Brian February 27th, 2009
When it comes to Personal Trainers, all are not created equal. There are over 50 certifying bodies and over 100 certifications available. To the lay person, just hearing “certified” is enough to consider a trainer qualified. This could not be further from the truth. The rigors that a trainer must go through and the knowledge base they must possess vary greatly between certifications. Would you trust your car to an unqualified mechanic? If not, why trust your health to an unqualified trainer?
The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) has been identified by IHRSA (International Health, Racquet and Sports Association) as being a credible certifying agency. Click the following links for the full length IHRSA article and a list of accredited certifications.
http://www.ihrsa.org
http://www.noca.org/ncca/accredorg.htm
Visit the links page for webpage links to some of the top certifications.
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In Health,
Brian Ramage
Brian November 4th, 2008
Here is a simple list of movements you need to include in your exercise program and some that you may want to rethink. The Do’s list contains exercises that give you great results along with a favorable risk/benefit ratio. The Dont’s list contains exercises that may work for some, but the risk/benefit ratio is not favorable. I give alternatives to the exercises on the “Dont’s” list.
Do’s
• Bench Press
• Squats
• Lunges
• Pull-Ups
• Standing Barbell Press
• Deadlifts
• Bent Over Rows
• Dips - these can go either way; only go to a 90 degree angle at the elbow
Dont’s
• Behind the head pulldowns - doing these to the front is just as effective. (Replace with: chin-ups or pull-ups)
• Behind the head presses (Replace with: military presses to the front)
• Stiff-legged deadlifts (Replace with: Romanian deadlifts)
• Leg Extensions (Replace with: squats, step-ups, lunges)
• Machine Pec-flye (Replace with: dumbbell flyes instead; start in a contracted position)
In Strength,
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Brian Ramage
Brian November 4th, 2008
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