One to two times per week, a trainer will ask me, “What courses, books or resources are best suited to help me achieve my fitness and/or career goals”. Fitness education & CEC’s can be a difficult monster to slay, particularly for those considering a fitness career or are brand new to the industry. [...]
MacDonald et al. (2013). An Acute Bout of Self Myofascial Release Increases Range of Motion Without a Subsequent Decrease in Muscle Activation or Force. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(3): 812 – 821. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts all around the world use self-myofascial release techniques to improve range of motion and recover [...]
To do or not to do, this is the question of the day. I get a lot of questions about exercises you should or shouldn’t do – call them contraindicated if u may. Some of the most popular contraindicated exercises are: Good Mornings Crunches / Sit-ups Behind the Neck Press I can biomechanically explain why [...]
Chad Benson, MSc, CSCS, PT There are several video links inside this document but this one is a 20 min comprehensive (more exercises) version of the sequence below. Some of favorite flexibility drills and is a great adjunct to the exercises below. Next week, I am going to post a 6 min [...]
At Steve Nash Fitness Clubs & BCPTI, our training staff may have the title “Personal Trainer” but through our nashFIT program, every trainer is instructed and given the tools to become effective coaches. The best way to sum up the difference between a coach and a trainer / motivator is this video clip from Brad [...]
I recently returned from the IRSHA Institute in North Carolina. During that visit we examined current fitness trends – one of which is flexibility / mobility training. One problem, traditional stretching doesn’t work very well. Therefore I felt compelled to help set the mobility flexibility record straight. Recent research has clearly shown that there was zero improvement in hamstring flexibility 4 weeks after performing 4 [...]
There is a simple method to burning more fat while doing cardio; rest more!! That’s right, back off the long, slow, fasted cardio (fallacy 1), WODs and tabata (fallacy 2) in favor of these work hard, rest hard & repeat strategies. The fallacies presented in this article are common industry practices that work, BUT may not [...]
According to the ACSM, bodyweight training is one of the hottest trends in the fitness industry. https://www.acsm.org/about-acsm/media-room/news-releases/2014/10/24/survey-predicts-top-20-fitness-trends-for-2015. Body Weight Training: Body weight training uses minimal equipment, making it more affordable. Not limited to just push-ups and pull-ups, this trend allows people to get “back to the basics” with fitness. Everything from getting up in the morning, [...]
Recipe: to ensure client’s success: Believe in and promote your skills Determine your client’s goals and assess their current fitness status. Create a fitness & lifestyle regime designed to move all 5 goal driven lines forward. Below is an example of the parallel lines / goals for a typical middle aged [...]
The secret to a six figure career is hard work, dedication and passion with a strong focus on process. For the fitness professional, the key processes are SERVICE, SCIENCE & SALES. Regardless how much effort a trainer puts in or passion they have, one process without the others results in less career success than he [...]
