FR Baseline Training Cert 0727122

Baseline Training Certification: Fundamentals of Fitness Conditioning Published by Fitness Revolution International, LLC
PO Box 1539 Elizabethtown, KY 42707 www.fitnessrevolutionfranchise.com Copyright 2012, Fitness Revolution International, LLC 888.335.6297 All rights reserved Baseline Training Certification: Fundamentals of Fitness Conditioning is published by Fitness Revolution International, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopies or scanned images, photographs, or via any other means without express written permission from the copyright holder except brief quotations included in article critiques or reviews. To request permission, please contact Fitness Revolution International, LLC at PO Box 1539, Elizabethtown, KY, 42702, via telephone at 1-888-335-6297, or via email at info@fitnessrevolutionfranchise.com. The text, layout and designs presented in this book, as well as the book in its entirety, are protected by the copyright laws of the United States (17 U.S.C. 101 et seq.) and similar laws in other countries. Scanning, uploading and/or distribution of this book, or any designs or photographs contained herein, in whole or part (whether re-drawn, re- photographed or otherwise altered) via the Internet, CD, DVD, E-zine, photocopied hand-outs, or any other means (whether offered for free or for a fee) without the expressed written permission from both the copyright owner and the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. The copyright owner and publisher of this book appreciate your honesty and integrity and ask that you do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted material. Be sure to purchase (or download) only authorized material.
Cover design, manuscript layout, and illustrations by NiTROhype Creative
www.nitrohype.com Text photos by Paul Routon Photography and Primal Pictures, used with permission under license to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center for not-for-profit teaching purposes ONLY. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Youve got to Work for it, Not wish for it.

-Holly Rigsby
About Fitness Revolution and the FR Coaching Course

Fitness Revolution was founded to fill an industry need. In 2011, when Fitness Revolution began accepting its first franchisees, the fitness industry was going through a period of monumental change and extraordinary growth. It was a time of excitement, unprecedented entrepreneurial fervor, and, to accompany this, great uncertainty. With interest in fitness and health at an all time high, consumers who were looking for fitness solutions had no shortage of new and exciting options to try. With the Information Age and the Internet Marketing era in full swing, and with social media playing an everincreasing role in peoples lives, it was easy to find fitness information and training programs at home and share it all with friends with the click of a button. Training out of the comfort of ones own home became simple with one-size-fits-all follow-along workout DVDs. However, as simple as it was to gain access to a nearly unlimited quantity of information, and as convenient as it was to train at home, the available solutions caused other problems for consumers and often left them needing more. Two of these problems, community and accountability, were addressed by local businesses and entrepreneurial individuals. While online fitness communities have their benefits, they often pale in comparison to the experience people get from physical communities. The continued popularity of fitness solutions such as yoga and Pilates, and the more recent popularity of solutions like fitness boot camps, Jazzercise, CrossFit, and Zumba, is a testament to that fact. Whether these solutions continue to thrive in the future or will merely prove to be fads is yet to be seen. Of course, the dinosaur of the industry, the health club, continued to serve as a solution as well. Nevertheless, even with the market saturated with fitness solutions, a major void still existed for the consumer the assurance of safety and the guarantee of personalized results. Like two sides of the same coin, safety and results cannot and should not exist without each other when it comes to health and fitness. Some of the more personal solutions above can certainly address both of these items to varying extents, but each are highly dependent on the quality of the coaching provided and the scientific validity of the philosophies behind each solution to garner the consumers desired results. At best, there is a great deal of inconsistency and uncertainty across the board for each solution with respect to these topics.
In light of this information, it would seem that the only viable option for a complete solution would be personal training, but although talented and dedicated personal trainers who offer oneon-one training fill a major need, there are two major practical problems associated with the model. First, the one-on-one model is fairly exclusive to upper class citizens, and therefore, a large part of the market cannot take advantage of its benefits. Second, for fitness professionals, this often requires long hours each week just to make ends meet and an unforgiving scheduling commitment that does not allow for time off due to illness, personal leave, or vacation. With this business model, it is no wonder why most personal trainers leave the industry after only two years and why you rarely, if ever, see one-onone personal training companies boast that they have been serving the community for 25 years. It would seem that despite all the available solutions, none could adequately meet all the needs of the consumer that is, community, accountability, safety, and results while also providing for the career needs of the professionals delivering the service. Fitness Revolution was founded to bridge the gap between the consumer and the professional. When it comes to training, the Fitness Revolution Nation strives to set the standard for real-world coaching excellence. Whether that is delivered through a personal, small group, or large group training setting, Fitness Revolution coaches must be prepared with an understanding of sound training principles and equipped with the practical knowledge on how to safely and effectively coach their clients and inspire them to be part of a team committed to results. This coaching course has been created to ensure that each and every coach who is a part of any Fitness Revolution organization throughout the world is able to understand what it takes to deliver a complete experience to his or her clients.
Table of Contents
About Fitness Revolution and the FR Coaching Course Introduction: Fundamentals of Fitness Coaching The Need for Good Coaches Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology..........14
Kinesiology in Fitness Coaching....................................................15 Tissue Fundamentals........................................................................15 Anatomical Terminology.................................................................16 Directional Terminology..................................................................17 Planes and Axes.................................................................................20 Movement Terminology...................................................................20 Muscular Roles and Actions............................................................24 Selected Major Muscles and Actions...........................................26 Program Design Terminology.........................................................75 Resistance Training Equipment......................................................77 Handgrips............................................................................................79 Breathing.............................................................................................79 Diaphragmatic Breathing...............................................................79 Timing..................................................................................................80 Valsalva Maneuver............................................................................80 Weight Belts........................................................................................80 Spotting...............................................................................................81 Number of Spotters...........................................................................81 Communication Between Spotter and Client.............................81
Chapter 2: Exercise Basics......................74
Chapter 3: The Art and Science of Coaching Fitness...............................84
The Role of the Fitness Coach.........................................................85 The Art and Science of Coaching...................................................86 Teaching Through Skill Sets............................................................86 Cueing..................................................................................................89 Coaching Different Personalities...................................................90
Chapter 4: Movement Patterns..............94
Movement Patterns...........................................................................95 Lower Body Patterns..........................................................................95 Upper Body Patterns.......................................................................103 Core Stability Patterns....................................................................106 Single Joint Patterns.......................................................................108 Progressions and Regressions......................................................108 Incidents and Injuries......................................................................113 Life-Threatening Events.................................................................113 Chronic Conditions or Injuries.......................................................114 Acute Injuries and Conditions......................................................114 Safety Considerations for Coaches..............................................117 Reporting....................................................................................118 Introduction to Exercise Nutirition...............................................121 Principles of Successful Everyday Nutrition for Clients............123 Carbohydrate Nutrition.................................................................124 Carbohydrates and Exercise...........................................................125 Very Low Carbohydrate Diets........................................................125 Protein Nutrition..............................................................................126 Protein Requirements.....................................................................127 Protein and Exercise........................................................................129 Dietary Fat Nutrition.......................................................................129 Fat Structures and Types..............................................................130 Trans Fats..........................................................................................134 Cholesterol......................................................................................134 Perfect Fat Ratios.............................................................................135 Far-From-Perfect Fats.....................................................................135 Fat and Exercise...............................................................................135 Dietary Supplements......................................................................136 Multivitamins and Mineral Blends...............................................136 Vitamin D...........................................................................................137 EPA and DHA: Omega-3 Supplements.........................................137 Protein Powders...............................................................................138
Chapter 5: Safety Considerations.........112
Chapter 6: Nutrition Basics...................120
Appendix: Selected Exercise Descriptions...................................140
Introduction: Fundamentals of Fitness Coaching
There is Good Training, There is Bad Training, and then There is Personal Training...
A few years ago, I was lifting weights in a gym when a woman who appeared to be in her seventies walked in looking to begin working with a personal trainer. Not wanting to risk putting her with a young trainer who wouldnt understand the needs of a senior citizen, the manager of the club referred her to an athletic-looking woman in her 50s. I overheard bits and pieces of the conversation. The woman said she used to be very active until a few years ago when she hurt her shoulder playing tennis. Her reason for wanting to get back in shape was so she could play with her great-grandchildren. The trainer told her not to worry, that she was certified, had years of experience training, and had recently returned to school and finished a degree in exercise physiology. Ill have you looking and feeling 10 years younger in no time. The woman looked at her and smiled. When can we begin? she asked. Right away. The trainer then proceeded to put the woman on the 40-degree leg press machine. Ten minutes after, the ambulance arrived. I found out later the woman herniated two discs on the first rep of the exercise. I never saw her again. Two weeks later, I saw a woman lose her balance, fall, and sprain her ankle after attempting to perform some dumbbell squats on a BOSU ball. Can you guess who her trainer was?
The Need For Good Coaches

It doesnt matter how long you have been training. It doesnt matter if you are certified with a degree. You can still be a terrible coach.
The above story illustrates a very important point it doesnt matter. That is, it doesnt matter how great you look. It doesnt matter how long you have been training. It doesnt matter if you are certified or have a degree. You can still be a terrible coach. With high obesity rates and sedentary lifestyles already the norm in many societies throughout the world, there has never been a greater demand for personalized fitness services and professional coaching. Unfortunately, solving the obesity dilemma and getting people active is not as simple as putting them on exercise programs, shouting out motivational phrases, and counting sets and repetitions. As mentioned previously, however, most superficial markers that suggest to the public that someone is a good coach often do not matter at all. When it comes to being a good coach, here is what does matter: fundamentals. This text has been designed to help you learn these fundamentals so that you have a foundation for becoming a great coach as you continue to gain experience in the field and learn through continuing education opportunities.
14 | Baseline Training Certification
Chapter 1 Basics of Kinesiology
Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 15
career as a fitness coach can be exciting and rewarding. While personal experience and informal training can certainly be helpful, the ever-changing nature of the field and the potentially close association with allied healthcare professions makes it especially important for the personal trainer who aspires to be well-equipped and respected to pursue formal academic preparation. Too often, personal trainers tend to devalue the importance of understanding the finer points of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and other exercise sciences. To some, this book knowledge has limited impact on the practical skill necessary to be an effective trainer. However, such knowledge can be a key to not only refining practical behaviors but also allowing the professional to gain respect and favor from medical and rehabilitation professionals that could ultimately be a valuable pipeline of potential clients.
Kinesiology in Fitness Coaching

Thankfully, formal academic preparation regarding the exercise sciences no longer has to mean costly, time consuming, and inconvenient coursework that has little practical value. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce key concepts of kinesiology that can not only improve your understanding of the structure and function of the human body but also ensure that you are well prepared to communicate with other professionals while understanding common terminology and conventions. As a result, this chapter will include a discussion of several of the basic elements of kinesiology, including tissue fundamentals, anatomic terminology, planes and axes, as well as a brief summary of the prime movers of the upper and lower extremities.
Thankfully, formal academic preparation regarding the exercise sciences no longer has to mean costly, time consuming, and inconvenient coursework that has little practical value.
Tissue Fundamentals
Any coach who seeks to assist his or her clients in the pursuit of reaching fitness goals needs a basic understanding of the bodys tissues and how each responds to exercise. Tissues are composed of specialized cells and may be grouped into four basic types: connective, muscle, nervous, and epithelial. Within these groups, the personal trainer is usually most concerned with specific types of connective tissue (namely skeletal tissue comprising bone, adipose tissue comprising fat, and other types of connective tissue comprising tendons, ligaments, articular cartilage, etc.) and muscle tissue.
Injury or disease can lead to pathology in these structures, and it is important for the personal trainer to utilize appropriate terminology when referring to such conditions. Fractures occur in or to bones, strains occur in muscles, and sprains occur in ligaments. In some cases, an attachment point of a ligament or tendon will remain intact with the involved bone while a small portion of the bone itself will pull away. Although consistent with the mechanism of a sprain or a strain, this injury to the underlying bone is called an avulsion fracture.
Anatomical Terminology
Perhaps more so than many professions, personal training utilizes a large number of highly specific but non-descriptive terms to describe various movements and skills. While common, this practice frequently leads to confusion, with trainers left wondering what the difference is between a standard exercise like a squat and some more specific variant like a goblet squat, Zercher squat, or a deadlift squat. While such confusion with regard to exercises persists, fortunately, the allied health professions have developed a simple yet highly effective convention for determining direction relative to the body. Furthermore, the goal of the FR Baseline Training Certification program is to provide a useful and meaningful series of tools to help positively impact both the content knowledge and the coaching behaviors of reflective coach practitioners. Before understanding any directional terminology, it is important to first start from anatomical reference or relative position (Visual 1.1). In reference position, a subject stands tall with the head facing forward, the arms at the sides with the palms forward, and the feet pointed straight ahead. When any directional term is used, it is assumed that the body is in reference position.
Directional Terminology
Visual 1.1: Anatomical reference position
Directional terms are used to describe the location of one body part with respect to another. Directional terms can include superior, inferior, anterior, posterior, medial, lateral, proximal, distal, superficial, deep, palmar or plantar, and dorsal. Relative terms of height are usually described with the use of the terms superior and inferior. Generally speaking, superior usually means above in height or toward the head, while inferior means below in height or toward the feet. For example, the pectoralis major is superior to the rectus abdominus and the gastrocnemius is inferior to the quadriceps. Relative terms of front or back are usually described with the use of the terms anterior and posterior (Visual 1.2). Anterior (sometimes used interchangeably with ventral) means toward the front, while
posterior (or dorsal) means toward the back. For example, an anterior chain exercise is intended to engage the core muscles at the front of the trunk. Relative terms describing position toward midline are usually described with the use of the terms medial and lateral. These terms make reference to an imaginary line dividing the body into left and right halves. Any movement toward the midline is considered medial, while any movement away from midline is considered lateral. For example, the lateral head of the hamstring is located on the outermost aspect of the posterior thigh. Proximal and distal are used to describe the position of a body part relative to the point of attachment. Proximal is used to describe a part that is closer to the point of attachment, while distal refers to a part that is farther from the point of attachment. These terms are most often used to describe limbs or parts of limbs. For instance, the knee is distal to the hip and the knee is proximal to the ankle. Superficial and deep are used to describe the position of a body part relative to the surface of the skin. Structures near the skin are described as superficial, while those that are more internal are described as deep. For example, the gastrocnemius muscle is superficial to the soleus muscle. Lastly, palmar or plantar and dorsal (Visual 1.3 & Visual 1.4) are a bit more specific terms that refer to position on the hands and feet. Positioning on the anterior surface of the hand (from anatomical reference position) is referred to as palmar, while positioning on the posterior surface is described as dorsal. Similarly, positioning on the sole of the foot (inferior-most aspect) is described as plantar, while positioning on the superior aspect or top of the foot is described as dorsal. If the client is positioned in a non-standing position, the terms prone, supine, or sidelying may be used to describe the position. In prone position, the client is positioned with the face down, while supine involves a face-up position. Sidelying obviously involves positioning on either side without the anterior or posterior trunk contacting the ground, equipment, surface, etc. It is important to note that all anatomical terms assume a reference position, which helps eliminate any confusion that might arise due to body positioning. For example, and athlete who has completed a snatch would be standing with both hands overhead. While it would still be correct to say that the athletes hands are distal to his elbows, it is incorrect to say that the hands are normally superior to the elbows. While in that particular position the hands are superior to the elbows, the hands are not superior to the elbows from reference position.
Superior: Above; toward the head Inferior: Below; toward the feet
Visual 1.2: Posterior and anterior relative positions
Medial: Toward midline Lateral: Away from midline
Proximal: Closer to the attachment point/trunk Distal: Away from the attachment point/trunk
Superficial: Nearer to the surface Deep: Further from the surface
Visual 1.3: Palmar aspect of the right hand (above), dorsal aspect of the right hand (below)
Prone: Positioned face down Superficial: Positioned face up
Visual 1.4: Plantar aspect of the right foot (above), dorsal aspect of the right foot (below)
Planes and Axes
The modern push for more functional training often includes reference to multi-planar and/or multi-axial movements that are more reflective of actual sports, occupational, or activities of daily living movements. While the terms multi-planar and multi-axial are widely used, they are not often well understood. Planes of movement are helpful in describing how the body moves, and axes of movement describe the point around which the body segment rotates during movement. There are three planes that define motion, including sagittal, transverse, and coronal or frontal planes (Visual 1.5 & Visual 1.6). The sagittal plane divides the body into left and right portions. If the plane is situated such that it divides the body into equal parts, it is defined as the midsagittal plane. Movements such as shoulder or hip flexion occur in the sagittal plane from reference position. The transverse plane separates the body into superior and inferior portions. Movements such as shoulder or hip internal and external rotation occur in the transverse plane. Lastly, the frontal plane divides the body into anterior and posterior portions. Movements such as shoulder abduction and adduction occur in the frontal plane. Each plane is always associated with a specific axis, and the axis is always oriented 90 degrees away from the plane of movement. While this may seem somewhat confusing, it is easily visualized through the use of a simple piece of paper and a pencil. If the pencil is used to pierce the paper, the paper represents the plane while the pencil represents the axis. The three axes of rotation include the frontal, sagittal, and vertical axes. The frontal (or lateral) axis runs medial and lateral and is always associated with the sagittal plane. As described above, shoulder flexion occurs around the frontal axis. The vertical axis runs superior and inferior and is always associated with the transverse plane. In the previous example, shoulder internal and external rotation both occur around the vertical axis. The sagittal axis runs anterior and posterior and is always associated with the frontal plane. As described above, shoulder abduction occurs around the sagittal axis.
Movement Terminology
Now that you have a basic understanding of the directional terms of the body as well as the planes and axes associated with human movement, it is important to also be able to accurately describe movement using proper movement terminology. Movements are usually classified as either general (can occur at multiple joints) or specific (occur at only one joint). Joint movement can be measured to track changes over time, and the process of measuring joint motion is referred to as goniometry. General movements include abduction, adduction, flexion, extension, internal rotation, external rotation, horizontal abduction, horizontal adduction, and circumduction.
Visual 1.5: From an anterior (above left) and lateral (above right) views , the transverse plane is represented in green and divides the body into superior and inferior portions, the sagittal plane is represented in red and divides the body into left and right portions, and the coronal plane is represented in white and divides the body into anterior and posterior portions
Visual 1.6: Three-dimensional rendering of the planes of motion

(wikimedia commons image)
Visual 1.7: Shoulder abduction (above) and adduction (below)
Abduction refers to movement away from midline and occurs around the sagittal axis in the frontal plane from reference position. Conversely, adduction refers to movement toward the midline (like the client is adding the limb to the body) (Visual 1.7). A typical dumbbell lateral raise involves shoulder abduction in the upward (concentric) phase and adduction in the downward (eccentric) phase. Flexion is used to describe any movement that results in a decreased joint angle and usually occurs in the sagittal plane around the frontal axis. Conversely, extension is used to describe movement that results in an increased joint angle (Visual 1.8). From anatomical reference position, the client can flex throughout the upper extremity by rolling up the limb like a sleeping bag. Starting at the fingers and moving proximally up the upper extremity through the wrists, elbows, and shoulders, each of these body parts are moving into flexion. Similarly, unrolling from the endpoint of this movement involves extension throughout the upper extremity. Internal and external rotation movements (Visual 1.9) are observed most frequently in the shoulder and hip and involve a rotary movement in the transverse plane around the vertical axis. From reference position, shoulder external rotation involves the clients hand moving away from midline and away from the body as would usually occur in a shoulder rehabilitation program. Similarly, any movement involving motion of the hand toward the abdomen without allowing significant movement of the elbow would be considered internal rotation. Horizontal abduction occurs in the transverse plane and is most basically a movement away from midline when the joint (shoulder or hip) is prepositioned into approximately 90 degrees of flexion. On the other hand, horizontal adduction involves movement toward midline when the shoulder or hip is flexed to approximately 90 degrees (Visual 1.10). For example, a client performing a typical supine dumbbell fly exercise is moving into horizontal adduction during the upward movement/concentric phase and horizontal abduction during the downward movement/ eccentric phase of the exercise. Lastly, circumduction is actually a multi-planar, multi-axial movement that occurs at the hip and shoulder. When moving through circumduction, the clients shoulder remains relatively stationary while the hand moves in the shape of a circle, essentially moving the limb through the shape of a cone. This involves flexion, abduction, extension, and adduction in a rhythmic pattern.
Visual 1.8: Hip flexion (left) and extension (right)
Visual 1.9: Shoulder internal (left) and external (right) rotation
Visual 1.10: Shoulder horizontal abduction (left) and horizontal adduction (right)
In order to carry a bowl of soup, the wrist and hand must be supinated
Of final note, the personal trainer may also utilize specific movement terms that only apply to specific body parts. For example, the shoulder girdle can be moved through protraction, retraction, upward rotation, downward rotation, elevation, or depression. Protraction involves scapular abduction as when rounding the shoulders forward while retraction involves scapular adduction, as if attempting to crack an egg between the shoulder blades. Upward rotation of the scapula occurs during abduction of the arm to allow full range of motion, while downward rotation should occur during arm adduction. Elevation involves a movement of the scapula superiorly (toward the head) as when shrugging the shoulders, while depression occurs when the scapula move inferiorly as when performing a seated press-up or dip exercise correctly. Similarly, specific movements at the ankle involve other commonly used terms. Plantarflexion involves pointing the toes as performed when completing the upward movement phase of a calf raise exercise, while dorsiflexion involves the client pulling the toes toward the nose. Inversion involves unloading the medial aspect of the sole of the foot and is the most common mechanism of injury for a typical ankle sprain, while eversion involves unloading the lateral aspect of the sole of the foot. Lastly, while pronation and supination can refer to multiple joints, for the sake of clarity and simplicity, these terms will only be applied to the wrist and forearm in this resource. Anatomical reference position involves the hands in a fully supinated position, while pronation involves placing the palms down or back. This is easily recalled through a common memory trick. In order to carry a bowl of soup, the wrist and hand must be supinated, while it is impossible to carry a bowl of soup with the wrist and hand pronated. Similarly, while the prone position involves a face down posture, a pronated position involves a palms-down positioning.
Muscular Roles and Actions
Of particular concern to the personal trainer is the musculoskeletal system and the terms and concepts associated with it. The muscle origin is most often defined as the fixed end of a muscle and is typically more proximal. On the other hand, the insertion is most often considered the more mobile and freely moveable end of the muscle. Additionally, muscles can play a variety of roles, including those of agonist, antagonist, stabilizer, synergist, and/or neutralizer. For any action, the agonist is the prime mover and it is responsible for performing most (if not all) of the work. For example, when performing a bicep curl, the biceps brachii would be considered the agonist. Conversely, the muscle opposite of the agonist is the antagonist. The antagonist opposes motion and provides control. The triceps brachii would be considered the antagonist during a bicep curl.
For many exercises, one or more stabilizer muscles help secure the involved extremity and/or the trunk and provide dynamic support. For example, when performing a push-up, the muscles around the scapulae such as the rhomboids, trapezius, and posterior deltoids contract to secure the shoulder blade and provide a stable base for the arm. Synergist muscles help the agonist and helpguidethe movement with greater precision. For example, while the biceps brachii performs most of the work during a bicep curl, a number of other flexors assist the movement. Lastly, neutralizer muscles counteract the unwanted or unneeded action of another muscle. For example, during kicking, all hip flexor muscles will probably be recruited. However, medial muscles like the (adductor magnus) produce not only flexion but also hip adduction. Similarly, lateral muscles (like the tensor fasciae latae) produce not only hip flexion but also hip abduction. However, when working together, the medial and lateral motion of the hip is neutralized so that the client may kick with accuracy. It is critical to understand that every major muscle has the ability to function in any of the roles above depending upon the situation. For example, the biceps brachii can function as either an agonist, antagonist, stabilizer, synergist, or neutralizer depending upon the specific action being performed. While some muscles function within some roles more often than others, avoid the temptation to classify them in that way. Instead, observe how the muscle is functioning and classify it like that based only on that particular exercise. All muscular action can be classified as either isometric or isotonic. Muscles can only pull (contract)they cannot push. In isometric actions (iso= same, metric= length) the muscle is attempting to contract, however the force it generates is equal to the resistance. As a result, no change in length occurs. For example, when flexing in a mirror, a bodybuilders elbow does not change position and the length of the biceps brachii does not change. Flexing in common terms usually refers to an isometric hold. On the other hand, isotonic actions (iso= same, tonic= tension) do involve changes in length. Isotonic actions can be further divided into concentric and eccentric classifications. In a concentric isotonic action, the force created by the muscle is greater than the resistance. As a result, the client creates movement as in the upward phase of a traditional bench press exercise. This is often referred to as the positive rep. On the other hand, if the force generated is less than the resistance, then the muscle is actually lengthened even though it is attempting to contract. As a result, the client controls, rather than creates force as in the downward phase of the bench press. This is often called the negative rep.
Using the example of the hammer and the nail, the concentric phase would be the hammer, producing action and overcoming resistance. Conversely, the eccentric phase would be considered the nail, responding to and resisting forces but ultimately allowing the action to occur. Neither is inherently good or bad and a welldesigned workout should include both concentric and eccentric work for optimum results. Despite prevalent bodybuilding training philosophy to the contrary, muscles do not usually function in isolation. Instead, actions typically occur as a result of muscle groups working together. More contemporary training methodologies are focused on integrating rather than isolating muscles.
Selected Major Muscles and Common Actions

Upper extremity
Muscle: Pectoralis major Action(s): Most chest press and push-up exercises Muscle: Latissimus dorsi Action(s): Most upper extremity pulling exercises (especially overhead)
Visual 1.11: Pectoralis major
Visual 1.12: Latissimus dorsi
Muscle: Serratus anterior Action(s): Scapular protraction and upward rotation(many shoulder stability exercises)
Visual 1.13: Serratus anterior
Muscle: Deltoid Action(s): Anterior head: Front raise; Middle head: Lateral raise; Posterior head: Reverse fly
Visual 1.14: Deltoid
Muscle: Rhomboid major Action(s): Rows, reverse flyes and pulls
Visual 1.15: Rhomboid major
Muscle: Trapezius Action(s): Upper fibers: Shrugs; Middle fibers: Reverse flyes and pulls; Lower fibers: Dips, seated press-downs
Visual 1.16: Trapezius
Muscle: Rotator cuff: Supraspinatus Action(s): Light weight lateral raise, most effective during first 30 degrees of abduction
Visual 1.17: Supraspinatus
Muscle: Rotator cuff: Infraspinatus Action(s): Major external rotator of the shoulder
Visual 1.18: Infraspinatus
Muscle: Rotator cuff: Teres minor Action(s): External rotation of the shoulder
Visual 1.19: Teres minor
Muscle: Rotator cuff: Subscapularis Action(s): Major internal rotator of the shoulder
Visual 1.20: Subscapularis
Muscle: Biceps brachii Action(s): Elbow flexion movements; supination of the forearm; long head produces shoulder flexion
Visual 1.21: Biceps brachii
Muscle: Brachialis Action(s): Elbow flexion movements
Visual 1.22: Brachialis
Muscle: Brachioradialis Action(s): Elbow flexion movements
Visual 1.23: Brachioradialis
Muscle: Triceps brachii Action(s): Elbow extension movements, long head extends the shoulder
Visual 1.24: Triceps brachii
Muscles: Wrist common flexors Action(s): Wrist flexion
Visual 1.25: Wrist flexors
Muscles: Wrist common extensors Action(s): Wrist extension
Visual 1.26: Wrist extensors
Muscle: Iliopsoas (composed of iliacus and psoas major) Action(s): Hip flexion (kicking movements); only hip flexor that is active beyond 90 degrees of hip flexion
Lower Extremity
Visual 1.27: Iliacus
Visual 1.28: Psoas major
Muscle: Gluteus medius Action(s): Hip abduction (Jane Fondas); anterior fibers internally rotate hip; posterior fibers externally rotate hip
Visual 1.29: Gluteus medius
Muscle: Gluteus maximus Action(s): Hip extension (jumps and squats)
Visual 1.30: Gluteus maximus
Muscle: Piriformis Action(s): Abduction and external rotation; at more than 90 degrees of hip flexion, the piriformis reverses actions and becomes an adductor and internal rotator
Visual 1.31: Piriformis
Muscle: Adductor group (adductor magnus shown) Action(s): Lateral movements (lead leg)
Visual 1.32: Adductor group
Muscle: Tensor fasciae latae Action(s): Abduction (lateral movements trail leg), hip flexion
Visual 1.33: Tensor fasciae latae
Muscle: Quadriceps: Vastus lateralis Action(s): Knee extension
Visual 1.34: Vastus lateralis
Muscle: Quadriceps: Vastus intermedius Action(s): Knee extension
Visual 1.35: Vastus intermedius
Muscle: Quadriceps: Vastus medialis Action(s): Knee extension
Visual 1.36: Vastus medialis
Muscle: Quadriceps: Rectus femoris Action(s): Knee extension & hip flexion
Visual 1.37: Rectus femoris
Muscle: Hamstrings: Semitendinosus Action(s): Knee flexion & hip extension
Visual 1.38: Semitendiosus
Muscle: Hamstringd: Semimembranosus Action(s): Knee flexion & hip extension
Visual 1.39: Semimembranosus
Muscle:Hamstrings: Biceps femoris Action(s): Knee flexion & hip extension
Visual 1.40: Biceps femoris
Muscle: Sartorius Action(s): Figure 4 position (knee flexion, hip flexion, hip external rotation, hip abduction
Visual 1.41: Sartorius
Muscle: Gracilis Action(s): Hip adduction & knee flexion
Visual 1.42: Gracilis
Muscle: Gastrocnemius Action(s): Knee flexion & ankle plantarflexion (heel raises with extended knee)
Visual 1.43: Gastrocnemius
Muscle: Soleus Action(s): Ankle plantarflexion (heel raises with flexed knee/seated)
Visual 1.44: Soleus
Muscles: Peroneals Action(s): Ankle eversion (in standing, raise lateral border of foot)
Visual 1.45: Peroneals
Muscle: Tibialis anterior Action(s): Ankle inversion & dorsiflexion (toes in and up)
Visual 1.46: Tibialis anterior
Muscle: Tibialis posterior Action(s): Ankle inversion & plantarflexion (toes in and down)
Visual 1.47: Tibialis posterior
Trunk/Core
Muscles: Erector spinae Action(s): Spinal extensions (Supermans, Roman chair/hypers) Spinal stability; anti-flexion Muscle: Rectus abdominus Action(s): Spinal flexion (traditional core/crunch movements); spinal stability; anti-extension
Visual 1.48: Rectus abdominus
Muscles: Transversus abdominus Action(s): Spinal stability (abdominal brace or abdominal drawing-in maneuver)
Visual 1.49: Transvesus abdominus
Muscles: Obliques, Internal Action(s): Single side rotation or bilateral trunk flexion; spinal stability; anti-rotation or bilateral anti-extension
Visual 1.50: Internal obliques
Muscles: Obliques, External Action(s): Single side rotation or bilateral trunk flexion; spinal stability; anti-rotation or bilateral anti-extension
Visual 1.51: External obliques
Muscles: Quadratus lumborum Action(s): Single side lateral flexion; lumbar extension bilaterally; spinal stability; anti-lateral flexion or bilateral anti-lumbar flexion
Visual 1.52: Quadratus lumborum
Muscle: Diaphragm Action(s): Movements of respiration and increases intra-abdominal pressure
Visual 1.53: Diaphragm
Muscle: Pelvic floor, Female
Visual 1.54: Female pelvic floor
Muscle: Pelvic floor, Male
Visual 1.55: Male pelvic floor
Muscle(s) Pectoralis major Latissimus dorsi
Action(s) Horizontal adducts, adducts and internally rotates arm at shoulder Extends, adducts, and internally rotates arm at shoulder Anterior aspect flexes & internally rotates arm at shoulder, middle aspect abducts arm at shoulder, posterior aspect extends & externally rotates arm at shoulder Retracts and elevates the scapula Superior fibers elevate scapula, middle fibers retract scapula, lower fibers depress scapula Abducts arm at shoulder Externally rotates arm at shoulder Extends, externally rotates, and adducts arm at shoulder Internally rotates arm at shoulder Flexes forearm at elbow, supinates forearm Flexes forearm at elbow Flexes forearm at elbow Extends forearm at elbow Flex hand and fingers Extend hand and fingers Flexes thigh at hip, stabilizes and laterally flexes spine Abducts thigh at hip
Deltoid
Rhomboid major Trapezius Rotator cuff: Supraspinatus Rotator cuff: Infraspinatus Rotator cuff: Teres minor Rotator cuff: Subscapularis Biceps brachii Brachialis Brachioradialis Triceps brachii Common wrist flexors Common wrist extensors Iliopsoas Gluteus medius
Gluteus maximus Piriformis Adductor group Tensor fasciae latae Quadriceps: Rectus femoris Quadriceps: Vastus intermedius Quadriceps: Vastus medialis Quadriceps: Vastus lateralis Hamstrings: Semitendinosus Hamstrings: Semimembranosus Hamstrings: Biceps femoris Sartorius Gracilis Gastrocnemius Soleus Peroneals Tibialis anterior Tibialis posterior Erector spinae
Extends and externally rotates thigh at hip Externally rotates thigh at hip Adducts thigh at hip Flexes and abducts thigh at hip Flexes thigh at hip, extends lower leg at knee Extends lower leg at knee Extends lower leg at knee Extends lower leg at knee Extends thigh at hip, flexes lower leg at knee Extends thigh at hip, flexes lower leg at knee Extends thigh at hip, flexes lower leg at knee Flexes, abducts, and externally rotates thigh at hip, flexes lower leg at knee Adducts thigh at hip, flexes lower leg at knee Flexes lower leg at knee, plantarflexes foot at ankle Plantarflexes foot at ankle Evert foot at ankle Inverts and dorsiflexes foot at ankle Inverts and plantarflexes foot at ankle Extend the spine, anti-flexion
Rectus abdominus Transversus abdominus Obliques Quadratus lumborum Diaphragm Pelvic floor
Flex the spine, anti-extension Spinal stability Single side rotation or bilateral trunk flexion, anti-rotation, bilateral anti-extension Single side lateral flexion of the spine, antilateral flexion, bilateral anti-flexion Movements of respiration and increases intraabdominal pressure; forms lid of the core Forms base of the core; provides support for organs; maintains continence
Chapter 2 Exercise Basics
Chapter 2: Exercise Basics | 75
very fitness coach should know the basic components of exercise. These include things such as program design terminology, names and types of equipment, types of handgrips, breathing techniques, and spotting.
Program Design Terminology

Repetition (aka rep): A rep is the performance of one exercise one time. Set: A set is the performance of a group of repetitions. The number of sets and reps one performs in an exercise program is a big factor in the kind of results he or she will get. Rest: Rest is the amount of time taken between sets of exercise. Short rest times are usually given when muscular endurance is the goal or when the client is looking for a metabolic training effect. Midlength rest times (approximately 45-120 seconds) are given between sets of the same exercise when muscular hypertrophy is the goal. Long rest times, 2-5 minutes, are given when strength or power is the goal. Tempo: Tempo is defined as the rhythm at which one raises and lowers a weight, including the time spent between repetitions and at the mid-point of the lift. For example, a tempo of 30X1 would mean. A) Three seconds are spent to complete the eccentric portion of the lift. B) Zero seconds are spent pausing at the midpoint of the lift. C) X means the lifter should perform the concentric portion of the lift as quickly as possible. D) One second is spent between repetitions. It is not uncommon for programs to not include any tempo at all. Time Under Tension: Time under tension is the total amount of time it takes to perform the concentric and eccentric portions of a set (this does not usually include time spent resting between repetitions). Time under tension is often manipulated by those training for muscle hypertrophy. Range of Motion: Range of motion is the total distance and direction a joint moves during a repetition of an exercise. In general, a full range of motion is desired, although there are plenty of situations and types of training where a shortened range of motion would be desirable. Straight Sets: Straight sets are a training scheme where all sets of an exercise are performed without performing any other movements in between.
Time under tension is the total amount of time it takes to perform the concentric and eccentric portions of a set
Alternating Sets: Alternating sets are a training scheme where sets of two different exercises are performed in an alternating pattern. For example, if a program were written which included 3 sets of two alternating exercises A1: Pushup and A2: Inverted Row a set of pushups would be performed followed by whatever rest period was programmed, followed by a set of inverted rows. That would be repeated three times. Complexes: A complex is defined as a series of exercises using the same implement and load (e.g. a 45-pound barbell) that are performed consecutively without taking rest between exercises. An example complex would be using a barbell and consecutively performing 5 reps of each of the following exercises: Romanian deadlift, bent over row, hang clean, front squat, shoulder press. Circuit Training: Circuit training is a programming scheme where multiple exercises (3 or more) are performed in a series. Timed Circuit: A timed circuit is a type of circuit training where sets of exercise are performed for a pre-determined period of time rather than a total number of repetitions. Single-Joint Exercises: Single joint exercises involve prime movers at primarily one joint (e.g. biceps curl). Multi-Joint Exercises: Multi-joint exercises involve prime movers at multiple joints (e.g. squat, bench press) Combination Exercises: A combination exercise is one that combines at least two different movements into one fluid pattern (e.g. Dumbbell Squat + Biceps Curl). Strength: Strength is the maximal force one can produce or load one can lift. Strength can be approximated with max testing (1RM = how much one can lift for 1 rep) or rep maximum testing (how much can one lift for X number of reps; i.e. 3RM = 3 rep maximum). In general, strength training programs include multiple low rep sets (15) and ample rest time (2-5 minutes). Power: Power refers to rate at which work is performed. To improve power, one either needs to increase the amount of work that is done or decrease the amount of time that it takes to perform a given amount of work. Plyometrics: Plyometrics is a specific type of power training that refers to activities that enable a muscle to reach maximal force in the shortest amount of time. Plyometric exercises take advantage of the elastic nature of muscles and tendons. When there is a rapid stretch of a muscle (a countermovement or pre-stretch) followed by an immediate concentric action (i.e. minimal time is spent transitioning between eccentric and concentric muscle action), stored elastic energy is released, increasing the total force production. Just because an exercise is a power exercise does not make it plyometric. For example, a static squat jump is not plyometric because there is neither
a countermovement nor a quick transition time from eccentric to concentric movements. Muscle Hypertrophy: Muscle hypertrophy is an increase in the size of muscle cells. A starting point for a muscular hypertrophy training program would be 2-5 sets per major movement pattern, 6-12 reps per set, and 45-90 seconds of rest between sets. Each major movement pattern would be worked about twice a week. However, as is usually the case with most types of training, there are many different ways to train for muscle hypertrophy. All are dependent on the current abilities of the client as well. Muscular Endurance: Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to sustain repeated contractions over an extended period of time. A basic training program for muscular endurance would utilize multiple sets and short rest times. Energy System Training: There are three different energy systems, one aerobic system, and two anaerobic systems. Energy system training refers to specific training to develop any of these systems.
Resistance Training Equipment

This section will describe the different types of equipment that can be used in resistance training settings. The Human Body: Although the human body should not necessarily be thought of or referred to as training equipment, many training programs utilize both common and creative body weight exercise as an effective means of resistance. Barbells: Barbells are long metal rods used in weightlifting that, in most instances, are meant to be gripped with two hands. Weight plates are attached at each end to add resistance. Most barbells are knurled with a crosshatch pattern for improved grip. A standard Olympic barbell is straight, just over 7 feet long, and weighs approximately 45 pounds. Barbells come a variety of other sizes, shapes, and weights, as well.
Visual 2.1: Standard Olympic barbell (left) and trap bar barbell (right)
Visual 2.2: Power rack with platform
Power Rack: A power rack (aka power cage, squat cage, or squat rack) is a piece of training equipment that allows for barbell workouts to be performed freely and easily while also offering additional protection. Power racks allow for barbells to be set at different heights and also provide bar catchers that would prevent a barbell from descending beyond a certain point. If a lifter missed a squat, for example, the bar catchers would prevent the weight from crashing down on the lifter. Dumbbells: A dumbbell is a short bar used in weightlifting that is typically meant to be gripped by a single hand. Dumbbells are often used in pairs, but they do not have to be. Dumbbells are usually of fixed weight, but some types are adjustable or allow for external plates to be added. Kettlebells: A kettlebell can be described as type of equipment that resembles a cannonball with a handle. Kettlebells are often used for ballistic exercises, but they may also be used for traditional exercises in place of dumbbells. Cable Machine: A cable machine is a piece of resistance training equipment that attaches a cable to a set of weights which are stacked upon each other. The cables that connect the exercise handle to the weight stacks run through pulleys. Versatile cable machines allow the pulleys to be adjusted to various heights, allowing a variety of exercises to be performed. Resistance Bands: Resistance bands (or any other elastic implements) are pieces of training equipment that have elastic qualities. The exerciser applies force to the band, and the further it is stretched, the greater the resistance becomes. Sleds: Sleds are pieces of training equipment that are pushed or dragged across the ground. They are often used in resisted sprint training, horizontal lower body strength training, or for conditioning. Machines and Specialty Equipment: In addition to the above equipment, there are all sorts of other types of training equipment out there. Various machines exist that do any number of things, and various pieces of specialty equipment also exist. As there are too many, the effectiveness and practically of each type is not able to be elaborated upon here.
Handgrips
Many different types of grips can be used when holding weights or other pieces of training equipment. Overhand/Pronated: Pronation is a rotational movement of the forearm that takes the palm of the hand from an anterior facing position to a posterior facing position when starting from anatomical position. A practical example of the pronated position is when someone is dribbling a basketball. The pronated grip is also called the overhand grip. Exercises such as the bench press utilize the pronated grip. Underhand/Supinated: Supination is the position of the forearm when the body is in anatomical position. A good visual of supination is picturing someone holding out a hand to sarry a bowl of soup (sup=soup). The supinated grip is also called the underhand grip. A common exercise that uses the supinated grip is the barbell biceps curl. Neutral: Neutral is the position of the forearm between pronation and supination. When standing at rest with the palms facing inward, the forearm is in neutral. Another example of neutral position is the handshake. The trap bar deadlift exercise utilizes a neutral grip. Picture of someone trapbar deadlifting. Alternated/Mixed: The alternated or mixed grip is when a person has one hand supinated and the other pronated. This is a commonly utilized grip when grip strength is a limiting factor, such as during a deadlift exercise. Hook: The hook grip is the same as the pronated grip, except the thumb is positioned under the index and middle fingers. This grip is often used for power exercises such as the snatch. Open/False: The open or false grip is when the thumb is not wrapped around the bar at all. Grip Width: For barbell exercises, proper grip also involves placing the hands at the proper distance away from each other. While grip width is obviously on a continuum, placement is usually categorized as common, wide, and narrow.
Visual 2.3: Neutral grip trap bar deadlift
Breathing
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Whenever inhaling, clients should be taught to breathe deeply into their bellies, something known as diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing involves a contraction of the diaphragm, a muscle located between the chest and stomach cavities. Diaphragmatic breathing increases intra-abdominal pressure and helps stabilize the
Visual 2.4: Standard deadlift with alternated/ mixed grip. The athletes left hand is supinated and right hand is pronated
lumbar spine. To breathe with the diaphragm, a person has to take a breath in a way which expands the core rather than elevates the chest. To cue for diaphragmatic breathing, see Chapter 4. Ideally, an effective breath will expand the abdomen anteriorly and laterally, and then this will be followed by an expansion of the ribcage (not an elevation of the chest).
Timing
In most cases, breathing should be timed to coincide with different stages of exercises. This is especially true when performing more than just a few reps per set or when performing any sort of metabolic training. The sticking point of an exercise, which is the most difficult part of a movement, is when a client should be instructed to exhale. In most cases, clients should either inhale through the eccentric portion of the lift or right before initiating movement. Clients may also breathe between reps during a set if needed.
Valsalva Maneuver
The Valsalva maneuver, which in exercise involves holding ones breath by expiring against a closed airway, is a technique that can be used to increase spinal stability in heavily loaded structural exercises such as the squat or deadlift. When combined with a contraction of the abdominal muscles (see Buddha belly, steel core cue in Chapter 4), rigid compartments of fluid in the lower torso and air in the upper torso are created. This increases stability in the entire spinal column which helps protect the intervertebral discs during compressive exercises. The Valsalva maneuver is recommended for experienced weight lifters who are working with heavy or near-maximal loads. Additionally, holding ones breath for longer than a period of 1-2 seconds is not recommended, as it can cause a quick rise in blood pressure to three times resting levels or fainting.
Weight Belts
Weight belts are often used for structural exercises when the load lifted is maximal or near maximal. They are designed to help reduce the risk of lower back injuries when combined with proper lifting techniques. Weight belts should not be used for exercises that do not stress the lower back or for exercises that involve light loads. Using a weight belt in those instances will prevent the muscles of the core from being properly trained.
Spotting
A spotter is a person who assists with an exercise in order to protect that person from injury. Spotters also provide a lift-off for certain exercises, assistance during the final rep of a set if a lift needs help being completed, or assistance during forced repetition training. As a coach, you should be aware of safe spotting techniques. Poor execution of a spot can result in serious injury to the client, spotter, or both. Spotters are typically used for exercises in which the client has a risk of dropping a weight on himself (e.g. bench press, dumbbell press) or missing a lift and falling while still under load (e.g. back squat). Spotters should never be used for power exercises. For all spotting, the spotter should get as close to the weight as possible and always strive to maintain neutral spinal alignment. For lower body movements or overhead movements that require spotting, the spotter should be at least of equal height to the client. If platforms are needed and available, they should be used to ensure the spotter has good leverage. In addition, these types of exercises should almost always be made safer in advance of the lift by setting up bar catchers in a power rack. Barbell exercises for the upper body should usually be spotted with an alternated grip, although some exercises where the barbell follows a curved path (e.g. lying triceps extension) should be spotted using a supinated forearm position. Dumbbell exercises should be spotted at the wrist, or the dumbbell itself should be spotted. This will ensure that the spotter is in a position to prevent the dumbbells from falling on the clients face or chest should the elbows collapse.
Number of Spotters
Sometimes more than one spotter is needed. This is determined by many factors including the load being lifted, the experience of the client, the experience of the spotter, the size of the spotter (especially relative to the client), and the strength of the spotter. If loading exceeds the ability of one spotter, a second spotter should be called for. Barbell exercises utilizing two spotters would involve one spotter at each end of the bar. If three spotters are used, one should be stationed at each end, and one should be in the middle.
Communication Between Spotter and Client
Before spotting a client, it is important to communicate with the client. You will need to address how many reps are expected to be performed, whether the client will be using a liftoff (moving the bar from the supports to the starting position), the rules for when to give assistance and how much assistance is needed, and when the exercise is officially complete.
For a liftoff, you should let the client know you will be saying 1, 2, 3, lift. On the word lift, the client should know to expect the liftoff. After providing a liftoff, you should ensure the weight is stable before releasing the weight and setting up to spot. When it comes to assistance, let your client know the following: 1. If the client says help, you will provide just enough assistance to help the client get past the sticking point before re-racking the weight. 2. If the client says take it, you will provide a great deal of assistance before re-racking the weight. 3. If the barbell ever starts to descend, you will provide a great deal of assistance before re-racking the weight. 4. If at any point you feel like it is obvious the lift will not be completed or if you notice something that you feel is unsafe, you will grab the weight and re-rack it. 5. The weight is not re-racked until you confirm it is so. This will ensure the client does not stop pushing because he or she thinks the weight is racked properly on both ends.
Chapter 3 The Art and Science of Coaching Fitness
Chapter 3: Art and Science of Coaching Fitness | 85
The Role of a Fitness Coach
f there were only one thing a fitness coach needed to know, it would be how to teach people how to move. No matter how good someone gets at assessment or program design, helping people progress towards their fitness goals always eventually and necessarily comes back to movement. One can argue the merits of one assessment protocol over another, and there are dozens (if not hundreds) of scientifically sound protocols available in the industry. Even more debatable are the merits of designing programs one way over another, and when it comes to program design, nearly an unlimited number of philosophies exist. Movement, however, is much more fundamental. The best assessments and training programs mean absolutely nothing if a coach is unable to teach the requisite movements needed to properly execute a plan.
Visual 3.1: Movement should be the foundation of fitness coaching
The Art and Science of Coaching

Few professions in the healthcare, fitness, and wellness industries offer the practitioner the power to transform lives quite like professional fitness coaching. A fitness professional is a teacher, a motivator, and a coach, and through personal interaction, he or she has the ability to both inspire and hold people accountable to take charge of their own lives. Professional fitness coaches must understand and have a working knowledge of both the principles of movement (science) and of teaching physical skills to others (art). This text will help prepare a prospective professional with these tools. Fitness Revolution understands that not all coaches are prepared in the same manner or have the same background in the fitness industry, so it has worked hard to ensure that all individuals involved directly with coaching clients have access to this standard resource. The most important thing to consider after completing this text and becoming actively involved in this profession is to constantly seek improvement. It is far too easy to learn from one resource or in one environment and get tunnel vision. Becoming a great coach is a long term process, not something that can be mastered in a day, a week, a month, or even a few years. Not only is it important to always be seeking out new learning opportunities through books, lectures, and seminars, but it is also vital to adopt a reflective coaching practice. This means that a coach will continually evaluate coaching behaviors, identify those behaviors that elicit the best outcomes from clients, and alter his or her coaching practices to reflect what was learned.
Teaching Through Skill Sets

Since a fitness coachs main role is to teach people how to move, it is important for the coach to understand how to perform each exercise he is going to have his clients perform.
Since a fitness coachs main role is to teach people how to move, it is important for the coach to understand how to perform each exercise he is going to have his clients perform. It is equally important, however, for him to be able to break down an exercise into its component parts. These components are called a skill set. Coming up with a skill set begins with an analysis of the movement that is to be instructed. The fitness coach would break that skill up into specific steps or phases. For most movements performed in a training setting, this would involve identifying the action or actions taken during the preparatory phase, the eccentric phase, and the concentric phase of each exercise. For example, for a body weight squat, a potential skill set would be: 1. Set your feet; 2. Belly breath; 3. Hips back, knees out;
4. Stand and squeeze. This skill set is specific to a body weight squat; the skill set for a back squat would be slightly different, potentially including steps on how to properly grip and un-rack the bar. Skill setting, a three-step system for teaching a client a new exercise, has proven to be a highly effective means of coaching once a skill set is identified. The three phases involve demonstration, explanation, and discussion. Under this approach, the first thing the coach should do is to demonstrate proper performance of the exercise so that the client can see what it looks like in its entirety. The next step is explanation. The coachs job here is to explain each of the components of the skill set while having the client simultaneously perform the movement. Here is a sample script using the body weight squat as an example. The first step of a squat is to set your feet. Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart with your toes pointing slightly out. Now, feel where the weight is distributed on the bottom of your foot. It should be evenly distributed on the inside, the outside, and the heel. This is called tripod foot. You should feel this even distribution throughout the entire squat. If you find that you collapse inward or put more weight on your toes, it may be a good idea to overcorrect and have more weight on the outside and towards the heel, as that is a much safer position for your knees than the other way around. The second step is to take a belly breath. Take a deep breath in so that your belly expands. If you do this right, your shoulders should not rise and fall as you take each breath. Taking a deep breath like this before you perform a squat is going to help stabilize your spine and protect your back. The third step is to push your hips back and your knees out. Your hips should initiate the movement before your knees bend. As you descend into the squat, you should actively push your knees out. Do not let them collapse in. Keeping them out and keeping your hips back will help get the right muscles firing which will keep your knees and back strong and healthy. The final step is to stand and squeeze. Once you reach that bottom position, stand back up to the starting position. Focus on squeezing your butt as you return to the starting position. Having powerful glutes is not only key to looking good, but they also protect your back and knees from getting hurt!
The final step in the skill setting process is discussion. During this step, several things can happen. First, the client can continue to perform the movement with the coach giving feedback. Second, the client is given the opportunity to ask questions, either about the entire movement or any individual component. Third, the coach can ask the client questions to gauge the clients level of understanding of each component of the skill set. Here are some sample questions the coach can ask regarding the body weight squat example. What are the four steps in performing a body weight squat? Why is it important to learn the third step? What do I mean when I say Set your feet? What should you do when finishing a rep of the body weigh squat and why? What is the second step? Any number of questions can be asked, and they can range from very easy to very thought-provoking. The point is to not only get the client to internalize the steps for easy recall and greater retention of knowledge, but also to get the client to truly understand the why behind the way things are done. It is important to note that skill setting is designed to introduce a new movement to a client so that he or she can achieve a basic competency with it as soon as possible. Skill sets should therefore be designed to be short (roughly 3-6 components, erring on the lower end), simple, and easy to remember. While a coach may have the desire to teach every little technicality of a lift right away, this will often serve to confuse and frustrate a client who is trying to learn something for the first time. The better approach would be to allow a client to first become confident with the basic skill set. Then, the coach can start giving advanced coaching cues and begin layering in additional information.
Skill Setting in Personal Training Settings
Whether a coach is working in a one-on-one or a four-on-one personal training setting, skill setting can be an incredibly valuable tool for ensuring clients are performing new movements properly. In these personal settings, the coach will have ample time to teach and reinforce good movement by taking advantage of the entire skill setting process.
Skill Setting in Large Group Personal Training Settings
Ideally, any client participating in a large group setting would go through a group training orientation before ever participating in class. During the orientation, fundamental or regularly programmed movements such as squatting, deadlifting, lunging, and upper body pushing and pulling should be taught using the entire skill setting process. The orientation serves as a learning process for new clients to get up to speed on what good training looks and feels like so that they are prepared when they start their first training session. When a new or less familiar movement pattern is programmed into a training session (one that wouldnt have been covered during an orientation), there may be time to go through the skill setting process with the entire group when explaining the workout for the day. It is imperative to know, however, that not all training facilities will have group orientation sessions. In these instances, taking clients through the entire skill setting process can be a challenge simply because there is less time available for teaching and discussion during the session. Large group training sessions are run on a strict schedule, sometimes with only 30 minutes available in total to cover everything from the explanation of the workout to the warm-up to the actual workout session. Going through the entire three-part skill setting process for every exercise in these cases just would not be practical. The coach may have to settle for a quick explanation with a demonstration. Proper movement can then be reinforced by the coach through cueing. If a client is showing difficulty with a movement even with cueing, the movement should be modified appropriately (see Chapter 3). If possible, the coach should also offer to have the client stay for a few minutes after class or arrive a few minutes early to the next class to be taken through the whole skill setting process for that movement.
Cueing
In order to reinforce good movement patterns or correct poor ones, coaches must be able to quickly and clearly communicate with clients during training sessions. This is where cueing comes in. A coaching cue is a verbal command or physical prompt designed to elicit either greater mental focus or an immediate change in movement or behavior. Many coaches tend to yell long, unfocused commands at their clients with little consistency. An effective verbal cue will utilize one dominant word or phrase that is directly related to the desired outcome. Many great verbal cues also call to the clients mind an immediate image or feeling as well. For example, if a client is performing a dumbbell shoulder press exercise and you want him to perform it more explosively, the cue punch would be appropriate. If a client was performing a squat but failing to finish the lift with the
A coaching cue is a verbal command or physical prompt designed to elicit either greater mental focus or an immediate change in movement or behavior.
glutes, squeeze your butt would be appropriate, as it utilizes the dominant word squeeze to illustrate the point and the word butt to give proper context. One thing to note is that while there may be significant overlap between the components of a skill set and certain verbal coaching cues, the two are not the same thing. A skill set is designed to break down a movement into a set of steps so that it can be taught effectively. Cues are much more visceral, and they do not need to be given in any particular order (cues are given as needed to get a single, immediate response). For example, if a client is performing a reverse lunge, one potential skill set a coach could use to teach the movement is: 1. Step back; 2. Parallel feet; 3. Stay tall; 4. Drive through the heel. It is certainly appropriate to cue a client with parallel feet, tall, or drive if any one of those components of the exercise is missing; however, other cues may be given as well to elicit other responses. The cue control may be given if the client is descending too rapidly; the cue balance may be used if the clients lead foot is pronating, and the cue reach may be used if the coach wishes for the client to step back a greater distance. All are valid cues even though they are not mentioned in the original skill set.
Coaching Different Personalities
One critical component to effective coaching is recognizing that not every client should be coached in the same manner. A good coach will vary his or her communication style depending upon the personality of each individual client. While there are many ways to identify and categorize personality types when discussing exercise, this text has chosen to simply focus on both a clients level of self-confidence with exercise and whether that client focuses more on external or internal stimuli. Combined, this gives four discrete categories. However, it is important to note that client personalities exist along a continuum (i.e. not everyone fits neatly into one discrete category) and that they are dynamic (e.g. people may become more or less confident over time).
Confident-External: Feature
A client who is confident with exercise and focused on external stimuli will typically demonstrate the following characteristics. The client will prefer visual stimuli, opting to see exercises being performed by others. Additionally, this client will have no problem with asking questions, listening to feedback, sharing his own opinions and experience, or volunteering for demonstrations. The confidentexternal personality also thrives on group recognition and positive reinforcement.
The word feature describes the approach you should take to coaching the confident-external training personality. Whenever possible, you should use these clients to demonstrate new exercises. When giving cues in group settings, call out the persons name directly, and whenever you can, sandwich the cue between some positives. Way to keep your hips back, Mike! Knees out! Great job! If necessary, point out someone who is performing the exercise properly as a visual aid. The confident-external client type thrives when on stage with everybody watching.
Confident-Internal: Challenge
A client who is confident with exercise and focused on internal stimuli will typically demonstrate the following characteristics. The client will prefer kinesthetic stimuli and will like to experiment with movement, getting to feel each exercise being performed. He or she is motivated by personal accomplishment, achievement, and self-mastery. This client will tend to learn new movements quickly and will internalize the details of what you teach as a coach. He tends to be quiet and will keep to himself, and when he responds to your questions, it will often be brief and to the point. He will often not verbally respond to your coaching cues or feedback, and it may appear to you that he is disinterested, although that is rarely the case. This client is also not afraid to do his own research, learning how to do things or make improvements on his own. He is also interested in the why behind the what, preferring explanations rather than just trusting anecdotes or authority. The word challenge describes the approach you should take to coaching the confident-internal training personality. If safety isnt compromised, pick progressions that may be more difficult to learn or master. Give physical cues (see Chapter 3) whenever possible. Give praise, but make it specific. Ask the client to try it this way and ask how it feels compared to how he was previously doing it. If used in a demonstration for an exercise the client has mastered, have him teach it rather than just serve as a model. When talking to the client before or after the workout, give detailed answers, recommend resources the client can review, and ask him or her open ended questions that require more than just a few words for an answer. The key to confidentexternal personalities is to engage their brains as often as possible.
Insecure-External: Divert
A client who is insecure with exercise and focused on external stimuli will typically demonstrate the following characteristics. The client prefers to blend in and stay out of the spotlight. He or she is often worried about failing or appearing foolish in front of others and is more concerned with what others are thinking rather than about what he or she is currently supposed to be doing. In group settings, this client will prefer to train next to the people he or she is most comfortable with or with those who are less skilled. He or she will often not proactively make exercise progressions out of fear of appearing
too competitive. The insecure-external personality will also search for hidden meaning when receiving praise and will tend to take direct coaching cues as criticism rather than coaching. He or she will tend to take a longer time to trust you. The word divert describes the approach you should take to coaching the insecure-external training personality. Because this person wants to blend in, you want to keep attention away from him or her. Never volunteer this person for a demonstration. In large group training settings, cue the entire group of people at the training station rather than speaking directly to the client. When you must get personal with your coaching, keep it brief; dont draw any unnecessary attention to the person. When speaking with the client before or after the training session, build rapport and establish trust by talking about topics unrelated to training; let the client know you care about him or her as an individual in order to build trust. Giving praise to insecure-external personality types is often tricky. It is best to avoid any compliments that are comparative by nature. If you are comparing them to other people, it could lead to an unwanted sense of competitiveness that amplifies the insecurity. If you are comparing them to their own past performance, they might be worried that you are paying too close attention to them, they may question the sincerity of your past compliments, or they might simply feel bad about what their performance was like previously. Praise in a group setting may make them feel like you are drawing unnecessary attention to them, so keep it brief and non-specific, and dont go over the top. For example, Keep up the good work, Erin! or Your squat is looking good! If giving praise in a more personal setting, change the compliment around to reflect some sort of positive effect they are having on you. Your dedication to training always makes me feel good about what I do.
Insecure-Internal: Encourage
A client who is insecure with exercise and focused on internal stimuli will typically demonstrate the following characteristics. This client will often have a strong negative emotion that is associated with exercise due to a past experience (injury, pain, humiliation, etc.) and will likely be overwhelmed with thoughts of past failures. The client focuses more on what he is unable to do rather than what he can do. He or she will be hesitant to make progressions with exercises because he honestly believes he cannot do them or will get hurt doing them. He or she will tend to view goals as too daunting to accomplish, being unable to break them down into stepwise progressions. The insecure-internal personality will often compare himself to others in a negative way, having thoughts such as, I can never be as fit as him. He or she will also tend to process new information poorly, viewing it all as too confusing. These clients are typically slowest to pick up new movements.
Coaching Approach for Different Personality Types Personality Type Externally focused Internally focused Confident Exerciser Feature Challenge Insecure Exerciser Divert Encourage
The word encourage describes the approach you should take to coaching the insecure-internal training personality. When communicating, adopt a calm and personal style. When giving praise, speak directly to the client, and focus on progress, letting him know you are proud of something specific he has improved upon. Never compare the person to others. When giving cues, focus on only one cue at a time rather than giving several, having the client focus on making one small improvement until it is corrected. When suggesting progressions, let him know you believe in him, but give him the option not to progress immediately or to return to an exercise he feels more comfortable with after trying it out. Whenever significant progress is made, particularly in group settings, be sure to praise in front of the group so that they may offer additional praise and encouragement. The keys to coaching insecure-internal training personalities is giving them control over their own progress and praising them when they make improvements.
Visual 3.2: Coaching approach for different personality types
Additional Considerations
The four categories are meant to serve as a guide for how you should approach coaching different types of personalities. However, you may find that the majority of the clients you work with may be very similar. The overall atmosphere and culture of your training center may result in almost everyone acting, behaving, or thinking the same way about themselves, each other, and training. A great team atmosphere is infectious and can give everyone confidence. However, it is always important to make note of anybody who doesnt fit the mold so that you can change your style and not leave any clients feeling like they arent being respected or taken care of. What is equally as important as learning how to coach other people is finding your own style. Rather than try to adopt another coachs style, find your own voice. What makes you the most comfortable? Do you feel genuine when giving coaching cues? Do other people get excited when you are working with them? Do you have more fun coaching a certain way? It may take time to find your style, and you should constantly re-evaluate it to best serve your needs and the needs of your clients.
Chapter 4 Movement Patterns: Performance, Coaching, Cues, and Modification
Chapter 4: Movement Patterns | 95
W
Bilateral Patterns
Movement Patterns
hile there are many ways to categorize movement patterns, this text has been organized in such a way so as to group patterns into categories that are functionally similar and provide simplicity for coaching. It is important to keep in mind that the patterns, performance descriptions, and cues given in this section are not the only way that exercises can be categorized, performed, or coached. This text is an introductory resource and is designed so that you will be able to work with general fitness clients in most situations.
Lower Body Patterns
For the lower body, you can categorize the major movement patterns as unilateral (single leg) or bilateral (double leg).
Hip Dominant vs. Knee Dominant
Hip dominant exercises are those that put more emphasis on the posterior chain muscles of the lower body (primarily the gluteus maximus and the hamstrings). Knee dominant exercises put more emphasis on the quadriceps. However, while having these discrete categories is mentally convenient, it is important to note that lower body exercises do exist along a continuum. Some exercises, like the trap-bar deadlift, for example, are not necessarily hip or knee dominant. In fact, in other instances, an exercise traditionally considered hip dominant can become knee dominant (and vice versa) if the setup and the execution of the exercise is altered or manipulated or if the client is compensating for a weakness. Therefore, it is important that Bilateral Lower Body Patterns Hip dominant Knee dominant Example Exercise Deadlift Front squat
Visual 4.1: Lower body patterns and example exercises
Unilateral Lower Body Patterns Offset True single leg
Example Exercise Split squat Single leg squat to box
the fitness coach be aware that deviations from standard form will have an effect on the musculature involved. Please also note that deviations from standard are not always negative, as a coach may manipulate form on purpose to get a different training effect.
Performance and Cueing
Despite the number of different bilateral lower body exercises and all the possible variations of each of those exercises, most are very similar in terms of performance and cueing. The similarities will be noted here. For a more thorough description of the execution of individual exercises, please see the Appendix.
Tripod Foot
Visual 4.2: Athlete prepares for tripod foot positioning
Tripod foot is a strong and stable foot position where body weight is balanced among three points of contact with the ground the 1st metatarsal head, the 5th metatarsal head, and the heel. Maintaining tripod foot will help to ensure that all muscles up the entire kinetic chain will be properly engaged and recruited at the right times and with the appropriate amount of strength. Allowing the weight to shift during the performance of the activity will alter which muscles are recruited. For example, if weight is shifted toward the toes, the quadriceps and hip adductors will be preferentially recruited at the expense of the glutes and hamstrings. Oftentimes, a coach may cue to drive through the heels. This is desirable in many scenarios and can be thought of as a valid cue as well, especially if trying to correct a client who shifts his or her weight forward.
Buddha Belly, Steel Core
Buddha belly is a colloquial term for deep diaphragmatic breathing, which involves a contraction of the diaphragm, a muscle located between the chest and stomach cavities. Diaphragmatic breathing increases intra-abdominal pressure and helps stabilize the lumbar spine. To breathe with the diaphragm, a person has to take a breath in a way which expands the core and not the chest. This is different than shallow or rib-cage breathing which will be marked by a visible rise and fall of the rib cage. A physical cue for diaphragmatic breathing is to place your hand on your clients belly and ask them to breath into your hand. With a strong belly breath, you should also be able to feel an expansion on the sides and at the low back. The steel core cue goes hand in hand with the Buddha belly cue as the goal of both is to increase intra-abdominal pressure and stabilize the lumbar spine. Steel core is a cue for abdominal bracing which is a technique that activates all the muscles of the core. A physical cue for steel core is to place your finger on your clients obliques and quickly and firmly rake it up and down until he pushes them out or tenses them up against you. (This will be uncomfortable, so ask your client ahead of time for permission.)
Chest Up, Ribs Down
The chest up cue is meant to combat the general tendency of clients to round their shoulders forward, collapse their chest, round their thoracic spine, and lose their neutral lumbar curve when performing lower body exercises, especially when under load. This usually happens when attempting to get more range of motion. The problem with this is two-fold. First, this collapsed position is not as strong or as stable, so pounds are usually sacrificed. Second, losing the neutral lumbar curve places clients at a much greater risk of injury. The chest up cue will help keep clients in a strong, stable position, allowing them to also generate greater force for the lift. The issue with the chest up cue alone is that many people will hyperextend their lumbar spines rather than getting range of motion through their thoracic vertebrae to achieve the chest up posture. This not only causes improper alignment of the pelvis, but also, it causes the lower ribs to flare out. For all of the core muscles (including the diaphragm) to work in an optimal fashion, the diaphragm should be aligned directly over the pelvic floor. If the lumbar spine is hyperextended and the lower ribs are flared, then this alignment will be altered. The ribs down command in conjunction with chest up will help cue the client to extend at the thoracic spine rather than hyperextend the lumbar spine. As a physical cue, place your hand on your clients lower ribs while giving the chest up cue. If you feel the ribs sticking out, give the ribs down cue. You should feel the ribs go down, and ideally, the person would maintain a neutral lumbar curve. Practice may be necessary to find the ideal balance.
Visual 4.3: Athlete assumes chest up positioning and demonstrates rib flare
Pack the Neck (Double Chin), Eyes Up
During lower body movements, people have a tendency to hyperextend their necks while descending. This is not only undesirable to the neck (gets people out of neutral), but also it causes an extensor reflex which results in selective engagement of the lower back muscles over the glutes and hamstrings. The cue pack the neck or the double chin cue will serve as a reminder for clients to maintain a neutral neck position while performing various movement patterns. Clients should also keep their eyes up. This will help prevent them from flexing their neck, collapsing their chest, or losing the neutral lumbar position. To physically cue for a neutral neck, take a PVC pipe or a broomstick and place it on your client when he is standing. Ideally, there would be three points of contact when in neutral the back of the head, the upper back, and the sacrum. Then, have the person perform a movement while keeping the PVC pipe pressed against him. The three points of contact should remain intact.
Hips Back, Knees Out
Visual 4.4: Pack the neck with PVC proprioceptive assistance
For the majority of bilateral lower body movements, the hips should break before the knees. In other words, movement should be initiated with the hips shifting posteriorly, not with the knees bending. The fitness professional can use the term hips back to cue this motion. Additionally, the hip hinge can be taught to physically cue the hips back movement. To teach the hip hinge, have your client stand with his back towards a wall, approximately one foot away from it. Have him sit back and touch his butt to the wall while maintaining a neutral lumbar spine. (The knees are allowed to bend slightly.) Additionally, you may place an object between his feet on the floor, and ask him to pick it up by touching his butt to the wall. For clients who are quadriceps dominant, there is often a tendency to allow the knees to collapse inward or rotate internally during performance of a lower body movement. This is undesirable as it places the knee at a much greater risk or injury and also places the hip in a position where the glutes and hamstrings are less active. Clients should actively be pushing their knees out as they go through the pattern. The fitness professional can assist by giving the knees out cue. As a physical cue, the fitness professional can place his hand on the outside of the clients knee and apply a slight inward pressure which the client would resist as he also hears the knees out verbal cue.
Hips
Clients should finish each lift by extending their hips (0 degrees of hip flexion). Often times, people have a tendency to stop short while performing lower body exercises, leaving them in a hips-flexed position. The hips command is a simple cue to remind them to finish each repetition with a strong contraction of the glutes. If clients have trouble with the short cue, the fitness professional may try squeeze
the butt, as it is more visceral. Pop the hips or drive through the top may elicit a stronger response as well in clients who show a weak contraction. As a physical cue, the fitness professional should have the client stand tall with good posture and squeeze the glutes (while maintaining a neutral lumbar spine) so he can experience what the end of each rep should feel like when performed properly.
Bilateral Lower Body Coaching Cheat Sheet Performance Description Ideally, weight should be evenly distributed throughout movement among three points of contact on each foot 1st and 5th metatarsal heads and the heel. However, to correct for quad dominance, certain clients should put more emphasis on pulling through the heel To stabilize the lumbar spine, the diaphragm should be engaged and all the core muscles should be stiffened The lumbar spine should remain in neutral throughout the movement, and lower rib flare should not be present Verbal Cue Physical Cue
Tripod foot OR drive through the heel
N/A
Buddha belly, steel core
Place your hand on the belly of your client and give the Buddha belly cue; for steel core, firmly and rapidly rake your finger up and down the obliques until they tense up Place your hand on the lower ribs on the front of the body. Give the ribs down cue if there is rib flare Place a PVC pipe along your clients back. In neutral position, there should be three points of contact- the back of the head, the thoracic spine, and the sacrum. The PVC pipe can be used as a cue during any phase of movement provided the client is not under load
Chest up, ribs down
The neck should remain in a neutral position throughout movement and the eyes should be looking up
Pack the neck (double chin), eyes up
The majority of bilateral lower body movements begin with the hips shifting posteriorly. During movement, the knees should not collapse inwards or rotate internally
Hips back, knees out
For hips back, have your client stand with his back towards a wall, approximately one foot away, and ask him to pick something up off the floor by touching his butt to the wall. For knees out, place your hand outside the knee and apply a slight inward force asking the client to push his knees out against it during movement Have the client stand tall with good posture and squeeze the glutes (while maintaining a neutral lumbar spine) so he can experience what the end of each rep should feel like when performed properly
Lifts should be finished with a strong contraction of the glutes, returning the hips to 0 degrees of flexion
Hips OR squeeze the butt
Visual 4.5: Bilateral lower body cheat sheet
Parallel Feet
When performing a split stance exercise, keeping the front foot and trailing foot parallel to each other will help ensure that the hips remain square and level. If there is a tendency of the feet to rotate, there may be a mobility restriction at the hip that prevents full range of motion without the rotation. (It is less important to have parallel feet during exercises where the trailing foot is elevated as long as the hips remain square.) As a physical cue, the fitness professional should place the rotated foot back in parallel between reps.
Balance, Drive Through the Heel
With single-leg exercises, it is important that the client is not allowed to pronate. In pronation, where the load is shifted medially, the quadriceps and adductors are preferentially recruited over the glutes and hamstrings. This position also may increase valgus stress at the knee joint, which is undesirable. The fitness professional should use the term balance so that the client can distribute weight more evenly across the foot. Removing the clients front shoe should give them more proprioceptive feedback on how his weight is distributed. Additionally, the drive through the heel cue can be used to preferentially recruit the glutes and hamstrings, which is often a desirable result. (On the contrary, pushing off the toes would preferentially recruit the quadriceps. This is not necessarily undesirable; it depends on the needs of the client.) With bilateral lower body exercises, the concept of tripod foot was introduced. Most clients should focus on driving through the heel in single-leg exercises; however, this may be a valid cue for certain advanced clients.
Headlight Hips
While performing any single-leg exercise, the hips should remain facing forward and should be square. The reason is that clients should be getting range of motion through their hips, not their spines. If the hips are unable to stay square, it may be a sign of poor core strength or poor hip mobility. The verbal command headlight hips will help cue clients to keep their hips square. In addition, if the hips arent square, the fitness professional can place them in the square position between reps.
Visual 4.6: Hip hike, typically due to gluteus medius weakness, is easier to spot in standing but is evident here in a single leg stance/hip flexion position. Note how non-support hip opens toward ceiling to decrease isometric load on stance leg abductors
Hips Level
The hips should also remain level on both sides of the body. If the hip of the working leg is weak (particularly the gluteus medius), then that hip will hike up during movement. A verbal cue is unlikely to correct this. This is something that needs to be corrected with remedial exercise such as targeted gluteus medius training or decreasing the range of motion of the exercise.
Get Tall
Unlike in bilateral lower body exercises, the torso should remain upright in split-stance exercises. A verbal cue that will both help prevent forward lean and also promote a neutral spine in split stance exercises is get tall. As a physical cue, the fitness professional should place his hand gently on the clients head when giving the verbal cue. For true single-leg exercises such as single-leg squats, the chest up cue may be more valid, although chest up can typically be used for either situation.
Knee Out
As is always the case, the fitness professional should not allow the clients knee to cave or rotate inwards. The knee out cue should be given to help prevent this. In addition, the fitness professional can place his hand on the outside of the clients knee and apply a slight pressure when giving the verbal cue to help facilitate compliance. Unilateral Lower Body Coaching Cheat Sheet Performance Description For split-stance exercises, the feet should stay parallel to one another throughout movement The front foot should not pronate, and in most cases, clients should return to the starting position by pulling through the heel The hips should remain facing forward and be square throughout the entire movement The hips should be level; the working legs hip should not hike upward The spine should remain in neutral position throughout movement and the shoulders should not round Verbal Cue Parallel feet Physical Cue If a foot turns in or out during movement, place it back in parallel between reps
Balance, drive through the heel OR tripod foot
Remove the front shoe
Headlight hips
If hips arent square, place them in a square position between reps
N/A
Reduce the range of motion
Get tall (split stance); chest up (true single leg)
For split stance exercises, place your hand gently on someones head while giving verbal cue
The knee should remain in line with the foot and hip throughout the entire movement
Knee out
Place your hand on the outside of the knee and give verbal cue
Visual 4.7: Unilateral lower body cheat sheet
Upper Body Patterns
For the upper body, you can categorize the major movement patterns as horizontal or vertical and as push or pull. When combined, this gives you four major movement patterns. The following table lists a sample exercise for each category.
Whether pushing or pulling in any direction, proper positioning of the thoracic spine, scapulae, and arms are crucial to safe and effective upper body movement. Additionally, maintaining a neutral lumbar spine and neutral neck continue to remain priorities.
Chest Up, Blades Down and Back
Extension of the thoracic spine allows for the scapulae to move freely along the rib cage. The chest up cue is meant to facilitate thoracic extension. The blades down and back cue is given at different times for different movements. For most horizontal pushes and pulls, this position is usually held at all times. (The main exception is with the push-up, where natural protraction of the scapula is allowed when returning to the starting position.) For vertical pushes and pulls, the blades down and back cue is given in the bottom position. When the arms move overhead, the scapulae should be free to upwardly rotate. As a physical cue, place your hand between the clients shoulder blades around the mid to upper back while giving the verbal cue.
Visual 4.8: Upper body pattern variations

Upper Body Patterns Push Pull Horizontal Push up Barbell bent-over row Vertical Dumbbell shoulder press Pull up
Lats Locked OR Lats Locked, Elbows Down
The primary shoulder extensor is the latissimus dorsi muscle. When the arms are nearing the body (i.e. the shoulders are extending), the client should actively engage the lats, pulling the arms into extension. When the chest is up and the scapulae are being held down and back, the lats locked cue will help to ensure proper arm position. As a physical cue, while your client has his chest up and his scapulae down and back, place your near the back of his armpit. Ask him to squeeze your finger back. This will allow him to experience what engaging the lats feels like. In addition, during horizontal push exercises, the elbows should remain roughly between 30 and 60 degrees of abduction and should not be allowed to flare out. The lats locked, elbows down cue or simply elbows down should serve as a reminder to clients.
Buddha Belly, Steel Core Pack the Neck
Covered previously in this chapter.
The pack the neck cue can also be given for most upper body patterns. In addition to what was covered previously in this chapter, another physical cue which may be more appropriate for upper body exercises involves gently placing two fingers on the clients chin and asking him to make a double chin. The client should then be asked to hold that position throughout the upper body movement. The PVC pipe may also still be used.
Upper Body Coaching Cheat Sheet Performance Description Thoracic extension should be maintained for upper body movements. Most upper body movements should also involve having the shoulder blades being held down and back at some point during the movement Verbal Cue Physical Cue
Chest up, blades down and back
Place your hand between the shoulder blades on the clients mid to upper back while giving the verbal cue
When the arms are near the body, the chest is up, and the shoulder blades are down and back, the lats should also be actively pulling the arm into extension. For horizontal pushes, the arms should remain roughly between 30 and 60 degrees of abduction and should not be allowed to flare out To stabilize the lumbar spine, the diaphragm should be engaged and all the core muscles should be stiffened
Lats locked OR lats locked, elbows down
While your client has his chest up and his scapulae down and back, place your near the back of his armpit. Ask him to squeeze your finger back. This will allow him to experience what engaging the lats feels like
Place your hand on the belly of your client and give the Buddha belly cue; for steel core, firmly and rapidly rake your finger up and down the obliques until they tense up If the verbal cue alone is not working, gently place two fingers on the clients chin and ask him to make a double chin. The client should then be asked to hold that position throughout the movement. A PVC pipe can also be placed on the clients back in some instances. Neutral position is when it is in contact with the sacrum, thoracic spine, and the back of the head.
The neck should remain in a neutral position throughout movement
Pack the neck (double chin)
Visual 4.9: Upper body coaching cheat sheet
Core Stability Patterns
Visual 4.10: Core stability patterns

Core Stability Patterns Anti-extension Anti-flexion Anti-lateral flexion Anti-rotation
When boiled down to the least common denominator, the role of the core muscles is not to create movement (e.g. sit-up or crunch), but to stabilize the lumbar spine in its natural curve. Therefore, this text will break core training down into the following patterns: anti-extension, anti-flexion, anti-lateral flexion, and anti-rotation. (Exercises for the diaphragm and pelvic floor can also be considered core training; however, additional training methods for these will not be included in this text.) Core training can also be further divided into isolative (core stability is the primary purpose of the exercise) and integrated (core stability is a major component of performing the exercise) patterns. The following table lists a sample exercise for each category.
Isolative Front plank Isometric back extension Side plank Pallof press
Integrative Standing barbell shoulder press Deadlift Suitcase deadlift Single arm dumbbell bench press
Core stability exercises will all typically involve the following components.
Buddha Belly, Steel Core Squeeze the Butt Pack the Neck
Covered previously in this chapter.
While performing any isolative core stability exercise, the glutes should be actively engaged in addition to the core muscles. Covered previously in this chapter.
Core Stability Coaching Cheat Sheet Performance Description To stabilize the lumbar spine, the diaphragm should be engaged and all the core muscles should be stiffened
The client should be actively engaging the glutes
Verbal Cue
Physical Cue Place your hand on the belly of your client and give the Buddha belly cue; for steel core, firmly and rapidly rake your finger up and down the obliques until they tense up
N/A If the verbal cue alone is not working, gently place two fingers on the clients chin and ask him to make a double chin. The client should then be asked to hold that position throughout the movement. A PVC pipe can also be placed on the clients back in some instances. Neutral position is when it is in contact with the sacrum, thoracic spine, and the back of the head
Squeeze the butt
The neck should remain in a neutral position throughout movement
Pack the neck (double chin)
Visual 4.11: Core stability coaching cheat sheet
Single Joint Patterns
Single joint patterns involve prime movers at primarily one joint. The biceps curl, chest fly, leg curl, and stiff-leg deadlift are all examples of single joint patterns. Single joint movement patterns are best thought of as regressions (see next section- Exercise Modifications) of the major upper body and lower body movement patterns (do not confuse regression with the word easy). For example, if a client is unable to use his gluteus maximus muscle during a squat or deadlift, a hip extension exercise such as a glute bridge might be used to retrain that muscular pattern. If that single joint exercise proved effective, a progression to a deadlift, an exercise that integrates the hip extension pattern, might then be appropriate. As regressions, single joint patterns are also effective in the early phases of rehabilitation. However, this is not to say that single joint patterns should only be used in situations where a client is unable to perform a more inclusive upper or lower body pattern. In bodybuilding, for example, it may be warranted in some instances to perform a higher volume of these single joint patterns during a training program in order to stimulate localized muscular hypertrophy. Depending on a persons training goal, the most effective exercise may not necessarily be the most progressive one, and there are certainly times when advanced clients might need to perform single joint patterns. However, considerations of which patterns to include are a function of program design and will not be discussed in this text.
As with most exercises, single joint exercises should be performed while maintaining proper posture. Cues covered previously in this chapter are likely relevant for these patterns as well.
Training Modifications Progressions and Regressions

One of the most important components of coaching in a live training session is being able to effectively modify exercises to fit the abilities of the client.
One of the most important components of coaching in a live training session is being able to effectively modify exercises to fit the abilities of the client. Some clients may be ready to progress where as others may need to regress (although you should never phrase it to a client that he or she is being regressed). The primary factor in determining if something is appropriate for a client is by evaluating form. If form breaks down to the point where a few simple verbal or physical cues cannot correct the problem, a regression is necessary to ensure client safety. On the other hand, if form is nearly perfect or is easily corrected with a few cues, a progression may be appropriate. Other factors that would require regressions would include the inability of a client to perform a repetition or an unnecessarily long recovery time between repetitions of an exercise.
The types of training modifications that can be made by a coach are listed below.
Load
Load is the amount of weight someone is lifting. In general, women will choose weights that are too light, and men will choose weights that are too heavy, but this is not always the case. This type of modification is common in all types of training settings.
Power
Power refers to the amount of work done per unit time. Assuming load and range of motion remain the same, power in a workout session simply refers to the speed at which someone performs the concentric action of a movement. Having a client explode through each repetition is also a common progression.
Time Under Tension
Time under tension refers to how long the prime movers of an exercise are actively contracting during a set. In other words, the total amount of time it takes to perform the concentric and eccentric portions of a set is the time under tension. This does not include rest time between repetitions. Manipulating time under tension is usually a matter of program design. However, in time-based circuits, encouraging someone to take less rest time between repetitions is one way to progress.
Set/Rep Scheme
Increasing the number of sets or the number of repetitions per set is also usually a part of program design. In personal and semiprivate training settings, a coach may want to increase or decrease the number of sets and reps in certain circumstances, but it is not common.
Rest Time Between Sets
Like several other modifications here, changing the amount of rest time between sets is usually a function of program design. For time-based circuits, this isnt a modifiable factor during a training session. It is also important to note that decreasing rest time between sets is a metabolic progression, something that isnt always desirable. Clients who have strength or power goals would likely not benefit from decreased rest time as it would adversely impact the load they could move.
Range of Motion
For some clients, mobility may be limited, and a decreased range of motion would be warranted. For example, many clients are not able to perform a squat to parallel while maintaining a neutral spine. When training this client, rather than removing squats from the program, having him perform a squat through a decreased range of motion would be valuable until he improved his mobility. On the other hand, some people would be able to progress by increasing the range of
motion on an exercise. In a step-up, for example, increasing the box height would be an appropriate progression provided the client could maintain appropriate form.
Total Body Involvement
How much total muscle the body uses is also something that can be manipulated. This involves changing which exercise is performed by the client. For example, a squat can be progressed to an overhead squat. A lunge can be progressed to an off-loaded lunge (weight is only held on only one side of the body instead of both sides). A biceps curl can be added to a step-up. The possibilities for increasing total body involvement are endless. Progressions like this are usually also a function of program design and planned out in advance, especially for large group training settings. However, there may be some room for modification like this within workouts. This works in the opposite direction as well. Regressions would show a decrease in total body involvement. For example, if someone was unable to deadlift properly due to a weak posterior chain, some single-joint glute strengthening exercises would be appropriate. Total body involvement progressions and regressions should be made with the clients goals in mind.
Chapter 5 Safety Considerations
Chapter 5: Safety Considerations | 113
Incidents and Injuries
hile taking a proactive approach to coaching will significantly improve the safety of the training program and greatly reduce injury risk, it is imperative that a coach also understand what actions to take when there are pre-existing concerns or when things do happen. In addition, a coach should be First Aid, CPR, and AED certified before being allowed to work with clients alone or by a certain date after employment, according to the policies of the training facility.
Life-Threatening Events Heart Attack
Knowing the signs of a heart attack is important for anyone working in fitness, especially when working with obese, sedentary, and older populations. The main symptom of a heart attack is chest pain that may radiate down the left arm, into the jaw, or across the back. The pain may come in waves or be a constant ache. The pain is not alleviated by a change in body position. Other symptoms may include shortness of breath, excess sweating, nausea, and fainting. When someone complains of any of these symptoms, immediately stop the workout and call 9-1-1 (if in the United States). Then, follow the directions of the 9-1-1 operator.
The main symptom of a heart attack is chest pain that may radiate down the left arm, into the jaw, or across the back.
Brain Aneurysm/Stroke
A brain aneurysm is the bulging of a blood vessel in the brain. Aneurysms are usually the result of thin, degenerating artery walls. Small aneurysms are often asymptomatic, but large aneurysms can press on nerves and brain tissue. Increased blood pressure during exercise may cause an aneurysm to bulge or rupture. Pressure from a bulging aneurysm can cause any number of issues, including pain above or behind the eye, double vision, or numbness or paralysis of one side of the face. A rupture (hemorrhagic stroke) might cause any of those symptoms but may also include headache (worst headache of my life) stiff neck, sensitivity to light, seizures, nausea and vomiting, or loss of consciousness. Symptoms of an aneurysm are very similar to a stroke. When someone complains of any of these symptoms, immediately stop the workout and call 9-1-1. Then, follow the directions of the 9-11 operator.
Blows to the Head
In training settings, a fall or contact with a person or weight are the most common cases where there may be a blow to the head. If a client hits his head or is hit in the head, the fitness professional should take note if the client loses consciousness or experiences headache, confusion, loss of memory, altered mental status, dizziness or loss of coordination, ringing of the ears, nausea or vomiting, or slurred speech. If there is a suspected neck injury along with the head injury, do not attempt to move the client. If you notice any of those signs or the patient has any of those symptoms, immediately stop the workout and call 9-1-1. Then, follow the directions of the 9-1-1 operator.
Chronic Conditions or Injuries
Clients may present with any number of chronic conditions or injuries. These should have been addressed before the client ever stepped into the training room during the initial assessment and health history questionnaire. However, sometimes a chronic condition presents itself (or is revealed) after someone begins training. Regardless, the coach should refer the client to a competent medical professional to be cleared for continuation with or participation in an exercise program. The coach may also work with the medical professional to modify the program to fit the clients needs as well.
Acute Injuries and Conditions Strains
A strain, which is also commonly referred to as a pulled muscle, is an injury to a muscle (or muscle tendon) in which its fibers are torn. This is usually a result of strenuous physical activity, especially in conditions where the participant isnt warmed up or is has not been adequately prepared for that level or type of activity. Strains vary in severity from Grades 1-3. Grade 1 strains are mild and require rest. Grade 3 strains are complete ruptures requiring surgery to repair. Strains are felt immediately by clients. Symptoms for Grade 1 and 2 sprains include pain and swelling, bruising, pain when the muscle is used, and pain when the muscle is stretched. There will also be muscle weakness. When a client shows these symptoms, the fitness professional should stop the clients workout and apply the R.I.C.E method: 1) Rest; 2) Ice; 3) Compression; 4) Elevation. The client should be advised to see his or her doctor before resuming activities involving the injured muscle. For severe Grade 2 and any Grade 3 strains, there will usually be a popping sound with the injury accompanied by severe weakness (grade 2) or complete inability to use the muscle at all (grade 3). There will also be significant pain and swelling. In these cases, the fitness professional should seek emergency medical assistance.
Sprains
A sprain is an injury to a ligament caused by an overstretching and tearing of that ligament (strain = muscle injury; sprain = ligament injury). Ligaments can be partially torn or fully torn. The most common sprains occur at the ankle (e.g. rolled ankle) and knee. Sprained ligaments result in immediate pain and swelling. As a general rule of thumb, the greater the pain and swelling, the more severe the injury. If your client is unable to bear weight on an injured leg, if the joint feels numb, or if the joint cannot be used, the ligament may have been completely torn. Follow the R.I.C.E. method in sprain situations. You should also advise your client to see a competent medical professional, especially if the pain or swelling does not subside after a few days.
Fractures
Broken bones are often the result of high force impacts or stress, such as from a fall. Fractures result in immediate pain, swelling, and bruising. Fractures are also usually accompanied by the inability to use the injured limb or bear weight. There may also be muscle spasms associated with a fracture. The severity of a fracture depends on location and type. All fractures, regardless of severity, should be given medical attention, even if they are not medical emergencies. The clients physician should be called in these instances. However, emergency help should be called for immediately if: 1) The person isnt breathing or moving; 2) There is heavy bleeding; 3) The bone breaks through the skin; 4) The limb is obviously deformed; 5) There is discoloration at the extremity (finger or toe) of an injured arm or leg; 6) The bone that is suspected to be broken is at the skull, in the neck, part of the back, or in the hip, pelvis, or upper leg. For first aid, stop any bleeding by applying pressure and wrapping it with a clean cloth or sterile bandage, immobilize the injured area above and below the fracture, and apply ice to limit swelling. Do not try to put the bone back into place. If the injury is severe, there are signs of shock, and the injury is not to the head, neck, or spine, (faintness, short and rapid breaths), have the person lie down with the head lower than the trunk and with the legs elevated.
Dislocations
A dislocation is a joint injury in which the bones comprising the joint are displaced from their original positions. The cause of a dislocation is usually the result of trauma such as from a fall or a collision. The most common dislocation for adults is at the shoulder. However, other commonly dislocated joints involve the hip and the thumb. The symptoms of a dislocated joint may include the joint being visibly out of place or discolored, limited in movement, swollen, painful (especially with movement or attempted joint loading or weight bearing).
If there is a suspected dislocation, medical help should be called for immediately. First aid for a dislocation is similar to that of a broken bone. The joint should not be moved (do not attempt to pop it back into place), as this can damage the joint and any of its surrounding tissues.
Skeletal Muscle Cramps
A muscle cramp is an involuntary and painful muscle contraction. Common causes of cramps during training include fatigue, dehydration, and electrolyte disturbances (low blood salt). The signs and symptoms of a muscle cramp are sudden muscle pain and tightness, and a visibly hard lump of muscle tissue. Immediate treatment for a muscle cramp includes stretching and massaging of the cramping muscle. Clients should also be given fluids with sufficient salt. Each cramp is different, and recovery time may vary due to lingering soreness.
Dehydration
Dehydration is defined as a 1% or greater loss of body weight due to fluid loss. It has an adverse effect on muscle strength, endurance, coordination, mental activity, and thermoregulation. Thirst is stimulated in humans at 1-2% of body weight lost (after people are already dehydrated). Early signs of dehydration in an exercising client include fatigue, flushed skin, complaints of burning in the stomach, light headedness, headache, dry mouth, and dry cough. If you notice these things, coaches should encourage their clients to take a break to drink plenty of water. Severe signs of dehydration include difficulty swallowing, stumbling, clumsiness, shriveled skin, sunken eyes, muscle cramps, and delirium. In these instances, the coach should cancel the clients exercise session, relocate to a cooler location, and give the client plenty to drink (a combination water and electrolyte beverage will be best). If symptoms dont resolve within 30 minutes, a doctor should be contacted.
Pain
Pain is a very vague term and can mean any number of things. When a client complains of pain, it is the coachs responsibility to ask follow-up questions. Sometimes the cause of pain may be obvious, but the point of asking questions isnt so that the coach can determine the cause. The purpose of questioning is so that the coach can take the right action or refer the client to the proper professional. Here are some questions that should be asked: Where does it hurt? Is it localized? Does it shoot somewhere?
When did it start hurting? Are you just sore from your last workout? Did this just start hurting? When does it hurt? Does it hurt during a specific movement? Does it hurt at rest? Pain that is due to delayed onset muscle soreness (muscle soreness that was a result of a previous workout) is typically mild and should not be a big concern. If the client claims that it is severe, the workout should be canceled. If there is localized pain due to a specific movement, that movement should be discontinued in favor of one that does not cause pain. If there is any shooting pain into the extremities, the client should be referred to a doctor or physical therapist. Pain at rest is a sign of either an acute injury or an underlying problem. Acute injuries should be treated as discussed throughout this section. For pain at rest that is not the result of an acute injury, the client should be referred to a doctor or physical therapist.
Cuts
Any cuts, scrapes, or minor open wounds suffered by a client should be treated with caution. Clients should treat their own cuts when possible (this should be the majority of cases). If you have to get involved, safety gloves must be worn. Stopping any bleeding is the first priority. Minor cuts and scrapes will usually stop bleeding on their own, but if they dont, gentle pressure should be applied, and if the wound is on an extremity, it should be elevated. The wound should then be cleaned with clear water, and the surrounding area should be cleaned with soap and water. After cleaning, a thin layer of antibiotic cream or ointment may be applied as well before the wound is covered. For serious or deep cuts (bleeding is excessive or out of control), emergency medical assistance should be called for immediately.
Other Complaints
Any other complaints from clients should be taken seriously. You should always err on the side of caution and stop the training session if necessary.
Safety Considerations For Coaches
Regardless of the incident, your primary responsibility is to make sure the environment is safe for everyone, including himself, before taking any other actions. When an incident occurs that leaves someone incapacitated, you should alert everyone in the immediate vicinity to briefly stop training. This will ensure that no additional people are hurt when someone is being attended. If it is safe to move the client (or the client is still mobile), the client should be relocated to a safer place so training can be resumed by everyone else. If there is
blood or bodily fluid, you must use proper protection (rubber gloves) and follow the first aid/CPR protocol. The area should also be blocked off until fluids can be cleaned up. You should also wear closed toed shoes at all times when in a training facility. Whenever necessary, you should also enlist the help of additional bystanders by calling out specific people and giving specific instructions. If you are injured as a coach and are still functional, take the same actions you would as if a client were injured. First, make sure the surrounding area is safe. Then, seek medical attention if necessary, and enlist the help of someone else. In addition, you should inform the manager or supervisor at your training facility as soon as possible.
Reporting
Without exception, all incidents that occur in a training environment should be documented and reported appropriately according to the policies and procedures of the training facility you are working. This will not only provide valuable information for all parties involved, but also it will serve as protection for you in the uncommon instance where litigation would be pursued.
Chapter 6 Nutrition Basics
Chapter 6: Nutrition Basics | 121
Introduction to Exercise Nutrition

It is essential that the fitness professional posses a fundamental understanding of the key concepts of exercise/ sports nutrition.
s a fitness coach, clients will sometimes ask you for advice on nutrition. As such, it is essential that the fitness professional posses a fundamental understanding of the key concepts of exercise/ sports nutrition. You should always keep in mind this basic exercise/sports nutrition paradigm for ideal mind and body performance: 1. Eat more whole food and drink plenty of natural fluids at the right times 2. Gain sustained energy 3. Train hard and train appropriately for body type and goals 4. Build muscle 5. Burn unnecessary fat This chapter will cover nutrition concepts and principles you should be aware of in order to handle questions with informed answers. For practical purposes, this text has also included the following:
Principles of Successful Everyday Nutrition for Clients Principle 1: Eat REAL, whole, unprocessed food as often as possible
If you couldnt hunt, fish, pluck, grow, or culture the food, you probably shouldnt eat it. If it comes in a box or a plastic wrapper, it probably isnt food; its a food product. Eat sparingly. Eat produce from local, seasonal, and sustainably grown sources.
Principle 2: Eat to keep your energy levels steady, which for most people means eating more often
This prevents overeating at meals and reduces temptation by foods that violate principle 1. In general, eat smaller meals every 3-4 hours.
Principle 3: Eat protein (animal or vegetable) with every main meal and most snacks
Protein can come from animal or vegetable sources. It produces satiety following a meal and promotes optimal fat-burning and muscle growth. Protein has a high thermic effect of feeding (TEF), requiring more calories to digest than do other nutrients.
Principle 4: Eat at least one vegetable and/or fruit every time you eat
They provide powerful anti-aging nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for ideal health. Choose mostly fresh or frozen produce, or use powdered forms if intake is low. Ideally choose three times more vegetables than fruits for optimal health and body composition.
Principle 5: Eat healthy fat and plenty of it
Fat is necessary for proper hormone production (testosterone, estrogen) and does not make you fat. Do not fear saturated fat, as long as it comes from natural, whole foods. Minimize consumption of vegetable oils (corn, cottonseed, soybean) found in most processed foods.
Principle 6: Drink mainly single-ingredient, low-calorie, natural beverages
Liquid calories do not produce satiety and can add up quickly. Most juices have added sweeteners and should be avoided. Your best choices include water, tea, coffee, and seltzer.
Principle 7: Be mindful of carbohydrate intake
Carbohydrates are ubiquitous in our diets and are easy to over-consume. They should be mainly from nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Grains should be whole (rice, barley, quinoa, buckwheat), not flour products or dry cereals.
Principle 8: Utilize supplementation when appropriate
Supplements should be used to enhance not replace a healthy, balanced diet. Best basic choices include a multi-vitamin/mineral, vitamin D3, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein powder.
Principle 9: Live a little!
Break the rules once in a while! Just understand that once in a while is not a daily occurrence. Do not fear eating a piece of cake or a few potato chips; just do not make a habit of it.
Carbohydrate Nutrition
When people hear the word carbohydrates, most think of loaves of bread, plates of pasta, or baskets of cookies, but fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and some dairy products also have carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are one of the major macronutrients in our diets, and like protein, provide 4 kcals energy per gram. Carbs are not essential nutrients and can be created from other nutrients in our bodies, but they can make up a large proportion of our diets and are a useful fuel for exercise. Carbohydrates have a distinct molecular structure by which they can be further classified as a sugar, starch, or fiber. Common sugars include glucose, fructose (found mostly in fruit and sweeteners), and galactose (in milk). Common starches are amylose and amylopectin (in grains and cereals). Fibers include pectin (in apples) and cellulose (in many vegetables). Sugar alcohols are sugar substitutes identified by the suffix itol (i.e. sorbitol). These synthetic sweeteners are barely absorbed in the intestines, so while technically carbohydrates, they have a fraction of the caloric content. Starches and sugars (but not fiber) are broken down by the small intestine to individual sugar units, which are absorbed by the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream. Your bodys cells use the sugars as a source of energy. What your cells cannot use, your muscles and liver store as glycogen, a branched chain of glucose units. However, since you have only a limited amount of muscle and liver space in which to store glycogen, your liver will convert most excess sugar into fat. Therefore, controlling carbohydrate intake is prudent for clients who wish to change body composition. Carbohydrate foods containing fiber arent broken down as easily by your body and have less chance to affect your body fat levels. Highfiber carbohydrate foods are more satiating than low-fiber ones and help promote proper bowel movements, removing waste and toxins from the body. Carbohydrate foods containing mostly sugars are quick-digesting and referred to as simple carbohydrates. Foods that contain simple carbohydrates are often processed: breakfast cereals, granola bars, many fruit juices, and candy. Because the sugar is immediately available for use or storage, simple carbs are more likely to be converted to fat. Complex carbohydrates (found in protein- and fat-rich beans, nuts, and seeds, as well as sprouted grains and colorful vegetables) are broken down slowly and contain high amounts of fiber or resistant starch. They are less likely to be stored as body fat because they deliver a smaller, steadier influx of energy. Starchy foods (grains, potatoes, corn, etc.) are also complex carbs, but unlike fiber, they are broken down more easily to sugar and may have more of an impact on body fat levels.
Since you have only a limited amount of muscle and liver space in which to store glycogen, your liver will convert most excess sugar into fat.
If a client does not like high-fiber foods, another way to increase digestion time of carbohydrates is to combine them with foods that contain proteins, fats, and/or dietary fiber (i.e. flax, chia seeds, or nuts). These nutrients slow down the movement of food from the stomach into the intestines and, consequently, the blood stream. When digestion time is lengthened, energy is slowly and steadily supplied, keeping clients more in control of mood, stamina, and hunger. This is why mixed meals of carbs, proteins, and fats are important for keeping energy levels stable and promoting ideal body composition.
Carbohydrates and Exercise
After a long or intense exercise session, 1-1.5 g carbohydrate per kg bodyweight each hour of rapid-digesting carbohydrates (simple carbs) are ideal within 1-4 hours of finishing.
In the mid-1960s, it was thought that glycogen (stored carbohydrate in muscle and liver) was necessary to fuel all types of exercise and that carbs would provide energy to fight fatigue. As a result, people would eat large volumes of carbohydrates each day in an attempt to pump up muscle-glycogen levels as much as possible. This eating strategy, known as glycogen (or carb) loading supersaturates muscle glycogen levels, delays glycogen depletion, and prolongs the onset of fatigue, thereby improving performance. However, this strategy is best served for long endurance events (> 2 hours) rather than daily exercise. We now know that such carbohydrate loading before an athletic event is not always necessary. Very high-carbohydrate diets will either displace important protein, dietary fat, and micronutrients, or cause total caloric intake to be greater than energy requirements, leading to unwanted weight gain in most people. Today, most exercising adults do very well with a diet of 4 to 10 grams of carbohydrate per kg bodyweight per day (to convert from pounds to kg, divide by 2.2). Women, strength-training athletes, and people doing moderate exercise should consume on the lower end. Also, fewer carbs are needed on less active or rest days. Clients who participate in endurance sports utilize much more carbohydrate than our everyday exerciser or strength athlete does. Long-distance endurance athletes often benefit from carbohydrate intake before, during, and after exercise and an overall higher carbohydrate intake. In addition, protein and carbohydrate together promote greater muscle glycogen levels, protein repair, and protein synthesis than carbohydrate alone, so adding a protein source preworkout, during training, and post-exercise is a good idea. After a long or intense exercise session, 1-1.5 g carbohydrate per kg bodyweight each hour of rapid-digesting carbohydrates (simple carbs) are ideal within 1-4 hours of finishing. Several products exist on the sports nutrition market today to meet these needs. For example, a high-glycemic, very high molecular weight, starch supplement (i.e. Vitargo S2) following glycogen-depleting exercise appears to
stimulate greater glycogen re-synthesis and improved performance in a subsequent exercise bout compared to a typical low-glycemic sports drink. During intense activity lasting > 1-2 hrs, some athletes will benefit from carbohydrate ingestion. Sports gels, drinks, and solid foods containing glucose and fructose lead to more energy and greater performance during exercise compared to glucose alone or water. Exercise sessions lasting more than one hour do not require fuel during activity but do require regular water intake, especially during hot and humid days. If the exerciser experiences blood sugar lows (hypoglycemia) during activity (manifested by shakiness, weakness, and nausea), explore what and when they ate before commencing their exercise session. An ideal pre-workout meal/snack for group exercises or strength-based activities would consist of a food containing protein, slow-digesting carbs, and fiber or fat taken in at least 1-3 hours before. Endurance athletes often take in a few more carbs and a bit less fat pre-exercise. Quick-digesting, simple carbs such as fruit before a workout session are not usually the best choice and often lead to hypoglycemia. In addition, some do well without food; ultimately, the client must decide what works for him or her.
Very Low-Carbohydrate Diets
Newly popular is the extreme dietary restriction of carbohydrates (i.e. <50 g per day), which results in a metabolic state of ketosis. These diets are commonly referred to as ketogenic diets or VLCKD (very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets). An increasing number of scientific studies support their health-promoting effects on fat loss and a myriad of clinical risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. With respect to exercise, research has shown that after adaptation to a VLCKD (2 to 6 weeks), the diet will not inhibit sub-maximal endurance capacity even in highly trained athletes, but it may not be optimal for higher-intensity exercise. VLCKD are most beneficial for individuals with characteristics indicative of metabolic syndrome (large waist size, high blood triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure), diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. These people are not likely to participate in high-intensity exercise, but instead more commonly engage in moderate-intensity or shorterduration physical activity, for which a VLCKD is more suited. Even a low-carbohydrate diet (<100-150 g of carbohydrate) can yield beneficial results beyond a typical low-fat, highcarbohydrate diet. Consequently, coaches should have no inhibitions recommending a VLCKD or low-carb diet, especially in cases of carbohydrate intolerance, as it does not harm physical ability and can work synergistically with exercise.
In addition, certain athletes, especially some physique athletes may benefit from VLCKD to maximize fat loss without compromising lean tissue mass and strength. The aesthetic potential of VLCKD was shown during a 6-week VLCKD research intervention in young men who actually increased lean body mass while decreasing fat mass. Thus, in certain sports where the emphasis is on body composition, VLCKD may have advantages over other diets.
Protein Nutrition
There is also a stigma attached to protein; when most people think of protein, they envision well-muscled bodybuilders drinking raw eggs or whey protein shakes. Protein has become well associated with exercise and muscle growth. However, there remains controversy over the safety of protein and dietary protein needs of different individuals. Protein, with an energy density of 4 kcal per gram, is an essential nutrient, meaning that we cannot create protein and must ingest it. Unlike the other macronutrients carbohydrate and fat, protein contains nitrogen atoms as part of its chemical structure, which gives rise to the term amino acid (nitrogen containing). Structurally, proteins consist of various combinations of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds, and the unique sequence of amino acids determines the shape and function of the protein. Different food proteins can vary widely in their amino acid profile, digestibility, and nutritional value. Complete dietary protein (dairy, eggs, meat, poultry, and fish) contains all nine essential amino acids, allowing for tissue growth and repair. Incomplete proteins (most plant proteins such as grains, lentils, beans, and nuts) lack one or more of the essential amino acids and are not capable of initiating growth in isolation. If not combined with complementary foods, they can lead to protein malnutrition. Soy, hemp, pea, and rice protein supplements are a complete plant protein. Visual 6.1 lists the various essential (must be obtained from the diet), conditionally essential (must be obtained from the diet under stressful conditions), and nonessential (can be produced by the body) amino acids. The branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), which are essential amino acids, are a popular topic in nutrition for their potential effects on weight loss and muscle growth. In one study, during a moderate protein (1.5 grams/kg bodyweight /day), low-carbohydrate (100-200 grams/day) diet, the increased intake of BCAA (especially leucine) had positive effects on muscle protein synthesis, insulin signaling, and sparing of glucose use, leading to more fat loss and sparing of lean tissue. BCAA are found in whey, eggs, and supplements.
As mentioned, protein is an essential nutrient, which means a certain amount is required each day for ideal health. In contrast, carbohydrate ingestion is not essential to survival, and so the proper intake depends on the needs and tolerance of the individual. To determine protein requirements, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA, now the Dietary Reference Intakes; DRI 2012) has relied on the nitrogen balance technique, in which nitrogen intake (from food) is compared to nitrogen output (from urine, sweat, and feces). However, nitrogen balance studies have historically overestimated nitrogen retention. For this reason, and because the RDA/DRI are based on data from sedentary people, some nutrition scientists have suggested that physically active individuals need more protein than is currently recommended. In addition, certain factors such as energy intake, exercise intensity, exercise duration, training status, and possibly gender can influence protein needs. Visual 6.2 lists the current RDA for protein for sedentary adults, along with values Essential Amino Acids Histidine Isoleucine* Leucine* Lysine Methionine Phenylalanine Threonine Tryptophan Valine*
Protein Requirements
Visual 6.1: Amino acids

*Branched-chain amino acid **Conditionally essential amino acid
Non-Essential Amino Acids Alanine Arginine** Asparagine Aspartic acid Cysteine** Glutamic acid Glutamine** Glycine** Proline** Serine Tyrosine**
Grams of protein/kg bodyweight/day Sedentary adult (19-70) Recreational exerciser (adult) Resistance trained (maintenance) Resistance-trained (gain muscle mass)* Endurance trained Intermittent, high intensity trained Weight-restricted sports 0.66 (0.3 g/lb) 1.0/1.4 (0.5-0.7 g/lb) 1.2-1.4 (0.6-0.7 g/lb) 1.4-1.8 (0.7-0.9 g/lb) 1.2-1.4 (0.6-0.7 g/lb) 1.2-1.8 (0.6-0.9 g/lb) 1.4-2.0 (0.7-1.0 g/lb)
Visual 6.2: Recommended protein intakes
considered prudent for physically active people (source: International Society of Sports Nutrition). Growing teens should add ~10% to all values. Individuals with known liver and/or kidney damage should refrain from excessive amounts of protein (>2.8 g/kg per day).Given that these recommendations suggest amounts higher than what the RDA/DRI outline, one may be concerned about the negative side effects of high protein intake. The purported adverse effects from excessive protein ingestion include increased risk of cardiovascular disease, impaired liver and kidney function, calcium loss, and dehydration. Dehydration aside, these claims are exaggerated and/or incorrect. The National Academy of Sciences and the Harvard School of Public Health have concluded that high protein diets do not appear to increase the risk for coronary heart disease. No research or subject data have yet shown any liver or kidney dysfunction in healthy individuals with high protein intake. Only those with known kidney or liver issues need to be careful and should work with a trained Registered Dietitian to determine the best dietary prescription. Dietary protein does increase urine acidity, and calcium might be drawn from bones to buffer the acid load. However, the phosphate content of protein foods (and supplements fortified with calcium and phosphorous) counteracts this effect, and recent studies have found a positive relationship between protein intake and bone health. Since inadequate protein intake itself can increase bone loss, exercising individuals should make sure they are obtaining at least the RDA for protein as well as adequate daily amounts of calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorous.
Finally, as the urea cycle processes dietary nitrogen from protein, water is eliminated via the urinary system, which can result in dehydration. Athletes ingesting extra protein should drink plenty of water and eat water-rich foods to maintain normal hydration.
Protein and Exercise
Although protein is not a major source of energy during most types of exercise, under special circumstances dietary protein and/ or certain amino acids can play very important roles in muscle metabolism and exercise performance. If carbohydrate stores become depleted, amino acids from protein can contribute up to 6% of the required energy. Protein intake prior to and following exercise is very important for maintaining ideal nitrogen balance, which preserves, protects, and develops muscle proteins. Increased muscle protein leads to greater metabolic gains and fat loss. Still, some clients may need to be reassured that ingesting protein before and after workouts will not make them bulk up. Within 30 minutes of beginning and ending exercise, consuming at least 20 grams of high-quality protein (i.e. whey) greatly helps promote ideal muscle recovery and gains in strength and lean body mass. This is stimulated principally by the 3 grams of leucine found in roughly 20 grams or more of high-quality protein. Adding carbohydrate along with the protein can also assist in protein and glycogen synthesis so that the next exercise session (within 2448 hours) is not compromised. Though carbohydrate tolerance varies among individuals, most can handle 20-60 g of carbohydrate following exercise; in intolerant clients, post-workout carbohydrate ingestion can be reduced or eliminated altogether.
Dietary Fat Nutrition
Many people cringe at hearing the word fat for fear of becoming fat themselves and of developing chronic obesity-related diseases. Our national nutrition governing organizations have intensified this antipathy by claiming dietary fat to be the reason behind our declining health. With all the marketing of fat-free and low-fat foods, it is hard not to fear fat. However, this perception is incorrect and can compromise proper nutrition. In recent years, research has exonerated fat from blame, and our governing bodies are starting to modify their recommendations. The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends a moderate (formerly low) intake of total fat, and the Harvard School of Public Health has published a radically changed eating pyramid. It flips healthy fat sources like olive oil and nuts now near the plentiful bottom - with refined carbohydrate like white bread and pasta . More specific to fat type, academics are discussing saturated fatty acids (not all are equally bad), trans fats, monounsaturates, specialty nutraceutical fats, and the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in the diet.
Fat Structures and Types
Edible fats in our diets are made up of millions of tiny molecules called triglycerides. Each triglyceride looks like a capital letter E. The long spine of the E is a molecule called glycerol, and each arm is a molecule called a fatty acid. Each glycerol has three arms (fatty acids), hence the name triglyceride. When triglycerides are broken down by the body for energy, they provide 9 kcals/gram, which is partly why they are incorrectly thought to contribute more to obesity than protein or carbs (4 kcals/gram). The body easily stores fat from food in the form of triglycerides in muscle or fat cells, but this stored fat is also used to supply energy during exercise or times of fasting. In addition, fatty acids are necessary for important reactions and processes in the body such as the creation of hormones, bone growth, and controlling inflammation. Fatty acids are links of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules strung together in different combinations. The types of fatty acids are saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans. Each triglyceride can be slightly different because its arms can be made of these different fatty acids. Foods that are high in saturated fats or unsaturated fats will have more saturated or unsaturated fatty acids in them, yet all foods are mixtures of various fatty acids (hence, a food high in saturated fat like steak also contains monounsaturated fatty acids). The difference between the fatty acids is determined by the chemical bonds between carbon atoms. Saturated fats have single bonds between each carbon, monounsaturated fats have one double bond, and polyunsaturated fats have two or more double bonds. See Visual 6.3. These bonds change how the fatty acids behave in your body and how they exist in our environment. Saturated fatty acids become solid and stiff at room temperature (i.e. butter and coconut oil). The latest research shows that these fats are not as bad as nutrition organizations once thought, and they do not carry the same disease-promoting risks when found in a wholefood diet. This doesnt mean that your clients should eat sticks of butter; rather, it means that the saturated fatty acids that are found naturally in foods, like certain animal products and tropical oils, are not dangerous. It also means that clients dont have to drink skim milk or avoid red meat if they dont want to. A small amount of saturated fat is not unhealthy or fattening as long as it comes from whole food sources, but if it comes from processed food sources like cakes, cookies, and packaged goods, the health benefits are negated. Monounsaturated fatty acids are liquid or soft at room temperature and are found in foods like olives, avocados, nuts, seeds, and egg yolks. These fats are a featured part of the famous Mediterranean Diet. Monounsaturated fats, also sometimes called omega-9 fats, are easy for our body to use as an energy source because they are oxidized easily. In fact, a recent study shows that exercise increases the metabolism of monounsaturated fat more
than saturated fat. This means that more fat can be burned for fuel during and after exercise when you eat a diet containing foods rich in monounsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are liquid at room temperature and are found in many foods from both plant and animal sources. There are two types of polyunsaturated fats, omega-3s and omega-6s, which are both essential in our diet (meaning our bodies cannot produce them). The difference between these fatty acids is their chemical structure (See Visual 6.4). Omega-3s have a double carbon bond located 3 carbons from the omega () end of the fatty acid chain, while omega6s have a double bond 6 carbon units away.
Visual 6.3: A triglyceride
Visual 6.4: Omega-3 and Omega-6 FA Structure
The omega-3s are found only in a few plant foods, certain fish and seafood, and specially raised omega-3 eggs. Fish oil and krill oil are rich in two omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, which are harder to obtain in the diet and are the most potent omega-3 fatty acids, whereas plant-sourced omega-3s typically contain the less effective ALA. Omega-3 fats play a pivotal role in maintaining good health. Increased quantities of omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA, have been associated in clinical trials with lower rates of cancer, depression, mental illness, adverse pregnancy outcomes, infectious disease, osteoporosis, lung disease, menstrual pain, cognitive decline, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, menstrual problems, Crohns disease, and cystic fibrosis. They can also help control body fat, increase fat oxidation, and reduce inflammation. Cutting out fat-containing foods from your diet worsens your omega-3 status, robbing you of these benefits. The omega-6 fatty acids are found in the highest quantities in vegetable oils like corn, soybean, and safflower oil. The omega-6s also make up most of the polyunsaturated fat found in land-based animals. Because omega-6s are found in so many of the foods that we eat, we usually get enough of these fats in our diet to meet our needs, so extra supplementation is not needed. In contrast to omega3s, omega-6 fats tend to promote inflammation in the body, which is tied to many different diseases. Our optimal diet should contain a nearly-equal ratio of the proinflammatory, obesity-related omega-6s, and anti-inflammatory, weight-reducing omega-3s. Because corn and soybean oil are added to many food products, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the typical Western Diet weighs heavily towards the omega-6s. To balance out these two types of polyunsaturated fats, you should tell your clients to avoid added corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, or sunflower oil in foods; make sure they eat lots of fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts; and use canola or olive oil for salad dressings and when cooking. They should also supplement 1-3 grams of omega-3 fish oil or krill oil in capsule form. Visual 6.5 shows foods containing omega-3s and omega-6s, with values reported for amounts normally eaten. Remember, plant foods typically contain the omega-3 ALA, while animal foods provide EPA and DHA. ALA, while less bioactive for health than EPA and DHA, is still beneficial. For best results, choose foods with more omega-3s than omega-6s or at least 3 g of omega-3s. Not all omega-3s are created equal. Even though both flaxseed and fish like salmon are rich sources of dietary omega-3 fats, they have different types of omega-3s. The bottom line is that the omega3s found in fish are better for your body and easier to use to maintain health than flax. The omega-3s in flaxseed oil, called ALA, must first be converted to EPA and DHA before the fat-burning and health-
Food Flaxseed oil (1 Tbsp) Hemp seeds (3 Tbsp) Walnuts (1/3 cup) Herring, canned (100 g) Salmon, wild (3 oz) Ground flax (1 Tbsp) Trout, farmed (3 oz) Salmon oil (3 g) Soybeans (1/3 cup) Sardines, canned Butter (1 Tbsp) Edamame (1/3 cup) Omega-3 egg, 1 large Olive oil (1 Tbsp) Almonds (1/3 cup) Egg, 1 large
Omega-3 (g) 6.2 3.0 3.0 2.1 1.9 1.8 1.3 1.0 1.0 1.4 0.2 0.2 0.2-0.4 0.1 0 0
Omega-6 (g) 1.8 7.5 12.7 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.9 0.1 7.2 3.5 0.3 1.6 0.6 1.1 4.4 0.7
Visual 6.5: Omega-3 and Omega-6 content
promoting effects can be experienced. The amount of flax omega-3s that can be converted is quite low: about 5-15% of total amount taken in. It is not a bad thing to use flax oil on your salads or add hemp seeds to your shakes, but dont assume that those foods will give you all the omega-3 that your body needs. You still must include fish in your diet, and if you absolutely hate fish, ensure that you take .5-1 gram of EPA and DHA from fish oil or krill oil each day.
Trans Fats
Although these occur naturally in some foods, trans fats have been added to other foods by a synthetic process called hydrogenation. Food chemists take polyunsaturated fats rich in omega-6 fat and bombarded them with hydrogen molecules to create solid trans fatty acids. Research has shown that trans fats increase blood cholesterol and increase disease risk more than previously-demonized saturated fats have ever been shown to do. To avoid trans fats, check all food labels for the words hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. Even if the food label says that it contains zero grams of trans fats, it only means the food contains no more than 0.5 gram of trans fats per serving, which is still bad for your body. In response to the backlash against trans fats, the food industry developed interesterified fats. However, interesterified fats have a similar negative dietary impact, particularly in terms of blood cholesterol levels and blood glucose control.
Why Cholesterol Isnt As Bad As You Think
Dietary cholesterol, found in fat-containing animal foods and absent from plant foods, has gotten a bad reputation for all the wrong reasons. Many years ago, scientists assumed that the cholesterol found naturally in foods such as eggs and other animal products increased the cholesterol in our blood and thereby raised our risk for heart disease. For the past 20 years, scientific evidence has repeatedly proven that dietary cholesterol has little or no impact on blood cholesterol levels in most people. A 2006 study in the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care concluded that 70 percent of people experience little to no increase in blood cholesterol in response to high amounts of dietary cholesterol (such as three eggs a day for 30 days). The only people who should monitor cholesterol intake are those who have already suffered a heart attack, but even they are not instructed to completely eliminate cholesterol from their diets. Dietary cholesterol is a normal component of healthy cell membranes, and your body uses it to produce hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Its found naturally in many foods you should recommend to your clients for daily excellent protein and fat nutrition, such as eggs, meats, and poultry.
Perfect Fat Ratios
Experts recommend that people take in equal amounts of fat calories from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, with slightly fewer calories from saturated fat. Then, among the polyunsaturates, balance omega-6s and omega-3s. In order to attain this ideal balance, clients should incorporate the following oil-based foods into their diets equally throughout the week: olive oil (provides monounsaturated and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids), fish oil capsules (provides omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA), flaxseed oil (provides omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ALA), butter or coconut oil (provides saturated fatty acids). These will complement the other fats taken in naturally from foods.
Far-From-Perfect Fats
The following are fats that you and your clients should avoid because they can greatly exacerbate your risk for disease: Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, interesterified oils, soybean oil, vegetable oil, and shortening.
Fat and Exercise
As mentioned above, stored triglycerides are a major source of energy during exercise, especially in women. In fact, as people become more fit, their bodies undergo specific physiological adaptations (i.e. increased mitochondrial density and capillarization) that enhance their capacity to use fat as a fuel. Yet whether highly trained or sedentary, two phenomena are of note. First, there is a direct relationship between fat use and exercise duration: The longer one exercises at a low to moderate pace, the greater the percentage of energy supplied by fat. Second, there is an inverse relationship between fat use and exercise intensity: the more intensely one exercises, the less fat can contribute during exercise. Is intense exercise useless for fat loss? No. Although intense exercise induces a shift from fat-specific metabolism toward carbohydrate oxidation, other biochemical pathways following exercise result in a net loss of body fat. Both types of exercise are beneficial for trained athletes and everyday exercisers. The use of less-taxing aerobic exercise, outside of sports-specific training, may be a meaningful way to reduce body fat without degrading overall recovery after intense training sessions. Indeed, active recovery has been shown to actually enhance recuperation from intense exercise and prevent an overtraining state.
Dietary Supplements
You cant out-supplement a bad diet. If your clients are not already eating real foods, including plenty of healthy proteins and fats, they wont get much out of any dietary supplement. However, most people will benefit from taking a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, preferably of high quality and from a whole food source, in addition to a few other key vitamins and healthy fats.
Multivitamins and Mineral Blends
When youre active, your body has a higher demand for certain nutrients, especially those needed for the processing of energy and the distribution of oxygen. The B vitamins have an important role in the breakdown of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, along with other essential tissue-related functions. The greater your energy expenditure, the more B vitamins your body needs to perform at peak levels. Individual variation in absorption and availability will also alter ones vitamin and mineral status. In addition, certain formulas are designed to meet the special requirements for specific populations. Since most people are unaware of their bodies exact nutrition needs, a complete vitamin and mineral blend that provides no more than 100% of the RDA for any component is recommended. One exception is vitamin D3, discussed below. When one begins taking a multi, they may notice a change in urine color to bright yellow. This is a side effect of taking supplemental B-vitamins and is not harmful. Most multis are best taken with food because some minerals like zinc and iron can cause nausea when taken on an empty stomach. Low iron levels, known as anemia, is common among women due to diets low in iron, poor absorption, and iron losses due to menstruation. Anemia compromises the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood and diminishes physical performance. Calcium is also commonly low in womens diets and is essential not only for bone health but also for enhancing nerve conduction and muscle contraction. Other boneprotecting nutrients for women (who are at greater risk of bone loss with age) are vitamin D, magnesium, boron, and phosphorus. Women on reduced-calorie diets often have low B6 intakes, and those using certain birth control pills have increased needs for B6. Overall, men and women both benefit from a complex vitamin and mineral blend to ensure their food is converted to energy in the body and their oxygen-carrying capacity is not compromised. Vitamins and minerals also act as antioxidants to combat the extra oxidative stress generated during exercise, which can lead to increased risk of disease and damage to the body. Antioxidants help minimize production of free radicals, accelerate recovery, reduce inflammation, and improve immune function.
Vitamin D
Present in few foods, vitamin D is unique because it can be produced in the body when ultraviolet rays from sunlight reach the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis from cholesterol. It can also be ingested as cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) or ergocalciferol (vitamin D2). In addition to its role in bone health, new data has linked vitamin D to additional physiological roles, including modulation of cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and reduction of inflammation. Vitamin D3 also activates receptors within the skeletal muscle, stimulating contraction. Sufficient amounts of Vitamin D3 are related to an increase in size and number of muscle fibers responsible for successful high-intensity exercise such as sprinting and weight lifting. Overwhelming evidence suggests that most people have inadequate vitamin D blood concentrations. There is a greater risk for deficiency in individuals that experience all four seasons due to lack of sun exposure. People that train and work indoors, live at lower altitudes, wear sunscreen, and have darker skin are at a greater risk for deficiency. Per the RDA, the vitamin D intake recommendations are now 600 IU daily. However, recent evidence promotes the intake of higher levels (1000-2000 IU), especially in active individuals, though extreme intakes may actually be associated with higher mortality.
EPA and DHA: Omega-3 Supplements
The human body has a limited capacity to manufacture omega-3 fatty acids, and most people dont get enough in their diets. EPA and DHA are two omega-3 essential fatty acids found primarily in fish and seafood, absent from most diets. Due to the important roles that omega-3s play in the body (including prevention of skin disorders, promotion of bone health, improved hormonal status, and decreased risk of diseases and inflammation), dietary supplements are readily available. In particular, omega-3s are known for prevention of cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association recommends a range of .5-1 g of these fats each day for cardiovascular protection. This equates to approximately 2 or 3 g of krill or fish oil, respectively, in addition to eating food naturally containing or fortified with these fats, such as omega-3-rich eggs and/or DHA milk.
Protein Powders
Powdered protein supplements make obtaining desired protein levels more convenient. Since most people are time-crunched, mixing whey or another protein supplement with water or milk is an easy way to get in high-quality protein. For exercisers especially, whey protein is a rich source of highquality protein, and the BCAA leucine has been shown to optimally stimulate protein synthesis. Its ideal for pre- and post-workout recovery, along with carbohydrate, and is used in most research studies to show optimal muscle recovery. When choosing a whey protein, isolate forms, while most expensive, are most purified, generally most palatable, and easiest on digestion.
Recommended Reading
Antonio J, Kalman, DS, Stout JR, et al. Essentials of sports nutrition and supplements. New Jersey: Humana Press, 2008. Driskell JA, Wolinsky I. Nutritional concerns in recreation, exercise and sport. Florida: CRC Press, 2009: 91-114; 145-161; 235-265. McArdle WD, Katch FI, Katch VL. Sports & Exercise Nutrition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkens. 1999, 275-276.
Appendix Selected Exercise Descriptions
Appendix: Selected Exercise Descriptions | 141
hile there are hundreds upon hundreds of exercises and exercise variations, this manual has picked several basic ones from the patterns described in Chapter 3. Each exercise description listed here will include the following. Starting Position Eccentric Movement Phase Concentric Movement Phase Sample Skill Set This text has included a sample skill set for each exercise that you may find useful to use. However, you may find that as you coach, you will determine that a different skill set will better match your style of coaching or the way you explain movement to clients. For common coaching cues for these movements, please see Chapter 4.
Hip Hinge Starting Position
Position yourself approximately one foot in front of a wall Stand with your feet approximately shoulder width apart or slightly wider with the feet parallel or slightly externally rotated Evenly distribute the weight across the foot (tripod foot)
Alternative Starting Position- Stick
Grab a broomstick or PVC pipe and hold it along the spine and having three points of contact: 1) Sacrum; 2) Upper Back; 3) Back of the head. This is the neutral spine position. Grasp the stick by placing one hand in the lower back curve and the other hand in the neck curve Throughout the entire motion, the stick should maintain contact with all three points of contact Unlock the knees by slightly flexing them Sit back, trying to touch your butt to the wall Maintain a neutral spine and only a slight bend in the knees With the knees still bent, begin extending the hips Squeeze your glutes and extend the knees to finish the movement 1. Set your feet 2. Unlock the knees 3. Butt to wall 4. Stand and squeeze
Eccentric Movement Phase
Concentric Movement Phase
Sample Skill Set
Hip Hinge
Kettlebell Deadlift Starting Position
Place a kettlebell on the floor Stand with the kettlebell directly underneath your torso and place your feet approximately shoulder width apart or slightly wider with the feet parallel or slightly externally rotated Evenly distribute the weight across the foot (tripod foot) Take a deep belly breath Perform a hip hinge movement, pushing your hips as far back as they can go without rounding your lower back, and then bend the knees as much as needed to get all the way to the kettlebell handle Grasp the handle with both hands using a pronated grip Get your chest out, keep your back in neutral, tuck your chin, and keep your eyes up Lift the kettlebell off the floor by driving through the heels to extend the hips and knees Keep the elbows fully extended and the spine in neutral As you lift, keep the lower back in neutral and the chest up. Do not allow your hips to shoot up and your chest to cave over. Lead with your chest or upper back, not allowing your hips to rise faster than your shoulders. Also, keep the knees out Finish the lift with a strong glute contraction so that the body returns to a fully erect position (0 degrees hip extension). Do not hyperextend the lumbar spine Reverse the motion; shift the hips back, and then bend the knees
Sample Skill Set
1. Hips back 2. Grab the bell 3. Drive through the heels 4. Stand and squeeze
Kettlebell Deadlift
Deadlift Starting Position
Stand behind a barbell loaded with the desired weight and place your feet approximately shoulder width apart or slightly wider with the feet parallel or slightly externally rotated Crowd the bar by getting your shins close Evenly distribute the weight across the foot (tripod foot) Take a deep belly breath Perform a hip hinge movement, pushing your hips as far back as they can go without rounding your lower back, and then bend the knees as much as needed to get all the way to the bar Grasp the barbell with both hands using a pronated grip or a mixed grip. When placing your hands, simply let your arms hang down naturally. They should end up just outside your knees Pull the bar back into your shins and get your lats tight Get your chest out, keep your back in neutral, tuck your chin, and keep your eyes up If the load is heavy, pull the slack out of the bar before beginning the lift Initiate the lift by driving through the heels to extend the hips and knees. As you do this, pull the weight back into your body to keep the weight close As you lift, keep the lower back in neutral and the chest up. Do not allow your hips to shoot up and your chest to cave over. Lead with your chest or upper back, not allowing your hips to rise faster than your shoulders. Also, keep the knees out Finish the lift with a strong glute contraction so that the body returns to a fully erect position (0 degrees hip extension). Do not hyperextend the lower back Reverse the motion; shift the hips back, allowing the barbell to clear the knees, and then bend the knees 1. Shins close, hips back 2. Lats tight 3. Pull back, chest first 4. Stand and squeeze 5. Reverse the motion
Eccentric Movement Phase Sample Skill Set
Deadlift
Kettlebell Swing Starting Position
Place a kettlebell on the floor Stand with the kettlebell centered about one foot in front of you. Place your feet approximately shoulder width apart or slightly wider with the feet parallel or slightly externally rotated Perform a hip hinge movement, pushing your hips as far back as they can go without rounding your lower back, and then bend the knees as much as needed so that you can reach the handle of the kettlebell Grasp the handle with both hands using a pronated grip Get your chest out, keep your back in neutral, tuck your chin, and keep your eyes up Initiate the movement by slightly lifting and pulling the kettlebell backwards Allow the bell to swing back between your legs. Allow your arms to act like a pendulum As the bell reaches its peak in the back swing, allow it to begin swinging forward As it swings forward forcefully extend the hips and knees Keep a firm grip on the bell, but allow the momentum created by your hips to move the kettlebell; do not pull with your arms to pull the kettlebell higher Once the bell reaches maximum height, allow it to begin swinging down and back As it moves, perform a hip hinge and allow your knees to bend slightly so that the bell can move backwards and between your legs. Do not perform a squat. The motion should be mostly coming from the hips At the end of this phase, repeat cycles of the concentric and eccentric phases for the desired time period or number of reps 1. Hips back, bell in front 2. Pull back, pendulum arms 3. Snap the hips 4. Hip hinge; repeat
Initial Movement Phase
Sample Skill Set
Kettlebell Swing
Goblet Squat Starting Position
Grab a kettlebell by the horns and hold it up against your chest. You can also use a dumbbell, but hold it vertically by one end Place your feet approximately shoulder width apart or slightly wider. For the goblet squat, you will also want your toes pointed out slightly as well Evenly distribute the weight across the foot (tripod foot) Get your chest up, pull your shoulder blades down and back, and squeeze your lats as if you were trying to break a pencil between your arm and armpit Take a deep belly breath With the weight held up against your chest, break at the hips just before flexing the knees to initiate the movement Sit back with the goal of having your elbows slide past the inside of your knees. The elbows are allowed to push the knees out as you drop deeper into the squat Keep the chest up and maintain stiffness of the back and lats throughout the movement. In addition, maintain tripod foot Drive through the heels to extend the hips and knees As you lift, keep the lower back in neutral and the chest up. Do not allow your knees to collapse Finish the lift with a strong glute contraction so that the body returns to a fully erect position (0 degrees hip extension) 1. Weight to chest 2. Set your feet 3. Belly breath 4. Hips back, knees out 5. Stand and squeeze
Sample Skill Set
Goblet Squat
Back Squat Starting Position
Put yourself in a position so that when you unrack the weight, you will have to take a step back before initiating the movement (when you re-rack the weight, you will want to step forward) Grab the bar with a pronated grip, keeping your hands in close to your shoulders. If you are lacking good shoulder external rotation, you will have to take a wider grip Step under the bar and press your upper back into the bar in one of two positions Low bar position- across the posterior deltoids at the level of the middle trapezius High bar position- above the level of the posterior deltoids just below the prominent 7th cervical vertebra Pull your shoulder blades down and back (trying to squeeze them together) in order to create a muscle shelf for the bar to rest on Hold your chest up and drive your elbows forward so they are down beneath the bar Push aggressively into the bar before un-racking it. Then take a deep belly breath, stand up, and let the weights settle. A spotter may help you un-rack the weight well Walk the weight out from the supports and set your feet appropriately Step back with one foot and place it about where you want Step out with the other foot and place it exactly where you want. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart or slightly wider, with your toes turned out so that they are in line with the hips and knees in the bottom position of the squat Put the first foot in the exact position you want it Get into tripod foot Final check: Get your chest up and your elbows down, pack the neck, take a deep belly breath, and brace your core Break at the hips just before flexing the knees to initiate the movement Sit back while pushing your knees out to the side Keep the chest up and maintain stiffness of the back and lats throughout the movement. In addition, maintain tripod foot
Back Squat Low Bar (above); High Bar (below)
Squat as deep as you need to achieve your goals or until you lose your ability to maintain a neutral spine, whichever comes first
To reverse the motion, push back into the bar, trying to move the bar in a straight line while keeping your chest up Continue to push your knees out throughout the movement Finish the lift with a strong glute contraction If this is the final rep, step forward and squat down to re-rack the weight 1. Muscle shelf, elbows down 2. Step back, set your feet 3. Belly breath 4. Hips back, knees out 5. Push into the bar
Sample Skill Set
Front Squat Starting Position
Front Squat Clean Grip (above); CrossArm Grip (below)
Set the bar in a rack just below collar bone height. Put yourself in a position so that when you unrack the weight, you will have to take a step back before initiating the movement (when you re-rack the weight, you will want to step forward) Step into the bar and tuck it low on your throat so it is below the windpipe. Grasp the bar with one of two grips: Olympic or Clean Grip- Grip slightly wider than shoulder width and place the bar so it rests on the anterior deltoids Cross-Arm Grip- Cross the arms in front of the chest, place it on top of the anterior deltoids, and grasp the bar with an open grip with your hands on top of the bar Get your chest up, and regardless of your grip, move your elbows so that they are parallel to the ground. If using an Olympic grip, your wrists will end up being almost fully extended, and your fingers will not be wrapped around the bar. They will only be loosely holding the bar in place Walk the weight out from the supports and set your feet appropriately Step back with one foot and place it about where you want Step out with the other foot and place it exactly where you want. Your feet should be slightly narrower than how they are for a back squat. Turn your toes out so that they are in line with the hips and knees in the bottom position of the squat Put the first foot in the exact position you want it Get into tripod foot Final check: Get your chest up and your elbows high, take a deep belly breath, and brace your core Break at the hips just before flexing the knees to initiate the movement Sit back while pushing your knees out to the side. (You will not be able to sit back as far in a front squat as you are able to in a back squat, and your torso will end up being more upright.) Keep the chest up and maintain tripod foot
Squat as deep as you need to achieve your goals or until you lose your ability to maintain a neutral spine, whichever comes first
To reverse the motion, push back into the bar, trying to move the bar in a straight line while keeping your chest up Continue to push your knees out throughout the movement Finish the lift with a strong glute contraction If this is the final rep, step forward and squat down to re-rack the weight 1. Grasp the bar, elbows up 2. Step back, set your feet 3. Belly breath 4. Hips back, knees out 5. Push into the bar
Sample Skill Set
Front Squat
Forward Lunge Starting Position
Stand up tall with the feet together Keep your hips square towards the front Take a deep belly breath Take an exaggerated step directly forward, and land with most of your weight on the front heel. Your front and back feet should be parallel to each other Keep your trailing foot in its original position, allow your trailing knee to bend, and lower your hips towards the ground. Stop descending just before your trailing knee hits the ground Throughout this phase, keep your foot, knee, and hip in a straight line. Also keep your feet parallel and your hips square Forcefully push off the floor with the lead leg to return to the starting position Stay tall and tight throughout the movement, bracing the core as much as is needed. Do not rear up or allow the torso to collapse forward 1. Big step 2. Parallel feet 3. Stay tall 4. Push the floor
Eccentric Movement Phase (forward movement phase)
Concentric Movement Phase (backward movement phase)
Sample Skill Set
Forward Lunge
Reverse Lunge Starting Position
Stand up tall with the feet together Keep your hips square towards the front Take a deep belly breath Take an exaggerated step directly backwards, and keep most of your weight on your front heel. Your front and back feet should be parallel to each other Lower your hips towards the ground. Stop descending just before your trailing knee hits the ground Throughout this phase, keep your foot, knee, and hip in a straight line. Also keep your feet parallel and your hips square Drive through the heel of the lead leg to pull yourself to the starting position Stay tall and tight throughout the movement, bracing the core as much as is needed. Do not rear up or allow the torso to collapse forward 1. Step back 2. Parallel feet 3. Stay tall 4. Drive through the heel
Eccentric Movement Phase (backward movement phase)
Concentric Movement Phase (forward movement phase)
Sample Skill Set
Reverse Lunge
Split Squat Starting Position

Take an exaggerated step forward Keep your hips square towards the front and your feet parallel Keep your weight on your front heel Stand up tall Take a deep belly breath
Lower your hips towards the ground. Stop descending just before your trailing knee hits the ground Throughout this phase, keep your foot, knee, and hip in a straight line. Also keep your feet parallel and your hips square Drive through the heel of the lead leg to return to the starting position 1. Exaggerated Split 2. Parallel feet 3. Stay tall 4. Drive through the heel
Concentric Movement Phase Sample Skill Set
Split Squat
Bulgarian (Rear-foot-elevated) Split Squat Starting Position

Place one foot on a box or bench. You can either: Place the toes on it Rest the top of the foot on it Take an exaggerated step with the front leg Keep your hips square Keep your weight on your front heel Stand up tall Take a deep belly breath
Lower your hips towards the ground. Stop descending just before your trailing knee hits the ground Throughout this phase, keep your foot, knee, and hip in a straight line. Also keep your your hips square Drive through the heel of the lead leg to return to the starting position Do not allow your lead leg to collapse in at the knee 1. Foot to box 2. Hips square 3. Stay tall 4. Drive through the heel
Sample Skill Set
Bulgarian (RFE) Squat
Step-Up Starting Position
Find an appropriately sized box If the hip of your working leg hikes up during performance of the exercise, the box is too high If your hips cannot stay square during performance of the exercise, the box is too high Square your hips and feet to the box Place one foot on the box, and shift your weight towards your heel Stand up tall Take a deep belly breath Drive through the heel of the lead leg while extending the hip and knee Finish the lift with a strong glute contraction so you are standing fully erect Place the trail leg on the box Shift your body weight to the original leading leg Reverse the movement by stepping down with the original trail leg 1. Square to box 2. Drive through the heel 3. Squeeze the glutes 4. Same leg down
Sample Skill Set
Step Up
Single-Leg Squat to Box Starting Position

Stand directly in front of a box, facing away from it Keep your hips and feet square to the box Lift one leg off the ground by slightly flexing the hip and knee Stand tall through the working leg and establish tripod foot Get your chest up, and take a deep belly breath
Break at the hips just before flexing the knee to initiate the movement Sit back towards the box while keeping your chest up and your lumbar spine in neutral Actively push your knee out so that it does not collapse inward as you descend Do not allow your hip to sag out to the side Allow the non-working leg to flex at the hip and knee as you descend Just as you make contact with the box, reverse the movement by driving through the heel, extending the hip and knee to pull yourself to the starting position Actively push your knee out so that it does not collapse inward as you ascend Finish the lift with a strong glute contraction 1. Leg up, tripod foot 2. Chest up, sit back 3. Drive through the heel 4. Stand and squeeze
Sample Skill Set
Single-Leg Squat to Box
Single Leg RDL Starting Position
Stand tall through the working (front) leg while keeping both hips square Keep your weight on the heel of the front leg, and keep that foot pointed forward Unlock the knee of the front leg by slightly flexing it Begin to perform a hip hinge with the working hip while simultaneously driving the rear leg back (by squeezing your butt) so that it remains in a straight line with your torso Allow your arms to hang freely Continue to descend until your arms are just above the floor or until you lose the ability to keep your foot, knee, and hip in alignment, keep your hips square, or prevent your torso from rotating Drive through the heel of the front leg to extend the hip and return to the starting position Finish the lift with a strong glute contraction 1. Hips square, foot forward 2. Hip hinge, seesaw 3. Drive through the heel
Sample Skill Set
Single Leg RDL
Pushup Starting Position
For a standard pushup, place your hands on the ground slightly wider than shoulder width apart Brace your core, squeeze your glutes, and tuck your chin. This should put your body in neutral spinal alignment. (You may use a PVC pipe or broomstick to check for the three points of contact for a neutral spine: back of the head, upper back, sacrum) Take a deep belly breath Initiate the movement by pulling your shoulder blades back (think about actively pulling yourself to the floor) and flexing your elbows Keep your elbows down at about 45 degrees of abduction; do not allow them to flare Continue your descent until you reach, at a minimum, 90 degrees of elbow flexion. You may go deeper depending on your abilities or goals Reverse the motion, pressing hard into the ground As you ascend, continue bracing your core, squeezing your glutes, and keeping your chin tucked; do not allow your hips to sag or your neck to jut forward 1. Core tight, butt tight, pack the neck 2. Blades back, elbows in 3. Pull towards the floor 4. Push up, stay stiff
Sample Skill Set
Push Up
Bench Press Starting Position
Lie down on the bench and grab the barbell with an underhand grip. Place your feet on the floor into any one of three positions: Tucked back behind your knees Directly below your knees In front of your knees Use your feet to drive your upper back into the bench. If you are trying to move maximal loads, set up higher on your upper back Flip your hands over to a pronated grip. Your hand position will depend on your goals, injury history, and mobility. Here are three possible positions: Close grip- hands are about shoulder width apart Wide grip- your pointer finger is placed on the smooth rings Moderate grip- about halfway between close grip and wide grip Place the bar as close to your thumb as possible to help keep your wrist aligned in neutral (this position helps your prevent your wrist from hyper-extending during performance of the lift) Squeeze your shoulder blades down and back Squeeze your glutes, push your knees out, and drive your heels into the floor to get your quads tight Take a deep belly breath and brace the core If you have a spotter, get a lift off. This will help keep your upper back tight. If you cannot get a lift off, press enough to clear the supports while maintaining upper back stiffness. Pull the bar out so that it stops just below the nipple line, and let it settle there Grip hard, and initiate the movement by using your lats and upper back to pull the bar down. Do not let the weight crash down in an attempt to bounce it off your chest As the bar descends, tuck your elbows into your sides. Do not let your elbows flare out to 90 degrees of abduction Bring the bar to just below the nipple line Once the bar touches your chest, reverse the motion, driving the bar up to the starting position
Maintain tension in your upper back, lats, core, glutes, and quads throughout the entire movement
Sample Skill Set
1. Lie down, get tight 2. Un-rack 3. Pull down, elbows in 4. Stay tight
Bench Press
Barbell Shoulder Press (Standing) Starting Position
Set the bar in a rack just below collar bone height. Put yourself in a position so that when you unrack the weight, you will have to take a step back before initiating the movement (when you re-rack the weight, you will want to step forward) Grasp the bar with a pronated, moderate grip (see bench press). Step directly under the barbell and press the top of your sternum into it Stand up, as if un-racking the weight for a front squat Walk the weight out from the supports and set your feet appropriately Step back with one foot and place it about where you want Step out with the other foot and place it exactly where you want. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart. Put the first foot in the exact position you want it Get into tripod foot Get your chest up, pull your shoulder blades down and back, take a deep belly breath, and brace your core Begin pressing the bar up off your chest Tuck your chin and slightly extend your neck so that the bar will clear your face Keep your core braced and maintain tripod foot as your elbows reach full extension Reverse the movement, and actively pull your shoulder blades down and back as the bar descends Tuck your chin and slightly extend your neck so that the bar will clear your face Touch the bar to your sternum 1. Un-rack, step back 2. Chest up, brace the core 3. Press up, clear the face 4. Pull down to the sternum
Sample Skill Set
Barbell Shoulder Press
Lat Pulldown Starting Position
Grasp the bar. Depending on your goals: Your grip can be pronated or supinated The width of your grip can vary from close to wide Sit down on the seat facing the machine, positioning your thighs underneath the pad Place your feet flat on the floor Allow your elbows to fully extend Lean the torso very slightly backward Extend your upper back, getting your chest up, and pull your shoulder blades down and back Take a deep belly breath and brace the core Pull the bar down towards your sternum, thinking about leading with the elbows Maintain the slight lean in your torso As you pull, do not allow your upper back to round, your chest to collapse, or your upper back to lose its stiffness Touch the bar to your sternum Allow the elbows to extend back to the starting position Maintain the same posture throughout the movement 1. Chest up, blades down and back 2. Pull through your elbows 3. Touch your sternum 4. Maintain posture
Eccentric Movement Phase Sample Skill Set
Lat Pulldown
Pullup/Chinup Starting Position
Grasp the bar. Depending on your goals: Your grip can be pronated, supinated, or neutral With a pronated grip, the width of your grip can vary from close to wide Bend your knees, allowing your body to hang from your arms Extend your hips by squeezing your glutes Actively extend your upper back, and pull your shoulder blades down and back Take a deep belly breath and brace the core Pull yourself up towards the bar, thinking about leading with the elbows As you pull, squeeze your lats, do not allow your chest to collapse, and do not lose stiffness in your upper back muscles Touch your sternum to the bar Lower yourself to the starting position by allowing the elbows to fully extend Reset to the starting position before initiating another rep 1. Chest up, blades down and back 2. Pull through your elbows 3. Touch your sternum 4. Fully extend and reset
Sample Skill Set
Pullup/Chinup
Barbell Bent-Over Row Starting Position
Grasp the bar with a closed, pronated grip. Your grip width should be slightly wider than shoulder width Perform a deadlift movement to lift the weight from the floor (see: Deadlift). Let your arms hang down with your elbows fully extended If you wish, you can also set the weight up in a power rack so it would be easier both to load it and to pick it up Position the feet approximately shoulder width apart Unlock the knees and perform a hip hinge (see: Hip Hinge) Continue flexing at the hip, and bend your knees as much as you need to, until your torso is slightly above parallel to the floor. Keep your lumbar spine in neutral alignment Shift your weight back onto your heels Pull your shoulder blades down and back, tuck your chin, and take a deep belly breath Pull the bar toward your torso; do not jerk the bar with your back or legs Pull through the elbows, and think about locking your lats and keeping your elbows down Touch the bar to the lower chest or upper abdomen Maintain neutral spine throughout, and keep your shoulder blades down and back the entire time Keep the weight on the heels, not allowing the weight to pitch you forward Lower the bar back to the starting position Maintain rigidity in your spine and upper back to set yourself up for the next rep 1. Set your feet, tabletop 2. Blades down and back 3. Lats locked, elbows down 4. Bar low
Sample Skill Set
Barbell Bent-Over Row
Single-Arm DB Row Starting Position
Place your dumbbell in the middle of a weight bench Place your right knee on the bench so that your ankle is free to move off the end Take your right hand and place it near the front of the bench, and fully extend your elbow Put your left leg on the floor, and position it so that your hips are level. Brace your core, tuck your chin, and get into a neutral spinal alignment Pick up the dumbbell from the bench with your left hand, and then allow your arm to hang freely with your elbow fully extended Pull your shoulder blades down and back and take a deep belly breath Pull the dumbbell toward your upper abdomen or lower chest; do not pull it high or towards your armpit Pull through the elbow, and think about locking your lats Do not jerk the weight with your back or try to generate momentum by rotating your spine or getting out of neutral position Keep your shoulder blades down and back the entire time Lower the dumbbell back to starting position Maintain neutral, and keep your torso stationary until you return to the starting position 1. Tabletop 2. Blades down and back 3. Lats locked 4. Bar low
Sample Skill Set
Single-Arm DB Row
Inverted Row (Suspended) Starting Position
While standing, grasp the handles of your suspension training equipment, and turn your body to face the anchor point Lean back gently, and fully extend your elbows Walk your feet out until you are at the desired body angle Press your feet into the ground through the heel and squeeze your glutes Brace your core, get your chest up, pull your shoulder blades down and back, tuck your chin, and take a deep belly breath Your body should be in a straight line before you initiate movement Begin by bringing your body up to the handles by pulling through the elbows. Think about locking your lats and keeping your elbows close to your ribs Your torso should maintain its rigidity throughout the movement; do not allow your shoulders to round forward, your glutes to relax, or your head to jut forward Bring your lower chest just between the handles Reverse the motion, allowing your body to fall back to starting position Maintain rigidity of your body, keeping the straight line from your head to your feet 1. Grab the handles 2. Lean back, walk out 3. Glutes tight, core tight, pack the neck 4. Pull through the elbows
Sample Skill Set
Inverted Row (Suspended)
Low-Pulley Seated Row (Cable Machine) Starting Position
Sit on the seat pad with your knees flexed so that you are close to the handles. Place your feet flat on the foot pads Grasp whatever handle you are using with a closed grip Sit in an upright posture with your spine in neutral position While maintaining that posture, extend your knees, pushing yourself back to take the slack out of the cable. Keep sliding back, allowing your elbows to fully extend Once your elbows are fully extended and all the slack is out of the cable, get your chest up, pull your shoulder blades down and back, tuck your chin, and brace your core Extend your knees just a little more so that the weight stack moves from its resting position Take a deep belly breath Pull the handles towards your abdomen Pull through the elbows, and think about locking your lats and keeping your elbows in close to your body Maintain the same degree of flexion in your knees and keep your spine in neutral position throughout the entire movement. Do not jerk the body or lean back Touch the handle to your abdomen Reverse the motion, allowing the weight to pull your arms back to the starting position Maintain rigidity in your spine and upper back to set yourself up for the next rep 1. Grasp the handle, sit tall 2. Pull out the slack 3. Chest up, blades back 4. Handle to abs
Sample Skill Set
Low Pulley Seated Row
Copyright 2012, Fitness Revolution International, LLC. All rights reserved.

FR Baseline Training Cert 0727122

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

FR Baseline Training Cert 0727122

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Baseline Training Certification: Fundamentals of Fitness Conditioning Published by Fitness Revolution International, LLC

Youve got to Work for it, Not wish for it.

About Fitness Revolution and the FR Coaching Course

Chapter 2: Exercise Basics......................74

Chapter 3: The Art and Science of Coaching Fitness...............................84

Chapter 4: Movement Patterns..............94

Chapter 5: Safety Considerations.........112

Chapter 6: Nutrition Basics...................120

Appendix: Selected Exercise Descriptions...................................140

Introduction: Fundamentals of Fitness Coaching

The Need For Good Coaches

14 | Baseline Training Certification

Chapter 1 Basics of Kinesiology

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 15

Kinesiology in Fitness Coaching

16 | Baseline Training Certification

Visual 1.1: Anatomical reference position

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 17

Visual 1.2: Posterior and anterior relative positions

Medial: Toward midline Lateral: Away from midline

18 | Baseline Training Certification

Superficial: Nearer to the surface Deep: Further from the surface

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 19

Prone: Positioned face down Superficial: Positioned face up

20 | Baseline Training Certification

Planes and Axes

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 21

Visual 1.6: Three-dimensional rendering of the planes of motion

22 | Baseline Training Certification

Visual 1.7: Shoulder abduction (above) and adduction (below)

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 23

Visual 1.8: Hip flexion (left) and extension (right)

Visual 1.9: Shoulder internal (left) and external (right) rotation

24 | Baseline Training Certification

Muscular Roles and Actions

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 25

26 | Baseline Training Certification

Selected Major Muscles and Common Actions

Visual 1.11: Pectoralis major

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 27

Visual 1.12: Latissimus dorsi

28 | Baseline Training Certification

Visual 1.13: Serratus anterior

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 29

Visual 1.14: Deltoid

30 | Baseline Training Certification

Muscle: Rhomboid major Action(s): Rows, reverse flyes and pulls

Visual 1.15: Rhomboid major

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 31

Visual 1.16: Trapezius

32 | Baseline Training Certification

Visual 1.17: Supraspinatus

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 33

Visual 1.18: Infraspinatus

34 | Baseline Training Certification

Visual 1.19: Teres minor

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 35

Visual 1.20: Subscapularis

36 | Baseline Training Certification

Visual 1.21: Biceps brachii

Chapter 1: Basics of Kinesiology | 37

Muscle: Brachialis Action(s): Elbow flexion movements

Visual 1.22: Brachialis