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If you missed the other 2019 year in review posts you can check them out below: Best Articles of 2019 – Readers’ Picks Best Articles of 2019 – My Picks Best Articles of 2019 – Guest Posts Best Exercises You Should Be Doing 2019 And, lastly, I wanted to take today to mention the best resources of 2019 as highlighted by yours truly. As the saying goes, “those who invest in themselves invest wisely.” I don’t know, I just made that up. But it kinda sounds like something someone smart would say. Thanks again for your continued support and readership, and here’s to a splendid start to 2020 and a new decade! Best Resources of the Year 2019FULL DISCLOSURE: I released two products this past calendar (<–I still can never spell this word right the first time) year that I’m very proud of and am going to highlight first. Because, you know, it’s all about me, me, me, ME! (Even) More Complete Shoulder & Hip BlueprintThis was the second iteration of mine and Dean Somerset’s flagship resource. (Even More) CSHB builds upon the material covered in version 1.0, but delves a little deeper into program design and exercise execution. If you’re at all interested in both shoulder & hip health and performance, we’ve got all your bases covered here. The Complete Trainers’ ToolboxThis resource is targeted towards fitness professionals to help grow their businesses and brands and covers a gamut of topics from the likes of myself, Dean Somerset, Meghan Callaway, Dr. Lisa Lewis, Dr. Sarah Duvall, Sam Spinelli, Alex Kraszewski, Luke Worthington, and Kellie Davis. Ultimate Landmine Program – Meghan CallawayI thought I thought of every exercise possible to execute with the Landmine (also referred to as the Angled Bar) apparatus, but then I read Meghan’s book and thought less of myself. Meghan’s brain works differently than mine and she really went out of her way to create a lovely resource for fitness professionals (and non-fitness professionals) to use and refer to for some added Landmine motivation. The program is pretty legit too! Complete Coaching Certification – Mike RobertsonMike is a long-time friend of mine who’s affinity for 90’s hop-hip is equal if not surpasses mine. That’s saying a lot. He’s also one of the coaches in the industry I respect the most, and I am always in awe of how he can simplify the most complex topics and make them more palatable for the masses. There’s no other way to put this… …this certification…is…the…shit. MASS Research ReviewI’d rather listen to Baby Shark on repeat for a week straight than read research articles. I looooooove this resource so much because it keeps me up-to-date on the latest research on how to get strong and jacked, but I don’t have to interpret Klingon in order to understand it 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/2019/12/best-resources-of-the-year-2019/
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More appropriately this should be titled 2019 Best Exercises (I Stole From Other Coaches) You Should Be Doing. Nevertheless, I shared a bevy of (new to me) exercises in 2019 that garnered some interest on social media. Here are the ones that received the most traction. Be sure to click the links so you can not only watch see the exercises in action, but also learn the why’s, key coaching cues, and, more importantly, to see how jacked I am. 2019 Best Exercises You Should Be DoingAnti-Flexion SquatI love squat and find a lot of valuing in them. But they don’t ALWAYS have to be loaded heavy in order to reap the benefits. Wall Press Single Leg RDLThis was the most shared exercises of 2019. Angled Landmine Reverse LungeIt never ceases to amaze me the versatility of the Landmine apparatus. Hollow Position Hold Pull-UpI didn’t just highlight LOWER body movements this past year…;o) Here’s a lovely way to progress the pull-up from the floor. Goblet Split Squat w/ COILI posted this one just last week and it received a great response. 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/2019/12/2019-best-exercises-you-should-be-doing/
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The week between Christmas and New Year’s I like to highlight a select number of articles featured on my site during the past 365 days. First up were the the articles that resonated with you, the reader, as defined by analytics and what piqued your interest…HERE. Next up were the articles that resonated with me and filled my writer’s love tank…HERE. Today I’d like to direct your attention to the best GUEST POSTS of 2019. Best Articles of 2019: Guest PostsThe State of Corrective Fitness 2019 – Kevin MullinsThis was FOUR part series DC based personal trainer, Kevin Mullins, wrote for the site that, if I were to be honest, is very much a Ken Burns’esque masterpiece. Intro – The State of Corrective Fitness Part I – Correcting the Shoulders Part II – Correcting the Lower Back and Hips Part III – Correcting the Knees and Ankles Individualizing Your Squat Stance – Sam SpinelliNot everyone is meant to squat the same way or utilize the same variations. Here’s how to figure that shit out (my words, not Sam’s). The Road to Recovery is Paved With More Training – Michael Gregory“Just rest” just isn’t going to cut it for most people. What Makes an Athlete Fast? – Ricky KompfHINT: It’s not endless agility ladders drills and weekend speed camps. The Lost Art of Adult Play – Shane McLeanAs we grow older our fitness tends to get more and more robotic in nature. We sit in machines, performing endless, mindless repetitions, all while perusing our smart phones. Shane showcases some ways to be less of a health/fitness zombie. 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/2019/12/best-articles-of-the-year-2019-guest-posts/
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Statistically speaking, it’s due to arrive in my inbox any day now. The “it” I am referring to is the more or less, once a year request that I receive from a parade of strangers who share my name. The email usually goes something like this: “Hi, my name is Michael Katz too and I see you own michaelkatz.com. Would you consider selling it?” I’ve owned that domain since 1999 and my answer to these inquiries is always a polite, “Sorry, but no thanks.” As for how many of us Michael Katz’s there are out there, I really don’t know. I’m no John Smith, and yet, if LinkedIn is any indication, there are dozens of us. There’s the Michael Katz of Atlanta who works as Director of CRM and Email Marketing at Equifax. There’s the Michael Katz of Gainesville who is Founder and Co-CEO at Cuffed (don’t ask, I don’t know either). There is even the Philadelphia-based Michael Katz who is both doctor and – I am not making this up – 2020 presidential candidate. I guess we know who I’m voting for. The point is, there are a lot of us. So here’s my marketing question for you: Would it be possible for somebody to make a business niche out of all these Michael Katz’s, targeting their services specifically to just us? For example: “I’m a financial planner, I specialize in working with Michael Katzes.” Or, how about, “I’m a copywriter. When Michael Katzes find themselves in need of high quality writing, I’m the one to call.” I agree, kind of ridiculous. But you must concede that the Michael Katz specialty does contain many of the elements one looks for in an attractive niche:
The fact is, if you staked out this territory, it would be just a matter of days (hours?) for you to become the dominant player and acknowledged “World’s Leading Michael Katz Expert” (some might refer to you as a, “Michael Katz Guru”). That said, this strategy does have two big problems – one obvious, one not so obvious. The obvious one (as you’ve no doubt already guessed) is that there really aren’t enough of us. You don’t need millions of potential clients in a chosen niche to make it work; you don’t even need hundreds of thousands if you’re a small firm or solo. But you need a lot, enough to fill a good-sized football stadium, anyway. (In which case, by the way, you could cause all kinds of bedlam by announcing over the PA system: “Michael Katz, your headlights are on.”) The less obvious problem is that staking out a niche – even a good-sized niche that is simple, unique and memorable – needs to be about more than just owning a piece of business turf. The best case niche scenario contains two additional elements. 1) The people in it self-identify as part of that group. Dentists. Pot smokers. Fly-fishing enthusiasts. These people read the same publications, join the same groups, and attend the same events … specifically because of their affiliation with the niche. Michael Katzes do none of this. Our shared name is more coincidence than anything else. Which means that it’s hard to stay in front of and talk to us efficiently. This is not a trivial thing – effective marketing requires ongoing communication with a target audience. If your niche members don’t already gather and interact on their own (virtually or otherwise), communication is difficult and expensive. From a marketing perspective, for example, it’s much harder to be a life coach who specializes in working with introverts than a life coach who specializes in working with airline pilots. 2) The people in it have particular needs relative to whatever it is you do. If you’re a mortgage broker who specializes in working with “newly divorced women,” you’re not just speaking to a specific slice of people. You’re speaking to people who, based on their membership in that group, have particular needs relative to buying and refinancing a home. Your approach and solutions can (and should) be geared to those needs. Once again, the Michael Katzes of the world don’t share any common problems (other than distractingly good looks, I’m guessing). So even if you could find us and talk to us, your services wouldn’t be any different or more appropriate than what your less-niched competitors might offer. Here’s the bottom line. I’m a huge fan of the niche. There really is no more important element in the effective marketing of a small or solo professional service firm. But a good niche is more than just a label that people apply to you. To be effective, it also requires real world application, in terms of both finding your people and solving their problems. As for me, I’m off to campaign headquarters: katz2020.com via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/12/27/all-marketing-niches-are-not-created-equal/
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Earlier this week I highlighted the best articles of 2019 as indicated by web traffic and what resonated with you, my loyal readers. In case you missed it you can check it out HERE. Today, however, I’d like to point your direction towards MY picks. Because, you know, I’m awesome. Best Articles of 2019: My PicksAn Open Letter to New Fitness ProfessionalsDon’t worry, my advice doesn’t include a Van Damme punch to the mid-section…;o) How to Get Your Clients to Work HarderHINT: It doesn’t involve incorporating exercises pictured above. You’re Probably Not BrokenI think the fitness industry has gotten a bit complacent of late and regurgitated words like “broken” or “dysfunction” in order to 1) make themselves sound smarter than they really are and 2) to “trick” (potential) clients into trusting them. It’s a bunch of foo-foo nonsense. Yeah, that’s right, I see foo-foo. Achieving a Goal vs. Achieving Success: My TakeWe often get enamored with goals. They’re important and a crucial component of attaining our health/fitness/life goals. However, achieving SUCCESS and understanding that that feeling is all around us in unexpected places is just as important; if not more so. Dangers of the Discount TrainerThere’s a time and place for everything (except another Michael Bay Transformers movie), including discounting your pricing as personal trainer. I’d caution against making it a regular practice, though. 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/2019/12/best-articles-of-the-year-2019-my-picks/
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Unemployment may be at an all-time low, but the cost of living is on the rise in the U.S. As wages stagnate, housing, utilities, vehicles, and education are becoming more expensive. These factors are contributing to the savings crisis across the nation. According to Bankrate, 28% of Americans don’t have any emergency savings. While 25% do have a fund to fall back on, it's not enough to cover expenses for the recommended three months. While many Americans have steady incomes help build their emergency funds, freelancers don’t always have that luxury. Unpredictable schedules and changing client needs can result in unreliable cash flow, making it crucial to use creative thinking when it comes to building a savings safety net. If you’re a freelancer and you’re looking to save up, here are some steps you can take to feel more financially secure. 1. Use automatic transfersExperts recommend saving at least 20% of every paycheck. It takes consistency to save money, and it can easily slip your mind to contribute to your emergency fund. To safeguard against this scenario, set up automatic transfers into your savings account for each paycheck you receive. 2. Work out of a coffee shopWorking out of a coffee shop doesn't just offer a change of scenery – it can also save you money. Free WiFi and electricity means you can cut costs on the upkeep of your home office. Find a café that offers a rewards program so that you can save money on your coffee bill, too. 3. Lower your interest ratesHigh interest rates can drain your bank account. If you’ve been paying off your credit cards consistently, call your company and ask them to lower your interest rate. Another option is to sign up for a balance transfer card with 0% interest and pay off your debt within the promotional period. Keep in mind that there is usually a fee for a balance transfer, and your interest rate will likely jump significantly after the introductory 0% interest period is over. 4. Use envelopes of cashIt’s easy to get into debt when you can simply swipe your credit card to make a purchase. Psychologically, it’s easier to spend less money if you use envelopes of cash instead. Look at your monthly budget, take cash out of the ATM, and divide it into envelopes that you’ll use to pay your bills and discretionary expenses throughout the month. 5. Switch over to pay-as-you-go InternetAs a freelancer, your Internet needs can ebb and flow based on your workload. Pay-as-you-go Internet lets you purchase passes on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis, allowing you to cut costs by only paying for what you need. Internet passes can also be a cost-effective option when you're on the road and need to go online to get some work done. Getting started is intimidating, but you can build your emergency fund with just a little bit of creativity. To speed up your savings, look for a savings account with a good interest rate. If you put your money to work, you’ll have a solid savings account in no time. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/12/26/5-creative-ways-to-build-your-emergency-fund/
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While 2019 saw me writing less due to a multitude of factors (travel, gym expansion shenanigans, fighting crime, and life) it was still a very successful year on the content front. Here are the most popular posts from the past trip around the sun based off web traffic. Best of 2019 – Readers’ PicksThe Anti-Highlight ReelSocial media has allowed us to magnify our wins and highlights, almost to uncanny levels of eye rolling. In this post, however, I highlight my FAILS. Alignment Affects ROMBefore we have a discussion on what to smash, thrash, and otherwise demolish when we see a mobility deficit lets pump the brakes and emphasize ALIGNMENT. Individualizing Your Squat Stance The Dubious D Word of the Fitness IndustryDouche? No. Detox? Nope. Dick pic? Uhhh, nada. Although, this is an obvious no-no. It’s “dysfunction” and why we should make a better effort in not using it in front of our clients. One Simple Piece of Advice for Fit Pros to Consider in 2019: Put Your Clothes OnI entered curmudgeon territory with this post. Meh, get off my lawn. Get Your Hips Nice-n-Juicy Prior to Your Lower Body WorkoutA quick, expedited warm-up to do before your killer squat and/or deadlift session. 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/2019/12/best-articles-of-the-year-2019-readers-picks/
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There has never been so much talk about the future of work. We live in an age of technological acceleration and never has so much changed in such a short time. Technology greatly influences the way we live. Today we can order hot food that has just been made at our favorite restaurant and have it delivered to our doorstep. We can call a private transport through an application. We can ask questions to our doctor via an application. We can work from anywhere in the world. And, of course, technology has greatly influenced the way we view not only work but the workspace itself. From traditional paper-cluttered offices, we migrated to open-space spaces and collaborative coworking spaces. With all this change taking place, it is natural that more and more studies are emerging trying to understand what the work of the future will be like. How will we be working in a few years? Will we even have an office? Will we work every day from the same place? Before thinking about the work model itself, it is interesting to begin this reflection on what the work will be. Future of Work: What will work be like in the future?A study by PwC conducted in 2017 estimated that 30% of UK workers are at risk of disappearing by 2030 because of automatism and technology. Another study from the Institute For the Future in Palo Alto, also conducted in 2017, has some very interesting conclusions:
However, I don’t think these statistics about the future of work should scare us. On the contrary, I believe they should serve to raise awareness among people and organizations to increase digital literacy. We have reached a time when it is essential to develop personal skills that enable us to be fully ready for everything, even that which we don’t even know will exist. Adaptability: the keyword for the future of workConstant adaptability is what will make a good worker in the future. Critical thinking, knowledge about what we’re dealing with, and the ability to quickly adapt to the challenges ahead will be more than ever a crucial piece of success. What paralyzes us and leads us to fear is ignorance. And that is why I think it is essential that each of us who wants to take an active part in this world of constant and rapid change and evolution must know what digital is. Digital is the land on which we move daily as individuals, and it is urgent that we quickly (but intelligently) adapt to the changes that digital is bringing in our professional contexts. The school system, at this time, does not respond to these needs. We continue to teach the same things in the same way as they were taught generations ago. If the moment is so different compared to back then, the teaching process also needs to be different. Why hasn’t teaching changed that much? If at the beginning of my school life I needed someone to tell me the story of Napoleon or to give me the best encyclopedia where I could read about it, today we have access to all the information about any historical moment at our fingertips, in seconds, and supplemented with video, audio, images or even games. What is needed right now — for the ones that are still in school, but also every single one of us — is knowledge and learning on social and human skills, so we will be able to analyze change, critique the problem, and adapt to find a solution. It is necessary to teach soft skills so that we can analyze everything that happened in the past and what is happening in the present so that each one of us can be fully prepared and adapted to the future. In this process of adaptation, it is essential to understand the terrain on which we will move: digital. Even with the best professionals in your company, even with the best degrees on your resume, if you don’t evolve your knowledge, what you know today or learned a few years ago in college will do little or nothing for a job that will be completely different tomorrow. More than coworking spaces, remote work, flexible companies, or digital nomadism, the future work model boils down to one big word: adaptability. In a future that is less distant than you think, you will have to deal with the disappearance of many tasks that are part of your work today. I leave you with the reflection: If tomorrow your profession disappears, are you ready to react? via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/12/23/do-we-really-need-to-talk-so-much-about-the-future-of-work/
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It’s been a minute since I’ve shared an Exercise You Should Be Doing. Anyone who’s familiar with this series or has kept tabs on the types of exercises/movements I gravitate towards will dig this one. Which is to say: It’s not flashy, it’s not sexy, and it doesn’t take a phD to set up or perform. Goblet Split Squat w/ CoilWho Did I Steal it From? – My coach, Greg Robins, plugged this into my program this month. When I saw it, at first I was like “tha fuck!?!” What’s up with this foo-fooey exercise? But then I performed a few sets and was like “whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.” I like it a lot (cue Dumb & Dumber voiceover). What Does It Do? – Well, like any single leg variation it challenges balance, core/hip stability, and helps to “temper” any strength imbalances between one leg or the other. Too, it gives the spine a bit of a reprieve from aggressive axial loading. What separates this variation, however, is the addition of the COIL (or rotation of the upper torso). This subtle tweak offers a bit of a varying training stimulus in that it takes us out of the traditional up/down, forward/back nature of exercise we’re accustomed to and adds rotation into the mix; or transverse plane motion. The twisting action also leads to a bit more internal rotation of the front hip which feels divine (unless you’re someone with a history of FAI; in that you’ll probably want to avoid this one). As a quick aside I had my wife perform this exercise the other day after she tweaked her lower back/SI joint and she loved it. As noted in THIS article written by Dr. Erika Mundinger on this site a few years back, introducing rotation can be a game changer for those with chronic SI joint issues. Key Coaching Cues – This exercise is pretty self-explanatory.
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/2019/12/exercises-you-should-be-doing-goblet-split-squat-with-coil/
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Writing can either be frustrating or a joyful experience where the mind reaches a flow state. When a writer is in their best form, it’s like words are pouring down from the heavens above and everything starts to make sense. However, writing is not always so blissful. Oftentimes, putting pen to paper is a mental slog. Sentences are disjointed and bumpy, every word seems to be forced, and every single draft appears worse than the previous one. At times, the pen does not hit the paper, and nor do the fingers rhyme with the keyboard. Also, the writer's mind cannot always process lucid thoughts, not to mention transforming them into written words. This latter state is widely referred to as writer's block, which can often be an immensely annoying reality. Although it doesn’t last forever, there’s no guarantee it won’t return with a vengeance. Now, you can overcome this phase in several ways, including ingesting marijuana, an herb that has influenced many legendary writers, ranging from William Shakespeare and Alexandre Dumas to Stephen King and Zadie Smith, among many others. Furthermore, marijuana needn’t only be smoked during creative strife; smoking weed in the course of peak flow states could potentially help you take your writing game to the next level. It brings you out of your regular style and helps push your limits. Enhanced creativityA master of the horror genre, Stephen King has published many classic novels and received numerous awards. He’s behind best-selling novels like The Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, Children of the Corn, etc. King is one of the few writers who believed weed to be a creativity booster. He used to be a heavy marijuana consumer, and in a 1980s interview with High Times, he said, “I think that marijuana should not only be legal, but it should also be a cottage industry.” Well, it’s safe to say cannabis is no longer a drug used only to get high. Several studies have proven its benefits on mental health and more and more states are legalizing cannabis for medical and recreational use. And since we’re talking about freelance writers here, let’s make a few things clear. As a freelance writer, you need creativity, which by definition, avoids algorithmic capture: there is no easy set of methods you can use to be creative. Cannabis is known to help those seeking creativity, but dosage is key. One study found that in low doses (5.5mg THC), marijuana slightly improved two aspects of divergent thinking: fluency and flexibility. Urban fantasy author N.P. Martin says, “Write stoned, edit sober.” According to him, when you’re stoned, your inner critic is somewhere else, which is something you don’t need while writing your first drafts anyway. As a freelance writer, you need to get the words out, and marijuana can help you do that. And once you’re done writing, you can edit sober the next morning to ensure quality and accuracy. Facility with ideas and wordsA writer uses their words as raw material and their ideas as creative ingredients to generate written works. In order to be a successful freelance writer, you must learn how to manipulate ideas. And to do this, you’ll require a sharper cognition. Sativa strains have a reputation for enhancing focus, and the benefits include increased productivity, serotonin, and it can be used as an anti-depressant, too. As a freelance writer, you should be able to churn out words whenever necessary, even on a Sunday morning. But without focus, you cannot generate words, nor ideas. In this case, a light touch of Sativa may just give you the edge you need to be more productive. The ability to take writing risksAlthough smoking marijuana is commonly linked to the idea of heightened anxiety and paranoia, scientists at Washington State University published a journal that found smoking marijuana can dramatically reduce self-reported levels of anxiety, depression, and stress in the short term. When you’re writing, it’s so easy to get caught up in your own expectations, weaknesses, and fears about your skills that you scare yourself into a metaphorical corner that you cannot write your way out of. Don’t worry; you’re not alone, as it happens to almost every writer out there. However, if you take a moment and find a temporary solution (e.g., consuming weed) to those overwhelming anxieties, you come back to the task at hand free of fear, which allows you to bring your writing to a whole new level. And the best part is that if things don’t go your way, you can always revert by performing a THC cleanse— it’s a win-win scenario. Wrapping upSmoking weed doesn’t immediately make you a better writer, rather it makes you a more productive one. If you’re good at writing, it may help you boost your ability a little further. But, as always, we suggest you consult with your doctor before jumping to conclusions. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Mary Walton is a professional editor, content strategist and a part of MarijuanaDetox team. Apart from writing, Mary is passionate about hiking and gaming. Feel free to contact her via Facebook. via Freelancers Union Blog https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2019/12/20/should-you-write-while-high/ |
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
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