By JOSH ELSESSER Why do you do what you do? Who are you trying to help? What specifically are you going to do to help them? These are some of the questions that you’ll need to answer to have a clear vision for yourself and your business. These are the backbones for...
By Ken Miller MS, NASM MASTER INSTRUCTOR, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, GFS It’s time to take a turn for the better with rotational training plans. These 3 steps will show you how to apply this directional change with all of your clients. Our ability to change direction is one...
By INGRID OWEN As fitness professionals, we know that members join our facilities for various reasons, with the primary reason to improve their fitness and health. Clearly, the simplicity of that motivation does not mean it’s easy to meet or exceed expectations....
BY KYLE STULL Odds are high that you’ll have a training client with an artificial hip at some point in your career. Having a client with hip replacements may seem like a daunting prospect, but in most cases the new hips function just as well as biological hips....
By Brian St. Pierre How brain signaling drives what you eat. (And what to do about it). It’s no secret that obesity rates have been rising in the U.S. (and other industrialized nations) for the past 30 years. It’s also no secret that Americans eat more than they used...
By James Heathers and Jennifer Nickle SHARE What can you do when you have serious health and fitness goals…but you just don’t like vegetables? First, know that you’re not crazy (and you’re not alone). Next, try our 3-step formula to go from spitting out to seeking out...
By Frank Lipman, M.D.Pioneer in Functional Medicine Are you interested in optimizing your health? Are you overwhelmed by the amount of information and guidance out there? In his new book, How to Be Well, Dr. Frank Lipman organizes your health into six essential...
By Lindsay Kellnermbg Sr. Wellness & Beauty Editor It’s officially August and high time for soaking up the best of what summer has to offer, including vacation, beach trips, and lazy summer days. The last thing many of us want to do when it’s hot is...
By JEROD LANGNESS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, WLS, MASTER TRAINER As fitness professionals, it is easy to keep our focus on the great things that occur from having a healthy and active lifestyle. We know so much about the benefits of exercise and get excited about helping...
By Kyle Stull Everyone is quick to talk about “tightness.” The calves are tight; the hip flexors are tight; the low-back is tight; the shoulders and the neck are tight. It’s true that many people are tight and restricted, but what about those that have too much...
by Dr. David Tiberio, Doug Gray Category: Applied Functional Science Share The popular song entitled “Dem Bones” is ageless. Furthermore, it is brilliant. James Weldon Johnson first composed it back in the early 1900s. Instead of quoting all the lyrics (as the song...
By Amanda Vogel MA Fitness instructors and trainers are always looking for new exercise ideas to bring to their fitness classes, and there have never been more options at our fingertips, thanks to social media. Picking up new ideas is as easy as tapping the YouTube or...
By STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS Keeping our brains healthy is a trending topic that is surely grabbing our attention and the attention of our family, friends and clients. We’re all looking for ways to maintain our brain function and avoid such...
BY Andrew Mills For many of us, working with individuals with tight/overactive hip flexors is a common occurrence. Learning to properly assess and address overactive hip flexors is a powerful skill in helping today’s client move more efficiently. Spending long hours...
By Liz Moody Summer is officially here! And here at mbg we’re all about traveling light and creating space for real transformation. Whether you’re jetting off to faraway lands this year or just exploring new pockets of your neighborhood, these next few months are...
By Jennifer Broxterman, MSc, RD You know the feeling: One salty crunch turns into 100, and suddenly you’re licking the cheese dust and wondering: What’s wrong with me? Actually, it’s normal to feel like you can’t stop overeating certain things. Today’s hyperpalatable...
By Amanda Vogel Going to a fitness conference not only elevates your education and keeps you up to date on exciting trends, it’s a lot of fun! And being able to collect multiple CEUs all in one place is convenient, cost-effective and time-efficient. However, attending...
By NASM Turmeric continues to make some impressive health headlines. Best known as the spice behind curry, research is showing how it can potentially play a role in weight loss, along with preventing Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and other conditions. Introduction Most...
By Fabio Comana High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is all the rage in the fitness world. No doubt you’ve seen various benefits touted just about everywhere, but what is the actual science behind this training design? Would a high-volume interval training (HVIT)...
By GEOFF LECOVIN Ever wonder if soy is healthy? Read on to find out more plus a peek into the foods and products it’s in. WHAT IS SOY? Soybeans are a type of legume native to East Asia. They are an excellent source of high-quality protein, along with being low in...
By Ryan Andrews & Brian St. Pierre Exploring the pros and cons of this controversial food group. We’re often asked whether dairy is good or bad. Short answer: It depends. In this article, we’ll help you make sense of the research — and the wildly different...
By STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS Age is more than a number- it’s an opportunity to serve a growing population. Every day we are bombarded with statistics on seniors and baby boomers, and the customer potential they can bring. But what do trainers (or club...
By Lisa For our bodies to function to their full capacity and to maintain a healthy weight, it is important to eat a nutritious and balanced diet that includes all the food groups in the right proportion. So, questions such as “What are the healthiest sources of fat...
By KATHY ZETTERBERG Static stretching is a highly debated and controversial topic within the fitness and sports performance communities and is focused around the concept that sustained static stretching could impair subsequent performance (Rossi et al. 2010; Shrier...
By TATUM REBELLE Maintaining a strong pelvic floor is vital during pregnancy, yet it remains a commonly overlooked and misunderstood component of most pre- and postnatal training programs. (It’s also something many of us shy away from talking about.) A strong pelvic...
By ELISABETH KRISTOF AND LEE VALLELY Does your business “why” align wither your mission and passion? The early morning light shone through large wooden blinds and cast alternating light and dark shadows across the wall. As I sat in my living room chair, I couldn’t...
BY NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SPORTS SCIENCE Use these tools to give firefighters a training edge. “Strength and endurance must go hand-in-hand on the fire ground,” says Kenneth Shuttleworth, a 24-year firefighter, and seven-year NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS. Here, his advice...
By PRENTISS RHODES If you or any of your clients have chosen martial arts training as your hobby- congratulations! This is a very rewarding path, both physically and mentally. It gives you all the components of fitness wrapped up into an activity that can be practiced...
By TYLER READ Video marketing is kind of a big deal right now. In fact, there has been a big hype around it for the last couple of years and everybody’s trying to get in on it. From thirteen-year-olds to start-ups or even established brands, everybody is posting...
BY BRIAN SUTTON, MA, MS, CSCS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES Muscles don’t work alone to create movement. They work together in synergies to create coordinated movements. Here we’ll identify the four muscle subsystems, discover how these synergies work together, and how to...
Vincent M. Pedre, M.D.Gut Health Specialist & Best-Selling Author The mbg Collective is a curated group of our most trusted wellness advisers. Since 2009, we’ve had the brightest, most passionate, and mission-driven leaders in wellness share their intimate stories...
By Brian St. Pierre You’re tracking your eating and exercise meticulously but not seeing results. Has your metabolism slowed to a crawl? Are your hormones off? Is it really possible to GAIN weight from eating too LITTLE? Here’s what’s really going on — and how to...
By Kyle Stull Most clients, and fitness professionals alike, use the term “tight” to indicate that a muscle or other form of contractile tissue is shorter than it should be. After being in the fitness industry for more than 15 years, I’ve heard the phrase “my...
By TATUM REBELLE Exercise and Pregnancy? Yes! See the benefits of why they go together so well and exercise programming ideas for each trimester. Remaining physically active during pregnancy can help improve posture, decrease back pain, swelling, constipation, and...
By KEN MILLER, MS, NASM MASTER INSTRUCTOR, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, GFS Major League Baseball history was made in 1974. It wasn’t made by a World Series-deciding play at the plate or even a record-breaking event. History was made off the field when Tommy John, the then...
By Geoff Lecovin Whether you’ve just finished a HIIT workout, completed a CrossFit WOD, hit your PR or finished a triathlon, your focus should move from performance to recovery. This involves: Refuelling Repairing Rehydrating Revitalizing Evidence-based strategies to...
By Josh Gonzalez On the ropes about battle ropes? See how to incorporate battle ropes into your personal training programs using the NASM OPT model. Fitness has definitely changed over recent years, becoming smarter with the application of human movement principles...
By Kyle Stull If you were to research IT band problems every day for the next year, there is a good chance you will accumulate over 365 different articles on causes, approaches to treatment, and quick fixes. Many of these articles would explain how the IT band rubs on...
By Dr David Tiberio Category: Applied Functional Science Share As the gait cycle progresses, the lead leg becomes the trail leg. But there may be an advantage to consider what is happening to the trail leg at the same time the lead leg is going through its REAL bone...
By Brian St. Pierre Lots of people looking to improve their eating think meal plans are the answer. The only problem? Meal plans usually suck… and they rarely last. So, instead of prescribing yet another doomed eating regimen, check out these 6 ways to transform any...
By Krista Scott-Dixon New clients often come to us feeling guilty and weak after a holiday season, a vacation, or a long weekend of overeating. Our response often surprises them. Because we know that there are some surprising benefits of overindulgence and key lessons...
by Pete McCall When it comes to increasing muscle size or definition, you’ve probably been told that lifting weights breaks down a muscle, which then becomes stronger or bigger as a result of the repair process. But is this really true or simply another one of the...
By TRX With the sensationalism of today’s 24-7 news, the menace of terrorist attacks and the saber-rattling of rogue dictatorships, it would be easy to believe that we live in the most violent time on record. But yet if we look back in human history, it soon becomes...
Ahhhh…. The trials and tribulations of back pain – perhaps the most elusive member of the “aches and pains” family. How it feels and where it comes from can vary drastically from person to person. It can be attributed to anything and everything from a...
By MICHAEL YAREMKO Minimize Injury Potential – Maximize Performance! When someone says that you have potential, they are really saying, “You could be great, but you aren’t right now.” Athletes typically don’t ever want to hear these words, especially goalies, but it...
Think you need a full weight rack for a serious arm day? Not so fast. There are lots of bicep exercises you can master using just your bodyweight and your TRX Suspension Trainer. Below, we’ve outlined five moves to help you power up your upper body. Whether you...
By MICHAEL YAREMKO Avoiding non-contact injuries with corrective exercise can help keep your hockey team on the ice and in the game. Anytime I mention that I am a hockey player, the first question I get is, “How come you still have all of your teeth?” Hockey is...
By Kyle Stull You’ve probably heard the term biceps tendonitis as gym members highlight an ache or pain at the front of their shoulder. But what is biceps tendonitis and what can be done to avoid it? WHAT IS BICEPS TENDONITIS (AKA: TENDINITIS) AND WHAT CAN YOU DO?...
February 06, 2018 by Dr. David Tiberio Category: Applied Functional Science Shoulder joint motion (glenohumeral articulation) occurs when there is relative movement between the head of the humerus and the glenoid fossa of the scapula. Like all joints, real motion of...
By Fabio Comana The Nordic combined, a combination of cross-country skiing and jumping was one of the original five sports at the first-ever Winter Olympics held in France in 1924. To this day, endurance sports like the biathlon, cross-country skiing and the Nordic...
By Nino MAGADDINO With increasing healthcare costs for businesses across the United States, the need for fitness and wellness professionals continues to grow. Fortunately, many businesses have decided to approve corporate fitness and wellness programs to lower...
By Kyle Stull Thoracic mobility is a key component of spinal rotation. See why optimal thoracic spine mobility is so important for functional movement. Thoracic mobility has become a buzzword over the last several years. This is likely due to the constant barrage of...
By Mind Body Green Weight loss and exercise get the most attention when it comes to getting healthy in the new year, but as we’re coming off a busy holiday season, it’s vital to focus on gut health as part of an overall wellness plan. You can be eating balanced meals...
By John Berardi, Ph.D. “I’ll resume healthy eating after my vacation… once the baby is born… after Dad gets out of the hospital… January 1… Monday.” While this kind of “pause-button mentality” seems reasonable, it could be ruining your health and fitness. Here’s why,...
By STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) stretching technique that has been embraced throughout the fitness industry. This effective and simple to do technique delivers positive, feel good results. Foam rollers...
By Kyle Stull With weight loss being one of the common goals for clients, will recommending a daily visit to the scale improve their results? See what this study found. Journal Article: Steinberg, D.M., Bennett, G.G., Askew, S., & Tate, D.F. (2015). Weighing...
BY TONY AMBLER-WRIGHT January is a good time to check in with clients and find out if they identify more with Mr. Heat Miser or Mr. Snow Miser. Those who “never want to know a day that’s over 40 degrees” may be spending their spare time conquering moguls, slicing up...
By By Rick Richey, MS, LMT, NASM-CPT, CES, PES My years of corporate education in the fitness industry have proven over and over again, to me, that people are afraid of the word “SALES.” Many people wanting to become trainers have called foul on this ominous word and...
By SCOTT KEPPEL Here we go, again. “It’s a new year and this is my year! I know I said that last year, and years in the past, but this time I mean it. No more yo-yo dieting, no more putting everyone else’s needs before mine, no more of this dead-end job, no more, no...
By NASM Everyone has encountered a rejection over the course of their lives. Regardless of your ability, persuasion, or reputation, you will receive a “no” at least some of the time, if not most of the time. Your closing percentage, coupled with your personal training...
By FABIO COMANA Baking soda? Check out this kitchen cupboard staple’s role in exercise performance. Interestingly, December 30th is Bicarbonate of Soda Day – odd to think that we dedicate a day to commemorate a compound when so many exist. Historically, sodium...
By CHRIS ECKLUND, MA, NASM-PES, CSCS, USAW, TP A high school athlete walks through our doors and we can see their strength, stability and biomechanical control deficits from their gait pattern. We’ve also had collegiate and professional athletes come to our facility...
By Kimberly SnyderNutritionist & Best-Selling Author We all want great skin because it’s one of the first things people see! And while we rely on skin care products and makeup to some degree, I’m a firm believer in building beauty from the inside out—skin,...
By John Berardi, Ph.D. It’s a hot debate: Can personal trainers, health coaches, and other non-RD professionals give nutrition advice to their clients? You’ll be surprised (and relieved) to hear: Yes, to a degree. Here’s exactly what you’re allowed to say, and why...
By Amanda Vogel MA With 2018 now on our minds, it’s a good time to ponder how the fitness industry might change in the upcoming year and beyond. One thing’s certain: technology will continue to integrate with pretty much everything related to health and fitness. Where...
By Kyle Stull Foot pain can be one of the most debilitating types of pain and discomfort for both the average individual and the athlete alike. To put it simply, when your feet hurt, everything hurts. The foot is essentially the foundation of the body; it is the first...
By Fabio Comana Drinking a protein shake after resistance-training is a popular nutritional strategy adopted by many fitness enthusiasts and athletes to boost muscle protein synthesis (MPS), but does evidence support this practice, and if so, then what type of protein...
By JOSH ELSESSER There are four hormones that are critical to the success of your client’s weight loss program. Cortisol, insulin, thyroid, and the sex hormones (testosterone in men, and progesterone in women). When kept in balance, these hormones have the largest...
By NASM We know that weight loss or body fat reduction is largely based on a numbers game. And “working out” is a way of controlling the numbers (less calories in, more calories out and weight loss change can be achieved). Cardiovascular training and resistance...
BY FABIO COMANA Once the realm of bodybuilders and athletes, protein supplements and powders have now become a regular part of the fitness enthusiast and health seekers diet. Protein powder was the supplement once dominated by core users in bodybuilding and athletics...
BY NATALIE CUTLER “Insurance”: yikes. If you’re anything like me before I became a certified insurance advisor at Next Insurance , the word brings you anything from mild anxiety to extreme frustration. For me, the hardest part about working in the insurance industry...
AMANDA VOGEL, MA These shortcuts make everything from using apps to creating graphics or videos more time efficient and less finicky. Preparing a constant stream of social-media posts that are interesting to your followers can be annoyingly time-consuming. Luckily,...
By Fabio Comana Neuroplasticity was a relatively unknown term until the 1970s when scientists began accepting the notion that our brain is a not a physiologically static organ, becoming fixed shortly after birth with approximately 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) (1,...
By Joshua Stone: Injuries in golf occur as they do during participation in any athletic orientated activity. Research indicates injuries in golf relate to functions of age, skill level, and frequency of play. According to Gosheger et al., over 80% of golf-related...
By LAURA QUAGLIO The act of breathing seems incredibly simple, but doing it properly can be surprisingly complex–and of vital importance to your clients’ performance. HOW IT WORKS The average person’s lungs move about 0.5 liters of air with each relaxed breath. That...
By Chris Korfist Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, a big part of my week was getting up early on Saturday morning to watch cartoons. One of my favourites was “Super Friends” (my second favourite was “Land of the Lost”), especially the episodes with Bizarro, who was...
By Brian St. Pierre and Krista Scott-Dixon Is sugar “good”? Is sugar “bad”? It’s hard to know for sure these days. Which is interesting because… Sugar is a fundamental molecule in biology. Human bodies need sugar. Sugar makes up the backbone of our DNA. Helps power...
by BRIAN KENT, NASM-CPT, CES, PES Before you grab a Halloween fun size candy out of the cauldron, here’s the creepy calorie count that will have you haunting the gym. October is known for homecoming, pumpkins and pumpkin-flavored everything, postseason baseball, the...
By Geoff Lecovin Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a combination of biological and mood disturbances typically occurring in the autumn and winter months. SAD is characterized by recurrent episodes of depression, hypersomnia, carbohydrate cravings and weight gain....
By Chuck Leve Imagine, for a moment, the first day of your first job. Were you nervous? Anxious to get out there and prove yourself? Did you wonder which fellow co-workers were going to become your friends? Were you afraid to make a mistake? In all the AFS research...
by Kyle Stull Personal trainers have the difficult task of not only managing themselves but also the hundreds of clients they will see throughout their careers. This includes managing their workouts, re-assessments, and their emotions – yes, their emotions. Emotional...
By RICH FAHMY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES Cueing is a vital skill that every fitness professional should master. It is essential for coaching proper technique and it creates a connection between you and your client, conveying how in-tune you are with their movement and...
By Kyle Stull Wrist injuries are very common. This is especially true for those on the ice and snow, and also in wheeled sports and activities such as skating and skateboarding in more recent years. In fact, wrist injuries are the second most common type of upper...
By Fabio Comana Despite growing popularity and adoption of programs incorporating heart rate (HR) zone methodology, the fitness industry in general appears to lack a solid understanding of the scientific facts and limitations to this programming concept. The goal...
By BRYAN D. BURNSTEIN, MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS, NASM-CES, PES, FNS, USAW A successful sports performance program may be summarized by two primary outcomes; athlete availability and athlete durability. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the sports performance...
By John Berardi, PhD. Worried about Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration? There are many things we can’t control when it comes to cognitive decline. But certain nutrition and lifestyle choices may help to lower our risk. Here’s how to stack the deck in your...
By John Berardi, PhD. Learning more about nutrition is one thing; turning that knowledge into results (and a thriving practice) is another. That’s why, in this article, I share seven proven business models from top health and fitness experts. Use them to grow your...
By RICH FAHMY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES The lunge is a versatile, simple and effective movement for lower body training. Various positions, planes of motion and speeds can all yield different training adaptations for the exerciser. Lunges are the gift that keeps on...
By BRIAN KENT, NASM-CPT, CES, PES Ah yes, the “Why are they doing that?” remark. We’ve all seen it. Somewhere in “Training Land”, a trainer is making a client do some movement that looks, well, rather ridiculous. It might even look so odd that the untrained eye or...
National Academy Of Sports Medicine: A handwritten note is a powerful thing—and it can help with retention. “People do business with those they know, like, and trust,” says Rasul Davis, NASM-CPT, a Santa Monica, Calif.–based trainer and life clarity coach. “By sending...
