Sunday Sermon: GRIT, RESILIENCE, & DISCIPLINE. DO YOU HAVE IT? (MOST PEOPLE DON'T).
I was DMing on Instagram the other day with a guy and he was telling me how bad things have gotten for him in 2020. As a result his alcohol consumption is WAY up.
His story is not rare. I know several people in the same boat.
I've heard about many relationships being on the rocks because of this. I know people who haven't done a workout since this all started back in March. People who haven't adapted and pivoted yet because they're waiting to see "how this all pans out."
These same people are glued to the news and social media. Living in fear. Hiding. Waiting. Anxiety ridden and anger filled. And sadly, with very little end in sight.
I've got news for those people...THE "RIGHT TIME" IS A FANTASY.
If you are waiting for things to get easier, safer, less risky, and more convenient...you're just making another excuse for why you won't ever achieve your goals.
Things don't ever get easier or more convenient. Not for long, anyway. Life will always throw something at you. Forget about "the way things were" or how you think you "need" them to be. You've gotta grab the bull by the horns and take action...TODAY.
Time to "man up" and be who you said you'd be.
Generations before us have gone through exponentially rougher times and struggles. They didn't get on Facebook and bitch about it. They didn't whine and cry all day. They didn't give up. They soldiered on with grit, resilience, and discipline.
We've gotten soft.
But you can change all that today. Decide who you want to be and take action. Transformation doesn't happen without action. We all need to be growing, adapting and improving every day. We need to be eating right, training hard, and staying focused on what matters.
And we need to light the path for those who will inevitably follow us.
Our time is now.
In this week's edition of "Conversations with Clients"...
Thursday Thoughts: HOW TO BEGIN A CAREER AS A PERSONAL TRAINER.
I remember launching my career over 25 years ago. It was so exciting. At 22 years old, no internet, and the personal industry still being very young, it also felt a bit overwhelming.
What certification should I get? Where do I want to ultimately work? What clientele do I want to work with? So many choices, it was easy for me to want to do them all...and then end up doing none very well. I sought out answers to zero in my focus and springboard me forward into an industry that I have been very successful in for more than a quarter of a century.
In this post, I have pulled together what I think are the top 5 tips for someone wanting to start a career in the fitness industry (and succeed).
If any of my fellow trainers out there have a tip to add, please drop them in the comments.
CONFESSION...I WAS A LOSER.
Look, no one wants to be a loser in life, but the fact is that sometimes you and I (well...I can't speak for you. So, I...) do loser-ish things. I, at times, give in to thoughts and emotions that are detrimental to my personal and professional growth.
Acknowledging when I am sub par in my thinking is Step 1 in doing a check up from the neck up and fixing it.
There are 3 things that commonly pop up as being the culprit of this sub-par thinking. See if you can relate to any of these.
1. Focusing On Gossip And Negative Conversations.
They end up sucking me dry of my energy and killing too much time and creativity that I could apply to personal growth or business.
I can still catch myself taking part in B.S. conversations. I get it. Sometimes it's fun to gossip. And it can seem like it makes us feel better about ourselves. But that's simply more B.S. The reality is that it's not doing anything positive for me or anyone involved. I have to remember to just walk away from it.
2. Focusing On What I Don’t Have.
There will always be someone more muscular than me, leaner than me, stronger than me, better looking than me, or makes more money. But focusing on this just puts us in a scarcity mindset.
Even if I achieved the same thing as a person that I envy, there will be another person with something better. And then then I'd be chasing after that, thinking it’s the missing piece that will make me whole.
It won’t.
Focusing on what I don't have does nothing but rob me blind of my happiness. What makes me whole and happy is focusing on how great I have it.
3. Watching Too Much of the 24-Hour News Channels.
Don’t forget the news is a business...and it's selling a product for advertising dollars. And that product is fear, anger, and negativity. I'm sorry, but these news channels are like poison for the mind.
I have found to be optimistic, positive, and abundant, I can't be listening to the news all the time. I'm all for being informed. I'm not for being an idealistic sheep.
These 3 things are the ones I battle from being the suicide bombers to my success in all of life and business. Most days, I win the battle. Some days, any one of these 3 may creep in. That's when I have to do a check-up from the neck up and fix it.
Tuesday Tip: 3 PHASE FAT LOSS PROGRAM.
A well-designed training program will make losing fat much more doable as well as set you up for keeping it off long-term.
In this post, I've included an example of one of my favorite 3-phase fat loss set-ups. The included phases are meant to be done for 3-4 weeks in length each, and assumes someone is training 3-4 times per week with weights.
In this week's newsletter: 5 No-Effort Breakfasts that deliver in taste, nutrition and speed.
https://jamescipriani.fitproconnect.com/Newsletter/2020/10/5/
Monday Motivation: "YOU RUN THE DAY, OR THE DAY RUNS YOU."
I live by this quote. It's why I get up earlier than I need to each day. It's why I schedule just about every part of my day.
I run my days...not vice versa.
FIX THE MOST COMMON SQUAT MISTAKE: KEEPING YOUR KNEES FROM CAVING IN.
One of the most common technical flaws with squats is knee caving or valgus collapse. Whether it's a result of overloading an inefficient squat pattern or not understanding the technical cues, valgus collapse happens a lot. The cause for it varies. But for most people, knee-caving is a result of one of the 4 following factors.
1. IMPAIRED KNEE STABILIZERS: A weak VMO (the "teardrop" muscle of the quad) along with its weak posterior counterparts of the hamstrings can cause medial shifting of the knee. I actually have a torn biceps femoris on my right leg (from college football), and it can cause a major flaw in my mechanics if I'm not careful.
THE FIX: Doing more single-leg work will help to recruit the necessary stabilizers to a greater degree. A few of my favorites are the Bulgarian Split Squat, Single Leg RDLs, and Reverse Lunges.
2. RESTRICTED ANKLE MOBILITY: Another very common problem is lack of sufficient ankle dorsiflexion (the ability to flex the foot back, toward the shin). I see this a lot in women who spend a good chunk of their life in heels.
THE FIX: Start incorporating ankle mobility drills. In addition, you can wear shoes (lifters/squat shoes) or stand on plates so to elevate the heel and achieve better squat depth. But do NOT rely solely on heel elevation and skip on improving your ankle dorsiflexion.
3. WEAK/RESTRICTED HIPS: Having weak hips and glutes will cause internal rotation, further contributing to the knee cave.
THE FIX: Adding band resistance (like Mark Bell's Hip Circle) just above the knee on some basic glute bridge patterns is a great way to promote external rotation and glute engagement. Try doing these banded exercises as part of your warm-up to strengthen the glute medius.
4. BAD MOTOR PATTERNS: Sometimes people's squat form just stinks.
THE FIX: Improve your technique. Think about A) Rooting your feet to the floor, B) Spreading the floor apart with your feet, C) Instead of simply dropping to the floor, imagine you're trying to pull yourself down by using your hips and keeping your glutes engaged throughout the entire range of motion.
Final Note: No corrective exercise or drill is guaranteed to fix knee caving. You may need to work with a professional if you can't fix it on your own.
It's difficult coming up with something new each and every Friday to make y'all smile. So expect some duds every now and again. My apologies in advance for the one today 🤣
Thursday Thoughts: THE HIERARCHY OF BODY COMPOSITION.
Body composition is an IMPORTANT goal which we need to consider when putting together a program. Focusing on improving overall body composition will not only improve our health status, but it puts us in a better position to reap long-term results...no matter if our goal is to lose body fat or put on muscle.
TOP TRAINING SPLITS FOR MUSCLE GROWTH.
When designing a program, I take into consideration 5 things: 1) Goals, 2) Experience Level, 3) Equipment Availability, 4) Capabilities/Injuries/Limitations, and 5) How Many Days/Week one wants to/can weight train.
Within my own workouts, I have done a few different training splits over the last few months....all with the focus of hypertrophy. If you know how many days per week you want to lift, then this will be a useful guide.
(For the purposes of this post, I'm focusing on the weight training aspect, not the added cardio I do.)
PHASE 1 (July27-Sept 5): I TRAINED WITH WEIGHTS 3 TIMES PER WEEK.
Three times per week training calls for whole body workouts. If you know you're only training two to three times per week, total-body workouts are best (with a day or two off between each workout).
PHASE 2 (Sept 7-Oct 17): I UPPED MY WEIGHT TRAINING TO 4 TIMES PER WEEK
When upping training to four times per week, I really like an upper-body, lower-body split. I set mine up like this:
Monday: Upper Body
Wednesday: Lower Body
Friday: Upper Body
Saturday: Lower Body
PHASE 3 (Oct 19-Nov 28): NOW THAT I'M BACK TO TRAINING 5 DAYS PER WEEK
When upping training to five or six times per week, I still believe that a body-part split is best. The push/pull/leg split, a 3-on/1-off rotation, 4-on/1-off rotation and "Bro Splits" are most common. But there really are many ways you can split your body up effectively. Here's my current split:
Monday: Back & Triceps
Tuesday: Hip Hinge/Abs, Calves & Forearms
Wednesday: Shoulders & Traps
Thursday: Off
Friday: Chest & Biceps
Saturday: Legs
Sunday: Off
Hopefully you found this post a bit insightful and it helps you to lay out your training week a little bit better.
Tuesday Tip: Do you REALLY Know Your Body Composition?
Many of you purely use a scale as an indicator of the success of your program and your health status. Yes, bodyweight is a useful metric. But you also want to know your body fat, lean body mass, and cellular water.
This is where body composition comes in and having a basic understanding can mean a big difference in improving your health, changing your lifestyle habits and helping you manage your weight for the long term.
In this week's newsletter: Are you planning on gaining a bunch of weight this holiday season?
Of course not! No one plans for that. It just sort of happens.
Want to avoid those holiday pounds? I cover just how you can do that in this week's feature article.
Click the following link to read the 3 STEPS TO STAYING LEAN THIS HOLIDAY SEASON,,.
https://jamescipriani.fitproconnect.com/Newsletter/2020/11/23/
And while there, don't miss the healthy recipe of the week - Protein Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino
Monday Motivation:...fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do.
You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.
Happy Friday :)
Thursday Thoughts: (UNPOPULAR OPINION) INTERVALS ARE OVERRATED.
"Steady state cardio will waste away muscle tissue, jack up cortisol, and doesn’t burn much fat."
" High Intensity Intervals will get you a lot leaner, doesn't raise cortisol, and is basically the holy grail of cardio."
This has been pretty much the common belief in the strength training world for more than a decade now. And I believed every bit of it, too.
But today I'm here to take HIIT down a notch.
Keep this in mind as you read through these slides...I'm not saying that HIIT is a bad idea. But I am saying it is not the be-all end-all of fat loss.
HIIT and steady state cardio both serve a purpose and are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are quite complimentary.
ATTENTION PERSONAL TRAINERS: DON'T MAKE THESE 5 MISTAKES.
1. OVER-USING SCIENTIFIC JARGON: If you want your clients to understand (and remember) what you teach them, keep it simple. There is no need to use complex, technical language if you don’t need to. Less technical language which is easier to follow equals greater success.
2. OVER-CUEING YOUR CLIENTS: Too many instructions lead to too much confusion. Only give cues when needed. Again – keep it simple.
3. USING COOKIE-CUTTER PLANS: Training and nutrition plans NEED to be individualized. Not one of your clients will be the same. They will all have different goals, training history, and physical abilities. For your clients to get the best results, the plans you write for them will need to reflect this.
4. NOT LOOKING PROFESSIONAL: As a PT, we have the ’luxury’ of wearing activewear every day. But it is still important that we always present ourselves professionally. This means clean, fresh, modest clothing...and always maintaining good hygiene. And don’t forget your deodorant!
5. NOT ACTING PROFESSIONAL: Don’t be the trainer sitting on equipment, scrolling through their phone while your client completes their set. This is not ok and gives personal trainers a bad name. Your client should have 100% of your focus during their session with you. And while it’s important to be friendly with your clients, remember that your primary job is to help them reach their goals...not spend the session chatting about your weekend.
Want to add anything? Leave it in the comments.
Tuesday Tips: HOW AN ONLINE COACH CAN HELP YOU.
WANT PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS?
Short-term weight loss is easy. Long-term weight loss is MUCH harder to achieve. However, you know people who are permanently in beach-ready shape...so it is possible to be lean for life. This begs the question: how can you lose the weight for good?
In this week's newsletter, I go over the "5 Lean for Life" Habits. Check it out.
https://jamescipriani.fitproconnect.com/Newsletter/2021/2/8/
Monday Motivation: NEVER CEASE CHISELING YOUR OWN STATUE.
Your statue being your mind, body, and spirit.
Sunday Sermon: MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE.
Work-life balance is different to each individual. But what is universal is that a healthy work-life balance can have positive effects including less stress, lower risk of burnout and an overall better day-to-day satisfaction. In a nutshell, it is critically important to WELL-BEING.
Here are 5 of my personal top tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. If you feel like you’re on the edge of burnout, you may benefit from them, too.
I PRIORITIZE MY TIME: I may have 50 tasks I can put on my to-do list, but I will break it down and prioritize tasks. Each morning before I start my day, I have a routine of creating a list of my TOP 3 TASKS to complete for that day. What I end up with is a manageable list that is never overwhelming. This daily practice also ensures that I don't procrastinate or get distracted by menial tasks. The important tasks are at the front of my mind.
I KNOW MYSELF: I'm a morning person, so I use that to my advantage. I get my high-concentration tasks done in the mornings. I make sure not to leave things to the end of the day, when I like to wind down and get myself ready for the next day. This also means that I may need to wake up extra early to fit in a training session.
I MAKE APPOINTMENTS WITH MYSELF: Being a personal trainer means I'm often at the mercy of other peoples schedules. But I'm also a stickler when it comes to my own time. This means I take a lunch break. I don't commit to too many sessions per day. And I block out time so that I can get life done. In essence, this is about ensuring I have set work hours and I stick to them.
MY WORKOUTS ARE A NON-NEGOTIABLE: As a coach, I'm often so involved in keeping my clients on track, it can be easy to let my own training slide. It's also easy to snag another client, adding to that bank account instead of getting my own workouts in. Although tempting, I make sure to make myself as much of a priority as I do my clients. A healthy body = a healthy mind. I function better when I've had my own time to practice what I preach.
I SELF-REFLECT. At the end of each day, I like to just think and do a little self analysis. I'll take note of what worked today. What didn’t. And how I could be better.
Keep in mind, free time doesn’t have to be available time. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind, but taking a moment to stop and have a timeout can often mean you will be MORE productive in the long run – benefiting your health and your business.
BETTER PROGRAMS. MORE PERSONAL ATTENTION. GUARANTEED RESULTS.
If you're in the Nashville, TN area and would like to become one of my prized personal training clients, contact me to see if I have an opening for you. We can start by scheduling a FREE consultation and get your fitness journey jump-started together.
Not in the Nashville area, but still want me to be your coach? Join my Online Coaching Program. Contact me for details.
Email: jim@jamescipriani.com
Website: jimcipriani.com
Instagram (where I'm way more engaged): james.cipriani
Don't let the name fool you.
Stairs never felt like this machine. And I've certainly never mastered it.
