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4 Tips for the Aspiring Strength Coach

Business Discussion

WSA_Joe_D_intro

Here is a quick, easy-to-read article that was just posted on EliteFTS.com. I thought it would be of interest to our readers who own - or aspire to own - a private training facility. Check out the article by clicking on the link below...

4 Tips for the Aspiring Strength Coach

 

-Joe D.

 

 

0 Comments

 

Lost Secrets of Strength - THE BUSINESS FILES

Business Discussion

NEW PRODUCT!!!

Lost Secrets of Strength - THE BUSINESS FILES (dvd/cd)

Have you spent thousands of dollars and endless hours reading business books without ever getting a return on your investment?

How many hours do you usually spend reading before you find that one "gem" or sound piece of advice that actually pertains to you and your business?

Do you have the time to read separate books on marketing, public speaking, employee rights, business systems, motivating people and every single other aspect of owning and operating your own business?

Chances are - if you're like me - you can no longer waste valuable time reading books when there's no guarantee that any of the information in those books will actually pertain to you! After all, finding quality information that pertains to the warehouse/garage gym business is not exactly easy to do! Plus, you should be spending 90% of your valuable time in the trenches - training people - so you can gain experience...and pay your bills!

HELP HAS ARRIVED!

What if I told you - in order to learn the warehouse/garage gym business - the business section of your library no longer needs to look like this...

Book_shelf_business_section
($1125 worth of business books)

The books pictured above can now be replaced with THIS...

Lost_Secrets_of_Biz_006
Over 20 years of combined "real world" experience for $147!

 

Here's the deal: A couple of months ago, my homeboy Zach Even-Esh and I gave a private, closed-door seminar to a small group of serious dudes that own - or aspire to own - a warehouse or garage gym. Here are two video "teasers" from the private seminar...

 

One week after the seminar, we got on the phone and covered all of the most popular business questions that have been emailed to us during the past year!

final_office_renovationa_002
Talkin' biz in the office of my warehouse gym

Lost Secrets of Strength - THE BUSINESS FILES contains the private seminar on dvd, as well as the audio CD from my phone conversation with Zach.

This 2-hour DVD and 55-minute audio CD reveals the blueprint that I followed to turn a vacant storage closet into a world-renowned, profitable training business! This one product will end up saving you thousands of dollars on business books and self-help seminars! EVERYTHING you need to know about owning and operating your very own warehouse or garage gym is revealed by two men that are living proof that it CAN BE DONE!  Here are just some of the topics that are covered in this DVD/CD set:

  • How to get clients
  • How to “sell yourself” without selling yourself (This will make sense in the CD.)
  • Essential equipment recommendations to get started
  • Facility square-footage recommendations
  • How to capitalize on the clients you have to bring in more business
  • How/why to get an LLC or Incorporated
  • Trade-marking advice
  • Joe D. reveals his “Bipolar” coaching & motivational methods!
  • How to find quality employees/trainers
  • How to structure your employee payroll and your client billing
  • Joe D & Zach’s TOP BUSINESS RULES revealed!
  • How to instantly double or triple traffic to your website/blog
  • How to leverage the power of YouTube!
  • Balancing your budget
  • The most profitable way to structure your schedule
  • How to double your income while working less hours
  • Mistakes we made that you WON'T make
  • How to "protect" yourself from "friends", copycats and haters that try to rip you off and cash in on your ideas and hard work
  • How/when to launch your 1st product

…and much, much more!!!

 

This product was created for SERIOUS men and women who have a passion for training people and want to learn how to make a living doing what they love!

cush_talkin_to_joe_d
When you do what you love, you will never have to "work" another day in your life

I only had 50 of these DVD/CD packages made because I realize that this product is NOT for everyone. But, if you want to know exactly what needs to be done in order to start a hardcore gym business - without wasting thousands of dollars and endless hours searching through random business books - THIS PRODUCT IS FOR YOU!!!

This product will go on sale Friday, December 18th, at approximately 9:00am EST.

You can order Lost Secrets of Strength - THE BUSINESS FILES by clicking HERE!

 

NOTE: For those that have been asking, we finally re-stocked our classic black tees! We currently have all sizes in stock and the good news is we've switched over to American Apparel brand! Anyone who has ever worn an American Apparel tee knows that they are the softest, best-fitting tees on the market! (The only bad news is that  American Apparel doesn't show any love to the big boys yet...so unfortunately, they don't make any 3X's). So if you're interested, GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE HOT...AND IN STOCK!!!

 

In case I don't make it back on here for a few days, have a HEALTHY, HAPPY HOLIDAY!

You can expect BIG things from US in 2010... But the question is, can we expect big things from YOU?! I want to hear what all of our readers are going to do in 2010 to take their training and/or their business to the next level! Drop us a comment below so we know what we can expect out of everyone this year! Remember, if you're not moving forward, you're going backward! Just in case you're the type of person who needs a little extra "kick in the ass" to get motivated...check out THIS VIDEO LINK of Brian Cushing Mic'd Up against the Seahawks last week! If that video doesn't make you want to KICK ASS, nothing will!

GET STRONG(ER) in 2010!

-Joe D.

 


 

7 Comments

 

Big Business, Badasses and Ballin'!!!

Business Discussion

COMING IN DECEMBER!!!


Lost Secrets of Strength: The Business Files

Teaser video #1

 

Teaser video #2

This DVD/Audio CD series will reveal THE blueprint for running your very own, profitable garage or warehouse gym! Last month, myself and Zach Even-Esh gave a closed-door seminar to a group of individuals that own - or they're looking to own - a garage or warehouse gym. Zach and I discussed how we got started, our biggest mistakes, equipment recommendations, marketing strategies, book recommendations, insurance information, how to write things off for tax purposes, scheduling structure, business structure, payroll, our top business rules and much, much more!

After completing this information-packed, 2-hour private seminar, we jumped on the phone the following week and covered all the business topics that weren't addressed at the seminar.

final_office_renovationa_002
Believe it or not, I'm not mad; I just take this business stuff very seriously :)

 

This DVD/Audio CD series is not for everyone. This will be another one of those "specialty" products geared towards the very select few that want to make a successful living running a garage or warehouse gym. For those interested, I just wanted to give you the "heads up". I figured the early notice would give you enough time to add it to your Christmas list and slip it to a loved one :)

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BEST EMAIL OF THE DAY...

Joe-
Day 1 on the BUILT LIKE A BADASS program fucked me up, and then some!  I am strong and thought I was in great shape, as I recently ran a 6:30 mile, but I got blown out!! I mean I was gassed and done and then still had to go onto the barbell complex finisher....I figured how bad can two sets be...we'll let's put it this way...  I got done with the second set, couldn't see or breath, thought I was going to yell at my shoes, staggered into the locker room and had to sit for a few minutes, then got in my car and sat there motionless for 5 minutes.  Holy shit!!!!  All I got to say is, "thank you sir, may I have another!" Great program and after doing all your templates, including the scouting combine template, I can definitely say this one is hands down THE CHAMP for me. Nice work!!!!

Best Regards,
Ryan E.
Newport Beach, CA

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Q: Hi Coach Joe,
I got the e-book and I have a question with regards to warm-ups.
On the warm-ups, you advise doing your "Agile 8" and "Simple 6" routine but these seem more like stretching than warm-ups. In the stretching roundtable article, you advise to "raise your core temperature with a general warm-up" then do some mobility drills. I always make sure I have a light sweat going before starting my workout. I'm not sure whether to do my light warm-up then the Agile 8 or Simple 6 or the reverse order, or go right to the Agile 8 or Simple 6?

My normal warm up is either jump rope or Airdyne bike for 5 - 7 minutes followed by some mobility type exercises before my workout.

Thanks,
Steve C.

A: Steve,
Yes, you should build up a light sweat before you perform any stretching or mobility exercises. I suggest jumping rope or riding the bike first, then go through my "Agile 8" or "Simple 6". The entire warm-up process should only take 10-12 minutes - and it's well worth it!!
Best of luck with the program!
-Joe D.

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Q: Joe Defranco,

Just bought your new ebook. I love it! Well worth the money. I have two quick questions.

1.) Could I cycle box jumps in during the first phase using the same percentages for the squat and bench, but do a lower volume of total reps?

2.) For the tabata jump rope routine, would this routine work for high school lineman or would the times have to be adjusted?

Thanks, Brad

A: Brad,

Although I am a huge fan of box jumps, I highly recommend going through this program exactly how it's written. Too many people want to make changes to programs before they even give the program a try. Remember that this program evolved over a 15-month period. When performed exactly how it's written; IT WORKS...trust me!
I'm assuming that you want to add box jumps to the program because you've done them in the past and you've experienced good results with them. My suggestion is to perform the program exactly how it's written so you can experiment with some new jump exercises that we've incorporated into the program. (This will expose your body to new things so you can decide what else works for you besides box jumps.) Once you complete the first 12 weeks of this program, you can go through it again (using your new maxes) and substitute the DB squat jumps with box jumps. (You should be pleasantly surprised at your box-jumping ability after focusing on different jumps for a 12-week period.)

As far as our "tabata-style" jump rope routine is concerned; I highly recommend it for high school lineman (and all football players for that matter)!

walter_payton_jumping_rope2
Walter Payton jumping rope...you can't get a better endorsement than that!

And you don't have to adjust the times at all. (I'm assuming you were asking about adjusting the times because the "work" period is a little longer than the average football play.) It's important for you to know that you don't have to make every single aspect of conditioning (especially for high school lineman) "football specific". Most high school lineman would benefit immensely just by improving their general fitness levels! In other words, it definitely won't hurt them to be able to jump rope for a couple rounds of 20 seconds without gassing out!!

-Joe D.

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Q: I just bought the badass workout and the first two days were great.  I have a question about the chins. For week 1 on it says "Max Chins+50%".  So if my max chins in a row is 10 all I have to do is 15 chins before I move on to the next movement? Just doesn't seem like a lot. Your feedback is appreciated.

Thanks
Paul T.

A: Yes Paul, you are correct. But please don't be fooled; the number of chins you have to perform is relative to the rest of the workout. We don't want you getting fried out from the chin-ups during the first 2 weeks because we want you to have some "gas left in the tank" for the rest of the workout. And remember it is a progressive 12-week program; so you will gradually be adding more chins in the weeks that follow. In other words; there is a method to our madness!

There is a reason and a purpose to every exercise, set, rep and percentage to the entire Badass program. Follow it as it's written and in 12 weeks you will "get it"...

TRUST ME!!

-Joe D.

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SPEAKING OF BADASSES.......


Cush_crushes_zach_miller
Brian Cushing knocks Raiders tight end, Zach Miller, out of the game

 

The NFL has posted the official PRO BOWL BALLOT on their website so fans can vote for this years Pro Bowl starters.

Going into the Houston Texans bye week (last week), Brian Cushing was leading the AFC in tackles and was ranked #2 in the entire NFL in tackles with 78! He also leads the Texans with 2 fumble recoveries and he's tied for the team lead with 2 interceptions. Cush has also been nominated for ROOKIE OF THE WEEK 3 times in only 9 weeks...and he's also been named AFC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK twice already this year! Needless to say, he is having a dominant rookie campaign and he deserves a trip to the Pro Bowl! Unfortunately, the Pro Bowl can be somewhat of a "popularity" contest so there are always a couple deserving players that get overlooked. Cush has done - and continues to do - his part on the field; now I'm asking all of YOU to help him get the "popularity" fan vote so he doesn't get overlooked.

I'm assuming if you read my blog and follow this website; you like to train and you respect hard-working, blue-collar athletes that have earned everything they've gotten! Well, (whether you're a Texans fan or not) Brian Cushing is the epitome of everything that this website (and it's readers) stand for! So I'm asking everyone who reads this to do a favor for one of the "good guys" in professional sports and...

VOTE FOR BRIAN CUSHING!

 

*The above link will bring you to the Pro Bowl home page. Once you're on that page, click on the "DEFENSE" tab and then the "Outside LB" link underneath it. After you click on those two things, you will see "Brian Cushing" listed on the left hand side. (He is the 3rd name down.) Click the box next to his name and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the blue box that says "SUBMIT BALLOT". Also note that you can vote more than once; so feel free to visit nfl.com whenever you have some free time during the days and weeks to come :)

 

After you vote for Cush, feel free to vote for Miles Austin (Dallas Cowboys, wide receiver), David Diehl (NY Giants, offensive tackle) and Deon Anderson (Dallas Cowboys, fullback) Laughing


Can't believe we have 4 potential ALL-Pro's in this little warehouse...DAMN, that's sayin' something...

-Joe D.

1 Comment

 

One-on-One Training is Dead!

Business Discussion

one-on-one_training
I could make 100 jokes here, but I’ll leave it alone...

 At my facility, all of our athletes train in groups. It hasn’t always been this way, but once we made the change I knew we would never go back. Besides some rare cases in which athletes are coming back from injuries, etc., we have found training athletes in groups to be far superior to one-on-one.

Although many gyms “promote” the fact that all of their sessions are one-on-one with a “certified” personal trainer, I don’t look at that as a “selling point” anymore. To me, it is actually detrimental to the results of your gym and your athlete's performance. Simply put, training athletes in groups is the way to go if you’re looking to create a winning culture!
Here’s why…

 

ATMOSPHERE
One of the keys to the success of my gym is the atmosphere that’s created by the athletes. The atmosphere that’s created when you put a group of motivated individuals under one roof, with one goal, is impossible to match in a one-on-one setting! And if an athlete comes to the gym after a bad day and doesn’t feel like training, the energy of the group will push him through the workout.

COMPETITION
Nothing brings out the best in athletes like competition. Show me a great athlete and I’ll show you an individual that probably hates to lose! “Competing” in the weight room or on the track is a surefire way to accelerate your gains and improve your mental toughness! Now this doesn’t mean that kids should always try and lift weights they can’t handle, but it gives them something to work towards if they are around stronger, more talented, individuals.

 

COMRADERIE
What athlete wouldn’t want to step into our gym and train under the same roof with the group in the above video?

I like to think of all the athletes in my gym as one big team - regardless of age, sport, gender, race or strength levels. Training athletes in groups is a great way for all the clients in your gym to see each other train, get to know each other, respect each other’s sacrifices, goals, etc. When you create this “fraternity” in your gym, your results will sky-rocket (regardless of your training philosophy). And you will NEVER dread going to “work” again because of the positive energy that fills the gym on a daily basis.

 

ENCOURAGEMENT
Although there are many friendly competitions that are created by the group atmosphere, everyone still wants to see their training partners succeed! Nothing is more encouraging before a big lift or event than having a group of athletes surround you while yelling and screaming words of encouragement!

 

COACHING
Nothing helps a coach/personal trainer more than when their athletes can actually help them teach lifts, spot, and yell cues and words of encouragement to the other athletes while they’re training. When athletes train in a groups, they not only perform the lifts, they can see other athletes perform the lifts as well. This combination is the best way to learn and have a better understanding of the training, techniques, etc.

 

KEEP THINGS MOVIN’!
Anyone who’s been in the personal training business for any amount of time has suffered from the awkward silence that takes place in between sets with some clients. The group atmosphere totally eliminates this aspect of the business and creates a much faster, more intense pace to your workouts!

 

AFFORDABILITY
Let’s face it…as much as many of us love what we do, it is still a business and we have to pay the bills, put food on the table, take care of the kids, etc.! Like it or not, there is a certain amount of money that every trainer needs to make per hour in order to make ends meet. The beauty of group training is that the trainer can charge each athlete less, while still earning the money he/she needs per hour. There aren’t many other areas in life where you can get something for less when it’s actually a better product!

 

Are you convinced yet?

Joe D.

2 Comments

 

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