Strength on the up

This week alone I have had 4 new guys start up at PTC, all with the focus on getting stronger. I usually get a mix of overweight guys, overweight girls etc, but this week its all been strength.

Rory is 6'7" and 137kg
Damien is 85kg
Chris is 85kg
Victor is 65kg

Victor trains at normal people gyms, he hadnt pushed himself before. He squatted 130kg, double bodyweight, rock bottom, perfect form. He benched 80kg and did the 170kg plan on PPP for deadlift.

Damien is also quite strong. No training for 6 months, deadlifted 140kg easily and squatted over 100kg for reps. Chris benched 100kg okay.

These guys expressed an interest in being regulars. Chris and Victor were blown away with what they saw tonight.

It was deadlift night, had quite a few lifters, so we used 3 bars for deadlifts, around 8 lifters, while Gareth squatted and Nina and Vicki were doing box squats and good mornings.

Another 3 contacted me last week with a view to get into powerlifting, there due to start in 2 weeks.

I'm not sure if its from the exposure at the State Titles or the article in the paper this week, but I'm definitely seeing a trend.

With the commitment to competition a few of you have shown on here, and a couple of other boys from ns.com liting in WA this weekend, it appears that powerlifting is having a resurgance.

Thats great news for anybody connected to strength.

Good to see business is booming,...

But how many people can you get in a double garage?
Have you thought of moving the show to a commercial premesis?

Will never move to a commercial premises unless I owned it.

No overheads keeps prices for the lifter down.

We have had 15 in there all at once before lol

Its all about management.

Tonight I had a cardio group with 3 girls, Nina and Vicki together, Annie and Simmo together, Spiros, Max, Sean, Dim, James, Dave together, Alen, Victor and Chris, Gareth.

Fridays are slow nights lol, this was between 6 and 8pm

You could get a tax deduction on your electricity and mortgage repayments operating from home...

Although being all cash in hand is handy : )

I don't think it's the State comp or the paper. Unless you're already into strength, you wouldn't even know about those. I bet it's the Internet forums spreading the love.

There are plenty of people interested in strength training in many average gyms, but because they're not exposed to what's possible for a regular guy, they'd get to a certain level that's considered strong for their gym, and then stop and get into "bodybuilding" (not the legit comp type, I mean the mirror athlete one).

Even at my current gym, there are quite a few guys like that. I was one of them when I first started. I saw a big 100kg+ bloke, super ripped, deadlifting 180kg for a couple of reps, then only just failed 190kg. I thought that day that if I ever got 180kg DL, that'd be the highlight of my lifting career, because how can I, a small guy who was born malnutritioned, ever hope to outlift that big genetically gifted fella?

It's only until I read on the Internet that average guys of all shapes & sizes at a gym in bloody Frankston of all places lifting 200kg+ that I thought I could pursue strength much further and put my "bodybuilding" career on hold.

FYI, that big guy is still lifting 180kg six months after I saw him back then...and still scares the wide-eyed newbies wandering into the weight area.

Hope I can reach some half-decent lifts next year and sign up for the State comp.

Having Raw PL here definitely helps too. Most people interested in strength probably wouldn't go as far as buying expensive suits & shirts and compete in equipped divisions. I know I wouldn't.

The guys that stated this week, 1 of them was a referral, one was from ns.com, another had heard of the Bash at the Beach comp.

I've still not even got a business card.

A guy starting soon is a PT with a studio in Mt Eliza, a friend saw us at the States.

Forums definitely help, especially ns.com, havent picked up a regular client from ausbb though for the record, just 3 who have travelled a LONG way for some casual visits.

I've bought around 20-30 members here though after Hyjak alerted me to the fact that Kyle was posting my newsletters on here and questioning me lol

PTC said:

havent picked up a regular client from ausbb though for the record, just 3 who have travelled a LONG way for some casual visits.

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Lol, best thing I ever did mate.

Anyone who can spend well over half an hour on the phone with a complete random, sharing his knowledge without the promise of anything in return is well and truly worthy of my business.

Word of mouth is by far the most effective form of advertising.

PTC said:

Will never move to a commercial premises unless I owned it.

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This is a bit OT, but have you looked into this?

I'm curious if majority of well placed commercial estate is already owned and simply being leased, if you have.

Also OT, do you ever run a lifting session in the gym with a cardio session out back/front? Seeing as space is a concern, but then supervision would be.

Great to hear more people are getting into strength... good luck with prepping the kid for college NFL, opportunity of a lifetime. If he has to participate in a combine, Defrancos breakdown of the events (if available) would probably be very helpful.

I've been in business before, and overheads are easily the biggest killer, wont do it again.

I run more than one session group every hour lo

PPP allows me stacks of time to help novices as the regulars simply get on with there work.

I have a group doing KB complexes in the driveway and another group doing sprints.

Its all multi tasking