Three cheers and a tiger for me!

Well, something like that, anyway. There are a million and one bloggers out there, so I really can't pretend that I've invented the wheel or anything.

I decided to start this blog for a couple of reasons: to provide strength training advice, offer commentary on current trends in the fitness world, and give my businesses a little more exposure.

Giving advice on training is kind of a no-brainer for me. If you checked out my profile, you saw that I am a collegiate level strength coach and a competitive power lifter. I also run two fitness companies, Iron City Barbell Club, Llc and Shape Of Success Fitness (more on these companies later). While I certainly don't present myself as a "guru," I do know what I'm talking about. In order to not hijack my own topic, I'll save the whole "guru talk" for another blog entry. For now, suffice it to say that while the internet is jammed to the gills will all kinds of exercise advice, quite frankly most of it is junk. Strangely enough, many people seem compelled to throw money at the purveyors of said junk in order to learn some mystic training secret that had been lost in the mists of time. If you have sent money to these people in the past, mouse on over and click the "Donate" button. It won't get you into my "inner circle," but at least I won't try to sell you some arcane method of doing push-ups.

Whether or not anyone donates, I'll be posting commentary on recent trend in fitness. I call 'em like I see 'em, and if most of it sounds kind of rant-y, it's because so many trends are manufactured soley to part you from your cash. If there is a topic that you want me to comment on, please let me know. If I have slammed something or someone that you hold near and dear, you can let me know that as well.

Exposure! Every businessman's (and woman's) favorite word. I'd be lying if I said I had no commercial interest in this blog. I run two fitness companies and I want to drive traffic (and sales) to both of them. Don't worry, I'm not going to be too overbearing about it. Why two companies? Isn't that a big pain in the butt? Well, it makes things a little more complicated, but in the long run it's a better idea. Each company serves a vastly different costomer base and is branded accordingly; one company trying to be all things to all people is rarely a good idea.

Iron City Barbell Club, Llc is the high-end service company. I offer my services as a personal strength coach for men and women that are trying to get to the next level in their chosen sport. Workouts are done one-on-one, utilize big, ground-based movements with heavy weights, and take as long as they need to take. My clients never hear "well, your time is up!" I don't povide a lot of sizzle, but you get a whole plate full of steak! Most of my clients are either semi-pro, college, or professional level athletes. They need a coach that is reliable, predictable, and consistent, so they hire me.

Shape Of Success Fitness is there to serve the average Joe and Jane. Let's face it, training one-on-one with any trainer is going to cost a chunk of money. Training one-on-one with someone like me is going to cost a bigger chunk than most people are willing or able to pay. Also, hiring me for general fitness training is kind of like buying a BMW 7-Series and then driving it four blocks for your morning coffee every day. If that's your thing, I'm more than happy to cash your check but I'd be remiss if I didn't point you towards Shape Of Success Fitness first. Shape Of Success Fitness is conducted entirely on-line. You pick out a plan that offers the services you need, fill out a couple of questionnaires, and you're good to go. I design a custom fitness plan for you and stay in contact via email. Basically, you get the benefit of all of my experience and knowledge for a tiny fraction of the price of one-on-one training. It would take too much space to tell you about all of the bells and whistles, so click on the Shape Of Success Fitness link on my links list if you're interested.

So that's the blog in a nutshell. I don't have a definite posting schedule worked out yet, but I'll get that done ASAP. I'd like to post new entries every day, but we'll see how it goes. Again, please feel fee to email me with comments or questions. I can be reached at philhabib@ironcitybarbellclub.com and phil@shapeofsuccessfitness.com.

Strength in all things!

-Phil