Most gym owners are cautious about what products they endorse, and what to sell to their members. We’re in the business of helping clients through health and fitness; we’re not in the snake oil business trying to sell products that don’t work just so we can make a buck. So when it comes to deciding if and what you should sell at your gym, I believe the questions you should ask yourself are these: 1. Will it help the client? 2. Will it help the coach? 3. Will it help the business owner? If the answer is yes to all three of the above, there’s a good chance it’s something you should consider stocking. Here are our top 4:...

Rips aren’t created equal. When a client gets a large blood blister that turns into a deep rip in the palm of his hand, I usually recommend avoiding handwork for a day or two.  Versus, when someone whimpers about some superficial skin loss on his thumb from hook gripping during high-rep hang cleans, I tell him to tape it up and suck it up!  Generally speaking, regardless of the rip, tape can be useful. It’s great for preventing rips, and it’s also great for reducing pain when you do rip. Further, it helps prevent further damage to the skin when you hit the bar. 1. Finger and Thumb rips  These guys, which often result from using a hook grip on the...

  T’Was the night before Christmas And there was only one small glitch The athletes were in stinging pain Ripped hands are a bitch!   They tossed and turned, raw wounds stinging in their beds While visions of thin, smooth calluses danced in their heads And I with my polysporin that got smeared all over my cap Had reluctantly settled down for a messy winter’s nap   When near the pull-up bars there arose such a clatter It was obvious to all nothing was the matter Santa Class had RIPT kits for all hands to be tamed And he whistled and shouted and called the products by name:   Now Daily Dose, now Quick Fix, now Grind Stone too! On bees...

When I rowed in university, I generally avoided the lightweight rowers. 

They tended to be stressed out and uptight all the time, and I don’t blame them. They wandered through their days hungry. I remember one lightweight in particular, who was trying to shed 20 pounds in 20 days so she would make weight at the upcoming regatta, setting a “Three-S” rule for herself: When she was hungry, her options were to shower, sleep, or have sex.