Summer Marketing – Start Today

With the UK weather slowly offering glimmers of sunshine people are once again out in their droves.

Fitness uptake will be on the rise because just like every year before this one, people want to have a summer look that won’t get them harpooned.

Maybe not akin to that of a cover model or movie star.

Just a little better than they are now.

These are the common goals and the language to lure prospective clients in (yes, lure. bait the hook well).

• Fat Loss – “Shifting weight in 8 weeks straight”
• Hypertrophy – “Achieve muscle tone, in a group or alone”
• Cardio Vascular Improvement – “Get fit with internals and HIT”

In essence people want to look better than they currently do, this means body recomposition needs to occur.

There’s just one problem.

Most lack the mental toughness to sustain this for longer than 12 weeks tops, so you’d best get to advertising ASAP, additionally you’ll need to use language that resonates with this type of person (fitness, toning, weight loss, etc).

They don’t want technobabble, they want results with a little effort/change as possible and if there is going to be a lot then it needs to be over soon and have them feeling suitably destroyed after ever session to appeal to their cognitive bias of what they think training ought to be.

Of course and trainer worth their salt knows this is a futile effort is the lifestyle change isn’t lasting.

In knowing this it means you’ll have 2-3months to convince people otherwise.

First though you need to get them training with you.

On average the common amount of weight people want to lose is about 2 stone, use this in your marketing.

On average the common way they expect this to happen is with cardio, circuit style training and anything else that leaves them gasping for air or feeling sore for a couple of days, be sure to explain how your training session will make the physically FEEL at the end of each one in your marketing.

On average the common length of time people expect this to take is 8-12weeks, tell the what they want to hear to get them in the door in your marketing.

As an example:

“I’m offering 20 spaces for the upcoming 12 Weeks Summer Shape Up training program and it’s only £500.”

Combine this with some images of average people you’ve helped transform their body composition for social proof, set a starting date and drive home the point that people need to be involved and ready for beach season.

This wave will crest quickly, don’t miss it.

Enjoy,
Ross

Pandemics & Fitness Professionals

Fitness professionals the world over took action and transition online.

Others tweaked their face to face services to fit country, state or local guidelines.

The majority however sat back and did nothing.

Believe it or not it’s easy to understand why and you might be surprised as to the reason behind it.

They didn’t want to change how the ran their business, which in my eyes is totally fair.

A lot were willing to ride it out until they could go back to normal operations. In this logical choice though there was ample time for them to begin to create some great free content just because they could and that is where a lot fell down.

Fitness content is endless and often of low quality.

Many claim to speak in a “No BS fashion.” when in reality they pander to the crowds like the rest.

Due to not getting the engagement they desire they start procrastinating and end up not doing much of anything, such a waste of talent.

These three simple guidelines will help you avoid this:

• Create content because you care enough to, not for the likes
• Actually be honest, don’t fluff things ups for the sake of feelings
• Take a look at what everyone else is doing for inspiration and do the opposite

As an example (let me hop over to IG):

Okay first post I came across was about making ‘heathy chocolate brownies’.

While it is indeed possible, and at the end there was info about using more veg/fruit to satiate cravings etc, people will only take what they want from the post which is this – I can eat brownies regularly and still achieve all my results.

Anyone with half a brain knows this isn’t really the case.

The truth is this; you can eat brownies when you no longer want to eat brownies.

Why that makes no sense I hear people cry. Simply put it’s because by that stage the person will have created enough mental fortitude and a reserve of ‘will power’ that they can literally have one brownie or only a small slice as they’re not still addicted to (and ruled by) their sugar cravings.

This is the truth.

You can have anything you want and still achieve all your desired results when you’ve not longer got the taste for it because at that point you’re in control and not your cravings/old habits.

I know, that’d get no likes and probably very little interaction, however that doesn’t make it any less the case.

Use you time to weed out what’s causing the persistent issues in how people perceive fitness and address them.

It’s better than the alternative of procrastination or doing nothing.

Enjoy,
Ross

The 10k Snatch Challenge Review

10,000 Snatch Challenge, completed it

Time to review the madness.

First of all, it’s not an ideal challenge for anyone without sufficient kettlebell snatching experience.

Personally I’ve been using KB’s for over a decade

Admittedly it’s not been an every day, every month, every year ind thing, however they’ve been in my training in some way for a long time.

In saying that my own form still had a lot of room for improvement, and as such I still get coaching from high level practitioners

This challenge got put out for my own interest.

Others asked about joining in, the advice from me was to opt for 10,000 single arm swings.

Men starting with 16kg bell, and ladies a 12kg

Some took up their bells, reported back that the first session was too easy and decided to jump up in weight dramatically.

Not what was advised, and the result was a high dropout rate.

I started off with this as my plan for February:

– 10 sessions (one session, three days rest, repeat)
– 1000 snatches per session
– Starting load 16kg, progressing to 24kg meaning 5000 reps in both

After the first day I realised a tweak was needed

On average I did 200-600 reps per session.

The majority of work was done with the 24kg bell in the end. 6000 total reps with the 24kg bell 3000 total reps with the 16kg bell1000 total reps with the 32kg bell I found the 16kg made for nice recovery days.

24kg had a noticeable improvement as 300 reps a day with it would leave the hands a little hot initially, however by the end 400 reps was sustainable

This was the most common protocol I used:

10 reps EMOM > 10min rest > repeat twice more.

On days that felt strong a 20min EMOM followed by 10min rest and a second 20min EMOM would be on the cards.

All in all quite manageable

As you’d expect there was specific progress in regards to the snatch itself.

– Form was shaper (insertion/catch)
– Balance improved
– SPP increased
– GPP benefits: arm, back, shoulder, leg, glute hypertrophy and improved CV

Strength I found a slight increase in my press which was a nice little increase.

I’ve not attempted any deadlifts or heavy rows so not sure if there was any benefit there yet.

There was also body composition improvements too.Given there was no change in nutrition, the increased TDEE provided some shifting of excess body fat, so a welcome side effect even though it wasn’t the goal

It wasn’t all smooth sailing though.

Week 3, or the start of it, was hard.

Physically the first two weeks I benefited from the neurological ramping and efficiency, however the sharp drop in wee three hand me hit the 16kg for most of it to allow neural fatigue dissipation.

It’s further proof as to why the cycling of your loading is crucial.

Too many stick with mediocre loads, mediocre effort and rarely if ever require a deload, it’s why there is little progress in average training

After a few days of recovery the CNS ramped up again.

It meant I could finish strong.

As an experiment it’s worth considering if you have a decent amount of skill& experience in the snatch.

That being said, it’s not going to have you winning any awards.

You’ll find it just a bit of fun.

Learning how to snatch will take at least 12 months

Yep, it really will take that long, and that’s with good instruction.

Learning on your own isn’t advised, hire a coach.

If you feel up for the challenge though then anyone looking to progress towards it I’d suggest you hit these benchmarks first:

10k Swings (Dan John style) – 4 weeks
Rest 1+ month
10k Changing Hand Swings – 4 weeks
Rest 1+ month
10k Single Arm Swing – 4 weeks
Rest 1+ month
10k Single Arm Clean – 8 weeks (1250 reps a week)
Rest 1+ month
10k Single Arm Clean – 4 weeks
Rest 1+ month
10k Snatch – 10 weeks (1000 reps a week)
Rest 1+ month
10k Snatch – 8 weeks (1250 reps a week)
Rest 1+ month
10k Snatch – 6 weeks (1675 reps a week, 50 less on last week)
Rest 1+ month
10k Snatch – 4 weeks

^^ You’d arguably get more benefit from the swing variations.

There’s no need thrush towards this, after all it’s just a bit of fun.

One crucial element in any challenge though is starting light and not letting ego take over.

Hopefully my insight into something I did on a whim has been enlightening.

Oh an would I do it again

Maybe next year when I’ve fully recovered

Enjoy,
Ross

Working With Injury

Injury isn’t fun

Many will allow such things to derail their training.

While resting the affected area is a wise decision, that doesn’t mean you can’t train other movement patterns and continue to make progress.

I’ve been suffering again with some knee issues.

A torn meniscus that has managed to find its way out of place (potential flap tear) is preventing full extension and flexion of one knee, this is most troublesome.

Training has had to be restructured.

Lower body work has been largely unilateral

The focus especially on the limited leg as to ensure the most productive training can be attained.

I’ve got a couple of benchmark movements that once their performance ability has been regained it means more training variation can be put in place.

The movements in question:

– Pistol Squat
– Single Leg Box Jump (jump & land on same leg)

In my experience one of the best ways to regain movement is through movement, crazy as it sounds.

True enough there’s mild discomfort.

It’s not the same as ‘pain’ though, pain means stop, discomfort means stay vigilant and dow act is possible so that blood & nutrients can make their way to the area and aid in healing

Additionally it’s worth keeping an eye on the form, speed and mind muscle connection in training affected areas.

Once one of those starts to diminish it’s best to stop the current sets.

Go and train something else and return for a second bout later, if the area that started to become compromised has returned then get out as much productive & safe volume as possible.

It’s also work doing daily movements on injured areas.

Within reason and of course in conjunction/agreement with your health care professional.

Don’t let injury get you down.

Instead of lamenting what you can’t do, focus on what you can.

That’s how winning is done

Enjoy,
Ross

Underprepared Much?

There is a lot that fledgling fitness professionals don’t prepare for.

It’s safe to say though that the most common would be sales.

Yep, bog standard understanding of how sales work, how to actually sell something or even generate interest.

So many think that by qualifying people will flock to them and this sadly doesn’t happen very often, even for those gifted with aesthetics.

If you’re looking to actually run a successful business and get sales you’d do well to keep these tips in mind.

1 – Self Discipline:
Whatever you choose to say you’ll do you need to make a plan and stick to it.

2 – Reach Out:
Good customers won’t come to you, you need to go find them and make them aware you exist.

3 – Clients Comes First:
Obvious as it sounds the clients needs come first and not your own, check your ego.

4 – Be Confident in Yourself:
Self doubt comes across loudly, have faith in your ability so that you can connect with your customers.

5 – Ask Open Questions:
Aiming to stay away from simple ‘yes & no’ answers will help you gain a deeper understanding of clients.

6 – Don’t Price Yourself Too Low & Charge For All Your Time:
A two part tip here. Don’t scrape the barrel and have low fee’s for starters, next ensure you charge for everything you do as this will convey value.

7 – Read Daily:
Getting 10 pages of a book done each day on sales/marketing/business will take you beyond the average.

8 – Hire a Business Coach:
Having someone with more experience in your corner might seem like a cost when it’s not, it’s a necessity.

9 – Be Honest:
When you don’t know something tell people. Then proceed to make notes and go out of your way to find the answer as this will show a deep and high level of service.

10 – Don’t Be Afraid to Say No:
If you can’t help someone tell them politely you’re not the right person for them and refer them to someone better suited. This will show integrity and pay dividends in the future.

Sales is a crucial skill, you’ll find that there are a lot of books surrounding NLP and sales tat are a winning combination so be sure to go and check them out.

Enjoy,
Ross

3 Tips for Reading Research Papers & Understanding Fitness Science

1 – Read the full study, paper, journal or chosen document, not just the abstract.

2 – Understand all studies will be funded with the specific purpose of proving a point and/or finding what their generous funding source wants.

3 – When a title has something that sounds too good to be true, it usually is and as such see points 1 & 2.

Enjoy,
Ross

Bonus Tip – Apply what you read, the only really way to know if something works is to actually follow the steps played out, become an n-1 and write up your own review with objective conclusions.

3 Ways to spice up your programming

Getting stuck in a rut with programming for training is common.

Speaking from experience it’s happened many times over.

Given this here are a few ways you can spice things up.

– a little note before we go on:

Use these suggestions as written and set any additional work (warm up, accessory as written directly below if needed).

W/U – 4×25 x 3 movements/lifts -2 weak point, 1 primer.
Accessory – 2-3×6-20
Perform each of the below for 3 weeks before moving on.

Option 1 – Ladder Super Set – Hypertrophy & Strength

Aim to perform 5 set os 1-2-3-4-5.

Choose either antagonists or upper/lower for this.

Example:

A1 – Clean & Strict Press
A2 – Pull Up

A1 – Front Squat
A2 – Floor Press

Option 2 – Density Chain – Strength

– Set a Timer for 10,20 or 30
– Choose a lift for each movement: Push/Pull/SQ/Hinge
– Perform 1 rep of each, repeat this 6 times
– Achieve as many sets of 6 (1-1-1-1-1-1 for all lifts) in time

Example: Barbell

Hinge – Clean
Push – Strict Press
Squat – Front Squat
Pull – Row

Like a complex you do a rep of each movement without putting the bar down, however you then do this 5 more times before putting the bar down to rest.

The reason for doing singles is that it allows you to use slightly more load.

Option 3 – Two Rep Approach – Hypertrophy

You’ll perform a set of 10, then a set of 5 with the same load.

You’ve got a choice as to how you use this as it’ll be on only one lift each session.

A – Perform 20 total sets
B – Set a timer for 30min

All of the above can be great for fat loss if performed in a period of caloric deficit.

Enjoy,
Ross

For the love of all that is holy, try to have fun.

Fitness for fun, nothing more

While my own personal bias will always want to see a result.

This doesn’t mean you need to feel the same way.

Some people train purely for the joy of training and what it gives them. Perhaps instead of electing some form of fitness to lose a couple of stone, get ready for an event or something that will provide little more than temporary fuel for the fire, why not do something you actually enjoy.

You’d be amazed how this will make you want to train

I’m not going to lie to you and say you’ll get all that you want and more just because of enjoyment.

Plenty of people love they way they train.

Those same people sadly don’t perform on a level or look like the train though

Here is the shortcut to how one achieves those two elements:

High quality nutrition = aesthetics
Deliberate effort/focus = performance

Arguably the latter is easier to achieve.

Even with training you love & enjoy, you merely choose small milestones and bench marks for that to happen.

The former is trickier.

You have to be willing to eat for health first and then enjoyment

Lot’s of people enjoy how they eat, however it’s not always conducive to their long term health or a physique they’re truly happy with.

Find something you enjoy training wise first.

Once that is in place some results will come initially, and then you’ll be given a choice of lifestyle.

A – Train for fun while tidying up nutrition/life to help it.
B – Train for fun and leave everything else as it is.

Seriously both are fine choices.

The crux is that the choice must be yours & for you.

Too many make choices based on or for everyone else, and while this can help initially in the long run it doesn’t provide enough substance to sustain the change (typically, not always though)

Go and find something you enjoy. Remember fitness doesn’t just mean running or lifting weights.

Boxing, BJJ, MMA, Climbing, Swimming, Jump Rope, Yoga, Gymnastic, Movement Culture, Football, Soccer, Rugby and hundreds of other things.

Do what you enjoy because in the long run you’ll want to do it more.

Hey, perhaps it’s even lifting weights & running

Enjoy,
Ross

Novelty in PT Pricing

You’ll see various PT and fitness websites with multiple pricing options.

Too much choice will freak people out.

Don’t believe me? 

Ask someone where they want to eat and suggest multiple places, then sit back and watch their brain liquify and seep out of their ears. To see the same in some people just ask them where they want to eat.

Chop down your options wit this novel angle.

Payment Options – Per Month: 

Option 1 – £347 – The Whole 9 Yards (full PT service)

Option 2 – £497 – The Whole 9 Yards (full PT service, just more expensive)

Yep, whichever they choose to pay they get the same. 

When people enquire to the difference, you can say “The price” they don’t get a better service paying more, they just paying more and it’s these puzzled enquires that will allow you the opportunity to speak to people.

The more you talk to the higher your chances of gaining clients will be. 

Enjoy,
Ross 

Gaining a Global Audience

More reach mean more potential people read your content.

This means more opportunity for you to help them.

Sadly you’ve got to do some research.

You’ll want to find out the following:

• Target Demographic time spent online, when (actually time, say 7PM) and where (Linked in, FB, etc)
• Demographic most used hashtags or whatever it is people use now
• Structure of content – how many posts a day, what order, style, bias, colour scheme, text options & length
• The most likes, shared and subscribed to content (competitors)
• Reading the comments to find out what people think of said content in their own words
• Challenge current content with your own views and be sure to make them bullet proof
• What you’re not doing – this will be obvious

In essence if you wish to real people around the world you’ll need to know who is online and what they want specifically, because without that information it’s like you’re trying to find a black cat in a pitch black room.

Additionally you can offer to write for free to internationally recognised sites to boost your profile.

^^ A fair word of warning, you’ve either got cowrite something brilliant beyond belief or be famous to have them actually consider you. Looks like you best get to finding that ‘one thing’ no one talks about they everyone thinks someone does.

Like the joy in giving up.

Did you know people actually take great pleasure in being able to cancel plans, especially fitness related ones.

Continuing our original point, to gain global attention you’ve got to make yourself available.

Speak on podcasts, send content to people, ask for help from those already in the spot light and explain exactly what you’re trying to achieve, you’d be amazed that eventually one might throw you a bone.

And as for all those that scoff at you, just remember them when you’re taking the world by storm.

Kindness begets kindness after all.

Enjoy,
Ross