The Impact of Hormonal Birth Control on Exercise
As fitness professionals we need to be aware of the deleterious effect hormones, that are often unknown or undiscussed, may have on a client’s workout. The majority of personal trainers cultivate friendships, even a closeness, with long-standing clients. Some sessions end up with just as much talking and sharing as weight training. No matter how […]
Backwards Training Can Propel Your Clients Forward
Although personal training clients hire personal trainers for a multitude of reasons, the overwhelming majority of personal training clients, hope to build strength or achieve a lean physique. Fitness professionals should have a variety of methods to incorporate to achieve these goals—to keep things interesting and to ensure success. Are Goals Mutually Exclusive? The tried-and-true […]
Functional Imagery Training: Visualizing Performance and Health Success
Personal trainers might be interested to learn about Functional Imagery Training (FIT), a new motivational intervention that utilizes mental visualizations to achieve personal goals. “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”–Benjamin Franklin Our brains are best wired to learn by being fully immersed in an experience […]
The Delicate Sodium-Potassium Balance and Summer Heat
The summer season brings with it heat and humidity, and when humidity levels exceed 70%, that excess moisture can interfere with the body’s ability to sweat and cool itself as it attempts to maintain homeostasis. This can spell trouble for some clients who like to exercise outdoors, or perhaps, work out in a facility without […]
Protein Bar Roundup: The Best and the Worst
Are your clients looking to refuel after a challenging workout, bulk up for a competition, or just kaibosh hunger pangs for an hour or two? A protein bar lies within easy reach. However, with such an abundance of options available in the marketplace and online, selecting the best choice for one’s needs can lead to […]
Training the Personal Trainer: Can We Walk the Walk?
Despite our best efforts as personal trainers to try to see an experience through the client’s eyes, we often are unable to fully accomplish this because we know too much from being on the inside of the business. The real challenge comes in separating ourselves from what we think the client perceives versus what she really […]
Gender Bias In Trainer Selection: Helping Clients Make The Right Choice
Whether we want it to or not, gender preference often plays a role when choosing a personal trainer. Unfortunately, this can come at the expense of negating a trainer’s qualifications and experience. Therefore, it becomes incumbent upon gym owners and fitness center managers to educate members about the professional virtues of each trainer. In so […]
Soleus Strains: How To Recognize, Prevent and Treat
The soleus is one of the three powerful muscles of the calf that lies behind the gastrocnemius, and runs from the Achilles tendon to behind, and just below, the knee. “The soleus is responsible for plantar flexion, which is when your toes point downward,” explains Tom Holland, an exercise physiologist, sports nutritionist, and coach. “That’s […]
Heavy Metals In Protein Powders: Are They Safe to Consume Regularly?
Clients often seek out their personal trainers’ opinions on the best protein powder to consume following tough workouts. This seems like such a harmless and expected inquiry since so many trainers work out arduously themselves and are happy to endorse their favorite products. However, much controversy seems to surround the purity of protein products as […]
Fueling For Success: Pre and Post Workout Meals
In an effort to maximize energy stores during a workout, and ensure adequate recovery post-workout, proper nutritional fueling provides the key to success. Knowledge in the kitchen can rival gym savviness in terms of utmost importance when sculpting a physique and cultivating strength. Contrary to claims made by supplement companies, glucose remains the human body’s […]