Author: NFPT CEC

A basic assumption among people when they work is out that they leave the gym in some way better than they did when they came in. For that reason, it’s important place as much emphasis on injury prevention, treatment and/or management as on the effectiveness of fitness program design.

If you’re someone who’s gearing up to start on a fat loss diet, there are a number of factors that must be taken into account as you plan and prepare for it. Designing a proper diet protocol is critical as it will help you minimize the risk that you lose lean muscle mass, suffer from incredibly low energy levels, or start to find that your strength level drops off in the gym.

A client came to me recently with a goal of holding his “spare tire” at bay. While this is a rather amorphous platform from which to spring forward, I accepted the challenge and wrote him a basic exercise plan. However, when I attempted to touch on the subject of nutrition, he virtually jumped down my throat, informing me that he still wanted to “enjoy life”, and he was unwilling to accept any dietary restrictions or changes to his current favorite foods.

Keeping clients engaged and focused on pushing forward is often one of the biggest challenges facing personal trainers. Individuals set goals, share them with their trainers, and often expect to see measurable results immediately. The science behind hypertrophy and hyperplasia simply does not allow for such a “quick fix”, and often clients will tend to fall off the motivational track if results are not achieved in a timely manner.

All athletes understand the need for proper conditioning in order to excel in their particular sport. If their body is not in top shape they will not be able to compete at the level needed or expected. The purpose of training is to improve the performance and conditioning of the athlete in their particular sport. In the case of the basketball athlete, their integrated movement of agility, strength, explosiveness and cardio conditioning should be the major focus of their training.

When it comes to carbohydrate intake, timing can play a crucial role in keeping the body in a ready state when it’s time for the next workout.

The term “collateral damage” is typically a military term, one that denotes unintended damage to an area around a target. But as it applies to resistance training, collateral damage can be a good thing.

Resistance training has many aspects. It can be utilized to gain muscular size, endurance, recovery of an injury or as part of an athlete’s training program. This article will cover some of the principles of resistance training and how your client can benefit from them.

When it comes to eating a pre and post-workout meal there is a lot of debate on what to eat, how long before and after exercise should you eat, and how much you should eat. This article will cover some of the basics of pre post-workout nutrition.

As fitness professionals, each of us has honed our craft to the point of knowing how best to service our clients’ variety of needs in the gym. While I truly enjoy the athletic and motivational aspect of my career, it was not until the addition of a Health Coach certification that my world opened up to include nutritional counseling. It often seems to be the missing puzzle piece for many clients who exercise properly yet remain stuck in their weight-loss efforts.