The Trainer of Trainers, Author of 4 Books, Creator of the NT Loop bands, Provider of the best (CEC Approved) online courses for Personal Trainers
Boca Raton, FL
Joined September 2008
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My philosophy for being a great trainer:
Think like a skeptic.
Act like a professional.
Speak like your client.
It means:
Question everything.
Show up like it’s your career, not your hobby.
Communicate so it actually connects.
WHAT PERSONAL TRAINERS REALLY NEED TO KNOW TO BE GREAT
Most trainers think they need to memorize every anatomy term and every physiology detail to be great. They don’t.
If it were, every exercise science graduate would start out coaching like a seasoned pro. But most don’t.
PEOPLE SKILLS + TRAINING SKILLS
You can’t separate coaching from connection.
Clients don’t stay because of your anatomy knowledge. They stay because you help them succeed. They stay because you make them feel capable. They stay because you meet them where they are.
11. KNOWING WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERS
Understanding that:
• Consistency beats complexity.
• Effective beats impressive.
12. PROFESSIONALISM AND CLIENT EXPERIENCE
Being prepared. Being present. Creating an experience that makes clients want to keep coming back.
9. SESSION FLOW & REAL-WORLD COACHING
Running smooth, efficient sessions. Adjusting on the fly. Keeping clients engaged—even in crowded, imperfect gym environments.
10. BUILDING ADHERENCE
Helping clients w/ longterm consistency—not perfection—is what drives results.
7. COMMUNICATION THAT BUILDS TRUST
Explaining things simply. Listening well. Making clients feel understood, confident, etc.
8. COACHING THE HUMAN—NOT JUST THE PROGRAM
Adjusting based on sleep, stress and life. The best program nothing if it doesn’t work for the person.
5. DEVELOPING A COACHING EYE
Seeing technique errors instantly and fixing them with clear, simple cues.
6. TRAINING AROUND PAIN (Within Scope)
Knowing how to modify exercises so clients can continue training safely and productively, without fear or unnecessary avoidance.
3. SMART EXERCISE SELECTION
Choosing exercises based on what the client needs and can do—not whats trendy.
4. LOAD & PROGRAM PROGRESSION
Knowing when to increase load, adjust volume, or hold steady. Progress isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about pushing appropriately.
1. COACHING REAL MOVEMENT
Seeing how someone moves in real time—and knowing how to improve it—is everything.
2. PROGRESSING & REGRESSING EXERCISES
Great trainers always have options. They know how to make exercises easier, harder, or simply more appropriate for clients.
12 THINGS THAT MAKE A GREAT TRAINER
Great trainers master applied skills. They know how to work with real people, real bodies, and real-world situations—not perfect textbook scenarios.
Here are the skills that truly separate great trainers from average ones:
THE REAL TRUTH
Anatomy and physiology are “nice to know.” But the real need-to-know skills are much simpler—and much more practical:
• How to coach
• How to communicate
• How to adjust
• How to create workouts people enjoy and stick to
The worst day to be a personal training client is the Monday after your trainer takes a weekend seminar.
Jefferson deadlifts are the new Turkish getups.
An old exercise that suddenly becomes trendy for a few years —not because it’s a game-changer, but because it signals you belong to a certain belief circle.
How to Pick Up Women at the Gym
Kidding aside, this is a great exercises for grapplers and MMA fighters because both people are getting training stimulus that has good transfer to grappling.
Best Incline Dumbbell Press Bench Angle for Upper Chest
Research shows a 30° bench angle produces greater upper pec activation, but a 45-degree bench angle or more produces significantly higher activation of the anterior delts and decreases muscular performance of your pecs.
Use this simple, but important test I developed to ensure you use the best bench angle for incline dumbbell curls.
