NASM Blog

Bench Press Elbow Pain: How to Avoid Lifter's Elbow

AndrewMills@nasm.org (Andrew Mills) — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 23:21:08 GMT

Anyone having experienced pain in their elbow while bench pressing knows it can be a frustrating ordeal.

For those who have not, imagine entering the gym ready to put in the work, and after loading the appropriate weight onto the bar, laying back on the bench, and visualizing the first rep, you lower the weight to your chest only to experience splitting pain on the inside of one or both elbows.

How can you prevent this from happening during your next bench press session?

Is a Calorie Surplus Necessary in Resistance Trained Female Athletes?

Nicole Golden — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 17:50:41 GMT

Influenced by popular media and body image expectations; female strength athletes often engage in nutrition practices that may be counterproductive to a goal of skeletal muscle growth (hypertrophy). Many female strength athletes will pursue a goal of muscle hypertrophy but are often concerned about a concurrent increase in body fat mass.

Female Training Program: Key Considerations for Female Clients

sheepdog25@gmail.com (Fabio Comana) — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 16:00:00 GMT

Apart from the more obvious gender differences like pregnancy and some aging-related conditions (e.g., osteoporosis, menopausal changes), how much thought is generally given to the anatomical and physiological differences between men and women when designing programs for female clients? A fair assumption might be very little considering the lack of available information, and the lack of attention paid to these differences.

7 Questions All Nutrition Coaches Need To Know How to Answer

social@nasm.org (National Academy of Sports Medicine) — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 21:00:00 GMT

With fad diets flooding the marketplace, obesity and heart
disease numbers rapidly increasing, and more confusing food choices than ever
before, Nutrition Coaches are in particularly high demand.

This is an exciting, rewarding career for people who love
helping others. And for those who love being their own boss.

5 Ways to Enhance your Healthspan

Sam Arnold — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 18:36:10 GMT

Throughout the pandemic, you have likely spent more time at home by yourself than you ever expected or wanted to. You almost certainly have needed a lift at one time or another. Given all the discussion of precautions, illness, and death, you may have found yourself thinking more about your health, morbidity, and mortality. This is normal.

All About The Nervous System - NASM CPT Podcast

social@nasm.org (National Academy of Sports Medicine) — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 18:01:45 GMT

On this episode, NASM Master Instructor Rick Richey helps you better understand the nervous system. What about the central nervous system helps make you a better trainer? Let Rick map it all out for you.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts including Apple, Google, Spotify, and more!

Foam Rolling: Applying the Technique of Myofascial Release

luckypenney12345@cox.net (Stacey Penney) — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 18:00:00 GMT

Try out our free foam rolling course today and learn the importance of foam rolling!

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) stretching technique that has been embraced throughout the fitness industry. This effective and simple to do technique delivers positive, feel good results. Foam rollers have become easily accessible, either shared at the gym or found in almost any sporting goods aisle to bring home for a minimal investment.

Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) - NASM

atreguboffuat@gmail.com (Geoff Lecovin) — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 22:45:40 GMT

EPOC is the acronym for Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. Many refer to it as the "afterburn." To better understand how EPOC works, let's review the basics of energy systems.

Overtraining: What It Is and How to Identify It - NASM Blog

LauraQuaglio@nasm.com (Laura Quaglio) — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 23:00:00 GMT

Are you giving workouts your all but getting less in return—or even backsliding? Does it seem like you’re always battling bronchitis, tendonitis, or another “itis”? Or maybe your usual over-the-top enthusiasm for workouts has faded to “barely there.”

An Explanation of the New Updates to The OPT™ Model

BrianSuttonMS@nasm123.org (Brian Sutton, MA, MS, CSCS, NASM-CPT, CNC, CES, PES) — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 18:39:14 GMT

Creating and modifying exercise programs for clients can be complicated because there are many variables to consider, including the client’s goals, tolerance for exercise, and unique physical abilities and medical history.

Moreover, there are many different exercise formats (i.e., Pilates, bodybuilding, Tabata, HIIT) fitness professionals can choose from, which can potentially cause confusion and frustration during the program design process.

It is important to note that the purpose of this article is to describe the recent updates to the OPT model rather than provide detailed teaching and full discussion of the entire model and how to use it. For those reading this article unfamiliar with the OPT Model and who wish to learn more, we recommend enrolling in the NASM's Certified Personal Trainer program. You can find special payment plan offers here.

The Making of NASM's Most Revolutionary Personal Trainer Certification Ever

LauraQuaglio@nasm.com (Laura Quaglio) — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 09:00:00 GMT

Insider Tips from the NEW NASM-CPT—from the Experts who Authored It

NASM didn’t just tread water in 2020. We dove into cutting-edge research on fitness (and education), floated new ideas for graphics and digital content, and immersed ourselves in the creation of a NASM-CPT course designed for the fitness professional of today—and the future.

5 Ways to SPEED Your Metabolism - NASM Blog

atreguboffuat@gmail.com (Geoff Lecovin) — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 08:00:00 GMT

Are you feeling sluggish? Are you having difficulty losing weight? Maybe you should SPEED your metabolism.

This blog post will show you 5 ways to do exactly that with the acronym SPEED, which stands for Sleep, Psychological Stress, Environment, Exercise, and Diet

Proper Pushup Form and Technique | NASM Guide to Push-Ups

Annie Malaythong — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 19:38:41 GMT

A push-up is an exercise you can do anytime, anywhere, but only if you learn the how, what, when, and why of it.

Incredibly, this ONE exercise can help you torch calories, build and tone muscle, gain strength, and positively impact your overall fitness, function, and performance. Due to its versatility, mastering this exercise can be vital to unlocking your true fitness potential.

Tips for Working Out at Home | NASM

Keridon McMahon — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 21:28:35 GMT

Navigating a New Normal

In 2020, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, people worldwide had to instantaneously pivot from known daily routines and best practices to protect themselves and others. Exercise for the benefit of physical and mental health became more important than possibly any other time in history. It also became more difficult for many to maintain their fitness routines as gyms shut their doors with no timeline for re-opening.

Hypertrophy: Back to the Basics

testtest@nasm.org (DeWayne Smith, MS, NASM-CES, PES, CNC) — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 17:32:00 GMT

Gains don’t happen overnight. It takes your muscles time to respond and adapt to stimuli. Discover the resistance training program variables that will develop the strength gains and growth you or your client may be looking for.

How to Conduct a Fitness Consultation | NASM

Kinsey Mahaffey — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 16:54:13 GMT

The first initial consultation that I conducted was nerve-racking. As a brand new trainer, I stressed over making sure that I covered all of my bases in gathering the right amount of information during this initial session. It felt like so much information! I would sometimes go into the first training session with a client with follow-up questions from the consultation because I had blanked in the moment.

The Principles of Strength Training for New Clients - NASM

Dana Bender — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 20:57:47 GMT

As trainers and fitness professionals, it is essential to remember that every client and member we work with starts their strength training journey with a different baseline and understanding of strength training principles and best practices. Many individuals are unaware of the science behind strength training.

Active Recovery Workouts: What to Do on Your Rest Day

Kinsey Mahaffey — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 19:49:50 GMT

Recovery is important for getting the most out of your fitness programming and an essential component of a personal training education. I spend a decent amount of time talking with my clients about proper recovery techniques to avoid burnout and injury due to over-training.

5 Tips for Setting New Year’s Resolutions (Despite Pandemic)

Dana Bender — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 21:10:05 GMT

As we consider setting personal resolutions for 2021, it is crucial to recognize that the goal-setting process and the behaviors are chosen to achieve those goals might look different this year due to the pandemic.

HIIT Workouts: Programming, Exercises, and Benefits

petemccall@nasmtest.org (Pete McCall) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 18:17:00 GMT

One of the most common misperceptions that many fitness enthusiasts have about exercise is that it is necessary to spend hours working hard and sweating buckets to get results.

Plyometrics: Developing Power in Athletes (Updated 2020)

ChrisEcklund123@nasm.org (Chris Ecklund, MA, NASM-PES, CSCS, USAW, TPI) — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 08:00:00 GMT

Power is the ability to produce large amounts of force quickly. Are there any athletes that would not want to improve their ability to generate power? Strength and Conditioning Coaches who want to give their athletes some added explosiveness?

4 Negative Side Effects of Inadequate Sleep and How to Sleep Properly

petemccall@nasmtest.org (Pete McCall) — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 18:04:59 GMT

No one is born knowing how to exercise. It is a subject that must be studied and understood correctly to do it properly. Earning the Certified Personal Trainer credential from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) means that you can design exercise programs to help clients reach their goals safely and efficiently.

CPT's role within a circle of care

AndrewMills@nasm.org (Andrew Mills) — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 04:42:56 GMT

A client may have a wide range of wellness needs, and the Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) is just one member of a team that consists of medical and other allied health professionals and other supporting individuals working with a client to meet those needs.

What Is The Keto Diet and How do You Follow It? [NASM Guide]

Brad Dieter — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 22:02:41 GMT

Over the last several decades, we have seen a rise in the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets. These diets have ranged from just low-carb diets to ketogenic diets to even zero carb diets (e.g., The Carnivore Diet).

8 Tips for Transitioning Back to At-Home Workouts During the Pandemic

Dana Bender — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 17:00:00 GMT

With COVID-19 numbers rising exponentially across the country, many avid fitness center enthusiasts might be concerned that their local fitness center will close again due to safety precautions and local regulatory guidelines.

Moving Forward: A Fitness Pioneer’s Pandemic-Inspired Best Practices

LauraQuaglio@nasm.com (Laura Quaglio) — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 22:16:54 GMT

“My whole schtick when I opened in 2013 was to provide the fitness industry’s first one-on-one personal training that’s done in a group setting,” says Donny Day, NASM-CPT, owner of Peak Zone Fitness in Lake Highlands, Texas.

Approaching Thanksgiving with a Healthy Mindset

Abbey Griffith — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 18:52:54 GMT

As an eating disorder survivor, the holiday season can be scary. In early recovery days, my mental approach to the holidays looked something like this:

First, it was Thanksgiving, a whole holiday about food, listening to people talk about their diet plans and constant and compulsive thoughts about how I would "make up for" what I ate with workouts.

Exercise and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Portia Page — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 18:54:22 GMT

Since mid-March, most of the country has been dealing with social distancing rules, stay-at-home orders, business closures, overcrowded hospitals and limited health services.

The Benefits of Personal Training With Multiple Revenue Streams

Dana Bender — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 19:52:28 GMT

There is a wide range of benefits of having multiple streams of income regardless of your field. In the fitness industry, taking advantage of various streams of income can include numerous options. Over the years, I have implemented this strategy in my professional career and have seen others around me do so as well.

Eating Disorders and Fitness (NASM-CPT Podcast)

RickRichey@nasm.com (Rick Richey, MS) — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 17:34:15 GMT

Host and NASM Master Instructor Rick Richey talks about eating disorders and non-triggering with expert Abbey Griffith.

She is an NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach, and Eating Disorder Recoveree who has devoted her life to helping people of all ages, shapes, and sizes find a wellness routine they truly enjoy.

Role of Genetics in Resistance Exercise Results [Research Article Review]

Nicole Golden — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 23:02:12 GMT

Genetic factors play a role in response to exercise and body composition, as in most physiologic functions in the body. High levels of physical activity have been known to provide benefits beyond just weight loss, such as decreased disease risk, improved strength and mobility, and improvement in life expectancy.

Healthy Food on a Budget: Grocery Shopping on the Cheap

Abbie Gellman — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 18:30:44 GMT

Sometimes if you head to the farmer’s market toward the end of the day, prices are slashed because sellers do not want to haul perishable produce back home.

What is the DASH Diet & Does it Work? | NASM

Brad Dieter — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 17:04:00 GMT

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, with more than half of all deaths each year being attributed to cardiovascular disease (1).

A NEAT Approach to Weight Loss and Exercise (Updated 2020)

sheepdog25@gmail.com (Fabio Comana) — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 18:03:52 GMT

We all know a well-structured and consistent exercise program combined with a healthful diet can help all of us shed unwanted pounds and achieve our ideal body type.

Exercise Programming for Knee Replacements | NASM

AndrewMills@nasm.org (Andrew Mills) — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 22:12:14 GMT

In a previous article, Prehabilitation Through Corrective Exercise: A Guide for Trainers, we explored how experts in human movement could help prepare individuals for a procedure like total knee replacement surgery. This article will focus on rehabilitation after total knee replacement (TKR).

A FIT RESPONSE: LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE GYM SHUTDOWN OF 2020

Pamela Light, MA — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 18:46:19 GMT

Fitness professionals share their stories, surprises and successes—along with the best practices that have emerged from their need to pivot during the pandemic.

Return to Gym Plan: How to Tweak the NASM OPT™ Model for Clients

Kinsey Mahaffey — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 23:28:05 GMT

COVID-19 forced gym closures, which in turn disrupted sessions for many personal training clients.

As a trainer, here are some specific ways the NASM Optimum Performance Training™ model can ease their minds as they gradually resume their routines.

Muscle Clocks and The Value of Synchronized Training

Amy Ashmore, PhD — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 19:56:58 GMT

Many exercisers and athletes prefer to train at the same time every day. They may suggest a variety of reasons for this: That’s when they feel most awake, least hungry, most focused or least stressed.

Prehabilitation Through Corrective Exercise: A Guide for Trainers

AndrewMills@nasm.org (Andrew Mills) — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 00:07:16 GMT

NASM Corrective Exercise Specialists (CES) can provide targeted help to improve their client’s baseline physical health before surgical intervention. The purpose of prehabilitation is to put the client into the best position possible for post-procedure recovery.

Welcome to the Future of Fitness

social@nasm.org (National Academy of Sports Medicine) — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 18:54:14 GMT

The following is a transcript of the #OptimaOnline Keynote address from Global Fitness and Wellness Solutions President Laurie McCartney. Want to attend the rest of the conference or see everything on demand? Register today at NASMOptima.com.

Rotator Cuff Exercises and Muscle Activity in Workers with Shoulder Pain [Research Article Review]

Nicole Golden — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 19:24:00 GMT

Research Review

Effects of Selected Rehabilitative Exercises on External Rotator Muscles and Trapezius Muscles of Masonry Workers

Study Author

Singh, G. K., Srivastava, S., Kumar, M., & Ratnakar, S.

Original Citation

Singh, G. K., Srivastava, S., Kumar, M., & Ratnakar, S. (2018). Effects of selected rehabilitative exercises on external rotator muscles and trapezius muscles of masonry
workers. Work, 60(3), 437–444. https://doi.org/10.3233/wor-182757

Staying in Scope with Nutrition

Christopher Mohr, PHD, RD — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 18:04:26 GMT

How often do you hear questions like:

“How much protein should I have?”
“What do you think about intermittent fasting?”
“Should I follow the [insert name of current popular diet] to lose weight?”

It’s not surprising.

Family Fitness: 5 Easy Exercises Tips to Keep a Family Well

Katrina Pilkington — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 17:00:00 GMT

We can teeter on using the term "fit" to refer to a family's health and wellbeing, but that can all-too-often encompass a notion that a family's goals are performative. Being WELL is the goal.

Recipes for Gaining Muscle: The Right Nutrition for Hypertrophy

Brad Dieter — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 23:41:09 GMT

Gaining muscle is not quite as easy as going to the gym and lifting weights. That is just one part of the equation. In reality, gaining muscle requires two main things: a stimulus for growth and the energy to grow tissue.

The Symptoms and Effects of Stress: A Helpful Guide | NASM

sheepdog25@gmail.com (Fabio Comana) — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 23:28:08 GMT

Stress stimulates appetite, it increases abdominal fat, it increases risks for disease and it can even play a role in our intimate relationships.

The list could keep going, but what exactly is stress and how is it connected to all these consequences?

The Origins of TRX Training®: Creating a Global Training Brand

shirleyarcher@test.com (Shirley Archer, JD, MA) — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 22:09:47 GMT

Originally published in the Fall 2020 issue of American Fitness Magazine.

When Randy Hetrick “MacGyvered” the predecessor for today’s TRX® Suspension Trainer™ while serving as a Navy SEAL officer in 1997, he had no idea he was creating an entirely new fitness methodology—Suspension Training®.

Self-Care: 5 Tips for Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

Dana Bender — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 22:33:26 GMT

Self-care is a word that keeps emerging in news articles and company-wide employee emails during the coronavirus pandemic.

Due to the unprecedented stress many individuals face, some companies are re-establishing their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and insurance plan's mental health benefits for all individuals who might be experiencing increased emotional stress, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, or need objective support of a counselor.

Master Instructors of the Month - September 2020

social@nasm.org (National Academy of Sports Medicine) — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 21:38:37 GMT

NASM and AFAA are stewards of what it means to be the best and brightest in fitness and wellness. Both brands are focused on building a diverse and unique community dedicated to creating a better and brighter future in the industry.

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Fitness Goals to Overcome Mental Hurdles | NASM

Cherilyn McLester, PhD — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 21:38:29 GMT

Exercise is often associated with physical exertion and adaptations such as weight loss, improved athletic performance, and increased strength. However, one thing that these variables all have in common is that they are not mindless.

Q & A with Sal Stowers

NASM — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 23:29:23 GMT

If you’re a fan of daytime television, you probably recognize Sal Stowers. She’s a regular on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, where she plays police detective Lani Price. As you'll see, though, that is just a small part of who she is and what she's passionate about in life.