The intrinsic muscles of the back control the vertabral column, i.e., the spine, and are situated deep below the extrinsic muscles which are responsible for movements of the thoracic cage and...
Exercise Science, Biology, and Research
Health and fitness articles for personal trainers rooted in exercise science, biology, anatomy, physiology, health psychology
Why The Psoas Is Significant
The terms "psoas" and "hip flexor" are common jargon in the health and fitness world, but getting an intimate handle on the specifics may help your clients perform better or even help relieve their...
Is Your EPOC Epic? Understanding the Body’s Oxygen Debt
The concept of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) has been described as a benefit of high-intensity exercise and a major player in weight management and weight loss. But what exactly is...
EPOC: Maximizing the Body’s Oxygen Debt for Greater Weight Loss Results
While exercise recovery needn’t take an epoch, it does involve EPOC (Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption).
The NEAT Way to Burn Calories
Are your clients getting bored with endless treadmill sessions, stationary cycles, or counting Stairmaster steps? Or maybe they are so fixated on how many calories they burn during their 30 minute...
Brown Fat Cells and Thermogenesis
“Fat” can be a “4-letter word” in terms of the negative connotation that leaps into our minds at the mere mention of adipose tissue. However, as with most generalities in life, fat cells are not...
To Weight Belt or NOT to Belt?
Are weight belts necessary or might they even be harmful? How should personal trainers advise their heavy lifting clients? As a former queen of "ab day", having taught 30-minute abs-only classes and...

Moment Arms in Exercise: A Brief Introduction to the Physics of Movement
For those of you who read the word "physics" and still opened this blog, I applaud you for being willing to challenge the breadth of your knowledge to learn a little more about how resistance forces...
The Pelvic Girdle: How Personal Trainers Gain a Deeper Understanding of Anatomy
It's helpful for certified personal trainers to understand the bone structure and joints of the pelvic girdle given how much movement takes place through the hips, and also, how many issues tend to...
Understanding Hip Rotation and Abduction
Those pesky ball-and-socket joints going every which way can really confuse matters of movement, even for personal trainers, can't they? The hip, like the shoulder, can move in all planes of motion...