yet another reason PTEs are in dire need!

This woman's personal trainer...
ALMOST killed her.  There is protocol to follow, as a trainer.  Or should I say, as a professional.

PTEs would eliminate MOST of these instances.  Nothing can cure the industry of all its ills, but evaluations would go a very, very long way.

Certs vs being qualified...thanks to Mr. Futch!

The journey of changing the paradigm of Personal Training is almost ready to turn the next corner.  As I finish the touches needed to begin my PTEs, I read, and meet online, another trainer who has put into words the need for evaluations that FitSource, Inc. will provide.

Certifications don't matter if they aren't applied safely and effectively.  Thanks to Mr. Futch, for explaining eloquently here, why PTEs are the future of Personal Training.

As I write this, yet another step has been accomplished.  Almost there....(excited yet?  I AM!!)

more ammunition

Wherever I look, in this case twitter, I read about how a trainer in a gym has made the industry look questionable...again.  Eric Cressey, at the top of the industry, saw a trainer making a pregnant woman do jumping jacks with bands wrapped around her legs.  Not only ask why, but FItSource asks, "is that safe and effective?"

Hmmm.
PTEs...closer and closer...

Dogma...
Which exercise is best for you?  Which one should you never do?  Which movement is corrective, which one is functional, which one enhances performance?

How about this--there is not one exercise, good or bad, that can help every body do the one thing it can't do.  Acquire tools, use them to your discretion.  Try new techniques.  Move...using good movements most of the time, bad ones once in a while.

Evaluations are on the way.

One step closer all the time!

Just last week, I took pictures and a video or two, of some trainers in action.  Unfortunately, their actions were not the best.  Again, the need for PTEs for our industry is here...has been for a long time.  The time has come to give the public an understanding of who their trainers are, and how they have been evaluated!!

Think restaurant grade and there you have it.  My criteria is set.  The forms are ready.  Now all I need is software to track the trainer's evaluations.  We are off and running!

Coming to a gym near you...FitSource and their PTEs (Personal Trainer Evaluations!)

Here is another article showing the benefits of having an industry standard evaluation in Personal Training.  As the Affordable Healthcare Act comes upon us, if they say what will happen comes to fruition, preventative measures will be taken...literally.

For you to get an affordable premium, you must exhibit a healthy lifestyle, and that means being active.  If you need a personal trainer, where do you go?  Hopefully someone who will HELP, not hinder progress!

Hence, the FitSource evaluation.

a clear cut evaluation, and why?

This article by Frank Bruni in the NY Times shows exactly why there needs to be a third party evaluation system in personal training.  Are we self-regulating?  Maybe, but not enough.  Are we held accountable?  maybe, but not enough.

By setting the course for a new united effort in our industry, FitSource can manage the murky waters of what is personal training.  Understanding that is more than one way to succeed, we can evaluate a trainer based on their philosophy, not just by "can they hold a clipboard."

The time has come...

what happens to personal training when...

The Affordable Healthcare Act begins in earnest next year?

I just listened to a webinar from folks who have looked at the stats, future implications, and posible program that may come from this new supposed preventative system.  Here are some things to consider:

• 86% of full time employees have some kind of health issue.
• Partciipation in wellness programs mirror that of  gym members--roughly only 15%.
• There may be a premium differential for those who prove healthy behaviors vs. those who don't.
• Employers can issue a reward (or incentive) for activity/health programs if there is improvement.
• Will technology play a role in providing proof of healthy based lifestyle?

These are but some issues that were brought up.  For those of us in the industry this may mean offerings of new programs that provide PROOF of participation...a certificate of attendance maybe...like traffic school!  These things are yet to be determined.

One thing is for sure--there needs to be an industry standard of competency for the Fitness Professional.  Where does that come from?  An evaluation system!!

FitSource is ready.

The time has come...

These guys are close.  It seems they are trying to give the community a place to go where they can rate their trainer, or find one that is reputable.

This is a great start!!  I know some people say "word of mouth" is the best way to find a good trainer.  I also know that some people are embarrased to say they need a trainer.  However, evaluations and grading would take care of that!

Begin looking for those grades!  One day in the future, these grades will be listed on the website for all to see.

FitSource...the time has come.

Here is yet another reason why I want to evaluate trainers!  The process is on the way.  Contact me for more information about the new standard in Personal Training.

Here is a blog post I wrote a while back.  Some trainers tend to look, copy, and paste without asking themselves why NOT do an exercise, or could the exercise be applied better to a certain population or situation.  Think.

It's time! It's here! It's the next step!

It's time to put an end to the non-standard in the industry of Personal Training.  FitSource has the answer!  A new evaluation process from a third party company that takes all certifications into account.  Are you a trainer who trains bodybuilders?  Are you a CrossFitter?  Are you a Mobility Specialist?  We can evaluate you and your staff to see what the strengths and weaknesses are of your staff.

A standard is long in coming in this industry...here it is!

Another reason for an Industry STANDARD!

Yes folks, it has finally hit NPR!  Here is another reason to create an industry standard.  One with which everyone can use to determine if their Personal Trainer is on the up-and-up.  I have seen trainers in this industry come and go, only to have gym owners and members wonder why someone got hurt, didn't get the results they were looking for, or didn't feel that the Personal Training industry was worth a damn.

Educate...this is what I do.  Now I will evaluate!

I for one, after 15 years in this industry, am tired of the labels, rumors, ambiguity towards Personal Training, and am ready to do something about it.  Hence, Personal Trainer Evaluations!  Just like a restaraunt grade, we can be evaluated as well!  I have developed a system to do this and let the general consumer know what, and WHO, they are hiring!

This article is exactly why I am embarking on a new venture with FitSource.  If I sent this article out to fellow trainers, the community, and especially those who I know love running, what do you think would happen?

Are the authors of this article correct?  How exactly was their study conducted to get those numbers?  Oh, and what do those numbers mean?  I certainly don't think running is good for every body.  But who is running for, and who shouldn't lace them up (so to speak)?

This, along with the thousands of books on fitness and conditioning, is why FitSource will become a household word.

Hi to each of you.  It has been a very long 3 years for me and my family.  When the dust settled, my wife is a 3 time cancer survivor, and FitSource is taking a new direction.

I am excited about a new service FitSource will be offering to gyms, Personal Trainers, Fitness Directors, anyone who manages Personal Trainers, insurance companies, and anyone else who needs to know where the finest Personal Trainers are...those who are safe, effective, and reputable.

In the next two months, you will hear more about this service, as I will announce in the beginning of January everything I have been working on the last two years as my lovely wife battled through her treatments.

See you again soon!

Total Motion Therapy

I can't wait for this weekend's seminar on a somewhat newly developed technique by Tom Dalonzo-Baker. He, after years of trial and error, has developed a system of simple exercises to try to help patients recreate their pain, and relieve the pain almost instantly. Sounds kind of like Z-Health, except the premise behind Z health is increased performance through the CNS system, whereas with Total Motion, Tom wants the ADL's to be pain free. Me, I just hope I can use this technique so when a client comes in with a pain, we can relatively ease that pain, so we can get something better out of their workout!

Could be a problem with other PT's who all they want to do is make it so that THEY fix the pain, and the patient is reliant to them...keeps 'em coming back I guess...

TotalMotionRelease.com

wanna stretch? what for??

"Gentle stretching of a muscle that is already sore is perfectly acceptable, is not likely to negatively affect the muscle recovery, and can be used to briefly minimize the soreness. What about post-exercise stretching? It is often claimed that static stretching after a hard workout can reduce muscle soreness. Well, now that we understand the initial cause of muscle damage (micro tears in the fiber after during a workout) you should also be able to appreciate that this claim simply does not make sense. Is static stretching going to somehow magically undo what has already happened anyway? Stretching after a workout where the muscles are warm can indeed, when done on a regular basis, increase muscle extensibility. " Tony Webster, PhD Exercise Physiology.


Mr. Webster states the research on stretching that is still being asked about to this day. We've known this for a long time, but Mr Webster puts it succinctly here. How can stretching undo microtears you have created during your workout? It can't. Now, after a run, bike ride, or less intense workout, where microtearing is minimal, a good easy static stretch will help.

The other thing of note is this, if you BELIEVE it is helping, it probably is. Our mind conrols everything, and science or not, if my client who has no other issues, wants to prop their leg up to 'stretch' their hamstring so they can have a better workout, then so be it.

One question...how did our ancestors stretch? After a big hunt, did they plop down and do the hurdle stretch, the 90/90 stretch, cobra, etc? Just wondering.

5 Fingers

Try 'em on.

friends with who?

"Make friends with pain, and you will never be alone." Once said Ken Chlouber, creator of the Leadville Trail 100.

Seems that exercise and the brain (body and mind) are more closely linked than Westerners havce ever thought, or at least we've forgotten about. Remember the mice in the wheel? When they were MADE to run, their vitals didn't improve, but when they ran because they LIKED it, they were healthier and happier than ever. Go figure...
The above photo is taken from the Cooper Canyons by a fellow that ran the trails with the Tarahumara, and was featured in the book Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall.

Livestrong.

Depression, of which I've spoken of before

Below is an interview of Frank Forencich of Exuberant Animal. The interview was done by Chris at Conditioning Research.

Modern society seems to be sad! I keep hearing of friends or family members who are depressed or suffering anxiety attacks. How much of this stress and dissatisfaction do you think comes from our “modern” lifestyles?

"Depression is epidemic. The World Health Organization forecasts that, by 2020, “depression will be second only to heart disease in terms of disability or disease burden.”

To me, this is even more shocking than our epidemics of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. This is a disease state that’s psychospiritual as well as physical. There are many explanations, but I like the work of Kelly Lambert. She’s a neuroscientist who’s traced reward centers in the brain. She’s discovered a strong association between areas that coordinate movement and those that deliver a sense of satisfaction. I call this “the ancestral reward system.”

We move vigorously in search of a goal, usually food, and then we feel a sense of satisfaction for having done so. In contrast, modern society offers us only abstract striving (with computers) and even many of our rewards are non-physical and intangible. Consequently, we experience a sort of neurological black hole of non-reward. A huge percentage of our circuitry goes unused and dormant. I believe that an enormous amount of depression stems from inactivity. The human body thrives on action."

What can we do about it?

"This puts our physical training in a new light.

As trainers and educators, we are doing a lot more than building muscle, cardio or skill. We’re actually pumping up the reward circuitry in our brains and delivering a sense of satisfaction and resilience.

Movement is thus highly protective against depression. Sooner or later, people are going to figure this out. The way to counter the epidemic of depression is to get people moving again. Any movement is good, but locomotion is probably the best place to begin. Long walks, or running if people can manage it, are ideal.

Mimic the experience of travelling the grassland and you’ll get a good outcome."

Welcome to Exuberant Animal Check out Frank Forencich and his animalistic ways of moving about.