Effective Client Communication for Health and Fitness Professionals

Effective Client Communication for Health and Fitness ProfessionalsHere’s a recent article I wrote for the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). It focuses on communicating effectively with clients from a behavior change perspective.


“On any given day, a client can walk in for a session and its momentum could be determined by factors out of your immediate control. Inherently, you want to ask what’s wrong and attempt to immediately resolve the situation, but it’s not necessarily the appropriate approach, and could end up harming your working relationship.”  Read the rest…

 

 

 

Back to The Basics: Hypertrophy

DeWayne A. SmithHere’s another article I recently wrote  for the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). It focuses on defining muscular hypertrophy as an adaptation our bodies experience in response to various stimuli.


“Over time, our bodies adapt to the stimuli we expose them to. Broadly, these stimuli can range from environmental to physiological, and even be psychological. The adaptations to these stimuli fall under the phenomenon of General Adaptation Syndrome.”  Read the rest…

 

 

 

Youth Athlete Nutrition Guidelines

Youth Athlete Nutrition GuidelinesYouths in general have an increased need for calories due to periods of rapid growth. The nutrients contained within the foods they eat should provide the nourishment their bodies need to properly grow. Recent trends show that youths are eating more meals away from home, and that almost 40% of the total energy they consume is in the form of empty calories (1). Suboptimal nutrition can cause complications such as excess weight gain, and may also compromise growth and development. Youth athletes expend more nutrient rich energy than their sedentary counterparts and for this reason, should consume more calories to fuel their bodies for performance and recovery. Proper nutrition and hydration is essential, before, during and after activity.

Swimmer’s Shoulder: A Corrective Exercise Perspective

Swimmer's ShoulderBack to The Grind

I’ve decided to write a few articles…maybe more for the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). This article focuses on the etiology of Swimmer’s Shoulder and how to prevent it using NASM’s Corrective Exercise Continuum.


“The shoulder complex is one of the most complex joints of the human body. It consists of articulations between the sternum, clavicle, humerus, scapula, and rib cage. The inclusion of overhead activities into one’s fitness activities such as throwing or swimming can put undue stress on these structures that may potentially lead to various overuse injuries. With over 50 million Americans enjoying swimming recreationally, and the growing popularity shown through rising annual memberships for swimming and triathlon programs, these overuse injuries may experience a similar increase in prevalence (1,2,3). The current range of shoulder pain reported by swimmers is 40-91% (4).” Read the rest… 

Beer for Recovery After Exercise

Triathlon Beer“Mmmmm, Beer…”

It’s no secret. Many endurance athletes love to have a beer “for recovery,” after a long day of exercise, training, or a race. It affords the opportunity to slow down the pace of life and socialize with others. Although alcoholic beer is known to have many negative effects on an athlete’s physiology, recently released research also shows favorable effects – for non-alcoholic and perhaps even alcoholic wheat beer. This article in no way argues the negative effects alcohol has on performance and recovery. It merely points out, that drinking a specific type of beer may also have positive effects very relevant to endurance athletes.