9 Things You Need to Know About the Fitness Industry
9 Things You Need to Know About the Fitness Industry
Here are 9 things you need to know to understand how the fitness industry functions:
Most Programs Work
Train Specifically
Progression Takes Time
Steroids Change the Game
If You Have Not Done It, Do Not Preach It
Do What You Believe In and Create Your Own Philosophy
Be Wary of Instagram
Your Diet Needs to Match Your Training
Learn to Decipher Between a Good Marketer and a Good Trainer
Most Programs Work
The body adapts when a stimulus is applied. If a program has some type of progression or overload involved then the results will come. Following a program for its entirety is difficult and creates the idea that only a select few programs are effective. Most fitness regimens are going to create a positive outcome if you are disciplined and put in the effort to complete it start to finish. This is not to suggest any person can throw together a quality program and get you where you want to be. However, most fitness professionals are able to create a well-structured program that will lead to results. Understanding how to apply specific programs to a specific client or athlete is a completely different skill and is a much more complex task than just creating a program. Which leads to:
Train Specifically
The best way to approach a fitness goal is to train specifically for that goal. Getting stronger with a progressive, high-intensity program and training above your 90% max is an effective way to gain strength. Gaining mass requires a high volume of training and frequency to stimulate muscle growth. Athletes also need to train specifically. Foundational strength is necessary for any person, but understanding your main goal for training is essential to being efficient with your time. If you want to get your bench press up...you need to bench press. If you want to get stronger...you can't train 7 days a week with high volume and be sore everyday. The discipline to attack your goals and suppress your ego is something many people have difficulty with. Coaches, trainers, and gym-goers become enthralled by numbers and the visuals of training and forget the goal and purpose they began with.
Progression Takes Time
This concept relates very well to the first two. The body needs time to adapt in order to become stronger, bigger and more efficient. At the beginning stages of training, progression is much more rapid and expected, but with years under your belt the progression significantly slows. Having intrinsic motivation makes the progression much easier to cope with. That internal drive keeps you invested in your program and in time you will get your results. The issue lies within athletes or clients who function with extrinsic motivation. Coaches and trainers earn their money with these individuals. An internally driven person is easy to train. An externally driven person needs to see the results and feel their time is worth their effort. Being able to communicate and motivate these people is where quality coaches thrive. The higher up you go in fitness and in sport, the smaller the window for progression becomes. Coaching at an elite level requires supreme discipline and understanding to create the smallest of adaptations. Always remember progression takes time.
Steroids Change the Game
Some of the strongest people and best trainers/coaches in the world take steroids. This does not make them any less knowledgeable or skilled at what they do. However, their training and adaptations differ tremendously from a natural individual. Frequency becomes much higher and beneficial to a person using steroids. Recovery is increased and the body becomes much more responsive to a training stimulus. Steroids are not going to make you instantly strong or muscular, but extreme results are pretty much guaranteed with any type of fitness regimen. Views differ on the use of steroids in the fitness industry, but you need to understand that the use is very prevalent and many careers, promotions, and brands depend on them.
If You Have Not Done It, Do Not Preach It
This is something you see mostly in people at the beginning stages of entering the fitness industry. You certainly did not have enough time to thoroughly experience a wide variety of training protocols and understand their impact. Therefore I don't suggest going around preaching techniques, movements, or programs which you haven't mastered or at least experienced yourself. Though you may have heard about a certain exercise or program as being effective, I would never recommend coaching an individual without a true understanding of it. Pretty straight forward here...go beyond just understanding the intellectual portion of your training. Know how it feels and put yourself through it first.
Do What You Believe In and Create Your Own Philosophy
You will not convey confidence or good energy if you do not believe in what you are doing. Utilizing someone else's program or methodology to a tee is not always the best way to approach your training. An integration of ideas and concepts combined with a foundation in which you find to be the most effective will always set you down the right path. Do not become consumed by any single way of training. Develop your own philosophy and determine the most efficient way to be original without losing the fundamental principles of training.
Be Wary of Instagram
Pictures say a thousand words so understand Instagram is full of information you need to decipher. People are master manipulators and Instagram is their foreground. Besides the fact of altering images, the major concern is when you begin to see the amount of fitness freaks seem to be roaming within Instagram. These people are businessmen and women and their purpose is to market their product or service. Be careful of what you see and how you perceive it. A natural physique, a drug-free lifter, or a new brand of supplements are all ways to attract your eyes and question yourself. Create your own persona online and stay true to that regardless of what is surrounding you within the social media realm. You can view hundreds of people squatting 600+ pounds and benching 400+ pounds, being shredded beyond belief while training at the highest of intensities...this is where you need to look quickly and move on. Be invested in yourself and your image. Avoid the bullshit and beware of the frauds amongst you.
Your Diet Needs to Match Your Training
Strength training cannot be maximized without a calorie surplus. You need to be fueled to push yourself beyond your current level of strength. Cutting bodyfat needs to be accompanied by a calorie deficiency in order to lose the weight that exists as bodyfat. This concept is simple yet largely overlooked. Goals need to be paired with your diet. Do not just eat normally and expect the best results when altering your training towards bulking, cutting, strength, or speed/power. Nutrition and fitness are intertwined and feed off each other. Be aware of this relationship and you will create the ideal environment for reaching your goals.
Learn to Decipher Between a Good Marketer and a Good Trainer: Follow Who You Trust, Not Who You Like
Fitness knowledge is widespread. More than ever before people have a quality understanding of training and nutrition. However, many people are capable of making a simple concept seem like a ground-breaking innovation. The best trainers do not overwhelm you with technical knowledge or unique techniques. They understand the fundamentals, are constant learners, and have actual results to show for their time in the field. The rise of fitness icons and millionaires is the result of a consumer society being susceptible to the visual placed in front of them. A person's monetary success does not directly correlate to their ability as a trainer, coach, or fitness professional. Watch them speak. Listen to their podcast or videos or Youtube. Do they seem like they care, love what they do and have a true understanding of their message and purpose. Do your research and see what others say about them who personally have been around them in the gym. The best businessmen are not always the best trainers in this field. Everyone has certain people they admire, believe or are inspired by within the fitness industry. The issue lies with the overwhelming amount of people to siphon through to determine not just who you like, but who you trust. Be aware of the facade that cloaks many fitness icons and their message. Understand the dynamic of marketing and the power of persuasion amongst the public. Do not fall victim to the attention an individual receives from the masses as it usually stems from the uninformed public perception they have created. Not to say that all famous or highly touted professionals are disingenuous, but looking beyond the superficial layer is your best option. Do your research and make an informed decision rather than an emotional one.
