Stuff I Learned in 2024

This is the 13^th installment of this series. Things just got real.

As usual, it’s been a fast year of plenty of discovery, experiences, and lessons. I’m glad things feel like they’re finally in proper swing since the pandemic, as around here extra-careful work-from-home protocols have stabilized themselves and the city seems to be in reasonable function. A few highlights of my year were as follows:

• I was able to get back on TV after not doing anything in that realm since 2020. I always enjoy getting on the air.
• Among several speaking engagements, some highlights came in the form of speaking at a major university here in Ontario, along with being invited to events like CanFitPro (Toronto), Evolve Business and Coaching Conference (Edmonton) and Vigor Ground Fitness and Business Summit (Seattle).
• I launched a new program designed for tall lifters! Project XLT was a system I’d actually been sitting on for a few years, and I finally found an appropriate time to launch it.
• Of course, the writing remained a mainstay. I was published 32 times online, graced the pages of 2 print magazines (yes, print is still alive!), and was asked to contribute a chapter to a book by Human Kinetics. Not bad.

But that’s enough about that stuff. Here’s what I learned this year. 

AI is here and it’s making writers better. And worse.

I Chat GPT’d myself for the first time last month; asked a bunch of random questions. It’s pretty staggering how well that app works, and word on the street is there are other apps that are even more savvy. As a college instructor, I should probably do even more research to get a better understanding of what students could potentially use to their unfair advantage and get in the way of their learning experience.

But students aren’t the only ones under the spotlight.

I was watching an Instagram video containing a snippet of a podcast interview with a health professional and author. The interviewer asked a fairly specific question about her content, paraphrasing a part of the literature and encouraging the expert to elaborate. Her response was 4 words: “it’s in the book”.

Aside from it being an easy funnel to sales, I couldn’t shake the feeling that in this case, she was saying this because she didn’t write it. Bold assumption, I know. But it’s a much more realistic possibility than it once was. Asking AI for 3000 words on the Roman Empire is as easy as pie, just as easy as it would be to drum up book content with references.  I (and many of my colleagues who write) are quite committed to being sure they’re staying “true” to the process of creative content creation. Though this sounds like I’m assuming zero positives from using AI to generate reading material, I am aware that the landscape has drastically changed. Melody and I wrote every single word of Strength Training for All Body Types, and wouldn’t have it any other way. It helps you know your material and be confident in it.

You’re Only as Good as your Network.

In the talk I gave in Edmonton this year, one thing I made a point of bringing up was that it’s never a bad idea to ask for help. This advice came on the heels of detailing a specific crisis I was going through at the college, but could be viewed in a more positive light, also.

Any “big” venture you undertake – any endeavor that could be pivotal for this portion of your career – will likely be a tougher go if you try to do every last thing yourself. Moreover, anyone you respect who’s done something noteworthy in this game, almost certainly did not do it alone. Building a network comes from staying in your craft, not burning bridges, and being sure to support others where you can, while they do their thing. That’s a recipe for success, and it’ll probably feel damn good, too.

Let’s take it a step further. In this profession, there are many opportunities to admit we don’t have all the answers. Personally, I’ve learned to lean into challenging clients, but still operate within a space in which I’m confident of my abilities. I would gladly refer an in-season fitness competitor, a 3^rd trimester pregnant client, or a boxer to coaches in my network who have the needed specific experience. It’s best not to try to be everything for everyone. You’ll be better for it, and be more professional and helpful to clients also.

If you Want All the Results, it’s Time to get Real.

It’s basically 2025, and we’re still coaching our clients to have the right mentality when it comes to fitness goal-setting.

There’s nothing wrong with setting goals, and there’s nothing wrong with admiring a physique or performance. But it’s worth looking beyond the question of “is it attainable?” to instead ask just what the lifestyle is of people who possess what we might be after. Are we 42, married with children and with a full time job, seeking a similar physique to a lifter who’s 42, childless, rich, and essentially paid to train?

Here’s a more relatable one: Are we approaching (or in) middle age, and chasing results to have a body of our athletic 22-year-old self?

This isn’t sidestepping the responsibility and potential results that can earned through good, hard training and nutrition. It’s simply applying a dose of reality. To walk around at 8 or 10% body fat, who would be turn into? And, is that what we’d want?  What does it really look like to live that life, beyond the physique? Often, people don’t think too far beyond the achievement of a goal – to the maintenance of said goal. This goes for both performance oriented training and physique oriented training. It’s better to ask the question, “just how does a body in great shape look and perform for someone with my life demands?”. Using this context drastically changes the complexion of the discussion and will probably influence your expectations. And only you can answer this question for yourself, using honesty as the denominator.

Interlude: My Top 12 Movies of 2024

This year saw a slight improvement in film quality, but I still don’t think we’re at the level we were pre-pandemic.

Admittedly, due to being busy with work, I didn’t get to see all the films I’d meant to check out this year, and I suspect a couple I left out may have crept on to this list had I been able to.

These 12 films, however, did enough for me to remember them by the end of the year. Here are my choices, in order.

1. Nosferatu – I actually didn’t think I’d be giving this the number 1 spot, but it’s tough not to. I had a great time with the story, and the use of nearly grayscale cinematography kept it very true to its 1922 original (which I have seen). The lead acting was tremendous and nomination worthy, and the villain was menacing. It was good way to tell a horror story.
2. Juror #2 – Clint Eastwood, at 94, quietly directed and released this great little movie that pulled from classics like 12 Angry Men. The ethical dilemma this poses leaves you hanging off of every line of dialogue in a sneakily good courtroom drama. On this list, this would be the first film I rewatch.
3. A Complete Unknown – Timothee Chalamet lives up to every piece of hype he received being cast as Bob Dylan, and performing his own music and vocals throughout the film. The movie as a whole was fascinating as it knowingly failed to crack the enigma of a brooding folk artist who certainly marched to the beat of his own drum. I smell a best actor Oscar nomination, and possibly a win.
4. Deadpool and Wolverine – This is the only Marvel movie I’ve watched since 2022, as I’ve been on official hiatus. I’m glad this was the exception. Some don’t place this film at quite the same level I do, but I found this to be a hilariously self-aware instalment that focused more on the shortcomings of the very same comic universe I’ve been frustrated with. Lots of fun to be had here.
5. Heretic – I think Hugh Grant delivered one of the year’s best performances in a very unique spin on horror, predicated on planting seeds of doubt, making you think, but being sure to keep its messaging neutral at the same time, which is important for the subject matter.
6. Emilia Perez – I started this film thinking it was silly and full of musical tropes, but I walked away thinking that film finished nowhere near where it started. The turns this takes warrant a very blind viewing; seriously. Don’t even check a trailer or written synopsis. Great acting from the three main characters, including Selena Gomez.
7. Dune Part 2 – I continue to enjoy the immersion into this world, and for another year, Denis Villeneuve has a justified spot as a director of a movie from my top list of the year. I don’t think he’s capable of making something “bad”. The depth of this all star cast just goes to show how many actors are looking to work with him in any capacity possible. And I’m here for it. Great acting and sci-fi visuals here.
8. Longlegs – What a chilly horror film that basks in its minimalism. On a technical level, this did a lot “right”, and created an ambience that never keeps you comfortable in your seat.
9. The Brutalist – At 3 hours, 40 minutes, this was an epic that even had its own intermission at the halfway point in the theatre. The entire film subtly delivers themes and food for thought surrounding success, the American dream itself, loyalty, addiction, devotion to things you care about, and help for those in need. This is two-parts character study on a driven (but also conflicted) lead character.  And it’s acted wonderfully by the entire cast. Adrian Brody is on his game here, as he was made for this stuff.
10. We Live in Time – A slice-of-life film telling its story in a less-than-conventional way, that ends up finding its focus on a (well acted) Florence Pugh character who is a wife and mother facing a life-altering reality. This one makes you think about the things that really matter.
11. Gladiator 2 – Was I happy this was announced to come out? No. Was it as good as its 2000 predecessor? Also no. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was entertaining – with grand cinematography. There were some over the top moments, but Paul Mescal’s take on the leading role coupled with what nostalgia the film could elicit as a whole from an 86 year old Ridley Scott, coupled by some typical show-stealing by my guy Denzel, and it’s a pretty good time in the theater.
12. It Ends with Us – I review the movie, and not the drama surrounding it. And by now, I’m sure we all know about all the drama this cast has created in its discord. Regardless, I respect the finished product of this screenplay, because not only is there an audience for this drama-in-disguise, there’s also a need for its messaging to be put out in the mainstream. I appreciated the fact that what seemed to be throwaway supporting characters revealed themselves to have purpose, and the themes were clear.

There were so many films I was looking forward to this year that ended up being right on the border of something solid, but simply missing the mark for various reasons (Films like Trap, Never Let Go, Speak No Evil, and of course, the unwelcome 2024 follow-up to my 2019 best film of the year, Joker) that did not make this list, and I’m sad I didn’t see how films like September 5, Conclave, and the apparently divisive The Substance would have fit into my rankings. Similar to what happened in 2023/24 when I watched American Fiction days after my December 31 deadline (and a week after releasing last year’s Stuff I Learned article), I was sad I couldn’t see it in time; it would have been a shoo-in for a top 6 placing. In 2025, I might return to some comic book stuff, as Captain America: Brave New World seems to show promise.

Back to our scheduled program.

Your Referrals will be as good as your clients who referred them

Ever hear the adage that we’re the average of the 5 people we spend the most time around?

In the fitness game, we can play that card when it comes to leads and referrals. We all want to be busy with clients in this industry, but the quality of clients matters just as much as getting them. For that, it can sometimes take just as much of a vetting process toward the client, as the client may have toward us when determining if the fit is right.

Simply put: In my experience, it’s been highly unlikely for a client who’s flaky, inconsistent, or otherwise not “solid” to give a referral who doesn’t possess at least some of the same characteristics. On the flip side, it’s been highly unlikely for a client who is solid, reliable, and good for the money, to refer a client who isn’t.

When you think about it, it makes sense. In life, we’re naturally going to gravitate toward people who support our state of being and have something similar in common. It’s less likely we’re going to choose to spend the most amount of time around people who challenge us, our interests, or our natural “way”. The latter usually occurs by way of voluntary choice, and it doesn’t happen early in life.

All of this to say, if you’re a fitness professional, it’s important to protect your business, and that may mean periodically biting the bullet and realizing the fit might not be right.

It’ll save hassles down the road.

You’re probably not doing as bad as you think

Over the past year, I’ve been reminded more than once of this one, and believe me, this subheading is not about to be a pointless pontificating monologue. There’s a reason.

We’re all doing the best we can, and social media and a general “outside-in” vantage point to the lives of other fitness professionals can sometimes affect our perception of how well people are doing (and possibly, how we size up to that). Glossy social media tiles depicting a thriving business can often cloud the reality of something I’ve stated before and will continue to state until I’m proven otherwise: This is a big hustle game. Everyone’s on their grind. And in this world, a thriving business doesn’t always mean millionaire business owners.

You don’t pick this industry because you know it’s a guaranteed mil-ticket. And it’s a good practice to put things in perspective.

Humbly, I’m not about to speak like I’m the paragon of savvy business strategy or marketing decisions. I’m furthest from it. But let’s take a look at my current stuff as an example:

• I’m a trainer who bills a competitively high rate per session.
• I’m a part-time college professor.
• I speak all over the place.
• I’m a writer for lots of publications. And I’m even on the advisory board for two of them.
• I do online program design.
• I have a book out.
• I just released a new program for tall lifters.

I’ll be the first to say: The above is pretty good. And I make a good living thanks to all this.

But it certainly doesn’t mean I’m making pro athlete money. I own a condo and have a mortgage. I drive a solid car that is not a Maserati or G Wagon. I don’t default on my payments. Every expense is paid 100% by myself. And I can enjoy social time and funding a couple of hobbies when needed.

I live in one of the literal most expensive cities on the planet, which influences lots of the above (believe me – if I listed my total month-to-month expenses as a lone wolf, many reading this would be gobsmacked), but the fact remains: Doing “well” is relative, and sometimes misleading. If we fall down that rabbit hole, we could end up discouraging ourselves, and discounting our own personal accomplishments. I say this to simply reset the perspectives on what “success” might mean to you, in this industry. Behind the scenes, some things aren’t as they appear. Keep grinding and make helping others top priority, and you’ll do well for yourself. It’s a recipe for good things to happen.

2025

Less than a day away and the time seems to go by faster and faster. I’ve got a few personal projects on the go for 2025, including more travel, and hopefully a great year of training. You may have noticed less training-specific stuff this year, and more fitness professional stuff – and it kind of speaks to the general motif of 2024 for me. Finding the right balance is key for motivation, and though I’ve trained an average of 4-6 times per week every week this year, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have droughts and dips in motivation to train or eat well.  This will be a great area of focus to explore as I slowly push 40. Looking forward to the game!