Brian St. Pierre is the director of nutrition at Precision Nutrition. He's coached Olympic champions, NFL and NBA teams on nutrition and written some of my favourite and most shared articles on the PN site. We discuss COVID-19 and how he's thinking about its effects on how to coach clients just now, what his coaching evolution has looked like, why some emotional eating is perfectly ok, the PN process for creating blogs and why he used to remove potatoes from his now wife's Irish stew.

• [02.36] - Considering COVID-19, is now the time for fat loss?
• [04.45] - If he remembers trying to place his goals onto a client?
• [13.02] - The evolution of the coach
• [14.52] - Other things to consider when coaching clients during COVID
• [17.48] - Helping clients manage being at home and around food all the time just now
• [20.55] - Why it's important to normalise emotional eating 
• [26.15] - What role do trainers and coaches have with clients and their nutrition
• [29.35] - Getting clients more in touch with their internal cues?
• [31.32] - Helping clients who feel eating slowly etc is too small a habit to help them move them forward?
• [34.45] - Why it's ok for clients goals to change throughout the coaching process
• [38.05] - His article "the cost of getting lean" and how it uses it when coaching clients
• [41.06] - The PN process for creating blog posts
• [45.20] - What he wishes he could tell himself about what he's learnt about writing in the last 10 years
• [46.37] - Why he isn't big on social media
•  

Find Out More About BSP:

• PN Bio
• The Cost of Getting Lean Article

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Chris Burgess is the owner of Lift the Bar, an education company for Personal Trainers, and Curious Fitness, a semi-private gym in Paulton, England. Stuart and Chris discuss whether the novelty of zoom sessions will start to wear off on clients who bought into in-person PT, how to think about retention during COVID-19 and what you should do if all of yours clients have said no to doing online training.

• [03.33] - Will the novelty of zoom sessions start to wear off for your clients?
• [06.43] - Why the question has to be "is this real?"
• [11.43] - How to embrace the novelty of delivering sessions online
• [16.09] - Is he worried about how long this is going to take to get back to some form of normality?
• [19.53] - How he is viewing retention
• [25.13] - How to handle going from 5/10-20 sessions a week to zero as your clients don't want to do online sessions

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Mark Fisher runs Mark Fisher Fitness (MFF) in New York, a two location gym and Business For Unicorns (BFU), an education and support company for business owners. Like most fitness businesses, MFF has had to go from being an in-person one to one that is now fully online. We discuss how MFF has pivoted to support their members during this time, how they are going about building and growing their community, whether or not they are trying to market and sell their online programmes and why it's so important to be a human.

• [01.13] - How COVID-19 has affected things in Mark's world
• [04.50] - What Mark Fisher Fitness' current plan is
• [08.29] - How the MFF members have taken to being trained online
• [12.03] - What else MFF are doing to support and grow their community
• [14.58] - What silver linings Mark has seen with everything that has gone on
• [17.21] - Are they trying to market and sell considering everything that is going on?
• [19.13] - How are they are approaching their marketing and positioning just now
• [21.49] - How this will affect Mark's ability to make decisions moving forward
• [25.07] - Any books Mark would recommend
•  

Find Out More About Mark:

• MFF Website
• BFU Website
• Mark's Instagram

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Mike Waywell runs a gym called Steel Habitat in Liverpool, England and a company called Gymownr. Mike is one of the people I turn to for advice on helping gym owners as he's built Steel from the ground up to become one of the most impressive facilities in the UK working with over 400 active members. We cover how to see the opportunity among the uncertainty of COVID, why Steel are running a 6-week challenge just now and how to run one yourself, how they are approaching marketing and why you have to remove the emotion out of what's going on to ensure you survive. 

• [02.26] - Why and how it's so important to see the opportunities that are available just now for gym owners and personal trainers
• [06.56] - Mike tells us how he's handled things so far
• [09.26] - Mike talks about a 6-8 week challenge they are using for accountability and retention just now
• [13.06] - Why Mike's business has seen 95% + retention rates even though they are now fully online
• [17.21] - How's he's handled pricing
• [18.41] - How he plans to handle a big drop-off in members
• [24.26] - If he's going to change his marketing copy to mention things like quarantine and lockdown
• [26.26] - What novel things they are doing to provide extra support to their members just now
• [28.19] - How he's feeling about the long term
• [33.11] - Whether he's managed to keep all his staff
• [34.11] - What book he'd recommend for times like this
• [36.41] - Why now is not the time to sulk, become frustrated or argue about politics
•  

Find Out More About Mike:

• Steel Website
• Gym Ownr Instagram
• Gym Ownr Webinar

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

• [03.18] - How he's dealt with what the coronavirus has done to his business
• [07.32] - How many clients he's lost since having to go online
• [09.01] - How receptive his client base has been to going online
• [16.35] - Why you should plan for 12 months rather than just a few
• [22.00] - How to start approaching marketing during this time

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

A solo episode with Stuart covering what the coronavirus is doing to personal trainers careers and how they can innovate to get through it.

In this episode, we have another special episode on the coronavirus. This time, I've asked Chris Burgess to come and talk about dealing with the coronavirus' effects on your business, how to handle a loss of income/ loss of clients, how to keep your head up and ensure your business comes out the other side and what your first steps should be. It's a must-listen in times like this. Stay safe, don't forget how big a role you can play in helping to support people through this and please don't suffer alone. I'm more than happy to help so don't hesitate to contact me - stuart@liftthebar.com

Everyone is anxious about the coronavirus just now. My goal with this episode is to:

1. reassure you that you can come out the other side, and
2. how to go about doing that

Links Mentioned in The Episode

• 2-Week LTB Free Trial
• Yoni Freedhoff Weighty Matters COVID Newsletter
• Coronavirus And Isolation Paradox Article
• UK Govt Business Support Website
• Stuart email - stuart@liftthebar.com

Chris Burgess Coronavirus Example Email

Corona Virus - An official Curious Stance
Let's start at 'worst case'
It's our intention to stay open until the time that the government tell us we aren't allowed to. Obviously we hope that closure won't be forced on us but in the event that we are:
We will be offering:
Daily home workouts that are streamed in this group
Daily 'FaceTime Lead sessions' where the coaches will have a group call with their Semi Private or Bootcamp group at the usual times. You do the workout from home and set your phone camera up in a position where we can coach you if needed
We will be offering to bring kit to your house for you to use, and we will suggest kit for you to buy for your home workouts too.
Let's now talk about 'bad but not worst case'
If we are told to close but the country isnt in some quarantined lockdown, we will run sessions from local parks. It's not ideal but it means we can still help you achieve your health and fitness dreams
Lets now talk about what we need all of you to do:
Wash your hands when you arrive and before you leave.
Don't come to the gym with colds, coughs or if your breathing is playing up. Please dont be offended if you are asked to leave because you have come in poorly - even if its mild.
Don't nick our toilet roll.
Please use the wipes we will put next to the inbody before and after you scan.
Please put your weights away. Fuck sake Greig.
Lastly:
Even if we have to close our doors we will be doing everything in our power to keep sessions running.
But to help us ensure that doesn't happen PLEASE PLEASE don't come into the gym if you have even the slightest inclination that you have COVID 19.

In today's show, I welcome back on Krista Scott-Dixon. I've had KSD on many times before and she always leaves me with a tonne of things to go away and think about. We get into what exercise/ movement means to her and how it's become a more integrated aspect of her life, how to help clients improve their relationships with food, why some amount of emotional eating can be a good thing and why doing the really simple things you tell your clients to do, like eating slowly, can be great learning experiences.

Timestamps:

• [01.53] - What exercise means to her.
• [16.08] - Redefining mindfulness to include body-fulness.
• [23.45] - Why more people are now talking about improving their relationship to food.
• [26.44] - Where can trainers start when clients want to improve their relationship to food.
• [33.41] - How to bring up things you notice within clients that aren't serving them.
• [35.08] - Why some anxiety can be a good thing.
• [39.23] - The importance of how you show up as a coach.
• [41.38] - Doing the things you tell your clients to do.
• [47.23] - The relationship between health and fitness and other mental/ physical behaviours.

Find Out More About Krista:

• Website
• Precision Nutrition Website
• Facebook

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

In today's episode, I welcome on Kevin Mullins. Kevin is a personal trainer who has accumulated well over 10,000 hours worth of PT sessions. He works as Director of Product Development and Education for The St. James - A leading brand in Sports, Wellness, and Active Entertainment based in Virginia. We discuss why he hasn't opened a facility considering it was the logical next step, how we can make personal training well respected as a profession, how he grew his business inside of a commercial gym, hitting burnout and coming out the other side a better person and having to create Zumba style classes without the Zumba. 

Timestamps:

• [01.29] - Why Kevin has yet to open up his own personal training facility?
• [07.37] - Why he feels so passionate about the personal training industry
• [10.17] - How we can improve how people perceive personal training as a profession
• [15.07] - What his first few months in a commercial gym were like
• [21.50] - How he started getting clients in his commercial gym
• [26.07] - How he dealt with moments where his client numbers fluctuated up and down
• [30.22] - What other tips he has for a trainer who needs more clients
• [34.12] - Kevin tells us about hitting a point in his life where he really struggled with who he was and how he nearly left the industry
• [41.07] - Did he limit the number of sessions he was doing after hitting burnout?
• [44.37] - What it's like in his new role having to create Zumba-style classes
• [48.52] - Has his new role taught him anything he wishes he could go back and tell a younger Kevin Mullins?
• [52.00] - We talk about his book, Day by Day.

Find Out More About Kevin:

• Website
• Book

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Today I welcome on Martin Rooney from Training for Warriors. Martin was one of the first people we welcomed on for a webinar at LTB. His energy is infectious and it's hard not to feel pumped up after listening to him talk about being a fitness professional and coaching. We cover his background, finding your place in the fitness industry, becoming a better coach and his new book, coach to coach.

• [02.40] - Has he always loved what he's done in his career?
• [05.40] - How to find the things you really enjoy doing in your career?
• [13.25] - What he does if he's having a bad day?
• [19.30] - How to narrow the gap between having knowledge and turning into that results with clients
• [23.00] - What he would say to the trainer who is quieter and introverted
• [34.30] - Why you don't need to be better than someone to coach them 
• [37.00] - How he would like his new book, coach to coach, to be remembered

Find More About Martin:

• Website
• Instagram
• US Amazon Book
• UK Amazon Book

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Today I welcome on Lou Brierley. Lou was one of the early LTB members that truely helped form our LTB community into what it is today. He's got an incredibly interesting story that involves him growing a successful outdoor Bootcamp, turning that into a facility and then deciding to sell it all and travel the world. We get into how he grew things starting off, how he made his group sessions enjoyable and somewhere that his members felt comfortable and why he decided to sell his gym!

Timestamps

• [01.47] - Lou's tell us about his motorhome called Doris
• [05.32] - Why Lou decided to sell his personal training facility and go travelling 
• [11.52] - Was he in the wrong time in his life for owning a facility?
• [14.27] - Whether he thinks you can own a facility and have some form of work: life balance?
• [17.22] - Does he have any regrets about selling his gym?
• [22.27] - Why growing slowly is something PTs should consider
• [25.22] - How Lou grew an outdoor bootcamp to 50 members
• [36.07] - How he made his sessions fun and comfortable for people who don't like gyms
• [39.07] - When he plans to stop travelling?

Find More About Lou:

• Travelling Blog
• Instagram

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

In this episode, I talk to Alex Pearson about meditation. I've wanted to talk about meditation for a full episode for a while now as it's a topic that many guests have mentioned and it's very much something that most people are aware of nowadays. But is it as useful as you'll read online? We discuss it's origins, what the literature says about using it for depression, anxiety and weight loss, whether or not PTs should encourage their clients to meditate and some of our own experiences with it.

LTB Podcast Survey

• [04.40] - Some of the different styles of meditation
• [05.50] - Where it dates back to?
• [06.45] - Why it's gained popularity?
• [10.55] - What the literature says about mindfulness and anxiety?
• [11.46] - What the says about mindfulness and weight loss or emotional eating?
• [16.20] - Should personal trainers encourage their clients to meditate?
• [28.10] - Does mindfulness help with decision making?
• [29.10] - Why lots of people try meditation and don't stick with?
• [36.25] - Alex shares some of his meditation experiences
• [39.32] - Can you get a similar effect from doing something like yoga, running or a different activity?
• [42.53] - Where you can start a meditation habit.

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Survey

In today's episode, I welcome on Liam Thompson from Internet FitPro - a company all about helping personal trainers get more clients and create effective websites that look great. Liam's had a really cool career in the fitness industry and although we don't delve into that much, we do get into a lot of useful information about how to create a FB ad using Internet Fitpro's formula, lead generation for trainers who work in commercial gyms and private studios and how he built his PT business using free sessions. If you want more clients, this episode is going to be well worth your time.

LTB Podcast Survey

Timestamps

• [02.01] - How he would approach getting clients in a commercial gym if he was starting from scratch tomorrow?
• [05.36] - How to go from free session to paid client?
• [11.01] - How he would approach getting a client base if he was using more online-based strategies?
• [14.21] - Should PTs spend more time telling people what it is that they do?
• [16.36] - How to stick out from your competitors as a personal trainer.
• [18.51] - Using trials or free sessions?
• [24.21] - Facebook ads aren't working for you?
• [29.06] - What data you should pay attention to for FB ads
• [30.51] - Where to start if you want some new clients using FB ads
• [40.41] - Why it's well worth getting someone's email

Find More About Liam:

• Internet Fitpro: Personal Trainer Websites
• Facebook

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Survey

In this episode of the LTB podcast, we have a from the archive episode with Krista Scott-Dixon from Precision Nutrition which was first posted back in 2017. We discuss her book, 'Why We Want Eat', what makes an effective coach, how to improve your self-awareness, empathy and much more.

In today's episode, I welcome on Mike Howard. With over 20 years of practical experience as a personal trainer, online coach, youth fitness specialist, author and presenter, Mike has continuously sought out the best ways to help people achieve sustainable success. He has just completed his second book (first print book) Lean Minded: 50 Days to Mind & Body Transformation. In this conversation, we discuss his new book, how to network, how to deal with the tougher times as a trainer and how and why he runs a yearly fitness retreat.

In today's episode, I welcome back on Sukh Sidhu from Online Fitness Business. Sukh was on for number 112 in June 2018. In today's show, we cover the realities of running a business, challenges with setting and keeping the momentum of online personal training, where most trainers are going wrong when they enter the online PT and Sukh's new venture called Open Coach.

In today's episode, I welcome back on Jason Leenaarts. Jason was a previous guest back in Nov 2018 on episode 142. He's a husband, father, gym owner, podcast host and one of the most genuine guys I know. In this episode, we discuss his new book called "a revolution a day", how he processes losing clients and why it is well worth your time as a personal trainer to post on social media about your clients.

In today's show, I welcome on Ross Stewart from Improve Glasgow to talk about his recent expansion to a bigger facility, how he's achieved consistent growth, important KPIs to track and some book recommendations. Ross has been on three times before (7,23,80) and is someone I always enjoy talking to. He started off running bootcamps in Glasgow before building a multiple trainer business in a commercial gym before now owning a near 200 member facility. 

In today's episode, I welcome on Lawrence Judd from Macros Inc. Lawrence is a good friend and someone I've wanted to have on the podcast for a while. I'm sure a few of you will know of him, and if not, you're in for a treat as one of his superpowers is distilling complicated topics into understandable and practical steps. We dive deep into marketing and talk about a definition for it, where personal trainers go wrong, companies who are doing it well, setting business goals for more effective marketing and why you're likely a yoyo marketer.

Timestamps:

• [04.55] - what has happened to Lawrence's chemical engineering career and how he came into the fitness industry?
• [10.11] - how his degree in chemical engineering has aided his work in health and fitness
• [13.30] - what Lawrence means when he wrote "you're probably a yoyo marketer" in his LTB magazine piece
• [16.20] - does he think personal trainers have a knowledge or habit gap when it comes to marketing?
• [19.45] - how he explains marketing
• [24.00] - why it's so easy to forget about your customers when you get into running a business
• [26.18] - how marketing fits into running a business
• [29.20] - what companies he thinks are marketing their product/ service effectively
• [34.15] - where he sees personal trainers going wrong with their marketing?
• [38.54] - how to compare yourself to your competitors effectively
• [46.15] - relating your service to a fundamental human need
• [49.45] - why it's important to set clear business goals and how to set them

Find More About Lawrence:

• Macros Inc Website
• Instagram
• Email - lawrence@macrosinc.net 

Find Out More About LTB:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook