Program Design Articles

Tough clients. Every fitness professional’s got them. You know, the ones who make you gnash your teeth, bite your tongue and 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. Pharmaceutical companies and physicians are gnashing their teeth as well. Too many medical patients are not taking their pills.

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?

fponewsletter_teaser: Most people know that exercise can help prevent breast cancer as well as increase the likelihood of a full recovery after treatment. However, it is not as widely recognized that regular exercise can mitigate many of the symptoms of cancer treatment (including symptoms of pharmacologically induced early menopause). Here are a few of the most notable benefits: increased functional capacity; increased postmastectomy mobility and ROM; decreased body fat

Introduction and Origins of Plyometric Training According to Russian sports literature, plyometric training had its early roots in the mid-1960s (Radcliffe & Farentinos 1999). In the 1970s other Eastern European countries (e.g., Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Romania) began employing it, calling it “jump training” (Chu 1998). It has been suggested that the dominance of these Eastern European countries in track and field, weightlifting and gymnastics during the 1970s can be partially attributed to this method of training (Chu 1998).

Plateaus are boring. They are flat, unchanging, predictable. Many people who have been exercising for a while reach a plateau, during which their fitness level doesn’t change and they experience a period of stability: they can’t lose more weight, they can’t seem to create a leaner look and they can’t increase the number of reps they lift or the amount of weight they're lifting. What does it take for them to bust through the plateau to reach higher levels of fitness and achieve greater results? Try periodization.newsletter_teaser: Plateaus are boring. They are flat, unchanging, predictable. Many people who have been exercising for a while reach a plateau, during which their fitness level doesn’t change and they experience a period of stability: they can’t lose more weight, they can’t seem to create a leaner look and they can’t increase the number of reps they lift or the amount of weight they're lifting. What does it take for them to bust through the plateau to reach higher levels of fitness and achieve greater results? Try periodization. Periodize Training Programs Periodization is a method of maximizing fitness and performance by structuring training programs into periods or phases, using programmed variation of training loads and recovery in a cyclic fashion. It involves focusing the training stimulus on one or two variables at a time and manipulating and systematically changing those variables over the course of the training program.

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.

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Imagine a force that has the power to influence people’s thoughts, emotions and bodies. A description of this “force” might seem to be the stuff of science fiction, and yet it is a power that resides within each one of us—the power of communication. Communication is a basic building block of relationships. This article reviews ideas and practices related to creating effective communication with your clients and students.

So how do we keep members coming back and entice others to join? Jade Teta, ND, co-owner of Metabolic Effect in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, suggests that it’s time to change the way we exercise. “The average person doesn’t have a lot of time or money to devote to fitness,” he says. “People are looking for high-quality training, but without the cost. They also want programs that are exciting and challenge the mind and body.” Node Features: Has Video

Think of the programs you offer as frosting on a cake. Although a cake is still delicious without frosting, many people would agree it tastes much better with it. The programs you offer enhance the flavor of your business beyond just selling memberships or personal training sessions.