PT: Based on your experience, what do you think is the future of the business for years to come?
JM: My business is unique in the sense that what we do is very niche. Iron Arena is a private facility and our members are either competitive Powerlifters or those that train like such in the sense that they put a primary focus on the three barbell lifts that make up the sport of powerlifting (squat, bench press, deadlift). Because of social media along with the influence Crossfit has had on people that "work out", there has become a big shift in people becoming more interested in the barbell lifts. Due to the technical nature of these movements vs. machine or dumbbell training which require a low skill level, people have reached out to those with experience so that they can learn how to execute these movements properly and safely. Hopefully this continues in the future and our business as performance coaches and personal trainers continue to flourish while weeding out the ones with no experience, knowledge and drive in becoming proficient in these exercises which are a bit part of the fitness equation despite one's specific goal. Think back to 10 years ago when "functional training" and doing various things on unstable surfaces was popular. Not so much anymore.
PT: As I saw on the Iron Arena website, you are an accomplished powerlifter. In addition to outside ventures, what are some of your greatest accomplishments that took place on the job or as a result of the job? Or what is your favorite/most rewarding experience in your time as a performance coach?
JM: Since the majority of people I train compete in the sport of Powerlifting, everything we do is quantifiable. Having hard data that is measurable (either your numbers improve on meet day and you're stronger than last time or you're not) allows me to rest assured knowing that I completed the job that I am being paid to do. That's my "reward". Two experiences that come to mind that mean a lot would be my team winning the USA Powerlifting NJ State Championship in both 2018 and 2019. Another that comes to mind is coaching one of my lifters to a National Championship where the meet came down to her last deadlift attempt. Lastly, one of my teenage lifters got to make the US Bench Press Team in his division and it was cool traveling to Japan together to compete.
PT: Besides a college degree in the exercise science field, what are some of the best courses of action to take in order to become a well rounded personal trainer?
JM: Build your network. While it's good to have an understanding of various fitness related "things" become an expert in what YOU DO versus trying to be a "jack of all trades". Surround yourself and network with the best in the industry. Ask to meet with them, shadow them and don't expect anything for free. Offer to clean their facility or ask what you can do for them as a way to compensate them for their time. Never feel that you're entitled to anything. Read, Read, Read. Use yourself as a test subject to various methods and programming before using others. Keep records of EVERYTHING. I have training journals that go back to 2002. I could tell you what the weather was (this was important when I was running track) and what I weighed on this day 12 years ago.
PT: When it comes to coaching, do you often change or evolve the exercise routines give or do you generally stick to the same working formula?
JM: I've been training people since 2004. Over that span of the time the way I train people and methods I use have surely evolved. While I recognize there is no one-size-fits-all program or methodology, over time I have figured out what generally works best and what is a waste of time. It's almost like a double edged sword in the sense that the more you learn the more you will realize you don't know. Even though it sounds cliche I've come to find out for the most part that less is more and the less fancy things are generally the better they work. That being said, as my sample size continues to grow my programs will continue to evolve. Remember what I said above about record keeping.
PT: What does an average day as a performance coach look like?
JM: I can only speak for myself. Iron Arena is a one man show. I'm the owner and only coach there (aside from a friend of mine who rents space for me and also trains people) and we have no staff despite being a facility open 24-7 with roughly 100 members. I train a few people early in the day, get my own training in mid afternoon and train a few people or groups at night. When I was a Strength & Conditioning coach at a University my schedule was quite different but generally speaking as a personal trainer or performance coach you could expect to work early mornings as well as evenings. This is due to the majority of people's work schedules (when they're able to get to the gym) although this has changed a bit recently with the number of people working remotely due to covid restrictions.
Informational Interview Reflection
Networking to find personal trainers that were ready, willing and able to speak was a very difficult task as many trainers do not have an email address easily found on their websites. The more unprofessional sites usually had their email addresses on the home page or ‘Contact Us’ page. Unlike others, the Iron Arena website made contacting their coaches quick and easy while maintaining the highest appearance of professionalism. The two main coaches listed were Cynthia St. Clair and Jason Manenkoff. Both with degrees and both accomplished athletes in their own right, I was eager to speak to either one of these individuals and placed them at the top of my list. Luckily, Jason Manenkoff responded to my interview request and we scheduled a phone interview for Friday, March 5th at 5pm.
Before the interview, I did more research on Jason Manenkoff, his accomplishments and his business. Due to the extensive list of his accomplishments, the experience of researching this amazing athlete was easy as well as inspiring and motivating. Jason Manenkoff is the head powerlifting coach of the Iron Arena Powerlifting & Performance Gym in North Bergen, New Jersey. He graduated in 2005 from the State University of New York, Cortland Campus with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. Along with his stellar academic accomplishments, he competed in Track and Field. He competed in the 55 meter to 400 meter sprint events and the Long Jump. After graduation, he continued running Track and Field. Some of his personal records include a 10.94 in the 100 meters, 21.98 in the 200 meters, and 22’11.75 in the Long Jump. In 2015, Jason broke the record for the drug tested bench press in my hometown of Edison, New Jersey, bench pressing 425 lbs in the 165 weight class. One of his proudest accomplishments include his powerlifting team winning the USA Powerlifting NJ State Championship in both 2018 and 2019.
Mr. Manenkoff and I spoke for roughly 10 - 15 minutes which were packed with insight regarding the in’s & out’s of what he does. Though I was anxious before the interview not knowing exactly what to expect once the phone rang, it was delightful to be greeted with a friendly hello and a comfortable space for conversation. He was very easy to talk to as he maintained a level of professionalism mixed with a comforting casual tone of conversation. All questions were answered with a plethora of additional insight and knowledge for me to use in the future which I was sure to let him know I was grateful for. I was surprised with the amount of information that Mr. Manenkoff shared with me. Considering that he was doing this interview to help me with this reflection, I felt very honored to see the amount of effort that was put forth to make sure all parts of my questions were answered with additional information on top of that.
As a performance coach for competitive powerlifters or people who train as such, he centers his main lifts around the barbell. Specifically, the deadlift, bench press and the squat. Due to the technical and precise nature of powerlifting, Mr. Manenkoff and his clients keep track of their weight lifting numbers and use that as the measuring stick for accomplishment. One of the main things that I learned while interviewing this incredible coach is that keeping records is one of the most important things that one can do when training whether as a coach, athlete or both! He made a note to mention that he has records of exactly how much he weighed and what the weather was like on any given day dating back to as early as 2002, as these factors and statistics were important when running track. When preparing a client for a powerlifting competition, he compares the weight that they were able to lift on competition day to the weight that they were able to lift on days training at the Iron Arena gym and uses these statistics to determine whether or not he did his job. The consistency and diligence shown by Jason Manenkoff echoes into the spirit of his clients and brings out the very best in them.
Mr. Manenkoff taught me that the best way to succeed in this business is to find your niche and focus all of your energy on being the best at what you specifically do rather than being a jack of all trades. Before the interview, I figured that the best way to be a successful personal trainer was to be able to help anyone with their individual fitness goal. Whether this was to lose weight, get back into shape, train for sports, etc., I figured that being a jack of all trades was the way to go. While Mr. Manenkoff surely encourages helping everyone reach their goals, his main focus is to train and develop successful powerlifters which is his main marketing strategy. After interviewing him, I now understand that having a specific market creates a more clear picture on what one has to offer and is definitely the best way to go when marketing one's coaching or training services. Further, Mr. Manenkoff made it clear that networking is a necessity when it comes to building a reputation and gaining connections for the future. The biggest piece of advice I received was that I should expect nothing for free. Meaning that if someone takes me under their wing, in exchange for knowledge I must provide services such as offering to clean their facility. This shows respect and builds character, something that Jason Manenkoff stands for.
This interview definitely influenced me to pursue the field of personal training even more. Mr. Manenkoff gave me insight as to what his average work day looks like. This includes coaching sessions in the early morning and evening with time for Mr. Manenkoff to train sometime during the middle of the day. The reason for this structure is because the training sessions must not interfere with 9 to 5 office hours which is when a majority of people work. Though this format is changing due to the amount of people who lost jobs or had a schedule change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the world changing before our eyes, now seems like a great time to pursue coaching and personal training as there may be more people willing to train at times that would normally be considered office hours.
Overall, I took a lot from this experience. Everything from the initial emails to the end of the informational interview went according to plan. Jason Manenkoff showed that he goes above and beyond any expectations that others set for him in order to be the best version of himself that he can be in all aspects of life. Perhaps the greatest insight that I gained from the interview is the great example that was set for me. Mr. Manenkoff’s Powerlifting and Track accomplishments speak for themselves. Along with this, I see that the same work that he put into his athletic ventures is present when it comes to every other aspect surrounding his profession. This inspires me to be the best version of myself when it comes to not just things I’m passionate about, but through every challenge and dark path that I must walk throughout life. The world of personal training is open ended. Though whatever specific path I walk, I will aspire to be like Jason Manenkoff and walk it with the intent of excellence.
Phillip Tuttobene
BS Candidate (Exercise Science)
Montclair State University