Buyer Beware: The Expert Trainer Who Can Help You With EVERYTHING

I LOVE using this photo

Piggybacking off a post during the final weeks of December about deciding to be great at one maybe two things and punting all else; I'd like to elaborate around the context of Personal Training. 

As a consumer one should be weary of hiring a coach who claims they're an expert at all things fitness and health. No one coach is THE BEST at building muscle, losing weight, sports performance, rehabilitative exercise, and nutrition.

Lets take Mike Reinold of Champion Physical Therapy based in Boston, Mass who is an extremely talented Strength and Conditioning coach and PT (Physical Therapist). Does one think he is not capable of working with physique competitors? While he's most likely well versed in the process, his main business is working with athletes and post rehab patients. He wouldn't be setting himself or his client up for the best chance at succeeding.

On the other end of the spectrum lets take Bret Contreras who runs the Glute Lab based out of Phoenix, AZ. As a PhD researcher he's one of the leaders in glute hypertrophy (muscle building) and if someone came to him with a SLAP tear of the shoulder, Bret would have an idea of what to do but this type of client would be better suited to someone like Mike because that's his area of expertise. 

Each coach is great at what they do and would most likely know what to do with their respective clients. If they however were able to swap people, they would have even better chances at success.  Great coaches are well versed at all aspects of training but they know what one or two things they're actually "experts" in. 

I am a former professional cook and Precision Nutrition level 1 coach, I feel confident in cooking healthy tasty meal prep for my clients. In addition to that, I am a well versed strength coach who uses strength to aide in weight loss and rehab. 

I know how to put muscle on, as well as improving sport performance, but if I received a client whom I thought a colleague would better suited at aiding the client, they'd be on their way with a referral.

In my opinion, looking for a coach who can succinctly state what they're GREAT at is one of the things I would look for in a coach or personal trainer.

Jack of all trades, master of none

How I Build Strong Clients Safely

This January marks the seven year anniversary that I've been paid to build strong resilient humans. In that time I can't even count on my two hands how many people I've hurt or injured!

That's because that number is ZERO!!
(One moment while I run around my apartment knocking on every piece of wood ten times over)

To an outsiders perspective my client programs don't wow your socks off. Some might say they look repetitive and boring. But what they don't see on paper is the end result of 2-3 sessions a week after a year. I help individuals get strong as an ox while also improving their mobility and joint health.

My training is all steak and no sizzle

There is no rotating circus moves on a bosu ball or hanging from a bar adductor work (I can't make this stuff up people!). What you will find are time tested movements and exercises that work. I vary my programs up by changing up tempo, loading protocols and positioning.

If you want to make individuals strong you need to make them good at lifting. I coach my clients toward mastery of movements. As they master the movement and get stronger, I can then open up my playbook of exercises if the client wishes to try them or if I think it will help them towards their bigger goals.

What My Programs Consist Of:

• Squat
• Hip Hinge (deadlifts)
• Vertical Push & Pull
• Horizontal Push & Pull
• Loaded Carries
• Anti-Extension Core 
• Anti-Rotation Core
• Select Flexion Based Core
• Arm Work (Cuz who doesn't like a good arm pump)

All of the above alternate between unilateral and bilateral movement. Also incorporating in frontal plane (side-to-side) and transverse plane (thinking rotational) specific patterns.

Example:

Day 1

A1) Front Squat
A2) Chest supported DB Row
B1) Sumo Deadlift
B2) Face Pulls
C1) Side plank
C2) One arm KB Racked Carry

Day 2

A1) DB Bench Press
A2) TRX Inverted Rows
B1) DB Z-Press
B2) Farmer's Walks
C1) Plank
C2) Prone Trap Raise

Day 3

A1) Split Squat
A2) Pull Ups
B1) Hip Thrusts
B2) Seated One Arm Cable Row
C1) Pallof Press
C2) Waiters Walk

Day 4

A1) Barbell Front Loaded Reverse Lunge
A2) DB Floor Press
B1) Single Leg RDL
B2) Chest Supported DB Row
C1) Kneeling Stability Ball Rollouts
C2) One Arm KB Racked Walk

Exercise Breakdown: Band Pullapart

This is one of my go-to movements for teaching good upper body posture and is a great  exercise to improve cuff strength. 

It however is often done incorrectly and for high volumes at that! 

The two biggest mistakes are:

Viewed from the front the person looks okay, but stand to the side and you see them in a ton of extension. 

Viewed from behind at the shoulder blades, you shouldn't see excessive scapular retraction. The movement doesn't have the person moving much past neutral and should mostly be the ball moving on the socket in the shoulder. 

Here you want to get them into a neutral spine throughout the movement.

An easy way to fix this is to perform them supine over a foam roller or half foam roller if available. The roller helps keep your back neutral and as an added bonus gives you feedback about the second issue of being overly aggressive with retracting the scapula.

When you see the shoulder blades pinching aggressively together it doesn't sync the shoulder blade and the humerus which can lead to dysfunctional movement patterns and muscle recruitment. 

You ideally want to separate the motion at the humerus before the scapula moves at the end. If you don't feel it burning (mostly) behind the shoulders, you're not doing it right. 

Exercise Breakdown: One Arm KB Racked Carry

The one arm kettle bell racked carry is a favorite of mine for a few reasons. As is with all loaded carries, they're a core endurance exercise you can't cheat on. This version also helps to lock in the proper core position: THINK: Neutral, Brace, and Breathe. 

HOW TO:

1. Choose a kb and lift it up to the rack position at a shoulder. 

2. Positioning should be:

• Elbow packed down by the body
• Kettle bell resting into your body
• Wrist neutral
• Thumb into your collarbone

3. Walk down in a controlled manner focusing on not swaying or leaning. Don't forget to switch sides. 

NOTES

• The unilateral loading like in a suitcase carry will force you to stabilize the body and not allow it to lean away. 
• Don't stick your arm straight out to your side, it defeats the purpose of the exercise by helping to "balance" yourself out. 
• Instead make a fist and simply keep your arm down by your side. 
• This is a great go-to move for anyone with rotator cuff issues as it is a huge isometric loaded move. You feel all the muscles in the shoulder working without having to move your arm anywhere.
• Work up alternating between simple one way trips and lightening up the load and performing one side for multiple trips or even for timed sets building up endurance in the shoulder.  

WHY VS WHAT: Dating and Business

Imagine you've landed a date.

And lets say this person is named Gary....what?
Do you not think I can get a date??? I mean this hypothetical Gary can't land a date?! 

Yeah OK! I don't blame you but stay with me here!

Sales and dating have A LOT in common. One sits across the table from another person trying to close a deal. 

Gary opens his date with "I'm rich, I have a nice car, a big house, and make a lot of money because I can deadlift A LOT of weight and oh I'm really good looking."

Does Gary close this deal? Maybe once or twice, but moving forward if his goal is to cultivate a long term relationship, it's not going to end well with this approach.  

Does Gary score another date with this woman? Nope.

This idiot Gary is only yammering on about the WHAT, when he needs to be telling the person sitting across from him his WHYs. All those things, a big house, a lot of money and a nice car may have helped him secure this date but does very little else to convince this woman that you're not some self absorbed rich douche. And while the big deadlift may impress her (it doesn't...sigh) it only touches upon logical reasons, you've explained the features without the background or context behind those things.

Instead if I...uhh if Gary had said this: 

"I get to wake up every morning and do something I love. I get to inspire people and the best part is trying to figure out the different ways to do that. I've even been able to get a large house, that nice car and meet some famous people along the way. BTW did I mention I can deadlift 3x my bodyweight" (no, she's still not impressed by that last one? Damn).

He said all the same things from the first scenario only this time included at the beginning WHY he does what he does.

The why inspires whereas the what is purely logical. 

This applies to business as well. I don't stand in front of a perspective client touting all that I can do for them. If I do that, in my experience, it will always come down to these two things:

1) Price
2) Convenience

And those two things have very little to do with what I do well. But if you're able to strike a nerve with WHY should someone go with you, the what handles itself. In fact you don't even have to be the best, you just can't be mediocre because if your service or product still stinks, your sunk. If you and the client both understand why you should work together, then you're good to go. But not every perspective client fits your why and you their why for wanting to hire a coach.

And that's okay because you're not looking for just anyone.
And I suppose that applies to dating too!