More Than Looks

“This currently isn’t me. This is what I really look like when I’m dieting.”

Believe it or not this is something you’ll hear a lot of people say in reference to themselves.

Often followed up by a photo from either a show they did or a photo shoot and at a point in their life where they felt ‘happy’ in themselves because of how they appeared physically. 

In our modern world people get shamed for wanting such a thing. 

To ‘look good’ I mean. 

It’s not uncommon for peoples sense of self and confidence to be intrinsically linked with how they outwardly appear, despite what the modern narrative will try to have you believe.

When someone doesn’t feel they look their best it will being down their mood, increase their anxiety and generally have them wanting to avoid seeing anyone they know because of feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable when not on point. 

This doesn’t just relate to physical appearance in regards to body composition.

Have you ever walked into a friend in the super market at say 7am because you thought you’d get a head start to the day to see that upon them realising they know you and you’re about to get an up close look at them without their makeup, hair done and stylish outfit they just above dive into the shelf display to avoid you. 

You will find such things happen because of how they have internalised their external imagine.

Essentially they have in their own mind a version of themselves that is the ‘true’ version.

Which ironically can often be the one that has all the additional bells, whistles, accessories and external imagery being on point, You might say this is the version they’ve cerated because that’s the one they want people to see as them, as opposed to what they are without any of their creature comforts.

Given how much emphasis people put on not feeling the need to adhere to a specific standard of beauty or an image its amazing how many of them allude exactly that. 

Being visual creatures by nature it’s worth understanding that there’s nothing wrong with having standards for yourself physically, that being said you must also accept you for you as well.

That’s what the message of ‘body positivity’ is meant to be. 

Embrace what you are naturally without any artificial enhancement, yet also embrace those times where you’ll apply a few of those things to make yourself look and feel even better for a short time, just don’t become reliant on those for that feeling.

Ideally you want to have that feeling come from deep within and be a constant thing. 

Sadly the very first line rears it’s head because people get treated differently when they appear a certain way. 

Essentially we create our own mental chain and negative habit loops whereby achieving a specific feeling only seems possible when we meet specific conditions, as such it becomes very hard to separate from these crutches, especially when they have us feed good, important and valued.

True your real value isn’t based on your appearances, it’s your actions.

That lesson just takes a while for some people to learn. 

So where do you go from here now that the above is out in the open?

First you’d do well to ask yourself why the approval of other people is so important to you, moreover which people is it specifically that you’re looking for validation from as that will really help you in understanding where these feelings are coming from. 

Everyone without exception has people they want to impress for whatever reason.

Knowing why is the crucial element to it.

Of course there is a heavy influence from social media these days surrounding people being on point and seemingly perfect, however even in knowing it’s essentially 100% fake a lot still look at people in awe and something with envious eyes as well. 

Did you see the unfiltered picture of one of the Kardashians recently?

Dear god the amount of effort they went to to get it removed and then after that to prove a point they were truly happy with their body in a video dancing around half dressed, it was actually quite sad. 

To feel such a need to justify yourself to people you don’t even know all to keep up the false appearances you’ve created just sounds like hell on earth to me. 

Mentally it must be crippling for people of that level of celebrity.

Simply because anyone that climbs that high will no doubt find endless people with their jealous claws out ready and waiting to tae them down and deliberately try to destroy their self-esteem so they feel as shit as the person throwing all the negativity does. 

Then again if you’ve chosen to create a false image endlessly edited and airbrushed what do you expect?

All choices come with some form of consequence.

Regardless of how mentally tough we can become there will eventually be a limit and it’s at that point where people lose their shit with the world and explode in fait of rage.

It makes you wonder if it’s really worth all the effort of keeping up appearances for the sake of playing the game and pleasing other people when in the end you’ll finally understand it was rigged from the start and you were nothing more than a dancing monkey for the entertainment of others. 

Once you shine fade you’re quickly forgotten and cast aside. 

Alternatively there will be people that want to revel in your fall from grace and compere the husk of what you are now to what a sining beacon you once were because people like nothing more than to poke at the past as essentially say to you in as many ways as they can – “What happened?”.

Make no mistake it’s not for your benefit, they simply like to see your anguish of what’s now lost. 

Trying to cultivate a healthy internal image of yourself is something that can take a lifetime to achieve, and it won’t be done purely from focusing on the external and the validation that comes from it because beauty fades, as they say.

You’ll find this is where having multiple goals throughout your life can be your salvation.

By all means have aesthetics and physically related ones, just be sure that they evolved and grow over times as you ought to as well because trying to set goals based on the past won’t produce the results you think.

If anything you’ll just make yourself deeply depressed because what worked then doesn’t work now and no matter how many times your tell yourself – “Just a little bit longer. Just a little more and I can get back to where I was.” – it just won’t happen because what’s gone is gone.

We don’t live our lives in reverse I’m afraid.

Basing your worth on what you were isn’t conducive for long term mental health & happiness.

Enjoy your glories while you’re living them and as their light begins to dim don’t try to pour more fuel on a weakening flame, instead use it to ignite another smaller one that you can nurture until it too becomes a glorious fire one day and repeat this process moving forwards.

Perhaps a good life rule for people is to never set the same goal twice. 

Always aim to make it a little difference in some way. 

You might find the theme is similar however the outcome may not be the same, nor will the process of achieving it because you’re not the same as you were before you achieved the previous goal, you’re different now. 

Older, wiser and perhaps a little more savvy, or at least that’s the hope, right?

Use all of the above to add to your own perception of yourself as a whole and based on everything you do or have done, not just one element because while being hyper focused does have its uses in the short term eventually you’ll find it’s applicability running out. 

It’s at this point it become painful to see.

Too many trying to hold on to something that has already slipped out of their grasp, they just don’t realise it and when they do they dig their heels in refusing to accept it, this causes a lot of mental strife.

In fact it’s worth speaking to close friends and people you deeply trust about such things. 

Most of these people will have your bet interests at heart and can offer a perspective on life that you might not have been able to appreciate until now as they’ll all have stories of their own which will be worth your time. 

A saying I’ve always liked is – “No story is not worth hearing.”  Angeal Hewley.

Finally, enjoy what you have while you have it and be sure to give up your grasp on it when the time comes so that you can take hold of something new. 

Enjoy,
Ross 

Training For Free

8 Reasons Bodyweight Training Rocks 

Callisthenics as it has become to be known has really gained a good following over the last decade. 

Originally it tended to be kept in the shadowy corners of boxing gyms, martial arts dojos, gymnastics centres and prison cells however these days it’s become quite mainstream. 

While lifting heavy iron is the BEST way to increase absolute strength & muscle mass. 

Mastering your own bodyweight has an innumerable amount of benefits that are arguably more useful and also accessible to everyone, everywhere at anytime. 

It’s also worth keeping in mind that it also looks really cool when you bust out advanced bodyweight movements too and while some won’t admit it, most people like the positive attention and praise it brings. 

I’ll be the first to say embrace that because self-confidence isn’t without it’s small sense of pride.

Apart from these obvious benefits to bodyweight training:

• It’s basically a free gym 
• There’s something for everyone to do
• Longevity is linked to movement capabilities 
• Handstands are cool 

There’s other benefits as well that we shall be looking at today.

Additionally it’s perhaps the most versatile tool for this post-corona training world where some people don’t want to touch gym kit or ever go back into one, so taking yourself down the road of mastering movement and your own body might be a great niche to unlock. 

Time to further sell bodyweight training with these brilliant benefits.

Body Composition Regulation 

To lift your own body and perform specific bodyweight elements/movements you can’t be crying too much excess body fat, or excess muscle for that matter either.

Essentially you create a body that is ‘useful’.

Go take a look at the ladies & gentlemen that are masters of movement.

You’ll see the all have favourable physiques, amazing relative strength and enviable heads of hair.

You’ll Feel Great The Next Day

Unlike lifting, excessive HIIT (if done well) and various other training options, hitting bodyweight will often have you feeling great the next day because there is equally as much focus on mobility & movement as there is on muscular/cardiovascular stimulation.

There might be some DOM’s now and again, however overall once you begin to master who you move you’ll usually end up feeling better than you did in your early 20’s

You can also train with your bodyweight every day because of the next benefit.

Endless Training Options, Literally

You might set up a week that looks something like this:

• Gymnastic Movements (Compression)
• Vinyasa Yoga 
• Convict Conditioning 
• Ido Portal Floreio Routines 
• Convict Conditioning 
• Vinyasa Yoga 
• Gymnastic Movements (Hand Balancing)

Being able to pick and choose between Skill-Strength-Conditioning styles of training is great fun and given some are more restorative than others there’s no reason you can train daily, so long as you’re not trying to do what most do and fatigue yourself all the time. 

Earthing 

When your only training tool is your body it allows you to venture outside.

Training in nature without the distraction of modern life is very calming, not to mention connecting your bare feet with the floor provides a benefit of feeling connected with the world again. 

Old Injuries Diminish 

Speak to some and they will explain how they could hardly move for years. 

Then after taking up a bodyweight focused training practice suddenly their injuries vanish.

Now typically this is because they begin to understand how to actually move correctly and additionally they start working on mobility, flexibility plus all the other areas they’ve neglected through years of conventional training or sitting at a desk. 

While not a miracle cure for all injuries, it really does help with a large amount of them. 

You Learn How To Move

Establishing a better mind muscle connection is one goal of lifting weights, however how often do you ever try and establish a better ‘mind movement connection’?

Learning how to stand, walk, crawl, climb, brace, roll, tumble, fall, get up, jump and flow. 

All improve your overall awareness, proprioception and fine motor skills that might have been a little dampened by modern life. 

Once you know how to control your body it’s quite liberating.

It’s Highly Rewarding 

Not being able to touch your toes is common for a lot of people, some using the excuse they’ve never been able to do it, and yet with a little movement training and bodyweight basics will have them almost folding in half with ease. 

This is a great feeing for people and allows them to learn that with a little patience they can indeed achieve a lot.

You’ll Gain Humility 

There’s not cheating in bodyweight training progressions.

You’ve got to really put in a lot of time, effort and good repetition to build a solid foundation for which to progress towards more advanced movements. 

Since it’s very hard to cheat training using only your own body it can be frustrating for people that are perhaps used to program hopping or will use less than solid form to achieve something. 

When your tool is your body that’s just not possible. 

A movement progress requires everything else to be in aligned, your mind to be focused and your body to be ready, it won’t happen before that time no matter how much you try and force it to. 

This really cultivates an appreciation of delayed gratification, something sorry missing these days. 

So there you have it, 8 reasons why bodyweight training rocks. 

What current bodyweight skills do you possess?

Perhaps you’re already a high level practitioner, if so it’d be great to hear of your journey.

Alternatively you might just be starting out and it’d also be great to hear why you’re chosen this route.

Please do leave your comments, questions and curiosities below. 

Enjoy,
Ross 

Some Wise Words For You

4 Forgotten Training Principles To Remember 

We all want to progress in our training and achieve results that are important to us. 

Over the years though there’s a few things people have forgotten in pursuit of unlimited power or fitting into smaller jeans.

No lengthy monologue today.

Just straight in to the meat and potatoes of it all.

1 – Tolerance 

The body can only handle so much, meaning you must choose where to focus your attention and efforts so that significant progress can be made in that area. 

It’s easy enough to set a routine that sustains other muscles/movements.

However trying to bring up multiple areas in one go is a recipe for disaster, yet people repeatedly do it anyway.

Choose no more than 3 overall fitness goals that don’t overlap/contradict one another. 

If they do then choose one goal and focus on it until it is as a sufficient level that you can sustain it will minimal effort while you move to your next goal. 

2 – Perception of Reality 

Change can take literally 10 years to fully realise, and once that happens there’s no going back.

To have the change become permeant then permeant change must be. 

A lot of people get from point A to Z, then decide to live life back at point A and wonder why they lose everything they worked so hard for. 

It’s quite simple and best to think of it this way; if you don’t keep up the payments on your mortgage your house will no longer be yours and the same is true for physical property too. 

3 – Frustration 

Life isn’t fair and there will always be someone that does less and gets more, or can eat more while gaining less body fat. 

Yes it’s frustrating however that’s just life and you’re going to have to deal with it.

These days people are quick to champion the phrase – “You’re only competition is yourself.”

Ironically these are also the same people that make excuses for themselves and complain how unjust life can be in the realms of fitness. 

The only cure to frustration is deliberate action.

If you truly believe the aforementioned mantra then don’t get frustrated, get active.

4 – See How Little You Need To Thrive, Not How Much You Can Survive 

Training yourself into a Yamcha shaped hole in the ground is seen as a badge of honour.

In truth it’s just a waste of time because it serves no purpose for the majority of people and leaves them with less results than they feel they ought to have achieved based on how much effort they’ve put in. 

Yes you need to train ‘hard’.

There is no denying you need to put in effort, however it wants to be of a benefit. A positive adaptive stimulus and not just creating fatigue so that your body can fulfil your depleted dopamine needs with pseudo-dopamine in the from of adrenaline & positive highs through cortisol releasing energy to mask your crippling fatigue.

Less done better will always trump more done poorly.

Once you understand this and master it then you can do more better than ever before and truly thrive. 

Until that point though you’ll need to be sensible and hire an expert to help you, or follow some battle tested training that is suitable for your specific goal and for the love of all that is holy don’t try to create something yourself because that’s a disaster waiting to happen. 

In Summary – 

Accept your body can only tolerate so much and aim to find out what that is so you can train just below it with the goal of increasing that tolerance over a long period of time. 

Understand reality is often disappointing and change takes a long time, plus keeping any changes requires wha you’re doing to be a permanent fixture as well. 

You’ll get frustrated many times over, such it up and learn to deal with it. 

Finally see how little you need to thrive instead of constantly pushing your limits to see how much you can survive.

Keep the above in mind and you’ll begin to make headway again. 

Alternatively you can ignore them and do as you always have, which will get you what you’ve always got. 

Enjoy,
Ross 

Focus & 10×10

Focus, is one thing.

Focusing on multiple things, is futile.

You’ll find endless quotes or sayings on how you can only focus on one thing at a time and that multitasking is a myth

While we can switch our attention between many things.

We are unable to truly focus it on more than one, and by that I mean out conscious attention because the sub conscious is something else entirely.

This morning I was thinking about training productivity while doing dips.

One of the classic methods/protocols that people try and often fail to do for longer than 5min is 10×10

When done correctly it’s rather tough.

If you’re to program this in training there are two sensible ways to do this, in regards to a session that is.

Option 1 –

A1 – Main Lift – 10×10
B1 – Accessory Lift – 2-3×8-12
B2 – Accessory Lift – 2-3×8-12

^ same for each session 10×10 lift changes – body part split

Option 2 –

A1 – Main Lift – 10×10
A2 – Main Lift – 10×10

^ done twice per week, (mon/thurs) two additional training days to cover rest of the body.

Both of these have a place, however they offer differences in their outcomes.

The first is a classic method that works well for those with a single minded focus, whereas the second is better for those that find their attention wains a little.

Using the second option here is what a training week might look like.

Day 1 & 3 –

A1 – Bench Press – 10×10 – Rest 90seconds, perform A2
A2 – Pull Up – 10×10 – Rest 90seconds, perform A1

Day 2 & 4 –

A1 – Front Squat – 6×6 (progressive sets)*
B1 – RDL – 4×8*
C1 – Reverse Flies – 2-3×12-15
C2 – Calf Raise – 2-3×15-25

*on day 2 perform FS first at 6×6 with RDL second at 4×8, on day 4 perform RDL first at 6×6 with FS at 4×8.

Now days 2 & 4 you could opt to use the 10×10 method again with the 90seconds rest using FS & RDL.

Personally I’d then have a B1 movement performed in an isolation fashion for posture or a weak area, however for mental reprieve you can have something you like such as arms, abs, neck etc.

The progression of the A1/A2 would be to lower the rest.

If you hit all 10×10 in the first session, great, drop the rest 15 seconds, if you hit 10x10with 75seconds rest, awesome, drop it to 60seconds and when you can hit 10×10 with 60 seconds rest you can add load while talking the rest back up to 90seconds between

As for a starting load, a good recommendation is 60% 1RM (this is basically you’re 20RM).

You’d do well to be quite specific with your loading and sensible to start on the lighter side of things.

As an example.

For myself and say Tricep dips, for a 1RM it’s about 60kg on a dip belt, so 36kg would be 60% of that, now from experience this isn’t sensible and I’d in actual fact start off with bodyweight.

If using a laded lift though, current SQ has a 10RM of 140, this means an estimated 1RM of 186kg-ish,so 111kg 60%, say starting at 110kg for the 10×10, that would be very hard for 10×10, meaning tat perhaps 50% loading is a better option.

People feel this is too light, however t’soften better to start on the side of conservatism than go too heavy and burn out. If you start at 50% loading for your 10×10, use the rest drops as progression before adding weight and eventually get to 60% loading, I’d say you’ve done well and now have a choice, continue towards 70% or opt for a different protocol or different movements.

Either is viable

Training anywhere from 2-4 times per week will be sufficient for most to progress.

If you have time for 4 days, start off at 2 because you can always add more and build up your work capacity.

3 days per week is a great option as you can alternate Session A and Session B so A/B/A week 1, B/A/B week 2

Rather than seeing how much you can survive, see how little you need to thrive.

Enjoy,
Ross

Am I a Good PT?

Self doubt is common in all walks of life.

It’s not uncommon for people to suffer ‘imposter syndrome’  and constantly feel as if they will be caught out and publicly shamed because they don’t have all the answers.

No one can have all the answers.

At best we may have some, and perhaps a few nuanced ones gifted exclusively to us from life experience and specific situations however give the true size of the knowledge pool what we’ll have will equate to a few droplets. 

Accepting this can take a great burden off your shoulders.

It’s alright to say to someone – “I don’t know. Let me make a note and I shall do some research.”.

This is why we have tools such as the internet and text books for reference.

Just because you might not have an eidetic memory, a rolodex of information stored away and the mental capacity to create a mind palace like Sherlock Holmes that doesn’t mean people will be burning you at the steak for not having all the answers. 

In fact the answers you either know or will find out are often ones they questioner already has. 

You see people tend to ask the same question multiple times in the hope of hearing the answer they want, as opposed to the answer that is correct. 

As a PT the thought of not having enough knowledge is but one facet that has many of us questioning our abilities. 

These are some of the other potential factors:

• Peer Comparison 
• Client Results 
• Time Served 
• Education 
• Aesthetics & Abilities 

Speaking from personal experience I will fully admit there has never been a lack of self confidence because of knowing full well there’s very few people that have an equally obsessive mindset that once transfixed on a subject (or task), nothing stops it’s potential begin fully realised.

Arrogant? Perhaps, however unlike many others hat have come and gone I’m still here. 

One personality trait that has become more apparent in PT’s of the last couple of decades is that they’re willing to compromise on their own sense of value and potential for success to appease and pander to others.

Especially when it means they’ll be ‘more liked’.

Sadly business is a selfish endeavour and not a selfless one.

If being selfless is your aim then either set up your fitness business as a charity or perhaps become a humanitarian and get shipped out to villages to help build houses and dig irrigation ditches.

It’s not bad to want to be successful in business.

Lowering your standards and then getting pissy because others don’t follow suit has nothing to do with them not caring about people as many will be quick to say. It merely means they know their own value and self worth, if you compromise yours then that’s on you, not someone else.

As such don’t for one second think it’s their responsibility to requirement to drop down to your level.

Quite the contrary.

It’s for you to aspire to theirs and  eventually surpass it, and given how many great PT’s I’ve worked with that had boundless potential far beyond my own that bit the dust within their first year it’s testament to how mentally brittle we’ve become in the self employed fitness world. 

This brings us to the first factors that gets in new a PT’s way and has them doubting themselves.

Peer Comparison – 

Many feel very intimidated by the more experienced among them that have perhaps been working in the same place for years and is basically a part of the furniture.

Yea it can be a little scary.

Truth be told though if you speak to them and ask for help, pointers or generally have questions about business and what not to do, you’ll find they’re happy to tell you of all their mistakes. 

While some may not wish to share how they make money on the regular for fear of losing clients. 

Listening and learning what not to do based on their mistakes will save you years of trial & error, and if there is one thing all PT’s need less of it is that. All it’d take to avoid this is a conversation and perhaps paying for a coffee to hear the often hilariously catastrophic stories of more experienced PT’s and what not to do.

Alas most fledgelings in the industry think they’re going to be the one to make ‘it’ work.

You can fill in the blank as to what that might be, however if no one is doing it then there is usually a reason, in actual fact it’s usually one of these two specifically.

• The idea just doesn’t work and many before have tried & failed 
• You’ve discovered the fitness equivalent of one side of a match box with striking paper not both. 

From experience in 99.99% of cases it’s the former.

Sadly though this is one reason many new people in all business won’t talk of their ideas, just incase they are 00.01% that has the idea worth millions that will be pilfered. So they keep quite and repeatedly fail until their spirit is broken and the leave their industry.

Swallow your ego and learn from your peers, even if you do have the 00.01% idea and end up telling someone about it, there is little to no chance they’ll use it because if it was the case they’d not be so easy for you to speak to since they’d already be off making their millions due to an incredible work ethic.

One point that is a fair reason to worry about you ability is that of Client Results.

It’s fair to say if you’re new to the fitness industry you may not have any proof of your abilities yet.

Don’t worry about it, in fact use it as an advantage when speaking to people.

If they question you’re lack of clients and why you will get them results of a more established PT you can use this little gem – 

“Yes XYZ trainer is great, however your main benefit with me is that I don’t have any bad habits or preconceptions of what ‘fitness’ must be based on  track record, meaning you won’t be made to fit an already established method. You’ll have the method made  specifically to fit you.”

Funnily enough long standing PT’s that have large portfolios can also be intimidating due to how long they’ve been in the industry for. 

Trust what I’m about to tell you is the truth and not to install false hope.

Time Served doesn’t mean success is guaranteed or deserved. 

I’ve personally known PT’s that have been in the industry up to 30 years and they are terrible. 

No, seriously they’re utter garbage and have not notable skills, their programming sucks, the nutrition advice/guidance is outdated, flawed and in some cases downright dangerous, plus a lot of them haven’t done any CPD (continued professional development) in years because they think they know enough.

Education is the keystone of ongoing progress because while it is true on occasion you might not exactly learn something ‘new’ there is always the possibility that you’ll learn a new way of delivering that which you already were doing.

A better more refined way that gives more benefits and adds exceptional value for your clients.

Aiming to do at least 1 course every year (they don’t need to be thousands, even $35 online ones can be treasure troves of information and earning).

Just because someone is long in the tooth that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. 

In actual fact it can often mean the opposite because they’ve become bitter, jaded and perhaps even feel a little entitled to success so they no longer need to try because people will get results just because they’re training with them.

FYI – that’s not how it works and when clients don’t get results these seasoned trainers blame everything under then sun without even casting a glance in the mirror. 

I say this because I myself am bitter & jaded, puled by coffee, rage and face-palms from the endless excuses given as to why people struggle with fitness, although there is no illusion that anyone that failed did so because of my mistakes and not theirs, so at least there’s still an ounce of humility in the broken old husk of a PT.

As we draw ever closer to the end of this post there’s one more element that has new PT’s doubting if they’re any good or not. 

Their own Aesthetics & Abilities (fitness), I won’t lie and say these don’t matter because they do.

As a species we put high value on how things look and perform.

Don’t believe me? 

When was the last time you bought a broken & flat tyre for your car or dead flowers for your significant other, I’m willing to bet you didn’t and probably won’t.

In regards to your own body in fitness think of it this way – You’re a Walking Business Card.

You don’t need to be perfect or a world champion in a sport, however you’d do well not to be a couch potato.

One last thing before we wrap this up. 

You are a good PT, and I will tell you why.

It’s because you’re reading this and that shows you resonate with the title of ‘Am I  Good PT?’ which shows you care enough to find out how to make sure that you are, as opposed to all the others that didn’t read this all the way through or scrolled past it.

Have faith in your own abilities because if you do you’ll be able to change peoples lives, and perhaps even he industry one day too.

Enjoy,
Ross 

Stages of Service

Fitness Business Basics & Beyond 

It is safe to say there’s always going to be varied levels of service in any business. 

Fitness is no exception to this.

What will separate you from your peers, competition and even the heroes you look up to is that of your own minimally accept standard.

Firstly, we can’t be perfect.

There will be mistakes, shortcomings and dare I say it, poor services delivered.

Don’t beat yourself up though because we’ve all been in that position.

By ‘that position’ I’m specifically referring to this – “Over Promise & Under Deliver”.

This style of service won’t have many people coming back and generate a lot of bad press/complaints.

So long as this doesn’t become a regular occurrence (I can’t say how many goofs per year you can have, that will vary base don your fees etc, however ideally no more than 3 is a good idea) the damage limitation and restoration from those unfortunate occasions when this happens will be salvageable because people are generally more forgiving than we realise.

At least the first time around, and provided we (the fitness professional) admits we goofed. 

In saying that though, you’ll find a lot of people in the fitness industry that have this as their default standard.

Yes that is truly shocking however it happens. 

These are the people that operate on a revolving door of clients, or more jovially known as throwing enough at the wall and seeing what sticks. 

It can be a viable strategy because while it might not be great for the majority, some people will inferably get results and sing the praises of what is actually a sub-standard fitness service, which of course draws in new people willing to give it a go, plus older ones that swore never to use that type of service again yet see a ray of hope and think – “Why not, if it worked for them it can work for me.”

Some people are gluttons for punishment.

That would be the lowest level of service you could offer –Throw enough & see what sticks.

I’m willing to bet you’re not that kind of person though.

You want better for yourself and this can lead you to the next level that is a little bit above what we’ve just touched on. 

Now you’re in the realms of a bare bones service sadly this is where many end their career. 

When I say end I don’t mean they stop working in fitness, they think that this level of service is acceptable for the long haul and to be fair it’s not the worst however it won’t do much for building a good brand name or reputation.

You’ll know who runs their business to this standard as they’ll often speak of how much of a struggle it is to find clients and have endless excuses as to why that is the case read and waiting t counter any positive/constructive criticism you may have.

This type of service doesn’t make any kind of promises so that is has nothing to be held accountable for.

There’s also very little support given to their clients or additional benefits.

Again it’s not anything too nefarious, it’s just super basic. 

It’s one of those service that can be summed up as follows – Does what is says on the tin.

Going up one step higher you’ll find people delivering what is expected of someone that is seen as ‘good’ in the fitness industry.

Full disclosure, this doesn’t mean they’re actually that good and often means they’re merely an average trainer surrounded by others that have standards so low that even the smallest effort to ask a client – “How’s your day been? Is the family okay at home?”  – will put them on a perceived level akin to that of Gandhi.

When you’re looking at this level of service you’ll find the following:

• Promises Kept (testimonials/client results)
• A Personal Approach to Coaching 
• Interest in Factors of Influence Outside Fitness 
• Accountability & Habit Change Planning 
• Continued CPD 

Believe it or not this isn’t anything Earth shattering, it’s actually an expected element of business. 

One of the sad parts of fitness is that people have been allowed to get away with lowering the bar time and again, so much so that it makes the Bare Bones Basics & Expected Services seem almost otherworldly.

Being someone a little long in the tooth in fitness now it’s actually hard to see.

However it does highlight one very important thing and that is given what people are willing to pay for lacklustre services just imagine what they’ll be wiling to invest in something that is legitimately good, great or exceptional.

Providing a solid and required service like the aforementioned usually comes with some simple promises that are easily upheld.

Promises such as weight loss, feeling more confident, improved mental health and so on. 

It’s a good gateway for those that are willing to invest more into their health/fitness and once this level of service runs its course (usually around 1-3 years of engagement) people have a good idea of what they won’r drop below and can recognise when there’s better on offer. 

You see that’s the only downside with doing what you’re paid to do and no more. 

People will stay only so long as there is nothing better on offer and then, poof, they vanish like a fart in the wind (if you know that movie reference please know you have my praise).

To sum up the expected level of fitness service it’s – Doing a job that’s good enough.”

You might say what we’ve just discussed is the meat & potatoes of the fitness business and what comes next is akin to the extra sides that people hope to have yet weren’t sure they came with the buffet option they chose. 

This service can be considered a Pleasant Surprise and will often result in people staying with you for quite some time (3-5 years).

You’d also find a lot of clients that have been working with trainers that were ticking all the boxes in the aforementioned service level will hear about the pleasant surprise and soon migrate over.

In tangible terms you’d find additional check ins, ongoing educational content and more importantly connecting emotionally with the person themselves so that they feel apart of something, considered important and also a valued member of the entire community of clients.

Additionally people that operate in this way will ask their clients for their input. 

This can relate to writing articles, running seminars, setting up events (think BBQ’s etc) to having them recognised for their suggests/contributions.

Putting a trainer that does just that little bit extra for people will truly set them apart from the rest. 

You’ll often find in a commercial gym setting these are the trainers that have the monopoly of clients and will usually have a waiting list and are also not afraid to refer people to other trainers/specialists when their own skills can’t meet the needs of the client.

This air of humility really goes a long way in building a great brand & reputation.

A solid promise with a service that doesn’t just deliver it goes one better. 

Take 5min to have a think about someone that you know in fitness that sprints to mind for this sort of thing. In so much as they just always seem to have people smiling all the time because of all the additional value they offer without needing to be asked.

You can sum up this service style – “It’s what you desire but didn’t hope to ask for.”

As we climb ever closer to the summit there’s only two types of service left to offer in fitness. 

This penultimate one does that is expected to as near perfect as possible while also giving people everything they hoped for and desired and even going beyond that to give them a gift they didn’t even realise they wanted until it was presented to them. 

Now we are in the realms of understanding peoples emotional needs and truly beginning to coach.

Going past the point of merely training people you’ll now be offering service that begins to change their very life for the better and provides constant benefits while also compelling each person to strive towards achieving their mximunum potential (whatever that might be).

To give some more perspective here’s a list of traits all possessed by those that offer this service.

• Deep Empathy 
• Emotional Driving Factors Understood 
• Genuine & Sincere Interest 
• Being Truthful (tactfully yet still with a high critical impact for change)
• Create Needed Change 

When working with a fitness professional that embodies all of the above, you’ll find they just seem to have all the answers and even the ones for the questions you didn’t know how to ask. 

Such a thing is cultivated through years of experience and a dedication to their clients. 

You might call this the most pure or truest form of personal training in a sense. 

Everything they do is for the benefit of their client and it comes across that way with not ulterior motive or hint of agenda because to these people their top priority is the success and overall happiness of their clients.

A lot of fitness professionals (I’ve been one of them in the past) will try to do what they think is best for the clients based on their perspective and view of the world, and while it can help a great many it doesn’t always results in lasting change once the clients stop training with them.

One of their main goals is to have people find ‘Their thing’, not just copy yours to describe this a little further. 

This means it goes beyond PT and has a person find an activity that becomes an integral part of their life and even their character too. 

You see they miss the one curial element that separates this level of service from the pervious one. 

Humanity, it’s humanity.

Now this might sound odd however to truly connect with a person and listen, converse and help them change on a fundamental level requires someone to be equally open to being influenced by the person they’re trying to help. 

You see we can only influence the most change when we are also open to it ourselves.

This is a very hard trait to acquire as it needs an open-mindedness that isn’t too common in the modern age, however once you cultivate if you’ll be able to create lasting change in peoples lives. 

To round this up you might say this level of service is – “More than ‘just’ personal training.”

Looking back at what we’ve covered in regards to the different levels of service you’ll find, it’s easy to see what the third stage can be seen as the holy grail’ when surrounded by others that offer less than what is deserved by paying clients.

The fourth stage will have you running a successful business until you decide to stop.

The fifth will not only have people seeking you out like the fourth, it will also have a lasting impact on peoples lives, meaning you’d have the capability to run this style of service/business anywhere in the world and be at capacity within a few months. 

So given that was the penultimate stage, what is left?

Can you do any more for a person that helping them find ‘their thing & create lasting change’?

Yes there is, and it’s the one thought that both separates and links everything before this sentence together.

“Delivering an unforgettable experience that helps people feel fulfilled in their life.” 

Truly being able to provide an unbelievable service is one that doesn’t simply stop at fitness, it irradiates outwards and positively effects a persons entire life and that of those around them due to being a constant source of inspiration, other more it’s teaching people to be their own inspiration and driving force behind their own lives. 

To feel important, needed, valued and respected are all a part of life, however they’re nothing without also feeling fulfilled by what you’ve accomplished or will soon accomplish.

It’s defining that which has clear purpose from that which doesn’t.

Go beyond personal training and life coaching because that is no less than people deserve.

Having faith in their potential so that one day they will realise it, accept & embrace it so they will feel fulfilled in every aspect of their life without holding back due to self doubt (or fear), now that is a truly unforgettable service.

You might say this is giving people the gift of freedom and self belief.

Once you can deliver a service like that, well, it’s a life changer.

Enjoy, 
Ross 

PT Problems

Personal Training for Personal Trainers 

Being totally honest we can say without any doubt that PT’s themselves are terrible clients.

A lot feel the burden of expectation.

Essentially they get stuck in a place whereby they feel they must do everything themselves and can’t even think of approaching another coach for training.

Additionally there’s some that have to train with the classes they run due to them being ‘follow along’ styles of class, then there’s also those that train in their classes because they don’t want to be seen as standing around doing nothing.

It’s not wonder many PT’s suffer from fatigue and burn out.

They’re all notorious at taking their own advice, that being to have a logical training program.

Commonly these are what many have trouble with in their own training:

• Body Composition 
• Fitness (goal specific performance)
• Consistency 
• Other – nuanced, we shall delve into this later 

Speaking from experience as someone that has been in the fitness industry far too long, the above can be very frustrating.

Even though the modern world tries to push the message of ‘every body is a beautiful body’.

If this was really believed we’d not have a fashion industry, cosmetics (hair, skin, etc) wouldn’t be a thing and neither would anything else relating to our outward physical appearance.

And this my friends is cripplingly undeniable, no matter how much we want to it to be. 

Now I’m the first to admit that PT’s don’t need to look like competitive body builders, because unless that is your chosen sport it can be a rather unhealthy pursuit both physically & mentally.

I know, that contradicts the above in so much as I’ve literally just said looks do matter. 

However we must then circle back to the modern message of body positivity.

It’s meant to be focused on YOU as an individual, yet it’s shared via a medium that connects everyone around the world, which essentially doesn’t make it an individual standard, it make sit a group one (based on what social dynamic you fall in to).

Yea, pretty messy. 

As PT’s understand there will be expectations of you, like it or not that’s how the world works. 

Remember this though, the worlds expectations of you don’t need to be your expectations of yourself.

By this I mean that as PT’s we must be willing to have introspection and set standards for ourselves that will have us feeling fulfilled in all that we require.

Humans typically tend to need the following things:

• To Feel Important 
• To Feel Respected 
• To Feel Needed 
• To Feel Safe 

True enough we can cultivate all of these on our own, however we do need the socially as well. 

At least to some degree. 

Lately I’ve worked with a lot of fitness professionals with varied experiences in the industry and helped in either a business or training sense (sometimes both), and a common theme among them all is this – Constant & Increasing Pressure.

These can most certainly effect their Body Composition because of the added stress. 

Since the pandemic hit a lot of fitness professionals have been scrabbling to survive, and if we are to look at those that thrived they all have one thing in common.

No it’s not that they’re in shape, take time for themselves or have a good overall style of nutrition.

It’s that they have people helping them. 

Those at the peak realise they can’t do it all and will often have stories of times where they tried to and it resulted in their physical appearance being compromised and while many would say that shouldn’t have matter or bothered them, it did and that’s because it matters to them.

Circling back to what was said above about not needing to be a stage lean body builder.

Yes there is no need for that, however you will have a physical place that has you feeling your most confident and badass, so much so nothing phases you. 

Now add just 1 stone of weight to that, visibly it might not make too much difference to average peoples eyes, yet you know you’re a stone heavier and it eats away at you because of how ti makes you feel. 

As PT’s we’re told not to worry about this, that we don’t need to be perfect.

While true it doesn’t stop that fact that we’re human and people have a place stye feel best being in, and if this is disturbed it causes stress and will lead to problems.

The ever amassing hours of work can cause our own training to take a nose dive.

Initially this isn’t an issue, until body composition starts to slide and then that has a knock on effect.

You start to feel unsafe, less important or deserving or respect and ultimately judged.

Even if people aren’t judging you because they’ve got other things to worry about in their life it doesn’t stop you getting a tiny bit paranoid, as such prioritising your own body is crucial for your metal health.

Even though many will say “You still look good” and tell you to be happy as you are, if you’re not then you must do something about it.

Ignoring it to fit in with the modern narrative won’t help you, if anything it’ll make you feel worse. 

This sort of feeling leads to many trying to make up for the training they’ve missed by going 150% in their current training, which isn’t very wise and will often lead to injury, stagnation and PT’s looking for a ‘win’ in their training which can result in inconsistency when it comes to sticking with one training program. 

All in the attempt to ‘get back’ to a place they feel safe in again.

Sadly that is largely arbitrary.

What does ‘feel safe’ really even mean? 

Without a tangible set of goals to aim for you’ll as likely be spinning your wheels as you will traveling in the wrong direction, neither of which do you any favours, trust me I’ve been there and it’s not a great place to be. 

One useful idea is to take a step back and try to see things from the classic 10,000ft view. 

You could use an Eisenhower Matrix to organise your priorities, or adopt the approach of Brian Tracey in ‘Eat The Frog’, there’s endless options however they all come back to this one undeniable point.

You can’t do it alone.

It seems people want to gain a badge of honour for hustling, embracing the grind and being a sep made success these days.

While that is very impressive to aim for it’s simply not logical and will lead to lack lustre results.

Most modern trainers end up blending their own fitness goals/need with that of their business and in some cases it works well, however in most it fails miserably and leaves people feeling exhausted, down trodden and ready to throw in the towel. 

These three questions are worth asking yourself on a regular basis.

• Why is this (insert thing your’e doing etc) truly important to me?
• How will ‘this’ benefit my life or make it better?
• What actions/behaviour/habits do I need to embrace/accept to make this dream a reality?

In all elements of life one universal thing people want is fulfilment in that which they do.

To be recognised for it, praise and respected.

We don’t want much, however a little appreciation goes a long way and as nice as that is coming form other people (because being social creatures we need that in our lives), it’s of curial importance we can also give that to ourselves.

This then goes back to the common struggles above – body composition, fitness & consistency.

Without those giving us what we need from them we’re going to struggle and that’s where the nuance comes into play. 

We’ll seek out anything that has us ‘’feel’  something similar to what we need/want. 

This can come from food, alcohol, excessive/random training, being busy for the sake of it or many other avenues that we use to distract from the question we refuse to ask ourselves.

That being – “What do I want/need & why?”

Understanding this will open doors. 

Going back once more to people that prefer a specific aesthetic/weight etc, this provides what they need to be the best version of themselves. 

It has them feeling fulfilled, accomplished, confident and allows them to take control of their life.

As opposed to feeling as if they’re being dragged along by it from their ankles.

Take some time to sit and reflect on what you need to operate at your most optimal. 

Book out this time in your diary, hire a coach yourself to help you achieve what it is that’s important to you because doing so will not only benefit you but also your clients and level of service you offer them. 

Personal Trainers need support to achieve their goals as well,  don’t forget this.

Feel free to leave your questions below. 

Enjoy,
Ross 

17 Progression Options You’ve Never Tried, Probably

One of the most coveted achievements in any form of fitness is progression.

It can be truly frustrating what it stops. 

Knowing this it’s well worth exploring a few additional ways to helps sustain an upward trajectory.

Doing so won’t only be beneficial physically, it’ll help avoid the mental blocks that many end up facing too.

Relating the above to lifting weights specifically there’s usually only one that is ever really considered to be the most noteworthy and that is adding massive load to the bar.

While a time honoured method that does arguably provide the most bang for your buck.

Eventually there will come a time where it’s just not possible to keep adding plate after plate. 

At this point it’s not uncommon for a lot of trainees to feel they’ve reached an advanced stage of training when in reality they’ve still got a long way to go and might not even be that far out of the realms of a beginner/novice. 

This is why the following options will allow you a multitude of ways to keep moving forwards.

None of these are anything new, however most of them are often forgotten.

Progression Options:

1. Micro Loading 
2. Adding Reps
3. Adding Sets 
4. Slower Eccentrics 
5. Pause Reps 
6. Reducing Rest
7. Increasing Bar Speed
8. Increasing Training Frequency 
9. Isometric Holds 
10. Overcoming Inertia (starting at the end ROM)
11. One & a Quater Reps 
12. Multi Stop Reps 
13. Better Technical Form 
14. Improved Proprioception (lifting with your eyes closed)
15. Unstable Loading (looped chains, etc)
16. Higher Starting Loads 
17. Timed Sets 

You’ll find there are more options that starts to lead you into the realms of varied training systems/methods such as super sets, drop sets and various other familiar favourites. 

What you’ll notice there is not mention of charing the variation of the lift itself, as that too can be a form of progression.

The options above can all be applied to just once specific lift.

Some can even be combined, meaning there’s essentially not shortage of options provided you logically program them.

As not to leave you at a loss here is a little more detail about the exact application for each of the above and what training variable gets manipulated.

Total Volume Increase 

1. Micro Loading – use fractional plates as low as .025kg to slowly progress
2. Adding Reps – adding 1 rep per set is akin to adding up to 2.5kg in load 
3. Adding Sets – simply allows for more working sets at a specific weight
4. Higher Starting Loads – the same amount of warm up sets starting heavier 
5. One & a Quarter Reps – having an addition 1/4re over 8 full reps loosely adds 2 reps extra
6. Increasing Training Frequency – you do more work across the entire week on the specific lift 

Higher Overall Intensity 

1. Slower Eccentrics – more TUT can lead to a higher lifting stimulus overall 
2. Pause Reps – improves the amount of tension a muscle/tendon can sustain 
3. Increasing Bar Speed – improves rate of force development 
4. Isometric Holds – leads to great ability for force production through irradiation 
5. Overcoming Inertia (starting at the end ROM) – benefits starting strength & neural drive 
6. Multi Stop Reps – improves neural efficiency for sustaining force output 

Improved Density of Work 

1. Reducing Rest – lifting the same total work in less overall time
2. Timed Sets – increase the amount of total work done per unit of time 

Nervous System Effectiveness

1. Better Technical Form – reduced leakage in tension (force production)
2. Improved Proprioception (lifting with your eyes closed) – better mind muscle connection 
3. Unstable Loading (looped chains, etc) – increasing recruitment of stabilisers/synergists 

All of the above can lead to your bodies ability to lift more overall loads on your chosen lifts. 

One of the hardest parts for most people though is not trying to rush progression as in point at which we attain a new PR/PB (personal record/best) there needs to be an acclimation period.

Not enough take a step back and reevaluate the training moving forwards.

What I mean by this is they don’t reevaluate from the place they’re now in. 

Instead what happens is they try to keep moving forwards based off their old training model, and while that might seem logical it’s actually quite problematic because without a reassessment of your capabilities or adjustment in accessory work, mobility requirements or restoration needs (such as nutrition, stretching, massage where applicable etc) the body will just burn out. 

Or at best adapt super well and become hyper efficient, meaning less stimulus from training.

A crucial aspect of the training stimulus that often gets overlooked is what ‘kind’ it needs to be.

Typically speaking your training needs to be as inefficient as possible as this will create the desired stress-response-adaptation cycle that you want, that is if physiological changes such as incased bone density, ligament/tendon thickening and overall muscle hypertrophy are the goal.

If those are not your goal and you’re specifically looking to maximise what you currently have, well, that’s an entirely different ball game. 

You then start stepping into the realms of neural efficiency/effectiveness for sport. 

While not too dissimilar when seen from a 10,00foot view, how you actually go about applying the nuance can seem worlds apart, that’s where cycling/periodisation comes into play. 

That’s a topic for another day though.

On the angle of training being inefficient, that’s where you’ll find all the bacon.

Or whatever meat free substitute you opt for if you’re vegan, which to be fair some of them are quit tasty. I ended up trying out a ‘meat free pulled pork’ as it was reduced to 50p, and it wasn’t terrible so that was an additional bonus to the price. 

Having your training organised in such a way that will have your body receive a level of stimulus that has it react with need to get stronger as opposed to simply better at what you’re doing is the aim of all training sessions.

As a species we’re very crafty and can adapt and survive against almost anything given enough time and the right amount of exposure.

Too little and nothing happens, too much and nothing happens.

Yes we need just the right amount which is known by some as the ‘goldilocks effect’.

Unfortunately there is no magic way of knowing exactly what that is for you because it can change muscle group to muscle group. 

Dr Fred Hatfield called it ‘volume tolerance’  simply put this means finding how much work you need to do so that it results in positive adaption on a physiological level.

As an example. 

Requirement for adaptation in legs from squats, 3 working sets of 6-8 reps with 3 reps in reserve (RIR) once every 10 days.

That doesn’t seem like much work and in truth it isn’t, however some people are hyper sensitive to squats and don’t need a lot of gain massive benefits, however this same person might need 20 working sets from shoulder press at 8-10 reps with 1 RIR every 4 days to gain any significant results from them.

Obviously that’s a little exaggerated, although perhaps not by much in some peoples cases.

It’s also worth remembering that once you’ve found your ideal working volume that provides the desires stress for progression that eventually your body will adjust to it, essentially rending it far less effective than before.

That’s where the above 17 options come into play.

They’re a good way of allowing you to milk the volume levels you have currently for a little while longer, at least to some extent from option 7 onwards. 

When using the first 6 you’ll be looking at initially spitting the work you’re currently doing across either the additional sets or days and even though it will seem as if you’re taking a step backwards, which technically you are, it will allow you to really push ahead in the long run. 

Rather than trying to avoid frustration merely accept it’s a part of the process. 

Even though the modern world is one of instant gratification, the fitness one isn’t. 

This is why you’ll find the people that flit from one thing to another in search of their next ‘fix’ of entertainment in their training don’t ever get past a certain point. 

What’s worse is we’re been told to celebrate mediocrity as if it’s a good thing, which is isn’t. 

Don’t be satisfied with being in the same place, especially if it’s one you’ve been in physically for many years as that will slowly kill any desire you have to train in the end which will make even running through the motions for some token training a chore. 

Always seek to progress in some way. Be sure to give the above a try as well. 

As a matter of fact, if you’re finding yourself in need of a kick up the ass why not delve into the realms of sport. 

Doing so can reignite not only your desire for progress in training but also your need for it. 

Feel free to leave any questions you have below.

Enjoy,
Ross 

Fitness Business Barriers

As gyms have no reopened and we cross into the latter half of the first week there’s been joy, relief and also anxiety.

Some coaches/trainers have lost a hefty chunk of the business they’d built over lockdown.

This isn’t the only thing to crop up either. 

Various gym members haven’t returned due to kitting out their spare rooms, garages or accumulating a decent amount of kit that now lives in their shed. 

Others have had to live off of their savings for many months and are now adjusting finances.

While there’s no ill will held towards these people because they have to look after themselves and potentially their families as well, it’s a bit of a kick in the rump for PT’s as we’re people too with means a living needs to be earned so that bills can be paid.

True enough there’s always been classic barriers in gaining business such as Time, Money, Travel, Uncertainty and Procrastination.

In these interesting times though people now have these additional business road blocks they can put up.

• COVID fear (getting it, spreading it, etc)
• Another lockdown 
• Less total income due to their own reduced trading 
• Literally no disposable income 
• Recovering from COVID 
• Feeling they no longer need a gym 

Safe to say all those working in the fitness industry will be needing to not only improve their levels of service, they will also need to be quite innovative as well in regards to new offers.

One option that has always been lucrative was Group Training, however if people are scared bing with groups then suddenly that doesn’t seem as viable, however it actually offers a golden opportunity.

Why not seek out those that don’t feel that way?

It’s not uncommon for trainers to make excuses for their of lack of clients, knowing this means you can use their own limiting mindset to your advantage. 

Yes some people won’t want to train in a group, however there will be people that do.

Capitalise on this by advertising group sessions and the benefits it brings, such as lower total cost which is great for those that still value training yet need to budget correctly. 

How much could you charge per head that would be appealing?

Maybe this will be a good angle: “Heighten your health in 3 months for only £300.”.

That is if there’s a strong culture for health/longevity in your area. 

You might have people that are still following the classic route of wanting to get the much convened beach body, in which case “Build Your Beach Body in 3 months for only £300”.

If you’re wondering why £300 that is because I’m thinking that you’ll have 10 spaces available, that means 3k total income, and is based on 3 training sessions per week at say 6-7am (as an example) it also offers you the chance to set up potentially one or two more of these in the evening.

Of course you’d then need to find he extra 10-20 people for those. 

Realistically getting 20 people for two groups of 10 is highly achievable, especially when some trainers will not be wanting to do group work because they feel the barrier to it will be too high. 

Their loss is your gain. 

In addition to this you’d also be able to sustain such a thing if another lockdown happened due to the summer fast approaching and the weather outside being more favourable.

You’ll also see it covers reducing cost as the budget of £300 is £100 a month, or £25 a week which is around £8.33 per session which people can afford, however for those that claim not to have that kind of spare cash here is how you can educate them to the contrary. 

It’s worth noting some may genuinely not be able to afford even this, sadly. 

While they can’t train in the group it’s worth putting together 3 12-week templates that they can assess for free either via your website or social media for the simple price of linking all your platforms, sharing them like Instagram Stories etc (have them take screen shots as proof) then they can choose from one of the three. 

This is your gesture of ‘Good Will’ for them.

Just make them aware that those templates would be generic and in no way personal.

This doesn’t mean they won’t be high quality or work very well, it merely means the people that like, share, subscribe and fulfil the requirements to have access to them can’t message you for exercise substitution for them specifically. 

Although if you’re anything like me you’d do it anyway because it’s better to help them.

Plus it’ll show you care as well.

These would be three good will template to offer:

• Building a Beach Body With Only Bodyweight 
• Bands & Barbell Guide to Your Beach Body 
• Beach Body Built by Bags of Sand

Feel free to also search my archive as there’s endless templates and examples on it you’re free to pinch as it’s not like something similar isn’t already floating around in the ether somewhere.

Right, back to the point. 

How to show people they CAN afford what you’re offering.

It’s worth also being aware that you’re aiming to undersell and over-deliver.

So the three sessions a week above also includes all the other bells and whistles you offer too. 

Now isn’t the time to hold back, it’s the time to give as much as you can because that will invest in your future. 

Okay, so the breakdown, start by asking people these three questions:

• Why do you feel you can’t afford as little as £8.33 a session?
• How do you currently plan your budget for the week?
• What do you think can be tweaked to free up the small amount of £25 per week?

Let us take coffee as an example, the average price of one is about £2.50, and people will easily get at least one a day (often two or more), say in this example someone buys two per day, by reducing this to one that will save £17.50 per week, meaning they only need to find an extra £7.50 to make the Beach Body Offer affordable.

Sitting down with someone and helping them establish where they waste money is very helpful.

You’ll also have the opportunity to explain they’re then investing in not only looking good for the summer but also feeling better in themselves as they shift those unfortunate pandemic pounds that got accumulated.

Furthermore you can explain that one of the key risk factors for COVID is being overweight from carrying too much excess body fat.

Ideally people will be able to pay you upfront for this.

However….. 

As yet another gesture of ‘Good Will’ you can say to them that for a one time olive branch they can train now and pay later. 

Yes this can be a risk, however as I said above we’ve got to think about helping people now. 

Will there be an outside chance that someone won’t pay?

Yes, some people are cockwombles however if they did do that and others in the group paid either up front or accepted your kind offer to pay at the end of the three months all you need do is mention that ‘someone’ still hasn’t paid and the without any names the group shame will do the rest. 

Underhand? 

No. Shame is exactly what people ought to feel if they take advantage of someone trying to help them and usually it results in them paying late not because they can’t hack what people are saying about them, even though their name wasn’t specifically mentioned.

The offer to ‘Play then Pay’ will take care of those that don’t have disposable income right now. 

There is a risk, however it’s one that can be worth taking as it can do wonders for your reputation.

As for those recovering from COVID 1-2-1 will be best for them priced at your normal fees.

In regards to those that don’t feel they need a gym any more, well fair play to them however don’t feel there is no offer for them as you can still coach them you’d just be doing it remotely once again offering it at your normal fees. 

The key with those kinds of sales is provide a lot of key benefits and why it will enhance peoples lives. 

More specifically these benefits/values must resonate with the people you’re offering the to. 

A lot of coaches sell the benefits/values THEY resonate with instead of those which their potential clients do, just be aware of this. 

Appeal to peoples emotions with a genuine desire to improve their life and help them. 

Such a small thing goes a very long way. 

So in regards to additional barriers, those will only be a problem if you allow them to be.

Bonus question to ask – “What’s the price limit you put on your health?”

Enjoy,
Ross  

Making The Transition From 9-5 to PT & Thrive.

One of, if not the most daunting thoughts many will face in switching careers is this:

“What if I fail?”

Now most won’t openly want to discuss this as to do so makes it reality, or at least a real possibility and this holds them back along with a few other things.

• Family 
• Friends 
• Peers 
• Professional Opposition 

Before we delve further into some useful steps on how you can transition we must address the above. 

Family – 

While they might seem willing and even positive in your support of a new career in fitness, there aren’t many that will consider it a viable course of action and instead more a ‘flash in the pan’ because you’re currently bored.

Even though they might not say it out loud, they probably will when you’re not around.

Additionally there will be subtle comments on supporting your current lifestyle and how costly it is. 

Brining up the prospect of earning less and needing to give up a specific style living is common, and even though it’s perhaps masked as ‘looking out for you’ in reality it’s more a ploy to keep you in the same ‘safe’ place. 

Make sure you’re aware that families support lasts up until the point they feel you should stop and go back to a normal job.

Often this is because they themselves didn’t take the career path they wanted due to family.

Thus they hold you back in the same way. 

Friends – 

Much like family they will support you to a point, then slowly sow seeds of doubt.

Typically along the lines of – “You’ve got a great career/job, is it wroth giving all that up?”.

As you can see the common angle is steeped in the fear of loss, or more accurately put he loss of what you have in regards to the style of life you currently live and that gets to a lot of people. 

I’m not going to lie to you by saying that new PT’s hit the ground running and earn well in year 1.

Most don’t.

In fact it can take a lot of them up to 5 years before they start seeing anything close to what their friends/family might consider a ‘normal’ wage. Sadly the industry doesn’t tell you that the average earnings in your first year is 10k.

While not the case for all as some seek out mentors and people to help them avoid mistakes. 

It is highly common and when you’re at a certain age and you have a currently established life wth bills to pay, endless expense etc, the thought of in some cases earning 1/5th of what you were is quite a scary prospect. 

Once again having people move away from their dream towards the safe allure of familiar mediocrity.

And your friends will make you very aware of this potential element.

Peers – 

Chances are you’re seeing a trend here. 

In all the people closest to you, be that intimately or through your social hierarchy, the all want what’s best for you so long as it’s what they think that actually is.

This isn’t due to them not caring, quite the opposite.

They care so  much they want to see you stay in the safest possible place, even if it is soul destroying, unrewarding spiritually and leaves you feeling unfulfilled in life because at least it’s ‘safe’.

Colleagues thankfully are a little more direct in their feedback/opinions.

These people ask the direct questions such as: 

“How will you continue to afford to life?”
“Do you know how to build a business?”
“Why would people hire you?”
“What makes you so different from XYZ PT?”
“Is this a mid-life crisis?”

To some questions like these can seem harsh and to put you down, when in reality they’re worth their weight in gold because a lot of people that want to transition from 9-5 to PT don’t really think to ask themselves these questions.

You’d do well to actually sit down and think deeply on these types of questions.

Be sure to answer them empirically and not emotionally as that’s what most end up doing.

Professional Opposition – 

Basically the people already in fitness and you’ll get 3 types.

• Those that will give you any/all info to help
• Those that will tell you all the ways you will fail 
• Those that will not care because they’re focused on themselves 

You can learn a lot from all three if you allow yourself to instead of thinking you’re going to be the exception that ‘concours fitness’ all by themselves because you won’t be, trust me on that.

Like any business you’ll need a support network and people in your corner.

In regards to what you can learn from all three here is a glimpse.

• Tips, tricks and useful ideas 
• Your faults, flaws and shortcomings (this is golden info)
• Being able to observe what they do and reverse engineer why it works 

It’s easy to get caught in an ego/emotional web, however you must be aware that your passion doesn’t become your poison.

Too many that transition to the realms of fitness for a career get in their own way and ruin themselves.

So how can you make the switch and not only survive but thrive?

If you’ve made it this far and you’re willing to accept a few less than pleasant truths then continue reading, however those with a sensitive disposition might want to stop now.

Still happy to continue?

Right, here we go them.

Firstly you’ve got to have a plan of action, by this I mean you need to know the following:

• Current living costs (total)
• What elements of your current costs you can minimise of reduce completely 
• How much money you need to charge per service/product to fulfil these needs 
• Why there will be risk and the necessary removal of your safety net

Creating your compromises.

One shortcoming of people transitioning into fitness is that they will need to sacrifice some aspects of their current life.

This might be how much they spend on clothes, toiletries, nonessentials and so on.

It can come as quite a shock because their frivolous spending will need to stop, no negotiation on that as it’s a necessity.

Once the things you don’t NEED to sustain life are removed you’ll now have your true cost of living.

In this might be things such as – mortgage, bills, car insurance and other elements that have set fees that can’t be reduced.

There will also be food, clothing, hair/beauty/novel services etc that can have money saved by purchasing unbranded products that will save money and this is where some people freak out. 

Many claim they couldn’t ever go for a cheaper option, which is fair however it will increase you cost of living not because of necessity but because of novelty, remember that. 

Taking the time to compile a full momentary breakdown will have a large return on its investment.

A useful saying to help you when tacking the above: 

“If it’s not necessary to have it then it’s necessary not to have.”

Further to this you’ll need to accept that you won’t ever build a successful business in fitness while you still keep your current job in the picture, even with reduced hours. 

This is because you’ll not ever take that leap of faith because you won’t ever have a true NEED to SUCCEED because you’ll always have your safety net. 

By all means having this initially can be useful, especially if you heavily or ideally entirely reduce needless spending that will allow you to cultivate some savings that can become capital to reinvest in your fitness business to help you offer the best service possible. 

It will be scary, however if you want to make something of yourself then there’s no avoiding it. 

To thrive in the fitness business you’ll also need these 5 key elements:

• Knowing what your client demographic wants/needs & how to connect with them 
• A service people consider to be valuable & necessary 
• The ability to build rapport with your desired client 
• Not fear in asking for the business from potential clients 
• Understanding that rejection is a part of business, it’s not personal you’ve not not displayed value/benefits in your service for the potential client 

Too  many forget the above and think that once qualified it will all fall into place because they love fitness and helping people. 

Nobel as this is that’s not how business works, at least not successful business anyway.

Unless you have no need to make profit in your fitness business you can’t run it as a hobby. 

This is what most end up trying to do and fail within their first year. 

Please understand I’m not trying to put you off, your success is important and one would rather not see you end up on the pile of ever growing PT fodder.

Use the info above and also leave ay questions below. 

Enjoy,
Ross