I’ve been presenting at conferences since 1981 (yes, I’m that old ) and I’ve been organizing Personal Trainer clinics and conferences since 2000. It’s fascinating to me that the sessions that everybody loves and that everybody wants more of are hands-on sessions. Learning and doing more exercises. Have you really run out of exercises to the point where that needs to be your educational priority? Is that what will take your business to the next level?

Last week I attended Social Media FTW (For The Win) Conference… a social medial marketing conference. No exercise sessions at all… none. It just had great sessions on how to use blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. to reach your target market, create relationships, and how to turn these new relationships into business.

Now, if my business is not as successful as I’d like, what would make a bigger difference, learning more exercises or learning business practices that could drive more potential clients my way? Hmmn?

This was my second year at Social Media FTW and it won’t be my last. I’m also looking into other non-fitness conferences that will help my business the most. My reading list consists mostly of books on entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, creativity, etc.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love attending fitness clinics and conferences, BUT, I also know that’s not going to teach me what I need most. Get the most out of your time and money. Learn those things that can make the biggest difference in your business and your life.

#1 Successful Personal Trainers Know the Up-to-Date Exercise Science. Now, this is #1, not because it’s the most important, but because it’s often what Personal Trainers think is the only thing they need to be successful. So, I just want to get it out of the way and move on.

Yes, if you’re a Personal Trainer, you need to know your science. In fact, if you are going to position yourself as an expert in exercise, you had better make sure you can bring it. Your clients will never reach the results they could if you can’t create safe, effective programs to get them there. 

Whether you have a degree or a certification or both, your education should never end. Research changes the answers more frequently than many of us care to admit. i.e. Fact: the way to lose body fat is to do cardio… Not any more. Fact: HIIT is far more effective in fat loss.

Successful Trainers know the science. They are perpetual students, go to conferences, clinics, take classes, read journals. Never assume that exercise science is static and that you know enough.

Check out the full series. It starts here: 
Top 10 Traits of Successful Personal Trainers (Series)

P.S. Also, follow my Business of Personal Training page on Facebook.

I was working on my mission of videoing 30 variations of the Tabata protocol (see Tabata Revisited), which requires specific timing, and was challenged trying to set up my stopwatch where I could see it. I’d done 12 variations before a colleague called out, “You know there’s an app for that.” I’ll be darned if she wasn’t right. Tabata timer not only times the specific protocol with audible and visual alarms, but gives incredible timing variety that I can use in boot camps and other circuit workouts. Love it!

So, as specific and obscure an app as you might think that is, think about other health/fitness/nutrition apps that could help you. Some are free and some have a nominal fee. There are so many for each area, I’m not recommending the ones I list, just using them as examples. Try some apps out and see how they work for you.

Diet: Any app (application) that makes it easier to journal what you eat and keep track of your calories, would be a great tool. Calorie Tracker and Lose It are two options.

Workout: Giving you ideas for exercise programs are apps from Men’s Health, iPump, and more.

Sports specific: there are apps that are programs to help you train for sporting events. i.e marathon training like Run Coach and Triathlon and Marathon training

Health: Managing your health is also included in programs such as Glucose Buddy for diabetics

Indeed there seems to be apps for every occasion. Go seee what’s out there for you.

That said, a word of CAUTION, nothing takes the place of having a professional create a program that meets your individual needs. That is always your best choice.

Happy app-ing, Mark Nutting

I posted about the Tabata protocol awhile back and thought it was time to revisit it. Much of this is a re-post with some additional thoughts.

The Tabata Method or Protocol isn’t new, but it seems to be getting more and more press of late, maybe because of the popularity of CrossFit, P90X, Turbulence Training, etc. Based on the research of Izumi Tabata et al, at the Department of Physiology and Biomechanics, National Institute of Fitness and Sports, Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan, it is touted as “the best” way to up the metabolism and burn fat in the shortest amount of time. I don’t know if I’d say that any one thing is “the best”, but it is some pretty interesting stuff. The premis of the training is 20 second work interval to a 10 second rest interval that is done for a total of 8 repetitions (totaling 3:50 seconds). The original study was to compare moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity interval training and was completed on a stationary bicycle ergometer.
“…this study showed that moderate-intensity aerobic training that improves the maximal aerobic power does not change anaerobic capacity and that adequate high-intensity intermittent training may improve both anaerobic and aerobic energy supplying systems significantly, probably through imposing intensive stimuli on both systems.” Tabata Study

Here’s an example of something similar to the study:

Now, from this and other research it has been extrapolated that this training, along with improving both aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, also raises resting metabolism for an extended period of time and translates into greater fat loss. You can see any number of variations on the activities utilizing the Tabata Protocol from front squats to burpees. The key seems to be to make the activity involving large muscle groups and keeping it as intense as possible.

Here’s a different example: (I’d be happier if she didn’t occasionally hit the ball so hard)

Now, I’m old enough to have accumulated a number of chronic orthopedic issues (this is my “Get out of jail free” excuse, just in case), but I’ve decided to demonstrate, record, and post 30 Tabata protocol variations in 30 days. It’ll be fun to see which ones work better than others. If you have a favorite, let me know what it is and I’ll give it a try. I’ll be kicking this off March 1st. Stay tuned and watch the fun.

Best wishes, Mark

Mark Nutting, CSCS*D, NSCA-CPT-AR*D