Welcome to the 3rd edition of my Bootcamp behind-the-scenes newsletter. Last week I shared the outline of the course with you, and some analysis of how I settled on it.
Today I want to talk about mistakes that I see course other fitness courses making.
There are a lot of courses available. Some are fantastic and do an incredible job at transforming the physique and lives of their students. Most don’t, however.
I take a lot of pride that more than 800 of my students have given my other courses an average rating of 4.98 out of 5 stars. The Sqwod app for iOS sits around 4.90 out of 5 stars as of this post.
This is by design. I tried my best to create incredibly powerful and transformational software and courses, and I’m doing this again with Bootcamp.
Three core components go into any self-guided course, like Bootcamp:
- Content: What’s being taught? How good is the coach at coaching?
- Packaging: How is it set up and delivered? How do students consume the content?
- Accountability: What helps students complete and take action in the course?
A great course does all three really well.
So where do course creators go wrong? And why are there so many bad courses out there that drop the ball when it comes to empowering students and ensuring success?
Here are 7 reasons I can think of:
- They don’t teach a framework. They end up teaching a mixed bag of ideas, with little to no cohesion. Our framework is H.I.R.T. training, which is like HIIT with more weights and resistance. You’ll learn exactly how we use it to get you results, and exactly how to use it to tailor your own journey if needed.
- There’s no intended outcome. Someone could record a series of videos and technically produce a course, but that doesn’t mean it will transform the physique or lives of its students. Fat loss, muscle gain, or both? You must define the outcome. Bootcamp will help you lose fat, gain muscle, sleep better, move better, have better sex, and more.
- Inability to transfer complex ideas to students. We’ve all met brilliant people who can’t articulate what they know best. I keep the language simple, concise, and to the point to help you take actionable steps.
- Focus too much on looking professional. What’s the point of buying the best filming equipment or hiring the best editors if what you teach isn’t something people easily learn from? Even though the Bootcamp workout videos are shot on the best equipment, the course is delivered in a simple format everyone can use and learn from.
- The content is just an anecdote. “I did this, so you can too.” A great course is going to be well-researched and includes a lot of actual examples from other people who have had success using the methods.
- Unrealistic expectations. It’d be great if there really was a shortcut to success, but there isn’t. Some courses overpromise and let their students down. Bootcamp is hard work, and you will be rewarded accordingly.
- Not focused on action. A course is only successful when a student successfully acts on what’s taught. This is why I decided to use email to support the learning experience. 99% of people open their email at least once per day. There I will be, nudging you with actionable steps for the day.
I’ve found it really helpful to know what I want to avoid while creating Bootcamp.
You let me know that you’re interested in shredding fat and building lean muscle all while enjoying the process. Hopefully the above made a lot of sense, and you agree that all the above is important to you when choosing a course.
I’d be curious to hear from you if there is anything you’d add to the list I outlined above.
Speak soon,
Tee
Over the last decade, Tee Major has worked with top fitness brands such as Nike, Puma, Reebok, and Adidas as a fitness model. As a strength & conditioning coach, he trained Olympians, NFL, NCAA, the USMC, Army, USAF, SOCOM. As an entrepreneur, he authored Urban Calisthenics in 2018 with Penguin Random House. He runs a company called, Sqwod which creates products and services to help fitness creators build run, and scale fitness brands.