The quality of sex life and function can be compromised as a result of COVID-19.
ED is defined as "the inability to obtain or maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse". Studies have shown that there is a link between ED and the vascular system, as ED rates are much higher in men with diabetes, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease.
Continue reading
The quality of sex life and function can be compromised as a result of COVID-19.
ED is defined as "the inability to obtain or maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse". Studies have shown that there is a link between ED and the vascular system, as ED rates are much higher in men with diabetes, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease.
Continue reading
"Maximize high-threshold muscle fiber recruitment, increase strength, muscle, and volume with these advanced training tactics."
Since the situation in Covid-19 still involves a number of openings and bans around the world, it means that gyms are open in some places, while in some countries they may have to wait a little longer.
I got a lot of questions, especially from my clients who live in Melbourne, Australia as they are still heavily locked and unable to access the gym and want to have a safe game plan ready for them once those restrictions are lifted.
When I said this I thought it would be a great idea to share the game plan I would do if my goal was to regain much of the strength that might have been lost during the lockdown, muscle coordination on the key lift, and of course my muscles to maximize growth.
Building an aesthetically attractive and masculine body is the goal of 99% of the male population.
Let me introduce you to this Cluster set methodWhile this method isn't necessarily new, I am often surprised how little publicity this great method actually gets, let alone how many trainers actually use this method or know how to use this method in their programming.
Now that I am a man myself, I pride myself on having a commendable strength regarding my big lifts, but building an aesthetically attractive and manly body has been and remains my priority. Let me explain why I find this method necessary to start your training out of lockdown.
Whether you've just got out of lockdown or are waiting patiently, you have most likely done some type of bodyweight, resistance band, or dumbbell workout, without the heavier, more intense barbell work you usually did at the gym.
While you may have been able to perform variations of exercises like the bench press, squat, deadlift, and many others, there will still be some level of inefficiency in performing these exercises and you will expect to be where you are before you were locked.
I know some of you may be in a hurry to build muscle and get back in shape, but it has long been known that muscle growth from an exercise program doesn't actually happen for a while – it takes around 3-5 weeks to get one essential muscle arises growth will occur!
Neuromuscular adjustment is performed for the first 2-3 weeks of a new program before muscle adjustment (growth) occurs. It makes all the more sense to spend time getting this first phase of training right so that once your body is prepared, you can use the muscles that you may not have been able to build if you just took balls out from the start.
Another reason this method is a perfect starting point has to do with your ability to coordinate muscles within exercises, as this is critical to your ability to build muscle.
By doing lifts with a high enough intensity, you can recruit high-threshold motor units, which means that you will stimulate higher numbers of muscle fibers in the muscle of that lift and, over time, improve your muscle recruitment and coordination.
If you just hit the gym again you will open yourself to a new stimulus to which the body can adapt and your motivation will be at an all-time high. The perfect time to take advantage of what you might consider a potentiation phase that prepares you well before moving on to a more muscular hypertrophy-specific plan of attack.
First, it is important to understand that the central nervous system is responsible for recruiting motor neurons, starting with the smaller motor units before the larger motor units.
This is known as the Henneman size principle. (1)
Keep in mind that I mentioned lifting at a level high enough to recruit high-threshold motor units. It just means that your body is recruiting the smaller motor units and therefore the muscle fibers In front It can recruit the bigger muscle fibers so it is important to make sure that you are really training with the recommended percentage of your exercises that you can find in the following sections below.
Cluster sets are now when you do a certain number of repetitions, let rest for a short time and then do the same number of repetitions or slightly less for a certain number of “intra-set clusters”.
When you lift at this high intensity, you are exposed to larger amounts of volume that are raised at that intensity in one set.
What makes this even cuter is looking at muscle hypertrophy, the intensity of which we play from both a% of your 1RM and proximity to a momentary muscle failure.
So when we use cluster sets, we take care of the intensity side, and when we add the short rest periods between repetitions, or "clusters," your body has just enough time to replenish some energy (ATP) to keep you lifting at that intensity can.
A key point in what I just mentioned is to make sure you are lifting at a high enough intensity that it is advisable to have a solid understanding of your 1RM or even do a strength test before starting this method Your accuracy will determine the exact percentages and weight with which you must lift.
In conclusion, you are not using a weight that is too comfortable to complete each cluster set. This will go a long way towards making you more neurologically efficient within the movements and being able to recruit muscle fibers.
I'm sure you already have an idea of which exercises to use and when, but let's briefly cover the basics. The cluster sets are programmed in the main exercises or "a series" of your training.
The sets that follow the A series are reset in intensity and are within the strengths of functional hypertrophy (6-8 reps) and hypertrophy (9-12 reps). The intent behind these exercises is to further tire each muscle group by focusing on maximum tension, not just strain.
While the cluster set approach can be used over the full spectrum of ranges, it is primarily known to be used with loading patterns of 1 to 5 repetitions per cluster.
For this program, and to maximize the recruitment of high-threshold motor units, we will be using the clusters within a 1-2 repetition loading system.
The general approach is to use a weight heavy enough to do the target number of reps based on the first set. While there are many different ways to do cluster sets, this also changes the percentage required to lift.
In our case, we process 90% of your 1RM. So the perfect approach would be either to know your 1RM already or to do a strength test a week before your actual start to get a better handle on your percentages.
Let's use the bench press, for example. If my first set of clusters is 2-1-1-1 and I know I can lift a maximum of 150kg for 2 reps, I would use 90% of that weight on my first set of clusters.
The first cluster set would look like this:
Now that our basics are covered, let's move on to the rest of the program.
Due to the high intensity that is increased in each session, it is a 4-day intensification phase that rotates between a 4-day focus on the lower and upper body day.
On the days of the lower body, the primary lifts are rotated between a squat and hip joint movement pattern.
A super-set format is used on Upper Body Days, where there is a common focus between push / pull movement patterns in the horizontal and vertical planes.
If you switch to each consecutive week, 1 repetition is added to each cluster set. That way, you can finish your final week with cluster sets for reps of 2-2-2-2.
The post-A series exercises are all about maintaining tension. In your B&C series of exercises, it's important to use a weight heavy enough to complete the target rep range while also making sure you can keep up with the required pace.
During the 4-week intensification phase, a total of 22 to 24 work sets per session are displayed in your upper body and a total of 17 work sets per session in the lower body. This will prepare you well for your next phase, where I would suggest a 6-8 week muscle hypertrophy-specific phase.
The pace at which we train within a particular exercise is called “Time Under Tension” (TUT). This only applies to the 4 phases of lifting seen in each rep. (See picture below)
So if we use the bench press as an example and the tempo used in the 4-2-1-0 image above.
With the 4 you would lower the bar at a count of 4 seconds.
The 2 would pause at the lower isometric point (hold) for 2 seconds.
With the 1 you would be lifting the weight again in 1 second.
The 0 would see that you have no grip on the above isometric drawing.
As you will see below, I actually used the letter "X" in the third column or in the concentric part of the elevator as well. This simply means that you need to highlight the explosive lifting.
Below is the weekly schedule that you use to start your upper body week. Because of the intensity of this program, the lower body is always performed after the upper body day so that the possibly taxed back muscles and erector spinae have adequate rest and do not interfere with your ability to perform the upper body lifts.
Please note that an active rest day means not just sitting around all day. A simple daily step goal of 8,000 to 10,000 is sufficient.
| Monday | Upper body 1 |
| Tuesday | Lower body 1 |
| Wednesday | Active day off |
| Thursday | Upper body 2 |
| Friday | Lower body 2 |
| Saturday | Active day off |
| Sunday | Rest day (take one full day off per week) |
| Upper body 1 – phase 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| exercise | Sets | Representative | tempo | Rest |
| A1. Pull up the neutral handle | 6th | 2-1-1-1 | 40X0 | 90 seconds |
| A2. Flat DB Press Pronating | 6th | 2-1-1-1 | 40X0 | 90 seconds |
| B1. Bent over one arm. Supported DB row – prone position | 3 | 6-8 | 30X1 | 75 seconds |
| B2. Seated one-armed DB Arnold Press | 3 | 6-8 | 3020 | 75 seconds |
| C1. 60 Degree Incline DB Curl – Supinated | 2 | 8-10 | 30X0 | 60 seconds |
| C2. Ez-bar triceps extension | 2 | 8-10 | 30X0 | 60 seconds |
| Lower body 1 – phase 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| exercise | Sets | Representative | tempo | Rest |
| A1. Trap bar deadlift | 6th | 2-1-1-1 | 40X0 | 180 seconds |
| B1. DB split squat | 4th | 6-8 | 40X0 | 75 seconds |
| B2. Lying hamstrings – Plantarflexed | 4th | 6-8 | 30X1 | 75 seconds |
| C1. BB hip thrust | 3 | 8-10 | 3020 | 45 seconds |
| C2. One-sided DB Farmers Walk – 25 m on each side | 3 | 8-10 | 30X0 | 45 seconds |
| Upper body 2 – phase 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| exercise | Sets | Representative | tempo | Rest |
| A1. Incline bench press | 6th | 2-1-1-1 | 40X0 | 90 seconds |
| A2. Barbell bent over row – prone position | 6th | 2-1-1-1 | 40X0 | 90 seconds |
| B1. Flat DB press – neutral grip | 3 | 6-8 | 30X0 | 75 seconds |
| B2. Single Arm Lat Pulldown – Supinating | 3 | 6-8 | 3011 | 75 seconds |
| C1. French Press rope | 2 | 8-10 | 20X0 | 60 seconds |
| C2. Seated DB Hammer Curl | 2 | 8-10 | 30X0 | 60 seconds |
| Lower body 2 – phase 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| exercise | Sets | Representative | tempo | Rest |
| A1. Safety bar back squat | 6th | 2-1-1-1 | 40X0 | 180 seconds |
| B1. DB FFE Split Squat | 4th | 6-8 | 40X0 | 90 seconds |
| B2. Kneeling Hamstrings – Dorsiflexed | 4th | 6-8 | 40X0 | 75 seconds |
| C1. 45 degree back extension | 3 | 8-10 | 30X2 | 75 seconds |
| C2. Cable wood chips | 3 | 12-14 | 30X0 | 60 seconds |
Given that your performance will matter and to tolerate these higher intensities being raised and exceeding nature, I would add 5g of creatine monohydrate along with 5g of beta-alanine before training for more endurance performance benefits and increasing the reps to failure.
However, if you do not enjoy the tingling sensation you are familiar with when using beta-alanine, you can divide your dosage into 1-2 g taken 3 times during the day. (3.4)
Once this programming phase is complete and your goal is to maximize muscle growth, I would highly recommend devising a muscle hypertrophy specific attack plan over the next 8 to 16 weeks, depending on how much time you can devote to building muscle.
Whether you are an aspiring competitor or just an avid body, this is the best plan of attack to follow after completing the cluster set method.
References
1. Culbertson, J. Y., Kreider, R.B., Greenwood, M. & Cooke, M. (2010). Effects of Beta Alanine on Muscle Carnosine and Exercise Performance: A Review of the Current Literature. Nutrients, 2 (1), 75-98.
2. Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., Candow, D. G., Kleiner, S. M., Almada, A. L., & Lopez, H. L. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Stand: Safety and Effectiveness of Creatine Supplementation in Exercise, Exercise, and Medicine. Journal of the International Society for Sports Nutrition, 14 (1), 18.
3. Milner-Brown, H.S., Stein, R.B & Yemm, R. (1973). The proper recruitment of human motor units in voluntary isometric contractions. The Journal of Physiology, 230 (2), 359-370.
4. Robinson, R. (2009). In the mammalian muscle, the axonal wiring takes surprising paths. PLoS Biology, 7 (2)
"Maximize high-threshold muscle fiber recruitment, increase strength, muscle, and volume with these advanced training tactics."
Since the situation in Covid-19 still involves a number of openings and bans around the world, it means that gyms are open in some places, while in some countries they may have to wait a little longer. I got a lot of questions, especially from my clients who live in Melbourne, Australia as they are still heavily locked and unable to access the gym and want to have a safe game plan ready for them once those restrictions are lifted.
When I said this I thought it would be a great idea to share the game plan I would do if my goal was to regain much of the strength that might have been lost during the lockdown, muscle coordination on the key lift, and of course my muscles to maximize growth. Building an aesthetically attractive and masculine body is the goal of 99% of the male population.
Let me tell you theCluster-Set-Method ", While this method isn't necessarily new, I am often surprised how little publicity this great method actually gets, let alone how many trainers actually use this method or know how to use this method in their programming.
Now that I am a man myself, I pride myself on having a commendable strength regarding my big lifts, but building an aesthetically attractive and manly body has been and remains my priority. Let me explain why I find this method necessary to start your training out of lockdown.
Whether you've just got out of lockdown or are waiting patiently, you have most likely done some type of bodyweight, resistance band, or dumbbell workout, without the heavier, more intense barbell work you usually did at the gym.
While you may have been able to perform variations of exercises like the bench press, squat, deadlift, and many others, there will still be some level of inefficiency in performing these exercises and you will expect to be where you are before you were locked.
I know some of you may be in a rush to gain muscle and get back in shape, but it has long been known that muscle growth from an exercise program doesn't actually happen for a while – it takes about 3-5 weeks for substantial muscle growth to occur!
Neuromuscular adjustment is performed for the first 2-3 weeks of a new program before muscle adjustment (growth) occurs. It makes all the more sense to spend time getting this first phase of training right so that once your body is prepared, you can use the muscles that you may not have been able to build if you just took balls out from the start.
Another reason this method is a perfect starting point has to do with your ability to coordinate muscles within exercises, as this is critical to your ability to build muscle. By doing lifts with a high enough intensity, you can recruit high-threshold motor units, which means that you will stimulate higher numbers of muscle fibers in the muscle of that lift and, over time, improve your muscle recruitment and coordination.
If you just hit the gym again you will open yourself to a new stimulus to which the body can adapt and your motivation will be at an all-time high. The perfect time to take advantage of what you might consider a potentiation phase that prepares you well before moving on to a more muscular hypertrophy-specific plan of attack.
First, it is important to understand that the central nervous system is responsible for recruiting motor neurons, starting with the smaller motor units before the larger motor units.
This is known as the Henneman size principle. (1)
Keep in mind that I mentioned lifting at a level high enough to recruit high-threshold motor units. This just means that your body is recruiting the smaller motor units, and therefore the muscle fibers, BEFORE it can recruit the larger muscle fibers. So it is important to make sure you are actually lifting with the recommended percentage of your lifts, which you will find in the following sections below.
Cluster sets are now when you do a certain number of repetitions, let rest for a short time and then do the same number of repetitions or slightly less for a certain number of “intra-set clusters”.
When you lift at this high intensity, you are exposed to larger amounts of volume that are raised at that intensity in one set.
What makes this even cuter is looking at muscle hypertrophy, the intensity of which we play from both a% of your 1RM and proximity to a momentary muscle failure.
So when we use cluster sets, we take care of the intensity side, and when we add the short rest periods between repetitions, or "clusters," your body has just enough time to replenish some energy (ATP) to keep you lifting at that intensity can.
A key point in what I just mentioned is to make sure you are lifting at a high enough intensity that it is advisable to have a solid understanding of your 1RM or even do a strength test before starting this method Your accuracy will determine the exact percentages and weight with which you must lift.
In conclusion, you are not using a weight that is too comfortable to complete each cluster set. This will go a long way towards making you more neurologically efficient within the movements and being able to recruit muscle fibers.
I'm sure you already have an idea of which exercises to use and when, but let's briefly cover the basics. The cluster sets are programmed in the main exercises or "a series" of your training.
The sets that follow the A series are reset in intensity and are within the strengths of functional hypertrophy (6-8 reps) and hypertrophy (9-12 reps). The intent behind these exercises is to further tire each muscle group by focusing on maximum tension, not just strain.
While the cluster set approach can be used over the full spectrum of ranges, it is primarily known to be used with loading patterns of 1 to 5 repetitions per cluster.
For this program, and to maximize the recruitment of high threshold motor units, we will be using the clusters within a 1-2 repetitive loading scheme. ⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The general approach is to use a weight heavy enough to do the target number of reps based on the first set. While there are many different ways to do cluster sets, this also changes the percentage required to lift.
In our case, we process 90% of your 1RM. So the perfect approach would be either to know your 1RM already or to do a strength test a week before your actual start to get a better handle on your percentages.
Let's use the bench press, for example. If my first set of clusters is 2-1-1-1 and I know I can lift a maximum of 150kg for 2 reps, I would use 90% of that weight on my first set of clusters.
The first cluster set would look like this.
● 135 kg for 2 repetitions (let rest for 15 seconds)
● 1 repetition (let rest for 15 seconds)
● 1 repetition (let rest for 15 seconds)
● 1 repetition (let rest 180 seconds)
Now that our basics are covered, let's move on to the rest of the program.
Due to the high intensity that is increased in each session, it is a 4-day intensification phase that rotates between a 4-day focus on the lower and upper body day.
On the days of the lower body, the primary lifts are rotated between a squat and hip joint movement pattern.
A super-set format is used on Upper Body Days, where there is a common focus between push / pull movement patterns in the horizontal and vertical planes.
If you switch to each consecutive week, 1 repetition is added to each cluster set. That way, you can finish your final week with cluster sets for reps of 2-2-2-2.
First week – 2-1-1-1
Week two – 2-2-1-1
Week three – 2-2-2-1
Week four – 2-2-2-2
The post-A series exercises are all about maintaining tension. In your B&C series of exercises, it's important to use a weight heavy enough to complete the target rep range while also making sure you can keep up with the required pace.
During the 4-week intensification phase, a total of 22 to 24 work sets per session are displayed in your upper body and a total of 17 work sets per session in the lower body. This will prepare you well for your next phase, where I would suggest a 6-8 week muscle hypertrophy-specific phase.
The pace at which we train within a particular exercise is called “Time Under Tension” (TUT). This only applies to the 4 phases of lifting seen in each rep. (See picture below)
So if we use the bench press as an example and the tempo used in the 4-2-1-0 image above.
With the 4 you would lower the bar at a count of 4 seconds.
The 2 would pause at the lower isometric point (hold) for 2 seconds.
With the 1 you would be lifting the weight again in 1 second.
The 0 would see that you have no grip on the above isometric drawing.
As you will see below, I actually used the letter "X" in the third column or in the concentric part of the elevator as well. This simply means that you need to highlight the explosive lifting.
Below is the weekly schedule that you use to start your upper body week. Because of the intensity of this program, the lower body is always performed after the upper body day so that the possibly taxed back muscles and erector spinae have adequate rest and do not interfere with your ability to perform the upper body lifts.
Please note that an active rest day means not just sitting around all day. A simple daily step goal of 8,000 to 10,000 is sufficient.
|
Monday |
Upper body 1 |
|
Tuesday |
Lower body 1 |
|
Wednesday |
Active day off |
|
Thursday |
Upper body 2 |
|
Friday |
Lower body 2 |
|
Saturday |
Active day off |
|
Sunday |
Rest day (take one full day off per week) |
|
Upper body 1 – Phase 1 |
||||
|
exercise |
Sets |
Representative |
tempo |
Rest |
|
A1. Pull up the neutral handle |
6th |
2-1-1-1 |
40X0 |
90 seconds |
|
A2. Flat DB Press Pronating |
6th |
2-1-1-1 |
40X0 |
90 seconds |
|
B1. Bent over one arm. Supported DB row – prone position |
3 |
6-8 |
30X1 |
75 seconds |
|
B2. Seated one-armed DB Arnold Press |
3 |
6-8 |
3020 |
75 seconds |
|
C1. 60 Degree Incline DB Curl – Supinated |
2 |
8-10 |
30X0 |
60 seconds |
|
C2. Ez-bar triceps extension |
2 |
8-10 |
30X0 |
60 seconds |
|
Lower body 1- Phase 1 |
||||
|
exercise |
Sets |
Representative |
tempo |
Rest |
|
A1. Trap bar deadlift |
6th |
2-1-1-1 |
40X0 |
180 seconds |
|
B1. DB split squat |
4th |
6-8 |
40X0 |
75 seconds |
|
B2. Lying hamstrings – Plantarflexed |
4th |
6-8 |
30X1 |
75 seconds |
|
C1. BB hip thrust |
3 |
8-10 |
3020 |
45 seconds |
|
C2. One-sided DB Farmers Walk – 25 m on each side |
3 |
8-10 |
30X0 |
45 seconds |
|
Upper body 2 – Phase 1 |
||||
|
exercise |
Sets |
Representative |
tempo |
Rest |
|
A1. Incline bench press |
6th |
2-1-1-1 |
40X0 |
90 seconds |
|
A2. Barbell bent over row – prone position |
6th |
2-1-1-1 |
40X0 |
90 seconds |
|
B1. Flat DB press – neutral grip |
3 |
6-8 |
30X0 |
75 seconds |
|
B2. Single Arm Lat Pulldown – Supinating |
3 |
6-8 |
3011 |
75 seconds |
|
C1. French Press rope |
2 |
8-10 |
20X0 |
60 seconds |
|
C2. Seated DB Hammer Curl |
2 |
8-10 |
30X0 |
60 seconds |
|
Lower body 2 – Phase 1 |
||||
|
exercise |
Sets |
Representative |
tempo |
Rest |
|
A1. Safety bar back squat |
6th |
2-1-1-1 |
40X0 |
180 seconds |
|
B1. DB FFE Split Squat |
4th |
6-8 |
40X0 |
90 seconds |
|
B2. Kneeling Hamstrings – Dorsiflexed |
4th |
6-8 |
40X0 |
75 seconds |
|
C1. 45 degree back extension |
3 |
8-10 |
30X2 |
75 seconds |
|
C2. Cable wood chips |
3 |
12-14 |
30X0 |
60 seconds |
Given that your performance will matter and to tolerate these higher intensities being raised and exceeding nature, I would add 5g of creatine monohydrate along with 5g of beta-alanine before training for more endurance performance benefits and increasing the reps to failure.
However, if you do not enjoy the tingling sensation you are familiar with when using beta-alanine, you can divide your dosage into 1-2 g taken 3 times during the day. (3.4)
Where to from here?
Once this programming phase is complete and your goal is to maximize muscle growth, I would highly recommend devising a muscle hypertrophy specific attack plan over the next 8 to 16 weeks, depending on how much time you can devote to building muscle.
Whether you are an aspiring competitor or just an avid body, this is the best plan of attack to follow after completing the cluster set method.
References
J. Y. Culbertson, R. B. Kreider, M. Greenwood & M. Cooke (2010). Effects of Beta Alanine on Muscle Carnosine and Exercise Performance: A Review of the Current Literature. Nutrients, 2 (1), 75-98.
R. B. Kreider, D. S. Kalman, J. Antonio, T. N. Ziegenfuss, R. Wildman, R. Collins, D. G. Candow, S. M. Kleiner, A. L. Almada & H. L. Lopez (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Stand: Safety and Effectiveness of Creatine Supplementation in Exercise, Exercise, and Medicine. Journal of the International Society for Sports Nutrition, 14 (1), 18.
H. S. Milner-Brown, R. B. Stein & R. Yemm (1973). The proper recruitment of human motor units in voluntary isometric contractions. The Journal of Physiology, 230 (2), 359-370.
Robinson, R. (2009). In the mammalian muscle, the axonal wiring takes surprising paths. PLoS Biology, 7 (2)
Amanda Thebe is a fitness and women's health professional. She is a force of nature for women who experience menopause hell and want to feel healthy and fit in their 40s and beyond. You can pre-order her upcoming book Menopocalypse on her Fit & Chips website.
Amanda contracted coronavirus in March 2020. Hoping for a speedy recovery, Amanda continues to grapple with the long-term effects of this debilitating virus. In this podcast, Amanda and I talk about what it means for an active fitness professional to be defeated by Covid-19.
By the time I had the chance to speak to Amanda, I had come across only one story on BBC Sport: I was a fitness trainer, someone who was also a successful Olympic weightlifter, fit and healthy, in my twenties, and talked about how three months later, the fact that they still haven't recovered.
I also know from personal experience that a client who was confirmed to be virus positive also had asthma and continued to have real problems. He has a garage gym, just a short walk from his house of course, but even that short walk can get him out and force him to sit on a bench and take ten minutes to relax before leaving can move again.
So this is an important topic because, as Amanda says on the podcast, beyond people recovery or death, little is said in the press or other conversations about the long-term suffering of a large group of people diagnosed with Covid -19.
Like everyone else, Amanda watched celebrities like Tom Hanks and Idris Elba deal with their own coronavirus attacks. As she watched her very public recoveries, she felt discouraged by her own long-term symptoms and continued suffering.
She discovered a Facebook group, Covid-19 Survivor Corps, one of many that she found there were thousands of people like her suffering from persistent effects with high levels of suffering and harm weeks and weeks after being diagnosed .
One of the most important things Amanda made about her experience is the way she's changed the way she approached exercise. Obviously, she was a very active, very fit, professional trainer who had to adjust to the limitations of her performance, which is very difficult for a person with such a background.
Amanda couldn't train for four months, which made her very weak. So we can talk about how she has adapted and what that means for anyone who has to return from trauma or injury or some other situation where they are unable to return to an exercise program at full throttle.
I usually do podcasts about building muscle and boosting your personal development, but this has been a fascinating glimpse into something that affects everyone in the world and it will surely open your eyes to topics that don't prevail in discussions about Covid-19 as We help each other understand how happy we are when we have the luxury of going to the gym, lifting weights, exercising, and doing the things we enjoy.
It is very true that if you are not healthy you don't have much. Fortunately, Amanda is evolving on her journey from Covid-19 and I hope she is 100% back as soon as possible.
Find all of our podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean
Amanda Thebe is a fitness and women's health professional. She is a force of nature for women who experience menopause hell and want to feel healthy and fit in their 40s and beyond. You can pre-order her upcoming book Menopocalypse on her Fit & Chips website. Amanda contracted coronavirus in March 2020. Hoping for a speedy recovery, Amanda continues to grapple with the long-term effects of this debilitating virus. In this podcast, Amanda and I talk about what it means for an active fitness professional to be defeated by Covid-19.
By the time I had the chance to speak to Amanda, I had come across only one story on BBC Sport: I was a fitness trainer, someone who was also a successful Olympic weightlifter, fit and healthy, in my twenties, and talked about how three months later, the fact that they still haven't recovered. I also know from personal experience that a client who was confirmed to be virus positive also had asthma and continued to have real problems. He has a garage gym, just a short walk from his house of course, but even that short walk can get him out and force him to sit on a bench and take ten minutes to relax before leaving can move again. So this is an important topic because, as Amanda says on the podcast, beyond people recovery or death, little is said in the press or other conversations about the long-term suffering of a large group of people diagnosed with Covid -19.
Like everyone else, Amanda watched celebrities like Tom Hanks and Idris Elba deal with their own coronavirus attacks. As she watched her very public recoveries, she felt discouraged by her own long-term symptoms and continued suffering. She discovered a Facebook group, Covid-19 Survivor Corps, one of many that she found there were thousands of people like her suffering from persistent effects with high levels of suffering and harm weeks and weeks after being diagnosed .
One of the most important things Amanda made about her experience is the way she's changed the way she approached exercise. Obviously, she was a very active, very fit, professional trainer who had to adjust to the limitations of her performance, which is very difficult for a person with such a background. Amanda couldn't train for four months, which made her very weak. So we can talk about how she has adapted and what that means for anyone who has to return from trauma or injury or some other situation where they are unable to return to an exercise program at full throttle.
I usually do podcasts about building muscle and boosting your personal development, but this has been a fascinating glimpse into something that affects everyone in the world and it will surely open your eyes to topics that don't prevail in discussions about Covid-19 as We help each other understand how happy we are when we have the luxury of going to the gym, lifting weights, exercising, and doing the things we enjoy. It is very true that if you are not healthy you don't have much. Fortunately, Amanda is evolving on her journey from Covid-19 and I hope she is 100% back as soon as possible.
As we all try to figure out how to cope in these difficult times of closure and social distance, we seem to have this strange mix of a lot of time to train, but a lack of options to use them.
The challenges of training from home (minimal equipment and space are the main problems) have made it really difficult to develop strength training options that can at least maintain or potentially develop the power production and neuronal drive required for athletes.
If this situation finally resolves and we can get back into the competition, those who have been consistently exposed to this type of stimulus will have a dramatic performance advantage over those who have not.
One of the best solutions for this is a setup and program that uses certain variations of isometry.
Isometric contractions can be performed safely with minimal equipment so that we no longer have to overwhelm Rogue / Amazon with orders or our wallet with large purchases. You can also work in a small space, which means that stuck in a garage or even a living room doesn't have to be a big obstacle.
Some time ago I came across the above structure from Ross Enamait of Ross Training, a super creative guy and great innovator in the strength and conditioning world.
As we continued to recognize the situation that many people would face in the foreseeable future, I began to see the potential value that this facility could bring.
By providing options for isometric contractions that can be done with minimal equipment and space, we can offer options for people who are still under some force while waiting for things to be over.
The setup can also be easily expanded, as I'll show below, to provide many more training options. In addition to the numerous isometric options, we can also do dynamic tape work, power work with tapes, vertical and horizontal pulling of the upper body and vertical and horizontal pressing of the upper body.
We not only offer people the opportunity to regain access to strength work, we also dramatically expand their training options overall to avoid things becoming too monotonous.
Total cost: approximately $ 75.
I'm as far away from a handyman as anyone can get, and yet it took me a total of 15 minutes to put this project together.
Find out how far the 4×4 parts should be approximately apart by crouching regularly and then placing the 4×4 parts on each side outside of your feet. You can then place the plywood on top of the parts and center it as best as possible and then use your deck screws to secure the plywood to the top.
Then flip it over and screw the eye bolts into the center of the 4×4 pieces (I pre-drilled some holes to make this a little easier). Connect the chain with the quick couplings with the eyebolts. Use the carabiners to adjust the length of the chain.
I chose to use the steel tubing to attach to the chains compared to Ross' build where he had the playground handles mainly because I wanted to make sure there were options for front / rear rack isometrics too , not just to hold hands, but you can do both if you want.
There are several types of isometric contractions: isolated versus complex, endurance versus explosive, overcoming versus yielding. All of these have specific methods and goals. Our settings above are mainly used to equip us to overcome isometrics.
Overcoming isometrics occurs when the athlete creates force to overcome an external force. This is an almost maximum or maximum effort, which means that as much tension as possible is created for a short time.
For our purposes at a time when most of us do not have access to conventional power equipment, we can use these contractions with maximum effort to achieve a strong stimulus and maintain a higher level of neuronal drive.
If we can include these sessions 2-3 times a week, our strength and strength production will be much less likely to decrease when it's time to return to normal training.
Some examples of how to overcome isometrics with hinges, squats and pressing patterns. A great advantage of using chains and connectors is that we can easily vary the positions and heights at which we perform the isometric contractions. We can quickly switch from isometric pulls to isometric squats and adjust the height with the carabiners as needed.
<img load = "lazy” alt=”Quarantine machine collage” class=”imagecache-full_width” src=”https://cdn3.omidoo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/full_width/images/bydate/202004/quarantinecollage.png” title=”Quarantine machine collage”/>
Here are some quick tips for programming and performing isometrics at home without going into too much science and nuance.
Think about the joint angles at which you want to improve your power generation ability and try to replicate them as closely as possible. Strength gains are usually fairly specific to the trained angle (+/- 15 degrees), although this can be somewhat minimized if you put the muscle in an elongated state (i.e., performs an isometric contraction on a muscle in an elongated state) much greater power transmission to other joint movement areas).
When working on strength training, place the contraction around your usual sticking point. If you are working on a dynamic lift, approach the point of maximum acceleration. Alternatively, you can find a position that is weak / unstable for you and attack it to build better strength and control.
If you make a maximum effort to overcome the isometry (like the one shown above, in which the athlete is bumping hard against a stationary object), take 1-2 seconds to reach your maximum force contraction and hold it then pressed for the duration of your repeat take 1-2 seconds to shutdown. Don't just hit the resistance, this can affect both position and balance and you lose the advantage.
After you've completed your isometric overcome, do a few repetitions of your target movement pattern to "lubricate" the groove of power production in the pattern that directly affects your athletic performance.
If we move away from the isometry, there are some additional options that we have by including some bands for those who have access to them. When I put this together, I noticed the similarities to other minimal products on the banded hipbuttons market.
By attaching a few extra eyebolts to the sides of the 4×4 parts, you can create a simple station to perform band-resistant hipbuttons, and it's easy enough to change the height and appeal of them by walking off the floor or your upper back put on a bench / chair / couch.
The same ribbon setup can also be used for banded glute marches. Using the chains and carabiners, we can make a belt attachment that the strap can hook on.
We can also do banded pushups, banded overhead presses, band-resistant squats, band-resistant pulls, etc. The options increase very quickly with the addition of some tapes.
<img load = "lazy” alt=”Banded isometrics” class=”imagecache-full_width” src=”https://cdn4.omidoo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/full_width/images/bydate/202004/img-4836copy1.jpg” title=”Banded isometrics”/>
Another addition that has been planned but not yet implemented is the use of a PVC pipe to attach it to all-wheel drive vehicles and to create some tall parallel bars. These can be used for horizontal pulling, vertical pulling, diving / support handles and L-Sit variations.
I will either update this form or my social media posts to include details after we add them. I hope that we can find a cheap, simple and effective facility Anyone with access to a hardware store can build up their training opportunities and improve them immediately.
As we all try to figure out how to cope in these difficult times of closure and social distance, we seem to have this strange mix of a lot of time to train, but a lack of options to use them.
The challenges of training from home (minimal equipment and space are the main problems) have made it really difficult to develop strength training options that can at least maintain or potentially develop the power production and neuronal drive required for athletes.
If this situation finally resolves and we can get back into the competition, those who have been consistently exposed to this type of stimulus will have a dramatic performance advantage over those who have not.
One of the best solutions for this is a setup and program that uses certain variations of isometry.
Isometric contractions can be performed safely with minimal equipment so that we no longer have to overwhelm Rogue / Amazon with orders or our wallet with large purchases. You can also work in a small space, which means that stuck in a garage or even a living room doesn't have to be a big obstacle.
Some time ago I came across the above structure from Ross Enamait of Ross Training, a super creative guy and great innovator in the strength and conditioning world.
As we continued to recognize the situation that many people would face in the foreseeable future, I began to see the potential value that this facility could bring.
By providing options for isometric contractions that can be done with minimal equipment and space, we can offer options for people who are still under some force while waiting for things to be over.
The setup can also be easily expanded, as I'll show below, to provide many more training options. In addition to the numerous isometric options, we can also do dynamic tape work, power work with tapes, vertical and horizontal pulling of the upper body and vertical and horizontal pressing of the upper body.
We not only offer people the opportunity to regain access to strength work, we also dramatically expand their training options overall to avoid things becoming too monotonous.
Total cost: approximately $ 75.
I'm as far away from a handyman as anyone can get, and yet it took me a total of 15 minutes to put this project together.
Find out how far the 4×4 parts should be approximately apart by crouching regularly and then placing the 4×4 parts on each side outside of your feet. You can then place the plywood on top of the parts and center it as best as possible and then use your deck screws to secure the plywood to the top.
Then flip it over and screw the eye bolts into the center of the 4×4 pieces (I pre-drilled some holes to make this a little easier). Connect the chain with the quick couplings with the eyebolts. Use the carabiners to adjust the length of the chain.
I chose to use the steel tubing to attach to the chains compared to Ross' build where he had the playground handles mainly because I wanted to make sure there were options for front / rear rack isometrics too , not just to hold hands, but you can do both if you want.
There are several types of isometric contractions: isolated versus complex, endurance versus explosive, overcoming versus yielding. All of these have specific methods and goals. Our settings above are mainly used to equip us to overcome isometrics.
Overcoming isometrics occurs when the athlete creates force to overcome an external force. This is an almost maximum or maximum effort, which means that as much tension as possible is created for a short time.
For our purposes at a time when most of us do not have access to conventional power equipment, we can use these contractions with maximum effort to achieve a strong stimulus and maintain a higher level of neuronal drive.
If we can include these sessions 2-3 times a week, our strength and strength production will be much less likely to decrease when it's time to return to normal training.
Some examples of how to overcome isometrics with hinges, squats and pressing patterns. A great advantage of using chains and connectors is that we can easily vary the positions and heights at which we perform the isometric contractions. We can quickly switch from isometric pulls to isometric squats and adjust the height with the carabiners as needed.
<img load = "lazy” alt=”Quarantine machine collage” class=”imagecache-full_width” src=”https://cdn3.omidoo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/full_width/images/bydate/202004/quarantinecollage.png” title=”Quarantine machine collage”/>
Here are some quick tips for programming and performing isometrics at home without going into too much science and nuance.
Think about the joint angles at which you want to improve your power generation ability and try to replicate them as closely as possible. Strength gains are usually fairly specific to the trained angle (+/- 15 degrees), although this can be somewhat minimized if you put the muscle in an elongated state (i.e., performs an isometric contraction on a muscle in an elongated state) much greater power transmission to other joint movement areas).
When working on strength training, place the contraction around your usual sticking point. If you are working on a dynamic lift, approach the point of maximum acceleration. Alternatively, you can find a position that is weak / unstable for you and attack it to build better strength and control.
If you make a maximum effort to overcome the isometry (like the one shown above, in which the athlete is bumping hard against a stationary object), take 1-2 seconds to reach your maximum force contraction and hold it then pressed for the duration of your repeat take 1-2 seconds to shutdown. Don't just hit the resistance, this can affect both position and balance and you lose the advantage.
After you've completed your isometric overcome, do a few repetitions of your target movement pattern to "lubricate" the groove of power production in the pattern that directly affects your athletic performance.
If we move away from the isometry, there are some additional options that we have by including some bands for those who have access to them. When I put this together, I noticed the similarities to other minimal products on the banded hipbuttons market.
By attaching a few extra eyebolts to the sides of the 4×4 parts, you can create a simple station to perform band-resistant hipbuttons, and it's easy enough to change the height and appeal of them by walking off the floor or your upper back put on a bench / chair / couch.
The same ribbon setup can also be used for banded glute marches. Using the chains and carabiners, we can make a belt attachment that the strap can hook on.
We can also do banded pushups, banded overhead presses, band-resistant squats, band-resistant pulls, etc. The options increase very quickly with the addition of some tapes.
<img load = "lazy” alt=”Banded isometrics” class=”imagecache-full_width” src=”https://cdn4.omidoo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/full_width/images/bydate/202004/img-4836copy1.jpg” title=”Banded isometrics”/>
Another addition that has been planned but not yet implemented is the use of a PVC pipe to attach it to all-wheel drive vehicles and to create some tall parallel bars. These can be used for horizontal pulling, vertical pulling, diving / support handles and L-Sit variations.
I will either update this form or my social media posts to include details after we add them. I hope that we can find a cheap, simple and effective facility Anyone with access to a hardware store can build up their training opportunities and improve them immediately.
I am writing this piece in response to the MindBody Article in the Trainer Only newsletter. There were aspects of MindBody's actions that I could understand, and I agreed with many of the points outlined in the Breaking Muscle follow-up. Ultimately, I don't agree with any third-party vendor that has control over a company's revenue and business practices. Breaking Muscle offered practical advice and I will add my own insights. It includes some insight or support related to my experience and what I'm doing as a fully independent freelance trainer who tries to keep in touch with you in an already vague and unfairly competitive industry.
I have been working in the health and fitness industry for 20 years. This meant I had to have a variety of roles, work with a variety of populations, work in some unruly environments, and think creatively yet critically about my feet to experience a variety of disappointments that resulted from over-trusting others in the industry or who tried to profit from this market. Don't get me wrong, I've also had some good experiences, but I'm an independent trainer for a reason. Needless to say, the reasons for many of my frustrations in this area have also caused me to turn more strongly in situations where we all experience at different levels.
Over the years, I have dealt with distance learning, online and virtual training combined with the use of an extensive range of tools that have repeatedly come out to improve these methods, receive payments, provide schedules and so on. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in many of my attempts because time and costs were not the same for me or for my customers. I didn't have the time to learn how someone else ran my business, and I quickly realized that my customers didn't have the time or interest to learn new technologies in addition to all of their other real-life tasks . Don't get me wrong here, there are some useful technologies and apps for online and virtual training, but I learned during that time and kept my current personal customers by meeting them where they are and kept things as simple as possible for them.
My customers are now mostly professionals and those who work in corporate environments. These are all people who use communication and planning tools such as Gmail or Outlook, WebEx, Citrix, Skype and Google Hangouts. Ask your customers what they're using and you'll find out if you've never seen these programs before. For payments, PayPal is one of the safest, most user-friendly, quick-reacting and customer-oriented companies I have ever used. I also bet that your customers also used a simple secure bank transfer to make payments. Set up a Zoho or Freshbooks account, send invoices from there, and manage things that way.
Did I mention that all of the above are free for you? Up to a certain limit, of course, but the fees are low.
I am and have never been a fan of online coaching (just sending workouts) without being able to interact live with my clients even once a week. For this reason, I decided to keep things interactive in live virtual coaching sessions. It hurts my heart a little to make some coaching sacrifices that require hands-on and 360-degree views, but look at the big picture, soak it up, and find that this type of workout is just about you a better coach because it takes a lot of patience, stoicism, learning new verbal clues and having fun with them. Your customers are probably really needing your kick adversity and ass energy challenges right now. This is one of the best times to really use your empathy and compassion and really show yourself to be the caring trainer that you are all. Support is currently more important than PR and aesthetic goals. These are also aspects that we know can help you get more people on board as emotions sell and we are now selling hope, not just health, fitness and performance.
Although I appreciate the strength of all of us coming together, I have learned that it is important not to have to rely on anyone or anything for my own life and livelihood. Be agile and prepared. I want this for you too, and hopefully a summary of my experience will help you do the same. Know and do what works first for you and then for your customer (yes, in the right order) and stay on your path. Please know that I don't lose my growth philosophy with these things and I don't connect with others. Just do your own life and business analysis first and find out what you really need instead of just following people's advice. Only you really know what you need to be successful in your business. Okay, and your immediate stakeholders and advisors.
I am happy to introduce you to some people and resources that are directly related to this business market and could help you during this time, but there are many others. It is simply a matter of figuring out what is right for you:
I would like to add that if you have the budget for it, a good idea is to buy some small training articles from Amazon and pack your virtual services with some devices. I have done this in the past and it worked well and I know a local gym here that is currently doing this.
During this time, I personally successfully supported customers in moving as far as possible without losing revenue by keeping my hourly prices the same, but rather four times a week in two 30-minute sessions instead of two one-hour sessions each Week. This helps customers maintain their training habits, which we know are unlikely to be motivated enough to do this themselves at the moment. They also achieved some success by including some of my clients' children in their one-hour sessions.
During this time, what I am writing can lead to different results, but much that is perpetuated as the savior of the fitness business will take more of your time, money, efforts, and credibility after this is over. I know that from close friends or through my own experiences. Anything free at the moment is probably not the best solution. As mentioned in the MindBody COVID-19 response article, there is enough free content, and your knowledge and time are worth more. Research has shown that tactics cost you more than you do.
Using T&A will not help you find non-pornographic customers. Hey, if you want to take things there that's up to you, just be careful and really think about it.
The tactic of using too many novelty exercises doesn't work. I think we all know that the majority of the people we want to reach can hardly take a lunge or do an elevated push-up properly. Don't spend too much time creating all these new social accounts, use the existing ones and hash again, have perfect geo-tagging, SEO and the like. Social media management or influencer is a full-time job and can make you even more stressed or angry if you have to go through everything and learn what's out there and what's working. I also know that this path very often only appears lucrative to the people who do all this work.
MindBody's actions were understandable because they too need to protect their business, but I have to say that I don't agree with a third-party service that has control over other people's earnings and business practices. I hope that my forays into this time have encouraged or perhaps led you to realize that you must always be sure that you have the majority about your life and business and that I have provided some useful knowledge and resources to help you to help with that. Know that this has another side and that many people and companies, big or small, have to face the music of their actions during this time. We have one of the best jobs that we all clearly have a passion for, and while many of us are fighting for many of the same things, we don't have to be each other's nemesis – there are still billions of people left in this world, who need our help and we cannot reach them and help them alone.
Feel free to contact me via Twitter or Instagram if this is helpful. The links are next to my byline at the beginning of this article.
I am writing this piece in response to the MindBody Article in the Trainer Only newsletter. There were aspects of MindBody's actions that I could understand, and I agreed with many of the points outlined in the Breaking Muscle follow-up. Ultimately, I don't agree with any third-party vendor that has control over a company's revenue and business practices. Breaking Muscle offered practical advice and I will add my own insights. It includes some insight or support related to my experience and what I'm doing as a fully independent freelance trainer who tries to keep in touch with you in an already vague and unfairly competitive industry.
I have been working in the health and fitness industry for 20 years. This meant I had to have a variety of roles, work with a variety of populations, work in some unruly environments, and think creatively yet critically about my feet to experience a variety of disappointments that resulted from over-trusting others in the industry or who tried to profit from this market. Don't get me wrong, I've also had some good experiences, but I'm an independent trainer for a reason. Needless to say, the reasons for many of my frustrations in this area have also caused me to turn more strongly in situations where we all experience at different levels.
Over the years, I have dealt with distance learning, online and virtual training combined with the use of an extensive range of tools that have repeatedly come out to improve these methods, receive payments, provide schedules and so on. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in many of my attempts because time and costs were not the same for me or for my customers. I didn't have the time to learn how someone else ran my business, and I quickly realized that my customers didn't have the time or interest to learn new technologies in addition to all of their other real-life tasks . Don't get me wrong here, there are some useful technologies and apps for online and virtual training, but I learned during that time and kept my current personal customers by meeting them where they are and kept things as simple as possible for them.
My customers are now mostly professionals and those who work in corporate environments. These are all people who use communication and planning tools such as Gmail or Outlook, WebEx, Citrix, Skype and Google Hangouts. Ask your customers what they're using and you'll find out if you've never seen these programs before. For payments, PayPal is one of the safest, most user-friendly, quick-reacting and customer-oriented companies I have ever used. I also bet that your customers also used a simple secure bank transfer to make payments. Set up a Zoho or Freshbooks account, send invoices from there, and manage things that way.
Did I mention that all of the above are free for you? Up to a certain limit, of course, but the fees are low.
I am and have never been a fan of online coaching (just sending workouts) without being able to interact live with my clients even once a week. For this reason, I decided to keep things interactive in live virtual coaching sessions. It hurts my heart a little to make some coaching sacrifices that require hands-on and 360-degree views, but look at the big picture, soak it up, and find that this type of workout is just about you a better coach because it takes a lot of patience, stoicism, learning new verbal clues and having fun with them. Your customers are probably really needing your kick adversity and ass energy challenges right now. This is one of the best times to really use your empathy and compassion and really show yourself to be the caring trainer that you are all. Support is currently more important than PR and aesthetic goals. These are also aspects that we know can help you get more people on board as emotions sell and we are now selling hope, not just health, fitness and performance.
Although I appreciate the strength of all of us coming together, I have learned that it is important not to have to rely on anyone or anything for my own life and livelihood. Be agile and prepared. I want this for you too, and hopefully a summary of my experience will help you do the same. Know and do what works first for you and then for your customer (yes, in the right order) and stay on your path. Please know that I don't lose my growth philosophy with these things and I don't connect with others. Just do your own life and business analysis first and find out what you really need instead of just following people's advice. Only you really know what you need to be successful in your business. Okay, and your immediate stakeholders and advisors.
I am happy to introduce you to some people and resources that are directly related to this business market and could help you during this time, but there are many others. It is simply a matter of figuring out what is right for you:
I would like to add that if you have the budget for it, a good idea is to buy some small training articles from Amazon and pack your virtual services with some devices. I have done this in the past and it worked well and I know a local gym here that is currently doing this.
During this time, I personally successfully supported customers in moving as far as possible without losing revenue by keeping my hourly prices the same, but rather four times a week in two 30-minute sessions instead of two one-hour sessions each Week. This helps customers maintain their training habits, which we know are unlikely to be motivated enough to do this themselves at the moment. They also achieved some success by including some of my clients' children in their one-hour sessions.
During this time, what I am writing can lead to different results, but much that is perpetuated as the savior of the fitness business will take more of your time, money, efforts, and credibility after this is over. I know that from close friends or through my own experiences. Anything free at the moment is probably not the best solution. As mentioned in the MindBody COVID-19 response article, there is enough free content, and your knowledge and time are worth more. Research has shown that tactics cost you more than you do.
Using T&A will not help you find non-pornographic customers. Hey, if you want to take things there that's up to you, just be careful and really think about it.
The tactic of using too many novelty exercises doesn't work. I think we all know that the majority of the people we want to reach can hardly take a lunge or do an elevated push-up properly. Don't spend too much time creating all these new social accounts, use the existing ones and hash again, have perfect geo-tagging, SEO and the like. Social media management or influencer is a full-time job and can make you even more stressed or angry if you have to go through everything and learn what's out there and what's working. I also know that this path very often only appears lucrative to the people who do all this work.
MindBody's actions were understandable because they too need to protect their business, but I have to say that I don't agree with a third-party service that has control over other people's earnings and business practices. I hope that my forays into this time have encouraged or perhaps led you to realize that you must always be sure that you have the majority about your life and business and that I have provided some useful knowledge and resources to help you to help with that. Know that this has another side and that many people and companies, big or small, have to face the music of their actions during this time. We have one of the best jobs that we all clearly have a passion for, and while many of us are fighting for many of the same things, we don't have to be each other's nemesis – there are still billions of people left in this world, who need our help and we cannot reach them and help them alone.
Feel free to contact me via Twitter or Instagram if this is helpful. The links are next to my byline at the beginning of this article.
