New Year's Resolutions

I read an older article today by a former Navy SEAL that encourages you to set a New Year's goal instead of stating a New Year's resolution. A resolution is a course of action determined or decided on. A goal is defined as the purpose toward which an endeavor is directed (an objective). Without an ultimate purpose, resolutions fall flat and are quickly forgotten. For example, don't just resolve to quit smoking. Set a goal of improving your cardiovascular performance by 20% and let quitting smoking be one of the strategies to help you accomplish it.

It may seem like a matter of semantics, but it is a big difference. Breaking a habit is hard, so you need to tie it to achieving a measurable improvement in your quality of life. It takes the emphasis off the pain of change and shifts it to the benefits of change!

Good luck and have a great New Year!

Our Kids Need Our Help

OK, let's take a moment off from incessantly worrying about our weight and level of fitness. Something MUST be done about the growing obesity epidemic that is affecting the children of this country. There are many causes for this, and we can debate until we are blue in the face of what needs to be tackled first. However, in my humble opinion, here are the priorities (in no particular order):

Promote physical education in schools. Students are a captive audience and lifelong physical fitness needs to be part of the curriculum until graduation from high school. Yes, we need to educate the future scientists, doctors, teachers and businesspeople of the world. However, we do not want our future leaders to be hamstrung by poor health throughout their lives in an effort to promote higher standardized test scores.


Get them moving. Is this really a problem? Watch the reaction of a teenager when you ask them to walk three blocks to a friend's house instead of driving, riding a motorized scooter or having someone come pick them up. In most cases, they will look at you like you have sprouted a second head. We need to encourage our kids to incorporate physical exertion into their daily activities. The simplest form of encouragement may involve parents saying "no" when they ask for a ride down the street.


Get control of the school lunch program. The garbage kids have available to them at the school cafeteria is unacceptable. Demand that your school board take action to make school a junk free zone.


Encourage "real" play. If your child can beat everyone in Playstation's Madden Football, but they can't run a mile, you have a severe problem. Limit the amount of TV they watch and video games they play and push them outside to participate in real sports (even if it is non-competitive).


Clean out your cupboards. Children get fat from eating too much and exercising too little. Since they probably eat 2/3 of their meals at home, parents must do a better job of having the right food available, limiting the junk food they keep in the cupboards and having sensible, sit-down meals together.


Set a good example. Your children look to you for examples of good behavior and how to act as a future adult. Parents need to make sure they are exercising and eating well in front of their kids, so it becomes the standard for their lives after they leave home one day.

All of these efforts seem like common sense, and they are. However, we as parents are not being proactive enough in solving the problem. This nation is on track to have an entire generation of unfit adults within the next 20 years. The resulting health care costs and lowered productivity that will result from this fact will be detrimental to our society. The time to act is now. Do your part!

Escalating Density Training

I am not one to follow the latest fad or fitness craze, but this training method by Charles Staley, board member of the International Sports Science Association, is something I just have to plug. I have been using his technique for 8 months, and the results I have seen have been nothing short of extraordinary.

For the busy professional, it is a simple and efficient method of resistance training that fits in well with a complicated work schedule. It emphasizes using compound movements in a restricted time period to greatly increase the intensity, volume and density of training without adding hours to your fitness regimen. On a personal note, it has helped me lose 25 pounds of fat since January 2005, and my fitness level has never been better. You can understand why I am such a fan!

Staley does not believe that training for hours and hours using multiple sets on multiple machines to absolute failure is ideal. In contrast, he promotes routines that maximize efforts in 30-60 minute workouts just 3-4 times per week. Even the most time-challenged person can find 2-4 hours a week to better their health. However, his methods do require discipline, concentration and detailed record keeping. It requires a solid committment!

Staley pushes the concept of working in PR (Personal Record) zones where the goal is to accomplish more work in each workout session within the same time period. For example, instead of doing three chest exercises (bench press, dumbbell flyes and pec dec machine) by performing three sets of 10 repetitions (3x10) on each, he recommends doing as many multiple sets of two antagonistic, compound movements in a 15 minute period as possible.

The weight that is used is usually what you could comfortably lift 10 times (your 10 rep maximum or 10RM). However, you only do five reps before moving to the antagonistic exercise and complete another five reps. Rest periods are kept to a minimum, and strict form must be maintained. Thus, over the course of the 15 minute period, the number of reps may decrease and the rest period may increase to maintain proper form.

In the end, you record how much weight you lifted for how many total reps in 15 minutes. The goal is to do at least one more rep in 15 minutes than you did during your last session. This indicates more work done in the same period of time, and, thus, improvement!

This may sound complicated, but it is actually quite simple. Antagonistic exercise pairings are those that involve muscle groups that have either the complete opposite or non-related function (e.g., bench press/lat pulldown or bicep curl/tricep extensions). If you carefully keep records of your workout during the session, the pattern becomes clear. A sample workout session is listed below:

Session 1 (Monday)
Warmup on stationary bike: 15 minutes

PR Zone 1
Bench Press: 5 reps with weight you can do 10 times (5 x 10RM) in perfect form
10 second rest
Lat Pulldown: 5 x 10RM
30 second rest
Repeat as many times as possible for 15 minutes.
At end of the 15 minute period, count up the number of total reps accomplished.
Wait 3 minutes before starting next PR Zone.

PR Zone 2
Straight Bar Bicep Curl: 5 x 10RM
10 second rest
Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension: 5 x 10RM
30 second rest
Repeat as many times as possible for 15 minutes.
At end of the 15 minute period, count up the number of total reps accomplished.

Cooldown for 10 minutes on cardio equipment, stretch for 10 minutes...and that's it!

In just 60 minutes, you will have achieved what it takes traditional training hours to do. As mentioned before, you might need to decrease the reps and increase the rest interval between exercises as you become fatigued. However, once you increase the number of reps by 20% in the same time period, it will be time to raise the weight by 5% for the next session. This same protocol would be used for your lower body on Wednesday. By altenating these sessions back and forth, you can get great results in just 3-4 alternating days per week of training.

The key is intensity. You must constantly be trying to break your own personal record for work in 15 minutes to get results. However, this method maximizes reults and safety while minimizing the time required. Try it for the next 8 weeks, and you will see the difference!

My Life on the DL

It is only a matter of time: if you work out hard enough, you will eventually overdo it and place yourself on the Disabled List (DL). This has to be one of the most frustrating events that can happen to someone dedicated to fitness. You have in effect been rewarded for your devotion by getting a significant injury. However, all injuries (and how you respond to them) are not created equal.

The Nagging Injury
This is most likely caused by repetitive motion or overuse of certain muscles and/or joints. For example, you may start getting ankles that are getting sore and never seem to get better. It may never reach the point of outright pain, but that is probably on the horizon (see below type of injury). Your body is flashing a very big, red warning sign at you.

This is especially common in people who do not vary their routines or employ any real form of cross-training. You may do activities that are supposedly non-impact such as using an elliptical trainer, but end up with worn out ankles from the hours and hours you spend engaged in its repetitive motion. If this is the case, make sure you vary your routine. Skip the elliptical for a while and hit the bike, treadmill or concentrate on weight training. You also may want to check your equipment. Is it in good working order and stable? Can you vary the angle or intensity? Do you need new workout shoes? A simple change in routine or approach may help in eliminating this injury before it gets worse.

The Pinpoint Injury
One morning, you wake up and a part of your body (shoulder, knee, foot, etc.) does not seem to work like it did the day before. There may be stiffness, pain or swelling, and it is extremely localized and movement specific. The good news is that you can probably work around it until it heals. The bad news is you probably got it from going through your regular routine, and, thus are likely to injure it again if you are not careful.

If you are keeping a good training log (like you should!), go back over the last two weeks and see if you can spot any patterns. Did you add a new exercise? Have you been rapidly (maybe too rapidly...) increasing your resistance or intensity? Are you getting less rest between workouts or training some areas too frequently? In hindsight, you will probably spot some warning signs. The key now is to rest the injury, but not the body, and work around it. You may need to hit the "reset" button and drop down to a safe pre-injury intensity until you are back at 100%. The objective is to do a forensic analysis of the causes of the problem, fix it, and get back to full speed.

The "Smackdown" Injury
You are hurt--period. This is not a maybe. You have injured yourself to the point where entire areas of your body are involved (a leg, arm, left side, etc.). You will usually notice this injury as soon as it occurs, and it is EXTREMELY important to stop training immediately. While you may have had an old coach that would tell you to "walk it off", this seldom fixes the problem. This is a time for an immediate cessation of activity, evaluating it over the next 4-24 hours and then deciding if you need formal medical attention. Being a gladiator went out of style a long, long time ago. No one is going to cheer your courage from the stands for being hardheaded.

If you do not need medical attention after such an injury, you certainly do need rest. This happened to me recently after a rugby tournament where we played five games in one day. I pulled a hamstring and hurt my Achilles tendon after the second game, but I insisted on staying in the tournament for three more games. Now, I am on my second full week of being on the DL. Stupid, but true.

After a week, I was able to resume low intensity work again. If this happens to you, take antinflammatories and follow your RICE principle: rest, ice, compression and elevation. You may also want to do some deep thinking about your goals and decide if what you did can be avoided in the future. For me, I have decided at my age (36) that I will probably not play in multi-game tournaments any more. One game of rugby is punishing enough! Doing more than I can reasonably recover from just knocks me back too many steps away from my personal goals.

I am not a doctor, and these are not medical definitions of injury. However, these categories can be used to proactively treat yourself before injuries become permanent disabilities!

Fitness for the Busy Professional

This is an excellent article on how to incorporate fitness into any professional's daily lifestyle. The common theme is to set goals, be consistent and, above all else, commit to making the time to do it.

Good Equipment is NOT a Luxury

Anyone that knows me would describe me as, well, frugal. I do not own fancy cars, expensive golf clubs or big screen TV's. When it comes to things that are basic needs, "good enough" is my favorite slogan.

However, the equipment you use in your fitness program should be as top notch as you can afford. Think if it as a literal extension of your own body. The better the quality equipment you have translates into better, and safer, results.

I am not saying that you should become a slave to certain brands or clever marketing campaigns. I would never pay $200 for a pair of shoes just because they are associated with a certain athlete's face or a cool slogan. However, I do want shoes that are worth $200. The key is to do your homework and ask experts for their professional opinion. Here are some tips:

Shoes. These are extensions of your feet, and if you use them in exercise repetitively, they can be an enormous liability and chief contributor to injury if they are sub-standard. There are shoes for pronators and supinators. There are shoes for those with high arches as well as flat feet. You are probably not an expert at this, so do not guess. Use publications like Runners World to do your research and ask people in the know. For example, I was playing rugby with soccer shoes for a number of weeks since I no longer owned rugby boots. After a few practices, my feet looked like hamburger. Soccer shoes are soft and not designed for the cutting and pounding of rugby. I learned my lesson the painful way, and then I limped out and bought great rugby boots.

Treadmills. Go cheap here, and you will regret it. Running is a punishing sport when you use poor equipment. Those $300 treadmills you get at Sears may be a "great" deal, but they are usually junk. They lack cushion on the track bed, have low power, are unstable and break down easily. Go to your local health club, see what brands they use and then search for the home model of that brand. You can also pick up commercial models on EBay or from clubs that are going out of business or upgrading their equipment. If you can afford a commercial model, buy it. It will probably last forever with only home use.

Weight Training Stations/Machines. When you are pushing heavy weights over your head, the last thing you want is instability. There is a reason that some machines are more expensive than others--they are made better. In general, the machine should be heavy and made of a steel frame. There should be little to no play in the levers or cables at rest. Also, beware machines that can supposedly "do it all." There is usually a weak spot such as a wobbly leg extension or flimsy pec dec add-ons. Test all machines thoroughly and do your homework. Consumer Reports is a good guide for unbiased reviews.

Miscellaneous Gear. Gloves, belts, heart monitors, wraps and other items all should be top quality as well. They will last longer and help your program be more successful. All of these products should feel like a natural part of your body and be almost unnoticeable when you are using them. As a general rule of thumb, if you can "feel" them when you are working out, you probably need to upgrade.

You might have noticed that I did not recommend any specific equipment or brands. This is because I do not have any illusions about being an expert on any of them. But, there are plenty of experts out there. Whether this is a successful athlete or an experienced sales person at your favorite sporting goods store, you should listen to their input if they seem sincerely concerned with your performance. Model the habits of those who succeed, and you will have a higher probability of success.

Incidentally, this applies to business development as well. Don't buy cheap suits--people notice. Don't skimp on technology--it is unreliable. And, pardon my French, don't engage in half-ass business development activities--you will get half-ass results!

Atkins: Bankrupt!

From the Associated Press
July 31, 2005

NEW YORK - Atkins nutritionist Inc., the company that promoted low-carb eating into a national diet craze, filed for bankruptcy court protection Sunday, a company spokesman said...

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

...and personal trainers, doctors and nutritionists finally let out a collective sigh of relief to see this rather embarrassing chapter of the never ending story from "The Latest Diet Craze Handbook" start to come to an end.

Granted, for a lot of people, this diet did technically work. In fact, I have friends and family members who used the plan to drop some unwanted weight (but most of them gained it all back). However, it was widely regarded from Day One as a medically unsafe regimen that could have serious, negative long-term effects on the body. In short, the diet caused the body to enter a catabolic state where it consumed its own tissue, including lean muscle, to make a number on a scale lower.

However, there are two sides to every story. Here are some positive and negative lessons that have been learned by millions of those who subscribed to the Atkins craze.

Positives

1. Many learned to strictly track and log exactly what food they put into their body.
2. Many accepted the fact that, in dieting, ingesting certain foods must be sacrificed or severely curtailed.
3. Many found that they are ultimately in control of their own weight loss, and no one can do it for them.

Negatives

1. Some may be looking for the next "trick" to make them lose weight instead of sticking to basic principles of healthy nutrition combined with regular exercise.
2. Some may blame themselves for failing to keep the weight off instead of correctly blaming a faulty nutrition plan with unrealistic promises.
3. Some may try to simply "modify" their plan by adopting another craze that is just a hybrid of the primary components of the Atkins philosophy ("Atkins Lite" type plans).

The reason that this craze is disappearing, along with the revenues of Atkins Nutritionals, is that it is an unrealistic and unhealthy approach to maintaining an ideal body weight. You could always easily spot a disciple of the Atkins approach, couldn't you? Their faces appeared gaunt. Their skin had an ashy, dull tone. Their muscle mass loss made them look like they were older than they actually were. Ten years ago, you would see someone like this who had lost a great deal of weight, and your first comment to them would be, "Wow, have you been sick?" But, in the last few years, it usually meant they had bought into the Atkins lifestyle. Skinny--but at what cost?

People who tried and failed at the Atkins Diet should adhere to the positive lessons mentioned above and apply them to a balanced nutrition and exercise plan than creates a caloric deficiency of 500-1000 calories per day. What they should do is avoid highly processed foods, excess sugar, alcoholic beverages and too many trips to their favorite restaurants. They should engage in daily exercise (both aerobic and resistance training), each natural foods without the trimmings and make healthy food decisions every day for the rest of their lives. You do not have to live a totally Spartan lifestyle, but you also cannot treat every meal as Thanksgiving.

In jest, perhaps I should have latched on to this craze by offering an alternative plan that uses the same way of thinking to help people drop 15-20 pounds quickly. However, I do not think the Amputation Diet would have caught on as quickly, but you never know...

Have questions on how to do so? Email me your questions, and I will be glad to help as well as share with others on this blog!

Mix It Up

Sometimes, it pays to adjust your training to fit more closely with the exact goals you are trying to accomplish. Of course, this makes perfect sense. But, many people ignore the law of specificity when it comes to training.

It is noble to create a specific training plan and then be extremely diligent in carrying it out. However, as you become more advanced, you will find that designing training that directly influences the exact skills you are trying to improve upon works best.

For example, I have added sprint and hill training to my weekly workouts to compensate for the new demands placed on my body for starting competitive rugby again. I had begun to find out (the hard way) that general cardio fitness developed from running at a constant rate on a treadmill or in my neighborhood does not even remotely prepare you for the stop and go style of a competitive sport. This is even harder when you have younger and stronger guys chasing you and trying to turn you into a lawn divot.

Establishing a foundation of fitness is extremely important, but eventually, you must get specific. What are the abilities I need to develop? What are the skills that are needed from this new demand? What are my weaknesses that are not improving? This frank discussion with yourself must end with new action steps that customize your efforts to your new goals.

The same concepts apply to business development. Yes, you must learn the basics and establish a baseline of competency. However, once you get specific goals, such as developing your speaking skills or conducting great first client meetings, there is no substitute for actual practice and working on honing those specific skills.

Specificity of training is hard. But, trying to make your generic program one that produces specific skills that get you closer to your goals is much, much harder.

Older? I Prefer Better

When I was 16-22, I was a great rugby player. No kidding, it was my sport, and I absolutely loved it. The day my high school coach, who used to play for the US national team, came up to my Dad and said I was "very violent" and wished that he played more like me was one of the top 5 proudest moments of my life.

Yikes. I just started playing again, and I learned one thing very quickly. I am not 20 anymore, and a lot of other people on the team actually are.

However, I was able to hold my own. Yes, I was tired and extremely sore afterwards. I have to admit that I was also extremely nervous going to my first practice in 15 years. The nice thing about rugby is that it is a social sport, and it is very common for people to continue to play well into their middle age years. They are known as the old, crazy guys.

Here is what I am learning.

1. You play differently when you are older. You play smarter, look for opportunities and keep your head up.

2. Hits hurt more now, so avoid them. Go for the smart play that maximizes results without a lot of trial and error that eventually just wears you out. But, when it comes time to pop someone, do it real, real hard so they remember it.

3. Energy is finite. You have a limited amount, so there is no sense going all out, 100% of the time. It is also counterproductive, but you can make up for that when you are younger.

4. It is the little things and fundamentals that count. It levels the playing field with those going on raw ability.

5. I am better at this than I was 15 years ago. Not as fast or as tough, but better...

Wait, am I talking about about playing rugby or doing business development as an older professional? I forget---but it seems like they have some similar lessons...

A New Recruit (and a little bit green)

I find it very inspiring to see someone who is just starting their foray into the world of healthier living. It is relatively easy for someone in top physical shape to go to the gym for the 894th time for their next workout. It is quite another thing to see someone on their 4th “real” workout, whether that involves resistance or cardiovascular training. For them, it is all new, and raw determination is the fuel that is driving them. Without a long standing foundation of fitness, each workout is exceptionally hard as they push their bodies in ways they have never done before. They get tired easily. They get winded quickly. They get REALLY sore. And, they frequently look lost within the labyrinth of equipment that many gym veterans see as their second home.

These new recruits to a healthy lifestyle need to be commended. It is at this early stage that they are most likely to quit because they are the farthest from their ultimate goal than they will ever be. Praising their short term achievements is crucial to helping them establish a mindset that they will be successful over time with hard work, dedication and realistic expectations.

They need to be instructed. Many of the fundamentals about form, technique and safety that are second nature to gym veterans do not come automatically to them. The smallest details on how to properly execute a barbell curl, how to design a well rounded program, and how to incorporate rest and recovery into their schedules can make the difference between success and failure.

They need to be challenged. Some of these recruits started their programs due to the recommendations of a single person or from reading one article in a magazine. It would be easy for them to get in a rut and burn out from a lack of variance from their initial routine. As they progress, they need program adjustments that take into account their new fitness level as well as their mental need for variety.

All of these principles apply to new recruits into the world of structured business development as well. Their initial achievements must be realistic and recognized publicly. They need to be instructed and drilled on fundamentals. And, they need to constantly modify their approach to accommodate changes in their environment and personal goals.

For a veteran in either case, it may seem like common sense to do such things. Frankly, it is hard for any of us to remember the courage it takes to make such significant lifestyle changes for the first time. But, once upon a time, we were all at Day One. It is the point where we were the most committed and most likely to fail. We should all remember the difficulty in being a new recruit and do everything we can to help them become the next regular at the gym that never seems to miss a day of training.

The Next Phase

Eventually, you will reach your goal that you set weeks or months ago. At the time, it might have seemed like a pipe dream or a "best case scenario" that you hoped to attain. But, through hard work, careful research and determination, you finally made it. Now, the hard work begins. You have to maintain it or incrementally improve upon your results.

For example, if you set a goal of getting in peak condition, losing 30 pounds or perhaps completing your first 10k in years, it is relatively easy to get started. It is difficult, but not impossible, to stick with a plan. It is really easy to declare success once you hit your milestone.

The challenge now will be keeping your gains and continuing to improve upon them. Instead of huge gains, you will be forced to accept stability or 1% gains in performance as wins. For the type A personality, this presents many challenges including the acceptance that future results will be less apparent and not accompanied by fanfare.

Likewise, if you are striving to reach new goals in business development, your efforts will eventually change from conquest to maintaining status. Your book of business may have increases from $200,000 to $400,000 per year, but you will find it harder to see 100% gains continue over the long term.

The key to success in both of these examples is adopting the changes you made to get you there into your permanent personal and career lifestyle. They can't be viewed as one time fixes that allow you to revert back to your old ways. To have continuous improvement, most of your time should be spent identifying the most successful components of your program and fine tuning them to perfection.

Never lose your momentum. It will allow you to earn compound interest on your gains.

Cardio on the Road

Sometimes, when you travel for business, finding a good gym with equipment made in this century is harder than finding a good night club in Salt Lake City. I have found that there is a simple piece of equipment the business traveler can bring on the road to take care of the problem: a speed jump rope.

Total weight: a few ounces. Space in your suitcase: negligible. Effectiveness: huge.

Granted, it will take some practice and a few good size welts on your back before you become proficient at it. However, once you get the hang of it, you can use it in any area that has a relatively high ceiling.

Start by just trying to get 20 jumps in a row, and keep doing sets of 20 for 5 minutes. Try increasing your reps before stopping by 5 and add a minute on each successive workout. Before long, you will be able to get a killer cardio workout in 20 minutes no matter where you are.

At times, going for the simple and basic approach is the easiest way to get something done. It also cuts down on the excuses you have to miss a workout.

A Pound of Rocks or Feathers--Part II

There is another side to the equal weight of a pound of rocks or feathers. I argued in a previous posting that many people spend too much time over thinking the choice of what types of foods to eat or diets they should follow to reduce body fat and get in optimal physical shape. At the end of the day, you will gain or lose weight based on the ratio of calories consumed versus calories burned no matter what strategy you employ.

In short, rocks are foods that are of high caloric density and feathers are those that are not. If you set an upper limit of calories per day, simple arithmetic will tell you that you that you cannot eat very many of rocks before you reach your limit. It is a better strategy to eat plenty of feathers throughout the day to control your weight.

What if we applied this concept to business development? Does it apply? Surprisingly, it does, but in completely the opposite fashion. This is especially true for professional service providers such as lawyers, bankers, accountants, doctors and venture capitalists where business development time is at a premium. The fact that they have to practice as well as develop business puts an extreme premium on their time.

First, I will switch all the terminology and metaphors around so that they pertain to generating new revenue. Second, I will create a new simple formula to follow for successful rainmaking. Finally, we will show how this all applies to the real world of business development for a busy professional.

The Terminology
Remember the point of the food analogy. A pound of rocks and feathers are equal when it comes to calories. Rocks symbolize high-density calorie foods and feathers symbolize low-density ones. For example, you can eat four Big Macs (rocks) or 35 apples (feathers) and still take in the same amount of calories. Let us leave what is better for your arteries out of this for now!

However, think about this in terms of time. If you wanted to eat many calories as quickly as you can, Big Macs are the way to go. In about 20 minutes, you could get all your calories for the day. You would probably be miserable, but there is no arguing that it would take a great deal longer to eat 35 apples!

Business development for the busy professional is all about managing their time. You want to be able to generate a certain amount of new business in the shortest amount of time. Since they may only have 5-10 hours a week to spend on revenue seeking activities, high density is the way to go.

You can divide such activities into rocks and feathers as well. Rocks would be face-to-face meetings with prospects and clients, phone calls and other one-on-one type activities. Feathers would be passive marketing activities such as writing articles, giving speeches and engaging in other mass communications efforts. Both are very important, but they also have different densities in terms of generating revenue.

One-on-one interaction with clients and prospects by an individual is much more effective per hour than passive marketing when you look at generating actual revenue (not awareness or recognition). If you set a revenue goal for yourself and have a certain amount of hours to spend attempting to achieve it, you must pay attention to the mix of activities you are engaging in. For purposes of illustration, we will assume that spending one hour in front of a client (a Rockhour) is three times as effective in generating revenue than an hour writing an article (a Featherhour).

So, here comes the math portion of our discussion. Let us take the analogy a step further and say that every Rockhour generates on average $75 of revenue and every Featherhour can produce $25. I bet you can see what direction this discussion is starting to take…

The Formula
If you are going to manage the mix of your activities to maximize the effectiveness of your limited business development time, you need to keep in mind this formula:

(Rockhours)($/Hour) + (Featherhours)($/Hour) = Revenue Generated/Hour

By adding the sum of your Rockhours times how much revenue they typically generate to the number of Featherhours times revenue they generate, you get a measure of total dollars per business development hour according to your mix. Here is a quick example:

(5)($75) + (15)($25) = ($750)/20 = $37.50 generated per hour

Simple, right? Now look how the results change by manipulating some of the variables:

(10)($75) + (10)($25) = ($1000)/20 = $50 generated per hour

By spending a greater portion of time on activities in front of potential clients, you can spend the same amount of time and have a 33% increase in effectiveness AND generated revenue! For someone that has finite limits on their non-billable time, this is a critical concept to know.

The Point
Time is the enemy when it comes to business development. While marketing and communications activities are essential in helping to develop face-to-face opportunities, you need to spend as much time as possible in client-facing situations to maximize your results. These are the “rocks” of business development: high-density efforts to get to the revenue goal as fast as possible.

So, a pound of rocks and a pound of feathers still weigh the same. However, when you need to make choices as to which ones will help you get to the end goal quickly and efficiently, pay attention to the mix. Using rocks will tip the scale quicker.

A pound of rocks or a pound of feathers?

What weighs more, a pound of rocks or a pound of feathers? This common riddle is actually quite easy to figure out if you just take a moment to think about it. The answer, of course, is that they both weigh the same. So why do people over think the answer?

I use this riddle as an analogy on how people view their diet plans when trying to shed a few pounds of excess baggage, also known as fat, from their aging bodies. People over think the question of what is the best method of losing weight by participating in extreme diets such as Atkins, South Beach or even Jenny Craig. All claim to have the secret formula. However, there is only one formula that you need to learn:

Calories consumed – calories burned = X

If X is a positive number, you will gain weight. If it is negative, you will lose weight. If it equals zero, you will maintain your current weight. There might be some people that have to watch specifics such as their sodium or saturated fat intake based on their current health condition. However, for the majority of us, this simple formula will be all you ever need.

In past years, fat was the culprit—don’t eat it. Then carbs were evil—stay away. Many doctors also are concerned about what too much protein will do to you over the long haul. As a result, people keep switching from diet to diet looking for the magic formula. Guess what? There is no secret formula.

Food is not bad for you. Eating too much of any one thing is not nutritionally sound, so you should not exclude anything or try to force a eating lifestyle on yourself that cannot be sustained for the long term. You should be eating a balance diet of the most natural foods you can get your hands on and monitor your caloric intake.

Most people get fat from doing things we know will make us gain weight. We dine at restaurants too much. We eat too much in frequency and in portion size. We skip workouts. We partake of a little too much alcohol. Everyone knows this makes you slip into an unfit state. So, why is it so many people are perplexed on how to lose the weight you have gained from doing it?

So, if you are looking for the answer to this problem, simply do the opposite of what made you heavy. Eat less. Reduce portion sizes. Exercise more. Reduce the number of drinks you have a week and times you go out to restaurants.

Trying to find the secret formula of what types of foods to eat or what diet program to follow is like arguing over whether the pound of rocks or feathers weighs more. It all equals out in the end. Think of rocks as food heavy in fat, sugar and calories. You do not get to have many before you get to a pound. However, foods low in fat sugar and calories are feathers. You can have a lot more of them before you reach that pound. Concentrate in reducing your caloric intake by eating many feathers, combined with burning more calories for exercise and you will feel more satisfied. You can make that elusive X a negative number and find that your diet plan works every single time.

Like Finding $20 on the Ground

Need a reason to finally break down and get serious about that exercise plan? You have no idea how it will feel to put on a three or four year old suit (once known as your tight suit), and it be loose. Let me say that again. You have NO idea how good that feels. Every time you sit, stand, move, it just feels great. And, it is now free because you get to live that way every minute of the day.

Maybe you haven’t been there in a while, so it is hard to imagine. I equate it to the same feeling someone gets when they find a nice crisp $20 bill in the middle of nowhere on the street. It is an instant thrill and makes you smile whether you are a millionaire or fighting for every dollar that comes you way.

Exercise and discipline is a pretty inexpensive method of feeling that way. And, luck has nothing to do with it.

Keep Your Head Up

Sometimes, you just don't have it in you. There is no shame in that. If you are a hard charging person, giving your all day after day, it should not come as any surprise to you that you need a break every now and then. That may be in the form of a day of light effort or perhaps no effort at all. This goes for both your work life and exercise.

You can overtrain in both areas. Remember how we talked about momentum before? That same momentum can also push you right into injury in the gym. It could also take you on some wild tangent in business development, which you don't notice until you have wasted quite a bit of effort.

Putting your head down and working your butt off is admirable. But, hey, oxen can do that. Be smart about it. You have to occasionally, stop, look around, readjust, regroup and then reapply your efforts.

Cold, schmold

Warming up is an underrated thing. Do you always warm up before engaging in something taxing? I have to admit that I don’t. Probably most people don’t, but that doesn’t mean it is smart.

I am your typical Type A personality that is always about one minute late for everything. This is more stressful than it sounds. When you are running 15 minutes late, you know there is no way you are going to be on time. You resign yourself to being late and make the calls to apologize in advance. However, when you are running one minute behind, you think you might be able to make it. If you just hit every stoplight and traffic is just right…but it never works out that way. You just end up being very stressed before you get there.

So, I tend to shirk my warm-up responsibilities both in business and exercise. However, if you do take the time to ease into your performance zone, you find that you perform much better. You then wonder why you don’t always do it that way.

For example, today I was traveling for business in NYC, and it was my day to spend on cardio exercise. I went down at 6:00 a.m. to the hotel gym and saw way too many people clogging up all of my favorite cardio equipment. I resigned myself to 45 minutes on the stationary bike. However, after 15 minutes, I was bored out of my skull. I looked out the window, and it appeared to be sort of warm. There was no wind blowing, so I grabbed a sweatshirt and went downstairs for a run. I was stopped along the way by a doorman who asked, “Do you know how cold it is outside?” as he looked at me in my shorts. I hesitated for a second, but I was too close to the door to turn back now. So, off into the brisk morning air I went.

It was cold: 25 degrees to be exact according to a bank sign. That made it colder weather than I have run in since I was much younger and quite a bit tougher.

Believe it or not, the adrenaline and 15 minute warm up kept me going for the fastest two mile run I have done in years. I credit this entirely to the warm up on the bike I had done just a few minutes before. I ended up getting a fantastic run in while admiring the sights of NYC before it gets crazy in the morning rush hour.

Keep this in mind when you start your next workout. Cold is entirely in your head and can be conquered if you have the right attitude and take the right steps to prepare yourself. Remember this in business development as well. If you start cold with a dialing for dollars appointment initiative, it is painful. So, make a few warm up calls first to current clients, referral sources and colleagues. Do these calls first before tacking the harder ones to prospects or problem accounts. You will find that once you have the right mindset and are in the groove by warming up first, the effort is much easier---and more fruitful.

"Clink" is sometimes as satisfying as "clank"

When you are beginning to make progress, whether it is in business development or exercise, it is very invigorating. There eventually comes a "tipping point" where all of your efforts seem to have a snowball effect. Small changes start to mushroom into large gains.

For example, today I was doing some high intensity sets of free weight, 45 degree leg presses. About 15 months ago, I had minor knee surgery, and the slow progress I have been making to get back to my previous workout level has been extremely frustrating. Incidentally, to the chagrin of many physical therapists out there I am sure, it wasn't until I took my training into my own hands that it really started to get better. In short, my personal technique was to go as heavy as I possibly could without enduring excruciating knee pain to regain my strength. It has worked wonderfully, and I feel stronger now than I have in almost two full years.

Bear with me while I expand further on this. For months, I have listened to my trainers who insisted I take it easy and go with exercises and weights where there was absolutely no pain involved. However, it is mentally taxing to constantly struggle with resistance exercises where using 30 pounds was considered a hard day. Recently, I saw a TV show that showed an elite athlete going through intense therapy to get back into playing shape after surgery on his knee. Watching him made me decide to change my approach.

In short, there was no "nice and easy" involved here. There were plenty of grimaces that shown through the veil of sweat that covered his face. He fought for every single rep, and it looked like no picnic. He looked very happy to be done despite the egging on of his trainers to squeeze out "just one more rep." However, I think the happiness and relief that I saw was partially due to his sense of accomplishment. He was battling through the pain--and winning. That athlete is playing again and having a record year. Did he take the nice and easy approach? Absolutely not. So why should I?

I have been religiously recording my progress and trying to up the weights every time I get into the gym, even on the days where I felt like I had nothing to give. But, if you want champion results, I think you have to be prepared to give champion effort every time. However, sometimes a clink is better than a clank.

What do I mean by this seemingly meaningless phrase? Well, tipping points have to be properly managed. They can give you a false sense of security and make you start to believe in your own invincibility. Today was just such a day for me. I got caught up in the moment of a series of ever increasing workouts and dramatically increased my weights by 20%. This felt good for a set or two, but after that, I realized I needed to ratchet my weights down to a more human 5% increase from last time I hit the leg press. The results were much smoother and in control. It felt great to hear the "clank" that accompanies sliding another 45 pound plate on each side of the machine (and any regular free weight lifter knows exactly what that sound is). But, I traded that clank for the "clink" that goes with adding a smaller weight to the load. In the end, I was still lifting more weight than I had in months. That was a great accomplishment, and I will try to improve upon it yet again next time.

Tipping points, where things seem to get dramatically easier, can encourage taking shortcuts to a level you are not quite ready for yet. Remember one thing when tacking your business or exercise functional reserve: there are no shortcuts. You only end up sacrificing your fundamentals along the way. Manage your gains in an incremental fashion, and they become permanent. But, if you try to leap past your current level, you will get sloppy and lazy.

Keep this in mind when your business development efforts start to pay off, too. Just when you are starting to get results that are tangible is not the time to start ignoring your plan towards ultimate success.

For example, if you are now able to get new business from improving your closing rate from 15% to 20%, it is now time to try and learn the skills, and do the leg work, that raises it to 25% rather than expecting 50% is the next step for you.

You should use today's accomplishments as the base for tomorrow's gains. Be satisfied with the fact that the next step, a clink, will pay off more in the long run than the temporary rush of a clank.

Never, ever, ever, ever, ever burn a bridge

I got a all today from a friend who once held a similar position to mine. Through no fault of his own (he worked for a real group of SOBs), he was let go. Brilliant guy, 20 years experience, and he is someone you just naturally like.

He called me today to catch up. He is working on projects as a free lancer, but looking for a full time gig. We talked for a little while, and I told him I would keep an eye out for him in my industry. Three things struck me after the call.

First, I looked back and saw it was almost 90 days exactly since the last time we talked. That is discipline. I bet he made 20 calls today to old contacts to check in and keep his pipeline open. Good for him (and that is why he is good at marketing and business development).

Second, he offered me some tips for a sales call I have coming up this week. He had a scoop I did not know about, and it helped me immensely. Now, I had nothing to give him in terms of job leads, but he offered his info without strings. Think I will try harder now for him? You bet.

Third, I was genuinely happy to hear from him. It is rare that people keep in touch that aren't try to sell or push something on you. I know he had some other motives, but shop talk was kept to a minimum.

Neglecting a bridge that can help you in future business objectives is the same as burning it. As Harvey Mackay famously says, "dig your well before you are thirsty." So, if you have contacts that you think are honest, genuine, trustworthy and are good to have your name associated with, you should work hard to stay in regular touch with them. You never know how they might help you in the future when your back is to the wall.

Momentum is a wonderful thing

Ever notice that the first few steps you make, in any activity, are the hardest? But, once you get moving, keeping going seems easier. Try this the next time you are doing your favorite cardio exercise: go 5% faster. Not 20% or even 10%, just 5% faster. You will find that it is easy once you get to that level and even easier to keep it there. You can use your own momentum to keep things moving. In addition, you have just reset your standard of performance to a new minimum level.

By the way, try slowing down to about 10% less than you usually go. It's harder, isn't it? You actually feel like you are trudging along. Remember that you are now going what you used to think in the past was possible. However, now it feels slow and arduous. It is a great lesson in how maintaining and adding to your current level of effort is much more satisfying and a lot less effort than you thought it would be.

Keep this in mind when you are also practicing business development. Momentum has its place here as well. When in doubt of how many appointments, meetings or contacts you can achieve, keep going at your present level and push it UP 5%. Over time, you will incrementally increase your effort, and you will be dissatisfied to drop down to a lower level.

However, keep in mind that diminishing your effort, even 10%, becomes overly comfortable. But it is a real pain to get back to that new standard. So, keep pushing the bar higher...

Just getting started...

So, why am I here? Better yet, why do I expect others to come here and take time to read my postings/opinions/rantings/etc.? While I cannot speak to what may cause people to listen to what I have to say, I can take the time to try and explain what I hope to accomplish.

Whenever I have interviewed people for job positions where I have the fortunate role of being the "chooser" rather than the "choose-ee", I have always asked a standard question that tells me a lot about the nervous person sitting in front of me:

"Tell me about something you do with PASSION that you do not get paid for."

Frankly, I do not care one bit what that activity might be. It might be gardening, scuba diving, investing or even spending time with their kids. What I am looking for is the raw ambition to achieve something where the experience of accomplishing it is just as important as the ultimate destination. It usually is something they have always done on the side, and if they could find a way for it to make them lots of money, they would do it full time. If the answer is nothing but stunned silence or some corporate-speak BS answer that resembles a good "butt kissing of the interviewer", that is a BIG red flag for me. Anyone can work hard if I pay them to, but they can be fickle. I want people who work hard because it is an ingrained part of their being. Sadly, the answers I would get from most people is sorely lacking of any substance.

My passion is harnessing the power and pleasure I get from intense training--both physical and mental. I believe that each of us are constantly being challenged by our functional reserve (FR). FR is a simple concept I had described to me the first time I became a Certified Physical Trainer over 13 years ago. It is the difference between what we are truly capable of doing and what we think we can do. The key to success in business, physical training and life is making sure we make our personal FR as small as possible.

For example, let's say your body is actually capable of running 5 miles. However, now that you are 40 years old, you think that 3 miles is the most you can do. After all, you have been told that running is hard on your joints, you are not the spring chicken you once were, and that comfy exercise bike is "just as good as running" according to your peers. So, you end up only running three miles because you have set mental limits that have physical manifestations. The power of your self-imposed limitations may actually make you feel "exhausted" after that 3 miles of moderate running. Your functional reserve is that 2 miles.

However, I bet that if someone changed the mile markers or lied about the length of the track, you could do more. Perhaps 4.5 miles? If you did accomplish such a feat, does it mean you became more fit in just one day? Of course not. You fought against your functional reserve--and won. Now, in this case, you tricked yourself. Perhaps you could do it more consciously by positive thinking and not setting self-imposed barriers to your success.

Likewise, in business, I train people to perform up to their ability in business development (a.k.a., sales). Many professionals do OK, but they are hindered by quotas (from their managers or themselves) as to how much revenue they can produce, appointments they can attend or relationships they can build. Sometimes, it is even influenced by their peers ("well, I go on more meetings than most other people in my company..."). Is there any logical reason a professional can only grow their book of business by a single digit percentage per year? How do you explain those that grow their book by 20, 30 or even 100% in a given year? Are they gifted? Maybe. Perhaps they just have not set artificial limits on themselves.

In these cases, I counsel people that they should focus on shrinking their functional reserve. For example, what if someone could has time to meet with great prospects 10 times a week, but they are currently only meeting with 8. The key to success is to get 2 more meetings (not 10). Ten might be too big a goal for them, but two is easy. It might require more training, less screwing around or many other factors. But, they should focus on shrinking the FR--then raise their goal to 12! The money will quickly follow.

So, this blog will concentrate on Rainmaker PT (personal training). As a twist on the usual blather you hear about rainmaking (the art of generating business for you and others), I will address issues of business AND physical fitness. Why? Because I argue that they are closely linked. Rainmakers are competitive, goal oriented and usually Type A personalities. However, they are also a little bit older and set in their ways. In addition, I believe that people that are physically at the peak of their ability have a better self-image, have more energy and feel they can take on the world. Show me a rainmaker carrying 50 extra pounds and a few years away from their first major illness, and I will show you someone who cannot possibly be achieving all they actually are capable of. They may be successful and even wealthy, but they can be richer, smarter and happier.

By coupling physical ability, intestinal fortitude and mental toughness, everyone can be truly strategic in their approach to life. The betterment of the body is the learning device that unlocks the brain power and energy that is holding them back.

So, if you would describe yourself as a former athlete or competitor (personal, weekend warrior or organized) that has become successful in business (a rainmaker), but feel you may have lost a step or two over the past few years, this blog is for you. You might feel you are missing that little spark to go to the next level. Honestly, the difference between good and great is just a few percentage points worth of effort. If you want to be great, keep reading.

You will see a mix of postings on business development and physical fitness. And, since even Michael Jordan needs to practice free throws every day, I will spend a lot of time on fundamentals. Some of the articles may seem like they do not relate to each other. How can running my multimillion dollar business and spending time exercising relate to each other? Think of it as mental fuel to shrink your functional reserve. You CAN achieve more than you ever thought possible---if you just would allow yourself to do so.

By unlocking the physical power state of your body and achieving goals to lead a healthier, happier life you will be better prepared to take on clients, competitors and naysayers. Why? Because you will have the energy and the belief that nothing can hold you back.