I need to go crush some front squats in a few, so this one is going to be short and sweet today. Meaning, no long-winded introduction that no one reads or cute cat references.1
I’d like to preface today’s post with a well-timed quote from strength coach, Dr. Joel Seedman:
“When a strength coach says an exercise is “deceptive,” he really means “looks sort of easy but will make you cry.”
I can’t think of any better way to introduce today’s Exercise You Should Be Doing.
Push-Up Plank Hold w/ DB Row
Who Did I Steal It From: Dean Somerset had me doing these a few years ago when he was helping me work through some lower back shenanigans. He was an asshole.
What Does It Do: At first glance it looks like a nice little row variation, and it is. However, the real nuts and bolts of this exercise is the insane core stability that’s involved. There aren’t many exercises that light up my mid-section (RA, obliques, etc) than this one. Too, I feel it in other places: glutes, upper back, eyebrows, you name it.
But for real: this is an excellent core exercise and a lot more challenging than it looks.
Key Coaching Cues: Don’t be a hero. The objective here isn’t to sling around 80-90 lb DBs to try impress the other bros standing around. Trust me, they won’t care. The name of the game her is OWNING body position. Holding a strict 3-point plank will be challenging enough for some people. When you add an oscillatory element with the row, however, it makes the exercise even more challenging as the body has to resist movement during each repetition.
Abs and glutes should be engaged, quads flexed, and foot placement will depend on how bad-ass you are (wider = easier, narrow = Wolverine). With the row component, chest should be up and I prefer to cue people to think of the motion as an “arc” rather than straight up and down. To that end think about “rowing” your elbow towards your hip.
It’s the start of a new year and with it a proverbial reboot or rejuvenation towards one’s health and fitness. Well that, and a metric boat load2 of Facebook statuses of people complaining about all the “newbies” crowding the gym.
I am not one to complain because 1) I don’t typically work out in a commercial gym 2) Nah nah nana naaaaah and 3) I think it’s a good thing when people decide to be more proactive, take an active role towards their health and well-being, and join a gym. I mean, really? Are you that inconvenienced? I can appreciate it’s slightly annoying when there’s a traffic jam at the power rack (made worse when people are using it to perform bicep curls) or that it’s more or less an obstacle course to walk around all the meandering patrons doing this thingamajiggy or that whateverthef***.
Relax. Deep breaths. It’ll all be over by the second week of February…;o)
Nevertheless, as pumped as I am that people take the initiative to begin an exercise regime, I’d be remiss not to cringe – just a little bit – at the overzealousness of some as they begin their fitness journey.
Last week was one of the rare weeks where I trained every day in a commercial gym (my wife was on vacation and I joined her at her gym) and while it was great to observe people getting after it, the coach in me couldn’t help but start to hyperventilate into a paper bag want to be a coach.
For example I saw a lot of people deadlifting. It was cool. I wanted to go over and high-five every single person. However, that would have been weird and possible justification for a restraining order I kept to myself, but past all of that was an insatiable desire to want to fix a lot of deadlifts.
I admired their intent, but I’d be lying if I said a small piece of my soul didn’t die watching a few people doing their thing.
You see, for a lot of beginners what I “think” ends up happening is that they watch a re-run of the CrossFit games on ESPN or watch videos like this:
…and are all like “that’s badass, I want to do that,” not recognizing that 1) a deadlift is much more than just bending over and lifting a barbell off the ground (regardless of whether it’s 1000+ lbs or 50 lbs) and 2) a straight bar deadlift (from the floor) is the most advanced variation of a deadlift there is. Not many people are ready or prepared enough on Day #1 to perform this safely and with proper technique.
So I figured I’d offer a sort of “check-list” for beginners to consider, and what I feel would be the appropriate progressions to follow to work up to a straight bar deadlift.
Note to Internet Hero Trainer Guy/Girl Who Will Inevitably Call Me Out On Why I Didn’t Address This Thing Or That: This is not a dissertation, it’s a blog post highlighting a few candid thoughts and processes. This is no where near an exhaustive breakdown of deadlift technique or programming.3
Checks and Balances
Everyone is different and there’s no ONE right way or variation or cue that applies across the board. People have different leverages, injury histories, and experience levels and it’s important to take all those things into heavy consideration when coaching anyone up on the deadlift.
I will say: I know what I DON’T want to see. This:
That’s pretty much THE golden rule.
Because it makes me do this:
There are any number of reasons someone’s deadlift may look like the above picture:
Lack of hip mobility to “access” the hip flexion required to get that low to floor.
Lack of t-spine mobility (specifically extension).
Lack of ankle dorsiflexion.
Lack of kinesthetic awareness.
The novelty of the exercise.
They were born on a Wednesday. I don’t know.
Obviously step #1 would be to address and musculoskeletal/mobility restrictions that may be present.
Lack of Hip Mobility
Wall Hip Flexor Mobilization
Dynamic Pigeon to Half Kneeling
Shin Box
Lack of T-Spine Mobility
Side Lying Windmill
T-Spine Extension (Done Right)
Lack of Ankle (and Big Toe) Dorsiflexion
This is a component that’s often overlooked. If someone can’t access dorsiflexion it’s going to compromise their ability to get into deep(er) hip flexion to get down to grab the barbell.
Active Ankle Dorsiflexion
Metatarsal Active Squat Drill
Lack of Kinesthetic Awareness
Oftentimes it’s lack of awareness of what the body/joints are doing in space that’s the limiting factor. I like to use the Cat-Camel drill to build context and to demonstrate what I don’t want to see (rounded back) and what I do want to see (neutral spine)
Addressing Novelty (<— This is HUGE)
Here we have the nuts and bolts. Much of time, even though the stuff discussed above is very important, it comes down to the novelty or “newness” of the exercise as to why some people fail. To be blunt, and as alluded to earlier, much of the reason why many fail at deadlifting from the get go (and end up hurt and using the lame excuse that deadlifts are dangerous for everyone) is because they’re too aggressive and end up gravitating towards variations (and loads) they’re not ready for.
They either don’t understand what it actually means to hinge through the hips (which is all a deadlift really is: it doesn’t always have to mean pulling a heavy barbell off the ground) and/or they fail to progress accordingly based off their experience and leverages.
Learning what it means to dissociate hip movement from lumbar movement step #1 in grooving a bonafide hip hinge. One of the most popular drills to do so is the Wall Hip Hinge. Unfortunately, as harmless and innocuous as it looks it’s easily butchered. Here’s how I like to coach it up:
Another drill I like is the Tall Kneeling Handcuff Hip Hinge. Here we can take some joints of the equation and place a KB behind the back, which, for some reason, works. I think Gandalf made it up.
If you’re’ interested in learning some more hip hinge drills you can check out in THIS article I wrote a few months ago.
Assuming I’m comfortable with someone’s hip hinge now it’s time to start adding some load.
Remember: You DO NOT have to use a straight bar, and I’d caution against it for more beginners. The only people who have to use a straight bar are competitive powerlifters and Olympic lifters. Generally the people who say otherwise are those who don’t coach people. So if some Joe Schmo internet warrior tells you otherwise tell him to f off.
While there are always exceptions to the rules my progression series is as follows:
1. Master Hip Hinge Drills.
2. Cable or Band Pull-Through.
3. Kettlebell Deadlift: Elevated if need be. And from there we can progress to pulling from the floor as well as ramping things up to 1-Arm KB Deadlift (which adds an additional rotary component), 2-KB Deadlift, and even Hover Deadlifts:
4. Trap Bar Deadlift: The trap bar (or hex bar) deadlift is an excellent choice for beginners or those with limited experience because of its user friendliness. This is often my “go to” variation for everyone I begin working with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-sA3PG1kGY
For starters one’s center of gravity is inside the bar, which makes it easier to maintain an upright torso angle and a better neutral spinal position. All of which translates to less shear loading on the spine.
The elevated handles make it easier for those with mobility issues/restrictions – such as limited hip flexion and/or ankle dorsiflexion – to perform in a safe and successful manner.
5. Rack Pulls or Block Pulls: Here we can start adding anterior load. With the barbell now in front of the body the axis of rotation is further away which can result in more stress on the lower back. This is fine so long as neutral spine is maintained.
I’d note here that I much prefer Block Pulls. I find they have more carryover to the actual deadlift as you’re still able to get slack out of the bar (which you’re unable to do with a rack pull). Both are great options, though, when introducing straight bar variations.
Is your spine still attached? Can you still feel your legs? Good. Lets move on.
6. Sumo Deadlift/Conventional Deadlift: Look at you, son! Pulling from the floor now. Whatever variation allows for the most success, feels better, and guarantees proper spinal position is the one I’ll run with.
Sometimes people picked the wrong parents and their anatomy dictates what will be the best fit long-term. Generally speaking those with mobility restrictions, longer torsos, and short(er) arms will prefer sumo style over conventional. I prefer a middle-ground approach for many and often use a Modified Sumo Stance with my clients/athletes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Xjb72gGTE
None of this speaks to the other particulars I like to go over with trainees with regards to foot placement, hand placement, leg drive, common mistakes with lockout and the descent, not to mention appreciating, getting, and maintaining body tension. You can do a search on the site and find an abyss of other deadlift articles that go over all those things.
The goal today was to showcase my (general) approach to deadlifting with beginners. I hope it helped.
Addendum (Other Stuff I Wanted to Say)
1. Consider hiring a competent coach to show you the ropes. A good litmus test to figure out whether or not they know what they’re talking about:
Ask them if they know who Andy Bolton is.
Have him or her point to their posterior chain. If they point to their abs. Walk away.
They can differentiate between a deadlift and a squat.
They actually look like they lift weights.
2. Stop BOUNCING your repetitions. It’s a DEADlift, not a BOUNCElift. On each rep, when you return to the floor, you should come to a complete stop. “Reset” your air and spinal position, and repeat.
3. I HATE high-rep deadlifts, especially for beginners. Fatigue is going to compromise form. Try to stick to no more than 5-reps per set.
4. Home base – in terms of loading – should be in the 65-80% range of 1-rep max. Not that this means you should test your 1RM right away. The thing to consider is that you don’t NEED to train heavy to start. Beginners or un-trained individuals can train with as low as 40% of 1RM (Hint: that’s super light) and still reap all the benefits and gain a training effect. Honing technique should be the main goal at this point.
Hope everyone’s New Years was fantastic and safe. Lisa and I celebrated our last Holiday as non-parents by being lame and going to bed at 9 PM New Year’s Eve. We figured we’d start a new hash-tag to highlight the fact: #sleepingwhilewecan.
2017 is here and with my first post of the year I wanted to discuss two common mistakes I see people make with their Turkish Get-Up.
Lisa has been on vacation from work since before Christmas and I’ve taken advantage of tagging along in the mornings to train with her at her commercial gym. I don’t make it into commercial gyms all too often, but when I do you can bet two things will happen:
I have to do everything I can to not want to gauge out my corneas.4
I always pick up some good ideas for blog fodder.
During the past week I’ve noticed a lot of people performing Turkish get-ups, which is awesome. I think it’s rad to see more and more people venturing out of their comfort zones. Unfortunately, I’ve also noticed a few common themes with regards to questionable technique while observing the same people. Mistakes that are very subtle in nature, but can make a profound difference when it comes to reduced injury risk when corrected.
1) Rolled Shoulder vs. Packed Shoulder
This is the one snafu I see the most often. When someone transitions from the forearm to the “T” position (to the hand) they’ll allow the shoulder supporting their weight to roll forward. Kinda like this:
Ouch.
With bodyweight or a lighter KB it won’t be that big of a deal. However, it’s a bad habit to fall into (even with light loads) and is going to place a lot of strain on the anterior shoulder, most notably the bicep tendon.
The better approach is to ensure a “packed” shoulder. Like this:
Bonus points for the sick Star Wars t-shirt. Demerit points for pitting out. My bad.
The simplest verbal cue I’ll use in this case is to tell the person to “place you shoulder blade in your back pocket” or maybe to say something to effect of “cork screw your hand into the ground.”
Both work equally well and place the shoulder in a far superior (and stable) position to transition forward.
2) Not Getting Under the Bell
Another common mistake I see often is people not getting underneath the bell when transitioning from the tripod/3-point stance to half-kneeling.
Most will perform more of “teapot” motion cranking through their lumbar spine (<– props to Artemis Scantalides for the teapot analogy) rather than hinging INTO their hips to get underneath the bell.
Here’s a quick 1:15 minute video explaining what I mean:
Learning to use the hips is crucial here and helps with getting a feel for what it means to “control” the bell. Not surprisingly some people struggle with this. Here’s simple way to groove things and get those hips nice a juicy:
Give the above suggestions a try and let me know if they make a difference. If not, I guess I’ll GFM…;o)
This is the last post of 2016. Unbelievable. To cap off the “Year in Review” I wanted to highlight the most popular posts from my Exercises You Should Be Doing series.
Beginning in mid-January 2017 I’ll be offering a new 6-week “beginner course” at CORE, called COREessentials. Get it?
The idea is to champion FOUR things:
1. Building Autonomy
2. Building Accountability
3. Building Competency
4. Building Community
5. BONUS: to build you into one sexy motherfucker.
Okay, that’s five things…but hopefully you get the idea. The program is going to target beginner levellifters who may either be lost in their training – just kind of haphazardly piecing together workouts with no rhyme or reason – or who may be intimidated altogether with the idea of strength training. The umbrella goal is to build focus and purpose with training.
The Deets
START DATE: Mid-January, 2017. Likely Monday, January 16th.
1. Groups will meet 2x per week at CORE (250 Cypress St, Brookline, MA) in predetermined AM and PM time slots.
2. Sessions will be 60-75 minutes in length and each one will be supervised by strength coach Jarrod Dyke, CSCS (I’ll be making cameo appearances as well and will be involved with the programming). The course will stress the basics – teaching participants various bodyweight, kettlebell, and (sometimes) barbell based movements designed to set the stage for continued success and growth (you know, that autonomy thing mentioned above).
3. There will also be a nutrition/mindset component as well. Shannon Wheel, a Boston-based Registered Dietitian, will be holding a few sessions throughout the course of 6-weeks covering nutrition as well as helping participants develop behavioral-based habits to compliment the training.
Too, my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, a behavioral and exercise psychologist, will be offering a mindset component designed to augment the process. She’ll tackle what goes on in our heads, and how to best curtail the roadblocks and negative self-talk that often hampers progress.
4. Weekly “homework/reading” assignments will be part of the process, along with email correspondence from the coaches to help keep participants on task.
5. There will also be a lot of EDM and 90’s hip-hop played (if I’m coaching anyways), and the likelihood of spontaneous dance or rap battles breaking out will be very high.
If you’d like more information or you know someone in Boston who may be a good candidate for this program please use the “Contact” function HERE.
2. Appearance on The Movement Fix Podcast
I’ve been a big fan of Dr. Ryan DeBell for a while now and have had a crush on his work for about a year or so. I was pumped that he reached out recently to invite me onto his podcast. We recorded it earlier this week and it’s already live.
In it we discuss why I don’t offer discounted training, mistakes new trainers make, and my “weird” introduction to blogging. You can check it out HERE.
First of all I believe the Bear Crawl is one of those exercises that many people 1) perform wrong and 2) have no clue what the actual benefits are. They’re just told by their coach or CrossFit instructor to do them and off they go.5
In this article I describe what the benefits are and how you can perform them when you don’t have access to a lot of turf or space.
I’m very fortunate that I have a fair number of coaches and other fitness professionals who see this site as a resource of quality information as well as a resource to help get their information and content in front of more eyes.
I had a bounty of excellent professionals pinch-hitting for me in 2016, and the three articles below were the top ones according to the traffic they received.
NOTE: Once January 27, 2017 arrives I’ll be in dire need for guests posts. That’s the day my little guy is supposed to arrive and my world is going to be turned upside down. In a good way of course…;O) I suspect my writing schedule will be drastically reduced, however I’d still love to continue offering top-notch content on a consistent basis.
If you’re interested please use the Contact function HERE and pitch me some ideas. A few criteria to consider:
1) You should be able to, you know, write well. On a base level you should be able to differentiate between to/too/two, their/there/they’re, your/you’re, then/than, and have read every book Kurt Vonnegut has ever written. Kidding.6
2) Preferably you actually have experience training people in real life. And, I’d prefer minimum two years experience in the field.
3) Have some “feel” for the type of content on this site. If you pitch me an article on fat-loss supplements or “Top Exercises to Tone Your Arms” I will Sparta kick you you in the throat.
This article actually made the PTDC’s list of Top Articles of 2016 on their site (you can check out their list HERE). People have been programmed to think that exercise intensity is all about performing endless repetitions of whateverthefuck and then dropping in a pool of your own sweat or going until you can’t feel your legs.
Sure, it’s hard, and it has it’s time and place. But it’s not, technically, “intense.”
Ohhhhhhhhh snap. Not surprisingly this article received a fair bit of back and forth in the comments section. I get it: I think much of what was argued about was over semantics over the word “elite.” Nevertheless, I felt this was a good article by Travis who brought up some valid points.
Yesterday I shared the Best Articles of 2016 according to my readers. You all have great taste, but today it’s my turn. Below are my picks of the best articles I wrote this past year.
The idea here was to speak against blanket statements. I hate when people say deadlifts are always dangerous and that everyone should avoid them. That’s just not true.
It’s never been easier to be heard, but it’s never been harder to get heard.
Social media and blogs make it easy to get your stuff out there. However, it makes it easier for everyone else to do the same thing. Here are some thoughts on how you can get your shit read by more people.
2016 was another banner year for TonyGentilcore.com. It was the 3rd year in a row the site reached more than 1-million “sessions” and almost 2-million page views.7
Granted, Google and Facebook do those kind of numbers every minute (if not every second), but it’s still surreal to me that my site was visited more than a million times this past year. I mean, I don’t think my mom pressed the refresh button that many times.
I am not an analytics guy. I don’t pay much attention to it to be honest. The only time I look at the numbers is during this time of year when I do the “Year in Review/Best Of” posts. It’s interesting: my traffic is pretty steady on a day-to-day basis, with obvious dips on the days I don’t post something (typically the weekends and Holidays). However, in looking at the data this morning the two highest traffic days this past year included posts that included a swear word in the title.
The “Real” vs. “BS” Hip Flexor Stretch
Becoming a Brick Shit House 201
This is good information for me. Basically, you can expect more swear words in titles in 2017. I don’t know, maybe something to the effect of:
Assessment: You Don’t Know Your Ass From Your Acetabulum
Shit People Do in the Gym That Make Me Want to Jump Into a Shark’s Mouth
Deadlifts? Dangerous? Motherfuckers Be Cra-Cra
** All are running titles of course and are subject to change.
Below are the top articles of 2016 according to which ones received the most traffic (you all obviously have impeccable taste).
This was a 2-part interview I did with strength coach Pat Davidson. Pat’s a character, but I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. He’s one of the smartest guys I know and one of the more vocal coaches out there. I love it.
If you like rants and you like listening to people tell it how it is, then you’ll love this interview. You can also check out Part I HERE.
My humble contribution at helping to fight off the mainstream media’s incessant mission to program women into thinking strength training isn’t for them.
As a fitness professional it’s inevitable you’re going to come across a client or athlete who’s dealing with low-back pain and shenanigans. This article provides some food for thought with regards to assessment and programming strategies for your consideration.
Check back tomorrow for MY picks for Best Articles of the Year.
I hope all of you have a safe and happy Holiday this weekend.
Stuff to Check Out Before You Read Stuff
1. COREssentials
Beginning in mid-January 2017 I’ll be offering a new 6-week “beginner course” at CORE, called COREessentials. Get it?
The idea is to champion FOUR things:
1. Building Autonomy
2. Building Accountability
3. Building Competency
4. Building Community
5. BONUS: to build you into one sexy motherfucker.
Okay, that’s five things…but hopefully you get the idea. The program is going to target beginner levellifters who may either be lost in their training – just kind of haphazardly piecing together workouts with no rhyme or reason – or who may be intimidated altogether with the idea of strength training. The umbrella goal is to build focus and purpose with training.
The Deets
START DATE: Mid-January, 2017. Likely Monday, January 16th.
1. Groups will meet 2x per week at CORE (250 Cypress St, Brookline, MA) in predetermined AM and PM time slots.
2. Sessions will be 60-75 minutes in length and each one will be supervised by strength coach Jarrod Dyke, CSCS (I’ll be making cameo appearances as well and will be involved with the programming). The course will stress the basics – teaching participants various bodyweight, kettlebell, and (sometimes) barbell based movements designed to set the stage for continued success and growth (you know, that autonomy thing mentioned above).
3. There will also be a nutrition/mindset component as well. Shannon Wheel, a Boston-based Registered Dietitian, will be holding a few sessions throughout the course of 6-weeks covering nutrition as well as helping participants develop behavioral-based habits to compliment the training.
Too, my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, a behavioral and exercise psychologist, will be offering a mindset component designed to augment the process. She’ll tackle what goes on in our heads, and how to best curtail the roadblocks and negative self-talk that often hampers progress.
4. Weekly “homework/reading” assignments will be part of the process, along with email correspondence from the coaches to help keep participants on task.
5. There will also be a lot of EDM and 90’s hip-hop played (if I’m coaching anyways), and the likelihood of spontaneous dance or rap battles breaking out will be very high.
If you’d like more information or you know someone in Boston who may be a good candidate for this program please use the “Contact” function HERE.
This is the EXACT message I relay to people during this time of year. The fear mongering and demonizing involved with having the audacity to indulge in yummy food this time of year is absurd.
Awesome read from PJ. Loved how he broke down the “math” and explained things.
I had the opportunity to offer my opinion in this compilation article – also featuring Eric Cressey, Mike Boyle, Dan John, Bret Contreras, Alwyn Cosgrove, and many others – describing:
Scenarios where we felt a physical therapist dropped the ball on a client.
What we tend to look for in a quality physical therapist.
Looking for some new coaches/trainers to follow on Instagram, and not just those “fake” ones that have a 717:1 (Selfies:Actual Content) ratio? This was great list compiled my STACK.com and I was very honored be included. Kinda surprised, actually, considering all the cat pictures I post.
Social Media Highlights
Twitter
I’m always amazed at people who ask for FREE training to try out my services. Would they ask a dentist the same question?
The fitness industry gets the shaft sometimes. It endures godawful long hours, we work when others don’t, there’s rarely (if ever) paid vacation, and there’s almost zero barrier to entry which allows a bunch of numbskulls to mess things up for everyone else.8
I can’t think of any other industry or profession where, more times than not, the expectation is potential patrons get to “sample” the service before they decide to purchase. Okay, admittedly, that 100% describes the process of purchasing a car. However that scenario is a little different. A car is merchandise. The fitness industry is a service industry.
I’m always amazed at people who ask for FREE training to try out my services. Would they ask a dentist the same question?
I think it’s a fair question, and feel free to insert any other profession in place of dentist (it’s the first thing that came to my mind when I wrote the Tweet): lawyer, hair-stylist, plumber, tutor, financial advisor, professional Han Solo impersonator, anything.
I also think there’s no one correct answer and that whatever side of the fence you’re on – “yes, you should offer free consultations and services” or “hells-to-the-no you shouldn’t” – has it’s advantages and disadvantages. In fact, if there’s any question that deserves the canned “I don’t know” response it’s this one.
However, upon further reflection I think the more germane response is…
“It Depends”
I remember when I was working at Sports Club LA (now Equinox) here in Boston back in 2006-2007 every new member received two “free” sessions with a trainer. I say “free” because the sessions were complimentary to the members but I was still compensated for my time. Not every chain does that of course, but you can bet they all have people on staff who’s sole job it is to sell, sell, sell and/or direct people towards the trainers. In Boston, like any major city, there are several notable, big chain commercial gyms vying for people’s attention (and wallets):
Equinox
Boston Sports Club
HealthWorks
LifeTime Fitness
24 Hour Fitness
Golds
Planet Fitness
Beacon Hill Athletic Club
In addition there’s dozens of mid-level commercial gyms (not chains, but pretty big) peppered throughout the city, not mention a CrossFit box in every major neighborhood. That’s a lot of competition and it makes sense that many of them would offer a free consultation or discounted introductory rates on training to entice more people to join.
Cressey Sports Performance business director, Pete Dupuis, discussed this very topic in THIS blog post, and one stat he brought up was that roughly 30% of people who are offered free consultations actually end up taking advantage of them. As Pete mentions:
“This may be a solid conversation rate from the perspective of the commercial gym owner, but not for the independent contractor who doesn’t see a single penny of the monthly membership dues these potential leads are paying. A 30% conversion rate tells me that 7 out of 10 people decided that something for nothing was actually worth nothing.”
And that’s the thing: I don’t have the luxury of hundreds (if not thousands) of people paying a membership fee just to walk through the doors. Why would I offer my expertise and time for free when I have bills to pay?
Some people may counter with “well, if you offer free stuff it’s less intimidating and allows people to see whether or not you’re a good fit.”
There are a few points I’d like to offer here:
1. Again, try walking into a hair salon and asking someone for 30-60 minutes of their time in order to sample the goods and to see if “you’re a good fit.”
HAHAHAHAHAHA – no, seriously, do it.
2. This is my livelihood, not a garage sale.
3. Plus (and not that I would ever play this card), I’m Tony motherf****** Gentilcore. People, like, me. I’m cool as shit to hang out with. Deadlifts, EDM, and random 90’s Mariah Carey trivia? Who wouldn’t pay for that…;o)
4. When does it stop? You offer a friend a discount and then what? Discounts for life? The mailman trains for free?
Worse you offer one person a discount or free sessions and another client catches wind who didn’t receive the same discount and now things are going to get weird. It’s best to just draw the line in the sand and take pride in your rates.
5. As my boy Dean Somerset has noted: free stuff isn’t the same thing as free training. I have over 1,900 blog posts on this site that are free and will help point people in the right direction in terms of training advice. Please, peruse away. That takes zero of my time.
However, time = money. If you want that it’s only fair to be compensated for it.
6. With regards to free consultations specifically, here’s the deal: that’s my assessment. I’m not taking 60 minutes just to show someone how to put the pins into the machines or to gossip about who’s banging who on WestWorld.
I’m taking that time to dive deep into someone’s unique injury history, discuss goals, using screens to assess movement quality, and taking the opportunity to see how much (if anything) I need to clean up with regards to exercise technique. All of that is information I use to write an individualized program. There’s value in that, not to mention a college degree, a CSCS certification I need to work at to maintain, and years of continuing education. If there’s any time left over, cool, lets discuss robots banging each other. I’m down.
Other Miscellaneous Things I Want to Say, But Have No Idea How to Put Them In Coherent Order.
I’d be remiss not to say this: Have a filter. Experience matters in this context. If you are in fact a new coach/trainer there is going to be a degree of doing stuff you’d rather not do. The entitlement that permeates with new trainers entering this industry is dumbfounding. There will be times you may have to offer your time for free or offer discounts in order to get more eyes in front of you. It’s not beneath you to do so. Moreover, you may end up working for a year (or longer) earning “beginner” wages. It’s part of the gig. Suck it up.
What about online stuff and emails? I take a lot of pride in that I try to answer every email sent my way. I think there’s huge value with interacting with your audience and not being an uppity dick. I’m not that much of an a-hole that I can’t take a few minutes to answer someone’s question. Where it becomes absurd is when one question turns into 17, or someone sends an email that would rival War and Peace in length. I ain’t got time for that.
I feel strongly there needs to be some form of “buy in” for the person to take things seriously in the first place. If the session(s) are free and there’s no penalty (loss of $$) on their end to 1) show up and/or 2) be accountable there’s less likelihood they’re going to be invested in the process.
This is NOT to say I don’t feel there’s value in offering discounted training/rates sometimes. The peeps over at Mark Fisher Fitness are huge proponents of offering special one-time only offers of 20-25% off packages when people attend a special bootcamp or class. I like this idea! If you’re already making the time to be at a certain place at a certain time, go for it. Offer free shit. Make it a special charity bootcamp or, I don’t know, just because it’s Thursday. MFF’s rule is run the class, get people’s names, offer the offer, stalk them for 30 days with emails and phone calls, but after that stop.
Understandably, there are some commercial gym trainers who are stuck between a rock and hard-place who receive minimal help from management in terms of client referrals. In this scenario I sense some value in offering free classes or sessions. If it’s a matter of getting more eyes in front of you I’d suggest offering 15-30 minute workshops or hands-on sessions during your floor hours where you go over core training, fat-loss strategies, or maybe offer exercise technique tutorials. Here people can get a flavor for how you roll and decide if you’re a good match or not. You totally are by the way.
Have some of your own advice to offer? Please chime in below or on the Facebook feed. I know many people have different perspectives and ideas on this topic and I have no doubts others can and will benefit from your experiences.
UPDATE
I should address a common theme I see popping up from people who oppose my view point. And that is: “I want my plumber to come and fix the toilet and that’s it. There’s more to the conversation when you factor in client-trainer relationships and the importance of rapport.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Which is why I refrain from pressuring people into purchasing large blocks of training up front. You want to talk intimidating? That’s intimidating.
“Hi, we just met and I spent 30 minutes gently tapping your glutes, want to hang out more? That’ll be $1200 for 30 sessions mmmmkay?”
Stealing another train of thought from Pete Dupuis, I’d rather earn my client’s business month to month. I only offer monthly plans. That’s a more palatable pill to swallow for most people. And, on the off-chance someone doesn’t like my glowing personality (and sweet He-Man references) or feels we’re not a long-term match, I am totally cool refunding their unused sessions. That’s just Business 101. And not sucking as a human being.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Texas-based personal trainer Shane McLean. Shane’s a regular contributor on this site so you know his stuff is top-notch and will be applicable to many of you reading.
When you were a baby (a long time ago for some) you loved lying on the floor and staring up at the world above.
If you wanted to go anywhere or were hungry, all you needed to do was cry and wail until your slaves came running to meet your every need. Life was so much simpler back then.
However, getting back on the floor and lifting, no matter how old you are, can spark new gains, work around niggling injuries and work muscles that you never knew existed.
Because lifting is not all about standing in front of the mirror to curl and grunt to your heart’s content. Yes, that means you excessive gym-grunter guy.
Let’s cover exercising from supine, tall kneeling and half kneeling positions and how lifting from those could be the missing link that’s needed to spark new gains.
Supine
This is lying on your back while facing upwards, like when you were a baby. We often lie supine after collapsing after a hard set or when you see someone on the floor crunching like a bat out of hell.
Please leave the crunching to the monkeys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tBOcFT1oTQ
However, lying and lifting from the floor can be a great core and upper builder as evidenced by the single arm floor press.
Single Arm Floor Press
This pressing variation will turn on your core and shoulder stabilizers due to the offset load that gets neglected during bilateral bench/overhead pressing. It’s also a shoulder saver because it eliminates the lower half of the press where the shoulder is externally rotated and where nasty things like shoulder impingements can happen.
If you want to take this up a notch and improve your numbers on the barbell bench press, try the barbell floor press. This improves your lockout strength as you receive no help from the bench or your lower body while pressing from the floor.
Barbell Floor Press
Let’s not forget about the back and shoulders which also play a part in pulling heavy from the floor, pushing heavy off the chest and giving you a great looking back that your friends will envy.
Check out this cool variation from Jordan Syatt that does all of this and more.
Pullover with Reactive Floor Press
Work your legs while you’re down there with the stability ball hip extension/hamstring curl. This exercise trains the hamstrings as a hip extensor and a knee flexor, which are its two major functions.
You’ll get more bang for your hamstring buck and they will love you for it afterwards, trust me. J
Stability Ball Hip Ext. /Hamstring Curl
This is great exercise for runners because the instability of the ball during the curl portion mimics the unevenness of the road while running, proving the stability ball is not a completely useless piece of equipment.
Tall Kneeling
The tall kneeling position looks like this.
Photo courtesy of FunctionalMovement.com
The toes on the ground, knees underneath hips and the core, pelvis and glutes all turned on. This is the position that babies step up to after crawling on all fours to determine whether they have the balance to start standing up.
For the rest of us, the tall kneeling position will help with posture and balance because if anything is not working as it should, our pretty face will head towards the floor and none of us want that.
You should use this position if you lack glute strength or have poor posture or non-existent balance. If you cannot do an exercise in the tall kneeling position, chances are you won’t be able to do it standing without some sort of compensation.
If that sounds like you or you need a new lifting challenge, consider taking these exercises out for a test run. Your glutes will be pleased.
Bench Kneeling Overhead Press
If anything is off with your overhead pressing mechanics, this exercise will pick it up, if somewhat brutally.
You can regress this exercise by kneeling on the floor and using dumbbells because an appearance on America’s Funniest Home Video show can wait.
Tall Kneeling Lat Pulldown
This pulling variation is great for developing core stability and training the entire backside of the body. This is exercise is outstanding for people who are yet to do their first chin up as it simulates the core strength necessary to pull yourself up over the bar without any extra compensation.
Sorry CrossFit, this is a no kipping zone. Please don’t sue me.
He will be missed
Tall Kneeling Pallof Press
Pallof press is a great stand-alone exercise but adding some tall kneeling into the equation takes a great lateral core stability, anti-rotation exercise to the next level. You’ll be a core badass.
Half Kneeling
The half kneeling hip flexor stretch is usually the go-to stretch to open up our hip flexors which are always tight but that’s an article in itself, so let’s leave that alone and lift from here instead.
Lifting in the half kneeling position has many benefits. By lowering our center of mass we can move our hips and shoulders without too much compensation from the pelvis/lower back, which is godsend if you’re a suffer of low back pain.
With the narrower base of support, you’ll receive extra core stability and glute activation benefits, too. So doesn’t it make perfect sense to lift from this position? I knew you would see it my way. J
So kneel, lift and be great with these half kneeling exercise variations.
Half Kneeling Lat Pulldown
The 45-degree angle of this variation makes it more shoulder friendly than other vertical pulling exercises, so if shoulder mobility is a problem for you this exercise is perfect.
Half Kneeling KB Bottoms Up Press
Holding the Kettlebell bottoms up creates more tension in the arm through a process called irradiation. This gives you more strength and stability in the shoulder region which makes this a great exercise for people with shoulder issues or for those who want a break from barbell/dumbbell overhead presses.
Half-Kneeling Med Ball Rotational Throw
A common error with med ball throwing is gym goers using other parts of their body like the low back to create extra power, which is a big no-no. However, throwing in half kneeling position reduces this compensation and increases the reliance of the hips and core, which are the muscles needed for rotational power.
Wrapping Up
Whether you’re returning from long layoff, working around niggling injuries or you’re wanting to spice things up to spark your gains, getting back on the floor could be just what you need.
However, please don’t cry. You’re an adult now.
About the Author
Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.
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