WRS: In my lectures and writing, I often tell health care and fitness industry practitioners to seek out the scientific source articles when it comes to the latest greatest medical breakthroughs trumpeted across news headlines. But even with the articles in hand, what do the numbers mean? For some, so-called “statistical significance” is a shining stamp of approval. But you absolutely, positively MUST put the findings into context and, even if the results are “significant,” what do they mean in real terms? For example, many years ago, I authored a claim by claim debunking of the dietary supplement pyruvate using the VERY same research articles that marketers were using to sell it! All I had to do was look at the experimental conditions, numbers of subjects, humans vs. animals, and the significant p values relative to the actual numbers. While they spouted off that the product could help you shed 48% more fat and 37% more weight, the ACTUAL difference between the supplement and placebo group were very small.
In this second installment from guest blogger Christian Thoma, MSc, PhD Candidate, he discusses the meaning of the word “significant” and what p-values really mean in practical terms. Over to you, mate!
Introduction: Is It Significant?
Everyone from scientists through to the interested public often misunderstands significance as it applies to research findings. Despite over eight years in research, I've only recently developed a true appreciation for the importance of good statistical methods. I can appreciate why it makes some people's eyes roll, so this post isn't about explaining p-values or confidence intervals. However, I do highly recommend that you read the Wikipedia entry for p-value - subheading: Frequent misunderstandings.
“Significant” in Practical vs. Scientific Terms
In common language, to say something is significant can mean it is important or substantial. In scientific writing, it usually relates to a statistical measure trying to determine if two sets of numbers - results of some study - are genuinely different or only look different because of normal variation independent of the study itself. For example, if we put 20 people on a strength training program and another 20 on cycle-based interval program, looked at their cholesterol after three months, and found that the average changes were different in each group, we would want to know if this difference was likely to be 'real' or just a chance finding (i.e. due to cholesterol varying day-to-day). Using this meaning of significant (i.e. statistically significant), a significant finding is one in which we have good confidence that an observed difference was real.
Consistency vs. Variation
At this point we need to look at the actual findings. In most cases not everyone in a group is going to experience the same change. Some may get a big drop, some a small drop, and some a small rise. If that's the case, the average change would need to be quite big for the statistical tests to show us that it's statistically significant. If on the other hand everyone in the group had a small drop, the average change could be quite small and we would still get a significant result. It's a case of consistency vs. variation.
Statistical Blender vs. Real World Meaning
Let's say we get a 'probably' real difference. We still need to ask - is it significant in the common tongue? Was it substantial and/or important? The answer depends on your perspective and on which of the two scenarios above apply. As a researcher you would be happy to have found something be it big or small. But let's say the second scenario applies where we are fairly confident that there was a drop, but the drop was consistently small. In such a case, you as a patient, clinician, or trainer might not care because there are other ways of getting a much bigger drop. How you thought about it would also depend on whether a small drop was important in your context. Had the study been about a supplement causing fat reduction, but only by a very small amount, you might think it useful for dropping the last 1-2% body-fat for a physique contest, but not for helping a client drop 10 kg (22 lbs).
Clinical vs. Public Health Significance
The above example is often called clinical significance, but it applies outside the clinic. If you work one-on-one or use research to inform your own lifestyle, you benefit the most by first confirming statistical significance and then applying your own criteria to clinical significance.
There is another kind I like to call public health significance. It's important because the rules are different when you apply a small change to a very large group. Let's say there was a cheap, safe, and easy way to lower people's blood pressure by 1-2 mmHg, a way that could be implemented so that a large portion of the population benefited. Chances are public health people and health economists would be pushing it. Why, given that no doctor treating individual patients would care about such a small change? Because by shifting the average of a large group a little, it will also shift a lot of people from a higher risk category to a lower one. Here it's the size of the group being affected and not the size of the individual effect that matters. This last example should help explain why some very modest findings, in the right context, stir up excitement.
Take Home Messages
If you're interested in the results of research, check for statistical significance, but then go further. Know that even a highly statistically significant result doesn't mean the result was substantial or important as this is context specific. Be clear on the relevant context for you, or your client/patient. Understand that in a different context, the findings may have a different importance or relevance.
WRS: The eloquently written guest blog you are about to read was authored by a friend and colleague Christian Thoma and tackles the popularly accepted notion that if it was good for our paleolithic ancestors, then it must be good for us now. Over the years, we have shared many colourful discussions in the areas of nutrition, exercise, health, and disease. One of the (many) things I admire about Christian is his critical thinking and analytical abilities. Enjoy and please feel free to post your comments at the end of the blog. Thanks!
About the author Christian Thoma is a former food regulatory scientist who has recently chosen to pursue his hobby of exercise science by undertaking a PhD on exercise and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. He is an American College of Sports Medicine certified Clinical Exercise Specialist, holds a BSc in microbiology and immunology, and an MSc in human nutrition, both from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. He presently resides in the UK, where he spends his spare time purchasing exercise equipment and any reading/viewing materials that use evidence-based reasoning to advocate a change in the status quo in nutrition, exercise, and how science is conducted and reported.
Cave Man is SO Back in Style!
It has become somewhat popular to explain things in both biological and psychological sciences in terms of their evolutionary basis. In the biological sciences, advocates of the paleolithic diet spring to mind. In psychology, the often used example is how chronic stress is the result of a fight or flight response suited to acute danger now being continuously activated by everything from time pressure to road rage. You'll no doubt have your own examples you've heard, read, or even thought up. I'll focus on the biology as I'm not a psychologist.
Cave Man Debate: Proceed With Caution
I'm convinced by the evidence that we did indeed evolve, and am not here to start a debate about that any more than I'm prepared to debate a man claiming to be Julius Caesar demanding the keys to Rome. Nor do I intend to argue that the various theories based on evolutionary concepts are wrong. I would, however, caution anyone from accepting a line of reasoning that starts with "we evolved to," purely because it sounds plausible/sensible. The reasons that I think you should be cautious are that: 1) it's really hard to know how people conducted their lives 20,000 years ago; 2) even if we did evolve in this or that way, it doesn't mean that is optimal - it just means it was good enough for our ancestors to survive long enough to reproduce; and 3) we haven't stopped evolving and we don't have a good handle on how quickly it happens.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Anthropologists do have their techniques to study past cultures and they do an amazing job given what little they often have to work with. It is, however, very difficult to verify the hypotheses they form. Even where these are robust (or we assume them to be), our ancestors didn't all live in the same places, in the same way, eating the same food. Therefore, to promote one lifestyle or diet purely on the basis that this is how our ancestors lived lacks broader perspective.
Because Cave Men Survived, Doesn't Make Their Lifestyles Optimal
Evolution is driven by reproduction. The strongest don't always survive, however the genes of those that reproduce certainly do. The easier it is to survive in a given environment, the greater the diversity of people who pass on their genes. Ecosystems appear to move towards a state of balance, or they collapse. These systems don't create the 'best' anything as that would create imbalance. Look at new species introduced into ecosystems where they have no predators and/or an abundant food supply - they thrive and take over. To suggest that we will thrive because we go back to what was adequate for our survival ignores this one obvious observation entirely.
As I said above, the evidence for processes of natural selection has certainly convinced me. But the details are an area of ongoing intense study. There is evidence that the nutritional state of the mother during pregnancy has effects on her grandchildren and perhaps beyond in ways that are not part of the classically understood models of the passing on of genes. We simply don't know how much and in what way we may have evolved in the last 10, 20, or 50 thousand years even though there is good reason to view these as short time frames in evolutionary terms.
Is the Total Equal to the Sum of the Parts?
Being able to devise a hypothesis based on evolutionary reason may well be a good justification for further study, but it shouldn't be regarded as sufficient evidence in itself. It may be that a diet based on what is believed about pre-agriculutral times is healthy, or that a lifestyle involving movement similar in quality and quantity of that performed by stone-aged tribes is healthy. It may also be that it wasn't so much the diet as the calorie cycling - from bountiful to limited - has value over the actual foods, their ratios or quantities. Being more active/less sedentary is good advice, but the movement quantities of our ancestors may lead to considerable wear and tear over the long life-spans many now lead. Lastly, the need for food probably drove activity, this is no longer the case. There is no guarantee that if one takes a component out of one system and slots it into another it will work the same way or even be appropriate at all.
"Natural" Does Not Always Mean Safe or Beneficial
This brings me to the closely related assumptions by many that 'natural' is good and 'unnatural' or 'man-made' is harmful. Presumably because we evolved for the former and not the latter. I used to work for a food regulatory agency. We proposed legislation and as such had to be very clear with our definitions as they needed to be enforceable in court. If you can't define what you do and what you don't mean without creating a very long list, forget it. Funnily enough, we never managed to define 'natural'. It means one thing to you, one thing to your friend, and something slightly different to your neighbour. Definitions aside, nature abounds with very toxic things from animal and insect venom, bacterial and fungal toxins, to volcanic ash and sulphuric acid lakes. Even some of the nastiest man-made stuff is just a concentrated version of nature's finest. In toxicology, our motto was the difference between a medicine and a poison is the dose. Do be careful about what you put in your body and advise clients as to what they put in theirs, but please don't assume that if it's natural in your definition it's also health promoting.
Take Home Message
My take home message is always look at the evidence and think about it critically. Don't fall prey to things that suit your biases. And be very wary of any reasoning based on a philosophy such as natural is good and man-made is bad or, if it worked for our ancestors, it will do us all good now. Take advantage of what science, viewed with a critical and inquisitive eye, has to offer. We don't yet have a thorough enough grasp of physiology to be able to consistently predict how eating or doing something will affect us, and reality doesn't always fit into nice philosophical frameworks.
Kelly Slater Wins His 10th Association of Surfing Professionals World Title
What a week for professional surfing. Kelly Slater nails down an historic 10th ASP world title, Stephanie Gilmore stitches up her 4th title, and Andy Irons unexpectedly passed away.
This blog was prompted by an article in The Australian, a few passages of which reminded me of my two personal encounters with the surfing alien commonly known as Kelly Slater.
The article goes: ON the Gold Coast in 1984, Australian surfing team coach Paul Neilsen got a call from Quiksilver founder Alan Green. It was after the Pacific Cup, an international teams event, and Green wanted to get the goss on some kid from Florida.
"What's this kid like?" Green asked.
"He's the best surfer I've ever seen," Neilsen replied.
------------------------------------------------------ First Encounter With the Prodigal Son WRS: Fast forward three years to 1987. Some friends of mine were down surfing in mainland Mexico that summer and happened to meet up with a group of Floridian surfers tearing it to bits. Then about a month later, we were hanging out on the beach in front of the lighthouse in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina during the East Coast Championships when all of a sudden these same guys turn up, only they had another guy in their company: a 15 year-old Kelly Slater.
15 year-old Jedi
I'd seen his name in the surf mags a couple of times and heard he was a good surfer, so while my friends were talking with his friends, he and I exchanged a few words. Nothing too deep, more just about the swell, wind directions, etc. But there was one thing that is forever burned into my mind that I thought made the encounter unforgettable. Though he was quite friendly and happy to talk, his eyes were intensely focused on watching the surf, keenly studying the waves at the contest site, mentally preparing for his upcoming heat. It was as if he was doing some sort of Jedi mind exercises. It was all so adult-like, yet here was a kid without even so much as a whisker on his chin. I knew the kid was different but, at that moment, I don't think anyone knew just how "different" he really was.
I particularly liked that he was somewhat quiet and soft-spoken, not about spouting off to the world how great he was. Seeing just how far he's come, his contribution to the sport of surfing, his (perhaps unwilling) position as a living cultural icon.....well, his humility only makes the story all the more poignant.
Surfing Time Warp
During that same trip, I crossed paths with him again while surfing Frisco Pier. I was paddling over the back of a lefthander just as he was taking off. I looked down just as he was driving hard off the bottom and, just as he passed out of my view, I looked back and saw him launch a backside aerial, land it, and then proceed to do another one, and after that he systematically dismantled the wave to oblivion. Whoa, real deal! I was sold. Now, 23 years later, I can honestly say, his surfing on that day was radical even by today's standards. He was unquestionably the best I'd ever seen. I mean, yeah, Tom Curren, Tom Carroll, and Martin Potter were my heroes back in those days, and they clearly ripped, but this kid was my age, my generation, blazing a trail for a new generation of surfers. He raised the bar on what was believed possible on a wave, and most impressively, he did so in a controlled and functional manner. He wasn't just launching big airs and then flailing to recover in the whitewash. No, he was landing everything with convincing authority.
The Dynasty Begins
Once he got a taste for Hawaii and nailed down his rep in some serious shit, I can't say I was surprised he bagged a world title on his rookie year on the pro tour! One title turned into two, turned into three, turned into four. Only Mark Richards had nailed down four world titles and here Slater matched him. Then four turned into five, turned into six titles. The more he kept winning, the more I realized we had an extraterrestrial living amongst us.
After that, he seemed to change gears and backed off a bit, with other guys (including Andy Irons) winning the championship over a seven year period. But I think what really amazed me was that with all the new generation of surfers on the WCT, he was still able to come back and win it four more times, making him the youngest and oldest world champion surfer. God only knows how long it's going to take for another surfer to come along and win 10 titles.
The 2004 Encounter: Surfing's First Rock Star
I next crossed paths with Kelly Slater 17 years later in 2004 at a pro contest at Maroubra, Sydney, Australia. Of course, by that time, he both literally and figuratively walked on water and couldn't go anywhere without a mob of rabid fans following his every move. Here's a Youtube video of that very contest. Note how he barely exited the water and the crowd just descended on him, with security having to escort him back to the contest scaffolding. I was with some friends that afternoon at a local restaurant and was a bit distracted by a large group of people along the main drag. Then I noticed Kelly Slater buried in the middle of this moving scrum of humanity. Wow, things had certainly changed in his life since 1987.
Taking Down the Tiger
The article in the Australian states, "While Slater takes time to think about whether he wants to aim for an 11th surfing world title, the three-handicapper revealed he wouldn't mind giving professional golf a shot.
"I've been thinking about that, I'd love to win a pro golf tournament one day," Slater said.
After seeing the look in his eyes that September day on the beach in Cape Hatteras, something tells me he just might give Tiger Woods a run for his money!!
Unless you've been living under a rock the past 24 hours, there's almost no way you haven't heard the news of Andy Irons' unexpected passing. As of this writing, it is not known for certain how he died, but speculation seems to be settling in on two possibilities: 1) dengue fever; and 2) medications found on the bedside table. In a few of the news items I've read, he had been in recovery for drug addiction, so no telling what's going on just yet until the report is released. In any event, it is not my intent to slur the name of the 2002 - 2004 ASP world surfing champion. What he was able to accomplish on a wave was mind-boggling to say the least and, by many accounts, he was the only real competitive threat to nine- (almost 10) time world champion Kelly Slater. I'm sure I'm not the only one scratching my head and asking why why why.....
Behind the legend, Andy Irons was only human
The reason for this blog was prompted by a short video by Billabong which highlights Andy Irons and contains some interesting, candid admissions by the man behind the public image. The bits that caught my attention start at the 50 second time stamp. You can view it here:
I often marvel at the minds behind individuals of immense talent. I find it both inspirational and, at times, admittedly a bit disturbing. The inspirational part comes from hearing their stories and how they rose through the ranks to reach the pinnacle of their career. I love to hear their methods and techniques they've used for keeping mentally anchored, focused, grounded in order to weather the storms of life on their meteoric rise to the top.
On the other hand, I find it disturbing because I realize that, when the lights die out and the crowds go home, it leaves something to be desired, a persistent longing. You're a hero for the moment in the eyes of adoring fans, but then the next day, average Joe is like, "ok, that was fun. Right, now I need to go to my J.O.B. to pay the bills." How do you process and reconcile all this? It's a common story really. How many famous musicians, actors, sports stars have you heard of that have had complete meltdowns, later admitting that the pressure and expectations from the public, team owners, sponsors etc just got to be too much? You get high on the high, but then come to expect it. When it's not there, it can be downright depressing.
Never get drunk on your success
One of the things I've realized in life is when great things happen, you NEVER get drunk on your success. Never start beating your chest and blowing your own horn. Appreciate what's happening in the moment, be grateful for it, live it, feel it, I mean truly experience it in that time space, but never let that fleeting moment rule your mind, as it only sets you up for a massive let down. Great, so you won the Super Bowl. Awesome! On Monday morning, everyone is back to their own lives and nobody really cares anymore (or not as much)!
Lowrider?
On the other hand, never ride the lows too low. I've coined the phrase "Mood Proofing" and tend to use it quite regularly as it allows me to handle the ups and downs in my own mind in such a way that it keeps me mentally and emotionally stable, balanced somewhere in the middle. Sure, it's easy to get sucked into the void and throw a pity party for yourself when you're having a rough patch, perhaps letting it infect your thinking while it drags you away from potentially positive growth experiences. As a keen observer of life, I've come to realize that no matter who you are, no matter how high you've climbed in life (or are climbing), everyone is subject to tough times and inner mental turmoil. I am convinced everyone has their inner demons. That Achilles heel, mental Kryptonite that can either make or break you. God knows I certainly have my own demons I wrestle with, but it's how you process and manage those demons that can send you down a path of success or destruction.
Surfing as medicine
Andy Irons: "I have a lot of inner demons. If I didn't have surfing to get those out of my system I would self destruct. Surfing's the only reason that keeps me going in the normal state. It keeps my life on an even keel. without it, it would tip into oblivion."
WRS: Here's a three-time world surfing champion putting himself in a very vulnerable position, cathartically confessing his inner demons to the world. I can SOOO relate to this comment. I swear there are days where it all gets to be too much and the minute I get to the beach and smell that salt air, before I even hit the water's edge, I just feel like I'm back to being human again. It reminds me of an old advertisement in the surfing mags back in the 80s, maybe a Billabong ad, that said, "sometimes life sucks....then we go surfing!" I realize not all readers of this blog are surfers, but whatever your therapeutic version of surfing is, you absolutely unequivocally MUST embrace it. If you're into other sports, music, art, dance, whatever, I cannot overemphasize the need for your own form of mental therapy!
Overcoming mental fatigue Andy Irons: "I swear, I'll be honest, I wasn't having fun. I was going out putting a jersey on, doing what I was supposed to do and it was just repetition. I really lost my will to compete. I wouldn't be doing it right now if I didn't have the will. I mean it's not as strong as it used to be but I know it's growing....."
WRS: I think this was filmed a few years after Andy had won his three world titles and had been having a rough patch, working on battling his way back to the top of the crop a la Occy in 1999. These comments in particular really resonated with me because the very thing that he loved had lost its luster to some extent. Maybe it was the ultimate let down going from the very top of the EXTREMELY competitive surfing world to losing the alpha male position in the hierarchy. I loved that he was getting back to his roots and embracing the very thing that had propelled him to surf stardom. I also saw that he was awaiting the birth of his first child which, no doubt, would have been an important catalyst to keep him on track. But alas we'll never know.
On Resilience Andy Irons: "....I lost so many heats to get to where I was. I lost to a girl in my first contest ever. And I quit for a year and never touched a jersey. And I had to pick up the jersey after that and get back in there. And that's the only reason I got to where I'm at, or I was at, five years ago when I won those titles. And, you know, I haven't won the title in a long time, but you know I'm getting back in the jersey and I'm not winning heats yet, but I gotta start somewhere."
WRS: Again, another testament to the age old value of resilience. The people that win in life are not always the smartest, biggest, strongest, or whatever, but are actually those who can commit errors, learn from their mistakes, harness the wisdom, and keep getting up after each beating to eventually rise to the top (if you're not making errors, then you're probably not pushing your boundaries). And they unquestionably appreciate their spoils when they do arrive! It's not the actual winning but the winning when viewed through the lens of just how much hard work it took to accomplish that win. Anything worthwhile in life takes hard work.
Myth of the Leprechaun
When I look back over my own life and reflect upon my successes along the way, I also pay a sincere and heart felt homage to the failures, difficulties, sacrifices etc that it took to accomplish each of them. In very few cases did so-called "luck" have anything to do with it. I love the expression, "I'm a big fan of luck....the harder I work, the luckier I get."
I can recall a personal story from 1996 when I was living in San Diego. At the time I was working on my masters degree at San Diego State University, living in a nice house on ocean front in Mission Beach, surfing nearly every day, had control over my work schedule, great network of friends, a wonderful social life, I mean just the quintessential perfect Southern California lifestyle in the eyes of all outside observers. One day a friend visiting from the east coast came over to catch up, reminisce about old times, have a surf out in front of the house. During our conversation, she paused, looked around and, upon reflecting on where I was in life at that time, said to me, "Wow, what a life....you really got lucky!" I was shocked, I mean thoroughly offended. Luck? LUCK? What did luck have to do with anything in my life? They didn't hand me a winning lottery ticket when I crossed the California state line. I went through a tremendous amount of personal hardship by leaving my former life on the east coast, showing up with minimal funds, no job, no social network, no guarantee of a successful academic transfer to SDSU. And to push through those storms of life by taking it a day at a time, all the way through to the point of finishing my PhD, well, deeming what I'd worked very hard for as "luck" was a dismissive slap in the face and only served to slight the blood, sweat, and tears associated with coming to California (and later New Zealand) and "making it."
Getting back on track, it is this spirit of well-guided RESILIENCE that must be harnessed and properly employed in each of our lives. Though he passed on much too soon, I am convinced that had he lived, Andy Irons would have come throttling back to a top spot in the ASP pecking order. But if anything "good" (given the unfortunate circumstances) can come from this tragedy, I am hopeful that his story, the good, the bad, and the ugly, will leave a legacy which will help educate and inspire generations to come.
Introduction I just got back from a three-hour trek around my Auckland neighborhood on this phenomenally beautiful Sunday morning and felt compelled to share some ideas. The very inspiration for this blog came about as I passed a young family walking in the opposite direction. The little boy, who must have been about 3 years old, was lagging behind his parents because he was transfixed on something that had captured his attention.
As we approached each other, the father called his son, broke the boy's attention, and he ran to catch up with his parents. In that instant, the boy looked up at me just as we were passing each other and engaged my eyes with the utmost innocent and whimsical look of genuine curiosity. He just kept staring with an ear to ear grin on his face, his little brain processing the image of my face, my hat, shirt, shorts, everything. It all happened in less than a few seconds, but it was a moment that really inspired me jot down some thoughts and write the blog post you're now reading.
The Death and Rebirth of Curiosity
As I carried on walking, I couldn't help but be envious of that pure, unbridled child-like curiosity. Dammit, I was once that curious. We all were! Where did it go? While I do still consider myself a curious adult, an "observer of life," I can see just how easy it is for the modern world and all its trappings to kick the stuffing out of us and make us forget about those little traits that help form our very humanity.
But how do you capture this essence? And what practical value is there to harnessing and nurturing curiosity? Based on my own observations and experiences, I am convinced that curiosity is the spark which ignites creativity and inspiration.
Happy Place
First, cliche as it sounds, I believe it is imperative that each person finds their little "happy place." It can be a physical location such as the beach, the mountains, lake or whatever. Maybe even your local coffee shop has an energy about it which facilitates an open mind. Be social and surround yourself with up-beat, motivated, and positive people who bring out the best in you (avoid energy vampires that complain and moan about every little thing in their lives which only serves to sap your creative drive). Listen to music that evokes positive feelings of well-being and forward momentum. No matter what trips your trigger, find it and conscientiously go there...regularly.
Capturing Curious, Creative Moments
Second, you MUST capture those curious, creative moments. The vast majority of my ideas flow freely through my mind when I'm actually AWAY from the computer and a bit more connected with nature (out walking, exercising, surfing, whatever). I find most people have lots of ideas, even GREAT ideas, but the problem is they just pop into their minds for a fleeting moment and quickly evaporate the split second something else moves onto their mental radar. In fact, this was my problem too up until several years ago when I decided to implement one simple change in my life: carry pen and paper with me everywhere I go and then capture that internal "soundtrack."
So what should you write down? EVERYTHING! The rule is that there are no rules. If it pops into your mind, write it down. Period. Pay no attention to grammar, spelling, syntax, but get it down on paper! Call it a self-administered psychotherapy session. Here are some ideas to get you started:
What's on your mind?
What's eating away at you?
What's holding you back in life?
To do lists? Write em down, get em done!
Figures, schematics, concepts, etc.
What inspires you?
What motivates you?
If you could wake up tomorrow and be doing whatever it is in life you REALLY want to be doing, what would it be?
What steps are you prepared to take to make it a reality?
What sacrifices will you make to accomplish what you feel you rightly deserve?
Let's say you want to launch a new project but don't know where to begin? Start brainstorming. Write down everything in your mind. Every idea, no matter how big or small. What are the challenges, barriers, difficulties? What are your strengths you bring to the table?
Perhaps you want to write articles for magazines. What topics do you think would have real value to the world? What are your key messages? Bullet point the key headings and then fill in the content underneath each bullet point. Voila, new article.
So maybe you're reading this and thinking, "ah, that's all that psycho-babble mumbo jumbo." Great, no problem. Stop reading this and go back to your cave to wallow in your own self-limiting negativity. By the way, how is that working for you?
Hacking Through the Hieroglyphics
My brainstorms tamed on paper
Third, so you've got three pages of thoughts, feelings, and ideas scrawled in hieroglyphics on three loose-leaf sheets of paper, now what? While you still have momentum, go onto your computer and create a master file for managing your "content." I personally use Microsoft's One Note program. It's a free form program which allows you to create master headings and tabs which nicely complements the organization of your "diary of a madman." Transcribe that content into your system and then continually add to it each time you come back from your creative place. Over time, you will be amazed at how it all adds up and may even be something you can adapt into a paid presentation or magazine article.
See (or Create) Opportunities Others Miss
You absolutely MUST train your brain to see the opportunities that others miss and then act upon those opportunities. Other times there is no opportunity, but instead you create it out of thin air. For example, I recall going to the supermarket for a liter of milk, bread, and eggs. As I walked by the magazine rack, I saw a diabetes magazine. I picked it up, flipped through the pages, thought it was a good publication, memorized the editor's name and email address from the mast head, went home, sent an introductory email with a story idea, some writing clips, and within an hour had a paid assignment in the pipeline!
Unchained Fingertips of Fury
A few years back, I was up late working on my PhD and had the TV on in the background. An infomercial for some gimmick ab blaster machine came on the air and, in that instant, I just snapped and went on a writing binge about how egregiously misleading the advertising was. This sent me down another series of mental rabbit holes which, after a couple hours, I had about 10 pages of a hand-written brainstorm. I took some photos of the screen and before I knew it, I had all the content I needed for both a new consumer health/advocacy presentation and article!
Operate From a Locus of Passion
More recently, after months of seeing those annoying Ab Circle Pro commercials, I finally threw in the towel and decided to do something about it. I literally took the company to task on their marketing claims and wrote a scathing 15-page expose in less than 48 hours. I did final edits, HTML formatting, and had it up on my website within a week (read it here). Since I released it in June, it went viral and has had countless thousands of views from all over the world, with all feedback being amazingly positive. Point is, this was the product of an inspired moment I conscientiously decided to capture and act upon. I could have done nothing and continued to spout off about how stupid and useless I believe the product is, but instead it was far more productive (and personally therapeutic) to harness that energy and direct it into something constructive that has value for the world.
Final Thoughts
In closing, I am convinced everyone has an innate curiosity which can spawn creative moments, but unfortunately most people are too beaten down by the tedium of daily life to take action. The expression "the neurons that fire together wire together" is all too true. You can "train your brain" to do nothing each time you have creative moments or you can harness them and use them to propel you forward in life. The choice is yours.
WRS: The idea for my initial post on the career "life span" of the personal trainer came about as a passing comment during dinner with a friend last week. Interestingly, it has really whipped up some healthy discussion across the industry around the world. I've received quite a bit of feedback, most of it a nod of approval that, yes, we can do more to improve the quality and integrity of the personal training profession on a global scale.
I have come to know Wendy Sweet (RGN/ B.PhEd/ MSpLS) during my time in New Zealand and respect what she's done for personal training in this country. She is the founder and developer of Les Mills personal training in NZ. She is a fitness industry consultant and educator and the recipient of the 2009 Fitness NZ Award for the Most Outstanding Contribution to the NZ Fitness Industry.
After reading my blog post, she sent me an email with some keen observations on how things might be improved upon, not just in NZ but in other parts of the world as well. The following comments by Wendy are in reference to the relatively short career lifespan of the personal trainer.
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The key factors I have found over the past 15 years with the proliferation of club-based PT programmes which rely on high numbers of trainers paying fees each month to the club, are as follows: Inadequate attention to the role and training of a PT Manager in health clubs.
Many of these managers are recruited because they have proven themselves as great trainers. What they lack however, is the training to become great leaders, motivators and performance-driven managers. To do this, they need to first and foremost, understand fully the issues surrounding effective PT management and they need to have the tools to ‘do the job’. Only then will they be able to grow the teams of trainers and more importantly keep Trainers long-term (3+ years).
New Trainers who are transitioning into their role and don’t know how to focus on the ‘retention’ of clients.
Basically these Trainers are being given client ‘leads’ at point-of-membership sale as the clubs are recruiting new members into ‘boot-camp’ programmes or 6-12 week weight loss programmes and the new Trainers are not being taught how to up-sell these group clients into one-on-one clients AFTER they have completed their group sessions. I have seen this as the major problem for Trainers working in large clubs where the club has a fixed intake of Trainers every 2-3 months. Many clubs have become so focused on recruiting ‘new’ trainers that they fail to manage and up-skill existing Trainers into being able to self-generate a client base long-term.
Trainers who are too young and too inexperienced and therefore don’t have the ‘life-skills’ in order to manage and mentor their clients into longer-term goals.
This was my personal observation a number of years ago whilst managing PT’s and it has also now come up in my masters research. Basically, young inexperienced Trainers reach the full extent of their knowledge and advice to clients at around the 9-12 month mark. They don’t know how to progress their regular clients into other areas such as doing a multi-sport event or doing something ‘different’ with their fitness goals. The client becomes bored and moves on and if the Trainer hasn’t up-skilled then the Trainer has nothing ‘new’ to offer their client. Most of my research participants found that the longer the client was with them, the more the Trainer had become the client’s ‘Life-Coach’.
Finally, the BIGGEST issue, is that if new Trainers can’t SELL, they don’t make any money and leave.
So it is the responsibility of the education institutions as well as the clubs to educate Trainers on how to up-sell sessions and retain clients. Many of the large clubs have devised varied business models to recruit new Trainers, and don’t have the right people to teach Trainers a process similar to what I have devised and called the ‘The five R’s of PT’:
1. Develop the RELATIONSHIP first and foremost by having a great first training session...it’s the only session that counts in order to progress to the next stage....
2. Devise processes to RETAIN your clients and evaluate their progress for at least 6-12 weeks (this means excellent programming and interaction/ communication with clients), so that you can achieve the third ‘R’ =
3. RESULTS (many new trainers also don’t have the knowledge to get results with their clients because they are recruited straight from certification programmes that aren’t teaching them how to get results with clients, but that’s another story!)
4. REFERRALS – you can’t get referrals without all of the above.....
5. REVENUE – and the final thing I focus on with new trainers is that they will NEVER reach and sustain any revenue into the long term, if they don’t pay attention to numbers 1-4!!
I received the following email response from a friend and esteemed colleague Fabio Comana, MA, MS, Exercise Physiologist and spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise. With his permission, I am reposting his comments here. I thought he raised an important point regarding the "weeding out" of the fly-by-night personal trainer certifications from the market. This is less about so-called "patch protection" and more about enhancing the integrity of the health/fitness industry. I have underscored a couple of eyebrow raising points below.
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Good to hear from you and read your blog. I agree 100% with your suggestions and would like to add some points.
In 2003, the initiative for NCCA accreditation was driven out of the existence of over 70 different fitness certification agencies in the US alone. IHRSA’s initiative was implemented in Jan 2006 and to date only 12 have achieved NCCA accreditation. The good news is that over a dozen other "certifications" have become CEC providers, no longer offering a certification, but a bunch of kettlebell certifications have entered the market instead.
On the career point, we find the lifespan to be longer with women and with older fitness professionals. Females and older trainers invest more into professional development, willing to spend $15-25 / CEC, usually attending conferences where it is most expensive. Younger trainers, males in particular, do not make that same investment and hence fizzle out faster. I can speculate key reasons (ego, arrogance, lack of vision and planning, etc.).
I would love to see a study / survey to investigate this further. I am trying to have our IT department track recertification (renewal) differences between male/female and younger/older trainers.
I was having dinner with a personal training colleague the other day when the conversation fell on the topic of the average professional "life span" of a personal trainer. We anecdotally observed that most trainers in the industry last anywhere from 1 to 3 years and then drop it for something else altogether. This prompted the question -- why so short?
What are the reasons personal trainers decide to bail on what is arguably one of the healthiest professions. As we discussed/analyzed the topic some more, we came to the conclusion that, for many, it's just viewed as an expendable J.O.B. instead of a career path. Something to do until a better J.O.B. comes along. If this is the case, then why? I don't have a definitive answer, but in my 20 years in the health/fitness industry, I have seen a lot of so-called certifying bodies/agencies/organizations pop up in the shadow of the main players ACE, ACSM, and NSCA. In 1998, I did a consulting project, part of which looked at the number of certifying organizations in the US. Much to my dismay, there were quite a few questionable companies selling personal trainer certifications not even worth the paper upon which they were printed. Though there appears to be more scrutiny these days on the part of employers who ask for legitimate credentials, there are still plenty of opportunists looking to make a buck off of certifications. Therefore, the barriers to entry are lower, making it easier to enter the industry. A prospective trainer might conclude, "oh well, if I don't like it, I can just walk away from it. Not much invested. So what? Disposable J.O.B.
Other factors may be related to the reality that personal training is actually hard work whilst on the floor and the paper shuffle afterward (the business side of things) tacks on yet more time to an already busy schedule. In the early 90s, I recall working from 1 to 10 pm four to five days per week with most of those hours filled with hands-on client sessions. While I loved what I did and made a healthy income in the process, I started to feel the stress cracks (especially so given I was simultaneously juggling university classes). Nowadays, trainers are growing more savvy and minimizing the time-for-money trade-off by creating multiple income streams, but there are still lots of trainers in the trenches trading time for money...and in time will either evolve and adapt or burn out.
I have also seen a surge in personal training academies around the world, some excellent, some good, some ok, and others abysmally pathetic, run by charismatic sociopaths with nothing more than a well-orchestrated marketing plan and a unilateral goal of making money off selling personal trainer qualifications. End result? Same as an easily acquired personal trainer certification. Spend several thousand for an academy, get a certification or eligibility for registration, and voila, a new job all within one calendar year. Don't get me wrong, it's not my intention to slam certification or academies. Quite the opposite, I'm merely just pointing out that it's considerably less time and financial investment than four years at university.
Some trainers think they're going to make the big bucks overnight, but once they get into it, they realize a new certification or qualification is not the only requisite to be a successful trainer. Wages will clearly vary depending on if you're an independent contractor or a paid employee. There are people skills, working within a team, putting the personal in personal training, etc. I think you can teach people so much in this department, but after that, you have to run with it and develop your interpersonal communication skills. If you don't have them, you're going to struggle.
While I genuinely believe that most trainers are into this industry for the purpose of helping others improve their lives, I'm sure nobody will doubt some personal trainers are only into it for the money. While they might do ok with this, the vast majority will sink if it's their only motivator. When I tell people I've logged 2 decades in the business, it usually raises and eyebrow and begs the question, "what keeps you going?" In short, I have three criteria by which I judge everything I do: 1) first and foremost, it must be a passion. Anything less and I won't pour my heart and soul into it; 2) It must be fun. If not, then I won't be smiling, and nothing is more effective people repellent than a frown; and 3) it must be creative. Doing the same boring menial task day after day is like being one amongst the living dead. Creativity keeps the mind refreshed and excited to develop and evolve both personally and professionally. Bottom line: money has its place but newer research in the area of eudaimonia clearly shows that people who do work for intrinsic satisfaction are much happier and last longer in their professions than those chasing a dollar.
Another factor is what I call the PMS, or Personal Mission Statement. What is your guiding light, your professional compass that keeps you on track? As a medical exercise guy, my PMS is to use exercise as a form of medicine to help people with health problems improve their lives. So no matter what I do, my work MUST serve the PMS and abide by my three commandments. If not, then I'm not being true to myself.
Bringing all this back to the "life span" of the personal trainer, in my own subjective observation, I believe would-be trainers should have a higher bar to jump over, more to lose which should theoretically weed out those who are not serious, or perhaps make sure they have a clear expectation of the challenges ahead (i.e., training is hard work, especially when learning the ropes). The barriers to entry should be demanding and force people to do the hard yards so they place higher value on their investment in the industry. Though I personally have university degrees in the areas of nutrition and exercise physiology, I am not of the school of thought that everyone should have a four-year degree in order to be a trainer. In all fairness, I have seen plenty of well-educated, qualified trainers with excellent theoretical book knowledge, yet shockingly piss poor people skills and, accordingly, did not make good trainers.
I don't think we should go back to the early days where any gym monkey with 22-inch biceps should be allowed to personal train (or give nutritional advice, but that's another article), but I would very much like to see a greater degree of screening in the industry and not a low barrier to entry where anyone that passes a personal trainer exam can waltz right into a job. Much in the same way you'd expect your tax accountant, plumber, or lawyer to have invested in their education, so too should fitness professionals have invested time and money so they have something to lose. By no means are these comments intended to sound elitist or a slight against the existing industry infrastructure. Quite the opposite, it is my hope that this (as one of many factors) would increase the number of fitness industry "long-stayers" and possibly enhance the caliber of certified fitness trainers.
I have a number of friends who have survived and thrived in the industry, namely Carl Hammington in Wellington, New Zealand (www.hfd.co.nz). He's young, driven, a degree in exercise science, thirsty for ongoing information, quick to get involved in new projects, and possesses a genuine desire to learn more and more to help his clients get the most from their workouts.
Michelle Barbera is another friend of mine and is the owner of Fit Vixen in Margate, New Jersey. When I was last back in NJ for a visit, we spoke at length about the industry in the region and how many trainers are still stuck in the outdated "rep-counting" mode. Maybe some clients are into that, but with the popularity of boot camps and other outdoor exercise regimens, the public is now seeking out non-gym based workouts which offer both fun and variety. The thing that really impressed me about Michelle was her enthusiasm for her career and, naturally, for helping people improve their lives.
In both cases, each has logged a fair bit of time in the industry and I can say with relative confidence that neither will be jumping ship any time soon!
In closing, while the fitness industry is larger than ever before, I'm not prepared to say this is a clear indication of its "health." In fact, it might be a sign that it's out of shape and needs some trimming down. Sadly, some members of the public I have personally spoken to view personal trainers the same way they view a waiter or bartender: common and expendable, a temp job for university students, etc. This is unfortunate but perhaps a symptom of the oversaturation of the industry with "certified personal trainers", so much so that the title no longer evokes respect the way it did even a short decade ago. While certification, registration, and/or a personal training course are clearly steps in the right direction, with the short "life span" of the fitness professional, we may be missing the mark.
What are your thoughts on the industry as a whole? Does anyone have stats on the actual drop out rate from the industry in different countries?
William Sukala is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist with two decades of experience in both clinical cardiac rehabilitation and preventive health care settings. He holds a master's degree in Exercise Physiology, a bachelor's degree in Nutrition, and is currently completing his PhD with a research focus on type 2 diabetes, obesity, and associated metabolic syndrome risk factors. William is a popular international presenter on medical exercise topics and has authored articles in major publications both domestically and internationally. He is frequently cited as an expert in his field by magazines, newspapers, and television news media.
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