The Personal Trainer Mentor Academy Podcast

Nik And Ant - PTMA Podcast
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  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

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

  1. 4d ago

    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)

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. Sep 4

    What Actually Makes A Great Coach (Not What You Think)

    Timestamps 00:01 – Intro: checking we're actually live00:46 – Welcome back: Sky Hill filling in for Nick this week01:19 – My week off: track sessions, spoiled kids, and a lecture about buses02:34 – Lexi's exam results and the CV pub crawl round Uppermill04:10 – Running recap: a brutal new hilly route and 9k of intervals on the canal05:26 – Sky's week: the Affex competition and what it actually involves07:49 – Plan to clip Sky's Affex review for extra reach08:02 – Q&A begins08:14 – Going live with an online offer in a month, leads but no one obvious to ask for 1:1 first10:09 – Should we run an SGPT panel at the conference (and maybe a podcast episode on it)?11:57 – A prospect pushing for a month's free trial after already getting seven days14:00 – Building the confidence to open a gym or small group setup in a new area20:22 – The three most important skills a coach needs — Sky's answer23:38 – The three most important skills a coach needs — my answer27:02 – What's coming up: Connected Coach, the next Accelerator push, and the November conference28:44 – Outro: no episode next week, bank holiday Welcome back, it's been a rough week without me. I've been off with the kids for the week, Sky Hill's stepped in for Nick who's on his annual leave, and we open with the usual state of play before getting into a full listener Q&A. I run through my week off, track sessions with the kids at Sports City, Lexi's exam results, and the now-legendary CV pub crawl round Uppermill where she handed her CV into half the bars in the village while I had a beer in every one of them. Sky's just come back from the Affex competition and gives a full breakdown of what it actually involves for anyone thinking about entering. Then it's straight into questions from the coaches. We cover what to do when you've got a list of leads for a new online offer but no one obvious to approach for 1:1 first, whether an SGPT panel would work at the conference, how to handle a prospect trying to push a seven day free trial into a month, and how to build the confidence to open a gym or small group setup in a completely new area (which happens to be relevant to us right now too). We close out with the big one, the three most important skills a coach needs, and Sky and I both give our answers. Quick look ahead: Sky and Nick's Connected Coach, the next marketing push for the Accelerator ahead of October, and the coaches conference on the 27th and 28th of November in Manchester.

    What Actually Makes A Great Coach (Not What You Think)

  5. Aug 17

    The Client Is The Expert On The Client: Building Coaching Confidence That Actually Sells

    In this episode I sit down with Sky to unpack what actually separates confident, in-demand coaches from everyone else — and it's not more qualifications. We open up about The Connected Coach mentorship (cohort 2 is live now, only 10 spots), why "the client is the expert on the client," and why pretending to have all the answers is the thing that's actually killing your coaching. From there it's a rapid-fire Q&A covering the biggest influences on our careers, how I actually plan Instagram Stories that build trust (not just noise), how I deal with imposter syndrome, and — because no episode is complete without it — a fully committed debate on whether cheesecake counts as a cake. Applications for The Connected Coach — Cohort 2 are open. Only 10 spots, ~40–50% already gone. Cohort starts 7th September. To apply you need to book a discovery call — not just buy online — by Friday 28th August. Booking a call unlocks up to £800 off, plus access to all live Connected Coach days and our November conference at Gritstone Fitness. 🔗 [BOOK YOUR FREE DISCOVERY CALL HERE →] Timestamps 00:01 – Intro: the podcast is getting a new name and format02:12 – Topic: The Connected Coach cohort 2 is officially open02:24 – Origin story: from "Coaches' Corner" sessions to an 18-month build05:14 – Sky's 60-second (ish) challenge: summarising the whole mentorship08:10 – Combined coaching experience behind the program; staying evidence-informed, not rigid09:37 – Why the program starts with you — personality facets, blind spots, MBTI-based assessment11:07 – Industry critique: outdated practices vs. a psychology-informed approach12:05 – Sky's client story: seeing the person, not the sport or the goal13:35 – You don't need to be the subject expert to coach — the builder/brother story15:58 – Why assuming you have "the right answer" can hurt you — "the client is the expert on the client"17:59 – The confidence boost of admitting what you don't know18:57 – Case study: coach Sam's journey with nutrition confidence and pricing20:25 – Program length now 7 months (was 8), live nutrition days added21:05 – Cohort details: only 10 spots, ~40–50% already gone, starts 7th September21:28 – How to apply: book a call, save up to £800, bonus access (live days + November conference)22:35 – Deadline to book a call: Friday 28th August22:46 – Break weeks, program value, why nothing else like this exists23:14 – On the myth of a "gold standard" behaviour change qualification24:03 – Where behaviour change research actually comes from (and its limits for fitness)25:11 – Q&A: Who had the biggest impact on your coaching career?25:22 – Sky's answer: Pure Gym, Body Power expos, and her MNU nutrition course (2018)27:42 – Nik's answer: Darren, a Sydney gym owner who introduced him to CrossFit30:02 – Q&A: What's the best way to plan story content?31:26 – Sky's take: Stories as the biggest missed opportunity — her daily content formula35:01 – Q&A: How do you deal with imposter syndrome / self-doubt?36:40 – Nik's reframe: "Am I actually an imposter here?"38:22 – Feeling "triggered" by content = a growth signal, not an insult39:31 – Q&A: Did you block off coaching time in the gym?40:12 – Final question: Is cheesecake a cake?42:37 – Outro: next week's episode and a teaser for the new podcast name

    The Client Is The Expert On The Client: Building Coaching Confidence That Actually Sells

  6. Aug 12

    What The First 30 Days In A New Gym Should Actually Look Like

    FREE LIVE COACHING SESSION "THE COMPLIANCE TRAP ... BOOK YOUR FREE SEAT HERE Me and Skye this week, Ant's off on his holidays again. We open with a live coaching session we're running called The Compliance Trap, Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th of August, built around the framework most coaches don't have for when check-ins go quiet and clients start losing momentum. Then straight into your questions, how to actually manage your workload and your clients properly when you take a holiday, what we're both most proud of from the last few months, what the first thirty to sixty days should look like walking into a new gym, whether time wasters on free trials are normal, how much free advice you can give away before it starts hurting your business, and the common thread behind every marketing campaign that's actually worked for the coaches we've worked with. Also somehow ended up on how I take my coffee. 00:00 — Intro, Ant's on holiday again 00:47 — Live coaching session, The Compliance Trap, Aug 18th and 19th 02:55 — Managing workload and clients when you take a holiday 07:12 — What we're both most proud of from the last few months 12:03 — First 30 to 60 days walking into a new gym 19:02 — How I take my coffee 19:43 — Is it normal to get time wasters on free trials 22:00 — Giving away free advice without it hurting your business 24:14 — What separates a successful marketing campaign from one that flops 30:20 — Outro

    What The First 30 Days In A New Gym Should Actually Look Like

  7. Aug 10

    How Long Does It Actually Take To Build A Successful PT Business?

    Me and Ant again this week, still no Skye. We get straight into your questions, what gets overlooked when you go self-employed, how long it actually takes to get a PT business off the ground (we don't agree on this one, and it's a good listen), the best way to use client stories, our favourite lead generators, what to do with a client who keeps cancelling and rebooking, and how you know when a coaching relationship just isn't working. Plus a date for the next MetaAds Lab intake, an Accelerator and Connected Coach update, and you meet the newest addition, Skye the husky, six days old. 00:00 — Intro, second week without Skye 00:33 — What's most overlooked by coaches going self-employed 04:05 — How long it actually takes to get a PT business off the ground 13:52 — Best way to share client stories and testimonials 17:18 — Favourite lead generators, gym floor and online 22:40 — Dealing with a client who constantly cancels and rebooks 25:04 — Knowing when a coaching relationship isn't working out 27:49 — Next MetaAds Lab intake date 28:13 — Accelerator and Connected Coach updates 29:00 — Meet Skye the husky

    How Long Does It Actually Take To Build A Successful PT Business?

  8. Jul 20

    3 Things I'd Tell My Younger Self Before Opening a Gym + "I Never Close a Sale on a Call. Here's Why It Works Better."

    Join the Accelerator today - Intake closes Sunday 26th. This week Sky and I get into the stuff that never makes it into a caption. We open with the goal question — do you always need something exciting pulling you forward, or are there dead patches where you're just going through the motions? I get put on the spot about the three biggest lessons from my first twelve months running a gym, and it's not the answer most people expect. We talk about whether hammering lead magnets on Instagram burns your audience out, the actual best way to follow up a lead, and what to do when your head's full of ten ideas and you can't pick one. Sky gets honest about why she's never once heard a hard "no" on a consult, and I go into the recruitment lesson from my old man that changed how I handle objections for good. We also properly answer two questions straight from this week's client check-ins — how to actually get ahead with content instead of doing it on the fly, and how to stop feeling "oh shit" about going self-employed. Last thing: Accelerator starts a week today. If you've been sat on this for two weeks, sort your shit out — Sunday's your last day to join. Show Notes 00:00 – Sky's on hosting duty, Ant's out watching the World Cup final with his dad01:18 – Accelerator starts a week today — last day to join is Sunday02:14 – Do you always need an exciting goal, or are there times you're just going through the motions?06:40 – The biggest lesson from year one of gym ownership (it's not what you think)11:15 – If I keep posting lead magnets, will my audience get sick of being sold to?15:21 – Following up a lead: phone, email or WhatsApp — what actually works17:06 – How to manage your head when it's full of ten different ideas and goals19:11 – The 3 things we'd tell our younger selves to focus on first23:22 – How Sky's never had a hard "no" on a consult, and what that says about how she runs them27:10 – Chasing the no's — the recruitment lesson that changed how Nik handles objections30:19 – The real way to get ahead with content instead of doing it on the fly35:37 – How to stop feeling "oh shit" about going self-employed37:11 – Final word: stop thinking about it, get signed up

    3 Things I'd Tell My Younger Self Before Opening a Gym + "I Never Close a Sale on a Call. Here's Why It Works Better."
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Welcome to the Nik and Ant - PTMA Podcast. All things fitness, business, personal training, etc.

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