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...
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 AMANDA VOGEL, MA How do you professionally handle negative feedback? Receiving positive feedback from group exercise participants about your performance as a fitness instructor can make your day! It feels great to be praised and confirms that you’re on the right...
By AMANDA VOGEL, MA As a former group exercise manager, I’ve had the opportunity to evaluate countless fitness instructors teaching classes. One thing that always stood out was the association between an instructor’s use of verbal communication and the palpable energy...
by Michael Taylor Michael Taylor is a mind-body movement expert, martial artist, and the co-founder of Strala Yoga. In his new mbg class, The Complete Guide To Tai Chi: Everyday Practices To Drop Stress, Release Pain & Create Whole Body Harmony, you’ll learn not...
by Carlo Filippone One question I’m frequently asked when I first meet someone is why I traded in my weightlifting belt for a kitchen apron. Many people seem to think that food, in any form, is the arch enemy of a professionally tailored body. Whether you’re a...
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 INGRID OWEN · We are in the health and wellness business. Our common denominator is serving a consumer desiring guidance on their journey. Regardless of how you structure your interaction and professional guidance, the first step is always about setting appropriate...
by Michael Rosengart, CPT, CES, CSCS In order to perform your best, you need to move well in a biomechanical way and a mobility practice will help you do exactly this. Can you get into the correct position on every exercise or drill? Do you have the ability to move...
AMANDA VOGEL, MA As stereotypes go, you could say group fitness is the domain of women. Men are of course welcome. It’s just that, at many facilities, they seem to overlook group fitness classes as a viable workout option. But why? One good guess is the way group...
By Brain Sutton MA, MS, CSCS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES A growing epidemic facing the next generation of Americans is childhood obesity. This epidemic will have lasting effects on health, wellbeing, and rising healthcare costs. In fact, childhood obesity has roughly tripled...
AMANDA VOGEL, MA · The easy part of being a fitness instructor or group trainer is welcoming regular participants into class each week. They’re familiar to us, and each other. We see them often enough to know a bit about them: perhaps their history with...
By GEOFF LECOVIN It’s been said that Americans have more food than any other country in the world and more diets to keep them from it. Diet and fitness trends come and go. Currently we are in a low-carb/high-fat craze, yet for many years it was high-carb/low-fat.As a...
By Jessica Cording That feeling of bloat is terrible; the rock in your belly, the pants that need to be unbuttoned, like, five minutes ago. Luckily, there are a few tips that help get rid of bloat once you have it—and prevent it from ever happening again: 1. Skip the...
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 Takeshi Hirata Our world has become more globalized, driven by technological advancement and changes in the economic landscape. There is a growing need to develop a set of skills that help you to successfully craft culturally-sensitive fitness services for the...
By John Polley Blanket statements like this usually annoy me, but I really mean this one. I mean it because variety makes variety better and variety makes uniformity better too. Variety enhances mental, emotional, and physical outcomes and experiences, for all humans....
By Josh Elsesser A quick Google search for the topic of program design for weight loss provides well over 2 million results. Needless to say, there is a lot of information, and sometimes misinformation, on the “best” ways to lose weight. Known as the Law of...
RUSSELL WYNTER Step away from the bunny and put down the chicks! We did the math, and you may be surprised to know what kind of calorie punch these basket staples have …and what you’ll need to do to burn them off. The calorie burn numbers below are estimated based on...
By John Berardi and Brian St. Pierre Whether you’re a personal trainer, strength coach, nutritionist, or health coach, you’re going to get a ton of nutrition questions. Heck, even if you’re just really passionate about health and fitness, you’re probably getting...
By Josh Elsesser Stress is one of the major contributing factors to over 60% of all human illness and disease1. So it’s not surprising that stress is also preventing your personal training clients from achieving the results that they are working so hard for. In fact,...
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 Shannon Fable Keeping your sales funnel primed with new prospects is important for long-term success in the fitness industry. But, we have a problem. We’ve only been taught a few ways to get in front of new prospects and how we’ve been taught to ‘pick up’ clients...
By STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS How are those goals coming along? Setting a goal is about making changes, looking at what is — in the here and now — and what we want it to be. Creating and committing to the path to get there is what makes for the...
By NASM Have you ever dropped the ball on getting back to a prospect? Do you forget to follow up with someone that says they want to start in six months? How do you remember to reach back out to people who have taken a break? Fitness professionals have a line of...
By AMANDA VOGEL, MA With January 1 more than a month behind us, you might be noticing that some clients are slipping in their devotion to pursue their New Year’s health and fitness goals. As a personal trainer, you’re already skilled at holding clients accountable and...
By NASM It’s a definitive “yes” when it comes to walking, hiking, bike riding, playing tennis or any activity that both people can equally take part in and enjoy. These are great ways for couples to squeeze in exercise, support each other’s health, and enjoy quality...
By NASM You can navigate clients past common motivation blockers—here’s how. In comes the phone call, or maybe a text, your client—the one who did so well in the beginning—is getting in touch to say she won’t make her next session. Then it’s the one after that. When...
By Emily Bailey With so many responsibilities and not enough time, sometimes eating out seems like the most reasonable option for fueling up. Unfortunately, restaurant dishes are often loaded with calories, as well as the saturated fat, sodium and sugar that make...
Mike Fitch, creator of the Animal Flow® Workout, shares how his innovative programming can bring out the primal grace in your clients. BY LUCIA VITI Mike Fitch is a fitness phenomenon. Sporting an 18-year fitness resumé, this strength coach, personal trainer,...
By Shannon Fable It’s time to refresh the idea of the comp training session if you want to land long term personal training clients. You, and your prospective clients, have to explore the real value behind the free session, beyond just the try before you buy...
By EMILY BAILEY You may be familiar with sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium regarding needs for hydration, but these nutrients are also related to many other physiologic processes in the body. Nutrients—including micronutrients, major nutrients and...
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 Emily Bailey In the month of December, we are faced with many challenges that disrupt our normal eating and exercise schedules and routines. Between holiday parties and family gatherings, it is quite easy to fall off-track. To help you stay on track and energised,...
By Dan Edwardes Parkour hHas involved quadrupedal locomotion patterns, crawling drills, since its inception over 25 years ago. Anyone who has ever come to one of our classes,workshops or events will be familiar with just how challenging, demanding and sophisticated...
By TRX Believe it or not, ski season is right around the corner. We know, we know – your beach towel is still in the hamper, your swimsuit has barely dried, and although you might not actually click/strap in for another 30-40 days, it’s important to begin...
BY STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS · We’ve highlighted seven end-of-year client challenges and provided solutions to help keep them on track. Early planning and preparation can help you and your clients continue to succeed into the New Year. Though the...
By AMANDA VOGEL, MA It’s possible to build a strong client base via social media, but like any type of fitness marketing, it requires time and a little strategizing. Here are five ways to get more clients to meet you on social while also attracting new prospects...
By NASM More and more fitness professionals are targeting specific demographic groups – from road warriors to dog lovers to cancer survivors and patients. Does it work? Trainers reveal the rewards—and the challenges. ON-THE-GO GOALS Last summer, after 10 years as a...
By NASM Fatigue might feel as if it begins in the body, but the mind plays a key role. Though we tend to blame our bodies for fatigue, the brain actually sets the pace of energy use and holds a little energy in reserve. Here are a few ways to help clients tap that...
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 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 GEOFF LECOVIN What is one of the best choices you can make to nourish, protect and boost brain power? A simple and easy to implement answer to this question is to eat more unprocessed whole foods, which are naturally full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and...
Spirulina is a very ancient microscopic single cell blue green algae that grows in fresh water all over the world, though it is mostly harvested for consumer usage in Australia, India, China, Africa and North America. Spirulina is one of the simplest life forms on...
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...
Movement Is Bigger Than Fitness Chandler Stevens Coach In the grand scheme of things, your PRs and race times aren’t that important. There, I’ve said it.Improving yourself is always something to be proud of, but there’s more to movement than exercise. Hang tight with...
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 Ian O’Dwyer | Date Released : 17 May 2016 I recently presented four days with Tom Myers of Anatomy Trains, in Sydney (AU) and Auckland (NZ). Our workshops were directed at 1) merging the power of “hands on” and movement, 2) identifying and enhancing...
By LAUREL VAN DEN CLINE Sitting up tall is a hard habit to learn. If you tend to round forward, a variety of postural issues can affect your musculoskeletal system, as seen with upper crossed syndrome. Whether you are sitting at a desk, driving your car, or texting on...
by Dr. Kellyann Petrucci Kellyann Petrucci, ND, a leading naturopathic physician and nutritionist, is a weight-loss and natural anti-aging expert. This week, we’re sharing Dr. Petrucci’s expertise in a series on fighting inflammation for optimal health. To...
By KYLE STULL In Part 1 of Key Steps to Muscle Care, we discussed some of the many stresses of holiday travel. Now that you’re going to plan ahead, bring your own snacks, water bottle, and have packed your foam roller, let’s take a look at the upper body. Part 1...
Plus a clear recipe for turning ‘bad’ fitness goals into ‘good’ ones. By John Berardi, Ph.D. If you want to achieve your health and fitness goals, you need a powerful formula, something to organize your efforts. In this article we’ll help you get organized while...
EMILY BAILEY · FEBRUARY 16, 2016 National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDAwareness Week) is February 21-27, 2016. This year’s theme is 3 Minutes Can Save a Life. Get Screened. Get Help. Get Healthy. The focus is on early detection. The earlier someone suffering...
Short-sightedness is reaching epidemic proportions. Some scientists think they have found a reason why. By: Elie Dolgin The southern city of Guangzhou has long held the largest eye hospital in China. But about five years ago, it became clear that the Zhongshan...
By National Academy of Sports Medicine Increase your heart smarts with info on how exercise impacts your heart, how to measure fitness via heart rate, and top cardio concerns fitness pros should know. How it Works Your heart weighs only about 10 ounces and is roughly...
It’s 3 in the afternoon and you can barely keep your eyes open. Your mind feels foggy, and all you want to do is curl up under your desk for 20 minutes and take a nap. But cutting-edge, productive people don’t take naps, do they? Actually, they do. It turns out...
By Emily Bailey “Well, there it is again… another disappointing number. I just don’t understand. I trained hard at the gym all this week and I know I ate healthy too. I was feeling great until I saw the number on the scale that indicated I haven’t lost a pound this...
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...
We’ve highlighted seven end-of-year client challenges and provided solutions to keep them on track. Early planning and preparation can help you and your clients continue to succeed into the New Year. Though the weight gain during the six weeks of the end-of-year...
By Fabio Comana Type 1 Diabetes is caused by factors that include our own autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing (beta-) cells within the pancreas, or due to some genetic variant or inherited gene, and accounts for approximately 5 – 10% of all diagnosed cases...
PAVIGYM™ 3.0 is an intelligent and interactive floor with integrated LED lights controlled by touch screen software, enabling trainers to design and track their training sessions. They can even control the lights and music at the touch of a button. PAVIGYM™ 3.0 is the...
By Emily Bailey “Well, there it is again… another disappointing number. I just don’t understand. I trained hard at the gym all this week and I know I ate healthy too. I was feeling great until I saw the number on the scale that indicated I haven’t lost a pound this...
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...
Adults over 50 who are caring for ageing parents are not like other fitness clients of similar age. For starters, caregivers tend to be less healthy. A study by the insurance company MetLife noted that “adult children 50+ who work and provide care to a parent are more...
By JENA WALTHER Exercise can bring numerous benefits to older adults, both physically and psychologically, so why aren’t they active enough? Sometimes the biggest challenges to training this group, or even getting them to attempt any exercise at all, are their...
STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS In addition to improving your clients’ fitness, have you looked for ways to use your expertise and services to benefit a cause? With a little planning and creativity you can help make a positive impact. Share your social...
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...
By Ben Greenfield As a successful fitness trainer — I get a lot of questions about how people can become healthier versions of themselves. Most of the time, they want to know the absolute fastest way to lose weight, tone up, build muscle or as I like to call it,...
By Claudia Friedlander, DMus, NASM-CPT As a voice teacher, I was drawn to fitness to develop a sports-specific training protocol for singers. Corrective exercise techniques are often just as important as vocalises for helping my students to become the best singers...
By Dr. Joel Kahn October 29, 2014 8:16 AM EDT As a student of health promotion, I know there are redundant systems in our bodies that promote artery function (think optimal heart, brain, and sexual performance) which make me just shake my head in appreciation and...
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...
By Fabio Comana, MA, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, NASM Faculty Instructor Although agility drills should always emphasize good body alignment, movement mechanics and efficiency, don’t forget that a little creativity and fun can add an experiential element to your training...
By Geoff Lecovin, MS, DC, ND, NASM- CPT, CES, PES, FNS, WLS Introduction Vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin” was identified in the 17th century by Dr. Daniel Whistler and Professor Francis Glisson when they discovered the causative factors of rickets....
By Shannon Kaiser March 9, 2015 7:58 AM EDT Do you consider yourself a morning person? Studies suggest morning people tend to be happier and even healthier. But you don’t have to be morning person to develop simple habits that can help you have a more balanced and...
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...
Have we fallen in love with convenient, processed foods? With busy schedules, fast-food restaurants on every corner, and an abundance of comfort foods available (even at the local Starbucks), it’s no wonder we opt for all those fatty, salty and sweet foods. It just...
By Stacey Penney, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS Looking to build endurance? What about power? Do dreams of being an all-star hitter or marathon runner need to be dashed if twitch ratios aren’t ideal? Not necessarily. The types of muscle fibers targeted in different...
NASM The Kids Aren’t All Right Childhood obesity may be at the root of more problems than you think. We all know about the long-term risks of childhood obesity, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and arthritis. But a recent study by UCLA’s Center for Healthier...
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,...
Here’s a quick 30-minute workout that will get clients on the road to fitness! The biggest excuse people give for not working out is, “I don’t have time!” Of course, as a fitness professional, you know that time is not a viable excuse. We have to make time to keep our...
By Fabio Comana MA, MS, NASM-CPT, CES & PES; ACE CPT & HC; NSCA CSCS; ACSM HFS, CISSN, Exercise Physiologist and Faculty Instructor – SDSU, UCSD & NASM Looking for optimal exercise training results? What you do before and after could be just as important...
By Stacey Penney, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS For some of the top New Year’s resolutions, the benefit of incorporating exercise to achieving the goals seems obvious. But for others, the connections are just now coming to light. Here are some of the top New Year’s...
How to Biohack Your Metabolism Posted on December 19, 2014 by National Academy of Sports medicine Geoff Lecovin, MS, DC, ND, CSCS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES Looking for ways to boost your metabolism? Try a biohack! Here’s 5 simple biohacks to get your body’s engine revving!...
ViPR is used to drive movement, condition movement efficiency, and add integrated strength to movement through the variable load demands imposed on the body via authentic use of ground and gravity forces. Nick Luciano, Global ViPR Master Coach explains. To understand...
