Imposter Syndrome and The Fitness Industry
A few weekends ago I was teaching a workshop in Boston with Tony Gentilcore all about improving coaching skills and business development, and had a chance to have some very…
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About Dean
I KNOW, right? You DO look exceptionally good today. Are those new pants? No pants? Well, you smell terrific so you have that going for you. Give yourself a high five.

If you've come this far you know I'm a guy who has his own website, and in this crazy mixed up world, that says something. I don't know exactly what it says, but it's right there being said. If you need more information, I'm happy to oblige, but it's going to be kind of weird, me sitting here telling you stuff about me while not knowing anything about you, other than you aren't wearing pants and smell amazing. If you're into that sort of thing, I don't judge. At least not out loud.
I'm a personal trainer from Edmonton, Alberta Canada. Well, technically I have some more impressive sounding titles, but they all just mean the same things. I help people get strong, fit, flexible, and enjoy fitness as much as possible.
My clientele has included clients with post-surgical joint replacement rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation & wellness, sports injury post-rehabilitation, neural impairments and spinal cord injuries, cancer patients and even elite athletes in various sports. Training is easiest once you know where to start, which is why I try to incorporate a lot of different assessment techniques, some common, some I've made up on the spot, but in each case the goal is to see what that person uniquely brings to the table and how I could help them get more from their workouts, however that may be. Everyone has a raging beast of an athlete inside of them, and deserves to feel what it's like to push their limits with a safe and effective program.
In addition to working with people in person like a real human, I have clients I work with all over the world on a host of different goals, be they injury recovery, athletic performance, weight loss, or just enjoying their time in a gym with a gameplan for success. I've written for major publications like Men's Health, Women's Health, T-Nation.com, Bodybuilding.com, and a slew of other websites and print media.
I've managed to teach seminars all over the world. Most of my talks focus on using humour and hands-on application to keep people engaged and entertained. This has been shown to be a successful method of having participants retain key information versus just speaking and instructing, and lets me make ruthless fun of anyone who shows up to a hip or mobility seminar wearing tight jeans.
If you've read this far, I'm sure you've come to realize that I don't take myself too seriously and have an idea of what I'm talking about. I drop a lot of free content on this blog, and have some other resources that cost a few bucks where I go into more detail on some topics, plus I offer coaching services. In the end, you don't have to spend a cent to be here, and I'd actually encourage you to read all the free stuff you want and try stuff out to see what you think. I'm here to help, entertain, and make you feel awesome about fitnessing stuff, heavy lifting, and getting the most out of your workouts.
In the end, I'm just a meathead. Come and be a meathead with me. We have cookies and free Netflix, plus we tell way cooler stories and look way hotter with our clothes off.
Coaching
Whether you're in Edmonton or somewhere with worse winters, there's a way to work with me. Pick in-person sessions or online coaching — both start with an assessment so your program actually fits you, not some generic template.
From$70/ semi-private session
Real coaching, in real life, in Edmonton. Semi-private or one-on-one sessions built around an in-depth assessment — because guessing is for horoscopes, not training.
$259/ month
Coaching that travels with you. Custom monthly programming, video demos, and direct access to me — delivered through the app so your gym can be anywhere.
The Somerset Fitness app
Online coaching runs through the free Somerset Fitness app — your workouts, demo videos, and our conversation all in one place, whether you train at home, at the gym, or on the road.


The Book
An Evidence-Based Guide to Preventing Injury, Optimizing Strength, and Enhancing Performance

Yes, I wrote a book. Well, Dan Pope and I wrote a book — he handled the injury science parts and I handled the parts about how to not be broken while trying to be awesome. It's a solid team effort, and by that I mean we're both very pleased with ourselves.
If you've ever wondered why your shoulder hurts every time you try to press something overhead, or why your hips feel like rusted hinges on a 1970s screen door, this book has answers. Evidence-based answers — which is a fancy way of saying we looked at actual research instead of just making stuff up. Novel concept, I know.
By Dean Somerset & Dan Pope
Testimonials
Dean Somerset is a psychopath. Or sociopath. Anyway he's some sort of path. If this were Egyptian times, he'd somehow have me whipping myself as I built a damn pyramid, with my abs braced and imagining I was breathing through my eyelids. I mean, sure I'm stronger than I've ever been and sure, I'm more mobile than I've been since I was a teenager and sure I'm not in pain anymore but the damage to my fragile ego of sneaking into the aerobics studio for some pink weights because it's all I can control for half-kneeling baby reverse amoeba squats just isn't worth it. Probably.
Rarely in this industry do we find individuals who seamlessly mesh passion with knowledge. Dean is one of those rare cases. There are very few trainers who are as well-rounded and research-based as Dean. Anyone who can learn from him can consider themselves lucky.
I came to Dean a hot ghetto mess of sadness and confusion, having for the first time in my life found a sport that I love and questioning if I could continue due to injury. Not only did Dean create a specific program to address my injury, but he also made my training enjoyable with variations I had never done on my own. Most importantly, Dean's bedside manner is that of someone who actually cares, plus his e-mail response time and banter are hilarious. The only way you could go wrong with Dean is if you don't go with Dean.
Dean Somerset Is a Movement Genius. What does that mean? He is the opposite of why most people become frustrated with fitness. He will make you better and remove your pain–all while helping you see more results. It's what the best coaches know how to do, and Dean is part of an elite group.
Learn
Years of assessments, coaching, and a mildly unhealthy obsession with why people move the way they do — boiled down into self-paced courses and digital downloads. Go deep with a course, or grab a download and put it to work before your pre-workout wears off.

A workshop covering the basics every trainer should know about injury post-rehab before working with clients. It covers the most common conditions of the shoulder, hip, knee and spine, with direction on what to do — and, more importantly, what not to do. Each section walks through the relevant anatomy, the adaptations that occur with each injury, how to assess who can and cannot begin training, and how to train it safely and effectively.
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Core strength and stability is something everyone needs to produce forceful movement — from tying your shoes to lifting your max in the gym. Core stability means preserving the position of your spine while your shoulders and hips do the heavy lifting. The spine acts like a buffer, driving force from one end to the other without bending or breaking in the process.
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This online seminar-style education system is like having some of the brightest minds in the industry coaching you through your biggest hurdles, so you can feel confident growing your business.
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A deep-dive summit on assessment-driven program design and hypertrophy training.
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Understand the needs of each client or patient you see, plus direct ways to address their specific mobility concerns — identifying limitations and how they affect the individual's goals, applying the right tools (long-hold static stretches, contract/relax modalities, eccentric overloads, loaded end ranges, positional isometrics), and coaching them effectively for shoulder and hip function. Includes programming considerations for when to progress to more advanced strength & conditioning and when to return focus to mobility work.
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If you're a fitness professional who knows what they're doing when coaching a client, but don't have any idea how to build a successful business — and may not have any interest in opening your own facility or existing exclusively online — then this is going to make your day.
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This business mentorship gives you the direction and accountability you're looking for, with help to improve your business systems, generate more revenue, and finally get that special project you've been thinking about out into the world.
View courseSomerset Superset Newsletter
Every couple of weeks I send out the Somerset Superset — a quick hit of training ideas, movement nerdery, and the occasional bad joke I'm legally obligated to include. Here are a few recent issues worth letting into your inbox.
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Read this issueWeekly training insights, movement breakdowns, and the occasional hot take — dropped straight to your inbox. 10,000+ fitness pros already subscribe. Consider this your two-for-one.