LTB Podcast

In today's episode, Stuart welcomes back on Dr. Brad Dieter (previous #54). Brad is a trained Exercise Physiologist, Molecular Biologist, and Biostatistician. He received his B.A. from Washington State University and a Masters of Science in Biomechanics at the University of Idaho, and completed his PhD at the University of Idaho. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship in translational science at Providence Medical Research Center, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital where he studied how metabolism and inflammation regulate molecular mechanisms disease and is involved in discovering novel therapeutics for diabetic complications. In addition to his laboratory and biostatistics work, Dr. Dieter is the Chief Operating Officer at Macros Inc and is passionate about scientific outreach and educating the public through his role on Scientific Advisory Boards and regular writing on health, nutrition, and supplementation. In this conversation, Stuart and Brad discuss leadership, time management and the future of health and what trainers can do to positively influence this. Timestamps: (2.53) Brad tells a story about how researching how to train his Dog has changed his perspective on leadership and working with people. (8.13) How Brad gets around the challenge of being too close to a problem to solve it. (9.49) How Brad ensures he's putting some of his time into the big problems and not just putting out fires. (11.07) How he thinks about giving his staff autonomy. (14.53) How he has approached improving his leadership skills. (15.33) Mistakes he's made since being in a leadership role. (19.03) Two big things he's learnt about leadership. (20.53) Book recommendations on leadership. (22.33) How he approaches giving back and ensuring he's giving his time to the right people. (30.18) Time management and putting his time into the right projects. (37.03) What can Personal Trainers do to create a healthier society? (42.53) What Brad would do if he was a 1:1 trainer and he wanted to help improve the future of health. (45.28) Where you can find or follow Brad's work. Find Out More About Brad: Macro's Inc Website Science Driven Nutrition Find Out More About LTB: Website Instagram Facebook

In today's show, we have a special 200th episode involving all three of the main LTB staff team - Chris, Claire and Gregg. I chat to Chris about marketing, Claire about finances and business and Gregg about movement screens. You can check out the timestamps below in the show notes if one is particularly relevant or interesting to you. Here's to another 200 episodes! Timestamps Chris Interview 2.35 - is marketing more important than training or nutrition knowledge as a PT? 8.55 - how to get more people talking about your service 14.25 - where Chris got his first few clients from 18.55 - does Chris think something trainers are lacking is a real love for being a PT? 24.35 - does Chris think he's got better at attracting the right kind of people for his businesses? Claire Interview 31.30 - Where to start when it comes to managing your finances 34.40 - How often should you track your income and expenses? 35.30 - Claire's system for managing finances 39.10 - Should you use an accountant? 41.50 - Where to get more information and what you can claim back as an expense? 47.30 - What can PT's be doing more of when it comes to business? Gregg Interview 53.10 - How does Gregg use a movement screen? 54.50 - Are movement screens important? 59.10 - What about using something like the FMS? 1.3.25 - Does Gregg send out any information prior to working with a client so he can create a better screen? 1.5.10 - How he would structure a screen with a new general population client if he was doing one tomorrow? 1.10.40 - How he frames what a movement screen is with a new client 1.12.25 - Why we should get away from the corrective exercise trap 1.13.50 - The importance of having an understanding of functional anatomy Find Out More About LTB: Website Instagram Facebook

In today's show, we have another episode of the very originally named "fitness industry conversations with Alex Pearson". I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and feel we hit on some topics that will help a lot of people out. Namely, we talked about why personal training needs a proper definition and how to avoid burnout. If you're listening to this episode and you've got Instagram, tag us in your story showing that you're doing some professional development. We're @liftthebar! Timestamps 1.25 - Why doors frustrate the hell out of Stuart 5.32 - Why going to a dinner party with new people is analogous to a new client coming to the gym for the first time 7.32 - Why having a lack of a definition of a personal trainer is an issue 14.17 - Alex's definition of a PT 22.52 - What this lack of definition means and how having one can help personal trainers enjoy their careers more 28.02 - Burnout within personal training and fatigue/ stress management 34.32 - Making a decision about jumping into facility ownership 36.22 - Should you open a personal training facility? Find Out More About LTB: Website Instagram Facebook

In today's episode, we welcome on Tara Arndt from the School of Email. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to watch Tara present at the Inland Empire Fitness Conference held in Spokane in Washington State on the topic of email marketing. As you may expect, our topic for this interview is on exactly that. We discuss how and why to use email marketing, how often to email, how to grow your list, what to do if you already have a list and much more. Timestamps 0.50 - How Tara got started in email marketing. 4.25 - Companies that Tara thinks do marketing well. 6.50 - What she wishes more companies would do more and less of. 10.25 - How effective is email marketing in comparison to social media? 16.59 - Increasing open rates with emails 18.35 - How often should you email? 19.30 - How to use email for retention 21.35 - Where to begin if you wanted to gain new clients using email marketing? 26.15 - How to create a free download that can be used in exchange for an email address 28.40 - Some simple tips to grow your email list from your website 32.30 - What your autoresponder should contain 36.15 - When you should ask for the sale? 30.05 - Tips for staying consistent with sending emails 42.20 - Why putting something a PS in your emails is the most read part 45.50 - What you can do to grow your list if you already have one 48.50 - Book recommendations Find Out More About Tara: Website Instagram Facebook Find Out More About LTB: Website Instagram Facebook

In today's episode, Bret Contreras "The Glute Guy" joins us. Bret is the inventor of the hip thrust and many other great ways to train the glutes you've no doubt used in your programming. He's a researcher, S&C coach and someone who spends just as much in the trenches experimenting as anyone else in the fitness industry. We discuss programming, glute training, tips for personal trainers and much more. Timestamps 5.50 - How he has approached personal growth as a fitness professional 18.30 - Why and how he has changed his approach to using social media 22.05 - How he goes about designing gen pop training programmes 25.20 - Why most people don't have problems with glute activation 27.50 - Why telling clients they have a weak core is a dangerous thing to say 33.20 - Why your words and demeanour matter as a personal trainer 37.25 - Why you should educate your clients when they are training with you 39.35 - How to get more word of mouth referrals 42.50 - Where he starts when a new client wants to grow their glutes. Volume, frequency etc 46.50 - His advice to personal trainers for making more money 50.35 - What's exciting him in his trials in the glute lab currently Find Out More About Bret: Website Instagram New Book Find Out More About LTB: Website Instagram Facebook

In today's episode, we welcome on Jack Lovett. Jack is the owner of Spartan Performance, a gym that works with people from all walks of life but that specialises in getting its clients strong. He's also an athlete who has won the British Natural Strongman competition and competed at an international level, and he's also an author of the newly released Spartan Strength book. In this episode, we discuss his love for strength training, what he's learned coaching people and running a gym business for 10 years now, and what he wishes more personal trainers knew about becoming successful in this industry. Timestamps 1.20 - What Jack loves about strength training 5.35 - Why most clients approach the gym to improve their aesthetics 9.30 - Why success leads to more success 10.15 - Qualities that have transcended from the gym to his life 13.00 - What were his first few years of owning spartan performance like 14.30 - What he did right during that time 16.00 - What he did wrong during that time 23.00 - How he sold personal training in a warehouse gym 10 years ago 27.30 - Whether or not he believes walking the walking helped him grow his business 36.30 - Lessons he's learnt from shadowing other trainers in the US 40.00 - Why he decided to write a book 44.15 - Why application is where the greatest lessons are learnt 48.20 - How he has found finding staff and what he looks for in a coach 54.45 - Closing messages Find Our More About Jack: Website Instagram Email = jack@spartanperformance.co.uk Find Out More About LTB: Website Instagram Facebook

In this episode, Stuart and previous guest Alex Pearson have a conversation about the newly launched Weight Watchers (WW) app for kids and how to help clients who are overly focussed on the scales. They are going to aim to do a minimum of one of these Q&A type episodes per month so please feel free to send over any questions you have to stuart@liftthebar.com and they'll get to them next time! Topics Covered: What role PTs can play in discussing something like the WW app The positives of the WW app The problems with it What parents can do to help their kids with nutrition The problem with moralising food into good/bad labels How to help a client who is using good/bad food labels How to help a client who is overly focussed on scale weight Find Out More About LTB: Website Instagram Facebook Resources mentioned: Yoni Freedhoff, Ellyn Satter, Balance356 Podcast

In today's episode, we welcome on Edward Hall. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation at Northumbria University, UK. His research interests focus on the relational, (micro)political and emotional complexities of sport coaching. His work explores how networks of social relations influence the thoughts, feelings and (inter)actions of sport professionals, and how sense is made of experiences, relationships and the self. He is also a rugby coach and coach mentor, currently working with professional and elite coaches in various sports to support their continuing development. We discuss what Edward's father taught him and how this has shaped the kind of coach he is, tips for improving your interpersonal skills, what reflective practice is, why to use it and how to integrate it into your professional development. Timestamps 2.35 - How Edward's Dad taught him to drive and how this shaped the kind of person he is 5.35 - Why trust, care and consistency are some of the foundations of how he coaches his athletes and teaches his students 10.35 - Why he coaches and teaches using a "freedom within limits" environment 12.30 - Why he feels that relationships are a huge part of coaching people 20.10 - Some practical tips for improving interpersonal skills 23.30 - What reflective practice is 26.00 - An example of how a personal trainer can reflect on their practice 29.50 - His initial internal response to seeing himself on video as part of his reflective practice 33.40 - What did he spot from using reflective practice that allowed him to develop 36.40 - Should trainers and coaches engage in reflective practice? 38.30 - How to go about using reflective practice and how often? 42.40 - Some examples of questions to ask yourself when reflecting on your practice 48.45 - Edward's closing messages Find Out More About Edward: Northumbria University Bio Research Papers Twitter Find Out More About LTB: Website Instagram Facebook Stuart's Email For 30 Day Free Trial + Reflective Practice Document - stuart@liftthebar.com

In today's episode, we welcome on Josh Hillis. Josh is the author of Fat Loss Happens on Monday (2013) and the upcoming Lean and Strong (2019) for OnTarget Publications. He has been writing his blog, losestubbornfat.com, since 2004. This ended up being a really cool conversation about a load of different topics mostly related to the world of coaching. We covered how he sets up nutrition coaching in a Personal Training setting, why it's ok that a lot of clients will start without any want to change their nutrition and workaholism. Timestamps 2.20 - Is Personal Training set up for effective nutritional behaviour change? 4.00 - how he sets up and runs his phone coaching nutrition service 5.10 - where does he have nutrition conversations with his clients? 6.20 - what do clients need when it comes to nutrition support? 8.40 - what would Josh tell himself if he could go back in time when it comes to coaching nutrition? 10.25 - the difference between values and goals 14.55 - why looking for the gold in your client's lives and relating that to fitness/nutrition can help them understand how behaviour change takes time 18.00 - how often does he work with clients who start from an extrinsic/external place? 19.40 - how to help clients work our their values 24.40 - how he helps the clients who can't seem to be helped 28.40 - why it's normal to start working with clients who have no interest in changing nutrition but do in training 31.40 - Dan John's traffic light system for lifestyle behaviour change 36.00 - how he likens his workaholism to what his clients go through with their eating behaviours 40.45 - the difference between grit and self-compassion 46.40 - why it's ok that you can't manage as many sessions as other trainers 47.55 - why the cult of positivity is a big driver for emotional eating Find Out More About Josh: Website Facebook Group Book Find Out More About LTB: Website Instagram Facebook Stuart's Email For 30 Day Free Trial - stuart@liftthebar.com

In this episode, we welcome on Cameron Cummings. Cameron has built up a fantastic business inside of a commercial gym in Edinburgh and is the man who is running our commercial gym trainer group at LTB, and filling it weekly with ideas and insights on becoming a successful commercial gym PT. In this episode, we dive straight into how he built up his business and started getting clients, what's worked and what hasn't for lead generation and where he feels commercial gym trainers go wrong. Timestamps: 0.50 - How he got busy in his first commercial gym using a "seeing what sticks" strategy 6.50 - How his second time in a commercial gym differed to his first 8.50 - How his time management played a big role in getting more clients 15.50 - Why you need to double down on the strategies that work for lead generation 17.20 - Why free sessions do work 17.55 - How to go from conversation to paid client 23.50 - Where do commercial gym PTs go wrong? 31.20 - What has he done when he's in phases of not knowing what to do? 33.30 - Why not having to worry about paying his bills has helped his enjoyment of being a personal trainer 36.10 - What Cameron's message to a struggling PT would be Find Out More About Cameron: Facebook Instagram LTB Commercial Gym Trainer FB Group Find Out More About LTB: Website Instagram Facebook