We all have fears. It’s part of our make-up. Years ago I read a book called “Dune” and there was a litany that I always remembered which has helped me to face certain fears.

Is your client base like the tides of the ocean? Constantly in a state of flux...kinda busy this month, not so busy the next? If you’re reaching for the top percentile among fitness professionals you’ll have the courage and humility to admit that MOST of the time your clients leave, it’s due to something you did or failed to do.

I’ve seen this many times. Don’t ever be like this. You may reverse the words, “boyfriend and girlfriend” if you want. Don’t want you to think I’m a misogynist.

If you read this without laughing out loud, there is something wrong with you. This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine .

Exercise equipment might fall under three broad categories: • Constant resistance • Accommodating resistance • Variable resistance Most professionals consider free weight training as constant resistance, however, if you know anything about biomechanics, there is nothing constant about it, unless of course we don’t move the weight. As we push or pull, the muscles are changing length, the relationship of the resistance to the axis of motion is changing and of course acceleration, inertia, momentum and all of those other words of physics we love (or hate) come into play.

A warm up is an essential precursor to any workout. Most people use a treadmill, stair-climber or a stationary bicycle to get their body ready for whatever activity they’re about to perform. The problem with these activities is they’re all uniplanar. You’re only moving in one plane of motion. In firefighting however, activities such as advancing a hoseline, throwing a ladder or just getting in and out of the rig require multi-planar movement. When performing these activities, your joints must adjust through these different planes, while the body’s “active” system (muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia) help stabilize and navigate the body to prevent an injury.

(featured in the September 2009 edition of The Firemen's Grapevine)

First, let me say I'm a huge Vern Gambetta fan. However, I disagree with some of his points in the article "Perfect Posture" (Training & Conditioning, March 2006, Vol. XVI, No. 2). Discussing ideal posture for sports and ideal health can be challenging as he states "When posing for photos or giving a presentation, our posture is static. In sports, posture is dynamic, always moving." This is true. However, if you were to examine the static posture of most right-handed tennis players or right-handed pitchers you might see a hiked right hip, a lower right shoulder and a longer right arm. Compare that to a professional cyclist with a posterior pelvic tilt, reduced lumbar curve and exaggerated thoracic curve and you might come to the conclusion that structure follows function. Is this okay? Is this healthy? As Diane Sahrmann states in her book Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, "A useful criterion for assessing precise or balanced movement is observing the path of instantaneous center of rotation (PICR) during active motion. The PICR is not easily analyzed and radiologic methods are necessary to depict the precision of the motion. "Great. Who has access to that?"

As personal trainers, group exercise instructors and coaches, we are often placed in the position to diagnose aches and pains ranging from sciatica to plantar fasciitis to a crick in the neck. We have a professional responsibility to remind our clients that we are not doctors and do not hold a medical degree, although we are happy to discuss the symptoms of an ailment and help them think through some possible courses of action. 

There's no need to break a sweat at the grocery store checkout.  Adopting a healthy diet doesn't have to mean taking out a second mortgage, and you don't have to sacrifice good nutrition for a reasonable grocery bill, either.  I've collected a few smart strategies to help keep your receipt within reason.  Here's how to beat inflation, one aisle at a time.