After a two-month layoff from weight training (thank you thoracic and lumbar spinal stenosis) I started training again a couple weeks ago.

Although I’m in constant pain, it feels good to get back on the horse again.

(I’m in chronic pain whether I train or not… so I might as well be an in-shape guy with chronic pain.)

Anyhoo, I needed a little training inspiration so I went browsing through the Bodybuilding.com archives.

One article caught my eye entitled…

“7 Muscle-Growth Rules You Should Never Break.”

If you care to know, here are those 7 rules:

RULE 1 – Never get too comfortable

RULE 2 – Never abandon basic multi-joint movements

RULE 3 – Never overlook the most important variables for muscle growth

RULE 4 – Don’t go full bore all the time

RULE 5 – Never think you know it all

RULE 6 – Never put fewer than 30 grams of protein on your plate

RULE 7 – Never stop looking for ways to gain an edge

Hey… howz about them apples? Those are the exact same rules (with a few minor tweaks) for success in online marketing.

For example, BODYBUILDING RULE 1 – Never get too comfortable, gets tweaked to…

…well, no tweaks needed. The same rule applies to online marketing.

BODYBUILDING RULE 2 – Never abandon basic multi-joint movements, gets changed to:

ONLINE MARKETING RULE 2 – Never abandon the direct marketing basics.

BODYBUILDING RULE 3 – Never overlook the most important variables for muscle growth, gets changed to:

ONLINE MARKETING RULE 3 – Never overlook the most important variables for maximum response.

BODYBUILDING RULE 4 – Don’t go full bore all the time, gets tweaked to:

ONLINE MARKETING RULE 4 – Don’t go full bore all the time.

No changes needed to this rule either.

You see, success in online marketing the Doberman Dan way is a marathon.

But not like any typical marathon.

It’s more like a HIIT (high intensity interval training) marathon. That involves brief periods of all-out, balls to the wall, maximum effort… followed by a period of coasting… or walking at a pace that allows you to catch your breath.

Moving on.

BODYBUILDING RULE 5 – Never think you know it all, gets modified to:

ONLINE MARKETING RULE 5 – Never think you know it all.

Huh. No changes needed to this one either.

Show me an online marketer who thinks they know it all and I’ll show you a clueless, wet-behind-the-ears rookie.

Or an incredibly stupid person.

Or both.

And a DANGEROUS person if you’re taking his or her advice.

Listen, I’ve been at this 20 years now. I’ve written thousands of ads and done thousands of tests.

I feel like I know less now than when I started. Cuz now I’m aware of all I DON’T know.

And interestingly, the few times I started to think I knew it all, I was immediately humbled in a very big (and humiliating) way.

Alrighty then. Moving on.

BODYBUILDING RULE 6 – Never put fewer than 30 grams of protein on your plate, gets changed to:

Hmmm…  I got nuttin’ for this one. I’m gonna skip it and move on to the next rule.

BODYBUILDING RULE 7 – Never stop looking for ways to gain an edge.

I’ll change this one to:

ONLINE MARKETING RULE 7 – Never stop looking for ways to gain an edge.

Yup… the exact same rule applies to online marketing. This is how we continue to beat controls and constantly inch up our response.

Do you realize what you just observed?

The formula for becoming a more prolific writer…

Find inspiration in EVERYTHING.

(BTW, have you noticed I’m writing a LOT more frequent emails these days? If you’re not a knight in my Marketing Camelot and you only get these free emails, you’re only observing about 2% of my output.)

I’m still in the game, man.

Every day.

I’m not observing from some cushy place in the stands.

Or standing on the sidelines barking orders to the dudes and dudettes who have the balls to get in the fight.

Nope.

I’m in the arena getting beaten and bloody every day with the rest of the gladiators.

So there’s no lack of inspiration or “fodder” for me to find things to write about.

But… a frequent question I get is how do I constantly come up with stuff to write about.

My advice?

Most importantly… GET IN THE GAME. There’s never a lack of things to write about when you’re moving forward in life.

Your writing is REAL.

And people can FEEL that.

If you’re a true writer at heart, inspiration is everywhere.

Even in a bodybuilding article.

And when you regularly transform your plethora of “fodder” and inspiration into emails, articles, blog posts, podcasts, videos, newsletters, sales copy, etc…amazing things can happen.

All the best,

Doberman Dan

 

 

P.S. In the October issue of The Doberman Dan Letter, I reveal a unique method to determine the best possible traffic sources for your business.

And on the knights-only website I’m also giving you a nifty software tool where  you plug in all your data… and the software chooses your best possible traffic sources for you.

You ain’t seen nuttin’ like it.

You’ll get that issue and access to the software when you become knighted into the Marketing Camelot.

But you’ve only got a few days more to get in on this issue. (Unless you want to pay $498 for the back issues.)

Click here to join me in the Marketing Camelot today…

I’ll have the October issue of The Doberman Dan Letter mailed to you lickety split…along with a few other unadvertised moneymaking bonuses.

See ya at the Round Table!

Pax vobiscum.