fitness goals

Is a “Fun Workout” an Oxymoron?

January 31, 2018 By Mike Davidov 2 Comments

Mike Davidov and Dan John

Is there actually such a thing as a “fun workout”? This might be one of the fitness industry’s most perpetuated myths. What’s behind the sales pitch? The two terms—fun and workout—are individually open to interpretation. When combined, it’s almost impossible to argue against someone convinced that their exercise is as fun as watching their team win the season.

Could the promise of a fun workout mislead a vulnerable newbie into thinking they can take the work out of their training?

To me, the word “fun” describes things like eating ice cream or seeing my favorite band play live. Working out is, well, work. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been putting in the work. I’ve worked out for five years straight and before that, sporadically since I was a teenager. I have definitely enjoyed a great deal of the process. In fact, I think getting strong is the coolest thing you can do—and virtually everyone has the power to do it.

But, I’d be lying if I said there weren’t days I had to begrudgingly drag myself to my living room to do a brutal kettlebell or barbell workout. I’m only human—and that means at least subconsciously trying to expend as little energy as possible while consuming everything in sight. Any other behavior is unnatural, and this is what we’re up against!

Of course, some workouts are fun. When I look through the glass wall into Studio A at my local gym, I see a ton of smiling faces. They’re having a blast in there. But are they working out …or dancing? Is there a difference? Let’s leave that question alone for now, but they are definitely in the class for the purpose of fitness—burning calories, getting in steps, working to stay head in the uphill battle to feel good. Everyone has their own reasons—fitting into smaller size clothes, keeping up with the kids, or feeling strong and mobile.

In Max Shank’s book Ultimate Athleticism, he lists three categories of fitness goals: aesthetics, performance, and health. He argues that if you focus on health, the other two usually follow—to a point. I tend agree. Healthy is attractive, capable, and powerful. I believe that if you want to truly call yourself physically healthy, you must strive to strike a balance between endurance, muscular endurance, and strength.

Mike Davidov, RKC-II

I didn’t always love to lift. But once I learned the skills and set solid goals with a structured plan to achieve them, I was hooked. For me, that’s fun, it’s also work, but it’s fun work. If I want to optimize my health, I need to address my glaring weaknesses in endurance activities, and I swear, I’ll start tomorrow…

The group class in Studio A is crushing it with endurance, but are almost completely neglecting strength training. They were promised a fun workout. Lifting heavy weights is hard, has a steep learning curve, can be monotonous, and the strength payoff can take months. Try selling that to someone who just signed up to have a little fun while they take a bit off the waistline! Most will go for the path of least resistance. And at no fault of their own, there’s very little chance that they will make the leap to the other side of the gym.

So, while I could really use some of the class (or time on the track) it would just be work to me—even though I would be improving my health. Similarly, those in the cardio and met con class can benefit from learning some of the skills of strength. I would encourage them to hire a trusted coach and take a page from Dan John’s playbook: pick one move for each fundamental human movement—a push, pull, squat, hinge, and a carry. Then, just stick to those five movements for a few months.

Cardio and metcon workouts can be a delightful surprise each and every time, but strength is different. Strength takes time to develop, and the discipline to keep the workouts simple. If you try and go too heavy too soon, the risk of injury can be high. Start slow, learn the moves and keep the effort at a safe and comfortable threshold. Add just one or two reps or a few pounds to the lifts each week. You’ll know when you’re ready to push it. While you might not sweat as much, embrace the fact that getting strong is a fantastic way to get lean.

If we’re lucky, most of us are fond of at least one pillar of fitness, and can enjoy the path. But to be well rounded, and truly fit, we’ll need to do some work—but it will be worth it. We can also be grateful that at least some of our workouts will be “fun”.

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Mike Davidov, RKC-II is also a NESTA certified personal trainer, and host of the Strong Arguments Podcast.

How I Improved my Barbell Deadlift with Kettlebell Training

July 8, 2015 By Katie Petersen 5 Comments

Katie Petersen Outdoor Kettlebell Press
I like a lot of different exercises, but my all time favorite is the deadlift. I think it is one of the best movements for building overall strength. The most weight you’ll ever move or transfer through your body happens in a deadlift. The sheer power, strength and pride of deadlifting can be intoxicating!

I am not a powerlifter, but like many of us, I want to be as strong as possible. Since “strong” only shows up when we are mentally and physically connected, how do we get there? We must learn (and continue relearning) proper technique—then practice it a lot. I often want to do EVERYTHING I can to work towards my goal, so I will read books, watch videos, and test numerous techniques and programs. I have even had the great fortune of working with world-renowned strength coach, Marty Gallagher. But, the RKC system has yet another “trick” you can use to continually make progress. Implementing a practice of the RKC-I and RKC-II skills will not only improve your work with kettlebells, but will also fortify your strength and awareness in heavy barbell grinds like deadlifts. I want to share my story of how setting specific goals, adhering to a dedicated program, and working from an RKC foundation can skyrocket your strength in any lift.

The Beginning

My deadlift day is Monday—I look forward to it, fear it, and plan to conquer it every week. This obsession began on January 1, 2014 when the deadlift first challenged me to be better, stronger, and most importantly, smarter.

A few months before, I had started a 10-week program with a 1RM goal of 250lbs. I don’t know what my true max was at the time, but I had never lifted more than 225lb (I could achieve 2 or 3 reps at this weight). I had been deadlifting for years, so this wasn’t an absolute beginning. But until now, I hadn’t stuck to a specific program, I mostly practiced the method of “go heavier next week”. It wasn’t until Rob Miller introduced me to an Ed Coan 10-week protocol, that I found myself finally sticking to a plan. I loved and needed the structure.

Seven weeks later I was supposed to hit 235lb x 2, which seemed impossible even for 1 rep. I tried it on New Year’s Day, so I was a little hungover, tired, and a little less inhibited. If it didn’t go up, I could chalk it up to not being rested. This took away some of the pressure, and I stopped seeing failure just as negative feedback. I confidently gave the 235lb lift everything I had…and failed, but it MOVED.

Everything changed in this moment—and I was determined to lift that weight. My body told me that I had the strength. I walked away for 5 minutes, thinking, “You are stronger than this; break that bar in half; pack your shoulders and jump off the ground! Crack your hips through that bar like it’s the heaviest kettlebell you’ve ever swung!”

As I stepped to the bar this time, I vividly pictured a dramatic life-or-death situation like being trapped under a car. This fear became an opportunity for courage, and better yet, POWER. It was survival! While this might sound extreme, it worked. (Now my set up includes the following visualization: While I lock into the bar, I concentrate inside my body, seeing every vector pull into alignment. I coil every space between the muscle fibers tighter and tighter until I am busting at the seams with potential energy.) That day, after one last huge inhale, I drove my feet into the ground then I exploded upward with focused intention. The 235lb flew upwards for 2 reps with no problem. I got 240 that day and walked away proud. Then things got serious.

I realized there was more missing from my routine than just a super solid deadlifting program. I needed to call on my RKC training in the same systematic way for my strength to flourish.

The RKC Connection…

Double kettlebell front squats are an obvious choice for leg strength; but holding heavy kettlebells in the rack also forces a major flexed lat/stabilized shoulder position. You won’t get this same upper back/shoulder work with a barbell squat. As most of you know, the lower you go—and the heavier the weight—double front squats make your abs very sore. But this will soon improve how much force your core can transfer in any “ground-up” lift like the deadlift.

The strict pull-up, as taught in the RKC-II, maintains a braced core (hollow ab/neutral pelvis) while the load on the lats increases through the pull. These mechanics reinforce the same lat/ab tension line that must be sustained in every deadlift rep.

One of my favorite tools, the Turkish get-up, unlocks an insane amount of body awareness. It harnesses shoulder stability by drawing on total uninterrupted lat tension—also needed for the deadlift. Plus all the overhead kettlebell movements help cement the packed shoulder position—overhead walks, presses, windmills, snatches—and they bolster a steel-pillared core that can act like a rip cord when necessary. Speaking of rip cord, snatches, double snatches, and swings continue to challenge explosive capabilities (while developing lat strength and control).

While these kettlebell movements were in my workouts, I had not defined any real goals for them in a while. It was clear that kettlebells were reinforcing my barbell movements, so increasing the load with my kettlebell exercises should help add weight to my deadlift.

I decided to work on the following kettlebell goals for the next 10 months:

Max out:

Iron Maiden: 24kg 1-Arm press, 1RM

24kg Pull up, 1RM

24kg Pistol squat, 1RM

32kg Turkish get-up, 1RM

275lb Deadlift, 1 RM

Volume:

24kg Double kettlebell front squats, 8 reps

Strict pull-ups, 10 reps @ bodyweight

20kg Snatch, 100 reps under 10min/gain control of 24kg snatch

I did not plan to attack all these goals at once, but some of the movements worked well with my current deadlift routine, so I added the following 3x/week (my bodyweight @132lbs):

Day 1

Rounds x Reps

5 x 1 Get-up, R/L, 24kg

5 x 10 1-Arm swings, R/L, 20-24kg

Day 3

5 x 1 Get-up – 20kg

5 x 10 Kettlebell snatches R/L, 18-20kg

Day 5

1 x 3 get-ups R/L (consecutive), 16kg; 2×2 get-ups R/L (consecutive), 20kg; 2×1 get-ups, 24kg

5 x 10- Two-arm swings, 32kg

The Journey

Practicing a new deadlift stance at the Purposefully Primitive workshop, March 2014

I successfully completed the last 3 weeks of my deadlift program with addition of the above kettlebell routine. The next “cycle” was several weeks of higher volume but lighter weight deadlifting while building up my presses, pull-ups, and front squats. I waited to start my next deadlifting cycle until after Dragon Door’s Purposefully Primitive workshop that March which was a unique opportunity to work with Marty Gallagher, one of the world’s greatest lifting coaches.

My plan was not perfect and underwent many changes. I reignited the original 10-week Ed Coan program with a new 1RM goal, smarter technique, and a kettlebell strategy. Setting goals across the board kept me committed and focused all week long, not just on deadlift day. I am happy to say I surpassed all of the goals listed and am setting new ones. In fact, I was able to perform a 1 arm press and strict pull up with the 26kg kettlebell just a few days before writing this!

With more aggressive goals in any lifting modality, you may need to recast the numbers from time to time. I consulted with Marty this past May and am now working toward a 340lb deadlift with his plan. While I am making my weights each week, 340lb is still a relatively terrifying number! If I miss any of my upcoming weekly goals, I may have to lower the outcome goal to 330 or 325lbs, but this is just part of the journey. With a set framework and a measurable goal, you are far more likely to continue making genuine progress.

While this blog post centers on the deadlift, integrating the RKC system into your workouts will increase your strength in all of your lifts. Combine RKC skills with a sound, goal-based training program, and you will unlock a new world of strength potential. The journey becomes less about the lifts and more about the power we learn to access.

Katie practices new cues from Marty Gallagher; warming up with 225lbs for 6 reps:

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Katie Petersen is an RKC Team Leader, PCC Instructor, and also holds nutrition/training certifications with Poliquin, Precision Nutrition, and NASM. She owns Active Evolution, a successful training and nutrition counseling business in Chicago, working with both online and local clients. Katie also has a niche clientele of fitness competitors (bodybuilding, bikini, figure), as she has several years experience as an nationally ranked NPC Figure Athlete. For online or personal training, visit her website, www.activeevolution.net or email Katie directly at petersenkatie1@gmail.com. Subscribe to her YouTube channels, Katie Petersen RKC and We Train Chicago to follow her training videos and tips.

It’s All About the Data

April 28, 2015 By Laurel Blackburn 4 Comments

Laurel Blackburn Senior RKC

I am a data freak. I love tracking my fitness, my nutrition, my accomplishments and my goals. I do this both for my clients and myself.

Back in the day when I first started bodybuilding, I just used a notebook. I jotted down my workouts and food but not much else. I really did not know if I was making progress in my strength. I did however know exactly what I was eating and how many calories I was consuming everyday. Keeping a food journal was a priority because I had to get as lean as possible for every show.

That was years ago and my goals have changed.

Since then I completed two half marathons. I printed out a running program I found online and stuck to that. I never logged my runs or anything else, I just followed the plan. I had days where my runs were horrible and I would end up walking a lot. I had days in which I felt I could run forever.

Had I kept a log and a food journal, I may have been able to see why; on certain days I felt like I was running through mud and why some days I felt like an Olympian. Maybe my nutrition, hydration and sleep had a big effect on my training. I would never know because I didn’t keep data.

Over the past few years my goals have changed. For several years I didn’t do much but train with kettlebells. I went from program to program and tried and stopped every one of them. I had workout dyslexia. I was always getting distracted by a shiny new program.

My personal training business pretty much followed the same fate. I either did not write down programs or I would throw something together before I headed to the gym to train my clients.

They did see results with weight loss and body composition which was fine because that is pretty much all they cared about. I never kept data on their actual progress in the gym. Many times I would have to ask how much weight we used on our last workout. Had I kept data, I would have been able to show them their progress.

Things changed for me when I began setting goals that had deadlines attached to them. Had I not kept data on my training, I doubt I would have accomplished much.

One of my goals, and still is to be the oldest woman to complete the Iron Maiden challenge. For those who may not know; I would need to do a pull-up, pistol squat and press the 24 kilo (53 pound) kettlebell.

First thing I did was to hire a coach. Second thing I did was to get a good log to journal my workouts and more importantly, my progress.

Over the years I have bought, downloaded and made my own workout logs. None of them had ALL of the features I wanted.

I came across the Convict Conditioning Log Book. Even though it’s focus is on the CC program, I loved the layout and used it for my personal goals. I don’t do the CC program and didn’t pay attention to that part of the log. It didn’t matter because the actual log pages had everything I was looking for.

Once I started keeping data on my workouts, I was able to progress and regress as needed. I also was able to share with workouts with my coach. If he asked me about a past workout or weights used, I could flip to the page and let him know.

Having this data was crucial for reaching my goals. My coach was able to use this info to program my training cycles.

That is not the only data I keep. I still log my food and my running.

I am proud to say that I am one of those obnoxious people who have to take 5 minutes before a run to start my heart rate monitor, my Map My Run app, my music and my interval timer.

Funny thing is, I am not even a serious runner and I’m not very good at it. I do it for fun and to spend time with my friends. Do I really need that much data on my running? No. I just love having the data and more importantly, the gadgets.

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Senior RKC, Laurel Blackburn owns Boot Camp Fitness and Training and Tallahassee Kettlebells. Look for Laurel at www.bootcampstogo.com or www.tallahasseekettlebells.com.

In her early fifties, she is out to prove that age is just a number. Her goal is to motivate and inspire people everywhere, both young and old that strength, flexibility and mobility can get better with age. Follow her adventures on her blog: www.SuperStrongNana.com.

Kettlebells and Mountain Marathons

April 8, 2015 By Michael Kruse 4 Comments

Michael Kruse Mountain Marathon
Soon I will be 55 years old, and have decided to step out of my “comfort zone” in my training. Unfortunately an old shoulder injury prevents me from choosing some of the most daring adventures. After some thinking, I decided to choose a Spartan Race or a mountain marathon. Since I love being out in nature, I decided to train for a mountain marathon.

What is a Mountain Marathon?

As the name implies, it is a run of a marathon or longer in a mountainous environment. Around the world there are many of these races. The oldest and most famous one in Sweden is Björkliden Arctic Mountain Marathon (BAMM).

The BAMM competition is special because it is a two day event—and you must carry all the gear and food needed for surviving those two days on the mountain. Teams of two people compete and run nearly 25 miles each day while climbing approximately 4,900 feet in altitude—each day.

To prepare mentally and physically while testing equipment, I will also participate in a tour around Sweden´s highest mountain, Kebnekaise. The Keb Classic Summer contest is Sweden’s slowest marathon, but perhaps the toughest. Running a marathon with a large part of the race in rocky terrain with a climb of more than 4,600 feet requires a lot of preparation.

Requirements for the Challenges

I will be running in two different types of competitions, one with a backpack and one without. Mountain races place the most strain on the ankle, knee and hip. You must be strong from many different angles due to the substrate, and obviously have tremendous endurance. I will also need to train and practice running on flat land and inclines.

Training Examples

A normal week of training from March:
Monday morning: Running 1 hour
Monday evening: Kettlebell training 1 hour
Tuesday: Interval uphill running 1 hour
Wednesday: Kettlebell training 1 hour
Thursday: Downhill running 1 hour
Friday: Kettlebell training 1 hour
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Long run with backpack 2-3 hours

Kettlebell Training

All strength training is done with kettlebells or bodyweight exercises only. Since I will constantly be in motion, except when reading maps, it is important to choose the right exercises.

Here are my three areas of focus and kettlebell exercise choices:

Endurance: One arm swing, two arm swing and snatch
Unilateral Stability: Single leg deadlift, airborne lunge, front squat, single arm row, reverse lunges
Whole body: Turkish get-up, carry

Example Session:

Warm up 10-20 min
Mobility + TGU

Block 1: 15 minutes
Single leg deadlift 5 reps (posterior strength)
Bottom up press 5 reps

Block 2: 15 minutes (on the minute)
One arm swing (posterior explosivity)
Thoracic bridge

Block 3: 10 minutes
Different types of carries

Depending on how my body feels, I will run various types of workouts with unilateral training. If I feel a bit tired, I extend the warm-up and run a pure endurance workout in 15-20min instead.

Workout 2 for Triathletes and Runners 15 Twoarmsving 10 Front Squat left 5 KB Row left switch side 1 min rest, 3-6 rounds

A video posted by Kettlebellspecialisten (@kettlebellspecialisten) on Feb 20, 2015 at 1:37pm PST

To avoid injuries, I almost never go “all out” when doing any of my workouts. The closer you are to your 1 rep max, the higher the risk of injury. A suitable load for the strength training exercises listed above is around 75% -80% of 1RM.

Recovery

For the training to have its maximum effect, you must know the importance of recovery. I can also attest that recovery is even more important as you get older. To tolerate a workout volume of 8-10 hours a week, I have to make sure that my sleep and diet is as good as possible.

Wish me luck with the mountain marathons, I will need it ☺
Michael Kruse

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Michael Kruse, RKC, PCC instructor believes that age is just a number ☺ he can be contacted by email at kettlebellspecialisten@gmail.com, follow him on Instagram @kettlebellspecialisten

Five Things The Turkish Get-Up Teaches You About Life

January 14, 2015 By Sebastian Müller 7 Comments

RKC Team Leader Sebastian Muller performs a TGU

Try to imagine an exercise that could make your life easier—a “magical” exercise that improves your response to everyday challenges and can make you into a better human being? Would you include it in your training?

That exercise exists, it’s the kettlebell Turkish get-up.

For more than four years, I’ve been doing heavy Turkish get-ups with kettlebells at least once a week. Besides the Hardstyle kettlebell swing, the Turkish get-up is a basic exercise in RKC kettlebell training and one of the reasons I ending up training with kettlebells.

Even though it is pure fun and constantly provides new training stimuli, over time I became aware of the other benefits of the get-up, that also apply to life in general.

You’ll need to be flexible and work on your weaknesses
You’ll learn to set up for the next step, instead of just staying put
The more resistance you encounter, the stronger you’ll get
Consistency and discipline always pay off
Training is life

These are all things you need to realize when working on a solid and strong Turkish get-up and these same ideas also help in everyday life.

Be Flexible and Work on Your Deficits

If you’re thinking about performing a Turkish get-up with half of your body weight, everything must fit. You need to be flexible and stable in your joints, and have the necessary strength—along with a strong will.

If one of these things is problematic, it will pay off in multitudes if you work on that deficit. Otherwise, you’ll probably plateau at some one point or weight weight sooner or later.

Two personal examples:

With Turkish get-ups, my thoracic spine mobility has always been a problem, but now it is almost perfect because I kept specifically working on it for a long time.

Another thing – when I started kettlebell training over five years ago, the English language was a big problem for me. There were practically no articles about kettlebells written in German. Even now, I almost exclusively read in English, and not just about training. Now I have completed many certifications in English and have even held entire training sessions in English. Working on these deficits paid off very well and made me a lot better.

Learn to Set Up for the Next Step Instead of Just Staying Put

Eventually, after the floor press (you’ve pushed the kettlebell overhead with your arm) you need to decide whether you want to stand up or to stay put. If you decide to get up, you have many exhausting steps ahead of you. You’ll need to get up from a prone to standing position with a kettlebell overhead making it difficult for you. There are no exits and no shortcuts.

The same is true in life. Will you stand still or take the next step forward? One thing is for sure, the more resistance you meet, the more it usually pays off if you keep going forward. This brings us to our next point…

The More Resistance You Meet, the Stronger You’ll Get

If you use a heavier weight with your Turkish get-up, you’ll get stronger. “Progressive (Capacity) Overload” are the magic words with this concept. If you keep working with the same weight all the time, you’ll get used to it, and it will no longer be a challenge. Your body won’t receive new stimuli to force it to become stronger. You strength will plateau, because there is no reason for your body to adapt to a new task.

There is some truth to the German saying, “You grow with your tasks”. When you stop facing new challenges in life, you will stop growing. Of course it’s nice and safe in your comfort zone, but that doesn’t mean you should make yourself comfortable in it.

Heavy Turkish get-ups will be mostly outside your comfort zone, and the feeling of accomplishing these challenges is awesome. It’s just the same in life!

Consistency and Discipline Always Pay Off

I want to be straight with you, to conquer a half body weight Turkish get-up won’t happen overnight. You’ll definitely need to be persistent. If you’re not afraid of that, it will eventually pay off, guaranteed! There will be days when it’ll be hard for you, and days when everything will happen easily. The most important thing is to stay persistent. The best part of all this is the journey itself—your way, your personal records, and the moment you realize the little improvements toward your goal.

Sebastian Muller Spotting Student performing a get up

A Turkish get-up with half your body weight is an absolutely realistic aim, but it doesn’t have to stop there!

While you should celebrate your small, but important achievements in training, you should also do the same thing in your life! Focus on your goal, but be aware of all the things you have already achieved on your way to get there. This is an incredibly important thing to do! Be thankful for what you have already mastered, then it will be easier to focus on the bigger goals in the future.

Training is Life

At this point, you should have realized one thing, training is life or should be at least be a regular part of it. You probably also noted that the individual components of training and life have a lot in common, and together they form a bigger picture. Just like the Turkish get-up—where all muscles need to work together as a unit and you need to consider every aspect on your way to more weight—it should be the same in your life. Take a look at the whole picture. Everything is part of your life—work, training, spending time with your family, and the time you’re on your own. If you harmonize these things, nothing in life can stop you.

The Turkish get-up taught me many things during the past few years. Today I train my body as a whole, and according to how I use it in everyday challenges. I train my body because it is a part of me and therefore a part of my life.

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Sebastian Müller, RKC Team Leader, PCC Instructor, FMS, and Primal Move Instructor, trains and instructs at the KRABA location in Wiemar, Germany. He can be contacted by email at: info@kraba-erfurt.de and his website: http://www.kraba-erfurt.de. His Blog is Vereinfachedeintraining.com

What It Takes To Be A Better Trainer In 2015

January 7, 2015 By Annie Vo Leave a Comment

Annie Vo Double Kettlebell Front Squat

Recently, I saw a greeting card that said, “Treat your body like it belongs to someone you care about”. What occasion was this card for? This statement couldn’t have come at a better time. For me, the holidays are a time of reflection of the year’s events, a time to debrief, reflect and begin settling plans for the next year. I began thinking of how I treat my body, and if my treatment was in accordance with the way I would treat the belonging of a loved one. Further, how do my clients treat their bodies and what role do I play in that in the gym and beyond? It is easy to fall into routines where the actions begin to lose purpose—the reasons you do what you do can begin to become a bit unclear.

Am I doing everything I can as a personal trainer, small business owner and member of the community? Are there things I can improve? What are those things? How about you, dear fitness professional colleague? Could you or your gym offer more services, programs, classes or events? How is it going? Is it easy to find you or your business? What do people think of your business? Are they having a good experience and achieving results?

Annie Vo Double Kettlebell Swing

How do you know the answers to these questions?

In short, you don’t always know, but you can begin to find out through thoughtful analysis. We often ask our clients to log their diets, workouts and activities that effect their mood or energy level (or anything else that affects their gym performance). Do you do that for your business?

Calm down! Nobody is accusing you of not trying! The question is about how you can improve. For those who immediately answered, “Yes” to the question above, I encourage you to use your superior skills and intellect to be creative and dig a bit deeper. There is always more to be learned, offered, shared and sought.

Can you take a client somewhere you haven’t been?

Take a long, hard look in the mirror. Have you made strides in improving emotionally, intellectually and spiritually…? Personal training is exactly what it sounds like—it’s personal. When a client selects you as a professional, they entrust you with their body. You must take that role seriously. Just think about it. Someone talked to you for a few minutes (ok, maybe an hour) or saw some of your pictures online and have now decided to pay you lots of money for your ideas—ideas that directly affect their body and wellbeing. First, you must be able to listen. It sounds easy but listening requires the ability to hear the words being said while interpreting them in the way that they’re intended to be understood. The information must be taken in without your personal judgments or biases. Once you have properly identified the goals and needs of your client, then you can begin the personal exchange of your services and expertise with their participation.

Most likely, what you ask your clients to do are things you also do yourself. We have all had the experience of attempting to teach something we did not fully understand—only to quickly realize we couldn’t fully explain why that exercise was valuable, or effectively troubleshoot it.

I get it, but instead of avoiding the exercises or workouts we’re not familiar with, I would ask you to do just the opposite. Learn more about those unfamiliar exercises and workouts, and become good at them. Extend yourself beyond your comfort zone to gain more experience and understanding to share with your clients.

Annie Vo Goblet Squat 2014 has been good to me and my business. Precision Athlete has grown in clientele and notoriety far beyond what I could have imagined when we opened in 2011. I was also recently promoted to leadership in the first professional organization I had ever joined, the RKC. The RKC and kettlebell training solidified my career choice as a personal trainer back in 2011. I had been wavering between following the path that seemed like a natural fit at that time—becoming an attorney—versus moving more seriously into personal training. Kettlebell training in the RKC inspired a deep sense of pride in learning proper technique, understanding the mechanics of the body and providing the tools to help me excel as a fitness professional. The RKC methods and teaching styles are a mix of rigorous practice, attention to detail, proven science and a touch of class. The RKC also granted me access to the most experienced and educated trainers in the industry.

Thanks to the dedication of my clients over the years, I now have years of experience with hundreds of people. With the numerous seminars I have attended, conversations with trainers and business owners and compulsive reading, I have now become one of the RKC instructors I used to look up to. I must now give back—now more than ever, I have to refine my skills, seek more mentors and expose the gaps in my education. There is much more reading and many more conversations, seminars and training ahead…

Taking responsibility for your end of things is difficult professionally and personally. Norwegians have a verb that describes this feeling, gruegleder (pronounced “grew-glay-der”). It means to look forward to something while simultaneously dreading that same thing. This evaluation process is both rewarding and difficult because there will undoubtedly be areas where we all fall short.

So, do you treat your body like it belongs to someone you care about? Do you care about you? Do you care about caring about you? If you do, then it should be no problem to be generous and understanding with yourself about your shortcomings. It should be no problem to delight in the process of improving your skills and experience—or to take on new challenges. It will only serve to improve that thing you care about so much and support, RIGHT? If you can do that for yourself then you can extend that to your clients and your business.

Re-invest yourself in understanding why you do the things you do. Be aware of what motivates you. Be an active participant in your own life. Be credible both personally and professionally. Don’t wait until 2015 is over. Do it now.

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Annie Vo, RKC Team Leader is co-owner of Precision Athlete, (http://precisionathlete.com) where she trains groups and individuals. She can be contacted via email: annie@precisionathlete.com, or the Precision Athlete Facebook page: facebook.com/precisionathlete.