Personal Training Articles

I use body weight leverage training (BLT) to some degree with almost every client. Given that every client is a human and all humans have to deal with gravity and momentum while moving around the earth, it’s only natural that I use this training modality with everyone.

In our fast-paced, technology-filled lives, spending time outdoors has become a luxury. Ask most clients to reflect on their average day and they say, “Wake up, drive to the gym, drive to work, work all day, drive home, eat dinner, relax, work some more, sleep and start again.” Their greatest outdoor adventure comes from walking to and from their cars. It’s time for a change! Now is a great time for you to start an outdoor training program. Give clients a new challenge, a chance to benefit from fresh air and an opportunity to revitalize their spirit.

Client: Ryan Mackin Personal Trainer: Nick Tumminello, CSCS, owner of Performance University Location: Baltimore Going Pro. Ryan Mackin is no stranger to competition. In high school and college, he was a high-ranking wrestler. After finishing college, Mackin became a high-school wrestling coach. Still yearning to compete, he set his sights on becoming a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter.

There is much talk about certification, accreditation and licensure in the fitness industry today. As you start your career, it is important to have a grasp of this trio of topics because they can affect your ability to get hired and work legally. Just the terms themselves and their word cousins can be very confusing-—so confusing, in fact, that this article includes a glossary to help you navigate through and clearly understand the differences among them.

“Close” is a worrisome word in sales, often evoking cringe-worthy images of high-pressure boiler-room selling tactics, used-car lots and plaid suits. Canned one-liners aside, the “close” is simply the final part of a conversation when you ask the big question, “Yes or no?” As this involves securing both a decision and money, it can be the most stressful part of selling for both fitness pro and customer.

Leah Putnam, owner of Spring Training® in Mountain View, California, began her career in the 1980s as a fitness professional and a personal trainer, traveling to clubs and offering private trainings in homes. She began studying Pilates in 1991.newsletter_teaser: Leah Putnam, owner of Spring Training® in Mountain View, California, began her career in the 1980s as a fitness professional and a personal trainer, traveling to clubs and offering private trainings in homes. She began studying Pilates in 1991.

Rest-based training (RBT) is a system that makes rest, not work, the primary goal of the workout. It allows participants to take a rest for as long as necessary. Rest actually becomes a tool for increasing intensity, because exercisers can strategically use it to work harder than they could without rest. It also provides a buffer against overexertion, making even high-intensity workouts safe.newsletter_teaser: Rest-based training (RBT) is a system that makes rest, not work, the primary goal of the workout. It allows participants to take a rest for as long as necessary. Rest actually becomes a tool for increasing intensity, because exercisers can strategically use it to work harder than they could without rest. It also provides a buffer against overexertion, making even high-intensity workouts safe. The RBT system has four key components, which are represented by the acronym R-E-S-T: R = Rest-based. Rest, not work, is the goal of rest-based training. This automatically increases the quality of work done and makes exercise psychologically easier. When exercisers have permission to rest according to their needs, they voluntarily work harder without being consciously aware they are doing so. E = Extrinsic focus. Intrinsic sensations—such as breathlessness, burning and other sensations—are inhibitors of exercise intensity. Rest-based training incorporates techniques that focus exercisers on what they are doing (extrinsic factors) versus what they are feeling (intrinsic feelings). With this in mind, an RBT workout is often structured to be quick-moving and psychologically motivating.

A telephone-based weight management program, as part of a worksite wellness program, helped overweight and obese individuals to become more active, eat better, lose weight and improve their overall health, according to research published in the American Journal of Health Promotion (2011; 25 [3], 186–89). Other studies have shown that telephone coaching is successful in producing initial weight loss, but few researchers have tracked subjects for more than 6 months after a program has ended.

When it comes to selling personal training services, a common practice is to require payment for a series of sessions at the start of training. According to data from the 2010 IDEA Fitness Programs & Equipment Trends report (IDEA Fitness Manager, July–August 2010), 69% of respondents “ask clients to pay for individual sessions/classes or packages of sessions/classes.” Troy Fontana, CEO of Freedom Fitness Unlimited in Sparks, Nevada, believes this method may soon be history.

newsletter_teaser: and learn ways to help clients reach higher levels of fitness and achieve results.