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 DAVID CRUZ, DC, CSCS, FMS, SFMA · Incidence of IT Band Syndrome The warm summer weather is the perfect setting for people to get outdoors and participate in the activities they enjoy. However, too much of a good thing can lead to overuse injuries. Iliotibial band...
By Wayne David Clark As fitness professionals we sometimes tend to neglect our own bodies in favour of helping others achieve their goals. We become so focussed on the needs of others that our own needs tend to be placed on the back burner. Having said that a lot of...
By JONI L. CRAMER ROH, EDD, LAT, ATC The interaction of the psychological, neurological, endocrine and immune function and the influence on health is known as psychoneuroimmunology and has been studied since the mid-1970’s (Langley Fonseca, & Iphofen, 2006)....
By Geoff Lecovin Adverse gastrointestinal (GI) complaints, such as cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are common problems faced by up to 90% of endurance athletes. Exercise-related gastrointestinal symptoms are inconvenient, can adversely affect performance and in...
By: Ryan McGowan L2 MovNat Trainer & owner, Laid-back Fitness Obstacle course races (OCR) have become a staple in the fitness world. Attracting athletes of all ages and abilities, OCR offers an alternative to road races, triathlons, etc. So what’s the best way to...
By Kyle Stull Foam rolling, a form of self-myofascial release (SMR), hit the mainstream almost 15 years ago and is continuing to increase in popularity. While there are several ways to measure these popularity trends, an interesting approach is to look at the...
By CHRISTINE ROMANI-RUBY Range of motion is an important part of any conditioning program. Increasing flexibility improves joint motion, while a decrease in flexibility results in less motion at the joint. Enhanced flexibility can provide many benefits, including a...
By Jared Meacham Personal trainers must look at the concept of physical fitness results through many different lenses. What amounts to optimal fitness for one client may not necessarily be the bee’s knees of fitness achievement for another. This blog post is a basic...
By BRIAN SUTTON Today’s typical golfer faces many challenges. Not only are golf courses becoming longer and more difficult, but today’s golfer is actually less prepared to play the game. In today’s automated society of long commutes, computers and television, many...
By Mike Bracko Stretching and flexibility training have undergone dramatic changes in the fitness and sports training realm. Over the last ten to fifteen years more research has been published and subsequently applied to fitness and conditioning programs. Previously,...
By NASM The NASM Performance Enhancement Specialization (PES) has provided the pathway to career success for personal trainers working with clients at every level of athletic performance. PES gives you the knowledge and tools to build individualised, sport-specific...
By SEAN CRISTEA A powerful vertical jump is often considered the epitome of athleticism. Many sports, such as basketball, volleyball, and some track and field events, require the athlete to perform at high levels in this movement [1]. However, many athletes find...
By The National Academy of Sports Medicine The NASM Performance Enhancement Specialization (NASM-PES) was developed to teach fitness professionals how to elevate an athlete’s training to achieve noticeable results while also decreasing the chance for injury. When...
By Andrew Mills As fitness professionals and sports enthusiasts, we know how devastating an ACL injury can be for an athlete, both professional and recreational. Discover how the NASM Corrective Exercise Continuum can be used to help prevent this potentially career...
By National Acadamy of Sports Medicine As a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), it’s important to realise that just about every client you work with could be susceptible to common injuries and ailments, ranging from low-back pain to ACL tears to shoulder pain. The...
By KATHY KUENZER While there may be disagreement about how long the Chinese have practiced the martial art of tai chi—2,500 years or 400?—there is little dispute that in its current form, it makes practitioners feel healthier. Tai chi was originally a form of Chinese...
By STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS Falling can be a serious and life changing event, especially for older adults. There are some simple interventions that can help reduce the risk of falling, and exercise is one of them. The statistics on falling are...
by Juliet Kaska Workout burnout is a common problem for the avid exerciser. Effects can be as simple as lethargy or not seeing results and as serious as severe injury and organ failure. In other words, we should not take burnout lightly—and we should take the warning...
By DAVID CRUZ, DC, CSCS, FMS, SFMA · AUGUST 23, 2016 Assessing this full body movement provides a foundation for designing a client’s exercise program. See how to use the results of a squat assessment to incorporate corrective exercise strategies and potentially lower...
BY ELLEN NORDBERG Running in deep water reduces impact, adds resistance, increases flexibility and improves circulation. With recent research demonstrating that the effect of training in water can equal the same level of effort on land, it’s no mystery why water...
By DAVID CRUZ, DC, CSCS, FMS, SFMA The economic impact of low back pain (LBP) is greater than $100 billion per year and causes more disability globally than any other condition (1,2). It is the most common cause of activity limitation in adults aged 45 and younger and...
By DAVID CRUZ, DC, CSCS, FMS, SFMA Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries among physically active people accounting for an estimated 23,000 sprains — daily –that are attributed to athletic activity. (1) Basketball players suffer the highest incidence rate...
Louise Grant discusses how pre-habilitation can help clients about to undergo hip surgery. As chartered physiotherapist, I have a specific interest in hip patients and prehabilitation generally. Prehabilitation means analysing an individual’s posture, movement...
By DAVID CRUZ, DC, CSCS, FMS, SFMA · APRIL 19, 2016 Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain, responsible for approximately 2 million orthopaedic office visits annually and reported to affect between 10 and 20% of injured athletes. (1, 2) It affects...
By KYLE STULL Recovery often sounds like a “dirty” word. What are you recovering from? A night out with friends? Surgery? A day in the office? What is recovery, anyway? There are several myths and misunderstandings associated with recovery from exercise. To find out...
By Coach Jenny Hadfield | For Active.com SIX STEPS TO SPEEDY MARATHON RECOVERY Congratulations, you’ve finished the marathon! Now what? Complete marathon recovery can take anywhere from several weeks to several months, depending on the intensity of your race...
Updates from NASM’s research partners at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill If you see knee valgus collapse (hip adduction and internal rotation along with knee adduction and internal rotation) while assessing a client, you likely think of hip abductor,...
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SPORTS MEDICINE Discomfort from too much sitting? Inactive glutes? Buttock and leg pain? Though small in size, the piriformis could have a big impact on keeping the human movement system moving smoothly. Addressing an overactive piriformis may be...
By: Susane Pata WARMING UP BY ROLLING OUT TRIGGERPOINT NOVEMBER 4, 2015 FOAM ROLLING NO COMMENTS Foam Rolling Isn’t Just recovery- It’s a Warm Up! TriggerPoint is extremely proud to feature one of our Master Trainer’s excellent article on how to warm up by rolling...
We all know that our clients are doing good things for their bodies while we are with them, but probably not during the other hours of the week. Especially the prolonged time they potentially spend sitting, now considered detrimental to overall health. We see the...
Shoulder pain and shoulder injuries related to the rotator cuff are common issues within the general population and among athletes. This article will provide you with background knowledge and practical suggestions on how to prevent or improve conditions of this muscle...
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 have become easily accessible, either shared at...
Shoulder pain and shoulder injuries are among the most common conditions within the general population and among athletes. Approximately 75 to 80% of these are caused by conditions related to the rotator cuff (1). The rotator cuff consists of four muscles, including...
Roughly two-thirds of your clients will experience neck pain at some point in their lifetime. Here’s how two NASM Corrective Exercise Specialists say you can help clients protect that vital segment of the spine. BY LAURA QUAGLIO Your neck is a complex structure that...
By DAVID CRUZ, DC, CSCS, FMS, SFMA We all know that our clients are doing good things for their bodies while we are with them, but probably not during the other hours of the week. Especially the prolonged time they potentially spend sitting, now considered detrimental...
By Brian Sutton MS, MA, NASM-CPT, CES, PES It is estimated nearly 150,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur annually in the U.S. and approximately 70% of these are noncontact; oftentimes caused by the inability to decelerate, change direction, or land...
By Justin Price The role of the personal trainer is changing. Traditionally, fitness professionals have helped clients reach their health and fitness goals by designing effective exercise programs, educating them about nutritional choices and motivating them to adhere...
BY: DEWAYNE SMITH DeWayne A. Smith, holds a Master’s of Science in Exercise Science and Health Promotion with an emphasis in Sport Psychology from the California University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelors of Science in Athletic Training and Sports Medicine from...
by Neil J Feldman, DPM. As we learned last month, foot pain doesn’t just start in the feet- it’s all about the hips! Neil Feldman, DPM explains how pelvic dysfunction can lead to foot pain, and how establishing proper posture can lead to better movement. What does...
by Neil J Feldman, DPM. As we learned last month, foot pain doesn’t just start in the feet- it’s all about the hips! Neil Feldman, DPM explains how pelvic dysfunction can lead to foot pain, and how establishing proper posture can lead to better movement. ...
Here are the tips of the day from NASM experts for Fitness Week! Enjoy and let us know what your tips are in the comments! Monday’s Tip: Lift more to stay trim. Lifting weights might be the best way to control belly fat as you age. Data from healthy men culled over 12...
Learning the finer points of self-myofascial release could help you train harder and look better while also reducing injury. by Brynne Elliott, MSc If you are still of a mind that foam rollers are for everyone else, then you are missing out on one of the most...
Geoff Lecovin · May 15, 2015 By Geoff Lecovin, MS, DC, ND, LAc, CSCS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, WLS, FNS Corrective exercise uses a systematic process that involves identifying neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction, developing a plan of action and integrating a corrective...
BY ERIN KELLY There are few things every runner agrees on. The best running shoe, the most accurateGPS watch, and whether KT tape really works are all up for debate in running communities. One thing all runners can all agree? Shin splints (pain along either or both of...
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 have...
The Workday Boost Desk-bound employees can develop a hunched posture that saps energy and strength. Here’s a safe-for-the-office routine that can help. For many people, nine-hour workdays are the minimum—and lunch breaks are short or taken at the desk. Even if the...
Discomfort from too much sitting? Inactive glutes? Buttock and leg pain? Though small in size, the piriformis could have a big impact on keeping the human movement system moving smoothly. Addressing an overactive piriformis may be part of the solution. The piriformis...
NASM If you are like most fitness professionals, reading about exercise technique can be confusing with so many opinions floating around as fact. It is hard to get a grasp on what is right, what is fallacy and what really matters when it comes to exercise...
Often we take for granted our body’s ability to move. Movement occurs quickly and often without thought. But take a deeper look beneath the surface and you will understand why simple movements, like bending at the knee, require complex interactions between bones,...
By: mc schraefel : Precision Nutrition For more than 40 years, people in the West have been running on built-up “squishy” shoes, hoping to prevent injury and go faster. Yet “barefoot” runners argue that running without shoes or in minimal footwear is safer and better....
By: Function First, San Diego, CA Foot problems can be a nightmare for anyone who exercises upright. The fact that the foot must interface with the ground consistently can jeopardize your workouts (and therefore your health) when there is a problem there. Plantar...
By Pete Mc Call, MSMcCall has an MS in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. In addition, he is an ACE-certified Personal Trainer (ACE-CPT) and holds additional certifications and advanced specializations through NSCA and NASM. McCall has been featured in the...
By Nilufer Atik – Telegraph Is the Grid X the answer to body aches? Beckham thinks so. Do you suffer from niggling aches and twinges? A new type of ‘trigger’ therapy, already used by David Beckham, may be the answer – and you can do it all by...
By Fabio Comana, MA, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, NASM Faculty To this day, we still hear certain squat rules echoed over and over throughout gyms and health clubs by many fitness professionals that often sound contradictory. While some rules emerged through research, the...
By Kevin Murray – Function First Director of Education Tight and Weak, Stretch and Strengthen. “The biology of pain is never really straightforward, even when it appears to be”. Lorimer Moseley, a renowned neuroscientist and pain researcher succinctly...
By Cassiano Costa, Ph.D., Head of Tennis Performance, IMG Academy While watching a tennis match, it is easy to see the large demands that are imposed on the shoulder, elbow and wrist of a player. These joints are highly involved with every action performed during a...
By Jamie Allan, M.S. Soccer is a sport that requires a large demand from the lower body in all planes of motions. It includes many repetitive actions such as kicking, sprinting and changing of direction. The large stress placed on the lower body, along with the...
Derrick Price : MS in Exercise Science and Health Promotion, Master Trainer for ViPR, Power Plate, Core-Tex and Technogym You’re probably well versed in high-intensity interval training (HIIT), a form of training that utilises interval training of near maximal...
Foam Rolling For Recovery “This is how we roll” By Steve Novencido MA, CSCS, USATF II, PES, FMS While working as a Strength & Conditioning Coach at IMG Academy, one of the premier academic and athletic institutions in the world, I have become familiar with the...
By Chris Nentarz Physical Therapy Manager at Athletes’ Performance Physical therapist Chris Nentarz talks on “Iliotibial Band Syndrome” (ITBS) and the ways you can prevent this common running injury. Chris Nentarz is Physical Therapy Manager at Athletes’...
By Steve Novencido MA, CSCS, USATF II, PES, FMS While working as a Strength & Conditioning Coach at IMG Academy, one of the premier academic and athletic institutions in the world, I have become familiar with the many recovery and restoration methods. These...
Brought to you by Trigger Point – By Kyle Stull, MS, LMT, NASM-CPT, PES, CES Senior Manager of Research and Program Design Myofascial Compression Technique (MCT) is defined as building compression in a targeted muscle and moving the distal limb through a range of...
Our shoulders are a part of virtually every movement we make during the course of a day from typing and driving to eating and opening doors. Add in regular workouts and our shoulders are always in motion. It’s no surprise then that shoulders are at a high-risk for...
By: Joshua J Stone, MA, ATC, NASM-CPT, CES, PES There are more than 100 different conditions that are collectively referred to as arthritis and rheumatism. It is the most common chronic condition in older adults. The two most common forms of arthritis include...
Rehab Center Stability for Proximal Gait by Elizabeth Larkam George, a 6’4” social entrepreneur, arrives for his Pilates appointment moving cautiously. His right lower back feels vulnerable as if it ‘might go out at any time’. George’s partner, who comes to sessions...
What You Should Know: Four things all trainers should know about clients and brain trauma. Concussions are traumatic brain injuries. Know how to handle them. Football players aren’t the only ones at risk for concussions. Your active- sports-oriented clients are too—...