By Dana Bender Are you prioritizing mobility enhancement in your current fitness and performance goals? With summertime in full swing, it’s the ideal opportunity to conduct a mid-year evaluation of your physical tightness and mobility – especially in your hips…
By Shana VerstegenMar 3, 2023 The calorie (otherwise known as food calorie, dietary calorie, or kilogram calorie) is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. This unit…
KINSEY MAHAFFEY STAY UPDATED WITH NASM! Passion and purpose collide when a fitness enthusiast makes the decision to become a Certified Personal Trainer. How would you like to get paid to do what you love? If fitness is your passion…
Kinsey Mahaffey Stay Updated with NASM! Whether you’ve been working out for years or worked out a day in your life, hiring a certified personal trainer (CPT) could be exactly what you need to help you reach your goals and…
BACK TO BASICS: PERSONAL TRAINER FAQS Nicole Golden Stay Updated with NASM! While many believe the only function of a Certified Personal Trainer is to help clients lose weight and get six-pack abs, the true job of a trainer is…
Darlene Marshall Stay Updated with NASM! The International Coaching Federation (ICF) estimates that in 2023 there will be 93,000 certified health and fitness coaches worldwide. Chances are you’ve encountered coaches with many niches including wellness, career, relationship, and executive coaches…
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) estimates that in 2023 there will be 93,000 certified health and fitness coaches worldwide. Chances are you’ve encountered coaches with many niches including wellness, career, relationship, and executive coaches. When considering working with or becoming…
Andre Adams Stay Updated with NASM! With all of the information and supplements in the fitness and wellness industry, it can be very overwhelming trying to decide what the best pre-, intra-, and post-workout supplementation is based on your specific…
Andre Adams Are you interested in personalizing a bodybuilding workout to meet your goals, but not sure where to start? One recommendation for people working to achieve a specific aesthetic physique goal is to get more strategic with training and…
By Stephanie Warwick Your upper back is one of the most important parts of your body. The muscle groups in this area are primarily responsible for keeping you upright because they work against the core. Without a strong upper back,…
Dana Bender Stay Updated with NASM! It is important to tailor personal exercise programs towards specific performance or health outcome goals. That said, if your goal for exercising is weight reduction, then it will be important to prioritize the metabolic…
By Andre Adams Stay Updated with NASM! In the sport of bodybuilding, accountability is a staple of your success. The trait can help you in many other areas. The same principles that make you a successful competitive bodybuilding athlete mirror…
By Kinsey Mahaffey Stay Updated with NASM! Whether you’re a competitive runner, or you simply run for enjoyment and exercise, your training plan is likely centred around one activity: running. But what if I told you that adding strength training to…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY If there was one word, to sum up, the fitness trends for 2023, it would be Technology. Over the past couple of years, the shift to virtual training opened many opportunities for anyone to get fit anywhere. This…
By Krystal Say Along with being a TRX Master Instructor, TRX Training Club Yoga Instructor, and owner of SWEAT Power Yoga, Krystal Say is one of the passionate creators of TRX for Yoga. She is here to explain how the…
By JACQUELINE KAMINSKI New year, new you! With that fresh mentality to set new intentions and new goals, finally committing to a long-term fitness plan might be high up on your list. But with all those other goals on your…
By BRAD DIETER In the world of training, there are a lot of different ways to execute a given exercise. For example, a single exercise like a squat can have an almost infinite number of variations even though it may…
Posted by Casey Stenehjem The YBell’s award-winning multiple-handle design allows you to perform novel exercises and complexes that aren’t possible with traditional fitness equipment. 3 Unique Exercises You Can Only Perform With YBells Maybe you’ve had a chance to…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY Corrective exercise isn’t just about coming back from an injury, although it certainly can help. Corrective exercise could be the missing element in your client’s program that could take their performance and results from good to great.Through…
By Kinsey Mahaffey Stay Updated with NASM! Most people experience some type of muscle pain at some point in their lives. 60-85% of the population has had some type of nonspecific muscle pain in their back at some point in…
Posted by Lynne Skilton-Hayes High-intensity interval training (HIIT) continues to be a staple in group fitness classes. A high-intensity bout of work followed by a short rest period, repeated several times, gets results—and everyone likes results! How can you take…
By Kinsey Mahaffey Stay Updated with NASM! For people who say they want to “get toned,” it might be more apt to say that they are generally referring to wanting to decrease body fat and increase muscle mass to improve…
By ANDRE ADAMS Have you ever wondered how top bodybuilders manage to hit their macros and meal prep while travelling? Whether you’re a fitness professional or just trying to stay on track with your weight management goals, here are some…
By DR. ALLISON BRAGER STAY UPDATED WITH NASM The expression “training around the clock” has more scientific merit than many would expect. Typically, it’s used to refer to the daily grind of balancing training with work, meal preparation for training,…
By Kinsey Mahaffey If you haven’t heard of the banded clamshell exercise, it may just become a regular in your warm-up routine once you try it. This simple exercise will help to fire up your glutes so that you’re ready…
BY Nicole Golden There is little doubt that human bodies come in different shapes and sizes. Although all humans can stimulate muscle hypertrophy, genetic predisposition most certainly plays a role in how fast an individual gains muscle, how strong they…
By Andre Adams If you are an active bodybuilding competitor, prep coach, or thinking about getting involved in the sport then this blog is for you! We recently introduced the many divisions in the world of bodybuilding and physique competition…
By Kinsey Mahaffey A NASM-Certified Personal Trainer is well-equipped to design an exercise program that will help you reach your health and fitness goals in a safe and efficient manner. Anyone who is considering hiring a personal trainer might wonder:…
By DR. GUILLERMO ESCALANTE It is common knowledge that successful bodybuilders have excellent muscularity, symmetry, proportion, and conditioning. In everyday terms, muscularity is defined as the sheer amount of muscle the athlete carries, symmetry is the balance between one side…
By ANDRE ADAMS The fitness industry is exploding, and it has become common for the average gym-goer or enthusiast to consider stepping on stage in a physique competition. Many people begin with a transformational weight loss goal or to build…
By JESSE GRUND Ropes have been an integral part of the advancement of human history, as both a tool and a way to amplify human strength. Some historians trace the history of ropes to predating bronze, clay, steel, and iron…
By JACQUELINE KAMINSKI Muscles aren’t just for men! Women need muscle too… and ladies, while you may not want muscles as big as men (or maybe you do), I think most women can agree it seems like everything on the…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY Powerlifting isn’t just “for the boys” anymore, and we couldn’t be more excited. Today, it’s more common to see women throwing around some serious weight in sports like CrossFit or in social media posts on the internet…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY Back in 5th grade, I remember watching a classmate knock out 13 pull-ups during the President’s Fitness Test. She made it look so effortless that I thought, “This should be easy!” Right? Wrong. I was shocked when…
As a CPT, in order to develop a solid program for clients, you must first take them through a complete assessment battery. The information you collect from initial consulations, flexibility, strength, performance, postural and cardiovascular testing of clients will help…
Teaching group exercise classes is one of the most challenging skills in the fitness industry. Whether teaching in a club, studio or outdoors, you need to be prepared for anything. The goal is to reduce the number of challenges in…
By JACQUELINE KAMINSKI When you’re not an expert in a particular subject, you often seek out someone who is. However, when it comes to food and nutrition it seems like EVERYONE is an expert. Between social media, various fad diet…
By ANDRE ADAMS If you’re looking for an exercise program to help you effectively build mass, you may be looking for something to do with hypertrophy training. Similar to classic strength training, the goals of hypertrophy are different. One focuses…
By When I was a student-athlete, wall sits were frequently used as a “character-building” exercise for the whole team. Character-building exercises were typically exercises that required perseverance and grit to push through to the end, thus building our character. As…
by Shelley Dawson When you arrive at your next group fitness class and see your favourite instructor standing at the front of the room with a bright smile and inviting eyes, do you ever think to yourself, “I could never…
By JACQUELINE KAMINSKI If you’re motivated to get your daily workout in but can’t always make it to the gym, you’ll likely get moving outside, do some bodyweight exercises, or maybe you break a sweat in the home gym you…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY Most lifters are familiar with calculating percentages of their 1 Rep Max (aka, 1RM, the maximum amount of weight that you can lift for 1 repetition of an exercise) to choose the appropriate weight for an exercise…
By DR. SCOTT CHEATHAM For personal trainers, having professional liability insurance can protect against legal claims made by a client if something unfortunate happens. Whether you are independent or employed, having liability insurance is a necessity. Certain employers require fitness professionals to have…
ByKERIDON MCMAHON Online personal training is now more relevant than ever. With the vast array of technological options and virtual training applications available, you can pivot to an online personal training business in a few relatively easy steps. This guide…
Written by Nick English Labelled as “The Birthplace of Intermittent Fasting,” we know that such titles are often exaggerated on the internet, but Lean gains have a claim to the throne. This is where the popular 16/8 fasting method started…
By JACQUELINE KAMINSKI When you’re on the way to the gym, what’s the best snack to grab? A granola bar? An apple? What about a sandwich? So many possibilities to choose from, but what’s the best option? Well, much of that…
By Nicole Golden Shoulder pain, prior injury, or overall dysfunction is a very common problem in both the athletic and general populations in a personal training practice. A complaint of shoulder pain occurs in 16 to 26 per cent of…
By Nicole Golden Many adults, especially those between the ages of 20 and 50, report high levels of psychological stress. Many of us are constantly over-scheduled, over-committed, overworked, and fail to spend adequate time on self-care. Stone et al. (2017)…
By Chris Ecklund Power is the ability to produce large amounts of force quickly. Are there any athletes that would not want to improve their ability to generate power? Or who want to increase their explosive strength? What about clients…
By Nicole Golden There is nothing quite like the disappointment of excitedly starting an exercise program, preparing for a new season of your favourite sport, or attempting a personal record (PR) only to find yourself injured and on the sidelines…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY Whether you’re competing against others, or just competing against yourself, increasing your bench press max (the maximum weight that you can bench press in a single repetition) takes intentional effort. This article provides practical advice to help…
By JACQUELINE KAMINSKI Ever wonder about the various fields you could work in if you were to pursue a nutrition degree or certification? The extent of your options is much larger than you imagined. You could apply to work in hospitals…
By Brad Dieter Over the last several decades, we have seen a rise in the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets. These diets have ranged from just low-carb diets to ketogenic diets to even zero carb diets (e.g., The Carnivore Diet). These…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY Strength training research points to the importance of training to muscle failure to maximize exercise-induced muscle hypertrophy (Willardson 2007). Many gym-goers use a standard horizontal load system, also known as a straight-set, to reach this goal.This system…
By Brian Sutton Of the various components that comprise a client’s total physical fitness program, cardiorespiratory endurance is probably the most misunderstood and underrated. In order to understand how to perform cardiorespiratory training in the most effective and efficient way,…
By Nicole Golden “The gym is mostly for grandma; she belongs there more than the rest of us do. We are doing this for recreation, she is doing this to sustain her independent way of life.” (Isratel, 2021) Regular exercise…
By Brad Dieter Personal training can be one of the most rewarding careers an individual can pursue. You get to connect with people on a meaningful level, you positively impact their lives, and you can work in a field that…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY There are endless tech options available when it comes to tracking intensity levels during a workout, but technology sometimes requires a learning curve, and it can be expensive. While these products do provide tons of helpful information…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY Whether you’re preparing for an athletic competition or a weekend pick-up game, the way that you prepare your body for training or competition can make or break your performance. While it’s tempting to just jump into play after…
By Nicole Golden Blood flow restriction (BFR) training was initially developed in Japan in the 1960s and is also referred to as Kaatsu training. At first glance, BFR may appear to be an experimental and perhaps fringe training practice, yet…
TONY AMBLER-WRIGHT If you were able to try out the standard push-up stated in our first article of this series and found it to be more challenging than what you’ve been doing, this is excellent news! Most often, when the…
JACQUELINE KAMINSKI “Make sure you stretch!” – Something we often hear before or after we participate in any sort of exercise. But is stretching that good for you? What exactly are the benefits of having a regular stretching routine? Let’s…
By Andre Adams Have you ever wondered how elite trainers leverage periodization and programming to maximize results? In this blog, we will explain the underlying principles that drive planning, periodization, cycles, and phases to help you improve program effectiveness -…
By Mel Siff The process of muscle contraction is central to all fitness, strength and sports training, yet there are many aspects of this apparently well-known phenomenon that are not adequately understood even at a more popular level. For a…
By DR. ALLISON BRAGER Newton had it right all along: For every action, there is [indeed] a reaction. In 2021 this means that however hard we work towards our fitness goals, wellness goals, and professional goals, we must work that…
By Jace Fuchs In previous articles, we examined the first four phases of the Optimum Performance Training (OPT) model. We are now onto the last level and phase of the OPT model: Phase 5 Power Training. Before jumping into the…
By Jace Fuchs The Optimum Performance Training (OPT) model is a proven training system for CPTs that can help any client reach any goal safely and effectively. It is a system based on human movement science and integrated training principles…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY If you’ve worked out with a personal trainer or in a group fitness class, you may have heard the term ‘pelvic tilt’. A fitness professional may have even told you that you have a pelvic tilt, but…
By NASM Continuing our discussion of the different phases of training from the Optimum Performance Training (OPT) Model, next, we will be covering Phase 2 of the OPT Model titled Strength Endurance Training. This phase acts as a bridge between…
By Chris Frederick In a previous blog that compared static vs dynamic stretching, the NASM OPT model delineates what type of stretching is used at specific levels of training clients. This is especially important to know if you’re a Stretching…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY A regular stretch routine will help you increase your flexibility, move better overall, and it’s also a great way to de-stress. As a beginner, it’s great to start with basic stretches that don’t require any crazy contortions…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY I have vivid memories of joining my dad as he laid on the ground with his legs elevated after a long run or intense biking session. “What are you doing, dad?” I asked as I wiggled in…
By Andre Adams With any training regimen the body is always in a state of adaptation. To continuously improve performance over time, your training must be modified to increase the acute variables and progressively overload the muscles. In this blog…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY Functional training has been a popular training term for decades, and you’ve likely seen the term used recently in gym advertisements, fitness magazines, and social media videos. Unfortunately, sometimes in the fitness industry, a term meant to describe…
By Kevin Williamson There has been an increasing shift from unstructured play to more specialized forms of training for kid athletes. Whether they should participate in strength training, what age they should begin, and what the best training methods are…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY There are many reasons why someone might decide to start lifting weights, but one of the most common reasons is to lose weight. Consistent exercise, good nutrition, and adequate sleep are critical components of any weight loss…
Posted by Aaron Laurence Combining Core Strength With Abdominal Exercises to Get Those 6-Pack Abs We’re all familiar with the standard exercises everyone recommends for getting 6-pack abs: barbell rack squats, Supermans, bicycle crunches, and everyone’s favorite — forearm planks…
BYJACQUELINE KAMINSKI What is the most effective way to calculate caloric expenditure from physical activity? Well, unless you are in a research lab and have access to a metabolic cart, you will never get an exact value. However, we are…
By Angie Miller MS If you’re an NASM-CPT, fitness instructor, or other health professionals, you know that one of our biggest challenges is getting prospective and current clients to listen to what we have to say. No matter how educated…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY The term “circuit training” is widely used by fitness professionals, magazines, gyms, and fitness classes. If you did a google search to find circuit training classes in your area, no two classes would likely look precisely the…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY Squats are a staple exercise in any workout. From bodyweight squats to barbell squats and everything in-between, you can find a squat variation that uses almost any equipment type. Not only is the squat one of the most…
By Melissa Hatton Do you remember the recent social media “planking” fad where individuals would perform planks in some precarious and curious places? While some were photoshopped to express creativity and superhuman strength, when performed correctly, he plank is an…
By Nicole Golden Weight-lifting was historically an exercise modality that women shied away from for fear of being “too masculine” or “getting too big.” Female strength sports did not become fully recognized until the 1970s and 1980s with the recognition…
By KINSEY MAHAFFEY The ability to perform horizontal pushing patterns, like a chest press is an essential component of anyone’s movement capability. Perhaps one of the most utilized methods for practicing this movement in the gym setting, aside from the…
Posted by Aaron Laurence Why You Should Start Using the YBell App Today Making the commitment to start a training routine isn’t the hardest part of your fitness journey. Yes, it certainly is a crucial part. But it’s just the…
By Andrew Mills Anyone having experienced pain in their elbow while bench pressing knows it can be a frustrating ordeal. For those who have not, imagine entering the gym ready to put in the work, and after loading the appropriate…
By Nicole Golden Influenced by popular media and body image expectations; female strength athletes often engage in nutrition practices that may be counterproductive to a goal of skeletal muscle growth (hypertrophy). Many female strength athletes will pursue a goal of…
By Sam Arnold Throughout the pandemic, you have likely spent more time at home by yourself than you ever expected or wanted to. You almost certainly have needed a lift at one time or another. Given all the discussion of…
With Rick Richey Host Rick Richey chats with Toni Ricci about the effectiveness of corrective exercise for professional fighters. Moving beyond that, he also explains how recovery, sleep, mindset, and more affect the overall preparedness of those who compete in…
By Crystal Reeves Body-weight workouts are getting big buzz right now as people discover that the only equipment you really need to get fit is with you all the time. Want to give your clients a taste of a body-weight…