Singles For Success + Free Program

Performing single reps is very enticing because it’s literally just one rep and you’re done.

Admittedly though you’ll not perhaps be able to build any substantial amounts of muscle mass this way, at least not for regular folk.

The reasons for that are simple, single reps are highly neurological in their demand and lack sufficient time under tension to create the necessary stimulus/stress in the body that will promote hypertrophy because for that you need volume.

In saying this there are a few methods you can utilise to help in the realms of hypertrophy, endurance etc with singles.

Here’s 3 of my favourite methods for this that are all battle tested.

1 – Cluster Sets

To hit a volume goal with singles can be tricky, although when you work in a cluster it’s easily achievable.

Here is what to do:

Use 87-95% of your 1RM (I’d use your training max for this, not your comp max of lifetime best)
Perform 4-6 total reps per set in this way 1 rep- rest 10/15 seconds – repeat 3-5 more times
3-4 total sets work well with 3-5min rest between sets
Opt for a tempo of 6-0-X-0 (add in a pause at the bottom of the eccentric if you want to make things harder)

Perform this method for 6 total sessions before choosing another one.

2 – EMOM – Variation

You’ll need a timer for this, and also a lot of focus.

Here is what to do:

Every 15-30 seconds perform one rep
Use a load of 85-90% (training max)
Total reps not to exceed 30

Once again stick with this for 6 total sessions before progressing onwards to something different.

3 – Time Block – Density Super Set

Two movements for the same or opposing muscle groups can be used, or even an upper/lower if you feel like it.

Here is what to do:

Choose two movements
Use 85%+ loading for each
Perform singles alternating movements each set
30 total reps per movement
Use tempo 6-0-X-0
Keep rest to a minimum between transitions

As above 6 total session on this is a good place to start.

Additional Considerations

If you find you’re hitting all your reps then look to add 1% load each time you start a new session (so if you started at 90% you’ll end at 96%), however if you feel you can add more then up to 2% is also viable although yo’d be amazed how hard that actually gets so I’d stick with the former progression recommendation.

You’d also do well to remember that you can progress things via slower eccentrics, pause reps, a deeper focus on CAT and even trying to bring down rest periods (or wearing less supportive gear as well).

I personally love all of the above, however there is one particular set up I’m partial to which I’m also going to share with you.

Bonus – Full Program – Abbreviated Advantage

Here is what to do:

Warm Up Sets – 5/3/1/1/1
Working Sets – 5×1 – see below
Back Off Sets – 2-3×6 – use 70-75% of your working sets.

You will do this on one or two movements total. There is the potential for supplementary work of a further 1-2 movements whereby you’d do 1-2 sets of reps to technical failure.

The loading will be based off of your Training Max, also what some call your Technical Max which is the most you can lift with great form.

Your back off sets are of the main lift/movement, supplementary work will be to support the muscles surrounding the main lift if you put them in (e.g. Main = Bench Press, Supplementary = Close Grip Chins & Skull Crushers, etc)

Use a base tempo of 4-0-X-0, you may use a slower eccentric if you wish.

Progression wise this is how the loading looks:

Block 1 –
Week 1 – 5x1x85%
Week 2 – 5x1x87%
Week 3 – 5x1x90%
Week 4 – 5x1x87%
Week 5 – 5x1x90%
Week 6 – 5x1x92%
Week 7 – 5x1x90%
Week 8 – 5x1x92%
Week 9 – 5x1x95%
Week 10 – Deload – 2x1x85 &87%
Block 2 –
Week 1 – 5x1x90%
Week 2 – 5x1x92%
Week 3 – 5x1x95%
Week 4 – 5x1x92%
Week 5 – 5x1x95%
Week 6 – 5x1x97%
Week 7 – 5x1x95%
Week 8 – 5x1x97%
Week 9 – 5x1x100%
Week 10 – Deload – 3x1x85, 90 & 95%
Block 3 –
Week 1 – Test for new Training Max

Be warned though this is harder than it looks on paper and if you choose two movements per session you’ll soon find the neurological toll starts to tally up fast, as such try not to add in more because you ‘feel you can’ you’ll do yourself mischief and the only response you’ll get from me it “I warned you.”.

My suggestions for weekly training would be as follows:

Day 1 – Bench Press & Front Squat (Monday)
Day 2 – Deadlift (Wednesday)
Day 3 – Standing Press & Pendlay Row + Accessory Work for Legs, e.g RDL/Lunges as a super set (Friday)

Of course you can put in some postural work, arms, calves etc if you feel your recovery is optimal enough, just don’t be too quick to do this though as there’s a lot that can be gained from doing a little less better as opposed to more poorly.

I’d also recommend your calories are set at 17-19xBW in pounds (so if you weigh 100lbs then your daily calories are 1700 to 1900, with protein set t 1g per pound of BW, fat at 15-20% of total calories for the day and the rest being carbs).

Take a good read of the above and if you fancy trying one of the protocols or the program itself then crack on.

Feel free to fire across any questions you have as well.

Enjoy,
Ross

👾 Archive Classics – 10 Mistakes PT’s Make – 2021 Update👾

The last few posts I’ve highlighted 3 mistakes I have commonly witnessed around fitness business planning.

Good Morning,

Once you have a plan of action the rest ‘should’ be easy right?

Sadly this next problem can render all of your panning and preparation ineffective, all it is is one word…

Rapport 

I hope you’re feeling comfortable, this is a long-ish post.

Mistake Number 4: Not Enough Rapport.

As a young trainer I took some time to go to other gyms as a member in disguise and see how I was approached by other trainers.

Why?

Because I wanted to know the difference between a good P.T and bad one 🎭

**Update**

These days some people think that simply having a lot of qualifications or the best aesthetic is enough to make them good and justify their methods, however unless you connect with people in such a way that they can trust you the overall results will be limited.

Grab a copy of the book ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People’.

The best way to avoid being one of the average trainers and become one of the best is to see what makes them different 🤔

In each gym I went to more often than not I was left alone, but for the trainers who approached me I found most to be slightly dull, they tried to sell me their services without really knowing much about what I wanted.

**Update**

In the past I’ve done that myself, this is where an impasse was reached and to build a client base I had to be the coach they needed and the person they wanted.

As we get further down the road of our business we can become more niche with our market, however in the early days of finding our feet we must aim to speak to a varied range of people because we never know who are ideal client actually is without the experience of knowing who they’re not first.

They only seemed interested in my money, this left me feeling a bit miffed, but there were a couple of trainers though in each gym I visited that came and just spoke to me – This was the break through moment of realisation for me 

*In each different gym the trainers who just spoke to me were invariably the most successful of that gym 🗝

So what was so different about them just speaking to me?

The trainers who came and had a conversation showed some form of interest in ME 💜, thus making me feel comfortable with them.

After some pleasantries were exchanged each different trainer asked if I would like some advice – This was a common theme among the good trainers. I found their advice useful, after which point they all left me to my training.

If you’re thinking chatting is well and good but they didn’t get any business, what makes them different fro the other trainers?

You need to keep reading because there’s more.

**Update**

It takes up to 9 months for people to buy a product or engage in a service, this is very common in sales.

I decided to go back to the specific gyms with the trainers who had created a basic rapport to see if they would speak to me again.

Each trainer recognised me, remember my name, my goals and something about ME, this was very positive for them.

**Update**

It’s worth taking/having a small note pad around with you as this will allow you to write down key pieces of information while they’re fresh in your mind (it also helps create better neural pathways for memory too).

Additionally if someone asks you a question you can write it down in front of them which shows you’re genuinely interested in what is important or matter to them 🤓

This second meeting was different from the first because each had already established good rapport and each trainer this time went on not only to give more great advice but then follow up by offering the benefits of training with them – Essentially they then tried to sell me THEMSELVES rather than selling me a PT product.

I let them down gently by explaining I was a coach.

Can you tell me the key points from those small stories?

Don’t worry if you can’t because here they are:

– Each successful trainer took an interest in my individuality.

– I was made to feel comfortable.

– They didn’t try and sell on the first meeting.

– None of them put my form down, they only offered to give me more info to help me achieve MY goal.

– Every good trainer sold me THEMSELVES – People buy people, not products.

The main thing was they created RAPPORT.

Rapport is ease to build, you simple have to be genuinely interested in people to do it and as a result you will find you gain more clients.

There are various books on the skills on creating rapport that can explain if far better than I can, all you need do is go to a book store or throw a search in to the old google monster.

One of the core principles of NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming) is rapport building, thus any book containing NLP in the title is worth a look.

A great on I read years ago was ‘Successful NLP’ by Dr Jeremy Lazarus 📖

*It’s well worth learning as much as you can about this building rapport and the influence principle known as ‘liking’

Remember, People Buy People, Not Just Products.

Please do leave any further questions you have down below.

Enjoy

Ross

Is Anything Worse?

The Fear Of Rejection 

One common element of life that holds everyone back in some way shape or from is that of not being good enough, failing epically and being subject to endless critique.

I’m going to save you some mental struggle with this one sentence.

The above is inevitable because you live in the real world 

As such you’ll want to learn to become slightly more resilient to these things that all stem from that deep seated fear of being rejected.

When it comes to this fear it is an evolutionary trait that helped us survive.You see back in those historic times where life wasn’t quite so easy and being a hermit wasn’t filled with connivence foods, playstation’s and all our modern gifts begin rejected by out tribe meant almost a certain date with oblivion.

These days there’s little chance of that happening 

Even though we know this that adversity to being rejected or not seen as a part of a crowd/tribe makes us do some very curious things all in an attempt to fit in.

Think back to being at school.

Nothing was worse than being cast out of your group for upsetting Queen Bee of King Cool.

Even the outcasts had their own group and in it a hierarchy that wasn’t so easily changed and kept people in line because of te fear of being ostracised 

It’s funny what ancestral traits we still harbour in modern times.

Being able to understand them is key to overcoming them and mastering our own emotions and minds.Not being bound by these invisible chains of the past can really give you freedom 

Try looking at this from a business sense for example.

A lot of PT’s won’t ask for business and many will infect actively avoid it because they don’t want people to reject them or to feel they’re not good enough in some way.Thus they come up with some, many or maybe all of these excuses (if not more):

• It’s the wrong time of year
• People are too busy
• There’s no money in this area
• The market is saturated
• No one is interested
• When I have X qualification
• I’m too new to the industry to be taken seriously

And the list can go on and stretch to the realms of infinity if someone was so inclined 

The bottom line though is this; people with this mindset won’t ask for business due to the fear of being rejected.

Please understand it’s okay to feel this way, it’s only natural to want to be accepted.

Also understand that unless you grow a thick skin (in all life) you’re always going to be finding yourself as a bench warmer playing life safe and taking a lot of sh*t for the sake of appeasing others, sustaining the status quo and forgo growing as a person.

Here are 3 ways you can acclimatise yourself to rejection so it’s not quite as scary 

1 – Ask for ridiculous things in shops 

Odd as it sounds if you’re ordering a coffee why not also ask if they can give you the next size up for the price of the one you’ve just ordered.Chances are the answer will be a no, yet this expected rejection will still help you become desensitised to it.

On the other hand you might get someone that says “Sure, why not” and results in a free coffee upgrade 

After all if you don’t ask you may not get, and if you never attempt to ask then you’ll never get.

2 – Open yourself up for criticism 

Actively seek out the opinions of others, and aim for those to be from people you know to be hyper critical of everything.

Approach them in this way:

 – “Hey XYZ, may I ask you for a favour? Will you please give me some feedback on ABC?”

This actually has a dual outcome in the sense that firstly you can learn to brace yourself for some truly soul crushing critique (usually said with good intentions, even if harsh) and secondly by asking them for a favour you build rapport, gain trust and actually end up building a positive relationship with them.

Additionally you’ll start to recognise when you’re about to react emotionally as you’ll feel physical changes in your body as the fight/flight response starts to kick in and being able to control this will allow you to avoid getting caught on the hop allowing for educated responses instead of emotional reactions 

It’s a win-win-win really.

3 – Keep a diary of how you feel each time you’re met with rejection 

Being open with how you feel about being rejected can be liberating.

No one likes the idea of rejection, and I’m sure you’re got a story of rejection that hit you so hard you still feel the lingering pain of it now even if it happened over 17 years ago while in the college car park outside the ‘beauty & therapy’ block.

Learning to not only accept and embrace but also understand your emotions is key to growth 

All too often people will shut down and return to a pattern that keeps them protected.

This is usually far easier than addressing that which is right in front of their eyes, the crippling fact they’ve just been rejected and yet to move forwards so that this doesn’t become a long term issue or mental block means standing firm so that one can tackle it head on 

Yes it will be uncomfortable, yet once done everything seems a little better and future rejections or similar feelings aren’t meat with fear, instead with empathy and understanding.

You see people don’t reject without reason 

Typically they’ve been on the receiving end of broken trust, being fooled or played and this is just their defence mechanism.

It’s rarely a direct attack towards you, it’s just self preservation, so seek to understand and connect, not ignore and deflect.

Once you do life will become much easier 

Please do leave your current thoughts and experiences down below.

Enjoy,
Ross

👾 Archive Classics – 10 Mistakes PT’s Make – 2021 Update 👾

I have covered two common problems from the archive so far.

Both were based around your overall business plan and model.

You’ll notice that is the common theme 🤓

If you are stuck on any of the following read on:

🤔 Unsure of how to set up package deals

💷 Unsure of the right prices for packages

So how much do you charge for a single session or a block?

** Update **

I found over the years that setting a fee you wish to earn per month and even per year is useful as it allows you to reverse engineer your prices.

Additionally having only one main fee helps as well because then it’s not a case of compromising your prices, it’s a case of offering people different ways to pay them so it increases their affordability to a wider rage of people ✍

Here’s some advice on how to establish your prices.

Mistake Number 3: Inconsistent Pricing.

Keeping your prices for single sessions & packages (or ideally 3,6 or 12 month agreements) simple is key for success 🗝

Knowing how much to charge as a new PT is a tricky subject because of any rival PT’s. 

Overprice and you could limit the amount of people able to afford your services 😱

Undercharge and you risk people not valuing your skills and knowledge 

To establish what your price is for 1 session (or you might say your hourly rate) look at other trainers in your gym, it is also worth checking online for surrounding local gyms, mobile PT’s and online trainers to gauge their prices.

Finding the average is useful 💪

Once you have done this it will allow you to check what the competition charges and why, this can be because of more experience or an entirely different niche. 

Take all of this in to account.

After taking some time to find all of this data out I would advise working out the average cost (the middle ground), using this price will make it affordable yet still valuable.

** Update **

While it’s still a good idea to play it safe with the middle ground I’ve changed my view of this slightly over the years. 

By all means work out what the average is, then have that as the MINIMUM you will accept, and refer back to ‘mistake 1’ and establish what you want to earn and have that as your marketed price. 

This allows you to potentially offer people the olive branch of the medium price as a gesture of good will if you really want to have people feel they’ve won/made a good deal. 

Again I’d rather have people offer the option of splitting the cost with other people to make it semi-private PT or group training however all options are viable. 

Once you have done this you should have a good idea of what to charge 🤑

Here is an example:

The optimal price for a single session could be £35. 

This is now your minimum price per single session you will ideally want to achieve. 

From this number you can now establish you prices for all of your packages/services.

🗝 Single sessions bring more instant cash but it is the block bookings that will keep you in business, always aim to have a client take a block. They must be appealing and offer a multitude of benefits 🗝 

Here is a potential list of what you could offer in each block session:

– Discounts for large block bookings 

– Block of 5 £150 = £30 per session 

– Block of 10 £250 = £25 per session.

^^ ** Update ** 

3 month agreement – £3000 – payable upfront individually or as a split cost (2,3,4+ people etc).

This is far more lucrative as it will bring in committed people and if you offer this as a group session of say 10 people that’s £300 per person for 3 months of training, a true bargain. 

A yearly agreement might come in at £10,000, and for the same 10 people that’s only £1000 for an entire year of training, that’s about £7 per session if you offer them three per week, meaning £21 a week which is almost free, kinda  

Why wouldn’t someone want to invest in this? Madness, that’s why.

Once you set these prices don’t lower them just to get business because it makes you look desperate and that’s not attractive, ever 

I touched on this in the first post, even though ultimately it is down to you, I would urge you not to undersell yourself because you’re worth so much more so have value in yourself 

Please do leave any questions you have below

Enjoy
Ross

👾 Archive Classics – 10 Mistakes PT’s Make – 2021 Update👾

In the first instalment of these revised classics we highlighted one of the most common mistakes made by trainers – Not having a business plan.

While not having a business plan is a not ideal, not having a niche is even worse. 

Before you venture out into the wide world of Personal Training you need to know what your business actually is.

Ask yourself this question: What is my Niche?

** Update **

While you can have multiple elements in your business the core philosophy and practice wants to be steadfast and of high value which resonates with our target audience (many don’t know who their audience is, be that desired or readily available – you may wish to investigate this thoroughly).

If you can answer this then you have no need to read this post, but if you can’t please keep reading.

Mistake Number 2: Being Everything To Everyone.

Your Niche will set you apart from other potential trainers and is specific to you.

Have you come from a sporting background?

Maybe you spent many years training hard to improve your overall aesthetic look?

Perhaps using only one specific piece of kit is your thing?

Which ever background you have come from can form a great base for your Niche, not only will you have in-depth knowledge in the subject, but you will also have proof of your own personal results. 

** Update ** 

This specialism will help trigger the Influence Principle known as Authority.

That way you will be the person people think of when they are looking specifically to achieve a similar goal 🎯

For example you could decide your niche is Body Composition – you specialise in getting people the look/body they want. 

Not a bad avenue to go down as people will always pay to look a specific way to make themselves feel better.

Once you have established what you feel your niche is you can being putting together your business.

For Example we shall use Body Composition.

‍♀️

Once you know what your business niche is, you now need the name of your business. 

There are two things you want to remember when deciding on your name:

1 – It must be easy to remember.

2 – It must convey what your business is about.

** Update **

Creating a ‘brand’ is a great idea as a brand name can be franchised, whereas using your name+fitness is kinda exclusive to you so best avoid that trap, easy as it is to fall into because you don’t want to end up stuck with something stupid like- @RossFitPT10 

Ok, it is easy for me to say that you need an eye catching name that will cause people to think of you when they are talking, however deciding on the name itself however is never easy.

*Take your time, write down several possibilities and ask people which is more appealing. Preferably you will want to ask people who don’t know you.

For this example we shall use: Better Bodies.

After establishing what your niche & business name is I would advise you do these two things:

1- Write down a Mission Statement (keep it to a short simple line that catches people attention).

2- Write a small paragraph about what you do and what you can offer. This will help you convey what your business is about.

These will become very important for your marketing purposes, websites, social media etc 🤓

Here are a couple of style ideas for your consideration:

Mission Statement:

Achieving what you want through simple & effective methods.

Or

Strength & Conditioning to achieve what you’ve always wanted.

Or 

Feel Great, Look Amazing & Become Who You Want To Be. 

All are short, concise and don’t leave much room for misunderstanding.

Ok so your once sentence mission statement is sorted. 

It’s time for a brief paragraph on what you do and how you do it 

Again, if you can keep it short and to the point you will have more chance of attracting the right clients.

Below is an idea of the length and style of content needed.

Opening Paragraph:

– Are you looking to lose fat and get a lean physique?

– Don’t think you can do it on your own?

** Update **

I’d probably add something like this now in the marketing as well:

“Are you feeling the way you really want to feel right now? Because if that answers no please know that you can change this. You don’t need to do it alone either, I’m here to help you feel better than you have ever felt before”

💥 Better Bodies helps you look & feel great about yourself 💥

Offer you a unique style of Minimalistic Strength & Conditioning based training that burns fat and gets your results fast freeing up more time for you to spend with the people that matter most in your life and also enjoying life more too.

You’ll be surprised how far you can go doing so little. 

Call now to book your consultation 👍

🤓

These simple yet often overlooked elements are what will hook people into the idea of your business, once a person enquires it is down to you to sell not only your business.

You must also connect with the potential client on an emotional level and establish how they want to feel at the end of this experience.

You’re also selling yourself too as people buy from people, so ideally you’ll be leading by example (walk the walk essentially) 👣

Try not to make the mistake of being everything to everyone, because you will end up being nothing and of no use to anyone.

Enjoy,

Ross

Dead Start Progressions

Plateau Breaking Technique 

Dead-Start Overcoming/Increasing ROM Reps 

A simple technique that requires patience and if applied can increase strength across the board.

Paul Anderson was an old school weightlifter from the days fuelled by determination, raw iron and whole foods.

One technique he used to use with great effect for getting over a lifting plateau was to load up the weight he wanted to master and start off with a reduced ROM 

Say squat as an example.

He’d set up a rack with the load in it a few inches short of lock out.

After scooting under the bar he’d brace, generate tension throughout his entire body and lift the circa-max load those few inches 

Under control he’d lower the bar back to the pins and repeat for roughly 3-5 reps for potentially multiple sets.

Over time he would increase the ROM by an inch or so when he was ready to ensure safe progression and reduction of injury.

This ‘dead-start’ style of rep really allows for form to be grooved in and also increases ‘starting strength’ and while the progression might be a slow one it’s brilliant.

Once Paul was starting the squat at parallel with his hip crease being at or just below the line of his hip he’ know that performing a full squat in the normal fashion was pretty much a done deal 

Being able to generate more tension and store more potential energy using the eccentric portion of the full squat suddenly makes what was once a heavy weight feel just like all the others you’ve mastered.

It’s worth noting that some regular squats would be performed as accessory work with a slower eccentric 

Just from a movement mechanic standpoint it’s useful.

You can use this technique for the majority of compound movements with great outcomes.

Your first time trying this I’d practice with lighter loads to understand how ‘dead-start’ reps feel whereby you gain the feeling for generating tension (and have the correct from) starting at the end ROM.

Enjoy,
Ross

Concurrent Conundrum

🤓 Multifaceted Training – How To Make It Work 🤓

The notion of training multiple elements of fitness in one go is highly appealing to a lot of people.
Essentially aiming to gain progress in every area possible.

A great idea that rarely works, today we’ll look at why and what can be done to address this 👍

In my experience the main causes of concurrent training not being as effective as possible as are follows:

• Low base levels of current fitness
• Improper programming
• Substandard recovery
• Poor nutrition

Each of these play a roll and ideally you’re going to want all of them to be as close to optimal as possible 🎯

Before we can look at how to make a training protocol that is effective, we’ve first got to understand why the above four hold people back.

Low Base Fitness Levels Can Go Unchecked 🥉

Beginners in any endeavour need time spent working on their foundations before they start making things more refined or complex.

Sadly the attitude of many is to run before they can walk.

Quite literally in some cases 😂

Before trying to cater to all the elements of your fitness it’s good to set yourself some minimum standards to achieve first.

These can be based of of norms tables for general fitness or something more specific to a sport if necessary.
Here is an example of some entry level targets to aim for 🎯

• Run 1 mile without stopping in less than 10min
• Squat or Deadlift bodyweight
• 5+ press ups, 1 chin up
• Maintain good ROM throughout all joints across the body
• Be injury free

With these you’ll find that it’s more possible to bring up a few elements of fitness at the same time because of them working in synergy with one another.

For example, the more strength you have at a base level the faster you can potentially run due to being able to produce/express more force.

Having minimal fitness standards and capabilities allows for more impactful programming 👍

Improper Programming Replaced Programs With Purpose 📊

Easy as it might seem to boost cardiovascular performance along side strength, flexibility and shifting excess body fat on paper, however in practice it’s far more difficult.

You see it’s not just a case of throwing something like this together –

A1 – Deadlift x4
A2 – Sprint x60m
A3 – Pull Ups x6-106 rounds for time

This style of programming does have a place, yet for most it’s simply inappropriate because they lack the work capacity to perform this sequence more than perhaps twice with sufficient intensity to gain benefits across the multiple intended fitness elements.

Actually looking at it I’ve put together something that is highly bias towards anaerobic metabolism (fast glycolytic pathways) 😂

Most would put some kind of extended CV in to this which would create a disruption in the stimulus the body receives.

Ideally you’ll want to program in such a way that has outcomes that are focused around the same metabolic pathways for consistency, otherwise no real adaptation will occur.

The technical term is – transient accumulation process according to older Russian books I’ve read (it’s worth delving into) 🧐

Hence why it’s more preferable to work on only one or two fitness elements at a time and ideally they’re from roughly the same area.

So strength & hypertrophy as an example can compliment each other, as opposed to something like power & flexibility which are at completely opposite ends of the scale and would interfere with each other if you tried to improve them both to a high degree at the same time.

While programming is as much art as it is science, it’s also requires common sense as well 🧠

As alluring as it is to partake in or write programs that are all sining all dancing and contain every possible training element, they’re just not that effective.

Often leading to excessive fatigue that reduces overall performance 📉

Substandard Recovery Gets A Boost 🥵

These days it’s a badge of honour to train 11 days per week, while also climbing the corporate ladder, living the life of excitement,decadent food/drink and also staying as lean as you were in your prime.

Oh all while only having at most 4 hours of sleep because more is for the weak 💪🤣

If you happen to be some kind of superhuman the above might be possible.

Chances are you’re more like me and the millions of other average people in this world that would do far better subsisting on 3-4 training sessions per week, 7-8 hours of sleep and nutrition that supports not only your goals but also your health.

When it comes to recovery these days people try to use apps and electronics to track it all.

Ironically these tools have shown to disrupt peoples recovery cycles and also elevate stress levels due to trying to micromanage recovery and the impending frustration that follows when it can’t be done 😱

This is where a hand written diary can come in handy ✍️

Additionally it’s worth literally planning in recovery days.

On these you can focus on ‘working in’ instead of ‘working out’ which means the aim is to feel great at the end, not destroyed or a hot sweaty mess on the floor seeing a white buffalo in the sky.

You can focus on things such as breathing, restorative flexibility/mobility/trigger-point release work and also preparation for meals and high quality nutrition for the days to come 🥗🥙

This can also aid in improving sleep, repairing tissues that have been stimulated and stressed from training (or life).

Additional ways to recover can include walking, swimming gently, yoga or various other activities that don’t don’t have a focus on stress or chasing fatigue.

It’s worth remembering when we end up trying to do too much the accumulated stress sends us in search of low quality foods that area hyper palatable, loaded with instant energy and are questionably not great for health.

This is where aiming to have what is considered more optimal or appropriate nutrition becomes important 💪

Poor Nutrition Be No More 🍴

Setting calories at the required level and ensuring you gain the majority of them from high quality nutrient dense sources isn’t difficult to understand.

It’s also something that is essential when trying to improve across a wide range of fitness qualities.

The reason for this is because when looking to bring up a lot of levels at the same time its near impossible to do without nutrition properly support such an endeavour 🍙

Yes there will be some exceptions that can do it while eating what we call junk food, although while performance may increase there can be a detriment to long term health and this is something we want to avoid or prevent wherever possible.

Keeping things simple you’ll find these 3 key points tend to cover the goals of concurrent training:

• Set calories at 17-19xBW in pounds ✍️
• Protein is 1g per pound of bodyweight, fat is 20% total calories and the rest is carbs💪
• Aim to consume the majority of calories from nutrient dense whole food sources 🥗

You may also find it useful searching – ‘Nutrition strategies to support concurrent training’.

There is a wealth of articles covering the various sports that require multiple elements of fitness to be peaked at the same time and what foods and options was best based on the specific context (you’ll find the three key points above cover a broad spectrum that appears in most of them).

One thing to remember is this, nutrition wants to be about health first, performance second and enjoyment third.
Too many put all their eggs in the basket of fun 🥳

While there isn’t anything wrong with this, it may compromise long term health which means it’s worth considering eating in a way that won’t cause you to fall in at any point in your life.

Doing this will help not only in health but performance also.

In conclusion –

There is no one specific way to make concurrent training work 🤷

If you wish to train and bring up multiple elements of fitness then you need to ensure all your ducks are lined up well 🦆🦆🦆

For what it’s worth I’d say that using a block training approach where you spend 6months or more brining up one area of fitness with the others being put on a low level of stimulus that keeps them from decline is a far better option for training to the majority of people.

Build a base/foundation that is deep, wide and strong.

This might take years, however once it’s built you can create quite the temple on top of that solid foundation, where as trying to train everything at the same time from day one is akin to making a house of sticks on wet mud in torrential rain.

It might stand for a while, although it won’t last and if it somehow does it’s not going to improve much past the basic A-frame that is it 🛠

Time for your thoughts 🤓

How do you currently train, is it for a specific purpose/peak or do you do a little bit of everything and what has it helped you achieve?

I look forwards to learning from your experiences.

Enjoy,
Ross

👾 Archive Classics – 10 Mistakes PT’s Make -2021 Update 👾

While digging through my article archive I came across some that are worth a little spit & shine.

Even though the overall will be the same some new pearls of wisdom will be added 🤓

Good Morning All, 

It is easy to unknowingly make mistakes that leave you wondering what went wrong.

As a PT do you:

– Struggle to find new clients?

– Never find the right words to secure new business?

– Become scared at the thought of talking to new people?

– Feel that you’re not good enough?

– Lack confidence?

• Fear rejection?

Ok the last one was a bit deep, it’s all relevant.

Being in the industry for some years there are very few mistakes I haven’t made, some were minor and others cost me dearly 😳

These next 10 articles I will highlight the most common mistakes, how to avoid them and where things can be sharpened up to increase your businesses.

As a result you will:

– Gain new clients

– Earn more Money

• Build confidence

Most importantly, you will be much happier in your job.

Mistake Number 1: Planning to Fail.

It is not out of the question for a trainer to be told that they require a solid Business Plan, many agree it is a vital part of business just like any other.

Few ever actually sit down and write one and this is their first mistake and can can ultimately be their last too.

Failing to have a sensible, sustainable business plan can leave you wandering around like a lost sheep 😟

First things first, the question you NEED to ask yourself is…

How much do I NEED to earn to avoid financial trouble?

Additionally – How much do I want to earn?

** Update **

Knowing the minimum you need means you can set your prices 30-50% higher in advertising which allows for people to haggle you down and get a ‘deal’ because everyone loves a deal and feeling like the’ve ‘won’ or achieved mutual synergy.

Here is an example.

For simplicities sake we are going to say you need £800 a month but would like to earn £1000 a month 💷

While this is not unrealistic you still need a plan on how you’re going to achieve it.

Here is an example price list we can work from:

Single Session (PT, Nutrition, Program etc.) – £30

Block of 4 Sessions (1 p/w) – £110

Block of 8 Sessions (2 p/w) – £200

Using the prices we have you will need either 33 single sessions per month to cover your requirements, that is hard work.

How many 4 block sessions will you need?

9 is required, this seems a lot more achievable doesn’t it 🤓

Lastly you will need 5×8 block sessions to hit your goal.

** Update **

Using the 30-50% price increase mentioned above will allow you to take down the potential numbers of clients needed taking the pressure to constantly find ‘more’ clients down as the quality of client is far more important than the quantity in the long run due to higher quality clients having a longer overall value in regards of total earnings from them.

Also the prices above are arbitrary examples, to establish the going rates do your market research into what other trainers/coaches offer that have a comparable service to your own. And if you offer way more than everyone else than you can charge more because you’d be amazed how many people value paying a premium price because with it they then except the same premium service. 

Don’t be afraid of asking for (and charging) what you’re worth, otherwise you’ll soon lose your guts for the fitness industry and swiftly exit it like thousands before you already have. 

Once you know how you can achieve your financial target it is a simple case of finding the clients… 

Or is it?

Bearing in mind that on average (from my experience) out of every 10 people you speak to 1 of the will be interested in some form of training, be that a single session or a block, once you find these people it is down to you to make them feel comfortable/inspired enough to uptake your services.

Using the large block we need only 5 people, this means you will need to speak to up to 50 people in total to have the potential to achieve this.

** Update **

With the more modern approach of online outreach and networking you’ll find this is even more achievable as you can set up secondary revenue streams in a digital capacity with solid marketing, email lists and overall networking.

Time to get chatting and spread the message of fitness 🤗

A useful little tip is to know when your gym (or your online audience) is busiest/most active, that way you will be able to speak to more people in a shorter space of time.

Work smart, it really pays a large return in the end 📊

*It is worth nothing that sometimes you may even get 1 in 5 people, but this depends on your experience and ability to build RAPPORT. I will Speak about rapport in more details another time.

Now considering the example I have just given you you can see there is a lot of benefit in sitting down a planning out what you want to achieve and what you need to achieve.

Even in an ultra basic sense as we did above 🤓

Admittedly there is a lot more that goes in to a business plan, such as outgoings, overheads, etc.

This will help you establish what you need to earn, how many people you need to speak to and how many sessions/blocks/products/services you will need to sell.

Please do leave your questions and curiosities below🤓

This series was 10 total parts, so you’ll find the other 9 appearing in due course.

Enjoy

Ross

The 3-2-5 Protocol For Lean Gains, Probably

Pretentious as the title sounds, I almost put it was for ‘strength, size and getting shredded’.

You’ll find that while it’s extremely simple on paper there is three key elements required for it to succeed.

• Intent Each Session 
• Consistency For 12 Weeks (minimum)
• Nutritional Optimisation 

Most can manage one of these three at a time.

Some rare individuals can do two. 

The truly successful however WILL ensure they enact all three for the most possible benefit/progress.

All you need to do it apply what is written below and results can be yours. 

Provided you want them enough that is. 

The Protocol – Intent For Each Session 

You’ll be performing what is known as movement complexes consisting of 3 lifts.

You perform 3 reps for the fist movement, then 2 reps for the second and finally 5 reps for the last. 

I’d suggest starting off using your 5RM on the chosen piece of suggested kit based on your weakest lift which will be the second one using 2 reps typically (the kit isn’t set in stone, you may change it if absolutely necessary although it’s not advised).

The required kit is as follows: Dumbbell, Barbell, Kettlebell

You’ll be training for 45min in total (10min warm up, 5min cool down, 30min main)

Day 1 Complex – Dumbbell: Clean & Press (x3)- Cossack Lunge (x2)- Renegade Row (x5)

Day 2 Complex – Barbell: Pendlay Row (x3) – Power Clean (x2) – Front Squat (x5)

Day 3 Complex – Kettlebell: Clean (x3)- Strict Press (x2)- Racked Squat (x5)

Example session:

Day 2 – 

W/U – Front Squat x3 & Chins x5 on a weight RAMP + general mobility in-between sets for 10min

Main – Barbell Complex – 3/2/5 x80kg for 30min – rest as needed 

C/D – General Stretch x5min 

In regards to you overall method of progression the first port of call is how much work you’re doing per unit of time. 

This is known as Density (also links to work capacity – the ability to repeat high quality efforts).

In the first session using your 5RM for the second lift as the overall weight setter, you do as many good quality complexes as possible in the 30min for the first session. 

When you come to session two you’ll try to get in some extra sets, doing more work in total, and then aims o beat this again in the third session. If you manage this then you can add a small amount of load and repeat the process.

Don’t feel frustrated if you can’t do more total work though.

Density can also increase if you manage to do the same amount of work in less time. 

Say you did 9 sets of the complex in exactly 30min in session one. 

Then in session two you do the same 9 sets although in 28min, and feel you’ve just not got another set in you. 

Don’t become disheartened because you’ve made progress as you did the same amount of work in less time, meaning you had less rest or faster bar speeds. 

You’d stick with the same load until you added some extra sets as mentioned above, although don’t beat yourself up if you can’t add those in a linear fashion and from the get go. 

That’s not how this is meant to work. 

You’ve got to be patient as that is where real results come from. 

12 Weeks Training – Consistency 

This is the minimum time frame and will give you 12 sessions of each complex.

You’ll find there is still plenty of progress to be made though and here is where you’ll want to look at your overall progress and ask yourself this honest question.

“Have I done and gotten all I can from this program?”

Many will give up too quickly and end up leaving a lot of potential progress on the table. 

By all means take a few days off training, perhaps even an entire week, however if you don’t actually need to change anything major then it’s wise not to. 

Avoid changing the reps, just aim to dome work in the allotted time. 

More sets of 3-2-5 is far more preferable to doing something crazy like adding/doubling reps to create something like 6-4-10.

You can play with tempo, what complex you do on what day to spice things up and your W/U can also change session to session if you choose as for me that is usually a couple of supplementary lifts that will provide a lot of band for their buck and I also enjoy them.

If you want to warm up with 5min LISS then do 10min of Fartlek then feel free.

Just be aware it make take a little out of your main work if you do that, as such I’d suggest doing 5min of mobility and finish the session with 10min of Fartlek/Intervals before 5min of general stretching as to not effect your main lifting complexes.

You’ll be amazed how long you can run something like this before you really need something new. 

Calories, Macros & Monitoring – Nutritional Optimisation 

This is where the fun begins.

As a good base point take your current weight in pounds and multiple it by 15 to gain a round TDEE requirement, this is what you’ll look to stick to. 

Even if your weight goes down stick with your current TDEE based on BWx15 for the first 12 weeks, tweaks can be made to this later and you’re welcome to contact me to discuss this. 

Macronutrient wise this is a simple yet very effective guide to follow.

Protein – 1g per pound of starting bodyweight 

Fat – 20% of total daily calories based on BWx15

Carbohydrates – all remaining calories that aren’t protein/fat. 

Example: 75kg person (multiple KG by 2.2 for pounds, if stone divide by 6.35, 11.8stone) – 165lbs 

165 x15 = 2475 calories for the day (estimated)

Protein – 165g, multiply by 4 for calories = 660 

Fat – 2475 x0.2 = 495 calories, divide this by 9 for grams of fat = 55g

Carbohydrates – 2472 minus 600 (pro) & 495 (fat) = 1380 divided by 4 = 345g for the day 

Knowing these numbers will help a lot of people.

One thing to remember though is that you’re going to want to get these calories/macros from high quality nutrient dense food sources. 

In simple terms it means all things don’t walk, fly, swim or grow naturally that you can buy are not the most optimal foods for you.

While you can buy and quick, easy and processed foods you choose be aware this may have a detrimental effect on your progress/results in the end. 

While a lot of people think they can simply out train poor nutrition, the truth for most is they can’t.

Don’t give yourself a handicap when it’s not required.

Final Thoughts – Putting It All Together 

As mentioned above this seems easy on paper.

The real magic will happen when when you really make a solid effort to adhere to the three key elements mentioned at the very start – Intent, Consistency, Nutritional Optimisation.

Also remember while the main complexes are to be followed, you can add in some lifts you enjoy either in the W/U as a part of it, or at the end, so long as your sessions don’t run over 45min. 

You don’t get results for working longer if the extra work you do is no better than junk. 

Give the above a good read again and feel free to fire across any questions you may have. 

There’s a few nifty little advancements that can be applied to this protocol, however to unlock those you’ll first need to complete at least 12 weeks (or more) of the above. 

Once you have share the results with me and I’ll happily give you the keys to all their nuanced locks. 

Enjoy,
Ross