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Endurance athletes have used tapering for years; now there’s evidence that exercise enthusiasts and strength and power athletes can benefit from tapering phases in their resistance training (RT) programs. So, is tapering right for your clients? And when it comes to RT, can less work lead to more success? Here’s what the research tells us.
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Starting a fitness program can be daunting, especially when your only exercise is the occasional walk or yoga class. But when Colleen Donofrio, then 57, heard about personal trainer Nicole Simonin’s successful program, Shape It Up, her motivation to improve her health—and her yoga poses—outweighed her fears.
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You may not be familiar with the sartorius muscle, but you’ve no doubt flexed it during countless lower-body exercises, stretches and yoga poses.
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You may be used to speeding up your exercise recovery via methods such as myofascial release with foam rollers and good sleep hygiene. While these techniques are tried-and-true, the rising enthusiasm for hard-hitting exercise routines has spawned a growing interest in alternative recovery techniques. Pete McCall, MS, personal trainer, exercise physiologist and an adjunct faculty member in exercise science at both Mesa Community College and San Diego State University, outlines six options for you to consider.
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Much of the periodization literature to date has centered on the strength outcomes and sports performance of athletes striving to balance the needs of practice, conditioning and competition (Bartolomei et al. 2014). But many recreationally active clients seek to gain muscle size in personal training sessions, and few studies have evaluated whether a periodization model should be used in a hypertrophy-focused resistance training program for these fitness enthusiasts. This article highlights the best research available to help answer an important question: Should you periodize a client’s RT plan to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy?
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There’s a tremendous need, now more than ever, to hook kids on fitness and equip them with good lifestyle habits. A child’s growing body needs regular movement in order to function optimally. Since the core is essentially “ground zero,” it’s a fitting place to start, because strong core muscles assist with posture and reduce the chance of injury. The key to a healthier tomorrow is to be proactive and get kids involved today.
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Not many fit pros quote a witch for inspiration, but Sue Singer knows that Glinda (the Good Witch of the South) had it right when she told her “client” (Dorothy Gale, of course), “You’ve always had the power, my dear; you just had to learn it for yourself.”
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Are you offering a variety of interval training programs? For example, are you putting programs in the pool or offering combinations of HIIT aerobic and resistance training, reduced-exertion options, or programs of different lengths (e.g., 30 or 45 minutes)?
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Following five lifestyle habits may increase the years you live free of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer, according to a study in the BMJ (2020; doi:10.1136/bmj.16669).
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For middle-aged and older adults who may not want to run, new research in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2019; 94 [12], 2413–26) shows that high-intensity interval walking effectively improves health and fitness. The protocol for this type of walking is 3 minutes at 70% of VO2max followed by 3 minutes at 40% of VO2max, repeated for 5 or more sets.
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REHIT is a new training approach influenced by high-intensity interval training (HIIT), particularly its time-saving aspect. While a typical HIIT program lasts 30 minutes, a REHIT session consists of two or three 10- to 20- second sprints, separated by up to 3 minutes of recovery, in a 10-minute cardio session. Some experts believe this reduced-exertion approach may attract people who are inactive, have a chronic disease or simply lack time.
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It turns out we may be able to “bank” muscular training benefits from our younger selves to help maintain muscular strength as we age. One caveat: We must train again to reap those benefits.
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Here’s more support for the benefits of recreational running. Data analysis from more than 19,000 male and female adults over an average of 6.5 years showed that leisure-time running was linked with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
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Keep refreshing your up-tempo playlists. Fast-tempo music increases overall exercise tolerance and reduces neuromuscular fatigue, according to a study reported in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2019; doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003417).
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Resistance training may reduce fat levels around the heart (above), but not all strength-based activities are beneficial for cardiovascular health. New research shows that occupational activities like routinely carrying heavy loads at work may have a negative impact on the heart.
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Location matters with body fat. The accumulation of excess fat around the heart can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. A new study by researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark assigned participants to resistance training, high-intensity interval endurance training (HIIT) or no exercise. Results showed that only people who lifted weights decreased the fat lying closest to the heart—specifically, inside the sac that encases the heart (the pericardium).
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If you think you can’t make a difference in the health outcomes of people in your community, it’s time to upgrade your outlook, because fitness professionals are on the front lines when it comes to promoting American public health.
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High-impact exercises — such as burpees, jumping jacks and other moves that get both feet off the ground simultaneously — can help build strength and endurance and shed fat quickly.
As a result, they’re often incorporated into high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, which have gained recognition because they burn an impressive number of calories in a short amount of time and boost metabolism for up to 48 hours after the workout’s over through the afterburn effect.
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“The message we get from the fitness industry is that your body is the problem, and it’s your job to fix it,” says Gillian Goerzen, author of The Elephant in the Gym: Your Body-Positive Guide to Writing Your Own Health and Fitness Story (Winchelsea Media, November 2018) and owner of the Super You Studio. This pressure can be even more pronounced in athletes — and in the fitness professionals who train them. In fact, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, some of the hallmarks of a successful athlete — mental toughness, commitment to training and pursuit of excellence — can easily slide into asceticism, excessive exercise and perfectionism, which are signs of anorexia nervosa.
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During challenging times, supporting client fitness, health, and wellness is vital. As a personal trainer, it’s increasingly more important to ensure that your clients are empowered to stay strong, motivated to continue training remotely, and have the tools needed to stay connected to you. As the innovator and leader in sports and fitness technology, Polar has several solutions to help personal trainers connect to clients beyond the club walls.
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IDEA Fitness Journal
Current Issue:
December 2019
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