Many people want a flat stomach, but few people have it.  You’ll meet people that seem naturally to have flat stomachs, no matter what they eat, and others who are always struggling with extra body fat. 

Even those with good genetics must work to keep what they’ve got at times. Everyone is different, so do not look to others - especially those with totally different body types than yourself - in an attempt to look like them.  Find your ideal body within yourself. 

I chose to share the following because it is so common:

Today, a gym member approached me and asked me to do abs with her.  I know that she attends the gym regularly, so I asked her what her current abdominal routine was. She proceeded to list various exercises – crunches, leg lifts, side bends, planks, and others.  She wanted me to give her some new abdominal exercises because her midsection won’t get any smaller).

QUESTION:  I have a black tie event coming up in 4 weeks.  What is the fastest [most healthy] way to trim down?  I lost 30 lbs late last year but didn’t go down a full size. I thought that was very odd and my mom said maybe I lost muscle instead of fat.  Sound plausible?  Do you have any idea about how I can avoid losing muscle?  I have been spinning a few times a week lately but haven’t been lifting weights.  Is that a bad thing? 

ANSWER:  Good question.  In this industry, fastest and healthy are usually contradictory. 

By now, everyone knows that exercise is great for healthy individuals, and most exercise programs are designed for them.  But will exercise help someone who has cancer?  In the past, cancer patients were told to rest and avoid physical activity.  This sounds reasonable, since one of the most commonly reported side effects of cancer and its treatment is fatigue.  It would make sense that if one is tired, he should rest. 

The problem, however, is that this leads to a never ending cycle.  Prolonged inactivity leads to muscle wasting and loss of strength.  When muscles are weaker, they fatigue more quickly, affecting everyday tasks, such as walking up stairs, or housekeeping.  

Knowing more about the types of resistance training available will help you to make educated decisions on the equipment you use for   yourself and your clients. 

Constant Resistance Devices:

“Constant resistance” means that the resistance does not change during the course of the exercise.  This applies to free weights and machines with round pulleys.  The pros and cons of constant resistance devices are generally the same for all populations.  The limiting factors are as follows: 

Knowing more about the types of resistance training available will help you to make educated decisions on the equipment you use for   yourself and your clients.
 
Constant Resistance Devices:

Not sure how to organize your clients training plan?  Periodization teaches you how. Periodization is planned periods or cycles within an overall training / exercise program.  Periodization  promotes long-term training and performance which includes variations in training specificity, intensity, and volume.

Periodization was proposed in the 1960’s by Russian physiologist Leo Matveyev. Later, American exercise scientists further modified Matveyev’s work with special application to training strength and power athletes.

This briefing will familiarize you with the planes of motion and the terms of movement.  This will help should the need arise that you decipher medical histories and information.

Sagittal plane:

The sagittal (anteroposterior) plane passes through the body from front to back and divides it into left and right portions.  Several actions occur within this plane, such as flexion (decreasing the angle between two body segments), extension (increasing the angle between two body segments), dorsiflexion (moving the top of the foot toward 

Since we are currently bombarded with weight loss ads and they all “really work”, I chose three popular diets, did some research, and provided some insight for those who may be overwhelmed.  Read on for the good, the bad, and the ugly.

NutriSystem:  Nutrisystem commercials are shown several times throughout the day and they are easy to remember because they offer to send you a free week of meals if you order today.