This is the 6th instalment of a 7 part series on 21st Century Exercise Programming which focuses on Energy System Development, which can be defined as the ability to do higher levels of work - and sustain that output over time — not just the ability to work at a level where you can “hold a conversation” which is what we normally think of with long slow duration cardiovascular training. What this means is that great cardiovascular and fat loss benefits can be gained from doing interval training instead of or in addition to traditional methods of cardiovascular training.

The reality is that fantastic gains can be made within a 4-30 minute timeframes. The Tabata protocol showed that 4 minutes of maximal anaerobic work produced a 40% better improvement in aerobic capacity when compared with 60 minutes of aerobic work at 70% of VO2 Max. The Tabata method also improved anaerobic capacity by 28% whereas the aerobic work did not improve anaerobic capacity at all. By now some of you are thinking that 4 minutes of work for these sorts of results sounds too good to be true. I must warn you that there is a catch. The 4 minutes of work on the Tabata protocol is 4 minutes of hell! It involves a 20 second maximal effort followed by 10 second break repeated 8 times. Please visit YouTube and type in Tabata protocol to get an idea and some video evidence of the intensity you must work at to get the results mentioned above. The reality is that in the research study some of the athletes could not get through the entire 4 minutes of exercise on some days of the study due to the intensity of the protocol.

A compromise situation is to work your clients at a slightly lower intensity but go for a little longer e.g. 5-10 minutes depending on their fitness level. I am sure you would agree that this is still only a minimal time commitment for the potential of a great result. This type of interval training has real world implications in that clients are often time compressed so in order for trainers to ensure clients are getting a good return of the limited time that they often invest in their fitness program you would be well served by considering 4-10 minutes of energy system development work with your fitness and fat loss clients. The types of activities you can do interval work with are only limited by your imagination. Examples include: Running, Cycling, Rowing, Stepping, Kettlebell Swings, Bodyweight Circuits, etc.

Visual Coaching Pro Software Version 1.0.2.0

Tips

Laterally flex the torso & press the dumbbell straight up. Repeat the movements to both sides in an alternating fashion.

The amount of lateral flexion may vary depending on the requirements of the exercise.

Cautions

Ensure that the arms are vertical at the completion of the press & do not extend the spine.

Many of you have heard the saying that business owners need to spend more time working “on” their business rather than “in” their business. To put this in perspective for a Personal Trainer working “in” the business is doing the hands on Personal Training sessions, while working “on” the business would be doing tasks such as business plans, marketing plans, sales calls, updating information on your website and blog, etc. Most business owners understand this concept intellectually however often do not put into action as “they are too busy”. In terms of a solution Scott Krywulycz from PT Plus suggests that you put 4 hours per week in your diary as forced isolation time where the critical work “on” your business tasks take place. Forced Isolation means turning your phone and e-mail alert off and locking yourself away from the rest of the world for that 4 hour block. If you have the discipline to implement this strategy you will find that you become so much more productive, in many cases you will get more meaningful work done in those 4 focused hours than you would typically do in a week or a fortnight. So my challenge to you if you are running a business or looking to start in the near future is to schedule a minimum of 4 hours of forced isolation to work on your business each week.

The reality is that every Resistance Training method will work at least short term, however for most of the people a full body routine will be more effective that a split routine. Exceptions to this rule may be an ADVANCED Bodybuilder or a client on a rehabilitation program where there are major muscle imbalances that require a large amount of volume done several days per week.

In terms of selection or choice of exercises the body can only perform 7 movement patterns which are:

1. Squat
2. Bend
3. Lunge
4. Push (Vertical &/or Horizontal)
5. Pull (Vertical &/or Horizontal)
6. Twist
7. Gait (Walk/Run)

Therefore, a great starting point for most programs would be to have a gait warm up followed by an exercise for each of the other 6 movement patterns. You would place these exercises in order from the most compound and complex movements followed by isolated and simpler movements. The number of repetitions done in each set for a beginner is 10-15 regardless of their goal as any overload will result in improvements in all functional capacities. As the client gains some experience and becomes classified as either an intermediate or advanced trainer they can branch into the following repetition ranges for the specific goals they have, i.e. Strength/ Power 1-6, Hypertrophy 6-20, and Muscular Endurance 15-30.

The number of sets completed for each exercise would be dependent on their time availability, training goals and ability level. For most people 2-3 sets of each exercise would be performed most of the time. The rest interval between each set would be 30-60 seconds for most clients, however if you have a Strength or Power goal then rest periods of up to 3 minutes would be more appropriate. The Tempo or Speed of movement most of the time will be slow and controlled, although if dealing with someone with a Power development goals you would need them to lift the weights explosively.

Important Points with Resistance Training

• Focus on Compound exercises most of the time
• Ensure muscle balance is adhered to e.g. 3 sets of 10 movements PUSHING horizontally needs to be balanced with 3 sets of 10 of PULLING horizontally).

A sample Resistance Training Program that takes everything we have discussed into account would be:

This is the fourth of a 7 part series on the key elements of 21st Century Exercise Programming. Elasticity/ Reactive Training refers to explosive movements such as jumping, hopping and bounding. Elasticity training is particularly relevant to athletes/ recreational athletes who need to develop power for sporting activities. It is also relevant for less athletic clients and older clients for safety, i.e. one of the big reasons for falls is that people can feel themselves falling but do not have enough strength or power to re-correct - hence they fall over. Adding some basic elasticity training can help reduce the likelihood of falls by improving the body’s ability to right itself when balance is challenged. Obviously the type of activities undertaken need to be relevant to the goals and ability level of the client, e.g. a beginner may jump and practice “soft landings “on a very small step or box whereas a recreational athlete may be jumping onto a very high bench or box.

Some rules about jumping, hopping and bounding activities include the following:

• They should be done prior to the resistance training component of the workout when the client is still fresh.
• Exercises progress from simple and low impact to more complex and higher impact over time.
• Movements should be divided into both linear (straight lines) and lateral (side to side) as the body needs to react to both linear and lateral challenges in sport as well as everyday life.
• General guidelines for this type of training include no more than 25 ground contacts per session and no more than 150 ground contacts per week. An example of a ground contact would be a jump or a hop.

My challenge to you, is to consider adding some elasticity methods to both your own training as well as that of your clients.

The power of 5 is a referral strategy that I was introduced to by Andrew May and Scotty Krywulycz of PT Plus fame. It is a strategy that I also commend to all Personal Trainers who are looking to grow a client base. What it involves is approaching 5 allied businesses who service your ideal client and discussing how to set up a referral relationship.

Businesses who service your ideal client could include allied health professionals such as a doctors, massage therapists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, or dieticians. It could be hair dresses, beauticians, health food store owners, or local sports stores. As the name of the article suggests the aim would be to get 5 (or more) of these business owners on board so that you can promote each other’s services. Try this strategy you will be rewarded with many new clients and an enhanced reputation of a true health and fitness professional who is very well connected and respected within the local community.

This is the third of a 7 part series on the key elements of 21st Century Exercise Programming. Core Training refers to the mid section of the body and is an element that should feature in all of the training programs that you create for your clients. Improving Core Strength and Stability will allow clients to generate more strength, increased power, improved posture, while also making them more injury resistant. Core stability training balances deep spinal muscle action with the more superficial abdominal and trunk muscles in all movement planes.

Core strength aims to:

• Create effective movements, i.e. movements that are powerful, well coordinated, smooth and efficient.
• Increase the safety of a movement (protect spine) and reduce injury in the areas of the low back and pelvic area.

My view is that it is very important to remember that Core Training is not just doing sit ups or crunches. To completely train the core area of the body you should prescribe exercises for spinal stabilisation, rotation, flexion and extension. What this may look like in practice is as follows:

1. Prone Hold: 6 x 20 seconds
2. Standing Medicine Ball Rotations: 2 x 10-15
3. Prone Jack Knife: 2 x 10-15
4. Single Leg Bridging: 2 x 10-15

What we are doing here is effectively training the core region of the body for all of its different functions which will give our clients the most effective results.

Visual Coaching Pro Software Version 1.0.2.0

Tips

A general guideline in relation to the height of the stability ball is that the hips should be positioned in line with or slightly higher than the knees.

Secure the band or tubing under the stability ball & start with the arms close together with the elbows above the head.

The position of the arms may vary depending on the flexibility of the shoulders & the thoracic spine.

Keep the upper arms stationary & extend & flex the elbows. Continue to look forward & maintain an erect posture.

Cautions

Ensure that the bands or tubing are secure under the ball & strong enough to cope with the tension that is developed during this exercise.

Keep the upper arms stationary & do not flex the head forward.

If you have a history of shoulder injury or other shoulder pathologies, seek professional advice prior to commencing.

It is common knowledge that in order to be successful in your personal training business you must be able to retain a certain percentage of your client base over a period of time. If you are like most trainers, you are probably selling clients “packages” instead of sessions. This makes sense in many ways. It helps win the commitment of your clients and helps you plan your cash flow and schedule. Now that most trainers manage their practices this way, it is equally important to plan ahead and seek client renewals. Start this process within the first three weeks of your client’s initial training session, regardless of the agreed up package deal. More than likely you and your clients start off by setting short-term goals with the expectation that results will keep them motivated and coming back for more. This is important for both you and the client. It sets the stage for your clients to achieve and maintain long-term health and fitness. As a trainer, it is your responsibility to plan for this to happen. It means going the extra mile to educate new clients and making exercise habits stick, so that your clients meet their desired goals and express long-term goals. This however, will not happen unless you connect with your clients on a deeper level. Listening and trying to understand their needs is key. Don’t expect the client to come up with a road map. Remember: Clients rely on your stewardship. So what does this mean for you? It starts by helping your clients visualise themselves as healthy and fit individuals for life. It’s your job to build the confidence in your clients that they can truly achieve this goal. This does not mean that you make false promises or mislead clients into setting unrealistic goals. It means that you help them visualize what their lives could look like as they progress through different phases of their training program. Keep in mind that every client has different dreams. For some people it could mean preparing for and completing their first marathon or rediscovering an old sport. For others, it may mean gaining the energy and mobility to be active with their children and grandchildren. Building trusting client-trainer relationships start as early as in the first month of training. If handled properly, your clients will open up and want to talk about their future goals. This can be done formally or informally. You may want to start asking questions about clients’ long-term goals during your sessions or set up a meeting to discuss them outside of your training session. To do this effectively, it is important that you truly listen to your clients without leading them into what you believe their long-term goals should be. Ask questions to find out what is truly important to them and their personal health. If you ask and keep an open mind, your clients will tell you about their dreams and goals.

Remember that great trainers are also mentors and guides. Be committed to helping your clients determine their future health goals right from the start. Your clients will quickly recognize your value and seek your help in realizing their long-term goals.