The following is a guest post by Jim Smith. Be sure to check out Part 1 if you haven’t already. If you’re interested in doing a guest post please refer to the contribution page.

Take a walk through your gym. In the free weights and racks section, we have your big guys, all trying to hit buffness. On the treadmills, are the gym bunnies, even though Girls Gone Strong makes it clear that’s not the way to go. In the studio, stationary cyclists are listening to the latest dance music while trying things no responsible street cyclist would ever do. You get the picture.

There’s one thing missing.

It’s something people wouldn’t think of putting in the gym. And it has a lot to do with that elevator stuck in the corner, which more oft than not, is used as storage closet. That missing piece is the “disabled” trainer.

Having a lifetime experience of disability, it’s not a word I like. I prefer using “extremely adaptable” trainer. The reason? Because a lot of the things we couldn’t do as easily, we find ways to adapt, and own it. And that’s why we excel.

I see this look of “why would a disabled person need a gym?”. Worst of all, I’ve heard that question asked out loud. As of March 2012, the population in the United Kingdom is 62.3 million and the rate of disability is 10 million people. That my friends, is a staggering ratio of 1:6.

How many businesses would shoot themselves in the foot by ignoring 1/6^th of the population? So why are gyms taking so long to get on board? I can’t fully answer these questions, but I think the answer resides on both sides of this statistic.

Firstly, non-disabled people are intimidated when they first walk into the gym. As Jon Goodman stated in this article, “The fit have created a daunting atmosphere where the unfit don’t feel welcome.” It’s hard enough to get your average person into the gym. All the fitness hype on TV, the airbrushed photos of fitness models and the corporatization of sport isn’t helping either. How are you going to attract someone in a wheelchair or with a below-the-knee prosthetic?

The other side of the coin is the disabled population. A lot of disabled people were not born disabled. They are, as a few friends have dubbed them “The newly disabled”. This can be traumatizing. It has huge impacts on lifestyles and factoring in hidden disabilities like depression, you can see why getting out of the house can be hard. It takes 6-7 years from the time of paralysis for a wheelchair user to become proficient and confident enough to face the public. It takes even longer, unless they were extremely active before it, to become fit enough to want to hit a gym.

So “Why would a disabled person need a gym?”.

Well firstly, the exact same reason as every other person who comes to the gym. They want to be fit. Depression can lead to obesity, and in addition to not being able to walk, there are health risks lurking under the surface.

Secondly, musculoskeletal strength. Disabled people, for numerous reasons, may not be able to do as much weight bearing exercise and without calcium or other agents, will lose bone density a bit faster.

Having a disabled personal trainer in the gym allows numerous benefits:

1: Shows that the company cares about that 1/6^th of the population. Sadly, that is how it generally appears.

2: Shows empathy with client’s conditions. Not to say that trainers don’t. Everyone can show an understanding if they’ve been educated. But unless you have had spinal surgery due to kyphosis, or have a below leg amputation, you don’t actually know how it feels to live with that condition. And that is what we can do.

3: We can ADAPT, and are great at finding solutions for things that you’ve not encountered frequently. Finding a way for your kyphotic client to deadlift safely will boost not only their confidence, but increase muscle strength in the most needed areas, the glutes and lower back.

And finally;

4: The sharing of knowledge. We all have different disabilities. How does this benefit the regular trainer? Firstly, it provides a more intimate knowledge of how we cope. It also offers a new insight that able bodied people would have a hard time coming to. We have a great understanding of the interconnectedness of our bodies. We understand intimately how certain joints respond to different stimuli and how that will benefit our daily function.

And best yet, some of us (me included), get to offer you educated test subjects for a new thought experiment or exercise. Use it! Not only do you get to learn that your scap press gives us that nice tingling sensation we all love, but it does it safely whereas some other scapula exercises can actually cause it to slip out of alignment.

Next time you’re walking into your gym, and see a gym instructor with kyphosis teaching deadlifts, or trainer in a chair teaching a client long distance cycling technique, get to know them. You’ll be surprised that the guy in the chair used to be a competitive cyclist, or the guy with kyphosis has done sports since he was four.

And even more surprisingly, you’ll find that we’re just waiting for you to join us.

Please share this article with anybody who may benefit. Also make sure to “like” thePTDC on our Facebook Page. Do you know or train a disabled person? Are you a disabled trainer? Let us know you experiences.

Jim Smith has been a fitness junkie since his first bicycle at the age of 4. Having Schuermann’s Kyphosis and being born with congenital defect of the right hip has not stopped his belief that everyone can benefit from fitness. He recently finished his Level 2 Gym Instructor course and is looking at going on to Personal Training. He is currently volunteering at the Aspire Gym housed within the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital

Photo Credits: chengphoto, Jonas in China, Pryere

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The following is a guest post by Jim Smith. If you’re interested in doing a guest post please refer to the contribution page.

The biggest thing that motivates me is when people tell me that I can’t get fit. I’m disabled and have been since birth. Being told that I couldn’t become fit or will end up dying prematurely is one of the worst things anybody can do.

Fitness comes from the heart, quite literally. A fit heart is required to run a body, and if the body is over what the heart can handle, then your heart is strong, but not fit. The other thing, is that a healthy body, requires a healthy mindset, and being told “you can’t” or worse of all, saying “I can’t” are the two worst openings of a sentence any human has to endure, and I struggle with this daily.

Denial

Up until 7 months ago, I was in denial about being disabled. I could walk good distances and blocked out the pain. I could hit the gym 5-6 times a week, and still do at the minimum. That changed when I started to use 5 flights of stairs, 2-3 times a day to get home. I was getting compression pains in my back, and my breathing was getting poor. I knew my back was causing it. My cardio has always been good but I suddenly remembered that my lungs aren’t in the proper spot and therefore, my breathing suffers.

What were the reasons I was in denial about classing myself as disabled?

Easy answer, the way society views the disabled. It has this ingrained, and albeit very unfortunate, social stigma to it. There are however many active disabled people. The category I am in has an extra level of social stigmatism.

“You’re disabled, why are you trying to stay fit?“, or worse of all, “Hey, stop it, you’re making the rest of us look bad“. You honestly can’t win, or can you?

How I’m Winning

I’m winning by moving and increasing my strength. When my muscles strengthen, my body begins to repair itself a little more. When it repairs itself a little more, I become less dependant on pain medication. When I am less dependant on pain medication, my mind becomes free from the cloud of depression or chemical addiction. I started to see that things weren’t as black and white as I previously thought. I became more social and met new people. Most of all I found a place to train where there are other disabled people.

It was this part for me, that was a change on my view big time. I had remembered meeting tonnes of chair bound people in my time, but it was very rare that they had that glint in their eye, the glint that says:

“Yeah, I’m in a chair, but you look worse for wear than I do“

I have met some very interesting people in my life, but it was doing this course to get my level 2 that opened my eyes. Three chaps in chairs, 2 of them were arm powered, the other was motorized.

Seeing a 27 year old man, with muscular dystrophy, doing bicep curls with 8kg dumbbells was astonishing. Feeling a pushback from him doing a chest exercise went to show me that because the body is in a weakend state structurally, by no means shows that the Mind or the muscles that control them are. Another of the guys was on the British Paralympic team in Atlanta for basketball.

Strength in Numbers

Working with the people I did on my course showed me that not only physical disability can be a problem, but emotional/mental disabilities are just as crippling. One of the course participants dropped out after 3 classes, due to the over-powering depression she suffered. She has promised to come back knowing now what the class work will be like, but she needed some time to adjust.

Another gentleman on my course had severe depression and other ailments. To me, he was a bit of an inspiration. We had a lot in common, and found that we both had similar mental conditions.

He was having difficulty with the stress levels on the course but he worked it. He said to me that he hated leaving the safety of his house, but knows at the same time, that this is an unhealthy option and knows to move it out of his mind.

He has suffered it all his life, tried many different ways to deal with it. He found that exercise, proper mental preparedness and the thought-out prescription of medication has helped him out tremendously. We also both found out that we were in a minority in fitness, in that we are both varying level vegans. He still eats very small amounts of meat, but is progressing towards getting rid of meat out of his diet, whereas I still eat eggs, but no other dairy/meat products.

What’s Needed

Diet, especially for disabled people, needs to be watched closely. Especially for motorized wheel chair users, diet cannot exceed output too much, otherwise obesity becomes endemic, and you can see this in daily life with how many people under the age of 40 are using scooters to get around.

The final piece, is to find a trainer who has either a good working relationship with the disabled, or is a disabled trainer themselves. This can be the difference between you, the client, coming out of bed on a bad day. There are more of us starting to get out there, and honestly, the more of us that can, the better for the rest of the population. Because remember, everyone is a disabled person in the making. Be it through age, accident or a hidden condition waiting for its kick-in point, we are all going to become disabled sooner or later. And the more trainers we can get out there with an intimate knowledge of disability, the better.

Take this into perspective. Not all disabled trainers are going to be able to train every client that comes into the door. The trainer has the knowledge, but they may lack physical presence or communication that a client wants, so obviously, they would pass them on to an able bodied instructor.

Are you an able-bodied trainer? You may have all the theory in the world, but a disabled person is going to ask, so how hard was it for you to get out of bed this morning? Answering with “Well it was really hard, I was at a huge party last night, and only had 3 hours sleep,” is not going to be an answer they want to hear, or show sympathy towards.

As a community, we should make this a pertinent point to learn from eachother. Not only that, but to also get a wider segment of the disabled community in as well. Nothing scares a disabled person more about coming into a gym, than knowing that there is nobody inside that can fully empathize with their situation.

My deadlift

Click here to view the embedded video.

Please share this article with anybody who may benefit. Also make sure to “like” thePTDC on our Facebook Page. Look forward to installment #2 tomorrow on why gyms should seriously consider hiring disabled personal trainers.

Jim Smith has been a fitness junkie since his first bicycle at the age of 4. Having Schuermann’s Kyphosis and being born with congenital defect of the right hip has not stopped his belief that everyone can benefit from fitness. He recently finished his Level 2 Gym Instructor course and is looking at going on to Personal Training. He is currently volunteering at the Aspire Gym housed within the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital.

Photo credits: ro_buk [I'm not there] A.Currell

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It started innocently enough. But a quick email to an editor of a fitness site put me on a 4-week collision course to alter my diet, rethink my training and had me taking my shirt off for half a million fitness enthusiasts.

If you’ve ever considered doing a photoshoot for a magazine feature, your own promotional materials or to diversify your income with fitness modeling, I’ll save you some pain and share what I learned from my adventure.

After emailing the editor with a bunch of topics I wanted to write about, she asked if I would be willing to share my journey of finding a passion for fitness and how it changed my life. Read all about it here

The Cliff’s Notes

I used to be a fat guy who worked in advertising. Now I’m a fit guy who heads training operations at one of the top 10 gyms in the US. I was very passionate in the piece and it got a lot of attention – so much so that my editor at Men’s Fitness got a hold of it and immediately asked if I would do something similar for him. The only difference? They were going to accompany the story with a photoshoot.

I’d no idea when the photoshoot would be and, more importantly, what state of undress I’d have to be in. But once I knew my abs were on the line, I decided I was going to be in the best shape of my life. How many opportunities do you have for a pro photographer to come into your facility and take pictures?

Then the best/worst idea I’ve ever had hit me. Since I had an inkling that they’d have to get the photos done within the month to make the press date and I was already working on my website, why not book another photoshoot with a fitness photographer that same week? I’d bang out the website and magazine photos all at once.

Never mind that I’ve never really ‘peaked’ for anything before. Or that I was six weeks out from my 40th birthday. Or that it was one week before my wife’s due date.

No guts, no glory.

Well, I’m thrilled that both photoshoots turned out great (evidence below!). Though I haven’t seen the finished product from the Men’s Fitness shoot yet, it’ll be out in August.

Now allow me to share the most important things I’ve learned along the way. You never know when the next email you send puts you on the business end of a photographer’s camera.

Give yourself time, but not too much

Do I wish I had an extra week to lean out a bit more, and learn more about peak week nutrition? Sure. But having the deadline on the calendar motivated me to get my ass in gear. But be realistic yet aggressive. You might want to give yourself a bit more time if you’re at 20% body fat and want to show up ripped.

If you’re interested in getting your photos done for promotional purposes, set a reasonable goal date. It’ll force you to get moving.

Find a pro

Aunt Agnes did a great job taking photos of her vacation to Yellowstone, but that doesn’t mean she knows how to take photos of you in a sports bra or spandex shorts. Great fitness photos require excellent lighting and a understanding of what poses and angles will work best.

Do yourself a favor: invest a bit of money and hire a pro.

You can never be too tan or too lean

 A colleague who’s also a fitness model gave me this tip. It’s not “tough guy approved” but if you’re in front of the lens, you don’t want to be pale.

A deep tan makes you look healthier and gives you more definition. If you are opposed to the tanning bed or the sunshine, self-tanners and spray tans can work just as well (or so I am told).

My photographer also gave me some sage advice. He said, “I can always make you look big, but I can’t make you look lean”. When I prepped, I geared my training towards being as lean as possible.

After seeing the photos, I completely understood what he meant. Looking like a monster is much easier than looking like you’ve got a defined serratus anterior. Heed the warning and get lean.

Carb-Deplete and Carb-Up

Bodybuilder tricks rarely work when you’re natural and above 6% body fat. However carb-depleting and subsequent reloading helps you lose fat while keeping your muscles full and increasing vascularity. Everyone reacts differently to carb depletion but my recommendation is to start eliminating carbs two weeks before shoot day and reintroduce them 24-36 hours before the shoot.

Also, don’t make the carb-up too clean. I realized that after I looked my absolute best 36 hours after my post-shoot celebration meal of pizza and ice cream. After two weeks of depletion your body is ready to handle the extra sugars. Don’t be afraid to load up.

 Water, water and more water

Ramp up your water intake each day, starting around 8 days out from the photoshoot. Shoot for getting up to 7-8 liters per day by the time you have two days left to the shoot. Then, with 24 hours to go, shut water intake down to just very small sips. This hyperhydration followed by dehydration will pull your skin closer to your muscles, giving you that “I’m a human anatomy chart” look.

Be Yourself

The most important tip of all. While I am a big believer in expanding your boundaries, don’t misrepresent yourself. If you’re a powerlifter who walks around at a higher body fat percentage, don’t diet down for photos just to balloon back up. The quickest way to appear non-trustworthy and uncomfortable with who you are is to try to be something you’re not.

It’s great to be the best version of yourself for photographs, but it shouldn’t look like you pasted your head on someone else’s body either. People should recognize you in person after seeing your photos.

 A Few Last Words

Alright, Diesel. You’re now armed and ready with a little bit of knowledge and a whole bunch of inspiration should a photoshoot be in your future. Now find the biggest water jug you can, buy that monthly membership to the tanning salon and hop on that stationary bike. You’ve got work to do.

You can see Dan Trink in Toronto along with Tony Gentilcore, Nick Tumminello, Jonathan Goodman, Mark Young and Geoff Girvitz at the PTDC Hybrid Training Seminar this summer. For more info and to reserve your spot click here.

photo credit: mr. nightshade

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I hate that a lot of trainers who deeply care about their clients are struggling financially. They want desperately to help others and have the knowledge to do so. Yet they’re not getting the committed clients in front of them and aren’t making ends meet.

Something’s missing and it bothered me so for the last 4 months I’ve asked 500+ trainers what the #1 frustration is that they have with the business.

The results were overwhelming!!! Trainers don’t know how to market or sell themselves. Many repeated the same phrase:

“If only I had the chance the show a client my value and what I can offer them they’d sign on. I just can’t seem to get people in front of me and when they do they don’t commit to my program.”

I too struggled with selling and marketing until I found the secret.

My first full time personal training job definitely didn’t start with a bang. I had a Kinesiology degree and 3 years experience working in a University gym. Exercise was my passion. The soviets would have been proud by my periodization methods and I could spit the latest research on muscle physiology for hours.

Problem was that nobody cared. My clients didn’t stick around long enough to see my value. It became apparent to me that clients don’t know the difference between great and not so great workout programs until they’ve finished. This takes time, trust, and a considerable financial risk on the client’s part.

You could also be facing a situation where the potential client has had a bad experience with personal training before. They were promised the world by somebody who didn’t deliver. Who’s to say you’re different?

I did it all

I made cold calls to lists of expired clients, I went to lululemon (a clothing store) and gave free stretching workshops, I walked around the neighbourhood handing out flyers, I performed endless free sessions, I bought every manual on selling for personal trainers I could find and I took on clients from deal of the day websites like Groupon. None of it worked!

Maybe I’m a bad salesman but I’m guessing you are too. Our job isn’t to sell; it’s to provide clients with a service to get them in the best shape of their lives.

None of this worked because it didn’t solve the fundamental problem. NOBODY KNEW OF MY VALUE.

Show your worth

Wouldn’t it be nice to never have an awkward sales meeting again? Imagine a sales meeting starting with, “I’ve heard great things about you, how do I start?” as opposed to, “so I got this coupon and figured I’d give it a shot”.

It takes months for clients to see any real changes (although they’ll feel it quicker). You usually have 1-3 sessions to prove yourself to a client. This means you have three options:

Option 1: Promise the World

Have you fallen into the trap of promising to the client that they’ll lose weight, gain muscle, get laid, and drive a flying motorcycle all in 3 months?

What you’re saying has already been said before. The client can pick up any fitness magazine and be promised the same results. Often they’ve failed in a workout program before. This might even have been led by a different trainer with sub par abilities or poor intentions that had promised them everything you had minus the flying motorcycle.

You’re different and better but why should they trust you? How do they know?

Option 2: Hope to get lucky

Sometimes clients come in ready to go. They’ve committed to make a change and your poor sales tactics won’t hurt you. They’ll sign up irrelevant of what you say.

Congratulations you have a new client. You got lucky. I wouldn’t bet on it happening again. Don’t let it go to your head.

***Option 3: Prove your value before they walk in the door***

Here are my two steps for success. These have been posted up on my wall for 5 years now:

Step 1: Do a great job.

Step 2: Make sure everybody knows about it.

Notice that sales aren’t included. I’ve never been good at sales and won’t ever be. I don’t even study it anymore. Clients come into the gym ready to train already knowing the quality of my services.

You’re good and you’re passionate but if you’ve found your way to thePTDC my guess is that something’s missing. Either you want to service your clients better or you’re having trouble succeeding in the industry.

It bothers that all a trainer needs to succeed is 20-30 dedicated clients yet there are so many that fail. The answer doesn’t lie in sales; it lies in showing your value before the sales meeting takes place.

I want to make it easier for you so I put together this Ebook. It’s 100% free. I decided to focus on Facebook because it’s the only tool you need and your leads are already there.

All you have to do is put your email in the box below and it’ll be instantly sent to your inbox along with 101 Personal Trainer Mistakes – and the solutions to each. (A collaboration of 20+ of the best trainers in the World giving you solutions for every possible mistake you might make.)

Email:

This Ebook is designed to teach you how to use Facebook. Facebook is the only tool you need to fill up your clientele and it’s 100% free to use. Best of all you already have enough leads to keep your schedule full for years; you just need to know how to use them.

I understand that Facebook can be a big waste of time but if used wisely you only have to spend minutes a day. This book won’t tell you what the “like” button does or how to design your Facebook page because none of that matters. What matters is that you become the expert within your network.

This free Ebook will teach you how to:

1. Leverage your already existing network (and yes, you already have all the leads you’ll ever need… and more)
2. Highlight the most important actions you can take so that you can get 80% of the results in minutes a day (seriously!)
3. Organize your leads to make your job easier
4. Make your clients want to advertise to their world how great you are
5. Celebrate your clients achievements and gain massive exposure.

It’s easy and takes less time than you think – I’ll show you how…

Get immediate access for free by entering your email into the box below. We don’t spam and would never share your information with anybody.

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1. Do you have the proper training?

As Kettlebell training becomes more popular, there are so called “experts” popping up all over the place. It takes 10,000 hours of practice to master a subject. I’ve completed both the RKC II and CK-FMS certifications, built a successful group Kettlebell program and trained several individuals for their RKC certifications-and I rarely refer to myself as a Kettlebell expert. I have, however, learned from some pretty esteemed professionals and possess what I consider to be the top level Kettlebell credentials in the industry.

If you are going to teach people how to use kettlebells, it is imperative that you have the proper training yourself. Don’t assume that just because you watched a video or have been lifting for years that you’re qualified to teach others.

Do yourself and your clients a favor and seek out the proper education. The RKC is really leading the pack in this realm. The certification is based on efficient and effective movement and experience based strength principles. Attend the RKC, the HKC, or at the very least learn from some of the best within the RKC cadre.

2. Kettlebell Training has very important nuances.

This goes right along with getting the proper training with which to coach your clients. The most common mistake I see from strength coaches and personal trainers is assuming that because they know how to lift and train, they can simply figure out the Kettlebell lifts on their own. Although Kettlebell training is a fantastic approach towards achieving strength, power and overall fitness, it’s not just the same strength moves you already know with a different tool.

Having a strength training background is helpful to absorbing the Kettlebell skills, but there are still specific nuances that must be applied towards Kettlebell lifts if you wish to accomplish effective and efficient training for your population. I’ve met talented coaches who can lift beautifully but their Kettlebell swing makes me wince.

I have also had the pleasure of presenting and teaching to some experienced and educated strength coaches (such as at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning) and I would say the majority of those trainers walked out of those workshops with a-ha moments and new drills that are specific to the Kettlebell.

Olympic weightlifting is not the same as the Kettlebell snatch, clean and jerk. They are similar, but entirely too different to simply take one skill and blindly apply it to the other. A barbell overhead press is not the same as the Kettlebell overhead press and the swing has a multitude of details that make it so unique. These are details that are integral to performing and coaching the best possible Kettlebell skills you and your clients can achieve.

3. It’s not about the bell, it’s about movement.

A few years ago, kettlebells were still relatively unheard of. “Kettlebell” has now become a buzz word, which can be both frustrating and beneficial to you as a trainer. When I tell people what I do, I’m often told something like, “Oh kettleBALLS, yeah I use those.” Oy ve.

It’s great that they have gained popularity, because it helps us as trainers to explain our purpose and sends more potential clients in our direction. Unfortunately we can lose sight of the fundamental principles of movement by trying to force fancy tools and exercises on clients instead of using the appropriate tool for each individual and their considerations.

Understanding movement is the foundation to any successful strength training program. If we make the training about the Kettlebell and not about teaching our clients efficient, pain free human movement, we are missing the point. In my group “Kettlebell” classes we educate the clients about basic human movement by teaching them how to push, pull, squat and deadlift. I want them to love Kettlebell training because it helps them move, feel and look better, not because it’s trendy.

4. Fundamentals first, fancy stuff later (maybe).

Everyone wants to learn the snatch, but what happened to the swing? As a general rule, if I have taken the appropriate amount of time to build a client’s swing technique, it doesn’t take me more than a few minutes to get them snatching safely.

Too often, people want to skip all the basics and go right to the fancy stuff. They want to walk before they crawl and as we as trainers know all to well-this just doesn’t work. Advanced exercises are only beneficial to advanced trainees.

For a lot of clients, this is a tough pill to swallow. They see other people doing something cool looking, like a snatch or bent press and they want to do it right away. It’s our job to dial in the basics and train people within the realm of their capabilities. Not everyone will progress to double Kettlebell clean and jerks, and that’s okay. It really is, I promise.

You know what they say: “The difference between the elite and everyone else, is that the elite have mastered the basics.”

5. Ugly swings don’t count.

Ugly swings drive me B-A-N-A-N-A-S. You see them everywhere; on TV shows, infomercials, YouTube, in catalogues and magazines and at most gyms. I even wrote about ugly swings on my blog here.

Sadly, it’s done wrong more than it’s done right. The swing is not a squat with a front raise. Nor is it an upper body hunch followed by extreme lumbar extension. It’s a deadlift or a hinge, followed by a powerful, explosive hip snap, accompanied by a rigid torso. It’s graceful, aggressive and perfectly sequenced. Anything else is NOT a swing.

The main purpose of the swing is to develop HIP POWER. It can be used very effectively as a fat loss and conditioning tool, but only if it’s performed correctly and efficiently. Take the time to pattern the deadlift and ensure that your client has adequate mobility, core stability and glute activation in order to move freely through the swing.

6. The Turkish Get Up is not “get up off the ground by any means necessary”.

The wrist and elbow MUST be straight. The arm MUST be perpendicular to the ground. The shoulder MUST be packed. These are non-negotiable details of the get up. Just because you get off the ground, doesn’t mean you did a get up.

Rushing to perform the get up with insane amounts of weight is just that-insane. Master the basics, remember? All of my clients perform tons of “naked” (weightless) get ups before they earn the right to touch a kettlebell. It’s about respecting the bell and respecting movement.

7. Hand care is paramount

You’ve undoubtedly seen all the pictures floating around the web of torn callouses and bloody hands. Yuck. Some people will have you believe that this is an inevitable part of Kettlebell training and that’s just not true. Torn up hands do not make you more hardcore, they just mean something went wrong. I’ve been there, and it’s seriously sucks.

The good news is, callouses can be protected and clients can enjoy Kettlebell training without trashing their hands. All it takes is a little proactivity and maintenance, which I wrote about in this post:

8. Teeny tiny bells are (next to) useless.

I was teaching a workshop this past weekend and there was this little 5 pound Kettlebell. It was so cute. And useless.

Heavy is a relative term, and the number on the bell should not be the only thing that denotes progress. But these ridiculously small kettlebells that are being shown in certain infomercials and other media are really not going to accomplish much.

We do have 10 and 14 pound bells at our gym, and use them for teaching the get up and bottom up concepts, as well as for the more “frail” in our population when performing overhead movements. Outside of that, anything under 18 pounds is downright silly. Even 18 lbs is a paperweight after awhile. My client Kathy is a 62 year old grandmother who does get ups and overhead presses with 12 kg (26lbs), swings 20kg (44lbs) and goblet squats 24kg (53 lbs). She can deadlift her bodyweight and has no reason to even touch a 14 lb bell.

When purchasing kettlebells, save your money and go with 8kg and up.

9. KB quality DOES matter…to an extent.

Speaking of purchasing kettlebells, this can be a tough decision and one that becomes even more difficult as the market grows.

I’ve used tons of bells from various manufacturers, and I can tell you this: I’m a Kettlebell snob. The quality of your bell DOES matter and can affect your training, especially with regard to overhead movements and hand care. Outside of those two important considerations, it’s not that important which brand you go with, although some of the cheaper brands don’t always weigh what they say they do.

My personal preference is Dragondoor kettlebells. After all, they are the Kettlebell experts! You get what you pay for, and dragon door bells are smooth, durable, well balanced and pretty accurate on weight.

10. KB training gives your clients fun, new goals.

Kettlebell training will get your clients excited about Kettlebell specific goals that will help progress their movement, strength, power and conditioning. They will start wondering how much can I swing? Press? TGU? (All with good form of course!). And what about snatch tests? Double Kettlebell work? Complexes? Maybe they’ll want to get better at the basics so they can learn to clean and jerk, or improve their mobility so they can try their hand at windmills.

All of these training goals will get them closer to the best possible version of themselves, while continuing to align flawlessly with solid strength and conditioning principles. I know that for me, even though I was well versed in compound lifts and played around with Oly lifts, Kettlebell training took me to the next level. It made things more fun and inspired me to aspire to new heights without compromising my training principles.

If implemented intelligently, Kettlebell training can be an extremely beneficial venture for you and your clients.

How do you teach kettlebells? Comment below and, as always, please share. Also make sure to “like” thePTDC on our Facebook page.

Want some sweet free stuff??? Click here

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Hey guys, Jon here.

A big thank you to all of you that consistently send me messages saying how thePTDC has helped you become a more happy and profitable trainer. It’s been and will continue to be a pleasure.

I realize that thePTDC cannot cover everything a personal trainer needs to know. I made the choice to stick to the “soft side” of training. The decision was based on two factors:

1. I felt that there was a knowledge gap that would take a coordinate collaborative effort to fill

2. There were already crazy-smart people providing materials for exercise prescription and dealing with injuries

The Problem

I do however want thePTDC to give you everything you need to be the best and earn what you deserve. There’s no reason why personal trainers struggle as much as they do working 12hours days but only getting paid for 3 clients.

My job is to scour the internet and find the best resources for the materials we don’t cover. I get stuff (ebooks, webinars, texts etc.) sent to me weekly and turn down most opportunities to promote. I only want thePTDC readers to have the best.

If you don’t know how to deal with muscle imbalances you’re missing out on a massive income stream.

Personally, my business was built off of fixing chronic low back pain. I helped one client who referred another, and another, and another. Pretty soon the $1,200 investment from travelling to the seminar and buying the text turned into $15,000+ in sales!

A reenactment

While I don’t condone fixing client’s problems if they have structural damage (refer out!) I do think it’s imperative that trainers have an understanding of imbalances. I don’t care how good you are; your clients will have aches and pains. You need to quickly assess and either move on with your workout or know to take a step back and deal with the issue.

Knowing enough to speak about aches and pains will also make or break a sales meeting.

The Solution

A while back Rick Kaselj sent me the original Muscle Imbalances Revealed Lower Body (MIRL). I was immediately pissed off!

I’d spent $1,200 getting less practical info at a seminar only 2 years earlier and lost out on 3 days of pay. Applying what I learned at the seminar took months of accessory study in addition to having to purchase more materials.

Rick Kaselj, Dean Somerset, Mike Robertson, Bill Hartman, Eric Beard, and Kevin Yates knocked it out of the park with this product. They’ve done the hard work for you and compiled an un-beatable resource that you’ll refer back to time and time again.

Big News! MIRL is now MIRL3 and is on a massive sale for a short period of time. Most fitness products die off in the first week. Only the best survive a month. I’ve never seen one that’s high enough quality to make it into it’s third installment.

I’m not going to get into the details of the product. Rick tells you all you need to know here. They’ve also added a bunch of cool bonuses this time around which are worth the price of the product alone.

I’ll sign off and let you check out the product for yourself and make the decision whether or not you want to make the investment.

’till next time,

-Coach Jon Goodman

p.s. ThePTDC survives solely on the commissions garnered through sales of promoted products. If you do choose to buy MIRUL3 please do so using the links we provide. If you don’t decide to buy the product, no worries. Keep enjoying the content, we’re happy to help.

p.p.s. There’s a 60 day money-back guarentee with no questions asked so you really have nothing to lose.

p.p.p.s I’m still upset this wasn’t available when I spent $1,200 + 3 days off of work to learn less practical information than what’s in this set.

Click here to learn more

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Please note that this post was written by Bill Sonnemaker. The opinions herein are therefore his.

As and educator in the health and fitness industry, I meet personal trainer who frequently ask, “what should I complete next in my pursuit of education?”

The purpose of these articles will be broken down into a two-part series which will explain the differences between all the personal trainer educational opportunities stated below. It’s important to understand that every proposed formal instruction is a good opportunity to set yourself up for success!

The difference between a “good opportunity” and a “great opportunity” is when and how the personal trainer applies the pursuit of continuing education with the appropriate variables. For example, reading a research article, book, or listening to a lecture on the Krebs Cycle would be premature if the individual was unfamiliar with the concept of the Bioenergetic Continuum (Anaerobic and Aerobic Energy Systems).

The intention behind this example is to edify that learning the foundational principles is a catalyst to understanding details. There’s a logical evolution for optimal learning, we as practitioners have a variety of options to choose from, it’s the quality and sequence in which we choose that makes the difference and will determine the outcome. 

Disclaimer: When weighing the differences with the opportunities we have in education we must consider all attributes. In terms of weighing or measuring the premises of education we often look at Pros/Cons, Strengths/Weaknesses, Positive/Negative, etc. I have ultimately selected “Upside/Downside” when comparing each educational opportunity.

The dilemma is that, in reality, there are all positive reinforcements when it comes to maturing and developing an education, but there are always better choices that exist for that specific instance and moment in time.

There is no difference when choosing an exercise for our client/athlete/patient. Factoring in different principles such as Specificity, Variation, Progression, Individuality, etc. allows us to choose an appropriate exercise for that individual. So with out further ado, buckle your seatbelt…

Your Roadmap

According to Dictionary.com “Education” and “Opportunity” can be defined as:

Education

1. The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.
2. The act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession.
3. A degree, level, or kind of schooling: a university education.
4. The result produced by instruction, training, or study: to show one’s education.
5. The science or art of teaching; pedagogics

Opportunity

1. An appropriate or favorable time or occasion.
2. A situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal.
3. A good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.

As my late Maternal Grandfather and Paternal Great Uncle taught me “Opportunity” Occurs When Preparation (Education) and Desire Intersect. Or as Casey Noble, our Director of Training, says when quoting G.I. Joe “Knowing is Half the Battle.”

Andy Stanley, our pastor at Buckhead Church, has mentioned on more than one occasion that “we put our money where our passions are”.

Where are your passions?

If you’re actively seeking information about your passion as a professional personal trainer, the most important prerequisite for determining your level of success as a qualified fitness consultant, as well as your financial success, is through education. Ultimately, your financial freedom enables you to pursue your future passions, even if it’s box car racing.

Personal Trainers have 7 Types of Educational Opportunities:

1. Certification Based (Exam Prep and Practical Based)
2. Internships
3. Equipment Based (Put on by Equipment Companies)
4. Conferences
5. Mentorships
6. Webinars
7. Self Study (Books, DVD’s, Online Content Review)

1) Certification Based courses are those like the ones that ACE (American Council on Exercise) and others offer. (See below for a list of quality U.S. based organizations.) ACE offers the following workshops for personal trainer education (listed directly underneath). The goal of courses like these is generally: to prepare attendees to successfully complete a certification exam, to expand and provide hands-on experience that were not able to be covered reading a book.

Integrated Fitness Training: Effective Tools and Techniques

http://www.acefitness.org/continuingeducation/continuingeducationcoursedetail.aspx?courseid=4a5w3z87 

Functional Training

http://www.acefitness.org/continuingeducation/continuingeducationcoursedetail.aspx?courseid=45w32x26 

Sports Conditioning

http://www.acefitness.org/continuingeducation/continuingeducationcoursedetail.aspx?courseid=4a5x763y 

Small Group Training

http://www.acefitness.org/continuingeducation/continuingeducationcoursedetail.aspx?courseid=4a5zxvvz 

I recommend certifications and courses from the following companies in the US.

ACE (American Council on Exercise)

PTA Global (Personal Trainer Academy Global)

NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine)

NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association)

AFPA (American Fitness Professionals and Associates)

ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine)

2) Internships are best suited for individuals that are new to the fitness industry. These personal trainers can be college students or those that are entering the fitness industry as a second career. Regardless of their age or prior life experiences the fact remains that they are green and they need the guidance of a seasoned professional.

Internships are like an Apprenticeship where the Master Craftsman works with a young Pupil to instill and impart their wisdom and techniques. Internships provide a safe and effective way for new Trainers to cut their teeth.

Downside: Generally unpaid or the pay is not very much. As a side note, I find it ironic that people contact professionals wanting to learn from them and then expect to be paid while learning. This would be like expecting a University to pay a student for attending College. 

Upside: Interns receive the opportunity to learn in a non threatening and reduced stress environment. Think of it like learning to swim. Internships are like being in the pool with a Lifeguard who is there to teach you. The alternative is being thrown into the deep end, after passing your certification exam, and while desperately thrashing about praying that you don’t drown.

The Pilates and Yoga communities have done a much better job than we have at making Internships/Apprenticeships part of the educational and certification process.  I feel very strongly that if we want to continue to elevate our profession we need to require Internships be a part of earning a certification.  In other words, trainers need more than just book knowledge they need to get their hands and feet wet and develop Practical Skills. From experience, I believe a structured program that consists of 750 hours would be appropriate and sufficient. [From Jon: Bill Sonnemaker offers a fantastic mentorship program at Catalyst Fitness. I'll be attending the program on June 6 and I encourage you to look into it: http://www.catalystfitness.com/contact-us/career-opportunities/]

Robin knew the value, why don't you?

3) Equipment Based workshops are generally hands on workshops that involve quite a bit of movement/exercise. Below are my top picks for equipment based courses. If you look at the types of modalities they represent you will see that you get the full spectrum of an Integrated Approach (Flexibility, Core, Balance, Reactive, SAQ, Resistance, Cardio).

Trigger Point Therapy www.tptherapy.com 

IndoBoard www.indoboard.com 

Redcord www.redcord.us

ViPR www.viprfit.com

CoreFitnessRoller www.corefitnessroller.com

Hyperwear www.hyperwear.com

Dynamax www.medicineballs.com

Halobells www.balancedbells.com

MET (Movement-Efficiency-Training) www.metmethod.com

Downside: These courses are designed and written with the primary goals of making you feel comfortable and competent with the equipment being used. Note: many of the above mentioned courses go above and beyond in that they do an excellent job in anchoring foundational scientific principles within the course content.

Upside: The personal trainer emerges from these types of courses feeling more knowledgeable and competent in the use and application of the equipment, adding to your tool box with the right tool(s) to use at the at the right time.

Note: the clients of personal trainers who attend equipment based education workshops generally come to dread the Mondays after a workshop. They know they will be getting their butts handed to them from the new knowledge their trainer just gained. These same clients appreciate that there trainers are seeking out new ways to help them be more successful. 

4) Conferences offer attendees a very wide and diverse opportunity to see top notch educators all in one place. Attendees can generally satisfy all of their CEC requirements (20 Contact Hours) in one weekend. One of the biggest draws to attending conferences like these is the wide variety of topics and sessions that are available.

Many of these conferences also offer “PreCons and “Post Cons.” These sessions are normally longer, 3-8 hours, than the 1-2 hour sessions that are featured at most conferences.The benefit to these longer sessions is that the information can be covered in greater detail.

Downside: Often times the length of the sessions do not allow for the in-depth coverage of a topic. 

Upside: While at the same event you can see multiple presenters from different backgrounds and disciplines.  It is like attending a brunch buffet at the Ritz Carlton, which if you have never done so you must try it at least once in your life…it is amazing! These conferences are also a blast and can be thought of as a mini vacation. I know I always come back feeling renewed and charged up after speaking at one. Plus they’re great networking events.

I recommend attending the following conferences for personal trainer education:

IDEA http://www.ideafit.com/

AFPA http://www.afpafitness.com/

ECA http://www.ecaworldfitness.com/

Meeting of the Minds by PT on the Net http://www.ptonthenet.com/

FitPro http://www.fitpro.com/

Filex http://www.fitnessnetwork.com.au/filex2012/filex2012-home.html

CanFitPro http://www.canfitpro.com/

Asia Fit http://asia-fitness.com/main/

[From Jon: This summer thePTDC is offering a seminar happening in Toronto featuring Nick Tumminello, Jon Goodman, Mark Young, Tony Gentilcore, Geoff Girvitz, and Mark Young. Spaces are going fast. For more info click here]

5) Mentorships represent the ultimate in learning opportunities for personal trainers. Like Internships they pair you with people that are best in class but the main difference between the two is that Mentorships help you link the building blocks and concepts you already know.

Think of it like this…an Internship is like taking Italian 101 and 102 in College…you learn just enough to be dangerous. Whereas the Mentorship is like going abroad to Italy and studying where you can be immersed and live in the culture. Both are great and valuable but the latter allows true learning to occur instead of just memorizing the conjugations of verbs or in our case muscles and rep ranges.

Downside: There is no downside. Whatever you spend on a Mentorship is investment in your future and one that will pay huge dividends in your career as a professional personal trainer. 

Upside: You get to learn from those with a proven track record of success. You also get to learn how to do something from start to finish (Ex: Assessment-Client Report-Program Design).

There are more but I recommend the following Educators and their Mentorship programs as I have seen their content, respect, and know each of these educators very well.

Nick Tumminello http://nicktumminello.com/

Jonathan Ross http://www.aionfitness.com/

Justin Price http://www.thebiomechanicsmethod.com/

Anthony Carey http://functionfirst.com/ 

Of course I am partial to the Mentorships we do here at Catalyst Fitness  http://www.catalystfitness.com/hf-professionals/mentorships/

6) Webinars are on the rise for personal trainer education!  Finally, technology is meeting the demand for learning whenever and wherever.

Downside: No oversight, no one to make sure you are keeping your eyes on the screen and ears listening to the presentation.

Upside: Low cost and can be viewed from the convenience of your home and often at your convenience as many are also recorded. 

7) Self Study is a tricky slope in that most people, if they were honest with them selves, would agree that they are not consistent with self study or self learning opportunities. What I mean by this is individuals may go and look online or in a book when they need an answer to a specific question but rarely are they consistent with studying or seeking out knowledge for the sake of knowledge.

Downside: No oversight, no one to make sure you are keeping your nose in the books, and no one to ask “help” when you don’t understand something.

Upside: Free or relatively inexpensive. Can be completed at your own pace.

In article 2 of this series, we will look at specific career path examples such as the Traditional College Student (4 Year Degree in Exercise Science), Graduate Student (MS in Exercise Science) and the Nontraditional Student (second career/no degree or non related degree).

Make sure to “like” thePTDC on our Facebook page and share this post so trainers everywhere can get the direction to succeed.

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I’ve watched the movies a couple of times, first for entertainment, then with a focus on what I could learn from him. After all, he is a master of his trade and if we pay close attention, there’s a ton of take home messages for the personal trainer.

Extreme preparedness

Bourne is trained to handle ANY situation. His level of Extreme preparedness does not come without putting in the time. In our case, that translates into reading, taking courses, learning from our daily sessions and most importantly, THINKING about what we read and learn so we can apply it skillfully.

Only applied knowledge is power.

Bourne can handle himself in any environment and UTILIZES it to his advantage.

His ability to effectively utilize the environment is shown in a scene in the third movie. Bourne sprints across multiple roof tops to make sure an assassin does not reach his friend before he does. Bourne quickly grabs two pieces of laundry and wraps them around his hands. Two seconds later, we learn why he picked up the laundry, as he skillfully jumps over a small wall covered with pieces of broken glass.

Check out this tantalizing bit of Bourne badassary.

As personal trainers, our environment is the gym. Luckily, we don’t have to out sprint assassins or kill “the bad guys” with bars and weight plates! Clearly, it’s our job to utilize our environment to give our clients the best possible training program.

There are a couple of extremely important lessons regarding our environment:

Master all equipment – have no emotional biases.

Until 2007 I lived in Denmark and from 1999-2007 I was the Head Strength Coach for Team Denmark, the Danish Equivalent of Sport Canada. I was very fortunate to have a job description that allowed me to focus on an exclusive group of athletes. One group of athletes I was in charge of but didn’t develop their program was the sailing team.

Initially, their program was created by a strength coach who used to be the Olympic Weightlifting Coach for the national team. During that time the first exercise in their strength training program was power cleans, because “power cleans are good for grip strength and sailors need grip strength.” (Those where the strength coach’s exact words when I asked him why he started the training program with Power Cleans.)

After a couple of years later, a younger strength coach, who was a mountain climber, took over. Now, the first exercise in the sailors’ strength training program was pull ups, because “pull ups are good for grip strength and sailors need grip strength.”

Their biases in exercise selection were obvious. The question that should have been asked was, “What is the best way to develop grip strength if you are a sailor?” and the answer approached from a clean slate.

Even a newspaper can be deadly. How's that for adaptability?

Moreover, I attended The Russian Kettlebell Certification in 2006, which was a great learning experience with ONE natural but understandable caveat of certifications based on one piece of equipment. In order to make his certification as valuable as possible, Cheif Instructor Pavel tried to show how to train for any goal using a kettlebell. And in the first few days after the course, I found myself thinking, “How can I train X with a kettlebell?”

I fell victim to the same “mind virus” as the Sailing Team Strength Coaches. I was immediately excluding the possibility that the best way to train a certain client for a certain goal would involve ANOTHER piece of equipment (or no equipment at all).

The right question to ask is, “What is the best way, equipment or no equipment, to train this client for this particular goal (ex. Legs) at this point in time?”

You know the saying, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Therefore, in order to effectively train our clients we need a variety of tools at our disposal. Here’s a short list in random order:

Barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, clubbells, cables, tires/kegs/logs, swissball, balance boards, suspension straps, bodyweight/animal movements, boxes/hurdles/medicine balls, tubing/bands/chains, sleds, grip etc.

It’s clear that the more tools you have in your tool box the greater the likelihood you can choose the best possible type of equipment for your client at any point in time.

The ability to optimally answer the question, “What’s the best way to train this client for this goal” has one tremendously important implication: You CANNOT follow “trends”. As soon as we start paying too much attention to “trends” we get biased and near-sighted.

It is, and always will be, your goal to strive for an unbiased knowledge of the pros and cons of different types of equipment, and subsequently use the right piece of equipment at the right time.

“If all I have is a hammer, I will find new and innovative ways to use this hammer!”

It’s far EASIER to choose the best training method if you have a range of equipment available. However, we encounter many situations where little and no equipment is available to train our clients:

• The traveling business person
• In home training of clients that will never set foot in a gym.
• Boot camps.

So when we’re faced with the challenge of creating training programs with a lack of equipment, it’s no longer, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail”. The real answer is: “If all I have is a hammer, I’ll find new and innovative ways to use this hammer!”

The ultimate “no-equipment” situation is training on the floor, or grass, or hotel room. I’ve struggled for years developing workouts for my clients that are quick and effective which they can do at home or on vacation. A great trainer gets results no matter what — this will set you apart.

An important trait of the great personal trainer is the ability to do more with less! Could you give your client a complete workout using nothing but the floor?

If you haven’t already done it, now is the time to list – systematically – ALL the floor-based body-weight exercises you know and their targets (arms, core etc). I’ve worked on my own exercise library since 1996 and keep expanding it weekly. Building an exercise library is one of the best habits a personal trainer can ever start.

Yearlong experimentation with floor-based exercises and the frustration trying to find ways to increase the training intensity led me to a simple technique that is the corner stone of my new program called Ground Based Abs – created to be the HARDEST, SIMPLEST, Bodyweight & Floor-based program for STRONG, RIPPED ABS.

I went through the program myself, and if you click on the link below, you can see the changes in body composition the program initiated.

Ending May 4^th, this program is offered at a favourable (for you!) INTRODUCTORY rate of 50% off!

Click here to take advantage of the introductory offer to get the Ground Based Abs Package + 15 bonus videos at 50% off.

The Ground Based Abs Package includes a simple but very challenging bodyweight circuit (videos + manual), the best ways to combine deep breathing with walking (manual) and the 15 bonus videos featuring NEWLY created combination exercises that target chest, back and arms.

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(Note from Jon Goodman: Karsten was nice enough to send me this program last week and it is phenomenal. I’ve struggled with developing hotel workouts for my clients and immediately left with lots of great ideas to keep my clients getting results during their business travel. ThePTDC doesn’t promote other products often and they go through a careful review process. 95% of them are rejected. I recommend this program highly.)

Click here to take advantage of the introductory offer to get the Ground Based Abs Package + 15 bonus videos at 50% off.

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I got this question via Facebook yesterday (add me if we’re not already friends here) and decided I wanted to share the answer with you guys. Here’s the question:

Hi Jon, any guidance on how to start an outdoor bootcamp with no money?

I know that seems ridiculous but I literally make less than 2k a month (gross not net) there has to be a way. I would LOVE to join a mastermind or buy some programs or even books but I just can’t afford to. Any suggestions would be deeply greatly eternally grateful. – B.R.

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Yeah dude it’s not hard. Put the good ol’ Pareto’s Principle (80/20 rule) into play and you’ll blow it up in no time. Here are the steps to take to start your bootcamp:

Step 1: Go to fiverr.com and get a logo for $5. It’s not going to be great but it’ll be good enough (you can always re-do it later when you’re rich ) This posting looks like a good option. I used this site to design the cover for 101 Personal Trainer Mistakes and it turned out great. (note: Fiverr.com is great for this kind of stuff. You can use them to create flyers etc. for you as well. They won’t be amazing but they’ll do the job)

Step 2: Use your logo to start a Facebook page and have that act as your websites business page for the time being.

Step 3: Go on Facebook and start adding all the friends and family you can possibly think of. This is your original group to advertise to. If you follow my steps you’ll be adding value to their lives, not spamming them.

Step 4:  Start a double tip of the day scheme.

Every morning from 6:30-8:30am post a tip that will help people start the day off right. It doesn’t have to be profound but can act as a simple reminder what to do. An example could be to bring a water bottle to work to stay hydrated. At night post another tip.

This one can link to a full article as people usually have more time to read. HERE’S THE IMPORTANT PART – At the end of each tip make sure you add in the line “I’m here to help. Message me if you ever have any fitness related questions. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it for you” (or something similar).

Step 5: Keep a list somewhere else of everybody who has reached out with questions (maybe excel). When you’re ready to launch the bootcamp make sure you tag them in the comments section of the post (don’t do it on the actual post as it’ll show up on their wall and look spammy). If you know them well enough send them a message asking if they want to come to a session. Tell them it’s free if they bring a friend.

While you’re at it start compiling a list of everybody you know well enough to contact. Send them an email when the program is ready

Step 6: Start looking for locations to perform the bootcamp in. A local park works great. If it has a playground even better. I like using steps, benches, and jungle gyms. Even if it’s pure grass you can make it work.

Know that most cities will officially require a permit. You can probably get away with not having one but it’s not a bad idea to ask your participants to tell the bylaw officer that you’re just a bunch of friends working out if they come by. If you want to advertise your boot camp with signs on location you’ll for sure need a permit. I’ve never gotten run and I’ve run lots of workouts in the park. I just thought I’d let you know. You can choose what you want to do here.

Bonus if the park has equipment

Step 7: Start studying body weight exercises. Literally go on Youtube for hours and take careful notes. Pause the videos and try the moves yourself on your floor. Get comfortable with them. Close your eyes and visualize the movements to ingrain them into your head.

Step 8: Create 5-10 template 45mins workouts based on the Youtube exercises. Make sure you have at least 1 progression and 1 regression of each exercise.

In doing so break the work outs up into sections. You’ll use these in your advertisement materials. Some exercises are metabolic training, rotational ab work, fat burning etc. 

Step 9: Write down your two-sentence pitch. In two sentences or less you should say what your bootcamp is about and why it’s different (and better). This is your sell. If you can’t speak about your business succinctly then you should develop the idea further.

Step 10: When you’re ready to launch the bootcamp (have the location etc.) tag it in every tip of the day. Have a demo day once a month where participants can bring a friend for free. Also include referral bonuses for people to bring others.

Step 11: Always have a smile on your face and continually look for new exercises and training systems. Know that outdoor boot camps are rarely about standard models of progression that you see everyday. The participants who look for this type of exercise want to keep it interesting. So do that — just make sure they’re technique it good.

Step 12: Blow it up!

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There it is. My quick and dirty system for starting a bootcamp for $0 (actually for $5) down. The key is that you already have your network. Facebook has done the hard work. Start providing value today in your tips. Soon you’ll be the go-to for fitness information for your friends and family. When you’re ready to launch your bootcamp they’ll all already see you as an expert.

Come to think of it. Maybe I’ll sell this system. Tune in soon for my 6-Figure Killer Bootcamp System (with no-money down) for $47. (I hope you know I’m kidding.)

Have you “liked” thePTDC on Facebook yet? Get over there and do it. Also if you’ve got any suggestions to help B.R. start his $0 down bootcamp throw them in the comments section below. I want to do a follow up a year from now when he’s rich.

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This is it. In no particular order these are my personal training secrets. I’ve got nothing left. I feel naked…

1. I learnt to manipulate grips: Programming progression can be done a number of different ways. One of my favourites is to manipulate the grips I use. Often times with new clients I don’t want to change the exercise for the first 12-16 weeks. To alleviate boredom for the client I’ll change the grip up. Additionally changing the grip can be a great way to continue training through injury. For example a trainee with shoulder impingement from too much bench press might benefit from pressing db’s with a neutral grip.

I recommend you take the time to learn the advantages and drawbacks of various grips and start testing them out. It’ll help your workouts as well

2. I teach jargon to clients: I love it when my clients know the difference between a barbell and dumbbell. Sometimes I even catch them making jokes about all exercises named after former Soviet Union countries being torturous vicious. I want to pass on my love for the gym to them and this is one of the ways.

As an added bonus the more they can talk the talk the more comfortable they’ll feel in the gym. It may not be the only reason they stay training but it will help their adherence.

3. I learnt how to unload a bar without breaking my back:

Step 1: Remove clips

Step 2: Remove all weight from one side

Step 3: Tip the bar dumping weights off the other end

Step 4: Wipe the dust off of my shoulder

4. I learnt to shut up: I ask open-ended questions often like “how did that feel” or “are you enjoying the work out so far” and be quiet. I used to get nervous after asking a question and would quickly chime in with my two cents. Since I’ve become more comfortable I let the situation get awkward.

Reason is that the more awkward the situation gets the more information my client will tell me to fill the silence. I can get to the root of problems quickly if they exist or write better programs armed with more knowledge.

5. I prepare for everything  I went into detail on this one in the post entitled “What’s in my desk” so I’ll refer you there to save my phalanges the work.

6. I have a soft copy of everything: My clients lose and forget their workouts. No matter where I am I can flip them another copy electronically in seconds seconds. Have all of your clients workouts stored on a file on the computer, teach the receptionist at the club how to access your files so if you’re not around they can help your client as well. If you don’t have an internal network open a separate dropbox folder for all of your clients workouts.

7. I stopped burning out: I’ve found 30hrs/wk to be the perfect balance. Check out the Block System. It’s how I organized my clients and gave me time to start this bomb website and write a wicked awesome book.

8. I Introduce my clients to everybody: I aim to make my clients the most popular people in the gym. I’ll introduce them to all of the other trainers and members. Doing this involves them into the community right away. Adherence increases as a result.

The added bonus is that everybody wants to bring friends into a place where they’re popular. My clients go out of their way to tell friends and family members about the gym because of how comfortable and good they feel when they’re there.

9. Fat gripz: My favourite dirty under-handed trick. I save these for when clients talk back… That and I want all of my clients to deadlift heavy so grip’s gotta be strong.

It also brings a sadistic smile to my face when my female clients tell me that they hurt their husband giving him a massage.

Training my client Robin (Model: Robin Kennedy Photographer: Darcie Kennedy)

10. BCAA’s: I have a really tough time putting on muscle and when it’s there I don’t want it to leave. Training 10-12 clients in a day didn’t leave much time to consume 3000+ calories. I started to add 10-15g of BCAA powder into my water and sip it throughout the day. It gives me a hit of energy and helps me maintain muscle mass.

11. I figured out that vodka bottles make great foam rollers: Ice pack, foam roller, and a party all in one package. What could be better?

12. I learnt how to apply Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory: (note that I go over this in detail in my book Ignite the Fire) This theory has shaped the way I train. Armed with it my clients confidence in the gym increases by the day. I’ve been able to recognize the specific actions that I need to do in order to make them feel like they can succeed in areas they’ve failed many times before.

13. Super shakes saved me life:

Step 1: Pick a veggie (I like spinach)

Step 2: Pick a healthy fat (coconut or almonds are my favourites)

Step 3: Pick a protein source

Step 4: Pick a topper (coconut shards and cinnamon are great!)

Step 5: Add in a liquid (I like almond milk)

Step 6: Never go hungry training 6 clients in a row again.

14. I learn constantly: For the past 5 years I’ve attended 8-10 seminars and conferences a year. Add to that the ridiculous amount of books I buy and it’s easy to see where my savings have went. (Note that if you’re in the Toronto area thePTDC is putting on a seminar in June featuring Tony Gentilcore, Nick Tumminello, myself, Geoff Girvitz, Dan Trink, and Mark Young. Check out this post for details. It’s filling fast!)

15. I learnt to find and harness the power of the mavens: When I started training in a new neighbourhood one client referred me 80% of my clientele (for the story check this article out). I trained her, her husband, her daughter, her two best friends, her daughter’s best friend, and her daughters husband. She was both well-connected and well-respected.

Some clients won’t ever refer you a client. In my experience the best sources of referrals always come from real estate agents, doctors, and stay at home moms. I seriously recommend reading through The Tipping Point for a overview of the power of “the maven”.

16. Caffeine tablets (not coffee): No matter which way you spin it you’ll be in close quarters with your clients. Coffee on the floor is an obvious no-brainer (if you’re doing it now – stop). Oftentimes I would have clients right after a coffee break. My breath stunk so I had two options. Option 1 was to brush my teeth (that took time and I’m lazy with stuff like that) and option 2 is to have a 100-200mg caffeine tablet.

Since I don’t particularly like the taste of coffee I opted for the caffeine tabs. The benefits are that it’s cheaper, quicker (which meant I could put my feet up for 20 minutes instead of walking to the coffee shop), and isn’t going to stain my teeth in 5 years.

17. I learnt about the aura of the expert and how to help others using it: The expert is a fascinating phenomenom. Once I established myself as a fitness expert specializing in helping people with chronic low back pain I started fielding questions on everything.

Instead of answering questions about training for a bodybuilding competition (or a host of other topics) I learnt to make connections with experts who specialize in those areas. Whenever a question came in I couldn’t answer I would simply “tap out” and call in an expert in that field. This increased my social equity by providing the person asking the question with a higher-quality answer than I could ever give.

18. I smile: Always. Smiling is contagious. It makes people want to talk to me even if I have a wicked cool handlebar mustache.

19. I deadlift… often: Years back I damaged  a facet joint in my back deadlifting too much weight trying to impress a girl. (Did ya ever think anybody could fit that much stupid into one sentence?). It sucked. I couldn’t move for two weeks and was feeling the effects months after. Training clients was miserable and I promised myself that I’d rehab and keep my back strong to never go through it again.

With the help of Dr. Mcgill’s Low Back Disorders and Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance I fixed myself back up and have been maintaining a hella strong posterior since. Spotting clients with a weak back can be dangerous and I can guarantee that you’ll be moving weight when tired loading and unloading bars. Keep your back strong. That way if a girl is actually paying attention you can impress her with your massive lift (’cause that’s what girls like right?)

20. I spot at the wrists: Wow I see this done wrong all the time. Spotting at the elbows on exercises with DB’s doesn’t allow you any control. In fact, in University somebody spotted me at the elbows on an overhead DB press. The combination of him slamming my elbows into overhead extension and rubber weights made me drop the weight and have a sore shoulder for two weeks. The weight narrowly missed breaking some poor dudes toe as well.

21. I became the “go-to” for fitness information in my network: I realized that I already had a great network so started making sure that everybody knew I was a trainer. Fact is that not everybody was ready for personal training yet. My goal was to stay at the top of their minds so that when they were ready, they’d call me.

Facebook makes this easy (add me if you like). Try a simple “fitness tip of the day” scheme. One post a day isn’t intrusive. Share something. Anything. Make it short and add a call to action at the end asking them to message you if they ever have any questions. You’ll be surprised at how well this works.

22. I change my socks often: You all knew it was coming. I straight up hate bad socks. For more mistakes like wearing thick cotton socks that will make your feet sweat without remorse make sure to download the massive free e-book “101 Personal Trainer Mistakes, and the Solutions to Each.”

23. I always look for ways to go the extra 10%: The status quo never interested me. I never quite understood how people just go in to do their job and collect their paycheck before punching out to go home and feed their 7 cats.

Every second of every day I’m looking for ways to add value to both my own and others lives. Perhaps the best book I ever read on the subject is Seth Godin’s Linchpin. I consider this to be the most important book I’ve ever read.

24. I teach my clients gym etiquette: It helps them gain confidence in the gym and improve their adherence to the program with or without me. The result? Better results! Check out this post for more details as to how I do it.

25. I mastered my two sentence pitch: You should be able to explain why you’re different and better than other trainers in no more than two sentences. Before I did this I didn’t feel comfortable selling myself to clients. In retrospect I was confused as to what my training methodology was didn’t have a personal manifesto. Write your own today. Here’s mine:

“I combine science with practicality and will help you cut through the hype and get results. I aim to break everything down and focus on what’s important to make this the most successful and enjoyable experience for you possible.”

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These are my secrets so I guess you won’t need to buy my brand spanking new book, Ignite the Fire – The Secrets of a Successful Personal Training Career. On second thought… I recommend it. It’ll make you more awesome at your job then you already are.

If you’re a new trainer it’ll prepare you for both a personally and financially satisfying career. Click the link below to buy the book from Amazon or Kindle or watch the trailer below… then buy the book. (Feel free to message me at jonathan@theptdc.com if you have any questions, or just want to say hi)

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