The Fitness Industry Is Broken – A Story About Hope -- Jonathan Goodman, the PTDC

This is a startling coincidence for me.

In early February, I finally started reading the book Antifragile, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. It had been recommended to me by Jonathan Goodman back in 2017, and for whatever reason, it wasn't until two months ago that I cracked it open.

The book was fascinating. Taleb explains that while most people think the opposite of fragility is resilience, this is a mistake. Something that is fragile will be harmed by stressors. Something that is resilient will withstand stressors. However, something that is truly the opposite of fragile will not simply withstand stressors, it actually benefits from them. This is the concept of antifragility.

So, about two months ago, I thanked Jon for the book recommendation. I had no idea that I was about to see the entire fitness industry come crashing down. I had no idea that Jon and his tribe would be some of the only fitness professionals who could not only survive this world-shattering pandemic, but actually thrive and continue to help others.

I can't imagine a more perfect illustration of Taleb's work than what we're witnessing right now in our own industry. While most gym owners' and personal trainers' careers have been demolished (at least temporarily), online trainers have never had more opportunity.

So in this week's top pick, I tip my hat to Jon. He's been talking about the vulnerabilities of traditional personal training for years, way before anyone could have predicted anything like a worldwide quarantine. The good news is that he's also been working on a solution.

Read the article to see why Jon thinks there's hope.

— Dani Singer

GO DEEPER: To learn more about Antifragile, check out our collection of the Best Books for Personal Trainers

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