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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One Coaching Cue

What's it for?

I like this for heavy squatting a lot.

Big breath in as if you’re about to go underwater, descend into the squat, and exhale as you return to the surface.

Better Business

How to not let Monday happen to you.

 Does anyone else feel like Monday sometimes just ‘happens’ to them?

You finish on Friday, have a weekend and then it’s Monday again.

By the time it starts, you feel like you’re already behind.

Here are some tips to get the most out of your Monday:

• Identify your most important tasks - What things, if done, will move the needle for you? Identify 2-5 of those things.

• Block time off in your calendar for those tasks - If it’s not on your calendar, it won’t get done. Stick it on in 30-90 min chunks and treat it like a PT session you must attend.

• Block off time for YOU - My workouts go on my calendar first. Without these, I’m a worse parent, husband and employee.

• Block off time for development - I feel way better when learning new things. So, I add two 30-min slots into my calendar for development. I usually use these to read a book (I’m reading Ryan Holiday’s Daily Dad and Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss just now) or watch a course or webinar I’m interested in at Lift the Bar.

• Consider your life admin - bills that need paid, cars that need an MOT or inspection, furniture that needs to be built. It’s the stuff that easily becomes a drain on your brain when it’s not dealt with. Put some time aside to handle this stuff.

Better Coaching

Questions to ask your clients every session:

• What’s motivating you to show up today? (so you can understand what’s motivating them and tailor their session accordingly.)

• Is anything new going on with your body? (so you can edit the session if needed.)

• How was your body feeling after our last session? (so you can better understand how the client reacts to new exercises, more volume, etc.)

• How would you like to feel when you walk out today? (so you can tailor the session to how they’d like to feel when they leave.)

One Social Media Post Worth Your Time

Great post from Adam Meakins on how to get the most from lifting weights with the least effort.

I wish more PTs would spread this kind of message.

A barrier to getting into lifting weights for the general public is thinking they don’t have the time as they need hours and hours a week.

This post underlines how even one or two 30-minute sessions can make a huge difference.

Personal Instagram Growth (Week 9)

This is the first week where I haven’t enjoyed creating content in a while.

The big reason is that I haven’t had the time to think up ideas and turn them into pieces of content.

My kid has been sick, and I’ve had to prioritise other things.

It’s easy on weeks like this to be hard on yourself.

But there’s only so much ‘you’ available at any given time.

The thing that’s made me feel better is knowing I’ve carved out a 3-hour slot for next week.

Thanks so much for reading.

Until next Friday, Stuart.

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

1) If you’re looking for a place to help you gain knowledge & develop your skills as a personal trainer, I’d recommend joining Lift the Bar on our trial for free for 14-days. You'll get access to courses, actionable webinars and time-saving downloads, and a community of PTs who have achieved what you're struggling to achieve.

2) Listen to the LTB Podcast. Tune in to interviews with trainers who have been where you are and built what you’re trying to build. Latest episode: Dr. Michael Mash - How to screen clients, pain science & muscle knots.