Has endless diets & training programs failed to give you what you wanted most?

The answer most people have to this question is an unfortunate yes.

Some have spent years, and thousands on trying to find the ‘right’ solution for their problem.

But the issue wasn’t what they were investing their money in.

It wasn’t even a lack of effort or time on their part.

What really caused all the issues with regards to not breaking down this wall was closer to home.

They didn’t really know what it was they actually wanted because they didn’t have just one problem.

Yes this is a bitter pill to swallow because it puts the spotlight firmly on the individual and doesn’t allow them to hide or run away, it forces them to look inward and establish what’s really going on.

Now while being overweight is a problem.

It might not be the REAL problem, or perhaps better called the ‘root cause’ that’s the issue.

We will stick with being overweight as the outcome of this problem that is itself a secondary thing that leads to compounding the underlying gremlins people already have.

Let’s start with a simple question – What do you think has lead you to your current ‘problem’ in life?

By this ^^ I’m asking in reference to the habits/behaviours/mechanisms that caused the overeating which has lead to the excessive weight gain that is now affecting said persons self esteem and overall quality of life.

You see this is how we can start getting to the root of it all.

Do you use food as a means to improve your mood when you feel down, or perhaps destress?

I’ve known hundreds of women who will demolish a bottle of wine a night to relax.

Only to wonder why they’ve been slowly going up in dress sizes and now see a number on the scales that makes them breakdown in tears.

Working as a PT as long as I have there’s no hesitation in saying your perceived problem isn’t the problem.

That’s the outcome of what truly lurks beneath which is causing all the suffering.

And whatever it is probably sets out a chain of events (emotional trigger/coping mechanism/reward).

It might be a very specific thing or something that is present multiple times a day in your life, and maybe it’s even a self induced thing because enacting it gives you a sense of control you long for.

I don’t know the specifics but you do.

You might have repressed the details, or say you’ve forgotten them but the truth is this, you know and you know you know but choose wilful blindness (denial or delusion) because it’s less painful than the truth.

The big question is this –Do you want to deal with what is at the root?

It’s worth really thinking about this because once you start you’ll want to see it through to the end because stopping half way or backing out only leads to greater suffering because of being more aware of what’s really going on.

This takes the unconscious habit that was causing you all the trouble and makes it a conscious choice.

It has you truly start to feel that deep lingering pain.

But, if you want to heal that you first need to feel it and accept it won’t be very nice although necessary.

I can give you all the info you’ll ever need within regards to training & nutrition but it won’t amount to anything if you don’t really know what’s going on within yourself that has resulted in the place you currently find yourself in life.

Just to reiterate what I said above.

To heal you first need to feel, and once you being this journey you’ll want to see it through to the end.

Give it some deep thought because the price of freedom is steep.

It’s going to cost you who you think you are, and that’s going to sting.

Ross

Are You A Secret Snacker?

This question can be answered with a simple:

“No. I hadn’t thought of it but now that you mention it….”

Or 

“Yes, I know this happens to me a lot.”

Ironically if you’re aware then you’re a not so secret snacker.

You’re just a regular snacker.

Hello There,

Reaching your hand towards a quick bite to eat is very common for those with high stress lives.

What’s a high stress life?

This can come in many forms but to describe how it feels will reveal it for all to see. 

Take a moment and think. 

Have you ever gotten to the point where you are at your wits end and simply need a break from it all because one more minute experiencing all the stress you’re under will result in your going postal?

Then moments later and much to your pleasant surprise, you’re now much calmer and somehow have a snack (or perhaps beverage) in your hand.

But if someone asked you where you got it from, you’d not be able to tell them. 

No attention was paid to how it got there, just the outcome it gave you – peace/reprieve.

The excess stress that had accumulated up until that point seems to be gone and you feel ready to brave it all again. 

Or in some cases for those more aware this is what happens:

Step 1 – Stress builds, be that from work, kids, travel or domestic dealings.

Step 2 – You reach the “F**K it. I need a XYZ (insert your snack/calorific beverage)
Step 3 – Because of step 2 you now feel calmer and less stressed 

Either way the outcome is the same, you’ve become chilled and ready to go again. 

Firstly, don’t ever feel guilty or ashamed about reducing your stress.

This isn’t something that is deserving of those feelings because all you’re doing is coping in a way YOU KNOW to be effective are reducing stress. 

But it has to be said that these coping mechanisms might not be effective as keeping your waistline from expanding (an outcome that itself leads to stress, ironic, right). 

Here’s my take on how to avoid this common yet not always beneficial coping mechanism.

I used to do this a lot by the way, secret snacking.

It lead to issues managing bodyweight and body composition. 

So here’s what I did to gain control over my stress related coping mechanisms of secret snacking. 

I wrote down what I was feeling in that moment where the stress had gotten to the boiling point and what would make me happy/destress in that moment. 

Then I’d reread what I’d written and ask myself if there was anything else I could do that would also help rid me of this stress and feel better that didn’t involve food/drink (for some this could be cigarettes or vaping, both equally bad for health).

Other answers that I came up with –

• Going for a walk 
• Stretching (some may do a yoga flow)
• Closing my eyes to focus on my breathe for 5-10min
• Writing itself about the situation and reflecting on it 
• Playing a musical instrument, hand focused drums, guitar etc

Taking a moment to address the stress head on and find alternatives to snacking has a lot of benefits.

Don’t worry if you don’t have an endless list of alternative methods to reduce stress at present. 

You’ll find with more time and awareness these will come, but in the short term you’ll get a handle on how you currently deal with stress in the form of snacking.

Remember you’re not alone.

A lot of people tackle stress with food and if you know this is an issue in your life then please do reach out and we can have a more private chat.

Just comment (or reach out directly) and tell me how I can help you. 

I’ll listen as long as you need so that together we can find a better way for you to destress. 

Have a great day, 
Ross

“OMG. I ate a whole pizza last night it was so bad.”

Chances are you’ve heard someone say this, or perhaps you’ve said it yourself.

Usually it is said with the aim to have the listener respond along these lines – “Nah, it’s not that bad. You’ve been training hard, you deserve a treat now and again.”

Or perhaps something along the lines of – “You’ll burn it off with the amount you train.”

Basically whomever is saying it is looking for validation and the removal of any accountability and feeling os guilty/shame for making a poor choice that will keep them carrying too much body fat for their frame.

And most people will give just the response desired because they don’t want to be seen as mean.

This is a problem because it’s all bull shit.

You know it is, but so long as people validation the BS others will continue to spout as much as they possibly can and if someone takes a stand and tells the individual it wasn’t a good idea and they know it won’t help them towards their goals, said individual will be shamed for it.

That’s 2023 for you.

People are softer than light whip these days and too scared to speak the truth.

Thankfully I’m no such person. And in telling people the truth have found myself living a solitary life, which is so peaceful it’s hard to put into words some times (despite the best efforts of many to cause hassle because they hate to see people not suffering as they do).

So some words for anyone that uses the above for the purpose of becoming admonished of any guilty/shame they may feel.

Stop saying the above.

If you want to eat an entire pizza then go for it. Enjoy it and take ownership of that choice.

This will stop you using other people as emotional/rational crutches to make yourself feel better and free of those low vibration emotions you want to avoid (which could be done by not making choices that lead you to feel that way and instead make choices that have you vibrate much higher not he emotional scale).

Enjoy,
Ross

Eating on the clock

Meal timing, is it important 

The short answer is – it depends 

Although back in the day this pearl of wisdom was common:

“Breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; dinner like a pauper.”

Essentially getting people to have an uneven distribution of calories across the day that met their needs, although it’s not bad advice. 

Beyond the standard answer and the old rules of thumb, there’s a general answer for this question that hinges on one factor (or it used to). 

What are you training for?

Typically those with a goal that is performance related tend to find eating multiple smaller meals around training to be better from a comfort standpoint. 

Anyone that has a health focused desire can eat in whatever way is most convenient for them provided they get in all of their required calories and nutrients 

But….

There’s more. 

Digging a little deeper into the topic that is Chrononutrition there’s a lot of questions to ask.

The tracked data is still a bit sparse.

But it shows those who do give more care & thought to their meal timings may gain more benefit over the long run. 

It’d require one to know their Circadian Rhythms – the physical, behavioural, and mental changes that follow a 24-hour cycle.

Think a full map of everything your body does at what time

Meaning they’d be able to understand how their body is processing a specific macronutrient at specific times etc 

There’s been anecdotal notions of the following:

AM – Best for eating higher fat and protein 
PM – Best for eating higher carbs and protein 

Obviously there’s more nuance to this, but it’s not a bad guide. 

As we wake up our cortisol is high (that’s how we wake up) and dumping a lot of carbs in our system may result in increases in the production of melatonin (the hormone that helps us sleep) which isn’t that useful.

Whereas higher fat/protein in the AM allows for the production of dopamine, acetylcholine and other elements that aid in focus/cognition.

But in saying that, typically people more more insulin sensitive in the AM meaning a high carb start to the day migh tbe a good idea 

This is where all the info (anecdotal, researched etc) starts to contradict itself and why the main way forwards is individual trial & error.

The issue arises in the fact that it can take a good few months to gather enough personal info to allow a conclusion to be reached. 

And even then it’d leave questions regarding life stress at the time, travel, work, sleep patterns, training loads and much more. 

This is where the notion that someone has become used to eating a high suger breakfast then they may have become psychologically dependent on that as opposed to physiologically – worth pondering.

This leads down the route is questioning our mental habits. 

Do we eat what/when we eat because we NEED it or because that’s what we’re used to and it’s routine 

I honestly can’t say, all I can offer is how I’ve seen people respond on a case by case basis. 

The key factor was their mindset and those that had ideas in their head about ‘how’ they ought to eat always struggled with change and ended up self sabotaging (despite warning).

It’s easy for us to dig a whole and firmly sit in it in this modern world of too much info and the desire to be right 

So I’d say this is how we could move forwards.

Eating as you do, with the timings that best suit 

This is the question to ask yourself:

How do you feel, perform & look?

I’d be curious to get your perspective on meal timings.

Is this something that matters deeply to you and you set your meals by the clock to follow, or are you like myself and just eat out of hunger (and not habit)?

Please do share your thoughts below.

The Mind Mouth Connection 2.0 – Reliving The Past

Laying blame at the door of someone or something else is common.

Especially when it comes to food.

The larger majority of people have a very precarious mentality towards eating.

Usually there will be some kind of link to a ‘past event’ that sends someone towards the chocolate or snacks.

Having an understanding of where this stems from can be useful, but it’s not everything.

The initial event itself isn’t always as important as acknowledging that there is a feeling that has become linked to a food related response.

For example.

You might have been bullied at school which sent you towards chocolate brownies because that’s what your mum would give you to help you feel better from both an emotional and physiological standpoint.

But over time this habit can lead you to gaining excessive body fat.

You can call it a coping mechanism.

We’ve all got them.

Some use exercise as theirs, which doesn’t mean the gym it might mean going for a walk, yoga, climbing’s swimming etc.
Others will head towards reading, writing or something completely isolated for their respite.

There’s not Right or Wrong way to cope with something, we just find familiar ways/means that make us feel safe.

Delving a little deeper.

Some call them trigger responses, but regardless of the name what is basically happening is people have an emotional reaction (often fear based) and then head for whatever makes them feel safe, secure and possibly supporting too.

A useful activity for anyone that has a self confessed issue with food is as follows:

The next time you run to the fridge or dial up über eats, stop for a second and establish how you FEEL in that moment.

I mean really assess this because I’d be willing to put money on the notion that it’s related to fear and can be linked to a time you felt unsafe, as mentioned above.

Next you’ll want to ask yourself this – How does the food make me feel?
And you may also want to ask yourself – What does the food I’m going for give me emotionally?

Technically the same question just in a slightly different way.

Understanding what emotion is driving your eating habits can be very useful for breaking those patterns and creating new ones.

I’m not saying it’ll be a quick fix, or even that it’ll be pleasant or easy.

But it will be worth it because once you can acknowledge this the path to a better way will be revealed.

Knowing is key to growth.

Also remember that whatever you feel in a moment is your body & mind reliving something from the past.

Accepting that whatever was isn’t physically happening, just mentally now will help you.

We create that past event in our subconscious because of a familiar feeling and thus relive it.

As such whatever our solution was at that time we will gravitate towards again, please know this isn’t the way.

Knowing will set you free and allow you to choose something better.

If this sounds familiar to you then please do reach out because I’ll happily listen to you.

Don’t let yourself keep repeating what was.

Become free, that’s a far better choice.

Enjoy,
Ross

You might not be hungry you might just be…..

Thirsty
Bored
Tired
Or Emotional

It’s not uncommon for people to turn to food a knee jerk reaction, but before we go on I’d like you to remember this ONE THING.

Food isn’t the enemy.

Often it’s something we head towards because of familiarity and potentially because it’s a learned coping mechanism that brings a sense of equilibrium, control, comfort or reprieve.

Looking at the 4 listed words above – Thirst, Boredom, Tiredness, Emotion.

These are all elements that people tend to mistake for hunger, odd as it might sound.

A lot of people think they’re hungry when in actual fact they are probably just thirsty and grabbing a drink such as water, fruit tea or something else with little to no calories will actually tick the box required.

If someone is genuinely hungry then even after drinking say 250ml of a beverage they will still have a clear signal.

This can help you relearn how to understand, listen and become connected with your body again.

But what if you’re bored, how can that become confused as hunger?

Quite easily.

When someones attention is wandering from their current task or they’ve simply got a chunk of empty space/time to fill they can turn to food.

This is actually a learned behaviour that has become habit.

Think back to being a kid and being bored.

Did you go to Mum or Dad with the ever classic line of – “I’m bored…..”

What was their response?

Did they provide you with the attention, validation and support you needed or put you in front of the TV with food or just give you food?

In which case there’s a high possibility of learning that to relieve boredom you can do it via eating because you’re then technically doing something.

That something in the form of eating might be good for boredom relief in the short term but it is terrible for your waistline in the long run.

To know if you’re actually hungry or simply bored there’s a simple solution – DO SOMETHING.

It can be anything.

Skip for 10min, do 100 squats using an OTM of 10 squats per min, hit 50 pull ups with an OTM of 5 pull ups per min or maybe 20 kettlebell swings for the same OTM idea.

You might even decide to go for a walk, draw something, start a painting, phone that close relative you’ve not spoken to in a while that you know you really NEED to speak to because they’ve not go long left…..

There’s endless options.

After the fact you can then think deeply and connect with your body and ask the big question – “Am I still hungry?”

If you are then you’ll know, but usually most people won’t be and their solution to the problem was simply to go do something.

What about being tired, how does that translate in to a false hunger?

From a simple technical standpoint it’s because you’re suffering a little fatigue and as a result you will want a mental pick me up.

This often comes in the form of seeking out sugary foods because they give you an instant spike in energy.

But you can achieve the same outcome though what some call fire breathing.

This technique of fire breath is quick-paced, rhythmic, and sustained for a long period of time.

It’s easily found in yoga practices and will leave you feeling invigorated because of how it affects your sympathetic nervous system.

You can also achieve similar outcomes through some movement flows or dynamic (but controlled) movements.

These will again have a beneficial impact on your nervous system that some say is a ‘neural charge’.

I’ve found things such kettlebell swings performed with a slid intent (35-50 reps) great for reawakening my body and helping me understand I wasn’t hungry, just a little down regulated in a nervous system sense.

Something like the above (breathing or movement) will often result in the phantom hunger vanishing.

Now the last element can end up leading down a deep rabbit hole….

Emotions are often driving peoples metaphorical bus and they will take you where THEY want to go based on how you’ve learned to cope with them.

People will turn to food when their emotions are running high, low and anywhere in-between.

I will be honest and say I can’t tell you what your personal emotional signals are, that will take focused work from you to know.

What I can share with you is how my own emotions work.

Personally food isn’t my go to when emotions are running rampant, training is.

Being naturally aligned with always moving about is one reason for this, and another which I’d say is actually the biggest reason food isn’t the ‘go to’ when the heart takes over from the head is this – I didn’t get given food to keep mom quite, calm, happy etc as a kid.

This is one thing I’ve noticed with a lot of people.

Those that head to food when feelings join the fray do so because it was engraved into their mind/body to do so at a young age.

Food was given when they were happy, sad, good, bad, being rewarded or being punished.

Food was the result/outcome of almost all of their childhood triggers which is why seeking it in almost every situation is their first port of call and when this loop can’t be fulfilled an astronomical amount of distress is the outcome.

The reason for that can be understood in brain chemistry (neurotransmitter cycles), neural pathways and mental impressions.

While it is entirely possible to rewire brain & rewrite your mental programming it’s not easy.

I’d also highly advise you have help in doing this because you might unlock some doors you’re not prepared to go through alone.

Starting out if you feel hunger creeping in grab a pen and paper (a dairy is deal) and write down the following:

• What is happening in the moment
• How has it made you feel
• What is the INSTANT response you WANT to do
• How will this make you feel in the moment
• What will you feel later once the moment (and eating has passed)
• Why do you want to change this pattern
• How will you feel once you’ve changed the pattern
• Why is that IMPORTANT to you

Take some time to go over the above a couple of times.

Don’t aim to change too much too soon.

First I’d suggest working to understand the difference between truly what feeling hungry is for you so that when that specific feeling isn’t there then you’ll be able to seek out what’s really going on.

If you want to chat about the above then please do reach out.

Enjoy,
Ross

10 Unhealthy Health Foods – Updated 🧐

I wrote the original to this in 2015 😱

Since then a few things have changed so an update was needed, although not by that much.

Not all foods are created equal, lots of people know this 🍖🥚

How we choose to eat can affect not only our body composition, performance and health but also our mental state as well.

The rise ‘Health Foods’ is something to watch out for.

Let’s take a look at 10 Unhealthy Health Foods.

1 – Meat Substitutes – They are often devoid of anything the body needs from the meat alternative.

They can too be filled with ‘filler’ to make them palatable which often results in additional unneeded and low quality calories (fat/sugar).

2 – Sports Drinks – How often do you actually see an athlete drinking them?

Not often is the answer and only when paid is the common factor.

These brightly coloured calamities will be filled with sugar and other nasty things that do little for performance and a lot for creating cravings and expanding waistlines.

3 – Slimming Cereals – Not naming names here, however there are plenty of cereals that claim to be staples of a healthy diet when in fact these sneaky little flakes will add inches to your waistline because of all the extra sugar in them.

Especially as people have too large a portion as most cereal bowls can handle at least 100g (that’s about 400 kcal on average BTW).

Seriously have you ever measured 30grams, it’s like 3 spoons 🤣

4 – Smoothies – A hidden source of high calories.

Many of the nutrients are often compromised in the process of making the smoothie.

You’ll also find that a single small glass can pack a 300+ kcal hit depending on what type you’ve gone for and for that you might as well have gone for a frappe 🤷

5 – Dried Fruit – Better than sweets right?

Wrong… the fact that they’re incredibly easy and people can demolish an entire bag in less than 5min due to how moorish they are to eat and usually lack fibre (stick with whole fruit) 🫐

6 – Fat Free Anything – The majority are loaded with lord only knows what to make them edible.

Although the biggest issue is once again the portion size people end up eating because these products are lower in kcal it leads to double or triple the amount being consumed 🤦‍♀️

7 – Protein Bars – Painful as this is for me to admit because I love protein bar, they’re usually very kcal dense and can’t hold a candle to meat & veg.

While these handy snacks might save you from immediate post workout catabolism (yea, some people still believe that’s a thing) they are easy to eat and not very filling.

This can once again lead to over consumption and has people fall into the trap of “I don’t eat much, why am I not shifting any fat?”.

Just because you don’t eat much that doesn’t mean you’re not putting a lot of excess energy into your body ⚡️

8 – Skinny/Light Anything – Opting for the lighter option (usually beverages) is admirable choice, but this often leads to people having more than one which in the drinking sense can mean 700+kcal consumed in a very short space of time.

Too often do I see people head to a coffee shop post training for their ‘treat’ (latte & pastry) they’ve earned to witness a slow gain of excess body fat accompanied by frustration as they can’t establish why they’re going the wrong way when they’re training all the time and being ‘good’.

Alas our cued habits that seem good are not always so 😔

9 – Meal Replacement Shakes/Snacks – These are pretty much a one way ticket to problems.

There is no real replacement or substitute for nutrient dense whole food 🥗🍙🍜🍱

10 – Diet Drinks/Foods – The Grandaddy of them all is the fabled ‘diet’ product line.

These expand companies profits and patrons waistlines which ends up keeping them stuck in a never ending cycle of failure.

Apparently because they have less sugar, calories and whatever else is in the normal product it means you can have more guilt free… This clever marketing ploy has kept the fat cats lining their pockets with your hard earned cash for years, and it will continue to do so because people want a magic pill.

Opt for clear water, veg and high quality protein where possible 🤓

Now these simple truths might seem like common sense, however you will have an onslaught of people who defend these products because they have become reliant on them.

Plus portion control is often difficult with the above.

You are by all means free to make the choice on what to eat, it’s your body after all, just be aware of the choice you make and don’t start moaning when you’re adding the pounds.

Enjoy,
Ross

Ready Made Targets & Rewards

Providing a ‘goal’ for clients to aim for 

How can you do this?

Offer the client an outcome that rewards them for their efforts.

A simple yet tested method is to offer a photo shoot to all clients that sign up for your service (on say a 6 months agreement) 

This means you put up the cost for it as a part of the service.

What you’re doing is providing a target for people to aim at that also comes with a gift/reward.

It gives people a reason to give 100% and has their training gain a sense of purpose, if they don’t have one already.

Is there anything else you can think of offer as a gift/target?

You don’t need to offer a photo shoot, although people like them.

It might be the case you’re working with a group and you’re going to take them in 6 months from Standard Office Workers to Spartan Race Warriors (you pay their entry fees) 

You might even have a charitable event at the end such as helping your client(s) raise money and then running a marathon.

Again this isn’t a new idea, it’s one that works and well.

Go look up https://www.ultra-mma.co.uk/ 

The ‘Ultra’ brand has boxing and a few others sports as well and while the big difference is the participant trains for free in exchange for raising money for charity, what’s key is that ultra is offering them a goal.

It’s giving them something to aim at, it gives them a purpose 

What other goals/targets could you offer people?

Have a good think on the above because factoring this in will allow you to offer some unique services.

Alternatively you might offer the niche of using peoples big days (wedding focused) whereby you provide a 16-24 week training offer that has them becoming a bride no one every forgets due to how amazing they looked at their wedding.

 a similar thing can be true for grooms too.

Anyway, go have a think and please do share your ideas below.

Enjoy,
Ross

The Value Of Groups

How you can make a low value client a high value one 

Regardless of budget constraints.

Hello there,

By value we’re talking monetary.

Nice as it is to do this for love and the overall goodness of the world, that doesn’t pay the bills 

As such here’s the option easily to apply today to help you unlock more earning potential.

Firstly we need to establish what the difference is between low/high value clients.

As an example a LVC may be someone that has paid for a one off session or perhaps just a short training program for some guidance (say £50-100).

A HVC is someone that is paying upwards of £500 for a month of coaching (area/demographic can increase/decrease this).

So how can you help the former evolve into the latter 

Group Training – SmallMedium/Large (4-20+ people)

A solid option for the person that did a one off session costing £50 because all you need to is offer them this gift, 2 sessions per week for the same £50 and all they’d need to do is share the time with 9 other people.

 Medium group, and if you have them all paying £100 per month for 2 sessions per week then that’s 1k in your pocket (this means your hourly value for training comes out at £125per).

 In regards to pricing for small group them £100 is a minimum, and ideally £200 per person works better, however you’d want to limit the places to 4 people total, this still bring out your hourly rate at £100 (for 8 session in a month at £200 a head).

 For large groups of 20+ having a fee as low as £30 per head for the month, perhaps even £20 won’t break the bank (in some places £50 is seen as low fee, FYI), you may find that the same 2 sessions per week works nicely here and if you get say 20 people at £30 each that’s £600 total (£75hourly value) – this can be the ideal option for online offerings.

You’ll still be able to solve the problems that your clients have.

It’s just the case that they’ll have the added benefit of additional support from fellow peers in their position.

There’s not loss in the level of service they receive, they get the very best for the lowest possible price, truly a win-win 

You’ll find this also opens up more time for you.

In this time you can either offer more SGT/MGT/LGT this further serves to boost your income.

It might take some time for this to gain traction as you’ll still need to market and connect with your available clients while showing them how you have the solutions to their perceived problems 

This is where it’s a good idea to keep in touch with people.

You’ll find previous clients a great place to start when looking for participants, after all they showed they valued your service enough before to pay for it (LVC) so there’s a high chance they will once again invest, especially if they’re getting more for the same fee.

The same is true for online work in upselling from LGT to MGT and so on (people will pay for what they grow to value & need), the last 2 years is proof of that 

The key is offering solutions to people problems because provide enough info that appeals to their emotional drivers and they will use their own perception/rational (bias) to fill in the gaps and convince/justify themselves they need what you’re offering.

Essentially you’re looking to offer something that is of such great value for an affordable price in such a way people won’t want to say no (limiting spaces and using application forms to secure a place is useful here – good old FOMO) 

The above is also focused on the lifetime value of a client as well, after all if someone will pay £50 a month without any issue for a year that’s £600 yearly value to your business, and if they stay for 3-5 years (the average) then that’s up to 3k of lifetime value.

This is worth keeping in mind because the longer you can keep a client the more opportunity you have to help them make a lasting change in their life.

If you’ve not utilised the above, I’d highly advice it.

Enjoy,

Ross

How to transition from face-to-face PT to fully online coaching and to create a sustainable model for your online coaching business – Part Three

So you’ve gotten some of your ducks in a row. 

The message you’re looking to share, the people that will benefit and gain great value from what is offered, plus the growing fire of desire in your soul. 

All necessary elements to online success and making the transition.

One more crucial requirement is that of an engaging, or enticing Online Offering to gain interest.

When you decide to do some research into what is currently on the table from your potential competition it’s easy to get lost in the vast abyss known as cyber space, this is because unlike face to face training the competition isn’t just ‘Pete down the road at a neighbouring gym’, it’s potentially the entire online sphere.

At least in the sense of the niche you’ve decided upon that is. 

This is where it’s very useful to have a specific demographic and solution (to a problem) to work with as it helps narrow down how many nuances need to be covered. 

I’d highly suggest taking some time, perhaps an hour or so, to do some R&D for what others offer online that makes for a successful online business. 

Here’s what to look for in social media:

• Who’s (and what) content is shared to most 
• Why is it shared – look up the comments/captions to find clues
• Establish common needs through most engaged content in your target demographic 
• Make notes on what basic services are offered from those with the most shared content 
• Collect info on offers (seasonal, ongoing, etc)
• Check comment threads for interaction, common questions and how they answer enquires 
• Look for ‘Calls To Action’ – what do they ask people to do for them
• Find the things each brand/company offer, this is a note to what works

Once you’ve done this it’s worth going along to their websites.

When you arrive here you can find out the details surrounding the specifics of what they offer.

Make notes on the following:

• Why they say their service is for the client 
• How they connect with the client emotionally*
• In what ways do they convey value, benefits and personal importance of their services (why their service will make the clients life infinitely better & how)
• What they offer – how many products/services 
• In what way do the solve perceived problems with their service 
• Pricing & how many different pricing options there are

*This is important because people buy with emotion and then use logic to justify their purchase after the fact. 

Once you’ve done the above for several successful online training services you can narrow down the long list of info so that the things they all do are recognised because this will then help you by providing a framework to go by. 

As you can imagine I’ve personally done this before.

Say you’ve not got a lot of time and just want something specific to focus on, well worry not. 

I’ve found this is the key information you’ll need in just 3 points:

1. Why the online service connects emotionally – their use of emotive/personal language that is unique to the niche of clients that makes them feel as if the ad or offering was created specifically for them.
2. How many services they offer – a lot successful online training services tend to offer at most 2-3 products that are best sellers. Their offers are periodic so they hold their value as novel and adhere to the principle of scarcity.
3. What they charge & why it’s justified – this is where you will need to look at the price to value (offering) ratio because often what is charged will seem more than fair for what the clients are getting in return.

The first two points are easy to understand, you can even pinch the structure/systems/set-ups they use if you like the look of them because there’s a good chance a lot of people feel the same way. 

Yep a lot of people use services because of the right brand colours that happen to fit their own perusal tastes. 

Additionally if your webpage, social media, etc all look sharp and consistent it goes down well. 

This is simply because it looks professional and tends to have people raise their acceptable expectations of what can be charged and also what they’re willing to pay as in this modern world there’s plenty of people willing to pay a premium.

Well, provided they can understand the value/benefits.

This brings us nicely to the third point.

When it comes to price in my experience people get it astronomically wrong and tend to opt for the angle of be super cheap because that will make it more accessible to people and draw more in, when in reality it does the opposite.

Think about it, when was the last time you wanted to buy ‘cheap sh*t’ when you can afford better?

People don’t want to be cheap when they have the choice of better, and the funds which many do by the way, people have money to spend because if they didn’t they’d not be looking.

Oh yes, people know what they can afford and stretch to, which is more than they’d ever admit.

This is because they don’t want to be fleeced or feel tricked which has happened to almost everyone.

People don’t mind paying a good fee for a high value service. 

Hence why looking at what is being offered at what cost is critical, being able to see thevalue (they get more than they expected for what they’re paying) along with thebenefits (how it is something they can’t really miss out on because of all the positives from having it), both of which connect emotionally.

Chances are some people have gotten bored of my ramble so far and clicked off. 

For those of you still here, well done because now I’ll put in very simple terms what I’ve found is good to offer from a simple service standpoint.

• Online Coaching: 1-2-1
• Online Group Coaching
• Training Templates 
• Special Offers*

*Special offers are to be exactly that, special. This means don’t repeat the same offer within a 12 month period and make it literally a ‘buy now or miss out’ opportunity that has limited spaces because this helps the offer truly retain it’s impact and hit these Principles Of Influence – Scarcity, Reciprocity, Commitment, Contrast, essentially having value be held and respect for your offers bering sustained as people will know they’re not a ploy and if they miss out they miss out. 

While the above might seem simple, what you offer in each level of service can differ. 

You’ll want to go the whole hog for anyone opting for ‘Online Coaching 1-2-1’, meaning that you will cover multiple aspects ranging from (although not limited to):

• Online Coached Sessions 
• Programming (sessions not done digitally)
• Nutritional Guidance 
• Behaviour & Habit Change 
• Check-In Services 

Plus there will be anything additional that you feel is of value to your specific niche. 

It might extend to regular articles, program tweaks, Zoom reviews whereby you adjust nutrition and/or behavioural strategies where necessary and so on. 

This coaching option will more often than not be your most expensive one.

Ideally you’ll want to set in place an agreement whereby people pay for multiple months up front. 

Alternatively if that doesn’t fit your niche then a monthly rolling fee paid before starting will be useful because billing at the end of training can have you caught short fee wise occasionally.

You can have their initial consultation be free of charge. 

A 30-45min talk where you can both establish common grounds, goals and if you initially gel.

(We will cover how to run/set up a great consultation next time)

From here you may wish to send a few freebies, everyone loves a freebie.

After this though you’ll be wanting to charge for you time. 

Often there will be people that perhaps try to haggle or get a deal, then some simply won’t be able to afford the fees up front, this leads nicely into your second option ’Online Group Coaching’ which is a great option for those with less funds available.

Now service wise they get exactly the same as those opting for the 1-2-1 option. 

Pretty great, right? 

There must be a catch, that’s what most think and it’s not so much a catch as it is a clear compromise that is laid out in the word ‘group’ because to share the cost means to work alongside more than one other person.

You can find anywhere from 2-10 (or more) people can share their training.

This means that things such as programming, nutrition, behaviour & habit change will be done as a team, ideally everyone has the same goal or one that is in the same ball park. 

If someone wants something completely specific to them, then they must pay for that premium.

In saying this though people will find a lot of benefit from working with a group.

The additional community, accountability and energy that can come from working with others is highly beneficial to a lot of people because many struggle to train alone which is where the support of others is an invaluable benefit to them. 

So this isn’t a downgrade, if anything it’s an upgrade because people won’t just make progress. 

They’ll make friends too. 

One tricky element is the consultation, I’d highly suggest this being mostly done via email/message.

When you have a satisfactory number that have aligned goals then set up the online consultation to see how well everyone gels together as a unit and take things from there. 

The last staple offer is that of ‘Training Templates’ which can be specific or plug and play. 

It can be a good idea to have an ‘Upgrade Option’  for those that want a specific program. 

Templates on the other hand are typically just something that the majority can put their own lifting numbers into and follow a well written training cycle that has a proven track record of results.

It’s a good idea to ‘beta test’ templates on people for free (this can be an exclusive offer).

You’d ask for the rights to their before/afters so that you can use them for marketing.

It’s also a good idea to have a nutrition guide of sorts that comes with the templates which offers perhaps a few strategies for achieving common goals such as fat loss, muscle gain etc. 

You’d find explaining portion sizes, how to establish daily calorie expenditure and so on good in it.

Of course it’s merely a guide based on the current science and common sense. 

Don’t prescribe anything as that can be stepping out of your lane, by all means give examples of meals and foods for variety just don’t tell people specifically what to eat or in what quantities.

This would be your cheapest option, perhaps coming in at 10% of your full fee for online coaching and when you offer the upgrade option that is where you can add a little extra cost on top as you’ll then be required to spend time speaking with the individual to get all the info you need. 

Plus you’ll have to put aside time to create their program and so on, all at cost you, so charge well.

Lastly you’ve got the option of Special Offers and as mentioned before these need to be limited in their frequency and when put out to the world they don’t want to reappear or linger. 

You can choose to go for discounts, special training packages or something like a training even that takes a certain amount of people from ‘try hard’ to ‘triathlete triumph’, such things will help boost your overall brand reputation because people will know what you offer means something. 

It’ll help ensure your service stays seen as a premium one. 

Now the above is a lot of information to take in, so perhaps go take a break and then give it another read.

True enough there’s not ‘one best’ way to offer an online service or even what you ought to offer in yours, as such the above is merely a guide to use if applicable to you.

You’ll notice I didn’t mention prices and this is because they can vary based on your niche.

Take your time and put together an offering that is so good you can put essentially any fee on it, which ideally wants to be above £250 per month for an online coaching service at a minimum.

Also feel free to send any curiosities or questions my way. 

Enjoy,
Ross