Continuting with last night’s awesomeness, here’s Part 2 of things I learned in 2009. Actually, these are things I’ve known, but now I ‘know’. Get it?
Stuff I’ve known, and I now I know for sure…
Beginners need volume. Prior to this year, I always knew that beginners or people gettin back on that horse after a long layoff needed a lot of volume in their training. However, what changed for me is how to get them that volume. I would usually suggest people do something crazy like 3 or 4 sets of 15 for their main lifts and then 3 or 4 sets of 6 for their supplemetal lifts. That is just about as ass-backwards as it can get! Nowadays, beginners would probably get 5 or 6 sets of 5 for their main lifts and higher rep stuff for the supplemental lifts.
The reason is that beginners don’t usually have the muscle stamina to perform lifts in the higher rep range. So, when they begin to fatigue, they are actually teaching their body how to do reps improperly. That’s a huge no-no. Keep the weights relatively low, the reps relatively low, and the volume high. A beginner will still see the benefits.
Studying sucks! I didn’t learn that studying sucks until I started college. While in college, I swore I would never study again as soon as I got my degree. My plan was working flawlessly….until I decided to make this my life. Crap! Now I have to study again. I’m having flashbacks to college again, but at least this time I won’t be having office chair races around the building at 3am just to keep myself awake.
Starting a (legitimate) business of (mostly) any kind is expensive. And that’s coming from a guy that’s getting quite a few good deals. My site hosting is free (for now), the domain name was pretty cheap, I got the site that you are seeing right now done for $125, and my text book is used from Amazon. What’s not cheap are my new sites being designed (but totally worth it), NSCA membership, test fees, insurance, new computer, filing articles of incorporation, hookers, and blow. Those are just the things I need to do to become legit. That doesn’t even begin the list of equipment and other random things needed for day to day operations. It’s a good thing I plan on becoming a gigalo on the side.
Most certifications are garbage. The one I am studying for is one of the THE best certs you can get in this industry. That still doesn’t mean Jack. The certification basically says that you’re smart enough to pass the test, and that you’re at least ‘probably’ not going to hurt anyone while you’re training them. Other than that, it doesn’t speak a lick (what does that even mean?) about how you’re going to be as a trainer. It’s still up to the individual trainer to apply that knowledge and continue learning about their craft. Lucky for all of you, I already know AT LEAST as much, and have a lot more time under the bar, than most “trainers” working out of the big corporate gyms.
And lastly, I will end it with this: Writing is work! Granted, this is my blog. The definition of “blog” is that it’s someone’s opinion. I used to call each post an “article”, but I don’t really like that word anymore. To me, “article” refers to something that is backed by research, factual, and all sources are credited. Don’t get me wrong, I base my opinions on all of those things and real world experiences, but my blog is far from a scientific, peer reviewed, published article. Irregardless, writing an opinionated post is still work. When I’m really in the mood and having fun with a post, it hardly seems like work because I truly do love it, but err (that’s slang for “every”, cuz that’s how I do) week when Wednesday rolls around, I know that I have to write something whether I want to or not. And that’s when it becomes work.
Alright, so that’s Part 2. Not only that but it’s 5:30pm, and I have a rooftop party to go to. Yep, you read that right. It’s January, in MN, and I’m going to a rooftop party. Jealous?
