by Alex Walsh, MA
You know your next client, Doug, really well. He’s been working with you for 2 years, he’s committed to his fitness program, and while his body is already well-conditioned, he is determined to keep improving. His session will focus mainly on intense weightlifting, and Doug is used to “psyching himself up” before each set—he finds it helps—but you’ve both observed that it’s getting harder for him to make real gains. How can you help?
by Mary Monroe
Do you think of yourself as being in the happiness business? Whether you know it or not, you are. Happiness and all its related positive emotions—optimism, purpose, life satisfaction and a sense of well-being, to name a few—are powerfully linked with health (as we reviewed in the June issue of IDEA Fitness Journal). One of the most valuable keys to sustainable happiness may be exercise—bingo!
The relationship that develops between client and personal trainer is vastly enriched when the trainer assumes the role of mentor and life coach. Understanding the important role that life coaching plays in the client success model, we felt it was imperative to add life coaching to our list of services. As we help our trainers develop and hone their personal coaching skills, I have assumed the role of life and training strategies success coach within our facility.
by John Berardi, PhD, Krista Scott-Dixon
Tough clients. Every fitness professional has them. You know, the ones who make you think, “What is wrong with you? Why can’t you follow simple instructions or do what’s good for you?” Don’t take it personally. When prescribed life-saving medications for cancer, heart disease and diabetes, patients take them a shockingly low 55% of the time, according to a World Health Organization estimate. If almost half of people can’t spare 10 seconds to pop a pill, how can we expect them to exercise and to eat a healthy diet?newsletter_teaser: Tough clients. Every fitness pro has them. You know, the ones who make you think, “What is wrong with you? Why can’t you follow simple instructions or do what’s good for you?” Don’t take it personally.
by Shirley Archer, JD, MA
Fitness trend surveys predict growth in coaching services for 2012. What types of wellness or lifestyle coaching are you offering, if any? If yes, what types of coaching are most popular, and are they integrated with personal training services or offered separately? What response have you had? Share your responses with editor Sandy Todd Webster, swebster@ideafit.com.
by Mary Monroe
Humdrum doesn’t cut it in a crowded market. However, exceed people’s expectations and word spreads. Learn how to target your training for phenomenal results at the 2012 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute™. Find out all the latest programming, equipment and business ideas from the world’s leading personal training professionals.newsletter_teaser: Humdrum doesn’t cut it in a crowded market. However, exceed people’s expectations and word spreads. Learn how to target your training for phenomenal results at the 2012 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute™. Find out all the latest programming, equipment and business
by Ryan Halvorson
When you’re coaching clients for fat loss, face-to-face interaction isn’t mandatory. According to research published in The New England Journal of Medicine (doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1108660), telephone interventions are as effective as in-person meetings. The 24-month study included 415 obese individuals with a mean age of 54 years. “One intervention provided patients with weight loss support remotely—through the telephone, a study-specific website, and e-mail,” the study authors explained.
by Thomas Myers
Fascia: you’re hearing about it more and more, and for good reason. Consciously or unconsciously, you have been working with fascia—connective tissue—for your whole movement career. It is unavoidable. Now, however, new research is reinforcing the importance of fascia in functional training (Fascia Congress 2009). Fascia is much more than “plastic wrap around the muscles.” It is the organ system of stability and mechano-regulation.newsletter_teaser: Fascia: you’re hearing about it more and more, and for good reason. Consciously or unconsciously, you have been working with fascia—connective tissue—for your whole movement career. It is unavoidable. Now, however, new research is reinforcing the importance of fascia in functional training (Fascia Congress 2009). Fascia is much more than “plastic wrap around the muscles.” It is the organ system of stability and mechano-regulation. Understanding the importance of fascia gives rise to three exciting new questions:
Most injuries are connective-tissue (fascial) injuries, not muscular injuries—so how do we best train to prevent and repair damage and build elasticity and resilience into the system?
There are 10 times more sensory nerve endings in fascia than in muscles—so how do we aim proprioceptive stimulation at the fascia as well as the muscles?
