that.  Today’s post, though – courtesy of fitness business expert Billy Hofacker – is what most fitness professionals NEED to be ingesting.

I hope it helps (it totally will).

Copyright: pixelrobot

5 Things Fitness Professionals Need to Consider When It Comes to Taxes

Most fit pros are afraid of taxes. They can be scary, especially if you don’t understand some basics. Not keeping up with and paying your taxes can get you into trouble.

Here is some good news.

With some basic information and planning, you can avoid some pretty unpleasant traps. Also, while nobody likes paying them, owing for taxes means you are making money! Besides, if you work independently as a coach, you get to dress more comfortably for work than many of your peers!

If you have employees, you need to deposit a certain amount withheld from them for taxes or you could be in trouble. If you have products you sell and use the sales tax money for other things, you won’t make it.

via GIPHY

As a general rule, you’ll want to set aside a percentage of your profit into a separate savings account so you can pay quarterly estimates to the IRS. Without getting too sophisticated and if you don’t have historical data from your business to look at, 25% is a good place to start.

For example, if you are going to pay yourself $1,000 from your business, take $250 and deposit it into your tax savings account and the remaining $750 would go to you.

In my early days as an independent trainer I neglected to do this. I accumulated a six thousand dollar liability with the IRS and had to pay it off over the following 2 years while building my career. That was over a decade ago. Since then, by incorporating this strategy of withholding taxes on myself, I have not had the tax man after me since!

*To Discover the Tool I Used to Pay Down That Debt and Much More, Download the Debt Destroyer Tool. 

Note From TG: I’m a huge proponent of the Profit First approach to running your business. When I left Cressey Sports Performance in 2015 to begin my own venture in Boston I immediately adopted this system and have been thriving off it since. Having a set plan to know where your money is going at the end of each month to plan for things like taxes, business expenses, and PAYING YOURSELF is crucial. I can’t recommend the book enough. I’m also way more jacked now than I was then. Coincidence?

 

The above scenario applies to you if you are taxed as a Schedule C or partnership. You will have to pay quarterly estimates to the IRS for income tax. If you are taxed as an S-corp, you pay payroll taxes on any salaries paid to employees, including you.

As an S-corp, you can pay the amount of taxes needed through the payroll taxes in order to cover any tax liability. This helps ensure you are always up to speed with your tax payments and hopefully it’s an example of “out of sight, out of mind.”

I personally use that method and it has taken away my tax stress.

Euro Financial, money, tax pressure concept

Finally, when you have some actual historical data, like previous personal and business tax returns, you can work with your accountant to determine the percentage of revenue that goes to taxes. You can also determine, with your accountant15, what the estimated tax responsibility for your business will be and turn that into a percentage of revenue.

You can then transfer that amount into a tax savings account every two weeks or so and use those funds to either pay your estimates (e.g. Schedule C) or reimburse yourself for the taxes the business paid (e.g. S-Corp).

The important thing to remember is that regardless of how your business is structured, you pay taxes on profit and not profit distributions.

For that reason, you will want to be sure to…

1. Keep Good Records

Hopefully, you’re not just handing your accountant a shoe box full of receipts at the end of the year. I used to know someone who did that.:)

Many crumpled receipts from stores. The concept of shopping, taxes and budget

In all seriousness, paper receipts for deductible items are fine but you may want to keep digital copies as well just to be safe. Taking pictures, scanning them, or using one of the many receipt/expense apps works. Other than that you’ll want to keep good records of what’s coming in (income) and what’s going out (expenses).

Other than staying organized for taxes, this will help you stay focused on how much you’re making.

2. Bookkeeping

Do you know the difference between credits and debits? Assets vs. liabilities? While it’s probably not why you got into a fitness career, some bookkeeping basics will serve you well.

Even if you’re not ready to take a college level accounting course, you might want to look into accounting software. Besides helping you prepare for taxes, you can keep track of invoices and billing, as well as run financial reports to help guide you.

Then when tax time comes, you’ll have things organized and an efficient way to access your income and expense history.

Finally, as you grow in your career, it’s wise to evaluate the best uses of your time. While in the beginning, it may make sense to do everything yourself, at some point it may make more sense to hire a professional bookkeeper so you know things are done correctly and you can focus on your highest value priorities.

Just like any area, there are good bookkeepers and not so good ones. I know from experience. If you go that route, be sure to hire someone who understands at least basic accounting and how financial statements flow together. 

3. Know What You Can Deduct

A smart and wealthy client advised me early on to take any ethical deduction possible. Some of the bigger potential items to look at are travel, home office (Schedule C and Partnerships), and health insurance. Self-employed individuals can take some deductions “above the line.”

This means they can still take the standard deduction while also writing off some more items.

It’s important to know here that you can take a standard (flat) deduction or itemize all your deductions based on your expenses. Most Fit Pros will take the standard deduction route since it’s easiest but if you have a lot of expenses it may make more sense to itemize.

Do your homework and know what’s best for you.

4. Take Care of Your Future Self

People who work for big companies generally have an employer who sets up a retirement plan for them. Oftentimes, they get a company match. Since you may not have either of these luxuries, you’ll need to develop the discipline to take a portion of your income and set it aside for your big, beautiful future.

Business Banking and Saving money

With that said, there are some benefits here when it comes to tax season.

A self-employed individual can contribute up to 25 percent of net earnings, to a max of $61,000 in 2022, to a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRA. Additionally, up to $14,000 can be contributed to a SIMPLE IRA. Those IRA contributions, which are above the line, may be tax deductable.

5. Where’s All My Money?

Fit pros are often confused when the end of the year comes and they owe taxes but don’t have the money to show for it. I hear comments like, “How can I be taxed?” I don’t have any money.

They simply don’t know what they don’t know.

There is a major difference between profit and net cash. I highly encourage you to track your profit but be equally diligent about tracking your “net cash.”

Net cash is used to see how much cash is left after expenses and owner’s distributions. Since owner’s distributions don’t count as “expenses,” they can cause a Fit pro to think they are doing better than they are. This is one of the biggest misunderstood things for fitness business owners 

The #1 rule in business is not to run out of cash! With a plan for preparing for taxes and an understanding of cash flow, you’ll be on your way to making a massive impact AND creating a career you love. 

About the Author

Billy Hofacker has been a personal trainer for over 20 years and is owner and CEO of Total Body Boot Camp and Performance Center in the hyper competitive market of Long Island, NY. 

Billy is now passionate about helping fitness professionals become financially fit.

He is the author of Fitness Profits as well the host of the leading financial podcast for fit pros, Your Fitness Money Coach Podcast.

You can book a free 15 minute Q&A call with him here. During that call, you can discuss and financial challenges to see if a personalized plan might be a good fit. 

Categoriescoaching personal training

Training Athletes vs. General Population Clients

A few years ago, while presenting at the NSCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference, I mentioned to the crowd that I don’t work with a lot of athletes anymore.

By choice.

Copyright: yuran-78 / 123RF Stock Photo

Training Athletes vs. General Population Clients

Instead, I explained that currently 90-95% of my clientele are made up of general population clients.

You know, “normal” people.

What’s more, I noted that I actually preferred training them over professional athletes.

There was a cacophony of crickets chirping and cold, blank stares. You would have thought I had just told the crowd I had given up everything just so that I could go walk the land and practice kung-fu.

via GIPHY

During the subsequent Q&A later that day I had a handful of people approach to ask if I was okay and whether or not I needed medical attention for saying something so blasphemous me to further elaborate my comment from earlier:

“So, uh, you said you stopped training athletes to work with general population clients.

Like, why?”

Here’s What I Said

Before I peel back that onion, I think it’s important to address the elephant in the room.

I think the overlying credo in the fitness industry is that once you get to the point where you’re working with (professional) athletes or celebrities you’ve somehow “made it.”

You’re elite.

You can now write your memoir.16

Woman hold notebook. Book notes for the Story of my life. Personal memoirs notes concept.

Quick Aside: I also feel there’s a tendency for people within the industry to give more credence or credibility to certain certifications over others. For example if someone is a CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) they’re obviously smarter and more qualified than a lowly CPT (Certified Personal Trainer)….and they can probably walk on water.17

Certifications are great and all (and necessary to some degree), but I guess I fall into the camp that tries not to place too much weight on the letters next to someone’s name, and more so on their experience and overall track record.

I get it: Training Gary from accounting doesn’t attach itself to as much prestige and luster as, say, an NFL player or Zac Efron.

However, as my friend and colleague, Mike Connelly, eloquently stated back in the day:

“We all train people. Whether or not they get paid to play a sport does not change their “peopleness” nor does it impact your status as an elite trainer. You either know what you’re doing or you don’t and there is plenty of both on either side.“

Training professional athletes and actors has its benefits and setbacks, as does training general population clients.

I’ve been fortunate to work with people on both sides of the fence.

I can tell you that throughout my career I’ve been every bit as excited watching one of my female clients nail her first strict, bodyweight chin-up as when I was watching an athlete of mine make his Major League debut.

Fun Tony Factoid: I watched one of my former athletes make his Big League debut the night of my Bachelor party.

Anyways, far be it from me to tell you which is the better fit or more rewarding route to take.

All I can do is speak for myself.

Speaking of which, how about I finally STFU and get to the meat and potatoes of the post.

“Tony, why did you CHOOSE to not work with pro athletes?”

Here’s What I Actually Said

1. You’re not my Mom, you can’t tell me what to do.

2. The truth is I still do train athletes.  My previous coaching position was at an institution – Cressey Sports Performance – which is known for working with a metric boat load of professional athletes.

Especially overhead athletes.

So, in effect, me switching gears and not training (professional) athletes at the same abundance was very much a result of that.

I simply am not around them as much compared to the past.

Rest assured, though, if Mike Trout wanted to train at CORE I wouldn’t turn him away….;o)

3. When I decided to leave CSP and open up my own small studio in Boston I knew the demographic I’d be catering to the most would be normal, everyday, all-I-want-to-do-is-to-be-able-to-pick-my-kid-up-and-not-hate-life people.

Partly because of the location of my studio, and partly because that’s what I wanted to do.

Don’t get me wrong: I loved working with athletes – and I still do.

However, as far as absolute joys in my life are concerned, outside of a good tickle fight, a heaping bowl of ice-cream, or rough-housing with my 5-year old, I have always gotten more out of helping “regular peeps” nail their first 2x bodyweight squat or helping someone finally conquer his or her’s chronic low-back pain.

I wanted to get back to former and the joy it brought me.

So that’s what I did.

Bye Felicia.

 

Besides, I don’t feel there’s any less pedigree of coaching involved at accomplishing any of the things mentioned above compared to improving someone’s VO2 max or vertical jump from 31 to 32 inches.

In fact, this quote from Vince Gabriele sums things up nicely:

“I get more satisfaction helping a level 3 become a level 7, than a level 8 becoming a level 9. The former is so much more rewarding.“

4. Also, if I really wanted to be honest with any young fitness professionals reading:

  • There’s more general population clients out there in the world than there are professional athletes. It’s an inevitable mathematical likelihood that, despite how important you feel you are and that only the elite of the elite can (and should) be privy to your superior training methodologies, you may, never, work with professional athletes.
  • But if you do, training athletes can provide a level of prestige that can be leveraged to garner more business.18 That said, and I think a lot of gym owners will agree with this, it’s general population clients that pay the rent and often result in more consistent revenue.

Something to think about.

And That’s That

If anything I hope this little rant resonates with those who may struggle with the notion that they’re “less qualified” because they don’t work with athletes , models, actors, or clowns.

That’s a bunch of hogwash.

Maturity in a trainer/coach is revealed in ‘the process of progress’ rather than who’s connected to it.19