Archive for January 2006
How Do Muscles Grow?
Charge, S.B.P., & Rudnicki, M.A. 2004. Cellular and molecular regulation of muscle regeneration. Physiological Reviews, 84, 209–38.
Fitness professionals spend countless hours reading articles and research on new training programs and exercise ideas for developing muscular fitness. However, largely because of the topic’s physiological …
Read MoreReview of Studies on Yoga and Depression
One of the obstacles to promoting the benefits of mind-body exercise to modern healthcare providers is the lack of solid research evidence to support the health claims. In recent years, this lack of evidence has stimulated many more researchers to conduct studies so that healt…
Read MoreThe Psychology of Exercise
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Read MoreRoasted Winter Vegetable Medley
The good news is that you can substitute potatoes for the parsnips or carrots for the squash in this quick and easy casserole.
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, cut into wedges
3 tablespoons olive oil
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Organizing Your Options for To-Do Lists
As a fitness professional with a busy schedule, you know that crossing important tasks off your to-do list every day is a major step toward greater personal and work satisfaction. However, it’s challenging when your to-do items are scribbled on bits of paper strewn across your desk and stuffed into your appointment book or when your list just keeps getting longer and more unruly.
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Using METs in Program Design
Nowadays, metabolic equivalents (METs) are commonplace on display panels of treadmills, stair climbers, elliptical trainers and other cardiovascular machines, yet METs are often ignored because exercisers simply don’t know what they are or how to use them. This is unfortuna…
Read MoreGetting Psyched Improves Bench Pressing
To get better results while lifting, first focus your mind.
Psyching up improves bench press performance among experienced weightlifters, according to recent research from New Zealand, Australia and Wales. “Psyching up” refers to using mental strategies such …
UK Kids Fail the Test
More than 1 in 3 British children are clueless when it comes to knowing what chips (french fries) are made of, says a new—and discouraging—study conducted by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). In fact, more than 35% of the 8- to 14-year-olds surveyed were unable t…
Read MorePsych Up Your Clients
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Read MoreLight and Dark
The cool-down is a great time to introduce and explore the mind-body connection. During this phase, the body and mind make the transition from intense physical and intellectual stimulation to a state of equilibrium. Promote this balancing effect by harmonizing yin and yang energies, …
Read More“What is the youngest age you’d train a child or teen? Why?”
At Studio “A” in Montreal, we have a great focus on the youth market. About 90% of our 1,400 dancers are under 18 years of age, while some are as young as 3 years old. When youngsters are learning motor skills for dance or exercise, they sometimes start out looking like newborn fawns, all gangly and uncoordinated. As kids begin to master basic movement skills, they deve…
Read MoreAging Gracefully in the Fitness Industry
“Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
—Satchel Paige
It’s doubtful whether Mr. Paige ever performed a “down dog” in bike shorts after age 40 and faced with the reality of “droopy knees.” Most sane people would simply close their eyes in denial. When…
Read MorePregnancy and Postpartum Exercise
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Read MoreAre Low-Fat Vegan Diets Safe?
Plant-based diets are typically associated with improved health and increased disease protection. However, some researchers have uncovered nutritional deficiencies in people who regularly consume an extremely low fat vegan diet (vegans eschew any kind of animal-based product). So, when it comes to all plants all the time, can you get too much of a good thing?
Not really, says a new s…
The Buyer-Seller Dance
Three years ago I opened my own gym. My premise: “Build it, and trainers will come. Their rent and member dues will get me to the bottom line I need.” The concept worked out beautifully on paper. Admittedly, gym owners I spoke with warned me about depending on trainers t…
Read MoreThe Importace of Protective Legal Documentation
Personal training is a business. All businesses, especiall…
Read MoreA Measure of Success
When working with clients, we all understand the importance of setting goals, and most of us go through the process of examining and re-examining clients’ goals on a regular basis. However, when it comes to our own lives and businesses, it’s often a different story.
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Proactive and Purposeful Client Management
For those of you reading these columns in order, you may feel overwhelmed at this point, thinking to yourself, “I have so many systems I need to create. How can I possibly get started?” Remember the feeling you had in school of never being “finished”? When yo…
Read MoreProactive and Purposeful Client Management
Synergistic Systems
By Kay L. Cross, MEd
Proactive and Purposeful Client Management
Develop systems to track, organize and manage clients and their data. For those of you reading these columns in order, you may feel overwhelmed at this point, thinking to yourself, “I have so many systems I need to create. How can I possibly get started?” Remember the feeling you had in school of never being “fini…
The Importance of Protective Legal Documentation
Legal & Risk Management
By Sean Riley, MS, JD
The Importance of Protective Legal Documentation
Don’t leave home without it! Personal training is a business. All businesses, especially those–like fitness– that carry inherent risks of injury, must protect themselves from lawsuits. At some point, most people who work out will experience some sort of exercise-related injury. Without legal protectio…