In their first podcast, Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman discuss the origins of the nationally-renown Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training.  How did they join forces in the first place? Where was the original IFAST located? Was the original IFAST location really an illegal casino? How did they create the start-up? Where did they acquire finances to open IFAST 1.0? How did they develop the relationships required for building IFAST over the last 11 years?  Enjoy the show!

In their first podcast, Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman discuss the origins of the nationally-renown Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training. <ul> <li>How did they join forces in the first place? Where was the original IFAST located?</li> <li>Was the original IFAST location really an illegal casino?</li> <li>How did they create the start-up?</li> <li>Where did they acquire finances to open IFAST 1.0?</li> <li>How did they develop the relationships required for building IFAST over the last 11 years?</li> </ul> Enjoy the show!

#1 - The Start-up

In this episode, we take a deep dive into our internship process. Here are just a few things you can look forward to:  Did we really let our first intern run IFAST for a week? What did the internship program look like in 2008? How has our internship system evolved since then? And what does it look like now? What are some of the cool things that are interns are up to these days?  We cover a ton of ground in this episode, so if you run an internship program - or are thinking about starting one - you'll definitely want to check this show out!

In this episode, we take a deep dive into our internship process. Here are just a few things you can look forward to: <ul> <li>Did we really let our first intern run IFAST for a week?</li> <li>What did the internship program look like in 2008?</li> <li>How has our internship system evolved since then? And what does it look like now?</li> <li>What are some of the cool things that are interns are up to these days?</li> </ul> We cover a ton of ground in this episode, so if you run an internship program - or are thinking about starting one - you'll definitely want to check this show out!

#2 - The IFAST Internship

Hiring the right people is one of the most critical pieces of the business puzzle. This is even more true in a small business, where the entire culture and community of a business can be shifted when you bring on a new team member. In this show, we discuss a variety of topics:  Our unique hiring process at IFAST, Why our internship feeds directly into hiring new coaches, How to determine if someone is a good fit for your business, and Why firing someone can be the best thing you do (for both you AND them).  There's tons of great info in this episode, and we truly hope you enjoy it!

Hiring the right people is one of the most critical pieces of the business puzzle. This is even more true in a small business, where the entire culture and community of a business can be shifted when you bring on a new team member. In this show, we discuss a variety of topics: <ul> <li>Our unique hiring process at IFAST,</li> <li>Why our internship feeds directly into hiring new coaches,</li> <li>How to determine if someone is a good fit for your business, and</li> <li>Why firing someone can be the best thing you do (for both you AND them).</li> </ul> There's tons of great info in this episode, and we truly hope you enjoy it!

#3 - Hiring the Perfect Coach

When you're starting out you might have a vision of what the "ideal business" looks like, but understand that over time all businesses evolve to become YOUR business. Here are just a few of the topics that we cover:  How did we create and organize our business structure to optimize client interaction?  Where did we make mistakes with membership options? How did we assure client culture was optimized and efficient to increase client retention? How do we incentivize our employees? How do you get word of mouth marketing? Should you give away services to attract clients? How does cash-based physical therapy differ from insurance-based physical therapy?  We cover a ton of ground in this show, and we truly hope you enjoy it!

When you're starting out you might have a vision of what the "ideal business" looks like, but understand that over time all businesses evolve to become YOUR business. Here are just a few of the topics that we cover: <ul> <li>How did we create and organize our business structure to optimize client interaction? </li> <li>Where did we make mistakes with membership options?</li> <li>How did we assure client culture was optimized and efficient to increase client retention?</li> <li>How do we incentivize our employees?</li> <li>How do you get word of mouth marketing?</li> <li>Should you give away services to attract clients?</li> <li>How does cash-based physical therapy differ from insurance-based physical therapy?</li> </ul> We cover a ton of ground in this show, and we truly hope you enjoy it!

#4 - Building YOUR Business with Incentives and Word of Mouth Marketing

Many young strength coaches and entrepreneurs dream of training pro athletes. And while this can be a tremendously cool space to work in, it leads to a lot of questions:  How do you get started training in this space? What factors play a role in your success? How does training a pro differ from a young athlete? Or gen pop client? What constraints do you have when working with them? And What does the process look like once you get them in the door?  If you have a desire to train pro athletes, this episode should help give you some insight as to what it's REALLY like!

Many young strength coaches and entrepreneurs dream of training pro athletes. And while this can be a tremendously cool space to work in, it leads to a lot of questions: <ul> <li>How do you get started training in this space?</li> <li>What factors play a role in your success?</li> <li>How does training a pro differ from a young athlete? Or gen pop client?</li> <li>What constraints do you have when working with them? And</li> <li>What does the process look like once you get them in the door?</li> </ul> If you have a desire to train pro athletes, this episode should help give you some insight as to what it's REALLY like!

#5 - Training the Pros

When you get started training clients and athletes, it may sound cool to train "exclusively" elite athletes. But at the end of the day, few (if any) facilities make the majority of their revenue training high-level athletes! Instead, the general population is where most fitness facilities pay their bills. The athletes are cool, but the general population is your foundation. In this show, Bill and I cover a handful of different topics:  The differences between training athletes and gen pop clients. Perhaps most importantly, the SIMILARITIES between training the two! How you can use the R7 template to train gen pop clients. Digging deeper to find meaningful goals for training (and their "so that"). Meeting and managing needs and expectations. The ReFit concept, and how to integrate fitness training into your physical therapy business.  If you own a fitness facility, or want deeper insight into how we train our gen pop clients here at IFAST, I think you're going to love this episode!

When you get started training clients and athletes, it may sound cool to train "exclusively" elite athletes. But at the end of the day, few (if any) facilities make the majority of their revenue training high-level athletes! Instead, the general population is where most fitness facilities pay their bills. The athletes are cool, but the general population is your foundation. In this show, Bill and I cover a handful of different topics: <ul> <li>The differences between training athletes and gen pop clients.</li> <li>Perhaps most importantly, the SIMILARITIES between training the two!</li> <li>How you can use the R7 template to train gen pop clients.</li> <li>Digging deeper to find meaningful goals for training (and their "so that").</li> <li>Meeting and managing needs and expectations.</li> <li>The ReFit concept, and how to integrate fitness training into your physical therapy business.</li> </ul> If you own a fitness facility, or want deeper insight into how we train our gen pop clients here at IFAST, I think you're going to love this episode!

#6 - Why ALL Of Our Clients Are Athletes

Continuing education is a critical part of any professional's growth. But where do you start with con ed? And how does that process evolve over the years? In this show, we talk about:  Our initial forays into continuing education, The role of seminars - including the best type of seminars for both beginners and seasoned vets,  Why the Intensive is in many ways "The Anti-Seminar," The different types of knowledge you build and accumulate, Why there's more to con ed than simply accumulating knowledge, The value of deep work and focus in your target activity, and How masters evolve from mentees to mentors.  This show is jam packed full of great info, and we truly hope you enjoy it!

Continuing education is a critical part of any professional's growth. But where do you start with con ed? And how does that process evolve over the years? In this show, we talk about: <ul> <li>Our initial forays into continuing education,</li> <li>The role of seminars - including the best type of seminars for both beginners and seasoned vets, </li> <li>Why the Intensive is in many ways "The Anti-Seminar,"</li> <li>The different types of knowledge you build and accumulate,</li> <li>Why there's more to con ed than simply accumulating knowledge,</li> <li>The value of deep work and focus in your target activity, and</li> <li>How masters evolve from mentees to mentors.</li> </ul> This show is jam packed full of great info, and we truly hope you enjoy it!

#7 - The Evolution of Continuing Education

After talking about continuing education in our last episode, we wanted to circle the wagons and talk about staff development this week. Staff education may not be the sexiest topic in the world, but it can absolutely separate the good teams, businesses and cultures from the rest. In this show, Bill and I talk about:  WHY staff education is important (and why you should make time to do it). How to determine WHAT you should focus on in staff development. The evolution of staff training as your staff grows and evolves. How Bill’s training of his PT students differs from how we train our coaches at IFAST.  There’s a ton of solid info in this episode, and we truly hope you enjoy it!

After talking about continuing education in our last episode, we wanted to circle the wagons and talk about staff development this week. Staff education may not be the sexiest topic in the world, but it can absolutely separate the good teams, businesses and cultures from the rest. In this show, Bill and I talk about: <ul> <li>WHY staff education is important (and why you should make time to do it).</li> <li>How to determine WHAT you should focus on in staff development.</li> <li>The evolution of staff training as your staff grows and evolves.</li> <li>How Bill’s training of his PT students differs from how we train our coaches at IFAST.</li> </ul> There’s a ton of solid info in this episode, and we truly hope you enjoy it!

#8 - The What, Why and How of Staff Development

As trainers and coaches, it's only natural that you evolve over the years. And one area where this can be really obvious is with regards to exercise selection! In this show, Bill and I cover our humble beginnings as strength athletes, how that impacted our programming, and how things have evolved over our careers. Here's a brief overview of what we covered in this week's episode:  How Bill's bodybuilding focus influenced his early-programs. How my powerlifting training drove me towards focusing on the Big 3. The instances in which we both started to shift and evolve how we wrote programs. What Dan John and a 110-pound high school basketball player have in common. Where we're both at now with regards to our program design. Final thoughts on big mistakes we see people making, and how YOU can avoid them.  We really hope you enjoy the show! All the best, MR

As trainers and coaches, it's only natural that you evolve over the years. And one area where this can be really obvious is with regards to exercise selection! In this show, Bill and I cover our humble beginnings as strength athletes, how that impacted our programming, and how things have evolved over our careers. Here's a brief overview of what we covered in this week's episode: <ul> <li>How Bill's bodybuilding focus influenced his early-programs.</li> <li>How my powerlifting training drove me towards focusing on the Big 3.</li> <li>The instances in which we both started to shift and evolve how we wrote programs.</li> <li>What Dan John and a 110-pound high school basketball player have in common.</li> <li>Where we're both at now with regards to our program design.</li> <li>Final thoughts on big mistakes we see people making, and how YOU can avoid them.</li> </ul> We really hope you enjoy the show! All the best, MR

#9 - The Evolution of Exercise Selection and Programming

As trainers and coaches, we love to get caught up in the X's and O's of training. What exercise is best? What set-rep scheme should I be using? But at the end of the day, arguably the most important aspect of coaching is forging strong relationships and bonds with your clients, athletes, and patients. In this episode, Bill and I take a dive into the client rapport, including:  The 3 steps Bill uses to develop rapport in this first visit. What he does when he's dealing with a chronic pain patient, or someone who really has their guard up. The importance of finding their key areas of interest outside of the gym. How I show investment in a client or athlete before they ever walk into the gym. Why it can be tough to build rapport early-on with elite or professional athletes.  And much, much more! Regardless of whether you've been coaching for 1 year or 20, the principles and tools we talk about in this show are truly timeless. Enjoy!

As trainers and coaches, we love to get caught up in the X's and O's of training. What exercise is best? What set-rep scheme should I be using? But at the end of the day, arguably the most important aspect of coaching is forging strong relationships and bonds with your clients, athletes, and patients. In this episode, Bill and I take a dive into the client rapport, including: <ul> <li>The 3 steps Bill uses to develop rapport in this first visit.</li> <li>What he does when he's dealing with a chronic pain patient, or someone who really has their guard up.</li> <li>The importance of finding their key areas of interest outside of the gym.</li> <li>How I show investment in a client or athlete before they ever walk into the gym.</li> <li>Why it can be tough to build rapport early-on with elite or professional athletes.</li> </ul> And much, much more! Regardless of whether you've been coaching for 1 year or 20, the principles and tools we talk about in this show are truly timeless. Enjoy!

#10 - The Importance of Building Relationships and Client Rapport

Learn more about how Bill Hartman and Mike Robertson built IFAST into one of the Top 10 Gyms in America by Men's Health magazine. In this show we'll cover a wide range of topics from training, to business, to being successful in the fitness industry.

When it comes to training clients and athletes, one of the biggest issues you can run into is meeting their needs. After all, everyone is coming to you to get a result - but what if what they THINK they need, is differently from what they ACTUALLY need? In this episode, Bill and I talk about helping clients understand their needs, and we cover a handful of specific areas:  Strength training - Why it can be a blessing and a curse When you know you've pushed too far with regards to strength development How Bill manages patients that already have diagnoses or imaging when it comes to physical therapy Why high intensity interval training (HIIT) could be a viable option - and some instances where it is NOT The myth of the 1-hour "speed class"  We cover a ton of ground in this episode, and I hope you enjoy it!

When it comes to training clients and athletes, one of the biggest issues you can run into is meeting their needs. After all, everyone is coming to you to get a result - but what if what they THINK they need, is differently from what they ACTUALLY need? In this episode, Bill and I talk about helping clients understand their needs, and we cover a handful of specific areas: <ul> <li>Strength training - Why it can be a blessing and a curse</li> <li>When you know you've pushed too far with regards to strength development</li> <li>How Bill manages patients that already have diagnoses or imaging when it comes to physical therapy</li> <li>Why high intensity interval training (HIIT) could be a viable option - and some instances where it is NOT</li> <li>The myth of the 1-hour "speed class"</li> </ul> We cover a ton of ground in this episode, and I hope you enjoy it!

#11 - Helping Clients Understand Their Needs (Compared to What They THINK They Need!)

When it comes to trainers and coaches, we love to talk "working out." But in so many cases, it's not the 3-hours per week they spend in the gym that's screwing people up... ...instead, it's the 165 hours per week they spend outside it that's really holding up their progress! So in this episode we take a deep dive into what you should be doing during the 23-hours per day when you're NOT in the gym.  Here's a brief overview of this week's episode:  Why nutrition can be so darn confusing. The "Green Faces" diet - what it is, and why it works so well. How Bill changed his eating habits prior to his 50th birthday (and how he's sustained that success going forward). The most impactful elements of recovery - sleep. How to convince clients, athletes or YOURSELF as to why sleep is so important. The 4th Pillar of Performance: Mindset. How meditating has positively impacted both of our lives. Why you should use Jerry Seinfeld's joke-writing habit to help you stay consistent with meditation.  As you can see, there's a ton of great info in this week's episode. Enjoy!

When it comes to trainers and coaches, we love to talk "working out." But in so many cases, it's not the 3-hours per week they spend in the gym that's screwing people up... ...instead, it's the 165 hours per week they spend outside it that's really holding up their progress! So in this episode we take a deep dive into what you should be doing during the 23-hours per day when you're NOT in the gym.  Here's a brief overview of this week's episode: <ul> <li>Why nutrition can be so darn confusing.</li> <li>The "Green Faces" diet - what it is, and why it works so well.</li> <li>How Bill changed his eating habits prior to his 50th birthday (and how he's sustained that success going forward).</li> <li>The most impactful elements of recovery - sleep.</li> <li>How to convince clients, athletes or YOURSELF as to why sleep is so important.</li> <li>The 4th Pillar of Performance: Mindset.</li> <li>How meditating has positively impacted both of our lives.</li> <li>Why you should use Jerry Seinfeld's joke-writing habit to help you stay consistent with meditation.</li> </ul> As you can see, there's a ton of great info in this week's episode. Enjoy!

#12 - Beyond the Workout: The Other 23 Hours

We've all had "one of those days." The day where you just don't have your mojo, and the last thing you want to do is work out. But whether that's due to an illness, fatigue, or just lack of motivation, this episode will help you figure out what to do when you don't feel like working out. Here are a few of the topics that we touch on:  The power of simply going in and warming up. How illness in certain areas of the body give us clues as to whether you should work out or not. What to do if you feel okay after warming up. How to build a triage a workout and "punch the clock." Why something is (in most cases) better than nothing. When passive recovery means can help, and the best options to choose from.  We've all had one of those days in the gym, so hopefully this episode will help you get back on track. Enjoy!

We've all had "one of those days." The day where you just don't have your mojo, and the last thing you want to do is work out. But whether that's due to an illness, fatigue, or just lack of motivation, this episode will help you figure out what to do when you don't feel like working out. Here are a few of the topics that we touch on: <ul> <li>The power of simply going in and warming up.</li> <li>How illness in certain areas of the body give us clues as to whether you should work out or not.</li> <li>What to do if you feel okay after warming up.</li> <li>How to build a triage a workout and "punch the clock."</li> <li>Why something is (in most cases) better than nothing.</li> <li>When passive recovery means can help, and the best options to choose from.</li> </ul> We've all had one of those days in the gym, so hopefully this episode will help you get back on track. Enjoy!

#13 - What To Do When You Don't Feel Like Working Out

When you first start training in your 20's or 30's, it's easy to assume that everyone you train is just like you. You know - young, healthy, fit, no previous injury history, etc. That's why when you get your first "older" client, it can be quite a shock! In today's episode, we break down what you need to know before you take your first senior client. Things like:  What things do you need to take into account initially, How dancing and tai chi can be your power training, The role of balance (and how to incorporate it into the program), Why strength training is such a critical piece of the puzzle, How to modify and adapt exercises to fit every clients' needs, And much more!  Whether you specialize in training seniors, or you've got your first one coming in soon, I hope this episode gives you some insights to help you out!

When you first start training in your 20's or 30's, it's easy to assume that everyone you train is just like you. You know - young, healthy, fit, no previous injury history, etc. That's why when you get your first "older" client, it can be quite a shock! In today's episode, we break down what you need to know before you take your first senior client. Things like: <ul> <li>What things do you need to take into account initially,</li> <li>How dancing and tai chi can be your power training,</li> <li>The role of balance (and how to incorporate it into the program),</li> <li>Why strength training is such a critical piece of the puzzle,</li> <li>How to modify and adapt exercises to fit every clients' needs,</li> <li>And much more!</li> </ul> Whether you specialize in training seniors, or you've got your first one coming in soon, I hope this episode gives you some insights to help you out!

#14 - Considerations for Successfully Training Senior Clients

We FINALLY have our first guest! Jenny Owens is a massage therapist and owner of the Gingko Tree in Carmel, Indiana. Jenny is not only one of our most trusted resources within our professional network, but an amazing human being to boot. Here's a brief overview of our show with Jenny:  How Jenny's uncle spurred her interest in becoming a massage therapist. Why her first job was so critical for her future success. How she got started working with professional athletes - and advice she'd give to those who want to follow a similar path. Jenny's amazing story of how she started her own business. The pros and cons of being self-employed. The advice she'd give to a young massage therapist who wants to be successful in the industry.  You're probably not a massage therapist, but there are so many great lessons in this episode - from thinking about the long-game, to the power of your personal network, and being a successful entrepreneur - it's all covered here. Enjoy!

We FINALLY have our first guest! Jenny Owens is a massage therapist and owner of the Gingko Tree in Carmel, Indiana. Jenny is not only one of our most trusted resources within our professional network, but an amazing human being to boot. Here's a brief overview of our show with Jenny: <ul> <li>How Jenny's uncle spurred her interest in becoming a massage therapist.</li> <li>Why her first job was so critical for her future success.</li> <li>How she got started working with professional athletes - and advice she'd give to those who want to follow a similar path.</li> <li>Jenny's amazing story of how she started her own business.</li> <li>The pros and cons of being self-employed.</li> <li>The advice she'd give to a young massage therapist who wants to be successful in the industry.</li> </ul> You're probably not a massage therapist, but there are so many great lessons in this episode - from thinking about the long-game, to the power of your personal network, and being a successful entrepreneur - it's all covered here. Enjoy!

#15 - The Journey of a Successful Massage Therapist (with Jenny Owens)

Learn more about how Bill Hartman and Mike Robertson built IFAST into one of the Top 10 Gyms in America by Men's Health magazine. In this show we'll cover a wide range of topics from training, to business, to being successful in the fitness industry.

The IFAST Podcast

The best podcast episodes on global issues affecting everyone. Covering topics such as the #metoo movement, climate change, the impact of technology and some of the biggest global issues facing us right now. For anyone interested in learning more about the world, and some of the issues we're facing, pick an episode below and start listening! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes on Global Issues

The best podcast episodes on parenting. Interviewing experts and talking through common issues surrounding parenting. This topic is filled with important lessons and insights for anyone listening. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!