The Write Spotters

06/05/2026

Want to Write Better? Read More.

Every writer wants to improve with a magical prompt that turns average writing into great writing.

But one habit helps more than all of them combined: Reading.

And not just fitness content.

A great way to improve your writing is to expose yourself to great writing. That's how you develop an ear for rhythm, sentence structure, storytelling, humor, and clarity. You start noticing how good writers make complicated ideas easy to understand and how they keep readers engaged from one paragraph to the next.

The best writers I've met are usually voracious readers. They're constantly picking up ideas, phrases, stories, and perspectives from books, magazines, articles, biographies, and even fiction. They understand that writing is input and output. The quality of one often determines the quality of the other.

And here's the part many fitness writers miss: don't limit yourself to reading fitness.

Read history. Read biographies. Read humor. Read fiction. Read anything written by people who know how to tell a story and communicate an idea. Some of the best lessons you'll learn about writing won't come from fitness at all.

Because at the end of the day, writing is communication.

And the more examples of great communication you expose yourself to, the better your own writing becomes.

What's the best non-fitness book you've read in the last year? Drop it below. You might help another writer find their next great read.

Transforming Personal Trainers Into Fitness Writers

06/04/2026

My Latest On Muscle & Fitness

Gym lore and bro science are strong. If it's said that an exercise is bad news, then it's often taken as gospel.

One such exercise is the behind-the-neck overhead press. Sure, the exercise has its problems, but it doesn't cause problems for everyone. Rather than believe everything you hear, get the actual truth before making any training decisions.

There are no bad exercises, just bad fits.

https://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-tips/behind-the-neck-press-the-truth-about-this-controversial-shoulder-exercise/

Thanks for reading, and to Jeff Tomko and Matt Wenning for their time and talents.

Coach Shane

Is the behind-the-neck press dangerous or underrated? Experts break down the risks, shoulder mobility demands, delt-building benefits, and who should avoid this controversial overhead press variation for bigger shoulders and upper-body strength.

06/03/2026

Stephen King Hates Adverbs. Should You?

If you've ever read Stephen King's On Writing, you know he has strong feelings about adverbs. Very strong feelings. In fact, he famously wrote that "the road to hell is paved with adverbs."

Now, before you start deleting every word ending in "ly," let's talk about what he actually meant.

King's point wasn't that adverbs are evil. His point was that writers often use adverbs as a crutch instead of choosing stronger verbs or clearer language.

For example, instead of writing:

"The client walked slowly to the squat rack."

You could write:

"The client shuffled to the squat rack."

One stronger verb does the work of two words.

Or instead of:

"He explained the exercise carefully."

You might write:

"He demonstrated the exercise."

The sentence becomes tighter, clearer, and more vivid.

That said, I'm not in the "ban all adverbs" camp.

Here's a simple rule I like:

If you can remove the adverb and the sentence keeps its meaning, leave it out.

If removing the adverb changes the meaning of the sentence, keep it.

For example:

"The client nearly missed the lift."

Take out "nearly" and you get:

"The client missed the lift."

Those are two very different outcomes.

The adverb matters.

The goal isn't to eliminate adverbs. The goal is to make every word earn its place.

And sometimes that means replacing an adverb with a better verb. Sometimes it means leaving the adverb alone because it's doing an important job.

Good writing isn't about following rules blindly. It's about communicating clearly.

Look at one of your recent posts and circle every adverb. Which ones can go—and which ones actually deserve to stay?

Transforming Personal Trainers Into Fitness Writers

06/02/2026

My Latest On Muscle & Fitness

Sometimes, for whatever reason, an exercise just hurts. The barbell squat is one of those exercises. You adjust your stance and lighten the load, but it still bothers you.

Rather than skipping squats, here are five exercises to keep you on the gain train when your knees are trying to kick you off it

https://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-tips/5-best-barbell-back-squat-alternatives-for-lifters-with-knee-pain/

Thanks for reading, and to Jeff Tomko for his patience and editing skills.

Coach Shane

Knee pain ruining your squats? Discover the best squat alternatives for building strong quads, glutes, and lower-body power without wrecking your knees. Learn expert fixes, mobility tips, and pain-free exercises for serious leg gains.

06/01/2026

Want Better Writing? Clear Your Head First.

You don’t need to force it.

That if you're staring at a blinking cursor and nothing's happening, the answer is to sit there longer and grind harder.

Sometimes that's the worst thing you can do.

Most trainers try to write when their brains are already overloaded. They've coached clients all day, answered texts, programmed workouts, and put out fires, then sit down expecting brilliant words to appear on command.

Good luck with that.

Clear writing starts with clear thinking. And clear thinking requires space.

Have you ever noticed that your best ideas rarely show up when you're actively trying to think of them? They show up during a walk, while training, driving home, taking a shower, or doing just about anything except staring at your screen.

That's because your brain finally has room to breathe.

When I get stuck. I get up. I go for a walk. I train. I do something completely different. More often than not, the solution shows up when I stop chasing it.

Writing is much like coaching. If a client is frustrated, overwhelmed, and trying too hard, sometimes the best thing you can do is simplify the situation and create some breathing room.

Your writing deserves the same treatment.

So before you force another sentence, try clearing your head first. You might be surprised how much easier the words come when your mind isn't cluttered with everything else.

What's your favorite way to clear your head when you're stuck? Walking, lifting, coffee, staring into space? Drop it below.

Transforming Personal Trainers Into Fitness Writers

05/30/2026

My Latest On Muscle & Fitness

If you're looking to re-ignite your gains, the Texas Method might be for you.

It's a method where you build and test strength within the week, with a balance of recovery.

Buckle down, run it for six weeks, and get stronger.

Find out all about it below.

https://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-tips/the-texas-method-workout-explained-the-strength-program-that-can-help-intermediate-lifters-break-plateaus/

Thanks for reading, and to Jeff Tomko and Jay Ashman for their time and talents.

Coach Shane McLean

Stuck on your big lifts? Discover how the Texas Method workout builds strength, muscle, and recovery for intermediate lifters using heavy compound exercises, progressive overload, and weekly PR training.

05/29/2026

Make Your Fitness Articles Easier to Read

One thing fitness writers neglect is formatting.

You can have great information, solid coaching insights, and practical takeaways, but if your article looks like a wall of text, many readers won't make it past the first few paragraphs.

People don't read online the same way they read books. They scan first. They look for headings, white space, and visual cues that help them understand where they're headed before they commit to reading the whole piece.

That's why formatting matters.

Shorter paragraphs are one of the easiest ways to improve readability. A five-sentence paragraph in a book might work perfectly. On a phone screen, it can look like a brick wall. Breaking ideas into smaller chunks gives readers room to breathe and makes your content feel less intimidating.

Subheadings help too. They tell readers where they are and what's coming next. A good subheading allows someone to skim the article and immediately understand the structure.

Lists and bullet points are another powerful tool. If you're explaining steps, mistakes, benefits, or takeaways, don't bury them inside a long paragraph. Put them where readers can find them quickly.

Good formatting doesn't make your writing better. It makes your writing easier to consume. And when something is easier to read, more people actually finish it.

Pull up one of your old articles and look at it before you read it. Does the formatting invite you in—or make you want to leave? Let us know what you'd improve.

Transforming Personal Trainers Into Fitness Writers

05/27/2026

When to Use Jargon (And When It Gets in the Way)

I'm not a big fan of jargon.

Most of the time, it's used when simpler words would work just fine. Writers swap "build muscle" for "hypertrophy" or "good form" for "movement mechanics," and then a simple idea sounds far more complicated than it needs to be.

The problem is that jargon often creates distance between you and your reader.

If you're writing for everyday gym-goers, clients, or people trying to improve their health, clarity should always win. Your reader shouldn't need a fitness dictionary to understand what they read. They should be able to read a sentence once and immediately know what you mean.

But jargon isn't always the enemy.

If you're writing for coaches, personal trainers, physical therapists, or experienced lifters, technical terms can actually make your writing more efficient. Sometimes "RPE," "periodization," or "hypertrophy" conveys an idea more quickly because your audience already understands the language. In those situations, jargon becomes a useful shortcut rather than a barrier.

The key is knowing who you're talking to.

Too many fitness writers use jargon to sound smart. The irony is that knowledgeable coaches are often the best at making complicated ideas sound simple.

A good test is this: if you were explaining the concept to a client after a workout, would you use that term? If the answer is no, consider replacing it. If the answer is yes, and your audience would understand it, then it probably belongs.

The goal isn't to impress people with vocabulary.

The goal is to communicate clearly enough that people understand, trust you, and take action.

What's one fitness term you use regularly that most clients don't understand? How would you explain it in plain English?

Transforming Personal Trainers Into Fitness Writers

05/25/2026

Don't Just Give Advice—Show People What to Do Next

One mistake fitness writers make is stopping too soon.

They explain the concept, and they share the science. They tell readers what they should do. Then the article ends.

The problem is that information alone doesn’t create action.

Take a common piece of advice like "Eat more protein." That's fine as far as it goes, but most readers are left wondering what that actually looks like in real life. How much protein? At which meals? Which foods should they choose? What's the easiest way to get started tomorrow?

Good fitness writing doesn't just tell people what to do. It shows them how to do it.

Think about how you coach clients. You don't tell someone to "improve their squat" and then walk away. You give cues and demonstrate. You break the process into manageable steps. You make the next action clear.

Your writing should do the same.

Whenever you finish explaining a concept, ask yourself one simple question: "What should the reader do next?" If the answer isn't crystal clear, keep writing.

The most valuable content isn't the article with the most information. It's the article that helps someone take action.

Look at your last article or social media post. Did you tell readers exactly how to apply your advice? If not, how could you make the next step clearer?

Transforming Personal Trainers Into Fitness Writers

05/22/2026

Good Writing Has One Job: Keep the Reader Moving

Another great lesson from On Writing Well is that good writing has momentum.

Every sentence should pull the reader into the next one.

That’s where a lot of fitness content falls apart. The writing gets choppy, and ideas feel disconnected. Paragraphs ramble. But before long, the reader checks out mentally, even if the information is good.

Clear writing flows because the writer knows exactly where they’re going.

Think about a good training session. There’s structure. One exercise leads into the next. Everything has a purpose. You’re not randomly bouncing between deadlifts, mobility drills, and calf raises for no reason.
Writing works the same way.

One idea should lead into the next, and your reader should never feel lost or forced to stop and reread something. Simple transitions, shorter paragraphs, and clear structure make a huge difference.
And sometimes the best thing you can do is slow down and ask yourself: “Does this sentence actually help move the point forward?”

Because good writing isn’t about packing in more information, it’s about guiding the reader smoothly from beginning to end.

Take a look at one of your older posts and check the flow. Does each paragraph naturally lead into the next?