It’s not uncommon for bodybuilders to glance at the straps of the TRX Suspension Trainer and wonder, “How can these floppy pieces of nylon webbing possibly help me add muscle mass?” The answer, of course, is grounded in the science of how muscle is actually built. When a significant load is applied to the muscles,…
It seems like every time I go to the gym, I see people doing rotator cuff exercises incorrectly. Given the importance of this quartet of stabilizers and decelerators, it is essential that they receive adequate and appropriate training to ensure effective and efficient movement. This is true of your everyday clients as well as your…
We know that performing crunches, which involves flexion of the spine, is one way to fire the rectus abdominis, but when designing abdominal sequences it is important to consider all segments of the abdominals and how they move or stabilize the spine. Here are five exercises that target all of the abdominal muscles by flexing,…
Falls are the second-leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide, with people over 60 suffering the highest number. While balance impacts both our longevity and our quality of life, it’s an often-neglected skill. A 2022 study by a team of Brazilian researchers found that 20 percent of the 1,700 older adults they tested couldn’t balance…
When you hear the term “strong arms,” you probably think of lean, defined, muscular arms. However, hypertrophy (large muscles) and strength are not directly correlated. That is, bulky biceps (as a result of bicep curls) are truly “beach muscles, which means they do not necessarily serve a purpose other than aesthetics. And if that’s a…
How many exercises do you know? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? It’s a good thing you do, because most clients like variety in their workout routines. Sometimes it seems as if there couldn’t possibly be anything new to teach. Within each exercise, however, there are subtle changes you can make to prevent injury and enhance performance. For…
Getting clients to train their glutes is pretty easy—after all, everyone wants their butt to look good. But as trainers and instructors, we have an underlying agenda. We know that teaching clients to “recruit the glute” will not only help them produce more power, but will also improve how they move. In fact, strong glutes…
Balance is a vital component of health and physical performance and is essential for activities of daily living like climbing stairs or carrying heavy loads. Balance also improves athletic performance, allowing athletes to move and transfer energy more efficiently. Balance is especially important for older adults hoping to reduce the risk of falls and injuries….
The fitness industry is forever changing. Walk into any storage closet in a gym, or even your home, and you’ll surely find a piece of equipment or DVD that is no longer considered an effective tool in the training world. As we evolve in the industry and become more knowledgeable about current scientific studies and…
While balance has not traditionally been included in the four major components of health-related fitness—aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition—research confirms that both static and dynamic balance play a critical role in keeping us active and injury-free. Static balance is the ability to stand in place on one leg without creating undo biomechanical…