By Sam Arnold Meeting new people can lead to many things in life. For personal trainers and behavior change specialists specifically, the situation can offer up opportunities to network, connect with someone in a new field or part of town, and potentially even gain a...
By Rick Richey As seen in our weight loss specialization course, you can effectively utilize the OPT™ model for weight loss clients. Within this article from the Spring 2020 Issue of American Fitness Magazine, you will learn how! Consider a client named Jordan. She is...
By Nicole Golden Squat mechanics are very highly debated amongst fitness professionals and corrective exercise experts. Performing an internet search of “squat form” will turn up a plethora of results including focusing most on squat depth and lifting the most weight...
By Pete Mccall Why did you start your career in the fitness industry? Was it because you want to use your passion for fitness to improve others’ lives? Did you experience a significant weight loss and want to help others do the same? Are you a former athlete who...
By CHRISTOPHER & KARA MOHR It has often been said that nutrition is 90% of the game and training just 10%. The truth is, nutritionand training are equally important for various reasons, and it’s not just a 50/50 game because there are many other equally...
By RICK RICHEY, MS · I was sweating profusely before I trained my first client, and it wasn’t from a workout. I was a nervous wreck, continually second-guessing what I was supposed to do. Would I be worth the money? Would I be able to train the client the “right” way?...
By NASM As discussed in our nutritional supplement course – Making Sense of Supplements – sometimes navigating the vitamin aisle can be a little tricky. Even for the most seasoned of certified nutrition coaches, the endless barrage of advertisements and...
By DAVID A. TITCOMB · JUNE 4, 20200 Similar to other structures in the body, the cervical spine (CS) has a significant influence on body regions located above and below its location. Not only does CS musculature produce movement of the head and neck, but it also plays...
By KATRINA PILKINGTON · MAY 15, 20200 Running is something that our bodies were built to do. An integral component of movement within the majority of most sports, running [efficiency], can dictate success for most athletes early on in their skill development....
By Pete Mccall Starting a new habit can be challenging, especially when it comes to exercise. From joining a fitness facility to showing up for the first appointment, there are so many steps for beginning a fitness program that it can be overwhelming to take the first...
By JUSTIN KOMPF One of the requirements for a coach to be “good” is their ability to relay information to a client so that they can correctly and comfortably execute strength training movements. The inability to do this contributes to incorrect form, which in turn...
By Ken Miller MS, NASM MASTER INSTRUCTOR, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, GFS If you’re like the millions of people who use electronic tools such as a cell phone, tablet, laptop or desk computer, you’ve probably spent hours upon hours looking at the screen with your head jutted...
By Nicole Nichols As a Pilates instructor, I’ve worked with many women who wanted to regain strength and muscle tone after pregnancy. Some of them complained about abdominal pressure, pain or weakness even years after giving birth. Others returned to class with their...
By Lara Quaglio With so much of life happening at the front of the body (driving a car, typing on a computer and even doing many exercises, such as pushup and bench press), a lot of people have developed upper crossed syndrome, which is characterized by a forward head...
By Kinsey Mahaffey The four words every client loves to hear: “It’s time for cardio!” (Cue the collective eye roll from clients around the globe.) As personal trainers, we know that cardiovascular training is undoubtedly an important part of our clients’ overall...
By Melissa Weigelt Being a good group exercise instructor means being a master of improvisation. The ability to adjust class plans on the spot is a necessary skill to ensure that all participants have a safe and effective workout. That’s true of equipment, too....
By Laura Quaglio Some personal trainers are wary of small-group training, says Chris Stevenson, owner of Stevenson Consulting, IHRSA board member and certified master trainer for Technogym®. “They feel it will either compromise their craft or cannibalize their client...
By Laura Quaglio Can personal training and group exercise classes coexist peacefully? Yes, says Rick Richey, MS, DHSC, host of The NASM-CPT Podcast. In fact, he asserts that making friends with group ex instructors can really help personal trainers to gain and retain...
By Angie Miller Personal trainers are individuals who inspire, motivate, and guide others to achieve their fitness goals. It is a rewarding, highly-ranked career with immense job satisfaction (CNN Money, 2012). If you are ready to become more involved in the fitness...
By Shirley Archer It’s likely that many of your clients spend the majority of their time sitting at a desk, staring at a screen. They then sit in their cars for a long commute. When they arrive at their final destination, they sit down to eat and then watch...
By Mogan Shapiro With the start of the New Year, many of us have made resolutions to improve our health and fitness. While having specific health and fitness goals in mind is excellent, people often go to extremes to accomplish these goals. They try the newest fad...
By Pete McCall STRATEGIES TO KEEP CLIENTS ENGAGED A common misperception of fitness professionals is that we are merely rep counters, meaning that all we do is shuffle clients from one exercise to the next. Nothing could be further from the truth! The reality is that...
By Kat Barfield I recently visited my optometrist for an annual exam. He has a pleasant bedside manner and happens to be among the 40% of the U.S. adult population who are obese. As I stepped into his office, I noticed he looked different but couldn’t quite pinpoint...
By STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS New clients, or even those that you’ve been working with for some time, can all benefit from focusing some of their training on stabilization work. Without a strong structural base to move from, how can we continue to...
By Krista Popowych The dawning of true winter—and holiday gifts of down-filled jackets and cozy snow gloves—may have clients eagerly anticipating a day on the slopes. For those who have yet to start schussing down the mountain, circling the ice rink or shredding it on...
By Dana Bender Are you planning to renovate the flooring in your group fitness classroom? Or perhaps you need to complete a construction project at your yoga studio in the near future? If so, you may be worried about the impact the work will have on your clients’...
By April Durrett After “James” earned his exercise physiology degree, he was eager to get certified as a personal trainer and begin his career. A college athlete, he had dreams of putting clients through rigorous programs that yielded results, and he envisioned owning...
By Maria Luque Lack of physical activity and an increase in sedentary behaviors are leading an overall upward trend in obesity, but the effects on children and adolescents are especially alarming. Today, obesity-associated disorders previously found only in...
By Kyle Stull In the last decade, the use of foam rolling has become increasingly popular for athletes and average Joes alike. Foam rolling as a corrective exercise method makes sense – they feel “good,” seem to work well, have an excellent cost to benefit ratio, and...
By Morgan Shapiro Rest days. Something all of us gym rats know we need to partake in, but often have a hard time doing. We are regularly exposed to phrases such as “no days off” or “no pain, no gain.” While working hard and pushing ourselves in the gym is excellent,...
By Justin Kompf Imagine that you had to think about which hand to pick a phone up with every time it rang, if you had to consciously deliberate on whether or not to brush your teeth in the morning, or put your seatbelt on when you got in the car, or to go when the...
By Kyle Stull Effective and efficient rolling means identifying and targeting the muscles that need it – the muscles that are likely the root cause of less than optimal movement. In many cases, muscles become overactive and short, leading to sensations of tightness...
By NASM Some personal trainers have an impressive list of credentials but a small client base, while others aren’t as educated but are always booked. What’s the difference between them? In this episode, Rick Richey discusses how to find the balance between these two...
By NASM his episode discusses the Stabilization Endurance Training phase of the OPT™ Model. In this session, there is a discussion about all the components leading up to resistance training which include: Flexibility (SMR and static stretching) Core Balance Reactive...
By Dana Bender I love to travel to new destinations and experience new cities, cultures, and cuisines. If you are similar to me and exercise is an ingrained daily habit, the question becomes, “how do I stay active and exercise while still enjoying myself on...
By DR. Allison BRAGER The expression “training around the clock” has more scientific merit than many would expect. Typically, it’s used to refer to the daily grind of balancing training with work, meal preparation for training, and finding time to recover. For sleep...
By Justin Kompf Most personal trainers, at some point, will have a consultation with a client who has a weight loss goal. For a few weeks, I had one of my clients message me everything they ate along with their exercise routine outside of the gym. We’re talking times,...
By Trish Muse Chances are, at some point in your personal training career, you will work with clients who’ve had a knee replacement or are on track to get one. This can be a daunting prospect to consider, but it doesn’t have to be. With a combination of cultivated...
By Kyle Stull When we think of corrective exercise, we often picture the process of trying to correct a less than optimal movement pattern with rolling, lengthening, activation, and integration techniques. Improving movement quality requires an individual to inhibit...
By NASM Periodization and programming are not necessarily the same thing. Periodization is the cycles of training that take place. Often, we talk about macro, meso, and micro cycles. In sports, the periodization may include those concepts, but change based on the...
By Adam Annaccone Knee pain is common in physically active males and females. According to a new clinical guideline in the Journal of Sports Physical Therapy examining patellofemoral pain, approximately 25% of individuals will suffer from idiopathic (no specific...
By Laura Quaglio As an early adopter of fitness technology, Ted Vickey, PhD, once conducted a survey of about 200 fitness professionals. “The thing that I found most shocking was that trainers use technology for themselves, but they don’t yet use it for their...
Periodization and programming are not necessarily the same thing. Periodization is the cycles of training that take place. Often, we talk about macro, meso, and micro cycles. In sports, the periodization may include those concepts, but change based on the season:...
By Kyle Stull Getting the most out of each workout requires more than just following a great training program. Consistent performance also requires an optimal balance between training and recovery. Mention the subject to most clients, though, and you’re likely to meet...
By Brian Sutton THE MOST SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE ARM EXERCISES Are you looking for stronger, more defined arms — the type of arms you can show off? If toned and sculpted arms are what you’re looking for, try these strength training arm exercises. ANATOMY REVIEW But...
By Dana Bender Exercise adherence and commitment vary from individual to individual. Some people have an easy time making exercise a regular habit, while others struggle to stay consistent and need a behavioural change. Some struggle due to barriers in their life...
By Angie Miller MS In the gym, we expect to use our body’s full range of motion. In life, we’re entitled to a full range of emotions, too. Provided we’re able to express and manage our emotions appropriately, this is healthy. But for some people, emotions can affect...
By Ryan Halvorson It’s a scene many personal trainers know well. You’re working with a client who feels defeated and wants to quit, and you have to show a little tough love. Chris Powell specializes in this. “Every time you tell me you can’t do something, I’m going to...
By Laura Quaglio BUILD NECK STRENGTH TO LOWER CONCUSSION RISK In recent news published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, researchers who examined previous studies on concussion concluded that increasing neck strength “could substantially...
By Sohee Lee There has been a growing interest in personal fitness over the past few decades, and with high-speed access to information, images, and other people at our fingertips, this comes as no surprise. Since the dawn of the fitness industry in the 1970s, we’ve...
By RICH FAHMY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES Where do you even begin to look for a job as a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)? This is a common question when first starting out as a newly minted CPT. The good news is that there are more employment options available than you...
By Brad Dieter One of the most important things regarding “healthy eating” is to understand that what we eat is tied into our habits. A habit is defined as: “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.” Think about it for a...
By Tony Nunez This is part 3 of a 3 part Q&A series that answers: What does current research tell us about aerobic fitness and metformin, strength training recovery times, and obesity intervention methods? Part 1: Can metformin have a negative impact on...
By Angie Miller I became an NASM Certified Personal Trainer in 2005, after more than a decade of experience teaching group fitness. My inspiration came from my participants, my trusted community of followers, who convinced me that it was time to take my career to the...
By Tony Nunez This is part 1 of a 3 part Q&A series that answers: What does current research tell us about aerobic fitness and metformin, strength training recovery times, and obesity intervention methods? Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), as measured by maximal...
By Maria Luque Stephanie is your newest fitness client. She’s 42 years old and works 50 hours a week as a certified public accountant. She would like to quit smoking, give up junk food and get active—all the foundations of a healthy lifestyle. Fast-forward 6 months....
By Pete McCall Here’s a little confession: before becoming a fitness professional, I was a history geek. Seriously, at one point, I thought about becoming a (cool) high school history teacher, which is why it’s fun for me to study the history of the fitness industry;...
By Pete Mc Call Here’s a little confession: before becoming a fitness professional, I was a history geek. Seriously, at one point, I thought about becoming a (cool) high school history teacher, which is why it’s fun for me to study the history of the fitness industry;...
By Rick Richey The OPT Model, or Optimum Performance Training Model, is a fitness training system developed by NASM. The OPT Model is based on scientific evidence and principles that progresses an individual through five training phases: stabilization endurance,...
By Kyle Stull Proper assessment and training of the foot musculature are vital to optimal health. Given that the feet are our foundation and interact with our environment daily, it affects the whole body if they hurt. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society...
By Dana Bender SELF-TALK IN ATHLETES AND EXERCISERS: 4 STEPS TO REWIRE YOUR THOUGHTS There is a lot to think about during exercise such as maintaining proper body mechanics and posture, controlling effort and force, and breathing properly. These efforts all occur at...
By LAURA QUAGLIO , ANDREA LEONARD , ANNA SCHWARTZ Cancer is serious business. It is second only to heart disease as Americans’ leading cause of death, and more than 1.7 million new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed this year. Of those new cases, many will...
By Alexandra Williams After 15 days of supplementation with a combination of peanut husk extract (luteolin) and mango leaf extract (mangiferin), a group of healthy male university students from Spain showed improvements in exercise performance, including increases in...
By Shirley Archer What do you do when life throws you a curveball? Let’s say your program design doesn’t fit a client’s current mood or your class has participants with wide-ranging ability levels. If you’re Michael Piercy, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, MMACS, SFS, WFS,...
By RYAN HALVORSON Originally published in the Summer 2019 issue of American Fitness Magazine. When I first became a personal trainer some 14 years ago, I was obsessed with corrective exerciseand movement perfection. Prospective clients watched as I geeked out on...
By STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS What muscle fiber types will take an athlete from good to great? 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...
By DAVID CRUZ, DC, CSCS, FMS, SFMA Cyclist can be prone to ITB Syndrome IT BAND SYNDROME: SYMPTOMS, RISK FACTORS, EXERCISES 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...
By SARAH SCHRENK As a group fitness instructor or personal trainer, you excel at leading and educating. Have you ever fantasized about taking your expertise beyond the confines of the studio? Take a moment to recall an engaging presenter at the last fitness education...
Before you help your clients achieve their goals, you have to establish what their starting point is. NASM’s Optimum Performance Training Model – or OPT™ -does exactly that. The OPT™ model. It’s one of the fitness industry’s first training...
By NASM 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. WHAT IS...
By BRIAN SUTTON, MA, MS, CSCS, NASM-CPT, CNC, CES, PES THE MOST SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE ARM EXERCISES Are you looking for stronger, more defined arms — the type of arms you can show off? If toned and sculpted arms are what you’re looking for, try these strength training...
By Andrew Payne Do you have trouble losing body fat, yet seem to gain it after even the smallest slip up with your diet? Or does it feel like you can eat for days without gaining an ounce? It could have something to do with your current body type. But is it really...
By James Heathers, Ph.D. Forget heart attacks and skinny jeans. This is why weight loss is important. Avoiding heart disease and looking ‘fab’ aren’t always great reasons to lose weight. However, here are 5 immediate and significant ways your life can change when you...
By Amanda Boyer MS, RDN, CD, NASM-CPT First and foremost, the pursuit of health is an individual choice and will look very different from person to person. Second, nutrition and movement are just two tiny pieces to the big pie. Genetics, sleep hygiene, stress, stigma...
By CHRIS ECKLUND, MA, NASM-PES, CSCS, USAW, TPI “Train slow, move slow; train fast, move fast.” I still say this to my athletes, staff and students with great frequency. Sometimes we get so caught up in the current trends, metrics, gauges, terminology, etc., that we...
By NASM With fad diets flooding the marketplace, obesity and heart disease numbers rapidly increasing, and more confusing food choices than ever before, Nutrition Coaches are in particularly high demand. This is an exciting, rewarding career for people who love...
By Kathy Popplewell As a fitness professional you are in a great position to become a community leader, with the ability to rally people in your area to a common cause while helping them improve their quality of life. in addition to the sense of contribution you will...
Why wishful thinking won’t get you results, but science might. By Dan Garner Nutrition is often seen as a belief system. In other words, the answer to “What should I eat?” is often based on faith, magical thinking, emotional attachments, and/or what feels...
By John Berardi, Ph.D. When it comes to body change, there’s no topic more polarizing than “calories in vs. calories out.” Some argue it’s the be-all and end-all of weight loss. Others say it’s oversimplified and misguided. In this article, we explore every angle of...
By Kyle Stull What is thoracic outlet syndrome? Are there assessments that personal trainers can consider to identify it, and can corrective exercise programming help? Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a condition involving the vessels of the neck, shoulder, and arm....
By Scott Keppel Whether you’re just starting off in the fitness industry or you’re like me and you’ve been around for decades, we are always striving to build our community and keep our current members. For some of you, this may not be a problem. You may have an...
By KEN MILLER, MS, NASM MASTER INSTRUCTOR, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, GFS “You need good form,” or “technique is everything” are just a couple of the staple statements you hear fitness professionals and strength coaches say. This is what personal trainers are known and hired...
How to solve the two biggest health and fitness problems most women face. By Krista Scott-Dixon Feeling overworked and under-appreciated? Having trouble staying consistent with nutrition and fitness because of life’s demands? Wondering if you’ll ever be able to find...
By Fabio Comana We all speak of it and experience it, but what is stress? It is defined as a non-specific response by the body to any demand (stressor) that overcomes, or threatens to overcome, the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis (that state of equilibrium of...
B Kyle Stull Personal trainers will likely encounter a client with hip impingement as a training concern. Improve your client’s hip mobility with these stretching and strengthening techniques, plus cueing advice for pelvic positioning. Hip discomfort or pain is common...
By AMANDA BOYER, MS, RDN, CD, NASM-CPT Health is so much more than how much a person weighs or their BMI. To further understand this approach to health, Health At Every Size® (HAES®), written by Linda Bacon, explores this growing paradigm shift among health...
BY LANCE C. DALLECK A myth can be defined as an untrue explanation for a natural phenomenon. Unfortunately, numerous myths remain pervasive and well-engrained throughout the fitness industry, in particular as it pertains to various performance and nutritional...
By Emily Bailey Meet three of today’s superfood darlings: açai berries, beetroot juice, and curcumin. What does the research say regarding their impact on athletic performance, recovery, and overall health? Here’s the delicious news. “Superfood” has been a buzzword...
By Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon, Dr. Helen Kollias, Jennifer Broxterman, MSc, RD, and Pamela Ruhland Hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, brain fog: Menopause can make you wonder if your body is totally cuckoo. But what many women don’t realize is that they do have some...
By STACEY PENNEY, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS Are you motivated by someone telling you what to do or are you more motivated to do something when it is your own idea and choice to do it? You probably agreed with being more motivated by your own ideas and decisions. Do...
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