The Best of 2009: Stuff that was Fun to Write

Written on January 8, 2010 at 12:11 pm, by Eric Cressey

Thus far this week, we’ve covered the top articles, product reviews, videos, and guest submissions of the year.  Today, I just wanted to cover the stuff that was fun for me to write (or film) – and it isn’t just exclusive to EricCressey.com.

Birthday Blogging: 28 Years, 28 Favorites – I just remember that this thing rolled off my fingertips as I wrote it on my 28th birthday.

What Folks are Saying about the Cressey Performance Majestic Fleece – I just remember that we had to film this about 47 times because none of us could stop laughing.

The Opportunity Cost of Your Time – I don’t know why this one was fun to write, but it was.  I suppose it might have something to do with the fact that I started out at business school, and then moved over to the exercise science world to complete my undergraduate degree.

The Truth About Unstable Surface Training – This was actually introduced at the end of 2008 (and written in sections between 2005 and 2008), but deserves mention in light of its first full year of availability.  I’m most proud of this work because it took a ton of time to compile both the literature and our original research, which was the first of its kind.  Nobody had looked at how a long-term training lower-body unstable surface training intervention would affect healthy, trained athletes’ performance.  This book presents not only those results, but a series of practical application recommendations that are of value to any strength coach, personal trainer, or other fitness professional.

Lower Back Savers Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 – Featured at T-Muscle, these were really fun to write because I had a chance to be dorky and practical at the same time, blending research with what we’ve anecdotally seen in those with lower back issues.  Honestly, I still have enough content to write a part 4, and that may come around in the next few months.

Assess and Correct Now Available!

Written on October 26, 2009 at 5:10 am, by Eric Cressey

Today’s a really exciting day for Mike Robertson, Bill Hartman, and I – and hopefully for you, too!

You see, after months of planning, filming, and editing, our new product, Assess and Correct, is now available at www.AssessAndCorrect.com.  And, for the first week ONLY, we’re making the product available for $30 off what will be the normal retail price.

Assess and Correct is the first resource that empowers you with not only a series of self-assessments to identify your own flexibility and stability limitations, but also exercise progressions to correct those inefficiencies.  In the process, you’ll take your athletic performance to all new levels and prevent injuries from creeping up on you – whether you’re a high-level athlete or someone who sits at a desk too much.

With 27 self-assessments and 78 corresponding exercises, you’ll cover virtually everything you need to feel and perform well. And, you’ll have plenty of variety to use for many years to come!  And, while the DVDs alone are really comprehensive, the bonuses we’ve added to this really sweeten the deal.  Included in this package are:

• DVD #1: Your Comprehensive Guide to Self-Assessment
• DVD #2: Your Individualized Corrective Exercise Progressions
• Bonus #1: The Assess and Correct Assessment E-Manual, which is a guide to which you can refer to in conjunction with DVD #1.
• Bonus #2: The Assess and Correct E-Manual, which includes written cues and photos for each recommended drill in DVD #2 so that you’ll have a resource you can take to the gym with you.
• Bonus #3: “The Great Eight Static Stretches” E-Manual, which shows you eight additional flexibility drills that we use on a regular basis in addition to the drills featured in the DVDs.
• Bonus #4: The “Optimal Self Myofascial Release” E-Manual, which shows you the soft tissue methods and techniques we use with our clients and athletes.
• Bonus #5: “Warm-ups for Every Body” E-Manual, which is a collection of two sample warm-up templates for 19 different sports/scenarios.

Again, this introductory offer will end next Sunday, November 1 at midnight EST.  For now, though, I’d encourage you to head over to www.AssessAndCorrect.com to check out some of the sample videos from the DVDs – including the introduction in which we discuss our rationale for creating the product.

Alwyn Cosgrove on “The Evolution of Personal Training”

Written on September 28, 2009 at 6:05 pm, by Eric Cressey

Alwyn Cosgrove has been a great friend and mentor to me for almost five years now.  I can directly attribute a lot of the success I’ve had to the fantastic advice he’s given me on the business side of things.  Since Alwyn just released a DVD (of a seminar I had the privilege of attending), I thought it’d be the perfect time to chat with him about the new product and some other thoughts he has on the state of the fitness industry.  If you make a living training clients, this is must-view material.

EC: In your experience, what are the biggest mistakes aspiring fitness professionals make?

AC: Here are my top four:

1) They don’t understand that they are running a business!!!!

Most fitness professionals are running a hobby and trying to make money at it. That will never work long-term.

Being a great trainer is imperative in today’s market. You aren’t going to succeed unless your skill-set is of a high enough level.

However, it’s not just training skills – that’s only part of the big picture – the “client fulfillment “portion.

It’s also business skills. Michael Gerber – the author of The E-myth – calls this the seven essential skills: Leadership, Marketing, Money, Management, Lead Generation, Lead Conversion and Client Fulfillment.

You have to understand how to lead and motivate your team: leadership.

You have to understand marketing, which results in lead generation.

You have to have good sales skills – which converts leads to customers.

And you have to be able to understand cash flow and operating expenses before you can create a profit.

You need to have mindset AND skill-set before you can be successful. But skill-set consists of seven areas. Make sure you are studying each area (not just training) equally.

2) They don’t understand the client mindset.

Ask yourself these questions if you’re a trainer:

Do you think a good fitness professional is a valuable investment?

Do you think a good fitness professional can get someone to their goals faster than they can get there on their own?

Are you personally in the greatest physical condition of your life right now?

Are you ecstatic with your own strength levels and conditioning?

I bet that 80-90% of those who answered will say – yes, yes, no, no.

So – extrapolating from that – what is YOUR trainers name? Why did you hire him or her?

I bet most trainers don’t even have training partners – never mind a coach to help them with programming and getting to the next level.

In other words – if you tell me right now that you DON’T have a trainer – despite not being in the best shape of your life, not being ecstatic at your own fitness, and believing that a good trainer can get you there faster than you can alone, and is valuable — then deep down – you don’t believe that a trainer IS valuable.

What I’m getting at – is WHY, despite all the knowledge and beliefs and goals, most trainers haven’t hired (or used) another trainer to help them?

It’s the same reason prospects aren’t hiring you — they aren’t in great shape, and maybe don’t know (as we do) how much a trainer can help?

Lawyers hire other lawyers. Barbers hire other barbers. Doctors see other doctors.

So list the reasons why you didn’t hire a trainer personally. That’s why people don’t hire you.  And that’s the WHY we need to figure out for your next career move: the client mindset.

“If you can see John Smith through John Smith’s eyes, you can sell John Smith what John Smith buys.”

3) They Don’t Create TOMA.

Have you ever had a client tell you that “I’m definitely going to hire you as my trainer, but I am going to lose ten pounds first!”

I’m sure you have. But while we think it’s crazy, it’s a sign that you don’t have weight loss TOMA in your area.

TOMA is Top Of Mind Awareness. Are you the first person or business that jumps into a client’s mind when they think “weight loss?” Or “sports conditioning?”

Quick, name a soft drink company. I bet it was either Coca-Cola or Pepsi.

What is the number one sneaker brand? I bet you came up with one of three names: Nike, Adidas, or Reebok.

Your goal with all of your marketing is to position yourself, in your area, for your target market as the “top of mind awareness” obvious choice for that particular topic.

A lot of fitness businesses get hurt here by dividing their efforts and marketing to different demographics – and that’s ok – but two demographics should mean two different campaigns – not two “half” campaigns.

What do you want to be known for?

This is something that you’ve actually done very well, Eric (probably before you actually had your business systems in place). Think baseball conditioning in Boston and Cressey Performance springs to mind.

4. They don’t find mentors and coaches for the business side, and they don’t mastermind with like-minded successful individuals.

Okay, this is really two for one!

Mentoring: “All successful individuals have coaches” – James Malinchak.

Think about this: boxing and MMA are probably the ultimate “one-on-one” sports. Two guys, with no equipment (or even shirts!) face one another.

But when you look back to the corner – there are usually three or more guys helping him. They include a coach (known as the “chief second”) and several other teammates.

To me, a mentor is nothing more than someone who is climbing or has climbed the mountain before you, and has reached back and is helping you up, way faster and easier than you can climb yourself.

One of the fastest ways to success in any field is to find a mentor who will help you, and a “mastermind” group of likeminded people with whom to network. The key phrase there is “likeminded;” we’ve all had the situation of asking a family member or friend for feedback on a project and being shut down when they don’t realize or understand the big picture. You need to be around people who are thinking the same way as you.

Your mind is like a garden. Be careful what you plant in there.

EC: That’s fantastic stuff – and #4 certainly hits home for me, as you’ve been my primary mentor in getting my facility off the ground.  To that end, while all my education came via email exchanges between the two of us, you’ve now made it easier for folks to learn what’s made you successful by introducing some products.

Most recently, there is “The Evolution of Personal Training” DVD, and just a few months ago, you released “55 Fitness Business Tips for Success” book.  I’ve checked out each of them, and in my eyes, people should buy both!  However, can you go into a bit of detail on the difference between the two?

AC: The DVD is a live shoot of a presentation I did for Perform Better this year where I really go into detail about how to evolve your business in today’s economy. The old methods of one-on-one training, weight-training-only workouts, and charging people for a “ten-pack” of sessions are just inadequate or outdated practices. I cover a few things in more detail – like transitioning into a semi-private model, repositioning yourself as a consultant as opposed to a “rep counter,” and understanding the client or prospect mindset. If you don’t understand that, you’re dead in the water as a business owner.

The book “55 Fitness Business Tips for Success” should have been titled “55 things that we did wrong when we opened our facility and somehow managed to survive, but make sure you don’t repeat these!” It’s kind of like a “pocket guide” to basic business tips for fitness professionals. And when I say “basic,” I mean stuff everyone NEEDS to know and practice but usually don’t! I tell my business coaching group to keep that book in their office and read a couple of pages every day to make sure you don’t ignore anything crucial.

EC: Thanks for the time, Alwyn.

I’d strongly encourage those readers of mine in the fitness industry to check out these resources, as Alwyn’s stuff is fantastic.  You can find out more and order at Alwyn’s site.

Static Posture Assessment Mistakes: Part 1

Written on March 9, 2009 at 7:30 pm, by Eric Cressey

One of the big mistakes many people make in assessing static postures is that they think they can determine that the humerii are internally rotated just from looking at someone from in front, and seeing the tops of their hands (as opposed to the thumb-side, which would be more neutral).  So, in these folks’ minds, this individual would need to stretch more into external rotation:

In reality, this individual is a professional pitcher and actually has far more external rotation (roughly 130 degrees on his throwing side) than ordinary folks.  Stretching him into external rotation could actually cause injury.

So, why are his palms turned backward like that?  Well, it’s very simple: his scapulae are abducted, or winged.  When the scapular stabilizers – particularly the serratus anterior and lower trapezius are weak – the shoulder blades sit further out to the sides.  The humerii are in normal, but their “foundation” (the scapulae) have been moved.

For more information on optimal assessment techniques, check out Assess and Correct.