Many of the traditional exercises which we either learned en route to getting certified, or along the way from various industry leaders and professionals, have the potential to cause injury. While...
Assessments
Articles reviewing different approaches to assessments relevant for personal trainers.
Beyond Anatomy: Preparing New Trainers to Tackle Common Client Questions
After receiving any nationally-recognized Personal Trainer Certification, most burgeoning fitness professionals feel prepared to take on the world…or at least their very first client. Seasoned...
Fundamental Squat Technique, Cueing, and Modifications
The squat is arguably the most ubiquitous and programmed exercise in the personal trainer's toolbox. This article will discuss fundamental squat technique, not a specific variation of the squat or...
The Importance of Pre-Screening for Personal Trainers: A Comprehensive Guide
When you become a personal trainer, your primary objective is to ensure your clients achieve their fitness goals safely and effectively. An essential step in this process is pre-screening, which...
Preparing your Fitness Clients for Physical Assessments
Health and physical assessments are integral to the personal training experience. When working with clients, it is not possible to overcommunicate or overprepare – especially for a client who is new...
Assessing Lumbar and Hamstring Dominance over Gluteal Engagement
Most trainers understand that many clients have "sleepy glutes" that need to be woken up and activated properly in order to perform basic exercises without injury or compensation. A properly firing...
Promoting a Growth Mindset: Helping Fitness Clients Achieve and Succeed
Most trainers have encountered a client who outwardly appeared to have all the ability and desire needed to achieve their personal goals and aspirations, yet didn’t live up to the expected level....
1RM: Calculating a Client’s One-Rep Max
The fitness industry defines muscular strength as the physical ability to generate force against an external load. The 1RM simply represents the maximum amount of force that a muscle can exert...
Assessing Ankle Mobility
If assessing ankle mobility is not on your checklist of assessments to complete with a new or existing client, you might consider adding it to your repertoire. Adequate ankle mobility is paramount...
Waist Circumference vs BMI: Helping Clients Measure Up
Educating our clients on how to improve health outcomes certainly falls under the purview of health and fitness coaching. With that, explaining the relevance of body composition, the flaws of the...