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In an effort to clarify whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced a proposed rule to adopt a five-factor “economic reality” test. This test considers whether a worker is in business for themselves — that is, acting as an independent contractor — or is economically dependent on an employer for work and is therefore an employee. This rule clarifies a few longstanding standards currently used by the DOL for Social Security purposes and to determine a company’s compliance with federal labor law. Like the “IRS test” used by the IRS to determine this same question for tax purposes, the rule employs a scale of degrees, in which the extent to which each factor is true or not can be judged on a spectrum, rather than the simple yes/no questions of the ABC test used in California’s AB-5 legislation. The proposed DOL rule asks many of the same questions as the IRS test, streamlined to five factors vs. 20, with an emphasis on the financial aspect of the worker-client relationship. It is important for all freelancers to understand the regulations that may affect their ability to work in their chosen professions. In addition, if you are a freelancer who subcontracts work to other self-employed individuals, it is especially important to understand this proposed rule to avoid potentially exploiting the client-freelancer relationship. This is especially true if you have one or two independent contractors who do significant amounts of work for you and they are providing services that are an integral part of your freelance business functions. According to the proposed rule, there are two “core factors” that can help to determine the degree of economic dependence a freelancer has on someone else’s business versus their own business. 1) The nature and degree of the worker’s control over the work being performed. For example, any freelancer is likely to be legally classified as an employee if the client exercises substantial control over key aspects of how they do work. However, if they are setting their own work schedule, selecting from assignments, working with little or no supervision, and able to work for others, including competitors, they are more likely to be classified as an independent contractor. 2) The worker’s opportunity for profit or loss based on initiative and/or investment in their work. The DOL’s proposed new rule also requires an analysis of a worker’s investment in their work as it relates to the opportunity for profit or loss as well as the degree to which personal initiative, managerial skills and business acumen are exercised. The more opportunity for personal gain through independent action an individual has, the more it weighs toward them being considered an independent contractor. Another component of this core factor is the extent to which an individual is able to affect their earnings through initiative or investment — say, a freelance writer who becomes skilled in SEO and is able to charge more for that additional service — in contrast to an employee who is only able to do so by working more hours or by working more efficiently for your business. These two core factors above are what the DOL’s proposed rule gives the most weight to in determining if a worker is economically dependent on someone else’s business or is in business for themselves. However, the proposed rule also identifies three other factors for consideration in the analysis of legal employment classification: 3) The amount of skill required to do the work performed. If the work you do as a freelancer requires specialized skills, this will weigh in favor of classification as an independent contractor. Alternatively, if the work in question requires no specialized training or skills outside of those provided by the potential employer, this factor would weigh in favor of an employee classification. 4) The degree of permanence of the relationship between the worker and potential employer. If there is an ongoing relationship of an indefinite duration between your freelance business and another freelancer you hire, this factor would weigh in favor of their classification as an employee. If your work relationship with a particular individual is more sporadic, the classification of an independent contractor is more likely. 5) Whether the work is considered part of an integrated unit of production. If an individual works for a business and is fulfilling a required part of a process that is fundamental and analogous to another required function with integrated parts that lead toward a common goal, then that person would be more likely to be considered an employee. If the opposite is true, then classification of the individual as an independent contractor would be favored. From the DOL’s viewpoint, these five factors provide the framework for “the ultimate inquiry” as to whether, “as a matter of economic reality, the worker is dependent on a particular individual, business or organization for work (and is thus an employee) or is in business for him — or herself (and is thus an independent contractor).” In addition to the federal DOL, your state DOL may use additional criteria. It is important to understand those rules as well. Per the DOL’s statement on the release of this proposed new rule, this is a response to the fact that over the years, many business owners have shown a propensity to reduce their expenses by classifying workers as independent contractors, absolving themselves of the legal obligation to provide a minimum wage, overtime, and company benefits, or to keep employment records for these individuals. The DOL says this rule is an attempt “to promote certainty for stakeholders, reduce litigation, and encourage innovation in our economy.” The proposed rule is open for comment through October 21, 2020. Any interested party may submit a comment in support of or against this proposed rule or any of its parts. Any comments submitted will become part of the public record. Jonathan Medows is a New York City–based CPA who specializes in taxes and business issues for freelancers and self-employed individuals across the country. He provides tax, accounting, and business articles for freelancers on his website, http://www.cpaforfreelancers.com, which also features a blog and a comprehensive freelance tax guide. Please note, due to the high volume of inquiries in regard to COVID-19, Jonathan is not able to respond to individual requests for information at this time. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2020/09/30/the-us-department-of-labor-has-proposed-a-new-rule-to-clarify-who-is-a-freelancer/
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When I first started out in freelance writing, I was excited. Finally, I was going to get paid for doing something I loved: writing. I finished my first job quickly, got paid quickly, and my excitement grew. I hopped onto every content mill and freelancing site I could find, bid on every job that was listed, and started sending my resume and proposals to every company out there, regardless of industry. The way I figured it, I was a good writer. Anything else I could just figure out. So it’s no wonder why I burnt out so quickly. Within just a few months, my awe and fascination with freelance writing was gone and it started to feel like work. Not like a job – you can love a job – like work. It no longer felt like I was getting paid to do something I loved, it felt like I was barely scraping by. I felt underpaid and undervalued (because I was). And guess what? I blamed everyone else. · The clients were cheapskates. · The freelancing websites were biased toward their cheapskate clients. · Other freelance writers were working for peanuts and dragging everyone's value down. I was absolutely ready to quit, convinced that the entire industry was doomed to fail due to all these problems. Then, out of the blue, I got an email asking me if I could meet and discuss the possibility of writing a book. I took the meeting over Skype and absolutely fell in love – with the project, the writing, the client. Everything. Then came the time for me to tell her how much I was going to charge her to write this book. And I froze. I was really excited about this project, and she and I meshed so well. I needed the money, but I didn’t want to chance chasing her away. So, I bid the absolute lowest I thought she would pay. And I do mean I bid low. She didn’t take it. Instead, she gave me a bit of the side eye and said to me, “Look, I know you said you were new to freelance writing. But there’s no way you can actually live off this bid, is there?” And before I could formulate an answer, she gave me more of her story. As a freelance SEO specialist, she knew how hard it was to price out her services. And then came the line that changed the way I looked at freelancing forever: “No matter how much you love what you do, if you’re not making enough to live on it, you will end up resenting it.” Let that sink in a bit. I love writing – and loved getting paid to write. But I was resenting everything about it. Not just because I was underpaid, but because I was undervaluing myself. Since then, I have learned to be really picky about the jobs I take and the clients I work with. And, sure, sometimes it feels wrong…in a slow economy, how can I feel good about turning down a paying client? Am I crazy? Nope – it’s not crazy. In fact, here are three very good reasons to turn down paying clients and get pickier about the clients and projects you take on: 1. It’s not enough to enjoy what you do, you also have to enjoy the project you’re working on.Chances are you got out of your 9-to-5 for a variety of reasons, one of which is probably so you can get paid to do what you love. But do you love chasing clients down to pay you? Do you love writing about topics you hate? Do you love clients micro-managing your time for the little money they’re offering? If freelance writing has turned from getting paid for doing something you love into grunt work, then look at the projects you’ve been taking on. Do they excite and inspire you? If the answer is no, it’s time to look at different topics. 2. A job needs to do more than just pay you – it needs to be worth your time.This is really just a numbers game: quality versus quantity. The lower the pay (quality) the more projects you have to take on to cover your expenses (quantity). And vice versa; the higher the pay, the fewer projects you need to take on. Now, there’s nothing wrong with taking on more than one project at a time (I frequently have 3-4 projects I’m working on simultaneously), but the more projects you have to juggle just to pay your bills, the higher your risk for burnout. Additionally, when you’re working on a project that isn’t paying you enough, it’s really easy to let yourself get distracted and avoid working on that project. We tend to think, “I’ll just finish it quickly and move on to something better,” but it almost never happens that way. So it’s usually better just to not accept it in the first place. 3. It’s not enough to simply work on projects you love – they need to help further your career in some way.A lot of freelancers end up getting stuck because they spend all their time working on their clients’ projects and don’t give enough thought to their own career. Sure, finishing up that blog post or that landing page might give you a nice entry to add to your portfolio or a nice testimonial for your page somewhere, but what else is it actually doing for you? And what’s more, if you write about everything, why should you write about anything? Like it or not, niches matter. If you’re picky about the projects you’re taking on, every project will contribute to your knowledge and expertise. Then, your portfolio won’t just be a collection of writing samples showing off your grammar skills and writing abilities – it will showcase your expertise in that industry. And believe me, clients will pay good money to have industry experts writing for them. All in all, getting pickier about the types of projects you take on will help keep you motivated, happy, and moving forward as a freelance writer. Then you truly will be getting paid to do what you love! via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2020/09/29/avoid-freelance-burnout-by-being-picky/
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As the freelancing community knows, sometimes, business is great, and sometimes, it feels like an uphill battle. I have been spending my most recent drought working tirelessly to build my online presence and credibility as a freelance writer. Today, I want to talk a little bit about SEO. For all of my freelancer friends, this is just the tip of the iceberg, but it should be enough to make you feel a little more confident about promoting your website to potential clients. What is SEO?SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it is the thing to know if you want to be marketable in the online writing world. Here's an article with a comprehensive overview of this industry. I have been working diligently on SEO training so I can optimize my website and learn how to help all of my clients, with their optimization needs. Why should everyone care about it?Despite what many users think about the internet, there are many programs and algorithms working nonstop trying to filter out all the spammy scams floating around. In fact, Google changes its algorithms 500-600 times each year in an effort to stay one step ahead of these ad sites. For example, Panda is a program created by Google to ensure that empty, click-ad filled articles are properly identified, so you, the consumer, don't inadvertently give money for a a junk product thinking it is something great because the website seemed reputable. Here's some more info on Panda updates. This update ensures that you don't fall victim to paragraph stuffing. This happens when a website loads the same key words into one paragraph over and over again hoping that the more the keyword appears, the higher their URL will appear in the rank. Unfortunately, that high ranking will convince you, the reader, to go to this site only to find that there is no content, just a repeated link to a company's products. These websites often have bogus testimonials that might seem too good to be true — because they are! That's where Google's ad tags come in. These little green tags tell you when a site is an ad and when it actually has something to offer. How can writers put this knowledge to use?
As a writer, my job is to make sure that whatever content I write is truthful and helpful to you, the reader. That's why I thought you would all enjoy learning what I do behind the scenes. When I write an article, I first want to know my client's target audience. Who do they want to reach? For example, if they own a hardware store, they might want to get more people to buy their gardening equipment. How would they do this? With a writer, of course! I would write an article providing gardening tips, the best way to freshen up the neglected garden, how to start a garden: the beginner's guide — their choice! How could this help? Their customers will get inspired to garden, because the client will post this article on their website or social media platform. Their followers (i.e., customers) will read it and purchase those supplies. Within the guide, I can place links to gardening articles such as this one. I would also link to the client's website in the article, like this one for Lowe's. No, I'm not paid by Lowe's, it was just an example — although I do find myself there quite frequently with DIY projects (check my lifestyle section for that one, coming soon!). Not only does my client get more customers in their store, they also build credibility as a business, because they show the consumer that they are about more than simply making money. The message it sends is that this client wants their patrons to get the most out of their shopping experience. They want them to buy gardening equipment, but they also want them to win the "best garden" contest in their neighborhood. This is good for both parties! What next?For my writer friends, this means you should be interested in SEO, because this knowledge helps bring traffic to your clients' pages. The more traffic, the better — just make sure you don't paragraph stuff. You can also talk about your expertise in this field to prove to clients that you know how to help them provide quality content for their customers. This goal is why programs like Panda exist. They keep writers and business owners honest and service-minded. This is just some of the mountain of information that I have come across in my training. If you want to know more about SEO and the ins and outs of Google, check out this link to get training from LinkedIn. Another great place for writers and business owners is Moz.com. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2020/09/28/why-writers-need-to-understand-seo/
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THE WEEKLY BRIEF UPDATE1. You can now purchase CORE @ Home for whatever it is you want to pay. During quarantine I started a platform where I’d deliver 20-40 minute workouts that could be performed in everyone’s living room using minimal equipment. In all I curated 36 workouts using nothing but bodyweight, bands, and kettlebells and/or dumbbells. With many people still reticent to head back to their regular gyms (not to mention the scarcity of gym equipment out there to purchase) I figured this would be a nice opportunity to help. Whether you want to spend $1 or $100 (if the latter, we’ll be BFFs forever), the workouts are ready and available to start. For more information go HERE. SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS
STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORKTry Online Trainer Academy For $0 – Jonathan GoodmanIt’s never been more relevant to consider a more “hybrid” approach to your fitness business than now. COVID-19 has forced many gyms and personal trainers to shut down their in-person coaching intermittently, and in some cases permanently. Having the ability to (smoothly) transition to more online options is likely going to be the key to long-term success in the industry moving forward. You can do no better than the Online Trainer Academy – the OGs of online coaching. TODAY is your last chance to take advantage of their $0 trial offer. 2 Ways to Increase Intensity Without Adding Weight – Shane McLeanMaking it a point to add weight to the barbell over time is never a bad idea in terms of gauging progress. It’s not the ONLY way however; especially if you want to save your joints (and soul). Dynamic Training: Should You Be Doing It? – Chad AichsForce = mass x acceleration. It’s physics (and a great conversation stimulator at the bars; when they open again). But what does it really mean, and how can you apply it toward getting stronger? Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2020/09/stuff-to-read-while-youre-pretending-to-work-9-25-20/
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When To Consider Using a Sumo Style DeadliftTo me, the conventional deadlift (feet closer together, hands outside knees) is the most advanced variation of the deadlift and likely not the best starting point for most lifters. Yet, purists out there would prefer passing a kidney stone through their eyeballs than ever consider reverting to a sumo style. Whether it’s someone’s anatomy (short arms and/or long torso) or mobility deficits (hip flexion ROM, thoracic spine extension, or even ankle dorsiflexion) the conventional style deadlift might not be a great choice…for now. A sumo-style deadlift (wider stance, hands inside the knees) may be the better option. It allows for a more upright torso, decreasing shearing forces on the spine, which can make things infinitely friendlier. Stop being a slave to your ego and realize you don’t have to pull conventional all the time (or ever) despite what that dude at the YMCA who competed in one powerlifting meet back in 1998 told you. Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2020/09/1-minute-deadlift-tip-when-to-consider-using-a-sumo-style-deadlift/
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Freelancing is a popular topic these days, and tens of millions of individuals have “dipped their toes” in the gig economy, so to speak, at some point or another. However, the number of people who have taken the leap to become a full-time freelancer in the face of disenchantment with traditional office environments is much smaller — and with good reason. Full-time freelancing is a perfect storm of independence, excitement, adventure, hard work, responsibilities, and challenges. If you’re considering taking the full-time freelancing leap, here are a few essential questions, both of a financial and personal nature, that you should ask yourself before you become fully airborne. What Are You Trying to Accomplish?First and foremost, what is your goal by going full-time into freelancing? Are you entrepreneurial at heart and you want to forge your own path? Are you feeling bored at your current job? Are you simply sick and tired of the rat race? While these last two are reasonable motivators, if they’re your primary objective in going into freelancing, you may run into trouble before long. There’s a good chance you’re going to find that the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence — it’s just another shade of the same verdant foliage you’re used to. If true financial and professional independence is your goal, by all means, take the leap. If you’re simply looking to get out of an unpleasant current work situation, though, don’t make the mistake of seeing freelance as a “land flowing with milk and honey” solution, or you’ll be severely disappointed. Are You Ready to Separate Your Personal and Business Lives?Freelancing requires a lot of work on the administrative side of things — a fact that many overlook in the name of pursuing their passions. However, unless your passions consist of filling out forms and paying taxes, it’s important to understand what business responsibilities come with being self-employed, such as: ● Choosing a business structure: Will you be a sole proprietorship, an LLC, an S-Corp? ● Setting up a bank account: You need to keep your business income and expenses separate from your personal life. ● Paying yourself: Payroll is both a tax concern and a business expense, and as such, it’s something that should be handled carefully. ● Tracking expenses: Mileage, work equipment, training — make sure you’re ready to keep track of expenses that can be a tax write-off. ● Business insurance: Do you need legal protection while you work on each gig? ● Paying taxes: Are you ready to pay quarterly estimated taxes and file returns? As with unemployment benefits, are you prepared to track taxes on federal, state, and local levels? Do you need an accountant lined up to help you? Can you afford one? Remember, most of these are unglamorous, unpaid activities that come along with the money-making stuff. Make sure you’re ready to put in the administrative grunt work before you sign up for the freelancing lifestyle. Do You Have a Short- and Long-Term Financial Plan?Freelancing income can often take time to become well-established. Do you have solid short- and long-term plans in place while you find your financial footing? For instance, have you created a freelancing budget? Do you have an emergency fund to help with any unexpected expenses while you get started? How do you plan on replacing common workplace perks like healthcare, retirement savings, or even a company phone? If you have pre-existing financial concerns, how are you going to address them? For instance, you do have student loans that have defaulted during the pandemic? If so, do you have a plan to get out of default or will the situation drag down your new freelancing career? Or, consider the state of your credit. Is your credit score low? As a business owner, you may need to borrow money at times, which requires a good score. Can you increase your score quickly by setting up autopay, asking for late-fee forgiveness, or paying down existing debt? All of these considerations — along with actually knowing how you’ll get steady work in the months and years ahead — should be carefully considered. Are You Emotionally Prepared?Finally, consider your emotional state as you prepare to dive into starting your own business. Start with your personality. Are you the kind of person who can thrive in a work-from-home or independent workplace environment? Have you considered ways that you can improve your remote work situation, such as building new work routines, setting up a dedicated workspace in your home, or utilizing productivity techniques to help you stay motivated? What about the emotional stress of running your own business? Are you ready to be rejected by potential clients or confronted by upset ones? Do you feel prepared for the responsibility of running your own business and always being “on call?” Can you maintain a sense of work-life balance when your work is such an integral part of your lifestyle? Preparing to Freelance Full-TimeAll of the above considerations aren’t meant to dissuade you from freelancing full-time. On the contrary, they’re meant to put you in a healthy, realistic mindset as you consider making one of the most exciting, fulfilling, and challenging decisions of your life. Freelancing is a rewarding lifestyle, but it is by no means an easy one. If you decide to go full-time, it’s crucial that you consider everything that the decision entails and then go into the career pivot with both eyes wide open. Only then will you have a genuine shot at success. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2020/09/24/4-questions-to-ask-before-you-begin-freelancing-full-time/
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The famous ABC ("Always Be Closing") sales technique is taught and embraced in many industries. This high-pressure mentality would be recognized as a recipe for disaster, if it weren't for two supporting sales myths that excuse (and perhaps encourage) bad sales behavior. The two myths? I'm confident you know them: 1. Sales is just a numbers game. 2. Every no gets me closer to a yes. Imagine a motivated young salesperson who is taught aggressive closing techniques backed by these two myths. The last prospect hung up on me? No problem — every no gets me closer to a yes. I said something that isn't quite true? No problem — sales is just a numbers game. Those operating under the influence of these myths do staggering damage to the reputation of professional salespeople. They seek to close the deal regardless of the impact on the customer relationship, and are left trying to outrun the customer churn. Is that how you want to do business? How to Combat These MythsIt is true that your business funnel has more potential buyers than customers. Understanding your performance and your numbers is important, but that doesn't mean you have to treat people like a number. The best way to combat the numbers game is to employ the Pareto principle, which says that 80% of effects come from just 20% of causes. In sales, that means that it's the 20% of your customers that generate 80% of your revenue you must treat like royalty. Research shows that you are sabotaging your success if you spend time chasing customers who will never be big sources of revenue. But that's just what happens with an "every no gets me closer to a yes" mentality. To improve your focus on your top 20%, consider the following exercise: ● Identify who your top customers (the 20%) are ● Designate the 20% as key customers and give them the royal treatment, even at the expense of the 80% ● Let your vibrant relationships with the 20% spill over to the 80% (instead of your frustration with the 80% affecting your treatment of the 20%) ● Determine the common factors (demographics, personality, etc.) among your 20% ● Optimize your business to serve the 20% even better This approach will create a virtuous circle where you get to know your best customers better and your business gives them an amazing experience, which improves your reputation, which leads to new opportunities in the industry, which allows you to know your customers even better and improve their experience even more. You’ll never treat them like a number, because you, your staff and your customers will know they are valuable. Final note: When your key customers say no, it doesn't get you closer to a yes, it gets you closer to going out of business. If they are saying no, a numbers game won’t save you. You'd better figure out what’s going on and address it ASAP. Good luck selling and serving! via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2020/09/23/its-time-to-retire-these-sales-myths/ Whats All This Positional Breathing Stuff About?: The Implementation of Training Principles9/22/2020
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You can’t go more than a few clicks on the internet before you inevitably come across some coach or trainer discussing the merits of positional breathing and how it can help improve performance in the weight room (and on the field). (??? I guess this depends on what part of the internet you peruse…BOM, CHICKA, BOM BOM ? ? ? ) Nevertheless, if you’re someone who geeks out over the human body and movement in general “positional breathing” is a term you’ve definitely come across. And you likely still aren’t understanding it’s relevance. I have a treat for you today. Dr. Michelle Boland (a Boston based strength & conditioning coach and one of the smartest people I’ve ever met) was kind enough to offer to write on the topic for this website. Enjoy! Positional Breathing: The Implementation of Training PrinciplesNote From TG: For a bit of an “amuse bouche” on the topic of positional breathing I’d encourage you to check out two posts I wrote on the topic HERE and HERE. IdentifyOur role as fitness professionals is to determine what is important for our clients. In order to do so, we need to identify what is important, formulate principles, and then follow through with implementation. A way to identify and formulate what is important to us as trainers, is to create principles. Principles are simply what you believe in and what you teach your clients. Principles serve as a hierarchy of reasoning for your training methods, which include your choice of exercises, organization of training sessions, program design decisions, and communication strategies. In this article, I am going to review my first two training principles:
FormulateMovement is about shape change. We change shapes by expanding and compressing areas of the body. Movement will occur in areas of the body that we are able to expand and movement will be limited in areas of the body that, for some reason, we have compressed. The ability of an athlete to transition from expanded positions to compressed positions informs their ability to change shape and express movement. Movement occurs in a multitude of directions depending on both position and respiration. Certain positions will bias certain parts of the body to be able to expand more freely, allowing increased movement availability. Respiration can further support the ability to expand and compress areas of the body, as an inhalation emphasizes expansion and an exhalation emphasizes compression. (??? Just a small, teeny-tiny taste of importance of positional breathing ???) Position selection is my foundation of exercise selection.Positions such as supine, prone, side lying, tall kneeling, half kneeling, staggered stance, lateral stance, and standing can magnify which areas of the body that will be expanded or compressed. Additional components of positions can include reaching one arm forward, reaching arms overhead, elevating a heel, or elevating a toe. Furthermore, pairing phases of respiration within these positions will further support where movement will be limited or enhanced. The position of the proximal bony structures of the body, such as the rib cage and pelvis, can greatly enable or restrict movement. Positional stacking of the thorax and pelvis provides an anchor for movement. Respiration then provides the ability to create expansion in the thorax and pelvis, thus providing expansion areas of the body, within joint spaces, allowing our limbs to express pain-free movement. Lifting heavy weights can often compress areas of our body and reduce our ability to expand and rotate through our trunk and hips, limiting movement, and negatively affecting our ability to perform. Remember, expansion begets movement freedom, so adding positional breathing work or pairing movement with respiration can create opportunities for expansion. ImplementWhere is a good place to start with positional breathing work? Start by thinking about what you already do. Then, apply your new lens of where you want movement to occur. Finally, label the positions of the exercises and pair respiration within those movements. Pair an inhalation when you want to enhance expansion and an exhalation when you want to enhance compression. Here are a few examples of how I implement my two training principles into exercise selection. Movement within each example can be supported or limited with changes in position, respiration, or execution. 1. Supine ReachThe supine position is combined with a bilateral arm reach forward with the intention to expand the upper thorax during inhalation. The position can also be used as a tool to teach stacking the thorax over the pelvis by cueing a hip tuck and soft exhale to move the front side of the ribcage downward. Our “stack” IS the set-up position for your main loaded, lift exercises (squat, deadlift, etc). Check out how the inhalation expands the upper thorax and the exhalation creates compression. Now you will not be able to take your eyes away from those two movement strategies. 2. Staggered Stance “Camporini” DeadliftThe staggered stance position is going to magnify the expansive capabilities of the lower, posterior hip of the back leg. The staggered stance position allows you to use the front leg to push back to the side of the back leg and align the pelvis and thorax back and to the side of the back leg. The opposite arm reach allows you to transition the weight to the back leg. The expansive capabilities can be enhanced in the posterior hip with an inhale during the hip movement backwards (hinging). 3. Low Cable Step-UpThe staggered stance position puts the hip of the elevated leg in flexion (expansive) and the hip of the leg on the ground in an extension (compressive) biased position. The addition of an opposite arm cable hold expands the backside of the upper back (avoid resisting the cable). The posterior hip of the elevated leg will compress as the individual pushes their foot into the ground and moves against gravity to perform the step-up. At the bottom position, expansion can be enhanced in the posterior side of the flexed hip and posterior side of the arm holding the cable during an inhalation. Coaching cues may magnify expansion and compression within areas of the body by pairing respiration within phases of the exercise. Try inhaling at the bottom position and exhaling during the movement/step-up. 4. High Hip Reverse Bear CrawlThe bear crawl exercise is performed in a prone position. The additional component of the high hips and reverse direction promotes expansion in the upper thorax and posterior hips. You can coach continuous breathing through the movement or pause at certain points to inhale. This is a fantastic warm-up exercise! 5. Tempo Squat Paired with RespirationThe squat starts in a standing position. The assisted squat will also include a positional component of both arms reaching forward (same as goblet squat, zercher squat, or safety bar squat) which encourages the ‘stack’ position of the thorax and pelvis. The assisted squat is an example of turning positional breathing work into fitness. The squat movement requires both expansive and compressive capabilities within various phases of the movement in order to be able to descend and ascend against gravity. The exercise can be used to teach people to change levels with a stacked, vertical torso. As a general notion, inhale down and exhale up. 6. Medicine Ball Lateral Stance Weight Shift Load and Release ThrowThe exercise is performed in a lateral stance position. Here, we are adding fitness with an emphasis on power, to positional breathing work! Pair an inhalation with pulling the medicine ball across the body (transitioning weight from inside to outside leg) to bias expansion of the posterior hip of the outside leg. Then pair an exhalation with the throw to bias compression, exiting the hip of the outside leg. This exercise also encourages rotational abilities and power through creating expansion and compression in specific areas of the body. For example, if you want to promote right rotation, you will need right anterior compression, right posterior expansion, left posterior compression and left anterior expansion abilities. ConclusionThe use of positional breathing activities can improve our abilities to move with speed, free up range of motion at the shoulders and hips, rotate powerfully, and move up and down efficiently. My training principles are derived from this concept. My specific strategies are implemented through exercise selection, cueing, teaching, and pairing respiration with movement phases. The ‘stacked’ position emphasizes a congruent relationship between the rib cage and pelvis (thoracic and pelvic diaphragm) and I believe it can serve as a foundational position to support movement. I want to thank Bill Hartman for exposing me to this lens of movement. Implement these strategies with your clients and you’ll discover that positional breathing work WILL help your clients squat, hinge, run, rotate, and move better. Principle Based Coaching A strategy such as positional breathing work for better client movement is only as good as your ability to implement and communicate it with your clients. We become better at implementation and communication through analysis and development of our PRINCIPLES. If you want to learn more about training principles, how to implement principles into your coaching, and the use principles to improve your continuing education, Join me Thursday, October 1st at 2:00pm EST for a FREE Webinar In this webinar, we will take a step back and learn the skills to formulate principles, make new information useful, AND IMPLEMENT information. At the end of the webinar you will know how training principles can be used to:
About the AuthorMichelle Boland Link to FREE Webinar: https://michelle-boland-training.mykajabi.com/coachingwebinar Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2020/09/whats-all-this-positional-breathing-stuff-about-the-implementation-of-training-principles/
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Creativity is a much-studied activity that no one truly understands. Some of what we don’t understand about it includes:
In this post, I intend to write entirely about my own experiences doing – and not doing – creative work. Creativity Is a FlowOne of the first things I noticed about my own creativity is that it just flows out of me. I can have a creative thought in the shower, at dinner, walking along, chatting with friends, reading a book, watching TV or a film, listening to music, even falling asleep. I’m not really able to turn it off. I have given birth to creative thoughts in the strangest places, at the least appropriate times, in the most difficult circumstances. Over the years, I learned to write down a lot of this stuff, because when the creative fever passes, I often can’t recall what I was thinking while I was in its throes. I Can’t Force CreativityAlthough creative ideas flow out of me with astounding regularity, the flow is not under my conscious control. As I said, I’m not able to “turn off” my creativity, and – logically enough – I’m not really able to “turn on” my creativity, either. Although I haven’t ever tried this experiment, I’m willing to bet I can’t meet the challenge of coming up with a certain number of creative thoughts in a certain period of time. Sure, on demand I can come up with quite a few random thoughts, and you might even be generous enough to call them “creative.” But I wouldn’t honor them with such a highfalutin rubric. Most of them will probably be silly, stupid, childish, crazy, or some combination of all four. For me, trying to fill a quota will generally not produce creative thoughts that:
I Can Make Creativity HappenNevertheless, I have found ways to “set the table” for creativity, so I can sit down and wait to see if any ideas show up to feast. These ways include:
I understand that I am very lucky to have a kind of creativity muscle that has performed so well so far. I recognize that many people feel they don’t have one. I hope they are wrong. In fact, I am pretty sure they are wrong. In my view and experience, most people of average or better intelligence can tap into a wellspring of creativity if they have the courage to try, as well as the techniques to support their creative efforts. I Can Exhaust My CreativityIf you will join me in considering creativity to be much like athleticism, you will see that every creative effort is going to require a commensurate effort at recuperation. I breathe in, I breathe out. I exert, I rest. I strain my brain, and then I make an attempt to soothe my brain. What’s more, as with athletes, the quality of my performance as a creative person has exhibited good seasons and bad seasons, good days and bad days, even good times of day and bad times of day. There are periods when the ideas come thick and fast, then other periods when I have nothing creative to contribute. Of course, there are many periods that fall in between these extremes. Just like an artesian well that brings fresh water from hidden sources, my flow of creativity seems to have its own pace. I have never tried to plug it up, but I imagine if I did, the urge to be creative would build up pressure until it would overflow. I have occasionally tried to drain my creativity too much, and I have then found myself in a period where my creativity ran dry. Fortunately, this has lasted only for a relatively short period of time. But I have known people who have come to the end of their creativity. It seems sensible that the creative juices can thin out and even dry up as the creative person ages – not always, of course, but often enough to warrant notice. In the same way that athletes “lose a step” in the latter part of their careers, creative professionals may similarly find themselves coming up with fewer or weaker ideas. I honestly don’t know if this is happening to me. So far, I don’t perceive any such changes. But if and when it begins to happen, I’m hoping I’ll accept the changes with grace. You Can Find and Nurture Patterns of CreativityAll of these attributes of the creative flow lead to an inescapable reality: creativity exhibits patterns. I have mine. I would expect that you have yours. If you can chart and understand these patterns, you have a fighting chance to nurture them. This will allow you to increase both the total amount of creativity you generate over your lifetime, as well as your ability to direct your creativity when and where needed in hopes of accomplishing specific tasks and meeting specific goals. I’m not telling you what your patterns of creativity might be. I’m merely encouraging you to expect that your creativity muscle is probably subject to one or more patterns, with highs and lows, strengths and weaknesses, good and bad periods, and the like. Look for them, and make use of them so you can more fully benefit from the creative flow that emanates from somewhere inside you. If and when you find your patterns of creativity, please let me know. I’ll be glad to hear from you about your creative patterns, not only to help me learn more about my own creativity, but so I can share some of the joy and satisfaction I can guarantee you will feel after you have gained a little more understanding of the profoundly exciting experiences your creativity has provided you – and will continue to provide you – over the years. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2020/09/22/find-your-creative-flow/
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2020 has not been a favorable year for the masses. In particular for fitness industry which has been decimated due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Many brick and mortar gyms (as well as commercial gyms) were forced to shut down indefinitely for several months – some, unfortunately, forever – due to the crisis. And as a result many fitness professionals have been forced to face a stark reality… …that there’s an integral if not imperative impetus to adapt. In short: It behooves every fit pro to consider adopting (or at least leaning into) a more “hybrid” approach to the services they offer and how they go about scaling and growing their business. Try Online Trainer Academy Today for $0For those who want to skip the foreplay click HERE. <— You can try the Online Trainer Academy FOR FREE for 30 days and become a Certified Online Trainer. The harsh reality is most people are not going back to the gym anytime soon. Certainly the bulk of that is due to the fact many don’t have a gym to go back to anyway, but also because there’s been a mad dash of everyone beginning to pimp out their respective at home gyms. If there’s anything this dumpster fire of year has taught the fitness industry it’s that having the ability to provide a competent and streamlined ONLINE service to your current and prospective clients has never been more important. I’ve long championed the idea that having a HYBRID fitness business – one that allows you to work with people both in person & online – is wise. My first online client was back in 2005-2006.
The online space as come a looooooong ways since I first started. More to the point: While there are a number of websites and resources out there that will help you get started, The Online Trainer Academy has had a several year head start on ALL of them and is really the only one I trust (not to mentions offers all the tools you’ll need to be successful). Here’s How the Free Trial Works1. Click on THIS link. 2. Pay NOTHING today. Nada. No hidden fee. 3. Get instant digital access to the entire OTA curriculum, including:
4. If after 30 days you’re loving your results, do nothing and you’ll be charged your 1st (of 12 total) monthly payments of just $87.
And if within 30 days you decide the program isn’t for you? No worries! Just let the folks at OTA know and they’ll cancel your access and won’t charge you a penny. This is your chance to remove all doubt from your mind—at zero cost and zero risk to you. You have absolutely nothing to lose. You can cancel anytime in the first 30 days, and you won’t pay a cent. Why not take immediate advantage of this amazing limited-time offer, and enroll in OTA right now, today? –> Go ahead—click HERE to try OTA for $0 for 30 days. <–Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.via Blog – Tony Gentilcore http://tonygentilcore.com/2020/09/the-easiest-way-to-scale-your-fitness-business-especially-now/ |
AuthorI have 5+ years experience working as a medical transcriptionist. When I am not working, I enjoy sports like playing basketball or judo. I love making friends and connections. Archives
April 2023
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