3 Jedi-Mind Tricks for Bootcamps

The other week I was interviewed by another Canadian fitness expert, Rob King, from Newfoundland.

He asked me, “Craig, after helping thousands and thousands of people online, in the gym, and through Men’s Health magazine, what are the 3 biggest motivational jedi mind tricks you can give us?”

Ok, maybe he didn’t say “jedi mind tricks”. But that’s what I gave him.

Now these answers are great for your clients, but they also relate to running bootcamps.

Here’s what I told him…

1) Set goals with a deadline & a reward/punishment for your results.

So sit down, look at your calendar, and circle the date that marks when you want to reach your goal. If you do, you get a reward. If you don’t, set a punishment. That will inspire you to action.

Bootcamp Tip:
Not only does that work with your bootcampers (in setting fat loss goals), but also for you in setting business goals.

2) Get social support.

Put yourself in the right environment and hang around other achievers. You can’t soar with eagles if you are hanging around turkeys.

Bootcamp Tip:
This is obvious for your campers…they get more results when training in your camps, so make sure they know it and that they tell everyone they know. Remember to always harness the power of referrals.

Plus, you need to get out to events and network with other bootcamp owners to share your best client-attraction strategies.

3) You must TRULY believe in yourself.

You must stop with the “I’ll give this a try” mindset, and switch to a “I’m going to succeed no matter what” belief. When you get that, you’re golden.

Bootcamp Tip:
We’ve all seen this with our clients…someone who doesn’t believe they can succeed will struggle, while those clients with a positive attitude get more results.

It’s the same for you. And if you need motivational help, one of the best bootcamp experts for this is Steve Hochman.

BONUS TIP) Educate yourself.

Never give up looking for new clues to success. The most successful people in life are often simply the most persistent.

Bootcamp Tip:
Always be showing your clients new nutrition strategies so that they don’t sabotage their fat loss when they are on their own.

And for you…make sure that you are doing everything to learn great new training techniques while at the same time studying simple systems for getting new clients.

To your success,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, TT Bootcamps

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3 Bootcamp Tips from the Sketchy Side of Town

Just got back from 2-hour dog walk to the beach where I had a little swim and dog wrestling with Bally the Dog (and yes, we have a beach here in Toronto).

On our walk over, we saw a guy wearing a mesh shirt. Man, I haven’t worn one of those since I was 9. You?

My neighborhood is pretty gritty…there are a disproportionate number of overweight, cigarette smoking people who drive those power scooters everywhere.

Heck, one Saturday at 10am I was almost run over by woman driving her power scooter with one hand while she was eating fried chicken with the other hand. Definitely entertaining.

And every night there’s a trainer who runs a bootcamp in a big park by my place, right beside homeless guys drinking tall boys of beer.

No joke.

The ol’ East Side of Toronto. Good times, I tell ya.

By the way, that trainer is doing okay with her camp…she has about 6-8 women in there, but they don’t seem to be getting results.

Fortunately, she could be doing so much better – in terms of numbers and in getting her clients results if she just used these 3 tips from the “sketchy” side of town…

1) Set SMALLER Goals

This advice is the exact opposite of what most people do when setting their goals.

Everyone is told to dream big and set HUGE goals…but that might be wrong.

In the book I’m reading, “Bringing Out the Best in People“, human behavior experts actually recommend setting small, easy-to-reach goals so that your clients succeed, and therefore you can offer them positive reinforcement.

This positive reinforcement keeps motivation high and keeps them doing  what you want them to do.

On the other hand, when people set massive goals, such as losing 30 pounds in a month, they fail and that failure is negative reinforcement, and it causes  them to quit.

So each workout, set a small, achievable goal for each camper, and when they achieve it, give positive reinforcement.

That way they will continue with the correct behavior. So simple, so effective.

(You can totally use this on your spouses too…but use it for good, not evil!)

2) Build a Better Bootcamp with this Workout

Instead of her old-school crunches and aerobics-style moves, she should be using my no-equipment needed Bodyweight Cardio circuit.

Check this out…one of my best bodyweight workouts yet…AND it is filmed in the same park as that trainer’s bootcamp.

=> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qXxpWOow3s

Let me know what you think.

3) Now for a tip on getting MORE clients…

…this one from Steve Hochman:

She could use the “human billboard marketing system.”

She would get 21 people who get her bootcamp for free, BUT in exchange they sign a contract that they will agree to refer one paying client per month.

Interesting, huh?

If you take 21 human billboards and they get you just ONE client per month, that is 21 times $199.00 per month in income (presuming she charges $199 per month for the bootcamp).

Boom! Automatic $4k per month. It’s that simple.

And each month you get another $4k in new clients as the human billboards continue to refer you new clients (as agreed upon in their contract). Cool! And it doesn’t require you to sell, sell, sell.

Steve and I are dedicated to helping you live the life of your dreams while helping dozens – if not hundreds – of clients to lose fat in your bootcamps.

Talk to you soon,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, TT Bootcamps

The Best Bootcamp Tips

Yesterday was a little crazy…

I was flying home from Orange County, California (after celebrating bootcamp boss Bedros Keuilian’s birthday)…

…there we were, literally 3 minutes from landing in Toronto, when all of the sudden the pilot started going the WRONG way.

By that, I mean we were only a few thousand feat off the ground and but then he started going back UP. That’s what I call the “wrong way” when you are trying to land an airplane!

So I peaked out the window and realized why. We were heading directly into a storm cloud, and I doubt “Fly into a lightening storm” was on the pilot’s bucket list, so he aborted.

We circled, landed at another airport, refueled, sat around, came back, aborted ANOTHER landing (because of landing gear problems), and then finally got home 5 hours late. Oh well.

You gotta look on the bright side…

And I was lucky enough to have an awesome book with me called, “Bringing Out the Best in People“.

Now it is actually a book about managing employees, but a lot of the lessons apply to running the BEST bootcamps.

Here are a few of the best tips I’ve found so far.

You can use these to get the best results and effort from your clients, and from your trainers (if you manage employees):

1) “The one thing managers (and bootcamp trainers) should know the most about is human behavior”

2) You must know and create and continue to re-create the conditions under which people do their best.

3) “Behavior is a function of its consequences. People do what they do because of what happens to them when they do it.” Therefore,
you must create immediate positive consequences for taking action.

4) “The role of leaders in every organization is not to find fault or place blame, but to analyze why people are behaving as they are, and modify the consequences to promote the behavior they need”

5) “To be trusted, all you have to do is what you say you are going to do. Once trust is established, people will give you the benefit of the doubt if you make a mistake. If you are not trusted, they will not believe you even when you tell the truth.”

Powerful stuff.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, TT Bootcamps

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10 Step Guide to Becoming a Successful Personal Trainer

Is personal training still a good career? How do you get started in the industry? What certifications are the best? All of that and much, much more in this 10 step guide to becoming a successful personal trainer….

First, you have to care about people, not money. If you care about people and you’re passionate about exercise, health, and nutrition, then personal training should be a great career fit for you.

However, it’s not rainbows and lollipops.

Most trainers barely eek out a living. If you already have a job, the best thing to do would be to volunteer to train a few friends at all times of the day (you’ll need to enjoy training someone at 6am and 7pm on the same day if you want to have a full time job in the industry). It’s not a 9-5 gig, but if you love it, you’ll live with that, right?

What about the economy? Will personal training remain a viable career in the new economy?

The good news is that fitness bootcamps have become more popular and that gives you the opportunity to help more people while making an equal or greater income than regular one on one training.

Other bright sides: Depending on where you live, there is likely to remain a desire for one-on-one training from upper income individuals. Obviously if you live in Hoboken, NJ, the demand will be greater than if you live in Detroit, MI.

My friend and successful personal trainer studio owner Alwyn Cosgrove says that both the low-priced big box gyms and the high-end private personal training studios are doing well right now, but the guys in the middle are not.

Corporate fitness programs also seem to be a positive opportunity going forward as companies work to decrease their health insurance costs (among the many benefits of having healthy, fit, employees).

But there’s also the reality of the the down side. I’m not optimistic the general US economy is going to get better anytime soon…nor the economy in Europe…although Canada and Australia should fare better and Asia probably holds the greatest opportunity. The South American market is maturing, but will be years before it is like that of Canada or Australia.

That said, marketing expert Dan Kennedy likes to say, “all weather is local“…meaning no matter what the average American unemployment rate, there is always going to be areas where there are a lot of people with above average incomes and interest in one-on-one personal training…I guess it all depends on where you live – or on your flexibility in traveling for this career.

And if you’re just getting started, your options are like most other industries…you will need to “apprentice” somewhere when you start out…and this could mean working in a private studio or a big box gym.

Like everything in life, your success depends on the connections you make. In order to make the right connections, you will need to invest in your education by traveling to seminars or in an internship. These types of investments are usually worth every penny and more.

While still in University (which cost a large fortune), I spent a smaller fortune traveling to strength training seminars. But again, it was worth every penny.

With that general advice out of the way, let’s get into…

The 10 Step Plan for Success in the Fitness Industry

Here’s what I would do if I had to do it all over again…

1) I would get a certification from ACE, ACSM, NSCA, NASM, Can-Fit Pro (if canadian), CPTN (if Canadian), ISSA, or CHEK.

2) I’d get insurance (you should be able to do this without a certification – but I’m not 100% sure).

3) I would start training everyone and anyone I could for free (friends, family, work mates)

If you take the 6am-7pm personal training test (mentioned above) and pass it with passion, then keep going. If not, admit the fitness industry is not for you, and just stay passionate about fitness as a hobby, and re-commit yourself to your current job or continue to look for something else on the side.

I’m one of those optimists who believe that we all should be able to find a vocation in life that we love and are passionate about.

Also, one exercise I suggest you do – even before you start all of this – is to ask yourself:

• “What is my purpose/higher calling here on earth?”
• “What did my higher power put me here on this earth to do?”
• “Who was I put here to serve?” (this helps you determine your “niche market”)
• “What skill/ability do I have that NO ONE else in the world can do better?”
• “What do I want my legacy to be?”

This will guide you through the rest of the steps…

4) As soon as possible, I’d start finding paying clients through referrals.

(NOTE: I’d be doing all of this as a “side gig” while sticking to real job. Yes, it’s going to cause burning the candle at both ends…but these transitions always do).

I’d also develop a business based around group training (semi-private groups or large bootcamps) as soon as possible.

5) I’d start connecting with all local experts/veterans of the fitness industry. Find a mentor. You might have to knock on 20 doors till you find the right person, but it will be worth it.

6) I’d start attending seminars as soon as possible. Be strategic about your attendance…make a list of questions to ask and people to meet and don’t leave until each objective is crossed off. The most successful trainers are often the ones who leave with the most resources. And never, ever stop learning. If you do, you’re done. You’ve lost your passion and it’s time for you to move on.

7) I’d continue to network, build relationships, help others, and grow “the pie bigger” rather than trying to increase only my slice of the pie. Help as many people as you can.

“You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Zigler

Each day I’d spend time focusing on my gratitude for the opportunity to work my dream job (if the earlier line of questioning has determined this is it). I’d focus on being happy and ignoring the negativity that fills the world. I’d take the energy that other people spend on fighting the negativity and I’d direct it into even more passion towards helping others, learning more, and becoming better at what I do.

People are attracted to passionate people.

Remember the Crocodile Hunter (RIP). Crikey, he made people care about snakes and spiders. If he can do that, then you and I can make people care about feeling amazing and reaching their full potential through nutrition and exercise.

9) I’d follow passionate people in other industries through Facebook and Twitter. Follow Gary Vaynerchuck (read his book, “Crush It”), Carrie Wilkerson, and your favorite music stars and actors (positive people only). Watch how they interact with people and make their followers happy. Learn from them and do the same for the people who look up to you.

10) Believe in yourself. Whether it is losing fat or building the career of your dreams, everyone success story I’ve met KNEW that without a doubt they were going to be a success. They ALL believed in themselves. You must do that too.

So think back to when you were doing something that you KNEW was going to happen (could have been when you KNEW that you were going to get your spouse to marry you, or when you KNEW that your team was going to win your high school football championship or when you KNEW that you were going to ace that final exam)…that’s the feeling that you must have now.

You MUST have that feeling, you must have confidence, you must have passion, and you must have that helping mindset (others call it an “abundance mentality”). Those are the “gotta haves” that only you can build in yourself…the fitness info is easy to teach (it’s not rocket science)…the technical skills should never be an issue…its the “inner game” that is up to you.

That’s it. The 10 steps to becoming a successful personal trainer.

Your friend,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, TTBootcamps Workouts

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7 Traits of Successful Bootcamp Owners

Disclaimer: I admit, I first wrote this article about the “7 traits of successful online business owners”…but these apply to bootcamp
owners as well.

I think you’ll agree…

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I’ve studied and interviewed a lot of experts over the last 12 years that I’ve been building my business and I’ve found 7 main reasons why other people are so successful:

1) They are confident

This is the underlying foundation of every success story…and on the other hand, a lack of confidence is a common factor in every
struggling biz owner that I meet. I know it’s harsh, but it’s true.

The most confident bootcamp owners who are out there talking up their camps to everyone are the ones with the most clients.

2) They have a driving desire to help others & create amazing content

Every top success story is a go-giver…they realize that to achieve their goals, they must help others succeed too…that’s why you see
the top bootcamp owners giving away such great information.

Plus, bootcamp owners who hold client appreciation functions and who get involved with local charities are the big success stories.

3) They never settle for the status quo.

No matter how big their bootcamps or current location, the top success stories are always looking ahead to the next project and
working to do even better. They are not complacent and realize that they might have to completely re-invent their business in order to grow to the next level.

4) They are lifelong students of self-improvement.

The top 5% of people I’ve ever met have always been the same folks who invest in every resource that is made available. They turn over every rock to find the information they need. That’s the mark of a lifelong student and ultimate success story.

5) They are positive people who attract other amazing people into their life

Successful people draw other successful people to them…this is the law of attraction that I believe in…and it goes back to being confident, being a go-giver, and never settling. Those are the types of people other successful people want to be around.

6) Successful people are entertaining.

They tell amazing stories and let you get to know them, even if it is just through emails and online video. So that’s why you need to
include your personal story in your bootcamp marketing (like my friend Leanne Ellington does).

7) They deliver amazing value to their clients.

Your clients want to be inspired, motivated, encouraged, and shown exactly what to do in order to reach their dreams. And that’s exactly what all top success stories do for their audience. They give, give, give, and it’s always amazing content delivering the highest value for their fans.

Listen, everyone wants to be told exactly what to do…we are all looking for the Blueprint to Success in life…and we want to be told by an expert who has complete confidence in what they are saying.

Doing that is the mark of a top success story…they spell out every action and don’t let any alternative ideas enter the reader’s mind.

So take a look at those 7 reasons why people are mega-success stories and identify where you are strong and where you need improvement.

All of these factors are under YOUR CONTROL to change.

To your success,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, TT Bootcamp Workouts

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5 Ways to Get More Done & More From Meetings

I was very impressed on Saturday morning at Joel Marion’s Transformation Domination seminar.

A young and enthusiastic trainer from Belgium named Glenn, who had previously contacted me through Facebook, tracked me down, introduced himself and proceeded to ask me 12 questions – all of which he had written down in a small journal he was carrying with him.

Talk about coming PREPARED.

And that was impressive.

He was making the most of his opportunity. Most people don’t do any preparation at all, but Glenn did, and I bet he got the most out of the weekend.

In addition to writing down specific questions you want to ask to specific experts, here are 4 other ways to be prepared…

1) Plan out your day

If your workday ends at 5pm, spend from 4:50-5:00pm planning out the next day. Write down what you are going to be doing at 8, 9, 10, 11, etc…in 15-30 minute intervals.

Doing this for a few weeks will make you exponentially more productive.

2) Have your daily to do list prioritized

Put the most important tasks at the top of the list and don’t move on to the next task until you’ve crossed the most important task off
of your list.

3) Be prepared when you go to meetings or when you make a phone call so that you get right to the point and don’t waste 5-10 minutes in idle chit-chat.

Say Hi, find out how the person is, and then get right to business.

Believe me, the person on the other end will appreciate it just as much because they are busy too.

4) When you go to a seminar, make a list of people to meet.

Let’s go back and look at what Glenn did…not only did he have a list of questions to ask a few experts, but he also had a list of all the people he wanted to meet.

He knew what info he wanted to get and he didn’t rest until he met everyone and asked all of his questions – after all, he tracked me down 3 times to ask follow up questions as well.

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It’s one thing to go to a seminar or meeting, but it’s a skill to get all of the information you need from the experts you want to talk to.

So again, hats off to Glenn, and I hope that you got a few ideas on how to make meetings/seminars more productive as well as how to get more done everyday.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
TTBootcamps.com

5 Bootcamp Secrets to Get More Fat Burning Results for Your Clients

I was just reviewing a big file of all the new exercise, diet, and research proven fat burning tips I wrote down for 2009, and I wanted to share 5 BIGGIES that can help your clients get more results AND make your awesome workers even awesome-r..

So here we go:

#5 – Recent research shows shuttle-running is tougher than running intervals in a straight line…

…so if you want to help your clients burn fat faster than ever, make sure you incorporate old-school shuttle runs (i.e. classic suicide type drills) into your fat burning interval programs.

#4 – Encourage your clients to use a food log. When they ask why, tell them I said so.

No seriously, tell them this:

“According to Men’s Health (Feb 2009, p 38), keeping a food log helped subjects lose 3.5 more pounds than subjects that didn’t keep the log.”

#3 – Demand that your clients hit a personal best in each workout.

This is an oldie, but a goodie. There are a few reasons you need to do this:

a) First of all, everyone loves progress, and if you can get them to achieve a record each workout (i.e. could be # of pushups, plank
time, etc.), then they will feel a HUGE sense of accomplishment

b) More personal bests = more results. Plain and simple.

c) They will get addicted to the workouts, and always want to come back for more attempts at breaking records…thus becoming raving fans of your camps and referral machines.

#2 – Remind them that they need you, and here’s the proof:

“According to Men’s Health magazine, (Dec, 2009), beginners who work with trainers get more results than beginners who workout by themselves”. Guaranteed.

#1 – Bring a motivational quote to every class.

You might say it at the start, middle and end of every class, or you might print it out and give everyone the quote to take with them, or you might simply put it on your bootcamp’s Facebook fan page every morning.

Regardless of how you deliver the motivation, I promise you that it will keep your campers connected to you AND it will elevate your expert status even more in their eyes.

Here’s the first motivational quote you can share with them:

“Be loud and proud of the healthy changes you are making in your life. There are many more folks secretly wishing someone will take charge and be a healthy role model for them. It might not happen overnight, but if you continue to lead by healthy example – without preaching or being condescending – you can build an entourage that will help you reach the next level.” – Craig Ballantyne

Helping you and your clients get more results,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, TT Bootcamps

PS – What if 1 simple workout style could also help your clients get more results without any equipment?

I promise you, the TT Bootcamps System can – and will – get your clients more results, without requiring any more work on your part.

Click here to get 31 Done-For-You no-equipment bootcamp workouts

It will free up even more time and energy for you to fill your bootcamps and build the life you deserve.

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Bootcamp Marketing Tip #1

Here’s bootcamp marketing expert Steve Hochman’s world famous “human billboard marketing tip”…

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The first thing I’m gonna talk about is my now world-famous human billboard marketing system.

Now, the human billboard marketing system works off of the law of reciprocity, where you do something nice for someone and they feel compelled to do something for you.

And it goes a little bit farther than that, but here’s how it works.  You’re gonna get 21 people that they’re gonna be your human billboards.

In other words, they’re gonna barter your Boot Camp services, and in exchange for getting free Boot Camp, they are gonna sign a contract that they will agree to refer one paying client per month.  All right?

So, they get free Boot Camp services.

But they’re gonna get YOU one free client per month.

And I’m gonna tell you about some really innovative tools you’re gonna give your human billboards to make it easier than heck for them to refer you tons of clients.

Now, let me show you how significant this is, and how you could go from zero to a six-figure income in 60 days with the human billboard marketing system.

If you take 21 human billboards and you times that by $199.00 per month, which is what I charge for my Boot Camps for a year contract on auto debit.  So, it’s $199.00 a month times 21 human billboards.

So, if each person refers you just 1 client, in 30 days, you’re gonna have 21 paying clients.

Twenty-one (21) paying clients at $199.00 a month equals $4,179.00 each and every month, after only 30 days, without spending one single penny out of your pocket.

Now, in month 2, those 21 human billboards are gonna refer you one more client.  That’s gonna bring you up to 42 paying clients at 199 a month, which equals $8,358.00 a month, by day number 60, without spending any money.

And $8,358.00 a month times 12 months equals $100,296.00 a year.

So, you see how powerful that is?  How easy it is to grow a Six-Figure Boot Camp?

How easy is it to get 21 people to be your human billboards, have them each refer 1 person a month, and sign a contract stating that they are going to do so?

Not only are they gonna refer you one person a month, but they’re not gonna tell a single soul about the very special deal that you gave them.  And after two months, you are on track to making $100,000.00 a year.

So, now, what you’re probably wondering is, “That sounds great, Steve, now where in the heck do I find these human billboards?”  And where I find them, and I’ll usually find about 21 of them in the first couple of days even, is on Craigslist.

But it’s more than just Craigslist.  You gotta know where to advertise on Craigslist for free.  Okay?

And there are six magical places to advertise for your bootcamp workout human billboards on Craigslist.

*********************************

To discover Steve’s 6 magical places to advertise your bootcamp on Clickbank…

…you’ll need to get your copy of the “Done-For-You” Turbulence Training Bootcamp Workouts and Steve’s bonus report on, “7 Killer Ways to Build a 6-Figure Bootcamp for Free!”.

Click here to get the Done-For-You TT Bootcamps Workout & Marketing Package

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