My Thoughts: Personal Trainers

While at the gym the other day, I had some mixed emotions while watching one of the “trainers” take a client through a workout. Let’s examine both the pros and cons:

Pros

I have a lot of respect for anyone who does this for a living, especially if they got into it for the right reasons. Most trainers are going to work long hours, get paid an average (but not outstanding wage), and probably be in and out of the industry in a few years. It’s definitely not the easiest job in the world.

As well, people often think of all the glitz and glory of working with highly functioning people or strictly elite athletes. I hate to tell you, but it’s not always all that glamorous, especially when starting out. In the beginning, you take whomever you can whenever you can to make ends meet. You don’t have the ability to pick and choose who you want to train. Especially if you have other people underneath you within the business, it’s not just about you making money – you are responsible for your other coaches and their lifestyle as well.

It’s easy to criticize trainers if you’re not in the industry, or if this isn’t your sole means of employment. But making a living as a trainer? Well, let’s just say it’s not the easiest thing in the world.

Cons

While I can appreciate the hard work and dedication these people put in, there are certain things that just flat out piss me off. First off, I’m pretty sure one of the guys had little or no training experience, let alone a certification. The “training session” consisted of weighted lunges (she didn’t need any extra weight, believe me), ab machine crunches, and a host of other poorly chosen exercises. So while the exercise selection sucked, the coaching wasn’t any better. The people who lose in this equation are the people paying for the sessions, and the good trainers out there who get a black eye from being associated with this trainer.

Now, couple this with a total lack of professionalism when it comes to attire. A polo shirt is fine, but take the time to at least tuck it in. It’s no wonder why people think trainers are total idiots; if you look the part, people will assume it to be true.

If we want this profession to be elevated to a higher level (whether it’s strength coaching, training, therapy, whatever), not only do we need to act the part but we need to look the part as well. Get your education up to par. Read articles and books. Listen to high quality CD’s and DVD’s. Attend seminars. You get the point.

But once you have the education and the know-how, take the time to look the part as well. Shaving from time to time, dressing appropriately, and keeping yourself in shape all help to raise the bar.

If we want to be paid like professionals, it’s time to look and act the part!

Mike Robertson

I Reserve The Right...

…to market myself and my products.

A while back, someone was calling me out for “marketing” myself. I hate to tell you, but each and every one of us is being marketed to every second of every day. If you don’t believe that, you’re quite naïve.

Driving down the road the other day, I was repeatedly “marketed” to: Advertisements on the radio, billboards on the road, signs alongside the street, etc.

Watching the TV, we’re constantly marketed to via commercials; unless you have a DVR or TiVo, it’s part of the price you “pay” to watch TV.

Selling my products and services is a big part of how I make a living. I hate marketing myself, but it’s a necessary evil. If I don’t market myself, who else will? People don’t magically know when a product is released or a service is offered. Someone (and typically the person who created it) has to let people know.

Here’s the trade-off I offer with people who read my articles, my blog, or my newsletter – I promise to consistently deliver great information, essentially, FOR FREE. Will I plug my products and services from time to time? YES! I feel like this is a small price, though. On my website and blog alone I have over 70 free articles and around 100 blog posts for your consumption.

Most importantly, remember that you don’t EVER have to purchase one of my products. You can read every article, every blog post, and every newsletter and no one will ever make you buy a product – just like watching TV. Just understand that its part of my job to let you know that said products and services are out there and available, should you so choose.

I appreciate each and every person who takes the time to read my ramblings. Hopefully you can get past the “marketing” and enjoy the information I’m trying to disseminate along the way!

Stay strong
MR

The Online Coaching Controversy

There’s been a lot of blowback on the web lately regarding online coaching. If you’re not familiar with the concept, it’s essentially where someone from a remote location wants more specific help with their training, so they enlist a qualified coach to write their programming for them. As I write this, I have several online clients from Europe, one from Japan, and one from China. Needless to say, without the Internet, this wouldn’t be possible.

In my case, I tend to get a lot of injured or beat-up people who need proper programming to get them healthy. At first, I didn’t really like the idea. I mean, how can you really help someone when you can’t see them? How do you know what days they should crank it up, or what days to reel them back in?

Quite simply, you don’t. It’s not THE most efficient way to train people. But, in that same vein, it’s truly helpful for those who either don’t know how to program for themselves, or simply have no desire to. There are always going to be special cases or people with more major problems than you can solve via the Internet, but these people are generally few and far between. Even in person, they’re still going to be your tougher cases.

Now, some people on the Internet will say that it’s an online coach’s job to teach that person how to program for themselves. Really? Last time I checked this person wants a program, not an education. Now I’m more than willing to explain exactly why I chose a certain exercise, set/rep scheme, etc., but quite often the people I work with don’t give a shit about what they’re doing, as long as it works. Along these same lines, you can give someone the basic tools in a few months, but it’s just not possible to give them all your knowledge in that time frame, especially when the bulk of your interaction is via e-mail.

I have had one or two clients who want me to coach them on the “art” of program design, but they are few and far between. The people that I work with view this as outsourcing on their part. I outsource my financial planning because that person is an expert/professional in their field, and even if I know a lot about the topic, I’ll probably never know as much as someone who dedicates their life to it. In all honesty I don’t care what my financial planner does with my money, as long as I get the returns that I want. The same can be said of online coaches.

So there’s my piece – hopefully it gives you an idea as to how and why an online coaching service may help you.

Stay strong
Mike Robertson

The Career Path: Q/A

Dear Mike,

This writing is a request for assistance. I am at fork in the
road on my career path. I'm 22 years old and will graduate
college in December. For the last few years I have been
excitedly learning everything I can about weight training and
nutrition. I chose to pursue mainly nutrition in my
undergraduate studies at Central Michigan University, as a
Dietetics major, but as I near graduation I'm unsure of
whether I want to pursue further education in sports nutrition
or go the route of strength training and become a strength and
conditioning (S & C) coach. I'm inspired by the thought of
someday interning and working with coaches and like-minded
people like you. All I seem to think or read about these days
is related to weightlifting, nutrition, athletics, athletic
development, body composition, and so forth. These are my
passions. What I'm not clear about is how to discern my next
best steps-specifically related to formal education (even
though I realize most education is outside of the classroom).

I'm hoping you might be willing to offer some insight or
suggestions regarding:

1. How I might clarify my passion and/or next steps? (I
realize that it doesn't necessarily have to be strength
training OR nutrition, but having a narrower goal would help
in choosing where to pursue a masters degree, and with what
focus.)

2. What is the best formal education path once I determine
which route to take? For example, if I choose the S & C route,
would a masters in Kinesiology with a concentration in
exercise science or biomechanics (or something else) be the
best route? If I choose further nutrition education, what
degree(s) would put me in the best position to give nutrition
guidance in an athletic type environment? (I definitely don't
want to be a clinical dietitian.)

3. Are there any masters degree programs or other educational
or training opportunities or internships you especially recommend?

I greatly appreciate any guidance, tips, or helpful resources
you might be willing to offer or point me toward. If you
prefer to talk by phone let me know.

Thank you!

Shane -

Thanks for contacting me - I think you've put yourself in a great position
to be successful down the line.

Firstly, PLEASE make sure to complete your dietetics degree and get your RD.
We need more athletic-minded RD's in the field! Beyond giving yourself an
edge over the competition, you'll be better able to help the
athletes/clients you work with down the line.

As far as finding your passion, it sounds as though you've already done it!
Working with athletes is the greatest job in the world. After you've
completed your dietetic degree and test, look into Masters programs in the
fields of physiology, biomechanics or perhaps a specialized program in
sports nutrition. Make sure to get time in both the lab and practical (e.g.
athletic) settings. Being able to read and comprehend research is a
critical part of any Masters program, but you need to split that time
between the theoretical stuff and the "in-the-trenches" stuff as well.

As far as programs go, I can say without a doubt that UCONN has an excellent
program - I've studied under and worked with many of the staff there, and
they are top-notch. My old alma-mater, Ball State, still has a great lab
but has shifted it's emphasis from strength and power which are my passions.
Finally, the lab at Memphis was very solid a very years ago but I'm not sure
where it's at right now. Those would all be great places to start.

I hope this helps and good luck with your future!

Best
Mike

Synergy

Synergy is an amazing thing. While we all know that 1+1 does not equal 3, we also can't argue that synergy seems to occur.

Synergy is very evident in writing and personal projects. I've been extremely lucky to work with two amazing guys (Bill Hartman and Eric Cressey) on several projects in the past. It should come as no surprise that all of these articles and products have been wildly successful as well. While we've all done our own thing independently, something special happens when you put a group of like-minded individuals together to work on a single task.

The concept of synergy is evident in our training as well. As many of you know I'm doing some body-comp work in lieu of my upcoming travel to Cancun. While my short-term training goal has been to improve body composition, I've also seen a favorable carryover to my strength training and even my diet. It would seem counterintuitive, but I'm more focused on ALL my training and diet now than in the past few weeks. And that's saying something.

But most importantly, the best carryover I've seen are improvements in relationships with family and friends. You know how some times things just feel like they are going well? It's not a coincidence; everything affects everything, either positively or negatively.

Make it a commitment to constantly find and utilize positive synergy in your life. Training not going well? Try spending some extra time with your family or friends. By changing one aspect of your life positively, you create a tide of well-being that will spillover into other aspects as well.

Stay strong
MR