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 Corrective Exercises are a technique used by health & fitness professionals to address and fix movement compensations and imbalances. These exercises are commonly used by personal trainers, massage therapists and chiropractors, to help clients move...
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 Brad Dieter The holiday season can be a stressful time to adhere to a regular diet schedule. There are holiday parties, travel, an abundance of holiday goodies lying around the house, and there is more time spent indoors and less time exercising. HOLIDAY WEIGHT...
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 Brad Dieter For many people, clients and coaches alike, the start of a new year means a fresh outlook and often, resolutions to change or improve certain areas of your life. Sadly, many New Year’s resolutions don’t end up being overly successful. Depending on the...
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 DR. ALLISON BRAGER As a result of advancing technologies in science and engineering, we can study the brain in real-time from many different angles. We can study the strength and intensity of connections between different brain areas as well as...
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...
Finally, a data-driven guide to pricing your services, making more money, and leveling up as a coach. By Camille DePutter and M.J. Perrier, PhD “What should I charge?” At some point, every nutrition coach asks that question. You could be just starting out and have no...
By Brad Dieter We often hear people say, “I have a slow metabolism” or “they just have a fast metabolism,” and we all nod our head in agreement. But do we understand what that means? What is your metabolism? Can it be fast or slow? Does having a slow metabolism make...
By Dana Bender Feelings of stress can manifest in different ways for different people. In some cases, internal tension emerges because situations in our lives do not match our internal expectations, or because things do not go as per our plan. Over the years, I have...
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 Alexandra Williams One hundred twenty adolescents in Saudi Arabia ages 15–18 were assessed by scientists who were curious to discover if a link exists between vitamin E intake, school performance and exercise. Told not to alter their eating or activity habits, the...
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 Alexandra Williams Avocados may be one solution to manage hunger and aid in metabolic control, according to findings from the Center for Nutrition at Illinois Institute of Technology. In a crossover clinical trial with 31 adults classified as overweight/obese,...
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 Alexandra Williams The news isn’t good regarding the influence of social media on the foods children prefer. In a study published in Pediatrics (2019; 143 [4]) of 176 children ages 9–11, doctoral candidate Anna Coates of the University of Liverpool found that the...
By Joy Keller It’s an hour before your session starts, and you get a text from your client Kelly, a 33-year-old mom of two who is 50 pounds overweight, has just been diagnosed as being prediabetic, and is trying to change her lifestyle. She’s late again. This is not...
By Brad Dieter High-fat diets have surged in popularity over the last several years, and many nutrition coaches have utilized them with clients for weight loss. Despite their recent popularity, they are not new diets. They have been used over the last century in...
By Andrea Cirignana Your clients hire you to help them reach a goal, and you commit just as much time and effort as (if not more than) they do. However, sometimes even the most dedicated clients are completely clueless when it comes to diet and nutrition. That can be...
By Cathie Ericson There are some things that most of your clients of any age can probably agree on. For example, burpees are unpleasant yet satisfying, and a playlist that includes Beyoncé can make just about any workout fly by. But you might find that your millennial...
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 Brad Dieter Over the last 10-15 years, there has been a lot of discussion about the role that fructose plays in many of our chronic health issues, including obesity, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and many others. However, most of these discussions...
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 Alexandra Williams As a fitness professional, you’re likely familiar with exercise-induced asthma (EIA) or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), which can cause symptoms like wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath or a tightness in the chest—particularly in...
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 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 NASM According to listener feedback and requests, a discussion on over- and underactive muscles was the most popular request. This is part 1 of 3 episodes where this topic will be discussed. This episode will cover two common movement compensations in the overhead...
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 Brad Dieter In an era of catchy blogs, celebrity diets, and access to all of the world’s information at your fingertips, managing a client’s expectations for safe and healthy weight loss can be a challenge. Despite these challenges, the amount of information and...
By Sean Greeley If you’re like most newly certified personal trainers, you’re uncomfortable thinking about how to market yourself to generate leads and build up a client base. That’s because fitness is your passion … and suddenly fitness has become your business. To...
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 Thanks to social media, the explosive popularity of studio-based group workout programs, and the fact that many top actors work with a personal trainer to develop the sculpted physiques you see in the movies, many people are running away from their...
By NASM This episode is a review of the skeletal systems. Anatomy only! No ROM or joint actions. Today Rick talks about the bones themselves, names, locations, and mnemonics to help remember and recall their names. This is a high-level overview, so we will just focus...
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 Dana Bender With the growing utilization of technology in both personal and professional life, there seems to be less time to “just be” without a plethora of stimuli around us. Between computer use at work, smartphone use in our personal life, and the popularity of...
By Sean Greeley The strength of your business is equal to the strength of your network. Here’s what I mean… Many fitness professionals and personal trainers invest huge amounts of time learning their craft. They work hard to get certified, and then want to get down to...
By Kat Barefield Lifespan, Healthspan and Playspan Humans are living longer than ever before with the help of modern medicine, science, technology, and access to adequate nutrition. Although the human lifespan can now extend past the century mark, healthspan, which is...
By Fabio Comana Mention the term ‘metabolism’ and it captures attention given how obsessed many of us have become over calories. As a certified personal trainer, this is a topic you may get asked about from time to time. To the general public, boosting your metabolism...
By ALEXANDRA WILLIAMS While away from home, it can be harder than ever for clients to stick to the healthy eating goals of their weight loss program. One way fitness professionals can help people stay on track is to suggest dietary self-monitoring throughout the day....
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 Brad Dieter PROTEIN AND WEIGHT LOSS: HOW MUCH PROTEIN SHOULD YOU EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT? Decades of scientific research on weight loss has uncovered a few key pieces of information on what helps people successfully lose weight. First, we know that while exercise is...
By JOSEPH WEISS , DANIELLE WEISS Each of us has held beliefs—obtained through observation, experience or even formal education—that were later found to be wrong. In fact, medical schooling begins with a warning: “Half of all that you will be taught will be proven...
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...
By Scott Keppel With the holidays here, time is of the essence. Both figuratively and literally. As a husband, father of 3 and business owner I get that finding time to get workouts in can be a challenge. The following workout is one that can be done no matter your...
BY JENNIFER KLAU, PHD Being a little low on water is a bigger deal than most people think. Here’s research to prove it, plus a physiology review to explain why even a 2% deficit can affect mental and physical well-being. News flash! There’s a substance, available...
By Brad Dieter IS SUGAR REALLY BAD FOR YOU? Sugar has been in the headlines of popular media sites, the tagline of diet books, and the sole focus of many blogs over the last decade. Despite recent interest from mainstream media and the health industry, sugar has been...
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 Julia Malacoff and Jennifer Nickle From ruining your progress to making you feel like a failure, food cravings aren’t your friend (no matter what they say). In this article, we break down the real reasons you can’t stop over-snacking, and explain how to combine...
By John Berardi, Ph.D. Work stressing you out? Life in general? Having trouble staying consistent with your exercise and nutrition plan? If so, this article is for you. Why do most guys tend to get weaker, fatter, and less healthy when they get into their 30s, 40s,...
By Geoff Lecovin KETOGENIC DIET: SHOULD YOU JOIN THE KETO KRAZE? In this article you will learn: What constitutes a ketogenic diet? Ketogenic diet foods/sample meal plan Potential health benefits of the ketogenic diet Potential adverse health effects of the ketogenic...
By Alex Picot-Annand Effective ways to deal with negative peer pressure and sabotage. Changing your eating and exercise habits is hard enough. Getting loved ones to support your healthy lifestyle changes? Prepare to grit your teeth. The company you keep does affect...
By Krista Scott-Dixon, Ph.D. How to solve the two biggest health and fitness problems most women face. 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...
By Krista Scott-Dixon, Ph.D. It’s not about busting your butt to get a gym body. It’s about being capable, confident, and free. To most people, healthy movement = exercise. As in cardio, crunches, and fitness models. But moving your body is about so much...
By Krista Scott-Dixon, Ph.D. Diet challenges are usually all about what you can’t eat. But what if you could see huge results from a self-experiment that doesn’t make any foods off-limits? Instead of focusing on what you eat, our 30-day eating challenge emphasizes how...
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 Amanda Vogel MA Ever wonder how some fitness professional get the opportunity to be featured and quoted as experts in magazine articles, on TV and on popular blogs? Developing relationships with journalists and producers to gain publicity is easier than you might...
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 NASM May is National Military Appreciation Month. We asked our NASM-CPTs who served in the armed forces to tell us their stories. Here’s one of them. Arlo Doyle The Kilted Comeback Kid In April of 2001, Arlo Doyle joined the army. He needed a way to support his...
By Danny Lennon In this article: What is the Mediterranean Diet? Mediterranean Diet Foods Mediterranean Diet Nutrient Profile Daily Food Servings Mediterranean Lifestyle Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet Mediterranean Diet and Weight Loss Take-Home Points...
BY OLIVIA ELLIS, MS Follow these steps to enhance the class experience using the power of emotion. We’ve all been there: You’re teaching a well-designed class with a killer playlist, and your expectation is that everyone is going to be as excited to take your class as...
BY CANDICE DYER The SoheeFit studio in San Diego is a gleaming, modern and welcoming fitness center with upbeat music. One thing is noticeably missing, though. There is no cardio equipment. That’s because owner Sohee Lee, MS, typically ends up prying her driven,...
9 reasons eating well isn’t as straightforward as we’d like it to be. By John Berardi, Ph.D. From a certain perspective, nutrition science can seem like a mess. From another, it illustrates the very nature (and beauty) of the scientific process. Here we’ll...
By NASM Early to bed and early to rise? This sleep pattern may not make you wealthy or wise (as the saying goes), but it does seem to be linked to better health. Early risers not only have healthier eating patterns, but they also show a lower risk of heart disease and...
By Brian St. Pierre, M.S., RD, CSCS and Helen Kollias, Ph.D. Academic studies aren’t going to top any “best summer reads” lists: They can be complicated, confusing, and well, pretty boring. But learning to read scientific research can help you answer important client...
