The fitness industry is a very dark and deceiving place these days. To someone like me who’s truly in love with fitness and has spent 13 years in the trenches studying, taking courses and seminars,coaching, experimenting and obsessing over this shit, that’s extremely frustrating.
It’s not frustrating because these trendy fitness places are making money. Good for them! It’s frustrating because they’re lying to you. And unless you’ve studied in the fields of strength, conditioning, nutrition, and all things related, you have no idea. This opens up the doors for sub-par coaches and trainers telling you that they can help you reach your goals, without having a clue on how to actually get you there safely and efficiently.
And here’s why that’s happening more often.
Useful tools like sleds, TRX’s, battle ropes and kettlebells have become mainstream. These tools (although effective when used properly) alone aren’t what produces results. It’s HOW and WHY you’re using that specific tool in the first place. Simply creating a circuit of exercises with no rhyme or reason isn’t going to do shit for long haul progress. Sure, you might drop a few pounds of body fat early on because of the new stimulus created, especially if you weren’t doing anything prior. But typically those results are unsustainable due to the fact that you never learned how to truly build lean muscle mass.
That mask and those ropes are what got this dude so jacked! Right?
The amount of lean muscle mass that you possess will dictate your metabolic rate, since muscle is highly metabolic. The more muscle you have on your frame, the faster your metabolic rate will be. So what’s the key to sustainable fat loss? Well that will always start with your nutrition, but second is building more lean muscle mass.
Ok so how the f*ck to we build more muscle mass?
That all depends on the individual and how far along you are in your training, but let’s assume you’re a beginner or intermediate lifter. Here’s a sample of how you could pack on some size.
- Learn to move properly in each major movement pattern
You have to learn how to execute each movement properly. Since you’re not an expert in the field you’re going to need a qualified coach to teach you how to do that.
- Create a plan/periodization
Periodization is a fancy term for having a plan, which is necessary if you want real results. This is where your coach will develop a program based on your training level, age, goals and injury/medical history.
- Monitoring weights, sets and reps
If you’re not tracking your weights then progress will be very hard to make. Keeping a notebook with detailed notes of your training sessions is a necessary step to packing on muscle and strength, so don’t neglect this vital step.
- Progress and/or regress
Progressions and regressions should be a part of your plan. Everything you do should be done for a reason, with small goals in each training phase.
- Execute and stay consistent
If you aren’t executing your plan with enough effort, or aren’t consistent enough in your training, your results will suffer. That means you’re going to need an intelligent prehab plan as well as a thorough dynamic warm-up to drive mobility so you can stay healthy. Because if you’re injured you aren’t making any progress.
Feel overwhelmed? Well, that’s normal. Because this is a lot of shit that you haven’t really learned. But that’s exactly why it’s important to hire real coaches to help you get there.
I would never subject myself to jumping on board with the whole “fun, quick and easy results” bullshit just to try and convince you to train at my facility. That’s because the people who train with us want to be here, and always show up ready to work.
And the results speak for themselves.
Those who train at TTS get exactly what I mentioned above. More importantly, they get the truth. I don’t make false promises or try to make my life easy by avoiding optimal programming. I could easily say “YAY, train 7 days a week and every workout will be different and fun!” and pay no mind to programming. I could save plenty of time that way.
Instead, I fucking obsess over it.
Because I know that’s what it takes to help you get stronger, healthier and better.
What I do promise is that when you train with us you’ll see the difference between a real strength and conditioning program with real qualified coaches, and the best results you’ve ever achieved; if you put the work in that is.
Because your effort will dictate your results.
Some may try a program and notice that it’s difficult. That might lead you to believe that it’s effective. First let me preface this by saying that I am all about hard work. If you want to get strong and jacked it’s going to take hard fucking work. Period.
But HARD does not necessarily mean EFFECTIVE.
I could make a workout really hard and have you do some mindless circuit of burpees, battle ropes and mountain climbers for an hour. But that ain’t doin’ shit for building muscle and strength.
And if all you’re doing is a different circuit every time you train for no rhyme or reason you will not build muscle. In fact, you’ll surely lose it. And now you know what needs to be done to actually lose fat and keep it off so be aware of what you’re doing.
Unfortunately there is no standard set for trainers and coaches. Anyone can open up a gym anywhere, regardless of their qualifications. They can tell you they’re an expert because they got a certification over a weekend, and they can tell you that their program is awesome because of this or that. And maybe what they’re doing looks cool so you give it a try. But after time passes you realize that your results are stagnant or worse, you’re injured. That sadly happens more often than you think.
I set my own standard for myself and for my coaches and have trustworthy mentors holding me accountable.
I pay respect to the coaches who have come before me, and those who are out there making an impact right now. Guys like my mentors John Alvino, Jay Ferruggia, Jim Smith and Joe DeFranco. The great Charlie Francis, Charles Poliquin, Buddy Morris and Louie Simmons. Guys who I’ve studied and some whom I’ve worked alongside to better myself.
Once you train at Tutela Training Systems I guarantee that you’ll see that difference immediately. We are different than any other place out there and I will stand behind what we do until the day I die. Because I and my team work tirelessly to truly help others improve and constantly evolve and improve our program.
We ain’t in this to create some bullshit fad or gimmick.
We’re in this because we love it, and it is our passion to help you become your best self, through strength and fitness.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this.
Here’s to all that are real out there.