The PT Roadmap

A weekly newsletter for personal trainers to guide you to become a better coach and build a better business.

Hey!

Thanks for opening up today's newsletter. I appreciate you being here.

I’m happy to be back writing the PTR. I’ve missed it, but I thoroughly enjoyed some proper time off.

Quick question to start us off:

In today’s issue:

✅ Business topic

✅ Recommended exercise

✅ Social post worth your time

Let's get into it!

Business

How to Get Over Your Fear of Pressing Post

You know that feeling.

That gut-wrenching hesitation that comes when you’ve got a piece of content you think is ready to publish.

But something holds you back.

“Is this good enough?”

“What if nobody likes it?”

“What if someone calls me out for being wrong?”

Those intrusive and mood-disrupting thoughts are incredibly common.

I’ve had 100s of conversations with PTs who know they need and should be posting on social media, but this fear holds them back.

So, know you’re not alone if this is you.

Why a Fear of Pressing Post Exists

1. Judgement from others.

2. Might get a negative response.

3. Might not get any engagement.

4. Might get called out for incorrect information.

Those are the four main things I hear PTs mention.

All understandable reasons.

But all reasons we can challenge.

Why it’s a Problem if You Don’t Press Post

Do you need to post online to build a successful and profitable PT business?

Nope!

You can build a great PT business without any online presence.

But you’ll get there faster and open up many more doors if you do.

Posting online gets you in front of people. On platforms where people are spending lots of time. Most people spend upwards of 2 hours a day on social media.

Yes, you can stay offline and build a great business.

But when your target market’s attention is being spent somewhere, and you’d love to get their attention to potentially turn them into clients, it makes sense to go where they are.

What Can You do About it?

Here are four tips for getting over your fear of pressing post:

Tip #1 - Understand Nobody Cares

This is both liberating and kinda depressing.

Nobody cares about your content.

Just like nobody cares about anyone else when they are in the gym because they are too focused on their own stuff.

Not to mention, 95 million pieces of content are uploaded to Instagram daily.

95,000,000.

That is one big number.

Your one piece of content is just one piece in a sea of millions more.

If someone doesn’t like your piece of content, they scroll on by.

This doesn’t mean it’s pointless to post; far from it because every piece of content is an investment into your social capital account. It just means your one piece of content is less important than you think.

Tip #2 - Start Small

I started posting super basic content on Facebook 10 years ago.

A daily tip

A picture of one of my meals

An image of a client training

It wasn’t fancy and didn’t get me much in the way of results, but it got me started.

Consider doing the same. Start small and dip your toe in the shallow end.

Tip #3 - Start safe

Building on from tip 2, choose subjects you feel safe talking about.

You do not need to post about topics you’re unsure about.

I no longer post much about programming or nutrition.

Because I no longer feel like an authority on these topics. I know there are better people to talk about training plans or nutrition coaching than me.

So, I focus my time on topics I feel confident talking about.

Pick subjects you would happily talk to your clients about all day long. Maybe it’s why strength training is so amazing. Or the biggest myths about nutrition. Or how to gain muscle.

There are topics every single one of you cares about and understands deeply.

Start with those.

Tip #4 - Run it by someone you trust

When I started posting Twitter-style posts like the one below, I’d run my draft version past my wife.

She’s an English major and excellent at helping me say my points in fewer words.

This helped me for a few reasons when I started doing this style:

• It built my confidence - If she reacted positively, I knew I was onto a winner.

• It showed me what I needed to improve - I, like most people, say too much when I write. This style of post needs brevity.

• It meant I could overcome my first fear - That nobody would like my post. If she liked it, I’d already gotten over that.

If you’ve got someone in your life who you think would be helpful here, ask them and run your content by them.

I very rarely use my wife for content feedback anymore.

But occasionally, there’s a piece I’m overthinking or want a 2nd opinion on.

Having someone like this in your life is invaluable.

I hope this helps you. Go forth and get posting!

Recommended Exercise

This Week’s Exercise: The Javelin Press

I love learning about new exercises. Mainly for my training and (when I find a gem) for my clients.

I found the Javelin Press from Range of Strength Network.

It is tough.

Way more challenging than I expected.

Give it a shot. You’ll see a 6-rep demo if you click the image above.

Unless you’ve got a 12.5 or 15kg bar, you might not use it with many clients. But it is nice to play around with yourself or stronger clients.

Social Post

I love messages like this one from Sohee Lee Carpenter

Exercise snacks is a term I’ve been talking about a lot with my clients.

You don’t need to find 60 or even 30 minutes to exercise. Throwing in 5-10 × 1-min bursts of vigorous exercise throughout your day can significantly impact health.

I love messages like this because it makes exercise more accessible for more people. It’s worth remembering that most of the population does not do any exercise, never mind 2-4 PT or group sessions a week.

If learning about something like this starts someone's journey towards better health, it’s a message I’m behind.

Thanks so much for reading.

Until next Friday, Stuart.

Here is how I help in-person PTs like you build businesses they love.

1-1 Business Mentoring

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This is for you if:

- You're struggling to determine the direction you want to take your business.

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