Being selfless, even in an industry full of show-offs.

The thing that separates the 'eh' trainers and 'good' trainers from the great trainers? Selflessness. Great trainers didn't get into the business to brag about how 'swollen' they are getting because they work out three times a day and eat a ridiculous diet that no one can keep up long term. Bragging to everyone about these things only makes people hate you. So stop. I love the trainers I have as friends on Facebook who will post several times a day about how great they look because they just got done with their second work out for the day and they go home and post nine pictures of their chicken breast and broccoli dinner and a shirtless pic in the mirror. Really? People already hate exercise and diets enough. Don't give them another reason to hate it even more.

How is that even possible?

I joined a gym for a while so that I could actually go to the gym and just work out without having to actually work. Every time I tried to go to my studio and work out I would always end up showing someone how to work a piece of equipment or showing someone how to fill out paperwork. It always happened. This gym that I joined was, of course, one of those big open spaces with a ton of equipment and lots of meat heads. I can't even begin to tell you the bad form I saw with EVERY single man/boy in that gym. Yet, somehow, they all had bulging arms, giant leg muscles and from all the many times I saw them lift their shirt and check themselves out in the mirror and take pics (for what? to look at later?) they had pretty defined stomachs as well. How does this happen? Why do people get rewarded for doing things incorrectly? Here I am doing my job telling people how to do it the right way and most struggle just to maintain before we find the balance that works. But these guys get instant results for doing it all wrong. Makes me sick.

Transition, typing out loud.

So I am in the middle of a transition of cities for a new job. I'm coming from Oklahoma City to Wichita. It has been a pretty fast transition and I often stop to wonder if I'm doing the right thing. I think it is natural to think something like this and to have doubts. I always say that if I just affected one person in my career I would be a happy man. I'm getting a little hungrier now. I have had some good times in OKC with my career and am realizing just how many people I have changed. But, I really feel like it is time for me to move on and expand my reach. There are so many people out there who just need a little push in the right direction to start a healthy lifestyle, or just find the activity they love, and ultimately save their life (or even give them more years of healthy living).

I want to be that push.

I have all of this pent up energy and want inside that I don't know how else to let it out but with my job. Teaching is the ultimate high for me. Whether it is one on one with a client or in a classroom with 20 people. I have had such a privilege here in this city to meet so many good people and to have their trust to take them on as a client. I feel like I have left them all in a good place to continue their journey into health and wellness. I hope they all feel the exact same way I do. I hope I really have accomplished all that I feel I have accomplished.

It is the beginning of a new chapter. It's time for me to go make another city sexy as hell. Bring it on Wichita. Let's do this.

From trainer to trainer, words of advice.

So consider this post one big giant rant. Most of this stuff I'm going to talk about I can't even believe I am seeing in the industry. Some things are minor compared to others but, seriously, it is still nuts. I just don't understand. It makes me sick.

First thing I'm going to talk about: 'Biggest Loser' style training.
SERIOUSLY?! What in the hell trainer watches Biggest Loser and really thinks that is how they should train?! That is 100% for television, promise. I'm telling you now if you are standing above your client screaming down at them to do 10 more push ups or they are going to die is NOT and will NEVER be an acceptable way to treat a client. I think these type of trainers are purely in the industry for themselves. They think they have a title to show off and yell at people so they can have an audience to feel superior to. This is wrong. It is very, very wrong. If this is you, find another way of doing things if you are really, truly serious about making it in the fitness business.

Second thing (probably should have been first): Training without the paper.
I'm going to do you a huge favor right now. If you aren't certified, stop training. Now. In a world of sue-happy people and lawyers on every corner it is VERY stupid to train without credentials to back it up. Not to mention, training without insurance. I don't care if you think the loophole is making your client sign a contract that says you aren't certified. Think that will hold up in court? Hm, probably not. Of course, if a burglar can break into a house and sue for getting stuck in the chimney maybe you can find a lawyer and judge dumb enough to take it. But I doubt it. Anyway.  Finding a great place to get certified through really isn't that difficult. You don't have to have a four year degree to be a trainer. Is it preferred? These days, yeah kind of. But not necessary. Not with continuing education requirements and seminars readily available you can still stay educated and up to date on the new and upcoming changes in the world of exercise and safety to keep your creds current.
I used to have a gentleman come into the gym EVERY single week, no exaggeration, and apply to be a trainer. I would ask him EVERY week if he was certified yet. The answer was always no but he didn't understand why that would stop him. He loved exercise and did it everyday. It wasn't like he didn't know how. Well, that's cute but liability doesn't cover unqualified people.

Third Thing: The word 'aerobics'.
This is probably the biggest thing for me. If I get called an 'Aerobics Instructor' one more time I'm liable to snap. This problem far surpasses just the word 'aerobics'. If you are still using the word 'aerobics' to stand for cardiovascular workouts in the group fitness room (such as Step Aerobics) or even just with a client, please stop. This second. Aerobics is such an outdated term. I believe it was Thomas Plummer who wrote a huge rant article (much like I'm doing now) about this very same topic. He stated that if you are a fitness business still using the term 'aerobics' it shows that you are outdated, unwilling  to change, and will soon close your doors because of your refusal to come into the 21st century. Trust me, if Thomas Plummer said it, it is probably going to happen. I'll dig a little bit and if I can find that article he wrote I will post it on here, but I doubt I will find it. It has been awhile since I've read it.

Fourth and Final: Planning an exercise program and using it with EVERY client.
Who does this? Surprisingly, a lot of trainers. How personal is that? Not very. Don't be shocked when a client isn't getting results and ends up not coming back. EVERY person is built different. EVERY person will need to be worked differently. EVERY person, EVERY time. That is part of your job to figure out how you are going to do that. Use all of that education you got from school. If you aren't willing to do your job, why, then, do you have this job? It makes no sense. I don't think I'm the only trainer that loves figuring out how I'm going to achieve goals with each client. Part of the fun is making the program, right? Right?

Kwxercise quick fitness tip 2

If you are an early workout kind of person it is important to wake up at least one hour before you workout. This allows plenty of time for your body to finish waking up and the synovial fluid around your joints and spine to turn liquid again.

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Exercise, stop making it a chore!

Nobody enjoys taking out the trash or doing the dishes or doing the never ending pile of laundry. Most people don't even enjoy mowing the lawn or going grocery shopping. Chores aren't fun. So I ask you then, why are you making your work outs a chore? Working out shouldn't be a punishment for you. I think most people see it as a disciplinary action for letting their bodies get out of shape. STOP THINKING THAT WAY! If you aren't making your work outs enjoyable you won't stick to it and you will never see changes in your body. Here are a few tips to help change your mindset:

1. Workout in a place that gives you good vibes.
If you hate the gym then you will NEVER enjoy working out in the gym. Ever. Shop around a little bit before you commit. If it doesn't feel good to you, you will certainly HATE it even more when you start paying dues every month to sweat there (or not because you probably won't end up going anyway). There is nothing wrong with working out at home. If you are more comfortable there, you are more likely to stick to a workout program. My suggestion, if you choose to work out from home, is find a trainer that will come to you to show you how to do this effectively and safely. Some of the best clients I have I train from their home. It is amazing what you will make yourself do when your comfortable with your surroundings.

2. Find something you love.
If you hate walking on the treadmill for an hour, then stop. Going to the gym and spending all that time on a piece of 'cardio' equipment is a waste of time anyway. Find the exercises you enjoy doing (mind you I'm saying "that you enjoy doing", not the exercises you find easy to do. If you aren't challenging yourself you won't get results.) and make a circuit out of them. Try a Spin class. Make your workouts work for you. If you like it, your chances of sticking with it greatly increase.

3. Define the reason 'Why'.
Why are you working out? Do you even know? How can you measure results when you haven't even set a goal? Make short, achievable goals for yourself. Write it down on a sticky note and take it with you to the gym. Put it on your water bottle so you always look at it every time you take a drink. If you see your goal you are much more likely to achieve your goal.

4. No workout works without the proper diet.
No matter the caloric expenditure, if you are leaving the gym and going straight to Whataburger thinking that an awesome source of protein is a hamburger, think again. Fast food is a fast way to sabotage all of your hard work. Eating healthy doesn't have to be strenuous or boring. Just eat a little of everything from every food group several times a day and watch your metabolism sky rocket. Exercise programming and proper diet go hand in hand. You can't successfully accomplish one without the other. 

DOMS, what is that?

DOMS or, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, is the acronym we give to the feeling your muscles have the next day or maybe even two days after a really great or really strenuous workout. For most of us, DOMS is exactly what we need to tell us that our time in the gym was well spent. Do we need to feel sore to get results? No, there are a lot of ways to program a workout so that you don't get sore and it certainly isn't mandatory to see health benefits. Being sore is also nothing to be wary of. That is your body rebuilding itself to make it stronger.
Let's talk for a second about why we actually get sore. The basic component of EVERY single muscle in your body is built up of a bunch of strands wrapped around each other. These strands are called myofilaments. These myofilaments wrap around each other to form myofibrils (last fancy word I promise) which is what actually gives muscle that striated or strand-upon-strand look. If you lay all of the fingers of your right hand in the spaces between all the fingers of your left hand this is exactly how those filaments are layered in muscle. When we do any sort of weight training or even any sort of aerobic exercise we actually tear those filaments. It isn't a bad thing to do this because your body will actually come back and repair itself making that muscle bigger and stronger which can be seen by the eye over time because we get bigger arms, legs, shoulders, back etc. This rebuilding process is also why we have found that muscle confusion is really the only way we keep seeing strength gains. Your muscle rebuilds itself so to protect it from getting torn in the same way. So when we take a rest from our workout due to DOMS it is important to come back to the gym with a different work out in mind because your body has already prepared itself and you won't get any more results from the same old workout.