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 newsletter. I appreciate you being here.

Let's get into today's PT Roadmap.

Free Webinar

Quick one before we begin…

I’m running my final ever webinar for Lift the Bar on Monday, the 31st of July, at 230pm BST.

It’s on burnout and how to prevent it as a Personal Trainer.

If you’re interested in coming along for free, stick your details HERE to register.

There’s no catch, I won’t be pitching anything, and you won’t receive any ongoing communications from LTB.

Just a chance to come and watch a 45-60 minute training on a topic I care a lot about.

I hope to see you there!

One Coaching Cue

What's it for?

A common technique error in squats and split squats is when a client’s foot caves in.

I’m way less bothered by this than I used to be (I used to stop all squatting until we’d fixed it, which isn’t what I’d recommend now as seeing some foot pronation is normal), but I still try to improve it so they’ve got a more stable base to work from.

These two cues can help.

I’ve also seen technique improvements with this when you elevate your client’s heels (as it’s often a lack of ankle mobility that causes it.) 1.25kg plates, squat wedges, or anything that lifts the heels a touch can work!

Better Business

You probably post your fair share of content.

And if you’re anything like me, you want more engagement.

Although engagement doesn’t = money.

It is a signal people are enjoying your content.

And the more people enjoy your content, the more success you’ll have when pitching to them.

After all, people buy from people they like.

This writing advice from Steven Pressfield has stuck with me on why nobody wants to read your content.

I consider it when creating something for Instagram or writing this newsletter.

Every sentence needs to earn the right to be in your content.

Here’s another way to assess whether your content is good enough: ask yourself, “Would I consume this content?” If the answer is a “maybe” or a “no”, don’t post it.

Even though your content is probably not for you, making it something you’d be happy to consume is a useful way to consider its quality.

Ok, now we’ve set the scene and understood that nobody gives a damn about our content, let’s get into some specific tips to drive engagement:

1. Check your insights - What posts have gotten the most engagement? Look for trends across those posts. Was it a specific type of content? Did you ask for a comment? Did you present it in a specific way? Do more of what you learn.

2. Republish - on a similar note to one, please republish your best content. A tiny portion of your audience sees your posts. And even if someone sees it again, they’ll either: be happy to see the reminder or not care. I typically give mine a new lick of paint by changing the method (from a Reel to a tweet, for example), although there is nothing wrong with simply reposting.

3. Relatable memes - this isn’t my style, but memes work for engagement. Spencer Nadolsky is someone who does an excellent job with them. I love how he also includes an educational component in his caption.

4. Reply to people who comment - too many pages miss an opportunity here. The least you should be doing is saying thanks. Bonus points if you can ask a question to encourage further engagement.

5. Use your stories - I’m not strong here, but I plan to up my game over the next month. Your stories are a chance to document elements of your life and build relationships with the people who watch. Show the bits of your life that seem boring but aren’t - we all have a voyeuristic side. Show parts of your sessions, meals, walks, movies you watch, random stuff and books you read - it can all go on your stories.

6. Encourage engagement by asking for it - super simple tip but one that’s easy to forget. Here’s an example from the Lift the Bar Instagram page.

7. Offer a giveaway - Ask people to comment a keyword and say you’ll send them a free training/ recipe/ PDF. Here’s a nice example of this from Ste McGrath.

Better Coaching

When you spot a technique error on the first rep of your client’s set, give them a chance to fix it themselves.

Let’s say you’re watching your client do a set of push-ups.

Their elbows are flared, and you’re about to jump in and tell them to tuck them in.

But then, on rep 3, they correct it.

You get to congratulate them on the fix, and they experience a cool learning moment.

If you jump in too quickly, this moment doesn’t exist.

Clients, especially ones you’ve been training for a reasonable period, often fix their form without us jumping in.

They know how movements are supposed to feel.

It might take a rep or two.

But give them a chance to self-correct.

Sidenote: if you see something that does worry you, like huge amounts of flexion on a deadlift or uncontrolled knee valgus during a squat, this tip doesn’t apply.

One Social Media Post Worth Your Time

I enjoyed this excellent video from Aaron Kubal on exercise dosage when recovering from an injury.

The rule of too’s is one I’ll be using with my clients: “Don’t do too much, too soon, after too long.” Basically… gradually build up your tolerance.

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 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. A library of 400+ podcast episodes with some of the fitness industry’s finest minds.