Personal Training: Program Design Articles

At several City Surf Fitness locations in Texas and Louisiana, City Surf offers participants the benefits of surfing—even though there aren’t any waves nearby. According to the website, the class is taught on SURFSET® RipSurfer X boards and features “fun surf-inspired movements, utilizing surfer-specific muscle groups.” Classes are open to every fitness level, and instructors provide modifications for more or less intensity.

While not exclusive to men, Yo-Bro YOGA at RIO Pilates & Yoga Studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is a high-energy class that allows practitioners to explore their physical limits. Catering to the masculine energies of both men and women, the program offers techniques for strength building and endurance—as well as opportunities for arm balances and inversions. Participants are rewarded for their efforts with craft beer at the end of class.

Rest is often a carefully thought-out variable in strength training routines. Rightly so, suggests research published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (2015; 29 [11], 3079–83). The study found that resting too little or too much can negatively impact ratings of perceived exertion and the number of repetitions exercisers complete.

At multiple locations throughout the country, Equinox offers The Pursuit, an indoor cycling experience that combines video game technology and visuals to create a competitive and interactive ride. There are two class options available— Burn, which aims for maximum calorie expenditure, and Build, suited for cyclists who focus on distance and endurance.

Do you ever wonder which city governments are most welcoming to personal trainer entrepreneurs? Thumbtack, an organization that connects consumers with services, conducted a survey to find out. The survey featured questions about licensing, usability of government websites and availability of resources for business growth, and 751 personal train- ing business owners responded. Thumbtack analyzed the results and produced the following Top 10 list of “friendliest” cities for personal trainers:

To achieve results, your participants need to be challenged in new ways. If your strength training classes are circuit-style and you want to up the ante, try adding strategic progressions. This workout, a traditional circuit format, cycles through several exercises with minimal rest. The key is to challenge participants by adjusting a variable during each cycle. With this approach, they enjoy the familiarity of the sequences, as well as fun surprises. Circuit Progressions Details

Sport psychology is dubbed the “science of success” because it studies the four mental toughness skills—motivation, confidence, concentration, and emotional and physiological control—that athletes use consistently, in conjunction with training and nutrition, to give them the ultimate performance edge. Whether you are a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, coach or mind-body wellness professional, the information, tools and techniques discussed here will help your clients to enhance their performance and give them the best shot at realizing their true potential.

September marks my 23rd year leading group fitness. A lot has changed since I started teaching. Women are no longer afraid to pick up a pair of dumbbells heavier than 3 pounds, and high impact has given way to high-intensity interval training. What hasn’t changed is what it takes to be a strong group fitness instructor. It’s normal to make mistakes, and over the years I’ve made them all. Read on to learn from my rookie flubs and how to avoid making them yourself.

“Hey, keep your knees behind your toes when you squat!” “Deep squats are bad for the knees!” “My doctor told me I should not squat anymore.” “You should never let the knees cave in or out during a squat.” Chances are you’ve heard this advice and maybe even given it to your clients. I know that for many years in my career I’ve been guilty of making similar recommendations to clients from all walks of life. The problem is, where