The Personal Trainer Mentor Academy Podcast

Nik And Ant - PTMA Podcast

Welcome to the Nik and Ant - PTMA Podcast. All things fitness, business, personal training, etc.

  1. 12h ago

    “Your deadlift is wank, do this instead” | How Rachel Henley found her voice and built her business.

    The PTMA Coaches Conference is on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th November. Rachel Henley is speaking on the Saturday, going deeper on everything in this episode, including how to start a YouTube channel and find your voice online. Grab your ticket here Next up in our conference speaker series, I'm joined by Rachel Henley from Henley Fitness. If you've ever said "I just want to coach, I hate social media", she's the one you need to hear from, because a few years ago she said exactly that. In 2023 Rachel was sitting on 19 clients and close to dipping out. She told her mentor she hated content and didn't want to do it, then decided to make it work anyway. Today Henley Fitness has a team of seven coaches, a group programme that's sold out 300 spaces on all 20 intakes, and an app with over 5,000 members. We get into what changed. Sorting her own head out, studying how the platforms actually work, and muting every coach she followed. She'll bet you 50 quid you follow too many coaches, and that's why your content sounds like everyone else's. Once she started talking the way she does with her clients, things landed. She also breaks down why 10 million views on a funny video brought her zero clients while her pull up and RDL videos brought in the right people, why her 100k email list does the heavy lifting on launches, and why 90k subscribers on YouTube now bring her more enquiries than Instagram. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro: welcome Rachel Henley from Henley Fitness 01:51 - Who Rachel is and moving online during COVID 04:03 - 19 clients, ready to quit, and building to a team of seven and a 5,000 member app 06:22 - The "I just want to coach" turning point 06:58 - Why YouTube is the place to be if you hate social media 08:09 - 90k subscribers and more enquiries than Instagram 09:46 - Sorting her own head out first 11:43 - Why you follow too many coaches 13:26 - Muting every coach and talking like you do with clients 14:17 - 2,000 posts, 10 viral ones, and reviewing every week 15:00 - Finding your voice, and why AI copy sounds like nobody 17:42 - Scared of your personal followers? Her first 20 clients came from her own circle 19:55 - Going viral vs getting buyers 20:58 - 10 million views and no clients vs helpful videos that sell 23:40 - 100k on the email list and why Instagram is getting harder 25:02 - Wiggle Your Bits: the free programme that built the list 26:14 - If Instagram disappeared tomorrow 28:18 - Launches: 40% open rates vs story views dropping from 50k to 5k 29:53 - When content feels like a full time job 32:28 - "I hate content, do not make me do it" 33:57 - What to expect from Rachel's session on the Saturday 35:06 - Wrap up

  2. Oct 26

    3 Things That Keep In-Person Clients For 12 Months

    Me and Sky are flying solo this week while Ant’s off on another holiday (the girls in the mentorship have been counting, apparently). We open with Sky wanting a jingle after hundreds of episodes without one, then get straight into your questions. The big one was what three things you’d make non-negotiable in your coaching to keep one-to-one in-person clients for longer. For me it comes down to the first 30 and 90 days. Understand the person properly, their goals, their values, their reasons why, because most coaches think they do goal setting and they don’t. Future pace them so they know exactly what’s coming and what the milestones are. And get them a quick win, because nothing keeps someone going like seeing a return on the effort they’re putting in. Sky adds a really simple trick for monthly reviews that her clients love. We also get into how we’d plan our ideal week if we were PTs now, and what to do when your emails aren’t getting replies. My answer is you don’t sack them off. A couple of months isn’t an investment, copywriting is a skill you have to practise, and email is the one bit of your marketing you actually own. Sky flips it round and asks what reason you’re giving anyone to be on your list. Then it’s how to use your own races and community events for content, and what to do with a launch next week. Spoiler, triple everything and go back to your old clients, four people who’ve worked with us before joined this Accelerator intake. We finish with a heads up for Wednesday’s episode with Rachel France on biomechanics, ahead of her session at the coaches conference. 00:00 - Intro: welcome to the mad house and the jingle debate01:00 - Ant’s not here (yes, another holiday)01:47 - Q: If you were a PT now, how would you plan your ideal working week?01:59 - Sky’s ideal week: sessions midweek, Mondays for clients, Fridays for marketing04:30 - My ideal week: small group only, mornings, and slow Monday starts07:01 - Q: When do you cut your losses with a marketing channel like email?07:30 - Why a couple of months isn’t an investment, and copywriting as a skill08:54 - You don’t own Instagram: why your email list is your data10:25 - Sky: how do you actually behave on other people’s email lists?11:30 - Give people a reason to be on your list, and stop only showing up to sell12:49 - Q: How do I use our HYROX, Affex and community events for content?14:23 - Sky: what do you want people to feel when they watch it?16:35 - Q: How should I approach a launch week in the first week of November?18:34 - Your old clients are still leads, and four came back for the Accelerator19:57 - Q: Three non-negotiables to improve in-person client retention20:14 - My three: understand the person, future pace them, give them a quick win22:59 - Sky: involving clients in the community and using AI to show their progress24:58 - Coming Wednesday: Rachel France on biomechanics, plus the conference on 27th November26:03 - OutroTimestamps

    3 Things That Keep In-Person Clients For 12 Months

  3. Oct 21

    Why Your Challenge Launch Flopped (And How To Fix The Next One) | Luke Johnson

    THE PTMA COACHES CONFERENCE | FRIDAY 27TH AND SATURDAY 28TH NOVEMBER Two days. One in the gym, fully practical, with coaching skills you can use with a client the week after. One with the speakers, including Luke's full session on launches. Book your ticket and we'll send you Luke's brand bank calculator before the day, so his talk is built around where you're actually at. 🎫 Get your ticket here First guest on the podcast in about three years. Ahead of the coaches conference we're getting the speakers on to give you a taste of what they're bringing, and first up is Luke Johnson, the OG launch guy. We've known Luke since he invited me and Nik down to a Shredded by Science event back in 2017. Luke has launched everything from Alan Aragon's conference to challenges with 2,900 sign ups, and he treats it like periodisation. Pick the date, reverse engineer it, and get more specific the closer you get. Promote further out and more than you think, because nobody sees every post or reads every email. Give yourself 90 days if it's new, and accept your first one will be your best worst launch. He breaks down his brand bank, your audience, content and proof, and why one coach sells 200 spaces in nine minutes while another with a similar following struggles for 40. Then the stuff most coaches get wrong. Launching away from payday, why early January and early September are worse than you'd think, and why no one wants "group coaching". One of his clients got 10 people on a challenge and nine carried on to one to one. Sky asks what happens between launches and whether you should go back to back. Luke explains the peaks and troughs that leave in your revenue, why he likes three or four launches a year, and how to keep giving value in between so you're not ghosting everyone until the next one. 00:01 Intro: our first guest in three years 00:33 Welcome Luke Johnson 01:41 Luke's history with our conference 02:21 How Luke became the OG launch guy 02:50 How we met: Shredded by Science, 2017 03:33 Treating a launch like periodisation 06:00 2,900 sign ups at £49 vs 10 at £250: why both work 06:54 The biggest lessons from Luke's own launches 07:33 Promote earlier and more, and why you need 90 days 09:57 The brand bank: 200 spots in nine minutes vs 40 12:24 Matching your sign up mechanism to where you're at 12:52 Front end offers and first launch expectations 14:31 Launching around payday: build, pre-launch, launch, deliver 16:55 10 on a challenge, 9 into one to one, and why no one wants group coaching 18:14 Sky: what happens between launches? 19:12 Seasonal peaks and troughs, and why January isn't always the answer 21:24 The downside of back to back launches 22:51 Holiday angles, and why end of September beats the start 24:57 Building a stable business over 12 to 24 months 25:42 Learning from every launch 27:20 Sky: how to be ready before you launch 28:09 Grow your audience and play the hand you've got 30:33 Luke's brand bank calculator 31:44 Wrap up and what to expect at the conference Coaches Conference, 27th and 28th November tickets here ... only 9 left.

    Why Your Challenge Launch Flopped (And How To Fix The Next One) | Luke Johnson

  4. Oct 19

    Your Fat Loss Client Can’t Stick To A Plan

    Sky’s awarded herself employee of the month and nobody asked me or Ant. She thanks her parents for raising her in Grimsby, makes her case for a coffee and croissant voucher, and then actually pays us a compliment when Ant asks how hard we are to work with. I’m still recovering. Then into your questions. A coach has a fat loss client who can’t stick to any structure with food, and Sky reckons more structure is the last thing she needs. Give her one easy win that builds her confidence, even if it’s got nothing to do with nutrition. Ant gives his answer for enquiries that just ask for the price: give a range, explain what decides where they sit in it, and get them on a call. I take the big one on what holds commercial gym floor PTs back. The environment hands you clients through shifts, classes and website enquiries, so you never learn to market yourself in a way you can repeat. It breeds a bit of laziness, and the fix is doing the uncomfortable stuff that gets you in front of people. Last question is how to get a quiet client WhatsApp group going again. Sky says manage your own feelings about it first, ask the group what they actually want from it, and swap the weekly wins for conversations about what people are struggling with. I add that not everyone engages the same way, and that’s fine. We finish with Ant reminding you the Accelerator closes this weekend and it’s the last time at this price. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro00:31 – Sky awards herself employee of the month01:14 – Her case for the title, and the socks02:41 – How difficult are we to work with, on a scale of one to ten?03:40 – Q&A begins: fat loss client who can’t stick to any structure with food06:42 – How to respond when an enquiry just asks for the price08:02 – The most common challenge commercial gym floor PTs face10:33 – Why it really comes down to proactiveness and doing the uncomfortable stuff11:47 – How to get a client WhatsApp group active again16:07 – My take: different people engage with community in different ways18:19 – Updates: the Accelerator closes this weekend19:16 – Why it’s the last time at this price, and Millie’s 17 new clients20:30 – Outro

    Your Fat Loss Client Can’t Stick To A Plan

  5. Oct 12

    Should You Post Them If You Don’t Believe In Them?

    Ant’s hosting this week, Sky’s Wi-Fi is just about holding on, and I’m on mute for the start thanks to a neighbour’s hedge trimmer. Then it’s straight into your questions. We cover what coaches should learn first, what goes on a flyer, and how to handle an all-or-nothing client who’s lost motivation. Sky shares her brilliant week vs good enough week tool for that one. We also get into small group numbers, shifting your marketing when your niche turns out different, what to offer people who don’t win your giveaway, kitting out your first studio, how many leads you need for three or four clients a month, and your October marketing angle. We finish on whether you should post progress photos when you don’t fully believe in them. Timestamps 00:03 - Intro04:38 - What should coaches work on first: copywriting, Meta ads or psychology?06:50 - How much information should go on a local flyer?10:04 - My client is all or nothing and has lost motivation. What do I do?13:39 - My client says this is her “last push”. Anything change?15:51 - How many small group sessions a week is a good amount?21:09 - My niche turned out different to what I thought. How do I shift my marketing?23:52 - What should I offer the people who don’t win my giveaway?25:34 - What’s the one underrated thing that builds a successful PT business?30:56 - Kitting out your first studio: bare essentials or go for it?33:13 - How many leads do I need to sign 3 to 4 clients a month, and how long do they take to warm up?41:56 - What should my marketing look like for October?45:35 - Should I post progress photos if I don’t fully believe in them?50:25 - Outro

    Should You Post Them If You Don’t Believe In Them?

  6. Sep 28

    Why Most PTs Don't Last (And How The Ones Who Do Switch Off)

    We kick off with Sky's "morning meditation" and a proper academy debate over which event each of us could beat everyone at. Sky reckons arm wrestling, Ant wants a power slapping comp at the coaches conference, and I get talked down to CrossFit because Connor would probably beat me anyway. Then into your questions. First up, should leads from the gym floor go to Instagram or email? I'd do both, every time. Instagram gives you the quick feedback and the conversations, but if your account gets shut down tomorrow you've got zero way of talking to anyone. Your email list is data you own, and it compounds. Next, what separates the PTs who are still here years later from the ones who drop out. Ant talks about realising this is the thing you actually want to do, staying open to learning, and keeping your expectations real about how long a business takes to build. Sky brings it back to the freedom you forget you have on the hard days, and how nothing beats helping a client change their life. Last one, how do you switch off when you're self-employed? Ant fills his diary with volunteering and football coaching, which he says saved his napper a few years back. Sky had to learn to sit with the panic of not working and realise the business doesn't fall apart if you step away. For me it's having events booked in, something every three months, because if I don't I'll just keep working and skip training. We wrap up with a heads up that the giveaway closes at 8pm tonight, and there aren't many entries so your odds are good. Plus you'll be hearing plenty about coaches conference tickets this week. 00:00 – Intro and Sky's PTMA morning meditation00:38 – Monday hangovers and Sky's dodgy connection01:26 – Icebreaker: one event you'd beat everyone in the academy at02:21 – Olympic lifting vs CrossFit, and why Connor might beat me02:58 – Sky's secret weapon: arm wrestling technique03:46 – Ant's power slapping idea for the coaches conference04:34 – Q: Should gym floor leads go to Instagram or email?05:18 – Why I'd do both, and the risk of relying on Instagram alone07:44 – Q: What separates PTs who last from those who don't make it?08:03 – Ant: knowing it's what you want to do and staying open to learning11:11 – Sky: the freedom you forget about on the hard days12:48 – Ant: warped expectations and how long a business really takes14:23 – Q: How do you switch off when you're self-employed?14:53 – Ant: filling the diary with volunteering and hobbies16:08 – Sky: sitting with the discomfort and life admin as downtime18:04 – Me: booking events every three months to stay on track20:10 – Ant: how football coaching saved his napper21:59 – Final thoughts: giveaway closes 8pm tonight, conference tickets23:09 – OutroTimestamps

    Why Most PTs Don't Last (And How The Ones Who Do Switch Off)

  7. Sep 21

    Coaching With ADHD: How To Stay On Track When Your Brain Won't Play Ball

    Me, Ant and Sky Hill are back with a full listener Q&A, after a jingle debate and Ant's theory that he's peaking for alcohol and tapering off the running. He also drops a Liam Gallagher quote that splits the room: you have to care a lot to not give a f***. We talk about the fifth annual PTMA Coaches Conference, why this one has practical sessions in it, and why CPD courses have gone so quiet in your feed. Then it's the questions. What should a brand new PT prioritise first (me and Sky don't fully agree), what to do when your online offer keeps pulling in-person enquiries, what to write in your emails, how to handle another coach disagreeing with you in public, how to manage clients when you take time off, and how anyone finds time to run a business. We finish with a big one from a coach going through an ADHD assessment, and Ant shares the one thing he sees holding back nearly every coach he's worked with. There's also an action hero debate that goes absolutely nowhere. Timestamps 00:01 – Intro: the jingle debate and meeting the hosts00:54 – Ant's training plan: peaking for alcohol, tapering off the running01:29 – Liam Gallagher's quote: "you have to care a lot to not give a f***"03:22 – Coming up: the fifth annual PTMA Coaches Conference03:57 – Every venue we've done so far, from the Double Tree to the Malmaison to Ashton05:56 – Why this year is different: practical sessions and a split two days06:29 – Last week's CPD post, and why nobody sees CPD courses advertised anymore09:10 – The perfect pathway for a new PT: business, behaviour change or programming first?15:00 – Q&A begins: selling online coaching but getting in-person enquiries21:31 – What to write in your mailing list: does it always have to be educational?23:12 – Getting hate from another coach: take the bait or rise above it?29:35 – Top tips for managing clients when you take time off33:13 – What do we use to record the podcast?33:59 – How do people have time for everything when they run a business?37:08 – Action hero debate: time travel, John McClane and Scarface40:36 – Coaching with ADHD: staying on track, workflows and why weekly reflection matters47:31 – Final thoughts and outro

    Coaching With ADHD: How To Stay On Track When Your Brain Won't Play Ball

  8. Sep 14

    German Volume Training, Selfie Guys & The Three Skills Every Coach Needs

    I'm walking round sore as hell after doing German volume training for the first time in fifteen years, which kicks off a proper trip down memory lane through every training fad me and Ant have lived through, GVT, the 300 workout, Tabata, TRX, Vipers, animal flow, all of it. That rolls into gym horror stories, including Ant's new favourite: a bloke who did two sets on the Smith machine, took a selfie under the downlights, and left. Then we get into listener questions: following up when a lead goes quiet after you've sent pricing, the top priorities and pitfalls moving from PT to running your own gym space, knowing when to be direct versus empathetic with a client, finding the balance between working in and on the business versus taking proper downtime, and where the line sits between being real on social media and still being inspirational. We close out with a teaser, the full lineup for the coaches conference goes live Friday, 20+ tickets across two days (one gym-based, one in the usual event space), plus a surprise we're not giving up yet. 00:00 – Intro00:12 – Nik's sore from GVT, DUP debate01:14 – The 300 workout, GVT taking over the squat rack, insanity, 75 Hard02:04 – Tabata's big moment02:52 – TRX and Vipers, £600 of kit gathering dust03:34 – Animal flow / zoo warm-up era, trends cycling back05:06 – Most annoying thing seen in a gym05:16 – The Smith machine selfie guy story06:28 – Shadow boxing between sets07:13 – Why commercial gyms bring out the worst07:28 – The macho ice bath corner08:00 – Q&A: following up when someone's gone quiet after pricing11:09 – Top priorities/pitfalls moving from PT to your own gym space14:13 – Direct vs empathetic coaching16:59 – Balancing working in/on the business with downtime22:34 – Being real vs inspirational on social media26:36 – Final thoughts: conference lineup drops Friday28:19 – Outro

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Welcome to the Nik and Ant - PTMA Podcast. All things fitness, business, personal training, etc.

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