Sit in on my Cressey Performance Staff In-Service for Free

Written on January 11, 2012 at 3:04 pm, by Eric Cressey

I’m psyched to announce that today, we begin the “pre-launch” phase of a project – Elite Training Mentorship – that has me very excited.

I’m collaborating with Mike Robertson, Dave Schmitz, BJ Gaddour, and Pat Rigsby to create a virtual mentorship program for trainers and coaches.  We’ll be filming staff in-services on various topics, going over sample programs, providing coaching tutorials, and doing Q&A.  All of us come from different backgrounds and bring unique specialties to the table, so it’s excited to think about what we’ll be creating with this online resource.

We don’t officially launch the program for a few weeks, but in the meantime, as a little sample of what’s to come, I want to encourage you to check out a recent staff in-service I delivered at Cressey Performance on the topic of lower-extremity assessment.  You can get access to it HERE.

I’m confident that this collaboration will become a resource that really helps to advance the industry, and we’ll be using the next few days to highlight some of the expertise that will help it do just that.  So, stay tuned – but for now, don’t miss out on a chance to check out this lower-extremity assessment video at no charge.

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The Best of 2011: Stuff that was Fun to Write/Video

Written on January 2, 2012 at 7:14 am, by Eric Cressey

Today, I’ll wrap up my “Best of 2011″ series by highlighting the pieces that I enjoyed creating.  Check them out:

1. 11 Years, 11 Lessons, 100 Pounds – This T-Nation article recapped my long journey in the strength and conditioning world to get to where I am.  It was definitely one of my most popular articles of all time at T-Nation.

2. The Fitness Business Blueprint - This product was a blast to create because I think it filled a gaping hole in the market.  Until we launched it, nobody had created a fitness business product that didn’t just discuss how to grow a business, but also how to improve as a trainer/coach.  I had a blast collaborating with Pat Rigsby and Mike Robertson on it.

3. What I Learned in 2010 – I enjoy writing these articles every year, because they serve as a great opportunity to revisit some of the most valuable lessons from the previous year.  And, as the saying goes, the best way to master something is to teach it to others.

4. Strength and Conditioning Program Success: The Little Things Matter – This was a fun blog to write, as I did so right around the time when several of our athletes were recognized for some awesome achievements.  It gave me a chance to reflect on why they were successful – and why many other folks aren’t.  There will be some valuable takeaways for you, regardless of your athletic or fitness goals.

5. Oblique Strains in Baseball: 2011 Update – I’d written about oblique strains in the past, but they continue to be the big fat white elephant in the corner that is being ignored in the context of baseball development.  Hopefully this article got some people to start paying attention to the fact that it’s just the fallout of a lot of things that are wrong with the current approaches being employed with respect to baseball strength and conditioning.

6. The IYCA High School Strength and Conditioning Coach Certification – I was fortunate to be a contributor on this awesome resource that will hopefully change the tide of how high school athletes are trained.  Based on the feedback we’ve received thus far, it’s already helped tremendously in this regard.

7. Strength Training Program Success: How Dr. P did at 47 What He Couldn’t Do at 20 or 30 – This blog (and accompanying video) were awesome because our entire gym got involved on this goal – and were there to see our good friend accomplish it.

8. The Everything Elbow In-Service – This was an in-service I filmed for our staff this summer to prepare them for all the elbow issues that may come through our doors.  It lasted 32 minutes, and sold far better than I would have imagined – and led to a lot of requests for us to continue filming staff in-services and making them available for sale.

9. Strength and Conditioning Programs: Think the Opposite – This has a few tips about a counterintuitive way to achieve success in training and in business.

10. Hip Pain in Athletes: The Origin of Femoroacetabular Impingement – FAI is becoming more and more common (especially in young athletes), and in this blog, I talk about some of the reasons why.

That wraps up our “Best of 2011″ series.  Thank you very much for your support of EricCressey.com in 2011; I’m looking forward to making 2012 even more memorable!

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Test Drive The Fitness Business Blueprint for $1

Written on December 6, 2011 at 5:49 am, by Eric Cressey

Today, Pat Rigsby, Mike Robertson, and I are excited to announce an early holiday gift to people who want to build successful fitness businesses in 2012.

We aren’t just offering you $100 off our best selling product, The Fitness Business Blueprint; we’re also giving you the opportunity to test-drive it for a full 30 days for just $1!

You can pick up your copy or learn more HERE.

We’re very proud of just how comprehensive this resource is.  It doesn’t just cover sales and marketing, but also areas other products along these lines have missed:  staff training, assessment/intake, program design, and personal development (among others).

I should mention that your net payout is actually even lower than you might think, as this is an investment that can be written off on your tax return as a business expense – because it will directly assist you in increasing your income.

The $1 Trial ends on Thursday at midnight, so don’t delay.  Head here for details.

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Strength and Conditioning Stuff You Should Read: 11/2/11

Written on November 2, 2011 at 4:34 pm, by Eric Cressey

Here’s this week’s list of recommended reading:

If You’re Not Growing Your Fitness Business, Here Are Some Fixes… – This was an awesome “choose your own adventure” type of post from Pat Rigsby, as he provides options for fitness professionals facing challenges on the business side of things.  Pat’s ability to find opportunity in any fitness is unparalleled, and one reason why I was stoked to collaborate with him on the Fitness Business Blueprint.

Get Strong Using the Stage System – This was a guest blog I just wrote last week for Men’s Health.  In it, I highlight one of my favorite strength and conditioning program strategies, the stage system.

The Importance of Hip Flexion Strength – This was a great guest contribution from Chris Johnson at Mike Reinold’s blog.

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Feedback on The Fitness Business Blueprint

Written on October 10, 2011 at 12:16 pm, by Eric Cressey

Since we released it two months ago, The Fitness Business Blueprint has received some excellent reviews from fitness professionals who have been enable to effectively employ the strategies Mike Robertson, Pat Rigsby, and I outline in the product.  Here’s one such individual:

“The thing I love about Mike, Eric and Pat is the consistently high quality of all of their products.  I’ve been following Mike and Eric’s work for years now, and as a direct result, I was already a great coach with a solid assessment procedure in place.  After Eric’s presentation in the FBB, I was able to streamline this procedure, and make it run that much more smoothly – for me, this alone was worth the price of the product.  But it didn’t stop there.  Mike and Pat followed up Eric’s presentation with some great back end business ideas and systems advice that have had an immediate effect on my bottom line.  You won’t be disappointed with this product”.

James Garland
Strength and Conditioning Coach – New South Wales, Australia

Click here for more information on The Fitness Business Blueprint.

Strength and Conditioning Programs: Think “The Opposite”

Written on September 6, 2011 at 12:30 am, by Eric Cressey

September 6 might seem like just another Tuesday to most folks.  Many people probably despise it because the day after Labor Day serves as an unofficial end to summer.  Kids go back to school, teachers go back to work, and many seasonal businesses lose customers and employees as the season winds down.

Not me, though.  Today, the madness begins for me – and I love it.

You see, today is the start of the professional baseball off-season, as some minor leaguers played their last games yesterday.  Between now and the start of spring training in February/March, Cressey Performance will likely see over 50 guys either in the big leagues or trying to make the big leagues.

We get a special type of ballplayer, too. Trekking to Hudson, MA in the winter isn’t for everyone – and certainly not for guys who want to be coddled.  Our guys love to work smart and hard – and that makes my job incredibly fun.

People are often surprised to learn that I never even played baseball in high school.  Being an “outsider” to the game would seemingly make it harder to enter the world of baseball strength and conditioning, but I actually used it to my advantage.  To put it bluntly, I had no preconceived notions of what people think works, so it made it easy for me to “buck” stupid baseball traditions and focus on what I know works.  In short, as some of the world’s smartest marketing advisors have recommended, I did the opposite of what others do, and the Cressey Performance Elite Baseball Development Program thrived.

Given that baseball players are among the most often-injured athletes in sports, many “experts” in the industry baby them with “do no harm, but do no good” strength training programs.  We show guys that it’s possible to get strong in an intelligent way while decreasing the risk of injury – both acutely and chronically.

Conversely, many strength and conditioning coaches alienate players by looking, acting, and programming like football coaches.  We don’t Olympic lift, back squat, or bench press with our baseball players – and we’ve gone to great lengths to bring in equipment that enables us to modify traditional strength exercises and make them safer for a baseball population.

Many coaches who have played the game before rely exclusively on their experiences playing the game to dictate how players prepare nowadays.  What they fail to appreciate is that the modern game is far different: more off-field distractions (e.g., heavier media attention, social networking), heavier travel schedules (more teams = more travel), more competing demands (e.g., strength and conditioning), and more pressure to succeed (larger organizations = more levels of minor leaguers pushing to take your job).  As a result, I do a lot more listening to my athletes than I do talking – and much less assuming than other coaches do.

Loads of coaches run their pitchers into the ground, thereby ruining guys’ mobility, sapping their power, and abusing their endocrine systems in an ignorant attempt to improve recovery.  Our guys never run more than 60 yards – and they get healthier and more athletic in the process.

Many organizations hand out the same strength and conditioning programs to all their players – regardless age, training experience, dominant hand, and position on the field.  A lot of facilities are no better; one training program on the dry erase board dictates what everyone in the gym does on a given day.  In a sport where each body (and injury) is unique – and asymmetry is overwhelmingly problematic – we give our guys a competitive advantage with a strength and conditioning program that is individualized to each player.

While some facilities were aligning themselves with companies who were trying to be “everything to everybody” by catering to loads of different sports, we allied with New Balance, a Boston-based and not only has a heavy baseball focus (225+ MLB players under contract), but a strong commitment to various charitable causes, American workers, and the education of up-and-coming players.

Walk into any professional baseball clubhouse, and you’ll see a lot of different “cliques.”  Guys of a wide-variety of ages come from different states and countries, speak different languages or have different accents, and play different positions.   On a 25-30 man roster, a player might only hang out with 2-3 teammates off the field at most during the season.  We’ve made camaraderie an insanely important piece of the CP professional baseball approach, introducing guys to each other, setting up out-of-the-gym events for our guys, and creating a culture where everyone roots for everyone else.  I’ve had guys at my house for Thanksgiving and at my wedding – and guys have held back on referring other players because they didn’t feel that their work ethics or attitudes would be a good fit for CP.  In short, we’ve created a family and an experience – and given our athletes an ownership stake in it – while others just  “worked guys out.”

Although it is a point Pat Rigsby, Mike Robertson, and I heavily emphasize in our Fitness Business Blueprint product, the concept of “doing the opposite” to succeed isn’t just applicable to business.

Go to any gym, and look at how many people are on the treadmills year-after-year, none of them getting any leaner.  Get some of them to head across the gym to a weight room and they’ll transform their bodies in a matter of a few months.  Switch someone from a high-carb, low-protein, low-fat diet to a high-protein, high-fat, low-carb diet, and they’ll often drop a lot of fat in a short amount of time.

With all that said, the answers for me will never be the right answers for you.  Look at what you’re doing – whether it’s in training, business, or life – and think about how doing the exact opposite may, in fact, be the best way to improve your outcomes.

For those of you interested in taking a peek inside what goes on with the Cressey Performance Elite Baseball Development Program on a daily basis – from training videos to footage of guys goofing off in the office – I’d encourage you to follow @CresseyPerf on Twitter.

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Strength and Conditioning Stuff You Should Read: 8/12/11 (Fitness Business Blueprint Edition)

Written on August 12, 2011 at 8:06 am, by Eric Cressey

With today being the last day of the early-bird $100 off discount on The Fitness Business Blueprint, I wanted to take a quick second to direct you to a few reads that might be of interest along these lines:

Bret Contreras Interviews Cressey, Robertson, and Rigsby – Here, Bret asks not just about our new resource, but a lot of how our businesses came to be.

Your Fitness Business Blueprint Questions Answered – Have a question about The Fitness Business Blueprint?  Chances are that it’s answered here.

EC on The Fitcast – I went on the Fitcast with Kevin Larrabee the other day to discuss the new product as well as the overall concept of running a fitness business.  If you’d rather listen than read, here’s the one for you!

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Strength and Conditioning Programs: How to Make Change Easier

Written on August 11, 2011 at 6:54 am, by Eric Cressey

Yesterday was a busy (but fun) day at Cressey Performance, and when I got home around 7pm, I was beat. Luckily, it doesn’t take much energy to check emails, so that’s what I did.  This one made my night:

Hey Eric,

Just wanted to thank you for helping me out this summer. I’ve weighed in at 197 the last few days, a 19 pound increase in about 3 months. My fastball has gone up 7-8 mph and I still feel like I haven’t thrown the ball near my best yet. Because of the work I put in this summer I now have a legitimate shot to pitch a lot this year after not seeing an inning and getting redshirted last season.

Thanks again,

John

Pretty cool, huh?  These are the kind of emails that make the long days all worthwhile and remind me why I have the coolest job in the world.  It gets better, though – as there is a lot to be learned from this specific story.

John – a college pitcher coming off two surgeries in two years on his throwing shoulder, plus a few hamstrings pulls – drove seven hours for his one-time consultation/evaluation at Cressey Performance back in May and then took a program home with him.  Then, he drove back to CP at the start of his June and July programs to learn the exercises and check in with us to make sure everything was progressing nicely.  That’s some serious dedication (and gas money!).

Just as significant, though, was his ability to embrace change, as our programs were a huge deviation from his previous experiences.  His original email to us included this line: “I run 6 days a week, one of my goals between the end of this season and the beginning of next one is to run 1,000 miles.”  He didn’t do a single “run” over 50 yards in the entire three month program with us.  He also did far more (and longer) long toss in his throwing program than he had previously.  So, you could say that he not only embraced a change, but thrived with it.

Change is tough, though.  Lots of people read my blogs, hear me speak at seminars, and interact with me on short-term observational visits to Cressey Performance – but only a small percentage of them actually put things into action.  Loads of people acquire knowledge, but never act on it.

However, interestingly, when a new client starts up at CP, they stand a much better chance of succeeding with change.  Starting (and staying consistent with) a strength and conditioning program is a big undertaking; in fact, for many, it’s as significant as taking on a new job, opening a new business, or learning to play a new sport or instrument.  And, when that program is a complete deviation from what you’re expecting, it’s even tougher.

Why, then, do some people succeed with change more than others?  I think it has to do with a lot of factors, but these five stand out the most to me:

1. They get those around them involved – John’s dad came along for the ride for his first day at CP – and this is often the case for the parents of our high school athletes.  While you don’t want overbearing parents, you do want a support system that’s aware of new goals and can be there to help keep one accountable in the quest for change.

2. They find good training partners and a quality training environment – I had a quick video blog about this yesterday, but I’m convinced that training partners and environment are just as important as an effective program.  There are always people to pick you up when you’re dragging, and the energy is contagious.  It makes change fun while making it seem like it is actually a “norm,” as training partners are constantly reaffirming what you’re doing and providing encouragement and feedback.

3. They don’t get overwhelmed by changing everything – Sometimes, the easiest way to create massive change is to take baby steps and break the overhaul into smaller components.  As I wrote recently, small hinges swing big doors.  This has never been my “cup of tea,” but there have been times when we’ve had to slowly change around a program for a client that was accustomed to a completely different school of thought.  “One of mine and one of yours” can work for the initial period and help you to gain an individual’s trust before a more thorough transition.

4. They incorporate this change into an existing schema – This is one I originally read in the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, by Chip and Dan Heath.

To illustrate things, I’ll call upon my own personal experience.  Back in 2006 or so, I didn’t think that there was any possible way that semi-private training could work. How could you have clients of all different ages, experience levels, and goals training at the same time without having chaos?  My buddy, Alwyn Cosgrove (who, at the time, had just beaten stage 4 cancer for the second time), had some great advice:

Physical therapy is done in group settings. Cardiac and pulmonary rehab are done in group settings.  I did pulmonary rehab post-chemo.  Seventeen of us in the group and one nurse. That’s called semi-private!

Chemotherapy is done in a semi-private setting for most cancers, too. My first time through there were ten of us in a room with two nurses. Actually, when I was in the hospital getting chemo it was still semi-private. I had one nurse who covered six rooms.

Now I’m even more convinced. If life saving (and potentially deadly chemotherapy) is done in a small group setting, you’re really stretching to tell me that an exercise program has to be one-on-one.

We now do almost exclusively semi-private training, and it’s amazing.  Middle school athletes get to watch how the high school guys train.  The pro guys get to mentor the high school guys.  The adult clients get to know athletes they see on TV on a personal level.  Experienced clients introduce themselves to new clients when they start training.  Just the other day, one of our local families had two of out-of-town athletes (Colorado and Virginia) over for dinner on Saturday night, and then brought them to church with them on Sunday morning.  There is insane camaraderie among folks from all different walks of life.

None of it would have been possible if I hadn’t been able to wrap my head around the idea of semi-private training – and it would have been tough to get to that point if Alwyn hadn’t put the concept into my existing schemas (physical therapy, cardiac/pulmonary rehab/chemotherapy) for me.

5. They spend money – Taking a leap of faith and increasing the stakes can sometimes motivate people to make change happen.  Whether it’s a payment for training, or just a bet with friends about exercise consistency or some training goal, separating people from their money always seems to magically increase adherence.  People don’t like getting ripped off – and it’s even worse when you rip yourself off because there is nobody else to blame except yourself!

In a recent example, Pat Rigsby, Mike Robertson, and I outline many assessment, training, and business strategies that one can effectively employ in a fitness business in The Fitness Business Blueprint.  One of our primary goals in making it the way that we did was to make sure that we made it easier for buyers to apply the changes we recommended; we discussed how to incorporate our ideas seamlessly in their current business strategy.  Still, none of these tactics will work is someone isn’t willing to change – and that means putting in some leg work to both set the stage for change and then follow through on it.

This resource is on sale for $100 off through Friday at midnight.  If you’re looking to make positive changes in your fitness business – or get one off the ground in the first place – it’s an outstanding way to get the ball rolling.  You can learn more about The Fitness Business Blueprint HERE.

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The Fitness Business Blueprint is LIVE!

Written on August 8, 2011 at 10:15 pm, by Eric Cressey

I’m psyched to announce that The Fitness Business Blueprint, a collaborative project among Mike Robertson, Pat Rigsby, and me, is now available for sale.

A ton of work went in to making this product the most comprehensive resource available to fitness professionals looking to start a successful training business.  And, even if you’re already in business, there are business, relationship-building, assessment, program design, and training strategies you’ll learn to instantly help take your business to the next level.

Mike, Pat, and I all have unique skill sets, and by combining them, I feel strongly that we’ve put together a comprehensive approach to attacking fitness business development from all angles.  Rather than list all the details here, I’ll encourage you to check out The Fitness Business Blueprint sales page.

The product is on sale at an introductory $100 off price through this Friday (August 12) at midnight.  It’s 100% online, and you’ll be able to access (and put into action) all the information immediately.

Why the Gym’s Out-of-Business and the Porn Store’s Thriving

Written on August 5, 2011 at 6:23 pm, by Eric Cressey

I’m up in central Maine visiting my wife’s family for the weekend, and on our way in to town, I couldn’t help but notice that the local gym in the center of town had gone out of business since I was here about eight months ago.  When I commented on it, my wife’s response was: “No surprise; there have been three gyms there before it, and they’ve all gone under, too.”

It’s not all that surprising, given how many health clubs, gyms, and fitness facilities go belly-up each day in America.  What was a bit surprising, though, was that while you’d think the other businesses in the area would be struggling in light of the recession, that really wasn’t the case at all.

About 1/2 mile up the road, the parking lot at an “Adult Film” store was completely full.  I would have snapped a picture of that, too, but it probably wouldn’t have made the patrons in the parking lot too happy.

Instead, I got this one of a doughnut shop not too far away.  Yes, the place was hopping at 3:30PM on a Friday afternoon – not exactly what I’d call pristine “doughnut consumption time.”

Recession, huh?  Would you consider porn flicks and doughnuts necessities?  Surely, if people have the disposable income to splurge on fornication and chocolate glazed awesomeness, they can front the $20/month to get rid of the spare tire that’s hiding their unmentionables from view.

Taking it a step further, this doughnut shop has over 3,000 locations, and apparently, the porn store dude has several locations in the area and has done quite well for himself.  So, why can’t the gym catch a break, in spite of their noble intentions?

Very simple: they likely made some big mistakes that their more successful counterparts avoided.  Right off the top of my head, here are three:

1. They likely went too big. - This gym opened at over 6,000 square-feet, while the porn store started as a small location with lower overhead and (presumably) grew into more locations over time.

Cressey Performance started at 3,300 square-feet, expanded to 6,600, and then went to 7,600 just recently.  We bit off what we could chew, and nothing more.

2. They likely overpaid for commercial space on the main road. – Location is important for a business, no doubt, but too many people think they need to pay for crazy expensive commercial property just to get as many drop-ins as possible.  This isn’t exactly in line with the “niche” name, either, as it implies that they’re pushing to be a specific location that people seek out because they serve baby boomers better than anyone else.  The porn store was on a side street.  Why?  People seek it out; they don’t just drop in to pick some up on a whim.

Cressey Performance is in an industrial park in what seems like the middle of nowhere – but it works because we are in a niche and clients will travel to train with us.

3. They likely wasted money silly equipment instead of investing in their greatest assets: their people and their relationships. – This is quite possibly the biggest mistake I see upstart gyms make; they spend thousands on cardio equipment and fixed-motion resistance training equipment rather than spending conservatively in this regard, and instead investing those financial resources on their true assets: people.

For the $30,000 it costs to purchase a treadmill, elliptical, recumbent bike, and 4-5 apparatus fixed-motion resistance training circuit, those folks could have purchased more effective equipment for 1/3 the price and instead spent the remaining $20,000 on staff education and referral bonus gifts for existing clients.  They probably blew a ton of money on direct mail and newspaper advertising, too, when they should have been out hustling to network in the community and tap into their existing clientele for referrals and help spreading the good word.

In short, they probably devoted money to depreciable assets when they should have been using them to add value to existing investments.

You know what porn videos are?  Investments.  They pay themselves off over time.  Seated triceps extensions doohickeys don’t.

Several gyms had already gone out of business there previously, and it seems readily apparent that these folks tried to improve on a flawed business model instead of just scrapping it altogether.  They changed the oil on a car with no wheels.

Unfortunately, this kind of failure is pretty rampant in the fitness industry – and there were surely a lot of other factors that contributed to the business not making it.  While I don’t claim to be a true expert, I can say that we’ve had a thriving business for over four years now – and I’ve been fortunate to communicate on a regular basis with not only fitness industry business experts, but other guys in the field who run successful businesses.

Pat Rigsby, co-founder of the Fitness Consulting Group, is among the former. Mike Robertson, co-founder of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training, is among the latter.   And, the three of us have teamed up to create a product called The Fitness Business Blueprint.

This resource doesn’t officially go on sale until Monday night at midnight, but in the meantime, to get a taste of a little that it has to offer, you can check out a free audio interview with the three of us HERE.  I think you’ll find it to be good food for thought – and a solid sampler of what’s to come in The Fitness Business Blueprint.

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