At first, a training and nutrition program for creative professionals sounds ridiculous, I know. Why would a creator need a training program? It’s not like it’s a “hard” or “dangerous” line of work, right? Well, you’d be surprised at how many videographers, photographers, and editors have neck, shoulder, wrist, back, hip, knee, and ankle issues that hamper their workflow. Injuries make an already mentally demanding job even tougher. Not to mention that many creators are snacking on cookies, potato chips, and chocolate bars while they’re shooting or editing because those are “quick” snacks that allow them to keep working. The only problem is that those type of snacks actually rob them of energy, rather than fuel them.

The Shoot Stronger program and nutrition guide has been designed expressly with creative professionals in mind. Not only does it reduce (or eliminate) many of the overuse injuries that creators often deal with, it also boosts durability and energy - two things that are absolutely necessary for a creative professional to have a LONG career.

Could you use any general training program and see results from it? Yeah ... probably. Still, take a moment to consider why many occupations and sports have training and nutrition guides made specifically for them. Could a college football strength and conditioning program work well for a firefighter? To some degree, yes, but a fire-specific program that takes the rigors of that occupation into account, would probably be a much better fit for that firefighter. The same thing applies to creative professionals. A program designed to deal with their workflows, their schedules, and their common injuries will probably be a better fit than a general training program.

As a creative professional, I completely understand this feeling - 100%. Our work demands A TON of our time and attention. We have mouths to feed and bills to pay, so work comes FIRST!!! Even me - a former strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer - adopted a “work first” attitude when I began my creative career. I should have known better because of my background in the health and fitness industry, but I dove head first into my work as videographer and editor and put other things like my health to the side. I thought that was the correct thing to do for the first few months while I was building up my skills and my portfolio, but I soon started to develop aches and pains and energy issues that I really hadn’t dealt with before in my previous occupation. I found myself moving less, sitting MUCH more often, eating erratically with questionable food choices, and all I seemed to care about was developing this new skill and making money from it.

It was at the 8 to 9-month mark where I said “okay, hold on a second. What is going on here?” Yes, I was excited to be doing this work, but I was plagued with low-energy and a bunch of “exciting” and “new” physical issues like low-back pain and neck pain. Those were things that I didn’t have to deal with very often in my previous line of work. It was at that point that I smacked myself in the head because, “I should DEFINITELY know better!”

I knew that if I was going to take this career seriously (and make it a LONG career), I would need to carve out time in my schedule to take care of myself. Regular exercise and decent nutrition would have to be a part of my life along with my creative work. When I got my act together, the job was actually easier to do. I was in less pain, and my increased energy levels allowed for more alertness and creativity while on the job! Of course, I knew that this wouldn’t just work for me, but it would apply to other creative professionals. I couldn’t find anyone in the health and fitness space who was dedicated to serving Creators, so I knew that I would have to become that person myself!

Not knowing where to start AND not wanting to hurt yourself are also sentiments that I completely understand. That is why I designed three different styles for the training program. Whether you are a novice to exercise, or you’ve been working out for a while, all three styles of this program offer you a sensible and safe way to make progress (mobility-gains and strength-gains). You won’t simply be reading exercise names off of a screen and be left to interpret what those exercises are. There is a video of each workout in the program, outlining all of the movements and the proper technique to use while performing each of them. You also have access to the entire Movement Library that shows and explains each of the mobility and strength movements individually. The Shoot Stronger program has been designed to set you up for success from Day 1!

Luckily, for you, this program was designed by a creative professional who personally knows how chaotic your schedule can be! Both the mobility workouts and the strength workouts can be done in under an hour!

The minimal requirement to produce (and feel) the positive results of using this program is roughly 2.5 hours of work per week ... and you will feel a noticeable difference within the first 6 to 8 weeks! These quick workouts can be placed in a number of spots during your work week.

Now, considering that most of us spend more than 2.5 hours per day on our phones, dedicating 2.5 hours of training during an entire week is NOT too much to ask. Remember, this program has been designed by ME - a working creative professional that has over 15 years of strength and conditioning and personal training experience. I know how busy you are, and I’ve set up this system to accomodate your hectic work schedule.

Accountability is a POWERFUL factor in any health and fitness journey. Personal trainers and strength coaches can definitely provide the right amount of accountability needed for success. Good trainers are often quite busy and if you can find one, you’re generally in very good hands with them. However, as you’ll see in the “Shoot Stronger Investment” section below, working with a coach in-person or online can come at a significant cost. Working once/week with a coach can add up to thousands of dollars over the course of a few months.

An alternative to working with a trainer for accountability is having an “accountability partner” or an “accountability group.” This could be a made up of friends, family members, coworkers, or one or more of the Shoot Stronger members in our community. You and your accountability partner(s) would share your health and fitness goals and keep each other accountable for following through on your plans ... and call each other out for slacking! In the Shoot Stronger Community we STRONGLY suggest engaging with other members and finding people who can join you on your health and fitness journey.

With the Shoot Stronger Program, no gym = no problem! The first two styles of the program (Body Weight & Bands and Minimal Equipment) allow you to workout in the privacy of your own home or in your hotel room while you’re travelling. You won’t have to worry about being surrounded by strangers or waiting on someone else to use a piece of equipment - you’ll have everything that you need right in front of you in your own private space!

Yes, that’s absolutely an option. You can search YouTube for different exercises and slowly piece together your own year-long, creator-specific training program ...

... OR you could save all of that time and effort for your projects and simply use the Shoot Stronger System - a year-long training program and nutrition guide that has already been optimized for the kind of work you do and the type of physical issues you’re likely to deal with.

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Even though I've built this system for full-time creative professionals, it will work just as well for part-time creatives. If you think about it, a program that focuses on physical durability, sound nutrition, and a strong mindset can work for any creator, part-time or full-time. You'll receive all of the same benefits from this program!