Friday, 29 December 2023
Sunday, 21 May 2023
Monday, 21 November 2022
Little Bobby Strong : Social Media Influencer
I have an unique side hobby. I collect fitnesss and fitness training related certificates. I recently completed an online course with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).According to the certificate, I am now a Social Media Influencer, specifically in the world of fitness.
The course was interesting although not quite what I expected. The course was more theory related than technical. Being the tecno klutz that I have always been, I was hoping for more practical knowledge on creating and editing videos and growing my video audience. Much of the information presented was general with not much on specifics. They did provide links to other sites that an aspiring Social Media Influencer could use to build their brand. In summary, this course was average but left me with many unanswered questions on how to make my mark.Much of the information could probably be obtained for free on the internet. I would rate the course two and a half stars out of five.
That's right, I said videos! I will still write blogs but I will also create video blogs (or vlogs) related to fitness, exercise and sports. To view them, type Little Bobby Strong into the search engine on the YouTube platform.I hope to apply the same critical and sometimes irreverent search for answers in the unique world of fitness. Why be a Fitness Influencer unless I can influence somebody?
.Here are some links for your viewing enjoyment.
Do not hesitate to Like, Comment, Share, or Subscribe!
Little Bobby Strong
Monday, 29 August 2022
Kicked Off or Kicked to the Curb with Kickoff.com Personal Training?
I am always on the look out for opportunities to expand my fitness trainer horizons! I first saw the posting for Kickoff.com in the fall of 2021 on Indeed.com which is generally regarded as a reputable job website. Kickoff Personal Training is a California based company that used to go by the name Kudos.When I clicked on the Kickoff.com job description, what greeted me looked extremely promising.
- Kickoff.com needs fitness trainers or 'health coaches' to train clients remotely. That means that the trainer coaches the client over the internet using the Kickoff training app.
- Kickoff has their own Artificial Intelligence to set up training routines.
- The client provides their current fitness, goals, access to exercise equipment (if any), work out preferences, and any history of injuries or health concerns to the trainer.
- The Artificial Intelligence then determines a potential workout regime based on the information provided.
- The trainer texts the client daily for feedback and makes adjustments accordingly.
- Daily meal suggestions can also be incorporated using the Artificial Intelligence.
- The client pays $3.00 per day for a basic package or $90.00 per month.
- Since an actual in person fitness trainer can change from $30.00 to $75.00 plus for an hour session, the client can save significant money.
- The trainer and client are not limited by geographic location.
- There is also the option to sell or upgrade the client to live video training sessions.
- With live video training, the client would pay more and the Fitness Trainer would be paid more.
Job Type: Part Time - Salary: $3,000 to $5.000 per month
"Say what?" That is a significant amount for an extra income. My interest was definitely piqued. At the same time I had certain reservations about online Fitness Training.
- How do you perform a thorough physical assessment of a client without being physically present?
- Can the trainer ensure the safety of the client without actually being there?
- There could be potential liability issues if an online client is injured.
- The liability insurance that I have with the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology provides coverage using their assessment protocol in which a fitness trainer is supposedly there in the flesh.
- Online training could make the liability insurance null and void!
"Congratulations! We’ve reviewed your application to coach on Kickoff and would like to invite you to do a trial with us. We think you’ll be a great addition to the team! As a Kickoff coach, you’ll have an opportunity to join a community of coaches who earn $2,500-$7,000/month. helping clients lead better, healthier lives. Our technology enables you to help 40-70 clients at a time in 15-25 hours per week, working when and where you want."
This was sounding better each time! The potential earning bracket was expanding. I was expected to attract the first client on my own by attaching my profile to their banner and posting ads on Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, andTwitter. I could also rustle up former clients or contacts.
I inquired about the liability issues. Kickoff e-mailed a contract for me to sign and a copy that they give to the client.There was a strongly worded waiver for the client that looked legally sound.As long as I didn't deviate from the Artificial Intelligence assigned exercise, my butt should be protected from any lawsuits.
The e-mail from Kickoff also stated:
"We'll help you recruit 1 or more clients from your network and pay you a premium for doing so.This is the only client that that we'll ever require you to acquire." (Remember this line!) The Kickoff email continued with "After 7 days, the app will review your work and provide feedback. Once you pass and show us that you'll do a good job, we'll begin sending you clients that we recruit for you." (Remember this line as well.)
I pondered the offer for a few days. Finally I decided "Let's do it!" I signed their contract. I also completed a pictorial portfolio that I posted to various social media platforms. I had to get internet on my cell phone to download the Kickoff coaching app before I could transfer the app to my laptop computer. Now I just had to lure in a potential client.
After a week, I decided to tap into my contact list. I recruited an e-mail acquantaince who agreed to be my first client - after some gentle arm twisting and craft brew bribery. My client downloaded the app, signed up. paid for the month, and requested that I be his online coach.He did make it very clear that he would only participate for 2 months - no more.
I texted him his weekly workouts as suggested by the Kickoff Artificial Intelligenge system.I also added the Kickoff meal suggestions. It should be noted that I am a Fitness Trainer, not a Registered Dietician. It was up to the client to follow the Kickoff eating ideas. I also texted my client every day for feedback. I would scale back or eliminate any exercises that he found difficult or uncomfortable. Payments from my client were done efficiently. Payments to me were done in a timely manner. So far - so good. My client did complain that the workout app video did not always play properly and the meal choices were not always realistic.
After a week of daily communication with my client, Kickoff sent me a message saying that I had passed the trial! This signalled to me that I should prepare for the potential clients that they will send me. This did not happen. Kickoff notified me that although I had passed the client audit, my profile audit 'needs review'. Say what? My coach profile contained: a headshot, an action shot and a 'humanizing picture. According to Kickoff, the headshot and the action shot were 'too grainy'.These were my first portfolio shots.
I thought this one showed youthful vigor and a full head of hair. Too 'grainy'they said.
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This more recent pic. The balding 'Man of a Thousand Wrinkles' when smiling. Accepted!
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Arguably, my best ever action shot. Too 'grainy' for them.
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They finally accepted this action shot for my coach profile
In between my first picture submissions and the final ones there were at least 20 rejected pictures. Meanwhile, time was being wasted! No clients or leads came my way even though I had passed the
Acquired Client Trial Audit. In fact, three months had passed. My acquired client had said that he would commit to only two months. By the third month, I was getting suggestions on my coaches app that trainers that get clients to re-sign get more leads. It is now six months since I passed the client audit and three months since getting my coach profile accepted. There are still no clients or leads being forwarded my way.
Remember an earlier section of this blog. ''This is the only client that that we'll ever require you to acquire." This was followed by the statement Once you pass and show us that you'll do a good job, we'll begin sending you clients that we recruit for you." Why has this not happened? I did everything that was asked of me and had good daily rapport with my acquired client. My client gave me good reviews. However, if you look at the above underlined section that may explain Kickoff's non action. Since my client did not continue after 2 months did that indicate that I did not do a good job? Maybe this was their out clause!
During this six month period, Kickoff held periodic webinars. At first they got me pumped up. Now I see a pattern. The Trainer Coaches always talked about the trainers attracting their own leads. One trainer said that she had family and friends afar wishing that she lived close by to train them. Her point was that, now with the Kickoff app, she could train them remotely. Little was mentioned about Kickoff.com actually attracting leads and then sending then to their remote trainers!
I also went back and reread the coach's contract that I had signed with Kickoff. Nowhere was it actually written that they would send clients or leads to me! The e-mails were obviously misleading but their inclusion of the words of 'show us that you'll do a good job' likely provides them protection legally. It seems as though they never intended to send me leads.Those trainers that pull in their own clients and continually re-sign then might be sent leads from Kickoff as a reward. Fair enough, but this fact was never explicitly stated during my recruitment process!
I tried to contact my Coach/Trainer but she was on maternity leave. When she returned, her response was to check out some other app that handles business queries.Once they start throwing more technical roadblocks in my way, I begin to lose interest. I eventually messaged the Kickoff CEO just to see if anything would happen. A week after that my Coach/Trainer messaged me about my Calendly (scheduling app) availablity. A few days later I was sent a lead with a consultation time.
The consultation time was booked during my free period for me and my wi-fi connection was temporarily giving me issues with video chats. I told Kickoff to transfer the lead to another trainer.It was just the wrong time after being eager to go for months. By this point I was ready to mentally move on from the Kickoff experience. The fact that it took a semi irate message to finally spur them to action was also a red flag! I am now on a Kickoff hiatus.
How would I summarize the Kickoff experience?
- They provide the Kickoff banner for someone to advertise their remote coaching services.
- If you draw clients this way, Kickoff takes a very minor percentage.
- A Fitness Trainer can just do this without Kickoff except that they would not have the brand recognition.
- Pulling fitness clients out of cyberspace is a longshot at the best of times.
- A trainer with an established clientele may find that they can reduce travel, time and cost by going the remote training route.
- They can always use their own online methods that may surpass the Kickoff app.
- The liklihood of earning $3,000 to $7,000 per month with Kickoff.com seems improbable.
I gave it a try. It just didn't pay off for me. The most successful Fitness Trainers are usually the ones that slowly and gradually build their own clientele through hard work, perseverence, self advertising, and referrals. They rarely rely on some magic third party that claims that they can access a multitude of the unfit masses looking for the right Personal Trainer................
**A final note on this matter. As of Sepember 12, I can no longer open my Kickoff coaching app. Maybe I really was Kicked off of Kickoff!**
Until Next Time, Keep Fit
Little Bobby Strong
Sunday, 3 July 2022
Are Canadian Olympic Sports in Crisis?
I can remember the not so good old days when Canadians at the Olympics were sitting ducks. Underfunded, and undertrained, our amateur athletes had to compete with:
- Americans finely tuned through a competitive, scholarship supported, college sports system.
- Athletes from countries where Olympic sports like wrestling, soccer or track and field actually matter.
- Salaried pseudo amateurs from eastern block countries.
- Unnaturally muscled, gender morphing, machine like monstrosities from the same eastern block rivals.
Canada was the only country to host an Olympics but not win a gold medal. We did this not once, but twice at the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, and at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Sure, there were many well deserved silver and bronze medals. At many other Olympics, water sports like swimming and snow and ice sports provided their share of medals. Occassionally, there would be the spectacular results of a Nancy Greene, a Caroline Waldo or a Donovan Bailey. However, we were never dominant to the degree that one would expect from a nation of our wealth and resources. There was also the fact that many of the Olympic sports had little fan base or support in Canada.
In 2016 I wrote a post called "Does Canada Own the Podium?" The following is an excerpt from that.
"Own the Podium would change all of that! Sport Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Vancouver Organizing Committee gathered for a brainstorming session in 2004. A decision was made to have Sport Canada, the C.O.C. and the Canadian Paralympic Committee pool their funding. This funding was to be used to select potential medal winners from the various national sporting organizations and direct.the resources towards them. Future forecast was predicted by:
- Past Performance
- Future potential in the view of coaches and sports coordinators
- Analytics - the analysis of statistics made famous in baseball and the movie 'Moneyball'
- Sports with potential for most medals
- Sports with multiple events like speed skating (long and short track), skiing (alpine and freestyle), swimming and rowing plus track and field can yield more medals
- Team sports like field hockey can yield only one medal per team per gender
- Sports with weight classes such as wrestling can also be fruitful
- A weight class sport such as Olympic Weightlifting is a fringe sport in Canada whereas in Europe, the Balkans, Asia and the Mideast it is almost as popular as soccer. The potential for medals is likely low for Canadian competitors.
- Sports associations such as Wrestling Canada had the foresight to invest heavily in the women's program and reap a future medal harvest."
Own the Podium and the Road to Excellence were mandated to funnel financial support to elite athltes and sports with medal potential. It worked! Canadian athletes at the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 Winter Olymics were in the mix with the traditional powerhouse countries. In Vancouver 2010, Canada broke its Gold Medal drought as a host nation and won the most gold medals.. Summer Olympic athletes from Canada began winning medals on a more regular basis.
Then the milk of success began to turn sour. Disturbing stories began to emerge from different sports with similar complaints such as:
- Bullying, abrasive coaches
- Verbal harassment of athletes
- Promotion of eating disorders
- Fat shaming
- Sexual harassment and assault
- Sexual misconduct
- Perormance prioritized over the physical and mental well being of athletes
Disturbing stories began to emerge as a sideline to the athletic success.
The morale erosion began to make news headlines in recent years.
- Bobsled Canada Skeleton athletes en masse demanded that the CEO and staff of that sporting body all resign for constantly disregarding athlete complaints or 'sweeping them under the carpet.'.
- Some prominant track and field coaches received lifetime bans for sexual misconduct.
- In gymnastics a husband and wife coaching tandem also received a lifetime for psychological abuse tacics such as 'fat shaming' enforced dietary restriction..
- A former national team gymnastics coach was sentenced to prison for multiple counts of sexual assault .
- The Alpine Canada sporting body was accused of muzzling whistle blowing athletes.
- Soccer, artistic swimming, and other sports have had reports of a toxic environment at the developmental levels.
- Wrestling Canada contracted a lawyer to investigate the sport. The lawyer concluded that this sport cultivated 'a culture of drinking' within the coaching ranks. Gadzooks! Maybe I remember some of it through the alcoholic haze.)
A sport as pure as amateur wrestling with a
'culture of drinking'within its coachng ranks?
Nonsense!
*&^!% Bobby! You are a disgrace as a wrestler!"
The most recent scandal just hit the news waves last week. Hockey Canada tried to keep hidden a settlement payment to a woman claiming that she was sexually assaulted by at least 8 members of the 2018 Men's Junior Hockey team. Sport Canada is not pleased by the lack of transparency or any hint of a cover up. Sport Canada also wants to know if government funding was used as part of the settlement.
Despite the success of women's hockey, the enclosed ice fields are rumored to be rife with toxic masculinity. Until Sport Canada finds out the full situation, no more federal government funding will be given out to Hockey Canada. Corporate sponsors such as Tim Horton's and Canadian Tire are also freezing their financial donations.
****Now more allegations are hitting the news about another gang rape by members of the Canadian junior hockey team in Halifax at the 2003 World Junior Championships! Not good!
- Results were placed at utmost importance.
- The sporting bodies scoring the most medals got the most money.
- The most successful coaches were rewarded despite any possible behavioral flaws.
- Many of these behavioral issues were overlooked or covered up by sport administrations to keep the money flowing from government agencies and corporate sponsors.
- Once enough athletes feel abused or bullied the code of silence starts to crack.
- It should be noted that false accusations are not rare. Disgruntled athletes can make up stories out of spite.
- A wrongful allegation can ruin the reputation of an innocent coach or support staff member and even lead to job loss!
- We also live in a new era of 'woke' cancel culture in which 'tough love' style coaching and/or irreverent humor (like mine) is often no longer considered appropriate.
Canada is not alone in this. A number of former women U.S.A. gymnasts are suing the FBI for inaction and insufficient investigation of a sexually abusive team doctor.The Russian Sports Federation has been systematically doping their athletes for years, even underage figure skaters..
What are the possible remedies to these issues?
- Canadian Sport Administrations have to discontinue internal investigations of serious complaints.
- Third party legal investigative groups have to become the norm.
- More thorough screening of coaches, trainers, and staff is needed to try and weed out bullies and sexual predators.
- More women coaches for women athletes might reduce a historical temptation going back to the Biblical days of King David and Bathsheba and beyond!
- It might be time to focus less on the medal count and more on the developmental heath of the participants.
I don't know how or if these issues will be resolved. Hopefully they can. I don't miss the sparse medal days of Canadian sport.
Keep Fit
Little Bobby Strong
Sunday, 10 April 2022
High Performance Specialist
I finally did it!
After a year of studying, I finally challenged the theory exam for the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) advanced certificate as a High Performance Specialist!
What are the advantages of this specialized certification? A Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) (as I am) is limited in scope compared to a Certified Exercise Physiologist (CEP). Many of these limitations are gone with possession of the High Performance Specialist designation.
- A CPT is restricted from administering 1 repetition maximum assessments for muscular strength.
- A CPT with High Performance Specialization status can administer tests of 90% of 1 rep Maximum and higher. For example I can now test a client for their best single bench press were I so inclined to put their shoulders at risk.
- A CPT can not administer VO2 Max aerobic assessments.
- A CPT High Performance Specialist can administer VO2Max tests.
- A CPT is not qualified to test maximum anaerobic capacity.
- A CPT High Performance Specialist can assess maximum aerobic capacity.
Would I have passed the exam without buying the modules? There were many questions that were just general to fitness training and muscular anatomy and not covered in the modules. I am confident that I would have got to the 70% passing grade anyways but with less of a margin for error.
There were some issues that emerged, mostly through my own doing.
- The proper procedure was to apply for approval to challenge the exam first. I bought the study modules first by mistake.
- After studying the modules for many months, I realized that I had to apply for 'approval' to write the exam.
- The exam registration was $200.00 and had to go through a 3rd party exam coordinator, PearsonVue.
- We had to register with the name that was on our birth certificate.
- My birth certificate reads Robert James Coakley.
- I am registered with CSEP as Bob Coakley. At first I was not recognized as a CSEP member in good standing . I was required to submit college transcripts, and a fitness training work history. The name change may have caused some confusion..
- Thankfully, I sent some emails to the right people and things got sorted out. I was worried that after spending money on the study modules I would be deemed not qualified to take the exam.
Performance Enhancement Specialist: Hard Core Athletes line up!
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Until next time, Keep Fit, Stay Healthy
Little Bobby Strong
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Tuesday, 8 February 2022
Peloton's Rough Ride
Home exercise treadmill and bike company Peloton is in the news again 'big time'. (Pun intended). During the first episode of the the 'Sex and the City' television reboot called ''And Just Like That' the love interest character 'Mr. Big' is shown working out on a Peloton stationary bike with his interactive instructor. The next scene shows Mr. Big dropping dead from a heart attack!
Peloton stocks which had been soaring, suddenly went into freefall and plummeted downward. This was not good news for a company that has a brand based upon health, fitness and vitality. Peloton countered a few days later with the actor who plays Mr. Big, drinking a toast and planning another Peloton ride with his interactive trainer present in the flesh. A background soliloquy by actor Ryan Reynolds espouses the health benefits of the Peloton apparatus.
Peloton has since removed this rebuttal advertisement from the airwaves. The actor in question, Chris Noth, has suddenly run afoul of the #MeToo movement. A number of sexual harassment/inappropriate behavior accusations have been hurled his way by different women. The commercial has been cancelled and actor Chris Noth has been cancelled.
Peloton has had a rocky, roller coaster ride during these pandemic times. There are some unique features that produced initial success.
- Peloton makes treadmills and stationary bikes for home use. Most reviews that I have read rates their machines as effective but costly.
- Peloton gains their advantage by selling an extra app that includes interactive cycling instruction.
- The sessions are streamed live at various times throughout the day..
- Users can compete through an online system that uses power outage to to give rankings.
- A number of treadmills were recalled because of injuries to children and pets. It was said that the treadmill was too high off of the floor making it easier for a small person to get caught underneath the moving parts.
- The lowest point came when a 6 year old boy died exactly that way.
- Lawsuits were enacted.
- Peloton stocks crashed.
- Peloton was recovering financially as lockdowns continued and people continued exercising at home. Sales were robust.
- Then came the Mr. Big scenario. Sure, he is only a character from a fictitious television show but the purchasing public can be a fickle demographic.
- As the COVID pandemic continued in waves the stay at home workout crowd started buying Peloton again..
- Stop the press! Another male T.V. lead in the series 'Billions' also has a heart attack while doing a Peloton workout. Television is not good to this brand. Fortunately, the character in this episode survived. Will Peloton survive?
Wait a minute. There is more. Is Peloton is getting smashed again by television?
- There is a recurring Allstate insurance commercial villain named Mayhem.
- Mayhem shows up in Allstate commercials either causing accidents or getting into them.
- A recent commercial shows Mayhem fly off of a stationary bike and smash through a window.
- Although not a Peloton Bike, exercise bikes might be perceived as unsafe.
- The actor who plays Mayhem, Dean Winters, also had a role in the original series 'Sex and the City'.
- What do you think - coincidence or not?
Will television give this company a break? Many of the reviews that I have read by Peloton users have been favorable. Most users like the interactive instruction and the sense of working out as a group even though they are physically remote. It has developed almost a cult like sense of community. Other reviews cite Peloton equipment as being costly in comparison to its competitors. However, if a customer can afford the price, why not go for a better brand?
This latest news just hit the media outlets today.
- Peloton is now laying off workers due to decreased demand.
- The interactive instructors are safe from the downsizing.
- The instructors have actually become celebrities and can make half a million dollars a year.
- Peloton has replaced its CEO. His severance will undoubtable exceed that of the regular laif off workers.
My prediction is that Peloton will weather the storms and thrive and survive. However, Peloton news changes quickly and often.
Until next time, Keep Fit, Stay Healthy
Little Bobby Strong
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