Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, weekend warrior or grandfather-in-training, agility exercises should be an important part of your workout routine. Agility is the ability to move quickly and change direction with ease. This describes both physical and mental agility. As we age, or just become complacent in our daily routines, both our mental and…
If you work with highly unfit or overweight clients, the latest ACE-commissioned study offers important findings for how to safely increase the intensity of your clients’ walking workouts through the use of weighted vests. Plus, we include several ready-to-go walking workouts that you can begin using with your clients today. For most newcomers to exercise,…
“I wasn’t born with good balance.” I hear those words often while training clients. I usually respond with, “Were you born able to ride a bicycle with two wheels, or did you train yourself how to depend less on four wheels and balance yourself?” Balance, or the ability to engage muscles in communication to hold…
Function: It is the newest addition the ACE Integrated Fitness TrainingTM (ACE IFTTM) Model continuum and is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Without function, we are unable to perform activities of daily living, leaving us dependent on others for assistance and unable to work toward other goals in health, fitness and performance. To…
To have longevity in movement (being able to play and do what you love for a very long time), mobility has to be addressed in your fitness routine. Let’s first take a look at what mobility is so we can apply this principle to how we are training. Mitch Hauschildt, the Prevention, Rehab and Physical…
Agility is the ability to move quickly in any direction, particularly as you stop abruptly from moving on one path to start again on a different one. When agility skills are mastered, you can accurately and rapidly change course, which involves the application of acceleration, stabilization and deceleration, all at the appropriate times. Agility training…
 This second installment on how to improve stability and mobility throughout the body focuses on exercises for the lower body, including the hips, knees, ankles and feet. Remember from the first installment that it is important to develop stability and mobility prior to adding bigger movements, loading movements with external weight or increasing intensity…
For many people, working at a computer or typing on a tablet or phone is how we spend a majority of our day. This can lead to several biomechanical issues or ailments including wrist inflammation and, potentially, carpal tunnel syndrome. In addition to setting up an ergonomically effective working environment, and putting down the iPad…
While some clients hire personal trainers to help them lose weight or increase muscle mass, many are focused on developing sculpted, well-defined muscles. While there are a number of different methods that can help promote muscle growth and increases in muscle definition, one of the most effective methods is called drop setting. Bodybuilders have used…
Whether a movement involves lifting, carrying, throwing or swinging, the hands are the first point of contact with any object or weight that is held. Unfortunately, grip and forearm strength are frequently omitted from workout programs. For those who lift heavy, the grip is often the first thing to go when failing to complete a…