I’m about to tell you something new about yourself. You’re on a spectrum — and, until now, you weren’t aware it existed. I know I sound crazy, but hear me out, becaus… Read More

Let’s talk about pizza, because this story could have more influence on your training career than you might think. Let’s say you want to open a pizza restaurant in a city that al… Read More

I bought a bike recently. I spent about $750 on it. Let me tell you why. Normally, I’m not one to talk about how much money I spend, but this situation illustrates an important point … Read More

The first couple of years in business are difficult for most entrepreneurs, regardless of the specific profession, and personal training is no different.   At first, you’re busy t… Read More

The first couple of years in business are difficult for most entrepreneurs, regardless of the specific profession, and personal training is no different.   At first, you’re busy… Read More

Picture this typical personal trainer scenario: It’s 7:54 p.m. on a Monday. You’ve just finished with your 8th client of the day, Barbara. And you’re exhausted.   You… Read More

Online personal training is all the rage these days. Perhaps your client is iced in and can’t make it to the gym? No worries, you can train them from home. Maybe your client of 5 years… Read More

I used to work as a Physical Therapy Tech, and there was one problem we saw in people of all ages, backgrounds, and ailments: Low back pain. It was what we treated most often in the clinic… Read More

I used to work as a Physical Therapy Tech, and there was one problem we saw in people of all ages, backgrounds, and ailments: Low back pain. It was what we treated most often in the clinic… Read More

I bet you're a great personal trainer. But that's not enough to build a successful fitness career. If you want to make more than $38k per year—the national average salary for personal… Read More

My brother, Eric, was born almost exactly one year to the day after me. Growing up, we played the same sports, watched the same movies, read the same books, went to the same schools, and ev… Read More

My brother, Eric, was born almost exactly one year to the day after me. Growing up, we played the same sports, watched the same movies, read the same books, went to the same schools, and ev… Read More

Do what you're good at, or... Get really good at what you do. You have nearly unlimited strategic choices and options about your career and what your organization does. Which means you… Read More

Losing weight, building muscle, and various other fitness goals that our clients desire aren’t achievable overnight. Fitness professionals, in contrast to most clients, understand t… Read More

Everyone loves a great gym workout; nothing feels quite like a heavy bench or personal-best squat, but occasionally it’s nice to mix it up a bit and workout outside.  This couldn… Read More

Picture this: you have a new client and you want to get them started on the best track possible. You understand that nutrition is the key to your client earning the results they are seeking… Read More

Finding out a client's true workout motivation is key to creating a workout plan that will meet their needs.  Today we'll discuss some top reasons people look to personal trainers for h… Read More

Widely considered the granddaddy of all upper-body pulling exercises, the pull up is a staple exercise in programs looking to build strength or increase lean body mass. With the latissimus d… Read More

Widely considered the granddaddy of all upper-body pulling exercises, the pull up is a staple exercise in programs looking to build strength or increase lean body mass. With the latissimus d… Read More

  To perform the chest dip, mount the dip apparatus and grasp the handle bars on each side.  Keeping you back flat, chest up, and head looking straight, lean forward… Read More

  To perform the chest dip, mount the dip apparatus and grasp the handle bars on each side.  Keeping your back flat, chest up, and head looking straight, lean forwar… Read More

You are not alone if you have had struggles staying adequately hydrated. If you don’t have a go-to water bottle at your fingertips, if you never remember to bring in your water bottle… Read More

Suspension Row As a personal trainer, either an online personal trainer or in-person personal trainer, you're always going to be looking for new exercises to use with your clients.  If… Read More

Suspension Row As a personal trainer, you're always going to be looking for new exercises to use with your clients.  If you are using online personal training software, you need exerci… Read More

The Barbell Bench Press is one of the first exercises most clients want to learn, but learning to perform it correctly is absolutely critical.  To perform the bench press, begin by la… Read More

To perform the suspension trainer push up, stand facing away from the suspension band attachment point with your feet shoulder width apart. Grab the handles of the suspension trainer and l… Read More

To perform the suspension trainer push up, stand facing away from the suspension band attachment point with your feet shoulder width apart. Grab the handles of the suspension trainer and l… Read More

The Goblet Squat is an excellent option for developing lower body and core strength.  To Perform the Goblet Squat, grab the handle of a kettlebell with both hands and bring it up to y… Read More

Lunges are an excellent lower body and core strengthening exercise that can be incorporated into most workout programs. To perform the bodyweight forward lunge, stand with your feet slightly… Read More

Lunges are an excellent lower body and core strengthening exercise that can be incorporated into most workout programs. To perform the bodyweight forward lunge, stand with your feet slightly… Read More

I ran into a buddy at the gym one day last week and casually commented that he looked like he had trimmed up a bit.  This quick, innocent comment catapulted us into a conversation about… Read More

Let me start by saying that no one enjoys chest, calves, and biceps day as much as I do.  Looking good is a great motivation to hit the gym, and sometimes the thought of looking good at… Read More

Episode 1 of GymCloud podcast brought to you by Zack Henderson. During this podcast Zack interviews Kenton Boutwell CEO of GymCloud, Co-owner of Evolve Fitness Nashville and StrongFirst Leve… Read More

In this, the final installment of our Programming 101 series, we will discuss programming for muscle gain.  While the majority of your clients will likely approach you with the goal of… Read More

You’ve finished your assessment and have your first training session scheduled with your client, now what? Hopefully, you have obtained a decent amount of information so that you… Read More

Women have plenty of reasons and excuses for not exercising regularly. Speaking for myself, even just the requirement to change clothes is enough for me to say “nah” when decidin… Read More

Most of us enjoy working out the “mirror” muscles such as chest, biceps, abs, and quads, but performing back exercises is one of the more underrated things that you can… Read More

Strength coach Andy Van Grinsven shares his winning coaching strategies and how he built his training style from the best in the industry. The post GymCloud Podcast Episode 4 with Andy Van… Read More

This article is the second in our programming for online personal trainers series. The previous article dealt primarily with the information that you should gather from your client before yo… Read More

Some people love Leg Day.  They love loading the bar and squatting until they feel like they’re about to pass out, and then squatting some more.  But if you’r… Read More

Are you looking for a creative alternative to lifting weights day after day, week after week?  Are you going on vacation and are unsure about your hotel’s spotty gym equipment?&nb&hell…Read More

“The best way to get started is to quit talking and start doing” ~Walt Disney My first goal after deciding that I was done playing football was to lose fat.  It was la… Read More

“Burnout” is a big problem in the fitness industry.  I have seen some excellent coaches leave the industry because of the emotional and time demands required of fi… Read More

Online personal training is all the rage these days.  Perhaps your client is iced in and can’t make it to the gym?  No worries, you can train them from home.  Maybe your… Read More

It’s time to talk about the state of the fitness industry and those of us who work in it. This article is dedicated to personal trainers, strength coaches and fitness professionals ali… Read More

The fitness industry is funny. You might do the exact same job but be called something completely different depending on where you work and who signs your paychecks. Personal trainer?… Read More

What is an alkaline diet? An alkaline diet is one that discourages acid-forming foods such as meat, dairy, and processed foods and encourages the consumption of alkaline-forming foods for th… Read More

It’s 2017, and you want to get rid of that awful muffin top. Now! But how? As with many nutrition-related topics, the average person just doesn’t know what to believe anymore. So… Read More

The Ketogenic Diet: Is it for me? You’ve probably heard a lot about the Ketogenic Diet. I know I have. In fact, I’ve been asked about it by many of my clients. As with any signif… Read More

Push Ups are one of the most well-known exercises in the world of fitness. Regardless of expertise, everyone has an idea of what a push up looks like. It has been, and continues to… Read More

The deadlift and all of its regressions and progressions form the core of the hip hinge pattern. One of the most notable deadlift regressions is the Barbell Romanian Deadlift, or R… Read More

The bench press is one of the most common exercises that you’ll see performed when you walk into your local gym. At the top of the hierarchy of horizontal pressing movements, the bench… Read More

When I first started lifting weights at 17, I did it under the pretense that I needed to be big and strong for lacrosse. But to be completely honest, a big part of why I started training in… Read More

When it comes right down to it, there are only a handful of things most people want from workouts… Reduce fat. Reduce stress. Improve overall health. Increase muscle. Of these, buildi… Read More

Is fear keeping your fitness goals out of reach? If your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle, or set a new personal best, you’re certain to hit a mental roadblock at some poi… Read More

As a trainer, have you ever tried to schedule a potential client but had trouble lining up your schedules?  Maybe Monday at 7:00 a.m. works for you, but she has to take her kid to schoo… Read More

Marketing legend Seth Godin sends out a wonderful little reminder of the realities of marketing and creativity on a daily basis.  If you do not already subscribe to his emails, I can&rs&hell…Read More

I started lifting weights at 17. I wanted to get bigger and stronger for lacrosse, but to be completely honest… I had one more reason— I wanted to look good without a shirt on… Read More

The bench press is one of the most common exercises that you’ll see performed when you walk into your local gym. At the top of the hierarchy of horizontal pressing movements, the bench… Read More

The bench press is one of the most common exercises that you’ll see performed when you walk into your local gym. At the top of the hierarchy of horizontal pressing movements, the bench… Read More

New and Nervous? Walking into any fitness facility for the first time takes a tremendous amount of courage. Believe it or not, this can be true even for people who are comfortable with t… Read More

The deadlift and all of its regressions and progressions form the core of the hip hinge pattern. One of the most notable deadlift regressions is the Barbell Romanian Deadlift, or R… Read More

The goals of most gym-goers and fitness enthusiasts are pretty simple: lose weight (body fat), "tone up," and have more energy. With a new fat-loss program popping up almost every… Read More

The goals of most gym-goers and fitness enthusiasts are pretty simple: lose weight (body fat), "tone up," and have more energy. With a new fat-loss program popping up almost every… Read More

Push Ups are one of the most well-known exercises in the world of fitness. Regardless of expertise, everyone has an idea of what a push up looks like. It has been, and continues to… Read More

Push Ups are one of the most well-known exercises in the world of fitness. Regardless of expertise, everyone has an idea of what a push up looks like. It has been, and continues to… Read More

Ah, programming. Most of us in the fitness business who got our start in the weight room LOVE programming.  We can talk for hours about methods, studies, and physiology.  We fa… Read More