Getting new clients is important, but keeping existing clients is essential! One of my favorite sitcoms, The Office, has an episode titled “The Fire,” where intern Ryan Howard shares a key business principle: it’s ten times more expensive to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. The true measure of success in…
Back in the mid-1950s, Dr. Arthur Steindler introduced the concepts of open kinetic chain (OKC) and closed kinetic chain (CKC) movements. In simple terms, an OKC movement occurs when the terminal segment (the end of the limb) is free to move in space, while a CKC movement happens when the terminal segment is fixed against…
Next time you cook pork, make sure to marinate it first. I came across an interesting study in the Fall 2011 issue of Wise Traditions (available online at westonaprice.org). Researchers examined how different pork preparations affect the blood. The study included five types of meat: All meats were sourced from sustainable small farms raising pastured…
Much like writing software or music, strength training requires a universal language of program design. Trainers need a consistent prescription format to ensure consistent results. Even the best program can lead to inconsistent outcomes if it’s interpreted differently. To eliminate this variability, specific training parameters must be defined. The system outlined below helps maintain consistency…
The push-up is one of the most poorly executed exercises. One major issue is core stability—many people resemble a dolphin “swimming” through their reps. The core must remain tight and stable with a neutral spine throughout every repetition. If form breaks down, the set should be terminated. Another common mistake is inadequate depth. Every rep…
If an exercise doesn’t work for you or a client, then change it! No one is forcing you to stick with it. There are many ways to achieve the same goal. Modify the exercise, and if that variation still doesn’t work, choose a completely different movement that accomplishes the objective. Remember, if something doesn’t feel…
In his article The Taxation of Supplements, Shawn Buckley makes several excellent points, including the following: This reminds me of an eye-opening moment with a medical doctor I once shadowed. While consulting with a patient, the integrative medicine physician initially recommended red rice yeast to help manage her elevated cholesterol levels. However, since cost was…
After weeks of plummeting prices, the cost of gas is rising again in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). It reminds me of when I started working on The Business of Personal Training about 10 years ago. Gas prices were just as volatile back then. Whenever they were about to cross the dollar-per-liter mark, radio stations…
I love studying the roots of the iron game, especially bodybuilding history. Over the years, I’ve written about many pioneers who paved the way for us—people like Harry Paschall, Peary Rader, Vince Gironda, and Arthur Jones. These were real training experts who knew their stuff. But when it came to nutrition, there weren’t many true…
Many lifters struggle with an imbalance between the internal and external rotators of the shoulder. Most of the time, the internal rotators (pecs, lats, and anterior delts) are overactive and tight, while the external rotators (infraspinatus and teres minor) are weak and underdeveloped. The ShoulderHorn is a well-known tool for targeting the external rotators in…