The PT Roadmap

A weekly newsletter for personal trainers that'll guide you in your career to become a better coach and build a better business.

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Thanks for opening up today's PT Roadmap.

Let's get into things.

One Social Media Post Worth Your Time

Don't you think the world would be better if everyone did some strength training?

I do! And it's why I love posts like this from Barbell Rehab

As Micheal says in his post, our bodies are strong and resilient. We need fewer assessments that tell people they are 'dysfunctional' and 'broken' and more that show people how to use what they already have to get them strength training.

One Coaching Cue

"I want to see your t-shirt logo all the way through this squat."

When to use it?

I had a client who dropped their chest yesterday during their goblet squat. This cue worked well to get them more upright in their next set.

I personalised it by asking her what her favourite number was and asked her to show me that number on the centre of her chest throughout the set.

Maybe a simple "chest up" would work better for your client. That's the beauty of coaching humans! Nothing works every time with every client. But for this particular client, making it more external (rather than internal and focussing on her body like chest up) improved the movement.

Got a coaching cue you love using that works like a charm?

Hit reply, as I'd love to hear it!

One Business Tip

Every Friday afternoon at about 12 o'clock, I plan my week. I've done this since reading Laura Vanderkam's excellent time management book "Off The Clock" in 2019.

It's a weekly habit I enjoy and feel makes a difference to how I manage my time.

You could do it on any day. Friday works for me as I don't like working weekends and I rarely do much come Friday afternoon.

Here is how I do it:

Step 1: Get a blank piece of paper and divide it into 3 columns: self, career and relationships.

I like these categories as they bring balance and ensure I'm not just planning work.

Step 2: Add in what I'm going to do for each one.

I refer to my upcoming commitments by looking at my next few weeks as this helps to guide what I need to spend my time on. e.g. I may have a presentation in 3 weeks that needs starting now, so this gets added in.

For example:

Self: gym, reading, trail run, nature walk.

Career: client sessions, social media work, professional development, programming, admin.

Relationships: date night/ morning, quality time with my son, catch up with friends, call my parents.

Step 3: Add those things to my calendar in time blocks.

I have used an Apple calendar for years, as I have a Macbook and an iPhone and it syncs nicely. My wife uses Google calendar and swears by it. One of my colleagues uses a paper one and loves it.

What you choose is totally up to you; the key is to use something you can easily refer to and edit.

If you're new to time-blocking, it's a form of planning that asks you to divide your day into blocks of time. I like it as it gives most moments (I say most as I do enjoy some flexibility within my weeks, so I often leave plenty of white space) of my week a plan. Specifically the work-based ones. This means I'm not wondering what I'm supposed to be doing at any given moment, and I find it reduces procrastination.

Step 4: Walk into Monday knowing I've got a plan for my week.

This is the big reason I do take the time to plan my week.

I hate walking into a new week wondering what I'm working on and how I'll spend my time.

Here is an example of one of my weeks from last year that might help you visualize what I've spoken about 👇

I give myself 1-hour long task slot every day to address emails, DMs and other time-sapping little things. I also like to get up early (by 5am) and finish work by 2/3pm most days.

Let me know if you have any questions about this process by hitting reply!

One Coaching Tip

In last week's issue, I wrote about recommended business books. So, in this issue, I thought I'd write about recommended coaching books!

Here are 4 I'd recommend getting your hands on if you're looking for good professional development coaching-focussed books:

1) Motivational Interviewing in Nutrition & Fitness by Clifford & Curtis

Main takeaway: how to start using MI to better help your clients change their behaviors.

Key quote: “Henri Nouwen (2005) observed that ‘anyone who willingly enters into the pain of a stranger is truly a remarkable person,’ and we agree.”

2) The Language of Coaching by Nick Winkelman

Main takeaway: how to create an incredible coaching environment by developing your instruction, feedback & cueing.

Key quote: "Coaching is the universal language of change and learning."

3) Self-Determination Theory in Practice by Jennifer La Guardia

Main thing you'll learn: how to integrate the teachings of SDT into health coaching. I adored this book and highlighted most of it. Learning about SDT and using it's teachings in my coaching was one of the biggest 'aha' moments of my PT career so far.

Key quote: "Clients need to know that they can trust you to care for them and that you will be their advocate. This foundation is developed first and foremost by creating an atmosphere of warmth, genuineness, and empathy, or what Carl Rogers called unconditional positive regard."

4) Everything Fat Loss by Ben Carpenter (I'm only a few chapters in as this is just released but I LOVE Ben's work so this is getting a spot!)

Main thing you'll learn: The only fat loss book you'll need. Science-backed with Ben's conversational style too.

Key quote: "'eat less, move more' may be enlightening to people who are genuinely aware of what calorie balance is - and trust me, that is a lot of people - but there are many people who know they need to lose weight but find it extraordinarily difficult to do so."

I realised after creating this list that I'm short on training books. This is partly because I don't think many do gen pop personal training programme design justice (that's why our most popular course at Lift the Bar is on programme design), but with that said, here are 3 that'll give you a strong foundation:

• The Muscle & Strength Pyramid: Training by Eric Helms, Andrea Valdez & Andy Morgan

• Glute Lab by Bret Contreras

• Strength Zone Training by Nick Tumminello

Thanks so much for reading.

Until next Friday, Stuart.

Whenever you're ready, here are two ways I can help you:

1) If you’re looking for high-quality personal trainer education to help you gain knowledge, I’d recommend joining Lift the Bar and starting one of our most popular courses:

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➡ The Essentials of Personal Training: The perfect course if you’re new to PT and looking to lay a foundation for success.

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2) Listen to the LTB Podcast. Latest episode: Dr. Eric Helms - Why Body Composition Machines Aren't Reliable