These days almost everyone is on a social media platform. If you are a coach and do not have an Instagram or Facebook, you are far behind. Therefore, are likely to not reach many folks, assuming that you don’t have a huge reputation in the community already.
Types of Social Media Accounts
A lot of coaches have both Facebook and Instagram. In addition, have made multiple accounts. They have personal accounts and a business account. Their personal account is showing followers: family, hobbies and everyday life. The business account is showing: anything related to products being sold or Activities related to the business. Above all, Anything that could attract people to the page and product(s) of the business. Don’t be a business man or woman. Be authentic, and genuine. People pay attention to those who are realistic and authentic, not those who speak from written scripts and use difficult terminology.
Hashtags
Now with Instagram (IG) a lot of the posting should be consistent as well with Facebook (FB) but a tool that you can use on IG that isn’t on FB is the hashtag (#). During my internship at a local gym here in Erie PA. I’ve learned that to pop up more on feeds you not only need good content, but also need a specific amount of hashtags per post in order to be put on the Explore page of IG. This page will show what IG thinks to be posts that are in your interest including posts that have used the same hashtags or location(s). So the more you post and the more hashtags used, the better chance you have of popping up on someones timeline. This article explains very well the use of hashtags and the effectiveness of hashtags.
Groups
FB has the Group button where you can not only explore what groups are practicing or sharing, but you can make your own group as well. The image below shows you what groups I follow on the left hand side, groups that are suggested for me, and groups that my friends belong to or created. Then of course to start your own group you can click the + Create Group button on the left side.
Real Life Social Media Example
For example I am going to be cutting (dieting) soon and going to be monitoring my progress. I will be choosing a diet and then posting progress pictures on both platforms including the weight tracker tool here at FitUnion! I can make a group page for this reason, and try to invite people who wish to do the same, a goal related to mine, or if they just want to follow for interest. This could be a great gateway to start and promote your business as a coach. Not only will people see the product but also see you are a result of the product. You are the proof that’s in the pudding.
Taking Measurements are SUPER important to do as soon as possible! For instance, there are times where you will lose 2-3 lbs in the first few days of a new routine. Especially with 3-Day Refresh, the jumpstart to any Challenge Pack!
Many of the best fitness coaches always recommend starting every new fitness program with the 3-Day Refresh/Kickstart option. Above all, you can do this program in only 3 days AND be down as much as 4-5lbs. Documenting this short 3 day program and its results can be a great promotional tool if you eventually decide to do this as business too!
There are five key areas of your body you should measure: arms, chest, waist, hips, and legs. And don’t forget to weigh yourself each time you take your measurements!
Consistency is key, so make sure you’re taking your measurements the same way each time.
Measure Your Arms
Put your thumb on the opposite shoulder and stretch out your pinkie to find the center of your upper arm. Wrap the tape measure where your pinky touches your bicep. Record that number.
Measure Your Chest
Wrap the measuring tape around your back and under your arms. Tighten the tape on the imaginary line that connects your nipples all the way around your body. Record that number.
Measure Your Waist
Wrap the measuring tape behind you and around the waist. Using your belly button as a guide, try to get the tape measure level all the way around. Record that number.
Note: Utilizing a mirror or another person works well for this step.
Measure Your Hips
Stand and place your feet together then find the widest part of your hips. Wrap the measuring tape around your hips and try to keep the tape level. Record that number.
Note: Utilizing a mirror or another person works well for this step.
Measure Your Legs
Using the same method from measuring your arms, stretch your pinky and thumb out on the opposite knee and go up to find the center of your upper leg. Wrap the tape measure around that point and record that number.
Remember that a tape measure does not find your actual body fat percentage. However, it is useful to find the aesthetic change during the process of weight loss and training. Therefore, You should be taking before/after picture’s along with taking measurement’s.
Body Fat Percentage
We recommend that you use the skin fold calipers to measure body fat, due to it being the most accurate. There are various testing methods for the Body Fat Gauge. However, we will only go over two, simple and in-depth.
Video Walkthrough – Calculating Body Fat Percentage
Simple Method
This method is the less accurate than the in-depth method, it gives an approximation of Body fat. However, it is included because some individuals may be tempted to skip measuring body fat in the beginning or aren’t familiar with the process. We recommend using the In-Depth method below. When you achieve amazing results, you will wish you had!
If you wish to Download the instructions for Offline Viewing:
In order to find the measurement spot, place your finger on the top of your hip bone and move up about an inch towards your collarbone.
Step 2 – Pinch
At the spot we found in Step 1, Pinch (about an inch) your skin. While holding your skin, use the Body Fat Calipers and pinch your skin along with your fingers until the arrows line up.
Step 3 – Repeat
Repeat step 2 a few times (3-5) and average the results to get your approximation.
Step 4 – Chart
Refer to the chart below, utilizing age and skin fold measurement, to find your body fat percentage.
In-Depth Method
In order for you to complete this method, you will need to know how to use the Body fat calipers. Review the Simple method for instructions.
The In-Depth method starts with the chart below:
The chart labels all of the spots that you are able to measure.
Step 1 – Download Spreadsheet
Download the Calculation Spreadsheet designed by one of our Contributors, Jason Diebold: Body Fat Calculations.
Step 2 – Fill Out Spreadsheet
Open The Spreadsheet and get Familiar.
Blue – Values carried form other Cells
Black – Values you should input
Red – Calculations from within spreadsheet
Input the Basic Information:
Age goes in Cell B8
Height goes in Cell B9 (Inches)
Enter Starting Weight in Cell B10
After that, Input your measurements In Cells B14-B20. Some measurements may be difficult without another person to assist.
Over 40? Muscle’s depleting as you age? Or younger & want to add as much MUSCLE as possible? Checkout my post on Preserve you Muscle Mass to learn about how to end or slow the progression!!
We can not over stress the importance of taking pictures as early and as often as possible!!!
Here are 2 truths that we know to be TRUE:
Everyone is uncomfortable displaying their biggest before pictures in a skimpy outfit like a swim suit. AND….
Everyone who gets results is ALWAYS searching to find and post the very worst, “fat” before pictures that they can find!
Even just a few days of exercising and eating better you will begin to feel results! We want to capture ever inch and pound of progress that you achieve! These early changes, even in the first few days of exercising will really motivate you to go even further. Long term you will become proud of your result and then want to share the worst pictures that you can find too.
Having great before pictures is also super important for entering The BeachBody Transformation Challenge Contest. Entering the challenge can be a strong motivator to do your daily workout. Eventually winning a cash reward for your results can be a life changing event! As a long time Beachbody Customer and Coach I have had the pleasure to win the contest as both a coach and a contestant myself.
Here is my winning Contestant Video, just imagine how PROUD you will feel when the company celebrates your progress with you:
As AMAZING as it felt to accomplish my own goals. It truly feels even better when I can help a friend and team buddy win. As you get results you will inspire other folks to follow your lead and trust me you will be full of joy when one of your own wins too like Jeff did:
Well, we have a couple of solutions for taking your pictures:
You will need to take before and after pictures as well. Be sure that you use an adequate camera that is well focused so you can have accurate and clear photos. We recommend using a White or solid color background as plain as possible. Try to take all the pictures in the same spot each time for consistency. Using a plain background will help to extract pictures later for a great before and after shot like these:
You will need to take:
One of the front (coronal plane). We like to take this picture either flexing or with your arms pointed out from your body at 45′ angles to show your outline better
Then one from the side (sagittal plane). Either with arms down at your side or crossed at 90′ in front of your face.
Finally one of your back. Again either flexed or at 45′ angles from your toros.
This should be done before starting the program and once every week or so. The more pictures the better. I know of one guy that did daily pictures for 90 days and got into the commercial for P90X. Realistically you want pictures ever 15 days or so! When I did my 1st Power 90 and P90X journey I took pictures about every 15 days as I felt fit. So I only took them on lean days so the pictures looked good but at least every 15 days. Then label them so you know when they were taken until your program is finished.
These pictures will become a major part of us helping you to win an official prize from the company for your results.
UPDATED:
Lately have been using this new App called Nettelo. It works good to make a 3D cartoon image of your body. Many people prefer using these pictures to share instead of their actual body on social media and such.
It is easy to use with the directions inside the APP by only taking 3 pictures. The app then gives you all the measurements that you will need as well.
Lately I go back and film myself (just my phone) doing all 3 positions that the App asks for and I use still images from that video for my progress photos.
Here is where you Record your Pictures (At least every 15 days) and your Measurements (Do it daily) on our website : Add an Entry
Proper Fitness Prep begins long before pushing the play button and getting your body going. Without good Fitness prep and good goal setting, you may never reach your Fitness goals.
Tracking Progress
Its important to measure where you start and track progress to hold yourself accountable. That means having your before and after pictures as well as taking your measurements already. Goals are the first start to fitness prep and it can be as easy as planning where you want to be based upon where you already are. After that, getting your goal’s together and finding a program that is best fit for you is how to start getting things into gear. If you need advice on how to make good realistic, measurable goals go to my post about quadrant goals.
For more in-depth tracking, make sure you put a starting entry into our weight tracker to log your starting, and target weight. This tool allows you to also see how many calories to eat at each meal. What macros to eat at each meal, etc.
Going over the Program
Before starting a fitness program, its important to review the videos ahead of time. Some of them involve moves or routines that will be new, trying to figure them out in the moment can cause frustration or kill motivation for finishing the workout. Similarly, knowing the reps, sets, weights, and rest periods will ensure you can keep up with the workouts. In addition, go over the guide to your program. It will list the List the Equipment needed for your program. That will ensure you have everything you need to get started on the right track!
Clean
Make sure that your workout area is clean! Imagine in the middle of your workout you trip over a shoe, topple over and cause an unnecessary injury. That will only delay your goals and progress. In addition, Clean and prep the kitchen because when it comes to getting results, it consists of 20% workout, and 80% diet! In other words, It’s important to have a nice clean workout area and a clean kitchen so you can remain organized and stay on track of your program. Check out our Nutritional post and ensure you are eating healthy all the time.
Hydrate
Proper hydration is key to maintaining good workout performance. If you’re dehydrated as little as two percent, your workout performance can suffer. In addition, if you’re dehydrated five percent, experts suggest that your power output can be reduced by 30 percent. And it’s not just performance: Exercising while dehydrated can result in dizziness and cramps, ruining the exercise experience entirely.
You may not even realize you’re in need of a drink. By the time you are thirsty, you are already beginning to dehydrate! But chugging a giant bottle before you exercise isn’t the best solution either. Working out with a full stomach can make you sluggish or cramp more easily. Its recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine to drink 20oz of water before you start.
If your concerned about the quantity of water you are drinking, check out our post about Proper Hydration!
Pre-Workout Meal
Eating before your workout is important to keep you fueled during exercise, and able to push your workouts to the limit. Keep in mind that not just any foods will be good for a pre workout. Fatty or greasy foods can upset your stomach and make you sluggish when it comes time to get to work.
If you are short on time or like me, workout in the morning, you should still eat something. Theres no need to force down an entire meal, just opt for a snack. Usually a BEACHBAR 30 minutes or so works great for me.
Gather Supplements
There are multiple types of supplements that anyone can take, check out our Supplement post to find out which are best for you. Ensure that all your supplements are on hand and ready to be taken when needed. Halfway through your workout is not a good time to be hunting down Hydrate from the back of your pantry. Others are most beneficial to be taken at certain times. Pre-workout 30 minutes before or Recovery within 30 minutes. Knowing when and having supplements available can work in tandem with your workouts to help achieve an ideal body.
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When looking at different workouts, it can be overwhelming to determine which one is the best fit for you. If you would like to lessen the hassle of choosing, take a look at our Total Solution Approach and see if the package is right for you!
Continue reading if you would like to figure out which workout is right for you.
Time
The first thing to determine is how much time you have to dedicate to fitness. There is quite a variety of length within the Beachbody Library. For Instance:
10 Minutes – Short workouts that can help create and build habits. Some examples include: 10 Minute Trainer, Controlled Stretch and Unstress.
30 Minutes – Mid length workouts that can create foundations of fitness and strength. Some examples include: Power Half Hour, P90x3 and Country Heat.
1 Hour – Longer workouts that can enable you to break through plateaus and reach new fitness highs. Some Examples include: P90x, P90x2, Barre Blend. *Most of the workouts on Beachbody can be completed within 1 hour, even while pausing.
Knowing how much free time you have can help you be realistic about your SMART goals.
Time can also refer to program length, and not just duration. For Instance:
1 week – Programs designed to get you moving and establishing skills. Some Examples include: Clean Week, Shawn Week
1 Month – Short-term programs that help cement habits. Some examples include: 21 Day Fix, Let’s Get up.
2 Months – Medium-term programs that aim to build upon foundations. Some Examples include Insanity, LIIFT 4, Piyo
3 Months – Long-term programs that can push past plateaus and help achieve greater heights. Most of the programs can be completed within 90 days.
If your timeframe is limited, consider one of the shorter programs initially. Then you can build upon your skills and knowledge when selecting the next program.
Intensity
The nest step to determine what workouts are best would be to figure out the intensity of program within the time limits you have. Some examples are:
Light – Light workouts will stretch and improve flex ability. Some Examples include: 3 Week Yoga Retreat and Tai Cheng
Moderate – Moderate workouts will engage your muscles and help burn calories. Some Examples include: , Let’s Get Up!, Brazil Butt Lift and Piyo
Heavy – Heavy workouts are aimed at building muscle. They include: Body Beast, P90X, Insanity and Master and Chisel
Choose the intensity thats right for you based on previous workout experience and whats been beneficial in the past.
Workout Type
Now that we have a time and intensity to our workouts, we can determine what equipment we have or want to help achieve our goals.
Stretching – These workouts allow you to rest, recover and prevent injury. They Include: Tai Cheng
Bodyweight – These programs use Bodyweight as the major resistance, perhaps with some minor weights thrown in. Some Examples Include: P90x, and Power 90.
Weights – These programs utilize heavy weights in addition to some bodyweight exercises. Examples include – Hammer and Chisel and Body beast
We are here to assist you with help choosing your workouts that best fits your lifestyle, and allows you to maintain that lifestyle, with the convenience of one of the programs we offer.
First, we need to understand a few things about you:
What is your goal?
How busy you are?
What does your schedule consist of?
What has worked for you in the past?
From these answers we are able to window a set of workouts, and nutritional products to get you to accomplish those goals. We then narrow that window down to help with choosing workouts that you find appealing and FUN!! We recommend checking out all the programs offered at Beachbody On Demand.
It allows you to not only get the program you are looking for but a variety of others that are beneficial to your health as well. Yoga incorporated into my training to help with mobility and neuromuscular connection.
Every program when chosen, usually has some sort of nutrition program or guideline. Beachbody offers 3 programs that are “stand alone” programs. Stand alone program is are separate nutritional programs that can be executed aside from the workout program.
Ultimate Portion Fix is the expansion of one of the most successful weight-loss programs ever. In addition, it comes with portion-control containers that take the guesswork and emotions out of eating perfectly sized meals. Taking portion control to the next level with more information and more recipes to fine tune your Nutrition. Even if you’ve been using containers for years, this 30-day program can set you up for a lifetime of success.
How to use Portion Fix
There are a lot of Videos, from the link above, that you can utilize to customize and tailor the program to specific needs. Lets go through Step-by-step how to calculate and Use the Ultimate Portion Fix.
First thing you want to do is Calculate your Caloric Baseline and Maintenance Calories.
I Have filled in the Example Below
Next, You want to Adjust Depending on your goals.
In This case, I want to Build Muscle So I take 2270 From the calculation and find my Meal Plan. Then Bump one up to increase calories.
In our Example I would select and Follow “Portion Plan E”
The plan details out how many and of what color containers to fill and eat through the day. Simplifying the guesswork of macronutrients and allowing me to focus on Fitness!
I personally think we all love eating. For instance, after a good workout I tend to be craving my favorite foods, snacks, etc.. You’ll still be able to eat the things you love, go out to parties, eat at restaurants. Above all, This program teaches you what you should eat and why. There is NO measuring, NO counting calories, and NO cutting food groups. The 2B Mindset doesn’t “tell” you what you should eat. Instead, it helps you learn what you should eat and why.
2B Mindset includes a technique called Plate It! There is nothing to weigh or measure, just use the ratios provided for each of your meals.
Here is a Lunch Plate It! example.
Also Included in the 2B mindset are fridge and pantry recommendations.
Planning and prepping meals ahead of time is easy with the worksheets provided
Eating out doesn’t have to B stressful. The 2B Mindset has suggestions for all types of cuisine to stay on track!
This is a 21-day process that is a cleanse and weight-loss program. Eliminate certain foods and toxins from your diet, clean up your system, relaxing the nervous system, removing coffee, and providing antioxidant support for the immune system. Its not easy but you’ll learn how to shop, eat, and think healthy! You can follow Jeff on his journey using The Ultimate Reset.
All of the kits come with options that include Shakeology. Getting the very best essential superfoods, digestive enzymes, prebiotic, probiotics, adaptogens, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, all crucial to being healthy and feeling great. I personally love the Vegan Chocolate with some banana or peanut butter.
Shakeology can provide energy and Nutrition for the day and/or your workouts. In addition, also provides a generous amount of protein on top of all the superfoods needed for the day, in either vegan or whey based Shakeology flavors. So get that kitchen clean and prepped for the product(s) you have ordered or the grocery list given with the program!
Zone Diet
Another good method is the Zone Diet. An easier approach to portion control. Therefore, a good beginner choice and easy to maintain. The protein consumed for each of your 3 meals should fit in your palm. Carbs should contain fruits and veggies that are non-starchy.
Don’t forget to enter your daily log in our Weight Tracker tool!! It will help with tracking, monitoring, and guidance on how to eat to see progression for your weight loss/ gain.
Remember that if you are training and want to continue to build/maintain muscle, protein synthesis (muscle rebuild) requires you to have at least 1g of protein per pound of body weight (1:1). For example I weigh 204, I need at least 204g of protein per day to make sure I properly feed the muscle for rebuild.
So if you are using the eyeball method then I suggest you make sure that the protein chosen is very rich in protein. The eyeball method is used mostly by those who are new to dieting and want to start off slow and eventually get into the more complex dieting like, weighing/measuring all foods consumed. It is best for the body to consume all your daily nutrients through a healthy food source, but some of us are WAY too busy to make sure we are able to consume a meal or snack that is beneficial. Shakeology is a perfect source. Not only is it a great source for protein but all the superfoods our body should be ingesting.
Conclusion
Which ever method you choose is up to you. However, we strongly recommend tracking what you eat for the first few weeks of any new changes in Nutrition. Tracking helps create awareness into what you may be missing, or getting too much of.
Tracking everything you eat may sound difficult, here is where we call in some help:
MyNetDiary offers tracking and is FitUnion’s recommended method for Ensuring you meet your Nutrition goals, whatever they may be.
Click above to head directly to the MyNetDiary Website
is the hashtag (#). During my internship at a local gym here in Erie PA. I’ve learned that to pop up more on feeds you not only need good content, but also need a specific amount of hashtags per post in order to be put on the Explore page of IG. This page will show what IG thinks to be posts that are in your interest including posts that have used the same hashtags or location(s). So the more you post and the more hashtags used, the better chance you have of popping up on someones timeline. This article explains very well the use of hashtags and the effectiveness of hashtags. 
