TFP #8: It’s not me, it’s you

Trainers- No matter how experienced you are, no matter how many certs, no matter how many people you have served intelligently… there will be clients with whom you do not click.

I’ve had clients who were so brutal in their assessment of my performance that I thought about quitting.

If you train enough people it will happen to you. Here’s advice on how you can carry it.

Usually this happens when someone has

• failed to see a result.

• been hurt on your watch.

If they are not seeing a result remind them of the fact that there are 168 hours in a week and you seeing them at most 3 of those hours. What are they doing the other 165 hours?

And then you can give them an honest assessment of their effort (your call here).

If they get hurt- this one sucks. It’s going to happen. My best advice is to always have a reason to be doing every single exercise you are doing. Explain the reason. They will not be satisfied with your explanation. It will make you feel better though.

But also- your training. Shit happens. The best athletes get hurt all the time. Learn from it and move on.

Some more bullet points:

1. Don't take it personal.

2. If someone lashes out there is something else going on in their life. I’ve been angry at people in my life, I have never lashed out or put someone down to feel better. They are involving you in something you are not involved in.

3. Don’t respond in kind. You can acknowledge mistakes (I see now that programming you this way led to an injury, but my reasoning was xyz) but don’t tell them to screw. Stay professional. One person later apologized for his outburst.

4. Don’t let it affect your self esteem. This is hard. The best way to stay confident is to prepare, have a plan for the client, assess risk vs reward for every exercise. If they have a problem you can show them the receipts.

5. I’ve seen this happen to one of the top 3 trainers I ever worked with. He stood his ground, explained his rationale, didn’t cave when the client pressed him and then shrugged it off. I immediately backed him up after the client left. ‘You know more than she could ever, and you handled that really well,’ I said. Reminder- have your co-workers backs.

6. Stop training them the minute they give you insulting feedback. It’s not you, it’s not going to work, refund them and move on.

I had none of these complaints for about 11 years, then 4 or 5 of these complaints over a 3 year span. Killed my self esteem. Do I think it was related to me feeling depressed at the time (abusive relationship/divorce)? Yes. When someone really comes after you they are punching down. I can’t prove it, I just know it is true. If you’re a good trainer and this shit keeps happening you may be going through some stuff. Give yourself some self love, block out the haters, and then go out and really serve your good clients.

I’ll finish with a story. I had a client for a few years and the guy trained 3x’s a week. He was in his 70’s. He had zero balance (brain injury). He wanted to lift big weights but could not lift them for anything close to a solid range of motion (I’m talking chest presses that were still 12” plus away from his chest at the bottom). He had no personality and wouldn’t respond or joke around with me. He answered questions with a yes, no, or a shrug.

I informed him he was up to renew his package.

He responded that I was really expensive and not challenging him enough. I was doing the same exercises again and again, and not progressing the weights.

I informed him politely that he was in his 70’s with zero balance. Many exercises are off the list right there. I told him if he lifted the weights I gave him for a complete range of motion then I would consider upping the weights, but so far he had not. I thought it may be better to decrease his weights further. I then said it was a pleasure to train with him (it wasn’t) and that I would train him the remainder of the month for free if he liked (about 5 sessions).

I shouldn’t have done that.

He responded with a very direct insult. Had I been a little older I may have asked him what was really going wrong.

I wrote back and said it was a pleasure training with him but I would not stand for the insult. I referred him to another trainer.

He apologized and asked to continue training. I told him flatly no.

He never returned the other trainer’s calls and left the gym.

That’s how it happened. It’ll happen to you. Stay prepped, serve with a smile, take care of yourself and don’t take any shit from asshole clients.

They are out there. Be ready.

The Fitness Professional #7: It’s package time

Dominic Toreto lives his life a quarter mile at a time.

A Fitness Professional lives one package at a time.

The client has used their sessions, hopefully seen a great result, and now it’s time to sell them their next one.

I’ve been fortunate to have hundreds of clients over the years and this moment still gives me a little bit of anxiety. It’s like you’re saying ‘hey, we’re friends and I really care about your fitness, but um… you have to pay me for this to continue on.’

That’s a dark way to view it, but hey, my mind goes there.

The reality is a Fitness Professional is enhancing lives. By pushing clients to be fitter you are making them better in every single aspect of their life. You are doing important work whether or not you believe it.

What’s the best way to tell a client their package is up?

My favorite method is to email or text them. I write:

‘Hey [Client], Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. It will be session #1 on a new package.’ I’ve written this so many times it auto-populates in my phone when I write ‘looking forward…’.

It assumes the sale.

It doesn’t put anyone on the spot.

And if they aren’t going to re-up it avoids any in person awkwardness. I get enough of that in my day to day life.

I’ve been doing this for years. Knock on wood I haven’t had any awkward moments arise.

MAKE SURE YOUR SESSION COUNT IS ACCURATE.

You goto two things in this life: your balls and your word. Don’t break them for anyone.

I offer 2 free sessions if I make a mistake on that. It’s unforgivable, but honest mistakes happen.

One last thing… sometimes you’re going to get a no. If the relationship isn’t working you can’t take it personally. Immediately reach out with a thank you note.

‘Thank you [client]. I had a blast working with you and learned a lot. If there’s anything I can do for you in the future you know how to find me.’

Sending this note will make you some money over the years. Sometimes people cancel bc they’re broke, sometimes bc they don’t enjoy your company, sometimes they are moving. Show them as much grace as you can at this awkward moment. They may come back (happens often), they may refer a friend (happens often).

It costs you nothing and will 100% make you money over the years.

Always deliver value.

Always treat people gracefully.

The Fitness Professional #6: How much should I charge

Independent trainers! How much money should you charge? This is actually a tough question. You have to keep a few things in mind:

• What is the market rate in your area?

• Are you traveling to the client?

• Do you offer discounts for buying larger packages?

• Are you going for sales maximization, or for price maximization?

That’s enough to unpack for today. Let’s start with market rate. This is usually determined by the bigger chains in your area. Do your research. Talk to trainers who work there (assuming you didn't before). Usually rates are determined based on experience (a more experienced trainer being more valuable than a newbie). Find your experience level- that’s your starting point.

but… I’ve seen many gyms give their trainers a “raise” by raising their rate and then paying them a little bit more. 90% of these trainers eventually price themselves out of business. They make a little more per hour, but lose clients who think ‘I could work out three times a week with a new trainer, or twice with this guy. Why is my guy that much more expensive?”

Or they’re saying ‘I’m getting the same workouts but I’m paying more money.'

Are you capably demonstrating your additional value? Over other trainers? Over yourself? Tread lightly when increasing prices.

Trade off

As your rate goes up you’ll probably render fewer sessions. Are you ok with that? When 2 or 3 clients get sick or travel are you ok with working way fewer hours?

Or do you want to offer a market, or slightly below market rate so you can attract more clients, render more sessions and never worry when 2 or 3 get hurt, travel or get swamped at work. Charging less leads to more sales, but the sales are smaller and you’re working more hours.

I know a guy who charges $130 and works 12-15 a week ($1500-$2000 a week). I also know people who work 30 hours at around $100 per ($3000/week). If Mr 130 has a slow week he’s making $1000-$1300. If Mr 100 has a slow week he’s making $2300.

Other Factors

Now factor in your travel. If your market rate is $100/session and you have to drive 20 minutes out of your way (that’s 40 mins both way) you should factor that into the sale.

Hypothetically

So let’s go with $100 per session hypothetical (it’s a nice round number). You want to have 3 offers. A one off session (most expensive) for people who are not serious or dedicated to training with you. A 10 pack session (middle of the road) offer for the person who doesn’t want to train year round, but has a wedding or a high school reunion coming up and wants to make sure they’re looking good, and then a 20 pack (least expensive) for the dedicated client. Reward loyalty. Give the loyal client what seems like a deal. Example:

• 1 session: $130

• 10 sessions: $115 per ($1150)

• 20 sessions $100 per ($2000)

Most semi-dedicated clients are going for the 20 bc they’re saving so much money. What the hell? What’s 10 more. This gives you more time to prove your value and more time to get results.

How many

I don’t recommend selling more than 20. You want clients to keep buying so you can pay your bills. 30 packs and above are great when renewal time comes, but I like to have somewhat consistent cash flow every 8 to 10 weeks. The great trainers I work with train their clients 6.5 to 7 times per month. Do you want to get paid every 2.5-3 months or every 4+?

Don’t post your rates

Lastly don’t post your rates. People will go to your website, look over your rates, and then move on. Have them inquire as to what your rates are so you can sell them on any sales, or promotions you may decide to run. Let’s say your regular 20 pack is $2000. Someone writes you and asks what you charge. This gives you the freedom to say “Normally I charge $2200 for 20, but because I sense you’re a serious client I’ll chop it down to $2000. Sound good?”

It’s also possible to reward long term clients by keeping their rate consistent over the years. If they’ve been ride or die with you for 10 years and you charge them $90 instead of $100 that works; but new clients may get pissed if they learn they’re paying more.

Don’t negotiate

You can go into a sales email with a plan to offer a rate cut (see above) but if a client asks for one that’s a red flag. They’re not going to be a great client. Learn to say no to head case clients and move on. It will save you a lot of time and aggravation.

The Fitness Professional #5: the first session

What if you had one shot, one opportunity???

Your arms are heavy, knees weak, palms sweaty yada yada Mom's spaghetti. Time for a first session with a potential client.

How does one fully illustrate the value of what they do and make the sale?

In one hour.

I have some thoughts.

Pre screen

A really great trainer I work with sets up a zoom call prior to the first session to feel them out. He works through all the health history, gets the waivers signed and then gets an idea of how he can best serve them in the initial :45 to :60 session.

He hits the ground running with this approach.

Have a go to workout ready

Once you've listened to their goals you can create a skeleton workout for them to perform. Have progressions and regressions for every exercise ready in case they weren't completely forthcoming in their pre game chat.

Alright- you just finished a kick ass workout. They're feeling good. You don't sense they'll be a headcase client. Let's drive this home.

Assume the sale

Say something that automatically assumes they had the best session ever. My go to is “when do I see you next?” Then schedule it.

Then say “I'll email you with my package and rate options.”

Why email? Maybe it's me, but I'd rather break up over the phone yaknowwhatimsayin? It avoids putting the client on the spot. You may be too expensive for them. Your availability may be too limited. They never want to have that conversation in person.

It keeps you from being publicly rejected. It keeps them from making a purchase they don't really want to make.

The last thing you want to do is train someone who doesn't want to be there. It's the worst.

Worst.

So follow up with email within 6-8 hours. Your email should say something like ‘Thank you for a great first session. I really look forward to working with you going forward.’ Then add some personal detail from the session about achieving the goal they had… then your rate.

Now it's accept/reject time. If yes then get to work and make them so happy they chose you. If no Don't take it personal. You're a good trainer, but even a great trainer can have bad chemistry with someone, or be too expensive. Be gracious and be positive no matter the answer.

I'll take the Pepsi challenge against any trainer out there. I like to think I can provide more answers to every fitness question they may have than any other trainer. Will the average client realize this?

Doubtful.

If it's a no they're just not your client. Learn from it and Move on to the next.

The Fitness Professional #4: Don’t chase the sale

Let me save you some time. Client/Trainer relationships come down to chemistry. If someone wants to train with you, they are going to train with you.

If they don’t then they won’t.

Chasing after them, calling, or sending polite, well meaning texts isn’t going to make them suddenly realize they have amazing chemistry with you. It happens or it doesn’t.

It reminds me of the cliche ‘if you love something, set it free…’. That’s primarily a dating metaphor, right? I know there are plenty of stories of guys or girls who chased and eventually won someone over. I also know there are a lot of unhappy relationships. I only want to train with people who 100% want to be there. Otherwise it’s an energy drain.

Your manager may tell you about that time they hounded a client for weeks with polite texts and follow ups and finally got them to sign up; but I’ll tell you that the client you have to chase is the same client you need to chase to come to the gym; to show up on time; to pay their bill; to exercise on their own.

In short: they’re gonna be a shitty client.

Shitty clients make you feel like shit. They ruin your self confidence, drag down your energy and make your life suck for that hour or two (or more) that you see them.

There are enough good clients out there. Put your antenna out to attract the ones who you have great chemistry with. It may take a minute, but be patient. They are out there.

Be excellent. They’ll come to you.

Don’t chase. It makes you look desperate.

20 years in the game. It’s never worked.

The Fitness Professional #3: Your first client

You love fitness. You want to share that love. You passed your fitness certification. Now for the hard part: how do you get people to pay you for your expertise.

How do you land your first client?

First off what are you selling?

People hire a trainer for 5 main reasons:

• Weight loss

• Improved Strength

• Improved movement

• Accountability

• Improved athletic performance

Which one of these problems can you solve? When I began my career I could solve 2.5 of these. I could not solve them particularly well, mind you, but well enough to add some value.

Now for some marketing 101. You can solve a fitness problem for people. How do you let them know this?

• Go to where clients are (a gym).

• Demonstrate yourself solving the problem.

I’m fit. No one approaches me in the street to ask about training. People frequently ask me about training in the gym setting.

They are more likely to ask me if:

• They see me work out in a way they aspire to.

• I am well dressed, polite, and smile a lot.

• I seem friendly.

The potential client HAS to approach you. Not the other way around. Unsolicited advice feels like criticism. You’ll alienate people approaching them with “advice”. Doesn’t matter how well intentioned, or right you are.

So go to your gym. A lot. Work out when the potential clients are working out (I’ve never understood gyms that prohibit trainers from prime time workouts). Be seen.

Let your body be your billboard. The people who hire you either want to look like you, or want to move like you. Show off, just don’t be ostentatious.

Show yourself solving their problem, while having fun, while dressed well and smiling.

Your clients will find you.

The Fitness Professional #2: Which certification should you get?

Which certification should a Trainer hold? The answer is like an ogre. Or an onion.

It has layers.

The first layer comes in the form of a question: where do you want to work?

Many gyms require certification from a particular company. I began my career 20+ years ago with a certification from AFAA. I selected AFAA because, at the time, it was the most widely held cert in the industry. I figured that ubiquity worked in my favor.

A year later I switched to NASM because the gym I wanted to work for (Sports Club LA) required all Trainers to hold a NASM cert.

Find a gym you want to work for/with. Ask them which certification they prefer, and go and get it. They’ll be impressed you asked.

Lets peel back A more complicated layer. Which one is best?

NASM for my money was the best cert; but I've only held 3. NASM provided the most valuable, job applicable information in their education and it wasn’t even close. I’m presently certed w ACE because I got sloppy and forgot to log my CEU’s with NASM. I was a few months late (personal issues). Instead of having me pay a fine, or doing me a solid they wanted me to re-take my initial cert, as well as all the continuing ed I’d done through them (which was a fair amount). I acknowledge my mistake, but when someone is 3 to 4 certs deep you can show them a little leniency.

I re-certed with ACE. Solid cert. They’re great about granting CEU’s on petition (I usually go out of pocket for my continuing ed courses). I’m proud to tell ya that I passed the ACE exam without studying! Straight up on the job knowledge baby!

In the end it doesn’t matter. They all pretty much cover the same bases. It’s rare that I call on any of the info I learned in my initial certifications. Most of this job is about knowing how to work out safely, how to regress complicated exercises, how to work with people, and how to work around client’s movement issues.

That said, if you’re a serious Fitness Professional some certs say more about you than others. If a person has a degree in field, or a CSCS that’s an indication of ambition, intelligence, and commitment. These are all good things. Your goal is to constantly get hired: by a gym, or by a client every 10-20 sessions. Advanced accreditation gives you more knowledge/tools to work with, and will give your client a better experience. A fitness professional stands on a solid, widely accepted certification; but more importantly adds to that through continuing education.

And now a final layer: I own a small fitness studio. If someone wants to work with us I make sure they are certed. It tells me they’re at least that professional (and it’s a legal requirement we have to meet for insurance purposes).

A more important question: Would I hire them as my own trainer. Are they kind? Do they look like they workout (you’d be surprised)? Do they seem friendly? Considerate? Speak well? These are all more important to me than the logo on their cert, which says something, but isn’t everything.

The Fitness Professional#1: The Most Powerful experience of your life.

What is a Fitness Professional?

This is a blog (and soon to be a YouTube channel) for Fitness professionals to level up:

• Earnings

• Knowledge

• Customer Service

• Career growth

My name is Stephen Allison. When I was 23 I asked myself what the most powerful experience of my life was.

My answer: getting fit.

Getting fit gave me confidence, friendship, awards, purpose, travel, and fun. I decided then that part of my life’s mission was to share this. I became a Trainer. It’s been a bumpy ride but my 20+ year Fitness resume places me in the top 1% of my profession. My studio gym (Train) is one of the most successful studios you’ll find anywhere. I don’t say it to brag, but to get your attention. I write from experience. What I say may improve your career, perhaps your life.

This is a blog for Trainers who want to grow. I’m not here to lament the many problems I’ve had in my career. I’m here to share experience, find solutions, and learn new ones.

If you’re an emerging trainer looking to certify this is a blog for you.

If you’re an experienced trainer looking to increase your earnings, this blog is for you.

Look around. People aren’t eating well. They’re not moving well. They need intelligent fitness professionals to show them the most powerful experience of their life.

3 thoughts, 2 quotes, 1 question

Borrowing a page from the World’s most read blog by James Clear, here are 3 fitness related thoughts, 2 ideas, and one question…

3 Thoughts

I: The benefits of good posture include:

1. More energy.

2. Reduced back pain and neck stiffness.

3. Increased confidence.

Unfortunately our cell phone/computer/car usage is turning us all into Igor from ‘Young Frankenstein’. What to do?

II: Protect Your Neck- According to their website Lying on The Neck Cloud for 10 minutes a day provides -

1. Relief from chronic neck pain. TMJ and tension headache

2. Improved posture

3. Increased nutrient rich blood to neck

4. - Increased flexibility in neck & shoulders.

I bought one. I believed. Based on the 10 clients I shared it with I have to agree it noticeably improves posture and reduces stiffness (and at least 5 of them bought one for their homes).

The Neck Cloud (Come try it at Train!) is a solid short term solution to posture and neck issues.

II: A more long term solution for neck/shoulder stiffness- Look off into the distance. When you look far away the focus of your eyes widens, and you stand up taller. Try a walk with your eyes on the horizon. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your posture and mobility change.

2 quotes (from my fitness idols)

“I had a Client with chronic neck pain… We were doing rehab work. She really wasn’t making any progress. I said “Look, I, either I need to refer you or we need to change something dramatically.” We [had] our review… I saw her in the waiting room, saw her walk in and I was like “oh my gosh, something had changed. She was remarkably better.” I was like, “Oh, this is awesome.” And then like most young practitioners, I thought, well, all the work we’ve been doing finally kicked in. So I started to explain to her, you know, sometimes it takes a while and she’s like, “No, no, I don’t think that’s what it is.” And I’m like, What are you talking about? She said, “Well, I went to the eye doctor on Wednesday, and I changed my prescription. It was really bad and off. I got my new lenses yesterday and my neck felt great. It was a huge awakening moment. I’ve been trying to dive deeply into neurology to understand more about how movement is created, how it shaped how it’s built, neurologically.” Eric Cobb

Takeaway- Movement is the sum of inputs and outputs to our nervous system. This quote was cleaned up from an interview.

“Walking after a weight workout has done more for my body composition than any of the insane diets I’ve attempted.” Dan John

Takeaway- Simple things work. Before you get fancy, or intense, focus on the simple/small stuff.

And a question.

What are you holding on to that’s holding you back?

That wraps up this weeks edition of the Train newsletter. Keep your heads up, eyes on the horizon, and come try out the neck cloud at Train!

Why are our muscles tight?

Why are our muscles tight?

Look at this picture of the subway system. Let's call Braintree your brain (too on the nose?). All movement starts with signals from your brain, then travels down the nervous system system. If Braintree is your brain the red line is your spinal chord.

The blue line can be movement pathways to your legs and feet.

Orange line your core.

Green line your arms and so on...

Imagine now that all these pathways are written in Chalk. Eventually you get injured, or jammed, or stop using a certain movement path: you smudge the Chalk. The movement path isn't as clear; You lose full range of motion in your shoulder, for example, or your hips fire but can't relax.

This is why we are tight. Or weak. Or can't perform certain movements. Your signal is imperfect, or non existent. You've smudged the Chalk.

You're not stuck in this present incarnation of your body. Every movement is a skill that can be repaired or retrained. It's a question of finding the right exercise or drill to redraw the chalk. These drills or exercises are seldom obvious.

I have tight hips. Another way to say that: the contract signal from my brain to my hip complex is too good; the relax signal needs work.

I undertook a 21 day hip opening challenge ($60). Every day for about 15 minutes I followed an expertly deigned stretching program to loosen them up.

Stretch your tight muscles. Why hadn't I thought of this? No warm up. No muscle activation. No joint mobilization. Just sit in some tough stretches for 15 minutes; relax and breathe.

If you can't tell already I wasn't impressed. There was no nuance to this program. I'm trying to move like someone who is comfortable in his body yet every stretch session was uncomfortable.

I reassessed hip range of motion (ROM) after a particularly long and uncomfortable stretch session. Improved; but...

I'd seen better results from joint mobilization, muscle activation or foam rolling. Those took seconds, not minutes, and were a hell of a lot easier.

Sometimes the right signal to loosen your hips is stretching for 15 minutes (Yawn). Maybe.

But sometimes it’s mobilizing your ankle…

Or flossing a nerve.

Were trying to move gracefully. Graceful movement is just the right amount, applied with the right amount of force, at just the right time.

There are many ways to redraw your chalk lines, but if their application doesn't feel graceful, or elegant, the end result won't be graceful or elegant either.

Posture and stress

The author David Sedaris was on TV a few weeks ago. The topic of revisiting his old writing came up and Sederaris shuddered. He wasn’t a fan of his old work; and insisted he’d gotten better.

Don’t we all look back on our careers like that? Don’t you shudder when you think about what you wrote, how you acted, what you wore?

Me neither. Moving on.

Joking aside we all know more now than when we started. When I began training a common request was to work on posture. I trained clients to have stronger mid back muscles to pull their chest forward and shoulders back.

I look back and I shudder. I wish I’d seen the photo below when programming for posture.

Dad strength 101

What does this photo illustrate about posture?

Look at almost everyone save the Father of the year and his clueless son. What do they have in common?

They are all ducking their heads and shielding their faces with their forearms. Not shown as clearly: they're flexing their hip flexors so their knees and shins can cover their torso.

Your body is wired for survival. The programmed response to attack, or even stress, is to go fetal. Forearms cover the face and brain, shins and thighs cover the heart and organs. Our strongest bones protect our vital organs.

As this happens the shoulders round forward to allow the arms to fully cover the face and neck. The hips flex so the thighs can protect the mid section. The chin tucks and the neck flexes forward.

Rounded shoulders, tight hips, forward head… this is bad posture.

Where else do we see this kind of posture?

Look familiar?

Your physical posture affects your mind set and vice versa. As the Buddhists say ‘Am I smiling because I’m happy, or am I happy because I’m smiling.’

‘Am I stressed because I’m stooped, or am I stooped because I’m stressed?’

There are simple stretches and yoga poses that combat poor posture; Bridging being the most effective imho (all the muscles causing poor posture are opened while in bridge).

That, my dear clients, is why I have you all bridge so often. You're welcome.

But training muscles is only so effective. Our posture is an output of the nervous system, so to improve posture we must retrain the nervous system. That means retraining your eyes and your vestibular system.

And then there's stress. I can personally link bouts of back pain and sciatica to stress; I’ve seen it wreak havoc on a number of clients as well. Stress is a major contributing factor to your posture; any form of stress will effect your body like the baseball bat hurtling towards you. No matter if it’s work or family or bats hurtling towards you, it causes you to flex, abduct, and go fetal.

What are the best ways to combat stress? Eat well, sleep well, meditate, laugh…

and Exercise (preferably with us at Train)!

Do I work out because I feel better, or do I feel better because I work out?

Trainers: they’re just like us

Us Weekly has that page where they show Celebrities doing mundane everyday things like taking out the garbage or walking the Dog.

The caption: ‘Stars: They’re just like us’.

Truly captivating journalism.

You know who else is just like you? Trainers.

How so?

We all just want someone to hold us and tell us everything is going to be alright.

(Sigh) How else?

We struggle with out waistline, our eating, and our desire to exercise.

It doesn't make us week. It makes us authentic.

I decided last week that several of life’s problems would improve if I cleaned up my eating.

I bought a fancy new scale (it has an app) that tells me my weight, my body fat %, my lean muscle, my BMR, my blood alcohol, my ancestral DNA… you name it.

Time for the fitness Pro to show all you plebes how it’s done. I’m gonna exercise, work on my breathing, cut out some processed crap, intermittent fast and then kick back and watch these pounds disappear.

Let’s start the show. Monday- starting weight: 206.2. Body fat%: 15.1.

Thursday: weight 208.2. Body fat %: 15.2.

Well Darn it.

Guess that in spite of all my college learnin’ I still struggle to lose a few lbs.

Just like you.

But I know the secret. To dropping pounds, losing body fat.

You want to hear it?

Consistency.

I’ll up the cardio, cut a few more calories, eat a little cleaner, fast day after day after day and before you know it…

The lbs are gonna drop.

Need help staying consistent? Make an appointment.

Your trainer will have a workout ready for you. We can commiserate about the challenges of dropping weight, assure you that if you keep showing up something is going to happen.

We know. We’ve been through it.

Just like you.

Tools not schools

We’re all out there searching for how to be fitter while the fitness world screams at us:

Look at me!

I have a great physique.

I can do amazing physical feats.

I have the answer. BUY MY STUFF!!!

Just like, subscribe, download, buy my machine, join my email list, fork over $29.99/month and I’ll give you all my secrets. All your dreams will come true.

It’s never enough for fitness influencers to give solid advice. They must indoctrinate you.

You have to join their school. Buy their stuff. Subscribe to their plan, program, coaching, website. That’s just commerce. They all have some good insights, recipes, workouts, breakthroughs but inevitably there isn’t a one size fits all system. I’m sure there’s even some good things about the Gazelle (pictured above), but just doing that isn’t enough to be a well rounded, fit individual.

Inevitably every school falls short of a complete fitness curriculum. I should know. I’ve signed up for a few schools over the years.

Train intelligent people and you’ll hear intelligent things.

“I’m into tools not schools.”- Ben Klein

Ben is a long time client who can still complete the Navy SEAL Pyramid despite being older than any active Navy SEAL.

What’s he talking about? Don’t go all in on what one fitness brand says.

Cold water guys will tell you how amazing the cold water is.

Vegans will tell you how great their diet is.

Steroid users are gonna give you their 6 week program (but leave out the steroids).

They want you all in on their system. Here's a shortcut: you can learn most of their system without enrolling in their school. Don't drop $100k on something you can get for a $1.50 in late charges at the public library.

Listen to all of them. Filter out what works for you. Find the tools… and move on.

Tools not schools.

There’s no one answer for total fitness.

There’s a toolbox.

Fill it wisely.

And since you asked the most complete/brilliant fitness school out there is called Z Health and it’s infuriating… but that’s a story for another blog.

Sitting and smoking…

Orange is the new black.

12 is the new 11.

Sitting is the new smoking.

The first phrase is the title of a TV show.

The second was the tagline for an ‘Ocean’s 11’ movie.

The third is a phrase coined by Dr James Levine. Americans sit for 6.5 hours a day on average. While sitting (being sedentary) too much is linked to a host of health problems, it’s not a wholly accurate statement (Correlation does not fully imply causation). Sitting isn’t as bad as smoking. But…

What a phrase. It gets your attention. It reminds me of when I was younger and Mom would say ‘Get off your ass, go outside, I’m locking the door.’

It was a different time.

This phrase (Doc Levine’s) made us reevaluate sitting. According to Kelly Starret we should set our chairs at a height where “you can really use your legs to scoot powerfully back and forth” if you're in an adjustable. Additionally we should sit upright, not leaning back “so you can turn on more musculature and build greater stability.”

Perfect, now I have to think about sitting properly. Is nothing easy?

You're probably thinking of changing the set up in your office right about now. Throw out the ergonomic chair, buy a stool, or a standing desk, or a stability ball.

Whoa Whoa Whoa… I’m on board for the first two, but sitting on a stability ball? Seems wonky. Let’s test it out.

My theory: Sitting on a stability ball is worse than sitting on a stool or chair.

Why? Your brain makes millions of unconscious decisions every moment. If all these micro decisions (do I take a breath, which muscles do I use to pick up a pen, how do I digest this donut?) were consciously made we’d have smoke pouring from our ears. So we make tons of small decisions based on instinct and prediction (for instance- while walking you need your head up to watch for cars, bikes, other people. Your body predicts that the terrain underneath you is safe, based on the previous steps. That way we don’t have to constantly look down to make sure).

Sitting on a stability ball is unpredictable. You can’t predict which way the ball will move. When things get unpredictable your body slows things down (i.e. tries not to do anything stupid). You get weaker and less flexible.

Let’s test.

I test my Range of Motion (X)

I sit on a ball for :15.

I retest ROM (2X) and lose a noticeable amount.

Now watch what happens to my strength after sitting on the ball.

Initial test.

Sitting.

Final test (FAIL)!

Alan (stage left) didn’t get stronger. I got weaker.

Let’s wrap up. What did we learn.

• We sit too much.

• Sitting too much is bad (though not quite as bad as smoking)

• Your body makes millions of unconscious predictions to facilitate your everyday health and movement.

• Sitting on a stability ball is unpredictable.

• When predictions become difficult we slow down (weaker and less flexible).

• Get predictable- get stronger!

Why do I mention all this in the company newsletter? Shouldn’t I be trying to sell you training or T shirts or yoga?

Tacky. The best don't advertise. We add health value! We add days to your life and life to those days so that one day, when it’s time to buy training, or yoga, or T shirts, you’ll remember who cared enough not to let you sit on a stability ball.

Don’t be a cliche

Do your job long enough and ya hear the same things over and over. The cliches.

Dentists hear how their patients floss every night.

Teachers hear how their students computer’s crashed.

Proctologists hear how no one has any idea how it got stuck up there.*

We Trainers hear our share of cliches. Today we’re going to run down the big one that we trainers hear all the time. Once you understand this cliche you’ll understand a little more about fitness, and a little bit more about yourself (I hope).

‘Let’s do sit ups. I need to burn the fat around my lower abs.’

We get this one a lot. And ya know what, I don’t even correct people any more. As soon as I start to explain what’s wrong with that statement the eyes glaze over and their shoulders slump. No one wants the Truth.

You gotta give the people what they want. That’s why the magazines make this very promise when they know it’s BS. Fat burning sells copy.

I’m mostly at peace with this. I’ll tell you why in a minute.

Conventional wisdom: You do sit ups; you feel a burn in your in your lower abdominals; that burning equates with fat burning; fat burning means tighter waist line. So what is wrong with that statement? Oh no… your eyes are glazing over.

For starters- sit ups suck! They put undue strain on the neck and spine. And they're inefficient: You’re only working half the time. Let’s do some ab wheel rollouts instead.

Next up: Lower abs are not a thing.

“It’s important to know that as far as biology is concerned, there are no upper abs and lower abs. There are just abs, or more specifically in this case, the rectus abdominis or "six-pack muscle," saysCalifornia-based exercise physiologist and guy I actually used to work with Pete McCall.

Blah blah blah, science, science Harvard. The burn ain’t fat sizzling off your stomach; it’s a chemical reaction: “metabolic acidosis. The concentration of Hydrogen (in a fatigued muscle) is so great that is lowers the pH (how acidic or basic an environment is) of the muscle. Seeing as all organs in the human body operate within a specific pH, when that specific pH is exceeded, the muscle begins to malfunction. This is when the feeling of pain and the burning sensation begins.”

And finally- you can’t target fat burning, i.e. doing abdominal work won’t burn abdominal fat. That is spot reduction. If spot reduction were real I’d be able to tell if you’re lefty or righty with 100% accuracy (and imagine how weird THAT would look).

I can’t say all that. I’ve tried. No one wants the truth (right Jack?) and I’m at peace with that. I hand you the ab wheel (better exercise with a decent burn) and I get subversive.

I encourage you to lift weights (you’ll move better, get stronger and raise your metabolism).

I suggest you do some cardio. Nothing fancy. 10,000 steps will do the trick.

I casually mention Abs are made in the kitchen. Eat good food and stop before you’re full (Check the infographic to see the body fat percentage at which you’re likely to see results).

(And check out the tradeoffs while you’re at it. Are you vain enough to ‘struggle in social situations, especially those involving food’?)

I mention that despite the fact that core strength work doesn’t chisel the stomach the way you think it does, it is important in you moving well and moving well help you look better naked.

Small changes + 6-8 weeks = visual results.

In the immortal words of Bell Biv Devo… ‘Now ya know.’

*There was a version of this joke on Seinfeld. Carlos Mencia I am not.

I can’t prove this, I just know it’s true

There’s a great running gag on ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ called ‘I can’t prove it; I just know it’s true’. Let’s play a round.

I can’t prove Brad Pitt was on Steroids for ‘Fight Club; I just know it’s true.

I can’t prove every character in Quentin Tarantino movies talks exactly like Quentin Tarantino; I just know it’s true.

I can’t prove coffee increased my anxiety; I just know it’s true. From Goodrx Health:

Train- we’ll get you 7 minute abs in 6 minutes.

While the side effects of caffeine and anxiety can be alike, you can’t get anxiety from caffeine directly. But, drinking coffee can make anxiety symptoms worse. 

Research shows that in people with panic disorder, caffeine consumption raises the risk of having a panic attack and increases levels of anxiety.

Time for an anecdote: I didn’t start drinking coffee until my mid 30's. I'm a generally anxious person, but not Woody Allen or anything.

I always slept well.

Some time after I began drinking coffee my anxiety kicked up a notch. My sleep suffered. Negative emotions lingered longer.

I tried breathing, yoga, exercise, more exercise, cold tubs, therapy, diet and finally therapy in attempt to feel like myself again.

And nothing really changed. I couldn’t figure it.

What changed? What had I begun doing in the last 7-8 years that gradually lead to increased anxiety?

Maybe it’s coffee?

First it was a latte in the morning. Then an extra one here and there when I was dragging. Then two became the norm to get me through the day.

During the pandemic I was drinking up to three large coffees every day. It was something to do.

I had just thrown down my third cup one day when I noticed I felt like crap. Jittery. Anxious. I enjoyed the morning cup, but felt crappy after every other one.

Seriously. Maybe it’s the coffee?

I consulted Dr Google and found a myriad of connections between caffeine consumption and anxiety. It is important to know that caffeine effect is different from person to person. You may be able to handle 2-3 cups a day. From Medical News Today:

Evidence from genetic studiesTrusted Source found that adenosine receptor genes play a role in the development of anxiety. This suggests that some individuals may have an increased risk of anxiety disorders and that caffeine may make them more susceptible. More studies are needed in this area.

I know. I couldn’t leave well enough alone. I had to taint that one pure thing you found enjoyable. That’s not my point. Coffee isn't bad for you like sugar, cigarettes and Nickelback.

My point is sometimes we need to make a change; but we don’t know what that change is. I saw Doctors, therapists, ice bath specialists. All of them had an answer, and all those answers are right for someone. I had to keep looking to find my answer.

Leave no stone unturned if you need a change. Maybe that change has to do with exercise (in that case come work with us). Maybe, like me, It has to do with diet.

I kicked coffee. First I switched to decaf (which oddly still has caffeine, but less), and finally I went cold turkey (it was both easier and more difficult than you’d think). The changes were immediate. Deeper sleep, better energy…

Less anxiety.

Finally- the change I needed.

I can’t prove it; I just know it’s true.

Sweep me off my feet

Want to make me do an old school face palm? Tell me how you need “support” from your shoes.

What kind of support? Structural? Spousal? Emotional?

Train- ‘You’re the reason we’re creating a 6 star review.’- Google

See what 6 star service looks like.

Once upon a time sneaker engineers tried to outsmart evolution and fix our feet by adding a raised heel, air blown rubber, increased cushioning, thick tread, and support (via dual density foot bridges and rigid soles).

And the rate of foot and leg injuries stayed the same.

The engineers ignored the fact that our feet, which have evolved over millions of years, are mostly bony, very flexible and don’t have much natural cushioning.

Your feet are amazing. They are strong, flexible and if you take care of them you won’t need any sort of support from any sneaker whatsoever. From ‘Built to Move’ by Kelly & Juliet Starret:

“There may be times when some artificial support is warranted due to injury or extreme foot pain, but to wear supports for life is like spraining your arm and continuing to wear a sling when it heals.”

If we don’t need support what do we need?

Strength- Spend time bare foot, do calf raises, do some yoga (especially balance poses).

Foam roll- You roll out your hips, your glutes, your calves… why not your feet. Check out this short video to see how it’s done.

Mobilize your joints- We place between 1.5 (walking) to 6 times (running) the force of our bodyweight on our feet every day.The joints are under a lot of stress. Try drills like ankle tilts or toe pulls to keep the joints clear and healthy.

Now there’s no need to get drastic and throw out all your sneakers. Every running shoe is a good shoe… for someone. I love the Nike Free, but that means nothing ‘cause we have different feet. Find the right shoe for you (you’ll know it once you’ve worked out in it).

And take care of your feet.

They need your support.

Fitter. Stronger. Smarter?

The benefits of exercise keep piling up. Stronger, faster, leaner, smarter.

Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki's “found that subjects who'd ridden bikes for an hour had markedly better scores on tests of their prefrontal cortex function than those who'd spent the hour watching an episode of 24 instead.” (That just seems like a needless dig at 24 (decent show). Imagine they force fed ‘The Kardashians’ instead…)

Train- we give 110% bc we want you to look your best; and because we suck at basic math.

The cognitive improvement can come from as little as a few minutes of vigorous exercise and will last :30 minutes to 2 hours. The benefits included improvement in creativity, reasoning, memory, mood and communication.

I’m starting to think I’m not charging my clients enough.

I wrote a few weeks back about how Lebron James spending a million of dollars a year on his body made perfect sense. My reasoning: his investment would lead to more playing years at higher pay. One additional year for Lebron would pay for a 10 year investment.

Does the same reasoning apply to you? If exercise makes you stronger, faster, leaner, and smarter does that lead to more earning years at a higher pay for you? Does your elevated cognition make you better at work? At home?

Does it kinda pay for itself?

Go ahead. Exercise for a minute. Get that brain sharp.

now what do you think?

Yeah… I think we got the same answer.

Our teachers, I mean Trainers, are ready to help.

Never too late to start

It’s never to late to start working out.

Train- Voted Boston’s Hottest Trainers*

*by our spouses. They’d never lie about this.

Jason Grubb went from overweight and sedentary (at 38) to 2 x CrossFit games champion (by 42).

No interest in CrossFit?

My Sister Jamie’s first marathon (circa 2000) was somewhere in the neighborhood of 4:30.

Now she runs 3:15 (and just scored a top 10 finish in the Corporate Challenge last week).

Don’t like running?

I walked out of my first yoga class after straining my neck (circa 2001).

Now I’m a certified yoga instructor with over 2500 class hours taught.

No interest in yoga?

It doesn’t matter how old you are, how un-athletic, how many times you fail. It just doesn’t matter. None of it. Someone with more excuses achieved your goal.

How’d they do it?

No one can say for certain, this is but a likely story.

1- They changed their identity. They didn't join Witsec or anything, but one day they decided they were a crossfitter, a runner, or a yogi.

Maybe they went a step further and created S.M.A.R.T goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time sensitive) to improve.

2- They stopped caring. Of course they cared about their goal but they released what others thought; about failure; about looking foolish; about what could go wrong; about if they’re starting too late. Zenpowerment guru Randy Scott writes “The fear of what others think of us is one of the five major fears. If we listen to this fear, we live a small life. When we live for the approval of others, we are living their lives, not our own. I hate to break this to you, but people don’t think about you as much as you think they do. While you think the world is revolving around you, they think it’s revolving around them.”

3- They kept showing up. Kept moving. Kept failing. Until one day…

There are no guarantees.You may never become “good” at what you’re trying; you will get a little better though. No matter when you start.

Sound interesting?

Improvement is hastened by hiring a coach. That's something we specialize in at Train.

So fire it up. Today is the youngest day of your life,; you've just decided you're a crossfitter; a runner; a yogi. This is your authentic self and its never too late to own it.

I'm at the gym… now what?

You made it to the gym. Now what?

Fit pros have all heard of something called the 80/20 rule: take a random sample of 100 gym members; 20 of them use the gym; 80 sign up and never return.

Train- Other gyms are all like ‘we're the outlaw rebels! Come run on our treadmills. Meanwhile our Trainers are more experienced, cost less, and get paid more. It is hard, hard work being this good.

I dispute that 80 never come. They come for 3 weeks (January 2nd to about January 21st). They use the ellipse for 25 minutes, do a few sets of curls, take a steam, see no results, get bored, and stop coming.

‘I’m just not a gym person,’ they think. I get it. Doing something hard and seeing no results is depressing. Why bother?

Getting to the gym isn't the problem.

The problem is knowing what to do once you're there.

Fitness isn’t rocket science. There are elegant, well thought out programs that will help you reach goals quickly but a novice can’t spot them. They don’t know the difference bw a back squat, a goblet squat or a zercher squat. These programs will sail right over head.

The good news is simple programming works. 10 minutes, 2 to 5 moves, a few times a week. It’s all you need.

Super Trainer Pavel Tsatsouline’s Simple and Sinister workout is a general physical preparedness workout that is 2 moves. You read that correctly. You need one piece of equipment (a kettlebell). I’ve completed it in 10 minutes. If you’re starting out (and can safely swing a kettlebell) it’s enough.

I inadvertently created my own simple/sinister workout (The 5x5). It’s 5 moves and takes about 10 minutes. Have a look HERE.

Can you master 2 moves for 10 minutes? Can you master 5 moves for 10? It’s that simple.

You don’t need the perfect program.

You don’t need hours in the gym.

Show up, move, lift heavy things.

I hate to break it to you- you may just be a gym person.

80/20? More like 79/21!

Still need help getting to the gym and deciphering a simple (or complex) training plan? There’s always us Trainers.