Survivorship Bias in Fitness
During World War 2, the US Air Force had a problem. Planes were returning to base riddled with bullet holes, so the military decided it needed better ways to protect the planes and the crew. When they plotted out the damage the planes were incurring, it was concentrated around the tail, body, and wings. So the USAF immediately set forth to reinforce these areas. That is until Abraham Wald, a...
Brilliant at the Basics
It's 2001. I'm sitting in a crowded conference room in Toronto, having my first Paul Chek experience. At the time I only knew Chek as the Swiss ball guy, so I expected a speech about stabilizers, core, and functional training. Thirty minutes later and Paul had covered soil health, the healing power of the sun, and how the next and final world war will be fought over clean water. Perhaps it was...
Client Transformation: Tim’s Before & Afters
Before & afters have been part of the coaching business for decades — cause they work! They’re a powerful way to cut through the noise and reach potential new clients who want to make a similar change. I’ve always been a bit apprehensive in terms of beating the before & after drum. For one, it's, well... unoriginal. But I also feel guilty taking the credit for someone else’s hard work....
Want to make progress? Your coach needs to tell you the truth.
Non-stop negativity is the worst, isn’t it? While a "negative attitude attracts negative experiences" is new-age bullshit for those who still have The Secret on their nightstand, one thing is obviously true: you get out of people what you put in. If what you’re telling people is always negative, glass-half-empty, or close-minded, well then there’s a good chance you will drive away more positive...
The Terrible Toos (too much volume, too much intensity, too much…)
Blanket "cookie cutter" recommendations for mature lifters are useless. A 49 year-old can have a 35+ year training history (good and bad); they can also have avoided exercise completely since high school. The most important areas that require modifying are related to recovery, which includes sleep and stress management , both in and out of gym. Apart from avoiding a handful of highly problematic...
Five Boner Friday – Sunday Morning with Bailey’s and Coffee Edition (…yes, the order matters)
1. To lose fat… Tracking calories works. So does tracking macros. And tracking portions. Wow. It’s almost like simply tracking what you eat (mindfully, accurately, and consistently) is what really matters. Nah. Impossible. Still gotta add magic fat burners and slim tea. - - - 2. Patience Sometimes you maintain an accurate weekly calorie deficit and don’t lose a pound. Sometimes you eat 4000 a...
Holiday eating guilt
Holiday Eating Guilt? A while back the fitness pendulum swung a little too deep into "faux hardcore." People boasted about never taking days off from exercise, never breaking from their diet, even not eating the cake at their OWN wedding. I can see skipping the shitty cake at your Aunt Jessie's third try at happily-ever-after, but your OWN nuptials? Certainly foreshadows a 12-pack of "he always...