Golfers and Pelvis Dis-Association

It's that time of the year again! The time when old, wealthy golfers approach me to hear the big secret to hitting the golf ball an extra 50 yards...or how to lower their handicap...or how to keep their lower backs from tightening up once they get to the 6th hole. The golf professionals will try to sell them a new $350 club, while I will lie them on a table and assess their hip mobility. With a few stretches, corrective drills, and special movement cues, I will set them on their way, to hopefully, a more enjoyable game and one less useless club in their bag.

Since 2005-2006, I've been a big proponent of hip mobility. So much,  that at the time, I developed a DVD product just on the topic.  Before working with golfers, I had learned that the more freedom  there is at the hip joint, the more the workload shifts to the hips and glutes, rather than the lumbar spine. Years ago,  I suffered chronic low back pain from incorrect squatting, useless leg presses, and overall poor posture. Through my own corrective exercise studies and working with more sedentary clients that sat all day; I learned how to incorporate corrective drills to move the hips more independently from the torso. The more mobile the hips became,  the less stress was experienced by the lower back. Essentially, the lower back muscles were spared during heavy lifting sessions and the force production was generated by the stronger hips and glutes. The erectors of the lower back still came into play during triple extension movements, but they weren't the primary movers that you typically see in individuals with poor posture (sway back or kyphotic).

As I begin my season working with golfers desperately seeking the "solution" to their swinging woes, I am often reminded at how much it will take to "free the hips". One of the drills that I tend to demonstrate is the Pelvis Dis-Association Drill:

Try the exercise by placing your feet about shoulder-width apart and slightly bending the knees and hips. This is your "athletic stance". Secondly, place your arms over your chest (like a mummy). With your shoulder blades pulled back and tight, keep your belly button facing straight ahead. With the feet "grabbing" the ground, begin to rotate or shift your hips left and right--sort of like you are performing the hula dance. The most important aspect of this drill is to avoid having the torso move or rotate with the hips.

In this article I wrote for Mike Robertson a while back, I explain that movement is produced within our body's system of levers. In order to initiate movement, stop it, or change the speed of it, we have to brace one part of the body to allow the intended segments to move in the manner that we desire. The ground is used intentionally and extensively in sports and daily life. For the drill above, the upper and lower body segments are dis-associated from each other by means of stability and mobility. In the stable segment, the torso is braced by way of core stability. The ground  or surface becomes a major player in the next video, because we change the segments that are mobile and stable.



In the T-Spine Dis-association Drill above, the lower body "grabs" the floor and braces to separate the torso from the lower body. These two drills are the premise to an effective golf swing and were introduced by Dr. Greg Rose for Titliest years ago.

Remember, you want to dis-associate the two segments. At first, your rotation will be very slight and possibly minimal. Continue this drill at least everyday for approximately 2 minutes 2-4 times a day. Within a few weeks, you should begin to see a "swiveling" effect between your bottom half and top half. This process can be made quicker with regular foam rolling and massage therapy to increase tissue suppleness.

Read More

When Clients Blame the Trainer

Clients can be a funny bunch of people to satisfy. In this age of speedy service, speedy results, and entitlement, it is pretty easy to find a client that simply does not understand that they may be "partially" to blame for their lack of results. Now I use the term "partially" loosely because we know that in order for a person to reach a long-term goal successfully, it takes a major commitment and lifestyle change. 

Trainers are in the business of facilitating change. We harvest the necessary seeds for germination in people looking to transform their bodies. In order to do this, we must provide the tools to elicit behavior modification, self-perception, and education. One of the main tools that we use in this process is exercise. The main thing to remember as a trainer, is you are coaching someone through a journey of transformation. It doesn't matter if you train athletes or mothers...it is the process of betterment that you specialize in. 

Every now and then, there is a client that is accusatory and tends to blame their trainer for failed results. There are people in our society that favor protecting their own bad behaviors by placing blame on others. Take a doctor, for instance. Doctors are in a position in society that they can either perform miracles or cause the greatest harm. Outside of speculation, many doctors perform to their best of the ability, however, to some patients, it falls below their expectations. 

In personal training, many clients see TV shows such as "Biggest Loser" and believe that the process of losing 40-60 pounds is achieved within an hour to a few weeks. The perception is that the process is quick and short in duration; albeit,  these TV shows are edited and results vary per individual. So what really takes several months to achieve is actually squeezed into a 8-episode TV season. 

When someone pays for a product, the expectation is to receive the product. However, personal training is a service that allows one to gain the product provided that they understand it is a conjoined effort. When clients  place expectations on the trainer, they are removing their responsibility from reaching the goal. They are positioning themselves away from self-failure and disappointment. Instead,  they are reluctant to take responsibility for the journey into transformation. 

What happens when your client blames you for not losing any weight? Do you crunch up into a ball of anxiety? Do you get uncomfortable at the challenge? What happens when you turn the tables and place the expectations on your clients? Here's a video with my take on it: 

I believe placing expectations on your clients adds value to your services. It creates a "velvet rope" around your business. It makes clients believe that if they oblige by your standards, they will reap the results that they have been missing out on. If you can get your clients to believe in the process, half the battle is already won.

Here are some expectations that I personally discuss with new incoming clients. Please note that I am professional and cordial when discussing these with my potential clients. I do want their business; but at the same time I want to establish a "partnership" and  a mutual respect.


Expectation #1: Be on time for all sessions.
Expectation #2: Be prepared to discuss dietary habits every session.
Expectation #3: Try your best to meet weekly weight goals.
Expectation #4: A missed session is a missed opportunity to cause change in your life.
Expectation #5: Always work hard. We will take breaks and rest when needed.

What happens if these expectations are not met? Well, repeat offenders are eventually let go, but they typically drop out because of failed commitment to the program. My intent is to keep clients operating above 90% adherence. There's some room in there for flexibility. 

Read More

Half Kneel Overhead Shoulder Chop

In 2005, I had a surgery performed on my left shoulder called an acromioplasty. Basically, the surgeon goes into the shoulder joint arthroscopically, and shaves down the end of the arcomium called the acromoium process. Knowing what I know now, I probably didn't need the surgery, but I was in pain for 6-8 months and I was getting tired of living with the constant pain. I was working as a personal trainer for a large commercial gym and my shoulder pain was inhibiting my ability to demonstrate certain movements and exercises. The goal of an acromiopasty is to shave down any bony protrusion that may be coming into contact with the rotator cuff muscles/tendons during movements. The more space to move around in, the better chance the rotator cuff tendons will not "rub" against the acomimum process. 

In simple terms,  the procedure is a "robbing Peter to pay Paul". The premise is to take away from a structure, so that another structure can operate more efficiently. Like the door that doesn't slide easily within a door jam,  a repairman would file down the part of the door that is causing friction. Not exactly a great comparison, but you can see how integrity is compromised.

What I wish I knew then
If more patience was practiced, I probably could have strengthened the scapular retractors and depressors before it became too painful enough to do so. I would have included drills like this:

The rotator cuff muscles ability to "grip" the head of the humerus is important in shoulder joint action. A very common problem is when the rotator cuff muscles become too weak due to neglect in training or irritability in overhead pressing movements. When inflammation occurs, its only a matter of time before movements become painful and consistent exercise does not stay so consistent.

The scapular depressors and retractors must be strong in order to anchor down the scapular complex during overhead activity. They provide the "anchor" and rigidity for the rotator cuff muscle complex to do their job effectively. Once strong, the ability of the shoulders to perform overhead activity in a variety of planes adds a hint of spice to your training program.

Enter the Overhead Cable Shoulder Chop

Why I Like this Exercise: Truthfully, I have been toying around with this exercise recently and love how the entire shoulder complex is engaged. You have scapular upward/downward rotation and horizontal flexion/extension with frontal and saggital plane involvement. Place the body in a 1/2 kneel position and you have some core stability at work. The Cook stick attachment is great with this exercise because it allows the user to perform a small pull with initiation and then a big push on the opposing side. 


What You Need Before Doing this Exercise: First and foremost, you need pain-free shoulders. I'm not going to lie to you,  this exercise puts the shoulders in a very precarious position and if you already exhibit poor shoulder function (ie: excessive protraction, humeral head displacement, and weak mid-traps), you will  butcher your shoulders. If you have years under your belt training and performing some corrective exercise for the area and have ZERO pain,  this exercise will be beneficial. You will also need strong core bracing capabilities. In the video, I am using 30 pounds and my hips still tend to lag from left to right, but I can assure you my core is fully engaged--especially as the stick is pushed above my head. If you lack a strong core musculature, I recommend you dial it back and add in your basic planks and pallof presses to tidy up the area. 

Some Coaching Cues: I like the half-kneel position. I have not tried this exercise standing or in a tall-kneel position. But, if you do try it in a half kneel position, make sure to plantar-flex the back foot (as seen in the video at the :25 mark). This allows the lower body some rigidity and helps engage the core. Secondly, pick a comfortable grip distance. This will allow easy glide for your shoulders. Thirdly, make sure to keep the stick on the side of your head. Your biceps should brush up against the side of your head as the stick is lowered on the opposing side. If the stick comes out to the front of the body, it becomes a chest recruitment press.

Hope this helps and let me know what you think!

Read More

Attacking the Glute Medius with Band Drills

Question: Hi I was reading your tip about weak glutes and glute dysfunction on one side. My left glute doesn't function as it should, when I do mule kicks or glute bridges on the left side, my hamstrings tend to take over and leads to cramps. Surprisingly, my glute medius is stronger on my right side, when I do the band walks as you mentioned, or when I perform clamshells, my right side is a lot easier than my left side. And I've got all the effects you talked about, from tightness in my lower back on my right side to a scapula dysfunction and can't raise my right hand fully. Do you have any idea on what I can do to get my left glute functioning up to par with the right side? Thanks for any help."

Answer: Great question. We all have a dominate side and naturally, the muscles of the dominate side are going to be stronger and "fire" quicker when called upon. Next time you take the stairs, see which leg you move first...when you take an elevator...get in the car...take a seat...if you always use the same side, chances are the muscles and nervous system are programmed to use these muscles by default. Many of the muscle imbalances that we popularize are really caused by neural adaptation. Simply put, the nervous system is programmed to move our bodies in certain ways depending on the pattern that is developed over time and influenced by behavior, sport, injury, and muscle action. The nervous system becomes a 'gate-keeper' of sorts and is really the first aspect we have to address when considering "fixing" a muscle imbalance. I use the word "fixing" loosely because muscle imbalances really have to come to terms with:

1.) Proper instruction
2.) Constant reinforcement of proper instruction
3.) Proper execution
4.) Correct selection of exercises
5.) Optimal placement with an overall exercise program
6.) Body awareness
7.) Consistency
8.) Maintain

I always address the glute medius muscle.  Maybe its abit minimalist, but the glute medius can be a very neglected muscle that affects the lower body and, ultimately, the entire kinetic chain.

The glute medius has a couple of functions: with the leg straight is helps to abduct the thigh. During walking or one-leg exercises, both the glute medius and glute minimus function to help keep the body balanced and prevent they pelvis from dropping on the opposite side. When the hips are flexed,  the glute medius external rotates the thigh (clamshell). The clamshell exercise is great, but it get butchered easily by exercisers. The reason being is because people lack a body awareness to control compensations at the site of a dysfunction.

I am a big fan of activating the glute medius because I have found through the numerous assessments I have conducted over the years, it seems to be a common denominator among lower body deviations. I hesitate to say that the glute medius only affects the lower body because in essence,  it really causes a ripple-effect up the entire kinetic chain. However, this trouble muscle really needs direct work. I have incorporated mini bands into training and warm-ups for the last 6 years and I have never turned away or changed my mind regarding using other tools. Sure, clam-shells are great or bridges, but the lateral band walk is possibly the most simplistic way to really activate the GM. It is not a complicated drill and pretty difficult to muff up. Note: even if it is muffed a tiny bit, the glute medius still gets some work because of the elastic dynamic of the movement. Check out the video below that I created last week. I demonstrate 4 different band drills that I use. After the video I will explain my rationale behind each:



Long-Lever Band Resisted Band Walks - I prefer these for my more advanced trainees because the band placement offers a more "awareness" when abducting the leg. In this placement, I can even have clients purposely externally rotate the hip with each lateral step to intensify the exercise. Most people will feel the outer thigh doing most of the work, so this exercise is the best way (for me) to bring attention to the lumbar spine laterally flexing as an incorrect indication.

Ankle-High Band Resisted Walks - This is the most common placement for the band. For my group classes, I instruct participants to place the band at the ankle. The most important cue I can give here is to make sure the movement is controlled and the core is locked tight. If there is too much sway in the shoulders/torso,  the glutes really are not receiving the brute of the resistance; and the lumbar spine is. That is a no-no.

Short-Lever Band Resisted Walks - I choose these in some cases for people that experience hip asymmetries and weight shifting problems. A very good 'finisher' to this drill is to perform a squat movement with a purposeful abduction of the knees during the squat phase.

Standing Hip Resisted External Rotation -Unlike the classic clam-shell, I like to go right into some standing hip abduction work after some lateral drills. the clam-shell is usually muffed and often times, clients make the movement "larger" than it really is. With the band and standing, I cam able to get them to feel the glute medius at work. Hence,  in the video you will notice I place my hand on eh muscle to feel it.

Read More

Do You Have a Life Outside of Fitness?

Marriage is one of life's greatest and most peculiar events. If someone was writing your life into a book, marriage is a chapter in itself. Yes....it not mentioned in some boring chapter between your adolescence and retirement, it is a chapter onto itself. I'm sure you know many people in your life that are married or have been married. When someone is first married, it is a topic of discussion to have when you meet old and new friends. It is routine to blurt things out like:

"I just got married."
"We've been married for about 3 months now."
"Our wedding day was spectacular."

However, after a period of time, many couples don't mention their marriage anymore. After a few months, the wedding is "stored" and "logged" in memory as an event; and ultimately, life moves on. Now, this is not intended to minimize the power of matrimony, but I want to tickle you with a question:

How many people continue to talk about their marriage?

Not many. Unless, they are having problems or are still living in bliss. In either case, as the recipient of such conversation, it would be routine to yawn, roll the eyes, or change the subject. Do you know anyone that always talks about the same thing every time you see them? Everything and anything you know about them is the billboard of their life they are holding up. Billboards are meant to give you short, quick information on a subject and nothing more. If you want more, you have to inquire by contacting the owner.

The same goes for people.

This occurs many times in the fitness industry--especially around fitness instructors and personal trainers (yoga instructors are notorious for always talking about yoga). Personal trainers and group exercise instructors always talk about fitness. Runners always talk about running. Fighters always talk about fighting. Marathoners always talk about marathons. Power-lifters always talk about power-lifting. The list goes on...but you understand what I'm getting at. In the fitness industry, if you are not flashing your billboard, people may not identify you with health, exercise, and strength.

What happens when you "announce" or "proclaim" your profession or passion of fitness? Most people feel obligated to reinforce their identity for fear of losing it or blending in. That's cool. But a billboard doesn't tell us much about  a topic. It tells us a snippet. Connecting with individuals calls for more than just snippets.

Why are fitness professionals reluctant to identify themselves with anything other than fitness and exercise?

It's about identification.  For some it is their family, for others it is their jobs. For others it is their hobby or a life-changing event in their history. In fitness, people like to be identified and regarded as being healthy and "into fitness". The identity is fueled by the time and energy they dedicate to their craft. Psychologically-speaking... their reward for the time and effort put into learning their craft and refining their skill, is being identified by it. 

I witness this mostly in people that have decided to become personal trainers in their middle-age years. Finding your niche in life is an on-going search. And there is nothing wrong with figuring out what your passion is or how to disseminate it; but I'm here to tell you that fitness should enhance your life--not consume it.

Since 1999, I have been employed as a personal trainer or manager. My career has been in some sort of fitness capacity for 13 years. It is what people identify me with, but it is not what I solely identify myself in. As a matter of fact, most people that meet me for the first time cannot really put their finger on that fact that I work as a personal trainer.

Did you see what I just wrote there?


I work as a personal trainer. If people cannot fathom a connection between myself and fitness, it doesn't bother me, insult me, or hurt me. I know who I have become and who I am. That is the key. I have established a confidence that transcends any bewilderment, negativity, or ignorance from others.

Close relatives or friends know me by other things in my life. In the past couple of years, I have garnered some old hobbies of mine to sprinkle my mind with things outside of fitness. I have gotten into the habit of picking up my electric guitar to strum out a few rock licks while I battle writer's block from time to time:

Thanks to my wife who has shown me that relaxation is not a bad thing--especially at the beach or a park; I've re-discovered a likeness for reading again. I've picked up a few books over the last 12 months. And I am not afraid to say that the last few books I've read are outside of the fitness realm:

And I have discovered that I enjoy creating, breaking, and fixing things around the house. I have a new-found love for gardening and making our home look nicer with pleasing aesthetics:

This sounds corny, so why am I sharing this with you? I want to show you that there is more to being a fitness professional than just talking about fitness. There is life. Fitness is a huge role I've enlisted myself in a long time ago and it engulfs me; but if you don't look outside the shell you've built around yourself, you will burn out or eventually lose your passion.

In this age of social networks, we tend to hold billboards for to see. Billboards with messages of identity reinforcement. But when does the level of confidence rise enough to be comfortable in your self-efficacy? People want to be identified with something. We live in a society where we want to "be part of something" and  provide testimony to it. Today, we have to show proof of everything including events, celebrity encounters, and other ridiculousness.

How many people do you know that always identify themselves with a medical condition or illness?

"I have ADD"
"I am gluten-intolerant"
"I have a bad back."
"My knees are bad so I can't walk far."


Do you know what identifying themselves with impairments does? It reinforces their identity and that validates their decision to accept it. Without an identity,  they fear blending in a crowd of faces with no distinguishable features. How sad is that? Well, if the confidence level and knowing who you are (self-worth) are apparent, there is no need to consistently reinforce who you are and what you do. Life is not short in my opinion. Life is a long journey. Depending on what you spend too much of your time doing, may make it feel like a hastened consumption.

Read More

Interview with Nick Tumminello

In an industry filled with exercise physiologists, physical therapists, personal trainers, strength coaches, PE instructors, aerobics instructors, and educators, it is quite difficult who to follow to broaden your knowledge base. Let's face it, the fitness industry is a big "salad" of professionals that share the same belief that exercise is the most effective medicine for mankind. But when these different disciplines and professionals come together, who does a personal trainer listen to? I have been a big proponent for personal trainers learning from other personal trainers. Yes, physical therapists educate us and strength coaches chime in...but it is apples and oranges to me. A true personal trainer works with an exclusive group of people that do not make up the athletic population or the rehab population. We work with regular Joe-Schmoes. And I can think of only 3 fitness professionals out there that can actually satisfy our hunger for knowledge when training the general population. Nick Tumminello is one.

Recently, I was able to interview Nick for this blog and introduce him to you. If you haven't already heard of him, Nick Tumminello is a great fitness educator working out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. he has been featured in countless magazine articles, written books, and seen everywhere on the web. You can check out his full bio here and absorb all the info that this man carries.

JI - Right off the bat, I find you to be a very influential fitness professional in a field that is mixed with personal trainers, strength coaches, physical therapists, and group exercise instructors. Reason being...you are a trainer that speaks training to trainers. I find this field is guilty of putting physical therapists in the spotlight excessively, when their audience is made up predominantly of trainers. To me, it is like getting a NASA Astronaut to speak to an audience filled with Hot-air balloon operators. Sure, there are small commonalities, but it is largely apples and oranges. This is my opinion. What are some of the mistakes trainers are making nowadays when entering the field? (feel free to disagree)

Nick – First off, many thanks for your kind words as I’m absolutely trying to bring “fitness training” back to the Fitness Professionals. So, I’m happy people can clearly see that.

I think it’s great the professions are integrating together and that we’re becoming more multidisciplinary. And, Yes! there is certainly a big emphasis on PT-ish education in the fitness world. But, just because something is becoming emphasized in the education doesn’t mean you have to emphasize your actual training in that same manner.

I’m personally attending 4 Physical Therapy based workshops this year, all held by my great friends at North East Seminars, who bring in the best Physical Therapists in the world.

Now, I don’t attend these workshops because I’m trying to be a mini-PT. Quite the opposite in fact! I attend these workshops to 1) go to the actual sources of corrective exercise information, which 2) repeatedly shows me how badly the fitness training world has abused, confused and misinterpreted “corrective exercise concepts.” And, 3) to better understand the current evidence on potential injury mechanisms and treatments, which helps me to 4) better understand how to optimize my training programs and 5) to have a clearer understanding of my scope of practice vs. the scope of a rehab professional.

So, I absolutely think we should learn from everyone. And, think the fitness-training world has lots to learn from the rehab world. But, the “learning” should help us better understand OUR OWN identity and help us to understand WHAT WE KNOW and to DO WHAT WE KNOW. Instead of confusing us and muddying the waters. But, that’s no fault of the great education that’s being offered to us. It comes from not having an identity. As the saying goes “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

Unfortunately, I do see this lack of identity leading to 3 big mistakes I see fitness pros make:

Mistake #1 - Not understanding that PTs work with “broken” people, whereas we (the fitness pros) don’t. All too often I see trainers treating their fitness clients like rehab patients by giving them lots of slow, boring, PT-ish exercises that are designed to “get you back” to normal. They’re NOT designed, nor intended to be used if you're already normal (i.e. not broken). Now, we ALL have some minor aches and pains from sleeping wrong or from an old injury, etc. But, that doesn’t mean you’re “broken”, nor does that mean you should be treated as if you are. There’s a big difference between a “client” and a “patient”! 

Mistake #2 – Focusing on the stuff that you’re clients CAN’T do instead of what they CAN DO. It’s great to assess our clients to better understand what exercises we may want to use and not use. But, at Performance U, we are more concerned with what we CAN do with you in order to get you to start exercising because that’s what you came to us for in the first place. No one comes to a fitness trainer for rehab. They go to a clinic for that. So, the assessment just tells you what movements NOT to load and gives us more confidence on what we CAN load to help our clients achieve their goals (lose fat, build muscle, move faster, etc.). As Thomas Myer says “For every 1 thing that's going wrong in your body, there’s a thousand things going right.” We focus on what going right and capitalize off of that! 

Mistake #3 – Forgetting about the power of good old exercise. Many people have aches, pains and lack of body awareness because they simply don’t move enough. Many of their “issues” magically go away when you reinstate movement into their life through a well-balanced training program. And, inspiring them to build a love for movement and for their own body doesn’t hurt either!

That said, famous physical therapist Jim Porterfield (from Porterfield & DeRosa) said at one of his workshops “There’s nothing guaranteed in PT. But, a good exercise program can improve someone’s physical and mental state in 6-weeks.” It’s funny how even good PTs admit that corrective exercise is “iffy” at best. But, a good strength program is proven to work. And, here we are as the “exercise experts” and all we can seem t want to talk about is corrective stuff.

JI: Lets imagine the personal training industry is purchased by a large investment company and you've been named the CEO and president of the board...what are 3-5 changes you'd make to better the field?

Nick - Thanks for making me the new dictator of the training world. There’s way too much stuff floating around the industry that’s being taught to us as its fact, when it’s really based on pure opinion. I’d instate a policy that obligates everyone to state which parts of what they are teaching is actually proven in the research and what’s not. I’d fire anyone who feels they must use jargon or overly complex terminologies to “teach” their approach. If you can’t teach a beginner who’s not “already in your special training system”, I’d send you packing! I’d also fire anyone who didn’t design a program based on the goals of their clients. Now, in many cases, the client doesn’t follow through with the program or their diet. But, I’m not talking about that. What I’m talking about is if your client’s goal is to (let’s say) gain muscle and lose body fat, and I see that the training program you designed for them is geared around improving their inline lunge pattern and teaching them how to master a kettlebell snatch, you’re ass is soooo FIRED!

Now, those are great exercises and things to work toward, don’t get me wrong. But, they aren’t what your client is paying you to achieve. To many trainers make the program they design about THEM and what they want their client to do, not about what their client wants and what is best to use in order to achieve the client’s goals.

As trainers, we can certainty add value by sprinkling in what we feel the client needs. But, priority #1 needs to be achieving the goal of the client! Or, at least doing everything we can to help them achieve their goal as safely and as fast as possible. That’s what they’re paying us their hard earned money for, and it’s what they’re taking time away from they’re family and work in the hopes of achieving.

To me, if you’re not designing a program that emphasizes and prioritizes achieving your client’s goal, then you’re not doing your job. Therefore, you’re incompetent. Not only that, it also shows me that you’re so selfish and arrogant that you’re willing to take your client’s hard earned money and waste their time by giving them a program that’s based on impressing your colleagues (and yourself) over giving them what they’ve paid you for.

Even if your client achieves the goals YOU set out for them. If they don’t ALSO achieve the goals THEY themselves have, you still didn’t do your job! And, if you don’t do your job - I don’t care how many degrees or certs you have, or how many other trainers say you’re awesome – Your ass is still FIRED!

JI: Today, many trainers focus much of their efforts on correcting every muscular imbalance that they find in a new client. From "caving-in knees" to "externally rotated hips"; would you say there is a "splitting hairs" phenomena happening in the field--especially with new trainers?

Nick - I think its great trainers are using assessments with their clients and not just loading them up and sorting it out later. But, the confusion lye’s in WHY we’re you assessing. In that, at Performance U, we use assessments to find out what exercises we will (and won’t use) based on how someone moves. But, we DON’T use assessment to diagnose dysfunction because I’ve never met a fitness trainer who’s qualified enough to tell us the difference between “dysfunction” and simply a “variation of normal.” Heck, the jury is still out on that. So even most PTs will admit they don’t really know either… at least the one’s who aren’t ego maniacs will admit that That said, PT’s use assessments to find a treatment diagnosis for specific issue. And, they’re certainly more qualified to tell the difference between adaptive issues vs. a protective issue. And, what’s potentially dysfunctional and what’s just a variation of normal.

Training (and PT) are moving targets. Assessments help both types of professionals to better hone in on the target of each individual. As trainers, we use assessments to hone in on how we can help someone get into better shape without hurting them. And, how to improve their fitness & physique while working around what may be currently hurting them. Whereas as a PT uses an assessment to find out what’s hurting someone in the hopes of removing the provocative issue. That’s a BIG DIFFERNCE!

JI: We share a favorite fitness professional in JC Santana. I met JC in 2002 after a conference and interviewed him 2 years ago. When I look at both of you, I see that you both bring a passion AND understanding for working with the general population. What do you think the perquisite for every trainer entering this field should be? Also, can it be learned or simply inbred from whom we are?

Nick - JC is the man! He’s a mentor and a great friend to me! He and I actually first met when I was around 18 and have fond memories of training with him over the years at IHP. It’s funny how things come full circle as I’m now living full-time in south Florida and train clients out of IHP.

In regards to a prerequisite to being a trainer – You absolutely need to be a people person. I also believe you have to walk a fine line between being confident, but not cocky. In that, you have to display enough confidence that your clients believe in you because it’s obvious that YOU believe in yourself and what you’re teaching them. But, if you’re “cocky” people will see that you simply enjoy hearing yourself talk and get off on “leading” people.

A confident trainer understands that coaching is something you do WITH someone and you do it FOR someone. A cocky trainer thinks training is something you do TO some one. A good coach has the confidence that he or she can help people find the wisdom within themselves and within their own body to become successful. On the other hand, a cocky trainer takes personal credit for all the success their clients achieve and has convinced themselves that everything has stemmed from their wisdom.

JI: Professionalism takes on various forms to me. As a past manager, I was always angered by trainers that lacked a degree of professionalism. They either used profanity, dated clients, or habitually late to sessions. They never lasted long under my tenure; but what are some unprofessional things that perturb you?

Nick - I’ve personally been a multiple offender all the things you listed. I’ve also been guilty of double booking clients and standing up clients. Hey, I’m only human and when you train 8-10 sessions a day for 10 years, mistakes do happen.

That said, there’s a big difference between making a few mistakes and maturing as a professional, and chronically conducting yourself in an unprofessional manner. I really don’t allow anything anyone else does to “bother” me, so to speak. But, I do get concerned when fitness professionals seem to design programs that are geared toward achieving goals that the trainers feels the client SHOULD want, instead of designing a program based on what the client actually wants to achieve.

This is a customer service business. And, that kind of practice shows me you don’t care about delivering good customer service. Therefore, you don’t care about your customers (i.e. clients).

JI: It seems that bodybuilding got a bad rap in the early 2000s once "functional training" became popular. Now it seems that Crossfit is becoming mainstream and more and more trainers are looking towards bodybuilding-type training again. What is your take on this "cycle" of training and do you see it another way?

Nick -  I would liken this to what happens in relationships. We split up with someone because we focus on all their negative aspects. Then, after they’re gone, we begin to miss all they’re positives, which we seemed to take for granted when they were around.

That’s a very normal part of the learning and growing process. In that, sometimes we need to explore both ends of the spectrum to finally realize where the middle is. That’s why we’ve adopted a Hybrid approach to training, which allows us to see the strengths and embrace the weakness offered by multiple forms of training. Instead of using one tool for every job, we have a large tool –box, which gives us the versatility to use the right tools for any job.[END]

Read More

Interview with Dean Somerset

I have joked with Dean in some personal messages that his blog is the first one I check out every day and I meant it. There has been no one that grabs my attention through their writings like Dean Somerset. The guy is strong, smart, witty, funny, and did I say smart? I only discovered his blog about 2 years ago, and man, has his popularity blown! Rightfully so, the guy has made me look back on how I do some things and think more critically. If that hasn't happened to you after reading some of his past blogs, you gotta be high on something or dead.

Dean Somerset is a knowledgeable fitness professional from Canada that specializes in corrective exercise and post-rehabilitative training with clients from all across the board. You can check out his awesome blog here. Without further-ado, I asked Dean some questions to allow my readers learn a bit more about him.

JI: Growing up, tell me about your first experience in a gym. What attracted you to fitness, weights, and the like?

Dean: I grew up in a small rural town in British Columbia, Canada, so gyms weren't all that prevalent. There was the local rec centre which had a small fitness facility, but I never really paid it any attention until I was about 16. I was too busy playing sports and doing outdoor activities to care about lifting weights. If I wanted to do that, there were lots of mountains with big rocks where I could do it for free!! It wasn't until a really bad ankle sprain and at the physiotherapists recommendation that I start working on strength training to get back into competitive shape that I started to actually pay it some attention.

The first workout I did consisted of calf raises, standing on a wobbleboard, leg extensions and some band work the physio gave me. It wasn't anything stellar, or even really productive for that matter, but it was a start. Flash forward 3 years and I was moving out of my parents house and persuing a degree in kinesiology to get more out of the weightroom. Prior to that I was thinking I would go into learning how to do body work on cars!! Initially I liked it because of the potential it carried. You could get pretty much anyone into any goal they wanted by simply tailoring a workout with slight variations that would produce big changes in their health, physique, and overall capabilities to move. I also liked the fact that girls were paying attention to me a little more, which never hurts when you're 16.

JI: Why did you choose the corrective exercise route, or did you fall into it based on what you saw in the gym? or what you studied? or what caught your interest the most?

Dean: I chose to go through the corrective pathway more out of necessity than anything else. When I started working at my current gym fresh out of university, I figured I wanted to train people to lose weight or become more athletic, but I noticed I was getting a lot of people coming in to me fresh off the street looking for a way to get an injury stronger or reduce their pain or even to recover from surgery. I worked with some pretty interesting cases and after a while I grew a reputation as someone who knew what they were doing and could help people recover from injury faster than on their own. I started to network with my clients' physios, chiros and physicians, more to get more information on what I should and shouldn't be doing with them, and then they started sending me more of their patients to work with. Before I knew it I had a referral network of about 25 professionals sending me their patients directly (sometimes billing services through their clinics, sometimes writing prescriptions for insurance coverage, and other times coming in to see what I did for assessments), and even wound up training a bunch of the professionals as well.

When I asked a few of them a pretty simple question of why they send their patients to me instead of someone else, their response was simply that I was the only one they had worked with in the past who sent status updates, filled out Release of Information forms, and asked for advice on what I should do with them, meaning they could trust me more than any other trainers. Here's a simple moral to trainers: ALWAYS contact medical professionals to find out more information, and then follow up on a regular basis.

Over time I started to get really busy and began to off-load some of the lesser priority clients to other trainers, but then realized the trainers I was sending these clients to didn't necessarily have the skill set to feel comfortable working with them properly, soI started to build an educational pathway in my companies continuing educational calendar, where trainers could go through a career pathway that would help them learn all the components necessary, from anatomy to assessments to application of corrective exercises in a way that doesn't make me want to gouge out my eyes when I see it. Seriously, there's nothing worse than watching a trainer take a client through a workout that's way too advanced for them, and is actually hurting them, and the trainer not understanding why the client isn't getting stronger.

JI: I know that commerical fitness facilities get bashed alot online--including by me--but I have also been noted as saying they are a good place for new trainers to start a career. I have spent the first 5 years of my career in a commercial--for profit--fitness centers and found those years to be the best learning experience for me both as a trainer and manager. Enough about me...here's a question for you: what are 3 advantages to working for a commercial facility and 3 disadvantages?

Dean: You know...I've toyed with the idea of opening my own space for a long time, but the management at my club is really great to work with and they see the value in what I'm trying to do, and are more than happy to let me have as much freedom to do what I want. I've also been here long enough that I've worked my way off the typical grid system most gyms operate on where payment is based on number of sessions trained each month. I have a corner office, a free facility to run any workshops or seminars out of, and can pretty much get any toys and equipment I feel would be beneficial without having to shell out of my own pocket. Top it off with the fact that all the advertising, marketing, accounting, reception, maintenance, and staffing are not a concern I have to deal with, and you're looking at one stress-free hombre!!

A lot of what could be considered downsides are actually potential benefits in my eyes. Most of the complaints I hear from other trainers as they rag on commercial gyms are things like crappy trainers with no education, having to pay the gym a cut of the session costs (sometimes a lot), having a boss telling you what to do, silly rules to follow, members who don't want training, etc, etc.

First, you will have low quality trainers in any situation, not just commercial facilities. I could name a dozen private training studios in Edmonton alone where I wouldn't pay a dime to set foot inside, let alone a few dozen regular bloggers who I've read that are completely out to lunch and still own their own facilities. The situation doesn't define the individual working there, and I would go toe to toe with anyone on their knowledge of anatomy, physiology, exercise adaptations, and plain common sense approaches to training.

Second, you're not going to make 100% of your session cost, regardless of where you work. If you work in a studio, you are either paying a rent to the studio owner, or are the owner and have to pay for everything. This means you may be leaving the month with more of a payment than you would at a commercial facility, depending on your deal. The gym has to take a portion due to things like insurance, accounting, marketing, keeping the place open each month, and making sure you don't have to worry about any of the administration stuff that goes into running a business. On top of that, the owner would like to actually make some money off you working there. The less you work, the greater your relative cost to the company, which means they take a larger percentage of the session cost.

Having members is like having a blow-up kiddie pool stocked with salmon and you standing there with a fishing pole. They see you training your clients every day, and they watch to see if you're worth spending money on. They also talk to your clients and get more intel than you would ever be able to give, and make up their minds without you even knowing it. If you're good, they come to you. If you're not, they avoid you like the plague. It's some of the easiest marketing you could ever do, and it's got a much higher closing percentage than any online marketing guru could ever get you. I've managed to close 96.4% of my initial consultations due to the fact that people coming into me are already aware of who I am, what I do, and what I can do to help them. They are also highly qualified, having either been referred to me through a medical professional or through watching me train others, or by referral from their friends or family members. The fact that I charge roughly 50-100% more than the average trainer per session has never been an issue.

JI: If you can go back to a time earlier in your career--knowing what you know now--what would you do differently?

Dean: I wouldn't have been such a jack-bag who thought he knew everything and spend the first few years of my career trying to learn more and more and more. I spent about three years just trying to be a great trainer, not trying to increase my knowledge base to become a better trainer. One thing I've found as I've grown as a professional is that it doesn't matter how much marketing you're doing if you're trying to sell crap. No one will want to buy into a poor service or product, so instead of trying to figure out how to get more clients, I would have tried to find a way to get better and faster results for my current clients. This would also help to keep those clients longer and turn them into walking billboards for my business, which would in turn get me more clients.

JI: Your product Post Rehab Essentials is an invaluable resource for trainers looking to design exercise programs that are efficient in corrective strategy. Your thought process is very well put together and you don't seem to leave any stones un-turned. There's alot of good information in Post Rehab Essentials--its like handing over the keys for a Ferrari to a zit-faced 16 year old who just got his driving license. The product is that damn good. What objectives can be met from watching your Rehab Essentials video lecture?

Dean: Wow, that's some serious praise!! Thanks for that John, I really appreciate it. You know, I came up with the workshop for Post Rehab Essentials after working with a bunch of trainers who didn't know simple things about common injuries they would be seeing in the gym: things like why you shouldn't do leg extensions with any knee injury, or why rotator cuff irritations don't like overhead pressing. I wanted to put together a resource that would cover all the bases with enough information to help as many people as possible without crossing boundaries into something that could be considered teaching the application of a therapeutic modality. Understanding what to do is really key, but also understanding when you need to have another set of eyes and ears looking into the problem is equally as important, and probably a bigger piece of the pie. Trainers who decide to get Post Rehab Essentials will walk away confident in having a lot more knowledge and options when it comes to training a client who says "it hurts here when I do this," other than simply saying "well don't do that!!"

JI: About your blog writing...I am a huge fan of your writing as (in my opinion)..parallels Tony Gentilcore's mix of humor laced with juicy information. Talk to me about your blog writing process--from inception to publication. How do you create your topics and write these gems?

Dean: I'd love to say I have a spread sheet with topics cross-referenced with the coefficient of frequency by which those topics are currently being discussed across all publications and an open account through Pubmed to do all my research, but to be honest, it's a lot more organic than that. Sometimes I just sit down at the computer and stare at the keyboard for a couple minutes, then start writing something, delete it all, swear at myself under my breath, consider watching Army of Darkness, and then try something else. Occasionally it winds up being the third or fourth try at something, and by now it's close to 11 pm and I have a 6 am client coming up the next morning, so I'd better hurry the hell up and get it done. Other times, I have an idea in my head, and I kick it around a few times for a day or so before I start writing things down, and before I know it I've created a 3-part series on the thoracic spine which is getting shared by dudes like Mike Robertson and Joe Dowdell.

As for the humour, I try to throw in enough satire to keep people interested in wanting to read more of the info so that they get the message. I figured out a long time ago that if I presented information that was a s dry as a popcorn fart, no one would want to read it and those who did wouldn't recall what I was trying to talk about, but if it had a little zing in it, everyone would remember what the point of the article was a week later. And to be honest, everyone likes the odd joke about stupid people, a demotivational picture or six, and the odd casual observation mixed with a visual analogy of some bodily function gone awry. All class, all the time. [END]

For this Easter weekend only, Dean's Post Rehab Essentials is ON SALE for only $99--down from the regular price of $209! Check out the product before the sale ends!

Read More