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Posted by NCCPT on 2/20/2012 | Add Comment   



There's a fitness app for that
Here''s an interesting article from USA Today that talks about some concerns with the literally thousands of fitness related apps available today. It''s probably safe to assume the number of apps is growing every day.

According to the article 9% of adults with cell phones have an app to track or manage their health.

At some point you may have clients ask you about an app they''ve been using or are considering. Exercise physiologist Carol Torgan is quoted as saying "People are making (apps), and they might not have any knowledge or certification."

That is a valid point to consider. Who is behind the app? Was a competent health of fitness professional involved in the creation of the app? Beyond the "coolness" factor, one would really have to dig in, and spend time using and app before determining if it is safe and/or effective.

Consider offering an app or web based service that allows you to design workouts and monitor your clients progress. Even if it costs your client a little more than a stand alone app, they''ll be under your supervision.

The original article can be read here: http://goo.gl/Se37P
Posted by NCCPT on 1/23/2012 | Add Comment   



R-Rated Reality
Steven Spielberg has proven time and time again that he is a genius in producing excellent movies. The latest, “War Horse,” is more on the sentimental side but meets Spielberg’s supreme standards. He is remarkable at revealing “an acceptable amount of reality.” Two AWOL soldiers are caught and placed before a firing squad. As the executers fire their rifles to punish the young soldiers, a giant blade of a windmill sweeps across the executed. For a brief moment it obstructs the movie-watcher’s view. When it passes they are lying dead on the ground. The viewers are cushioned from seeing the moment the bodies of the soldiers are jolted from the impact of a dozen bullets pounding their bodies. Obstructing “reality” in a movie is acceptable, especially when the producer is endeavoring to keep the rating down in the PG-13 area. The American Heart Association is not so kind or concerned if the facts are R-Rated. For example, on the American Heart Association webpage, I found this R-Rated information: the bad news is that an inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. The good news is that regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease. The more vigorous the activity, the greater your benefits. However, even moderate-intensity activities help if done regularly and long term. Physical activity can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity, as well as help lower blood pressure in some people. The American Heart Association webpage does not attempt to pull off a Spielberg obstruction. They are not concerned about “an acceptable amount of reality.” The Association’s R-Rated presentation continues with hard core material. The bleak picture is that people who have excess body fat — especially if a lot of it is at the waist — are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even, if they have no other risk factors. Excess weight increases the heart's work. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. It can also make diabetes more likely to develop. If the American Heart Association was a movie producer, they would be classified as presenting pornographic R-Rated reality. Concerning high blood pressure, they are sickening blatant. Blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing the heart to thicken and become stiffer. This stiffening of the heart muscle is not normal, and causes the heart not to work properly. It also increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and congestive heart failure. The risk of heart attack or stroke increases several times when there is high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, or diabetes. The future CAN be brightened and you can lower your risk of most of these diseases by losing even as few as 10 pounds. If you are searching for “an acceptable amount of reality” to cushion you in terms of your health, you are committing suicide in slow motion. Why would the American Heart Association lie to you? Now you know, and I hope you will act. Consider the following points: first, it’s what one does that counts. Good intentions and a positive attitude are not enough. Really, thoughts don’t even matter. What matters is the action one takes, right here in the “now,” the tangible world. Get into some type of fitness program before a real heart attack or stroke becomes your firing squad. Your life is not a movie! James/BodyBalance Fitness
Posted by James Tibbits/BodyBalance Fitness on 12/31/2011 | Add Comment   



Q4 2011 Newsletter
Posted by NCCPT on 12/29/2011 | Add Comment   



Are You a Ten Percenter?
Writer and Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach James Fell wrote and article for AskMen.com titled "Training Essentials".  In the article Mr. Fell says most people are too caught up in the 10%, the "minutiae" as he calls it.

Mr. Fell calls the 10% "micro-issues" pertaining to performance, fat loss and building muscle.

You can read the article yourself HERE

Then come back and read John Platero''s response below:

Hi James,

 

  I love your writing, but want to give you a word of advice. Your latest rant on Broscience  was  entertaining but as a young buck of 43, let me warn you. You’re wrong about the minutiae  or what you refer to as the 10%.

 

Between the ages of 30-45 you won’t see much of a difference to your body.  After 45, your body starts to mess with you. Ask any 70 year old if there was much of a difference in how they felt between the ages of 50 and 70 and they’ll tell you, there is a BIG difference. You’ll find, the more you consider the minutiae the better you will feel. For example, letting the tension out of your hands slowly after lifting a weight will help that tendonitis in your biceps not hurt so much. Paying attention to the speed of the descent on a squat  will allow you to actually complete the motion without grunting or moaning from the arthritis in your knees. Ensuring that  the axis of the leg extension machine aligns with your knee joint might save you a knee replacement.

 Lifting heavy, often without paying attention to the mechanical wear you’ve  created from your macho  years of proving your virility will not only reinforce the imbalances from not having a clue, but will help you contribute to your orthopedic surgeons’s BMW fund.  It’s paying attention to the minutiae  that will  help prevent an injury or  more pain than you already have.

Consistently kicking ass  without paying attention to the minutiae is like spending a ton money at a strip club every week without a long-term financial plan and then condoning it by saying, “hey, it was a f#@$cking great time.”  At 43 years old, with children I would hope you’d learned that.  

You’re intentions were good in your rant because  most people just need to make a friggin effort. But we differ on what you consider the “essentials.” Essentially, you need to constantly educate yourself regarding nutrition and exercise, especially after 40. You will see young man………. Remember, “Aging is the ultimate extreme sport.”

Keep the rants coming!:-)

What are your thoughts on the idea of 90% and 10%?
Posted by NCCPT on 12/6/2011 | Add Comment   



Find us and "Like" us!
Posted by NCCPT on 10/4/2011 | Add Comment   



Before & After Scams
Here''''s a great article from Bodybuilding.com that you can share with your clients.  The article by Dr. Rick Silverman, a plastic surgeon, demonstrates how easy it is to create fake before-and-after photos.

The real kicker is the photos were taken only 6 days apart!

See for yourself, then start educating your clients to see through advertising hype and setting real expectations.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/silverman2.htm
Posted by NCCPT on 9/7/2011 | Add Comment   



Seven Essential Tips Towards Good Gym Etiquette
By John Platero

1. Let people work in. The other day I saw a woman with three sets of dumbbells around a bench go off to the bathroom and came back five minutes later! I’ve seen women park their bag, water bottle, keys, etc in front of a fitness machine. It’s a gym not a picnic. A set shouldn’t take longer than a minute. After that minute, get up and let someone else work in.

2. Don’t do aerobics in the weight room. You rarely see a man doing body sculpting exercises in front of the dumbbell rack. What if someone started doing 400 lb dead-lifts in the middle of a step class? The whole point of lifting weights is to increase the intensity of the exercise. If you can dance with the weights, it’s probably too light. If you want to dance with weights, go into the aerobic room.

3. Don’t lift weights in the stretching area. Some think, if the weights are light, it’s okay to throw them around while people are stretching right under them. Remember, it’s not the weight of a bullet that kills you. A three to five pound weight can break your face just as easy as a heavier weight. NO WEIGHTS IN THE STRETCHING AREA, PERIOD!

4. Use the equipment for what it is designed for. The other day I saw three women using the sit-up bench as a range limiter for their body squats. We only have two sit-up benches for the entire gym. They are for sit ups! Not to squat and touch your butt. That’s what the mirrors are for. Sit-up benches are for sit-ups! Jeesh!

5. When using dumbbells, stand back a few feet from the rack. The other day a woman set her keys, her bag and her water bottle at the base of the dumbbell rack and then proceeded to do front raises and lateral raises a foot from the dumbbell rack. Not only did I have to time my attempt to dive under her arms to grab a set of dumbbells, but then had to navigate around her “landing airplanes” to try and sidestep around her belongings so I wouldn’t trip and fall. Try doing that with a pair of 40lb dumbbells after you’ve just finished 20 reps of shoulder presses.

6. If a woman has headphones on, leave her alone. Although we all need help, some people don’t want any. If a woman has headphones on, don’t try and talk to her. She doesn’t want to talk to you, that’s why she has headphones on. If you need to work in, you might have to trip over her belongings and bang into her, or politely try and get her attention.

7. Wipe your equipment off when you’re finished. Don’t be gross. If you sweat or drip all over the equipment, clean it off with a towel. No one wants to wallow in your sweat.

Posted by NCCPT on 8/23/2011 | Add Comment   



Crunch with Caution!
According to the August 2011 issue of the Strength and Conditioning Journal, spinal flexion exercises should be avoided within the first 1 after rising.

The evidence-based examination claims that after 30 minutes of walking spinal discs lose 54% of daily disc height and water content, 90% within the first hour.

Athletes are recommended to wait a minimum of 2 hours before performing spinal flexion exercises.


Posted by NCCPT on 8/16/2011 | Add Comment   



Beer for Recovery?
If you''re a beer drinker, this is probably GREAT NEWS! Active.com posted an article about a study done on the effects of the polyphenols found in wheat beer.

According to the research beer drinkers experienced greater immune system support, fewer colds and of those who experienced colds -they were shorter and more mild.

If beer isn''t your thing you could opt for wine or grape juice; also known for containing polyphenols.

Posted by NCCPT on 8/8/2011 | Add Comment   



The Best Equation for Estimating RMR?
In The June 2011 issue of the IDEA Fitness Connect Len Kravitz PhD states that in 2005 a study was conducted that found the Mifflin-St. Jeor was the most accurate.

There are factors that can affect the accuracy of the equation such as genetics, physical activity, organ mass and hormones. That means, as with any equation, you may have to tweak your clients intake to determine the ideal calories.

Here''s the equation:

Male: RMR = 10 x (weight in kilograms) + 6.25 x (height in centimeters) - 5 x (age in years) +5

Female: RMR = 10 x (weight in kilograms) + 6.25 x (height in centimeters) - 5 x (age in years) -161

Posted by NCCPT on 6/6/2011 | Add Comment   
Comments:

liju   wrote: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 2:46 AM
This is awsome
Reply to this
sis   wrote: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 2:50 AM
not that much
Bear   wrote: Thursday, July 21, 2011 10:11 PM
I had no idea how to approach this berfoe-now I'm locked and loaded.



PT workshop in Houston TX
Had a great time in Houston with a great group of people
Posted by John Platero on 6/2/2011 | Add Comment   



Become The Next Global Fitness Star

Become The Next Global Fitness Star with Daily Burn

Daily Burn (www.dailyburn.com) an IAC company (www.iac.com), is looking for the next, great fitness celebrity. The search is open to all fitness instructors, trainers and coaches who feel they have the energy and personality to inspire a global community to get in shape.

 

What we’re looking for:

The successful candidate will design and lead dynamic, interactive and challenging group workouts; contribute to blogs, postings and member interaction; represent Daily Burn at industry events, public relations opportunities, etc. Applicant must be a certified trainer with experience developing diverse, compelling workouts; have exceptional communication skills; an upbeat, engaging personality and comfort in front of the camera; experience leading video fitness routines a plus.

Think you got what it takes? 

Then grab your video camera and shoot a 3-5 minute video of your best stuff. We’re not looking for incredible cinematography and fancy cut-aways (we’ll handle that) but the video should demonstrate your personality, motivational instruction, fitness knowledge and camera presence. 

Done with your video?


Please send an email to trainersearch@dailyburn.com and include:
• Resume
• Two photos (one head shot & one full body).
• Link to your 3-5 minute fitness video (can be uploaded to youtube, Vimeo or other file sharing site)
Posted by NCCPT on 5/9/2011 | Add Comment   



An ER Doctors Letter to the Editor
This letter was virally circulated around Facebook and other places online.

Originally written in 2009 to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, Dr. Jones'' letter has shown up in numerous distorted versions of the original.

The original letter below. What do you think of Dr. Jones'' sentiments?

During my last shift in the ER, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient with a shiny new gold tooth, multiple elaborate tatoos and a new cellular telephone equipped with her favorite R&B tune for a ring tone.

Glancing over the chart, one could not help noticing her payer status: Medicaid.

She smokes a costly pack of cigarettes every day and, somehow, still has money to buy beer.

And our president expects me to pay for this woman’s health care?

Our nation’s health care crisis is not a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. It is a crisis of culture – a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on vices while refusing to take care of one’s self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance.

Life is really not that hard. Most of us reap what we sow.

Starner Jones, MD Jackson

Posted by NCCPT on 3/23/2011 | Add Comment   
Comments:

Drew Walker   wrote: Saturday, May 07, 2011 6:46 PM
In many ways the doctor is right, but I feel a little differently. Any reasonably intelligent person who pays attention already holds the key to their own health. Those keys have not changed since Jack Lalanne proclaimed exercise the king of health and nutrition the queen. As they used to say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, etc. If everyone lived a proper lifestyle, most of our health problems would quickly disappear. THAT I think is the real key. As a CPT and Physician Assistant, I believe that our health care SYSTEM is a ridiculous blend of corporate interests and liability worries. Just as most personal trainers cannot get away with yelling at our clients like Jillian Michaels on the Biggest Loser- though there are certainly times when I wish I could do that- health care practitioners often feel they must pussyfoot around the most obvious causes to our patients' problems. We also are forced to write prescriptions to address patients symptoms when it would be so much simpler if people would adopt a healthier lifestyle. As far as I am concerned, welfare "players" don't have much to do with the problem at all!
Reply to this



What can we do about this?
What are we going to do about this?

The spokesman for the Arizona restaurant Heart Attack Grill died Tuesday of pneumonia.  29 year old Blair River, weighed a whopping 575 pounds and stood a towering 6''8" tall.

The restaurant is known for its absurdly high-calorie fast food menu selections that include Flatliner Frys, Butterfat Shakes and Quadruple Bypass Burgers (yes, 4 patties).  According to their website they even sell cigarettes!

Check out the ABC News story here: http://goo.gl/Iij0g
Posted by NCCPT on 3/8/2011 | Add Comment   



Phoenix Activewear Casting Call



Phoenix Activewear is in need of 3 different types of models/spokeswomen for the Los Angeles / San Diego, California area.  If you know of anyone who would be interested, please feel free to send this along. 
  
Stay Fit,
  
  
  



Please submit a headshot and a full body shot that shows your stomach.


Contact
recruiting@phoenixactivewear.com


Posted by NCCPT on 2/9/2011 | Add Comment   



Mushrooms
Mushrooms contain more antioxidants than pumpkins, carrots, and tomatoes.

They''''re loaded with ergothioneine and selenium, two immune-boosting antioxidants that cut your risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

They also contain beta-glucans, plant chemicals found especially in shitake and maitake mushrooms, which supercharge the immune system and may prevent cancer.

They''''re 90% water with only 15 calories per cup.

Lastly, the B vitamins found in fungi may help fend off age-related cognitive decline.

Posted by NCCPT on 1/21/2011 | Add Comment   



Top Fitness Scams of 2010

2010 is a wrap!

With the first decade of the new millennium past us reflect back and share what you think were the biggest fitness and weight loss scams perpetrated on the public in 2010.

Was it a fitness gadget, a cleansing diet?

Why do you think this product or service is a scam?

As a fitness professional you should be aware of what is being offered, and be ready to handle questions from your clients about them.
Posted by Aron on 1/3/2011 | Add Comment   



2 Day Workshop in Scottsdale, AZ


Great group of Trainers at the Dec. 18-19 2 Day Workshop in Scottsdale, AZ.
Posted by Aron on 12/20/2010 | Add Comment   



Who's the Fattest of Them All?
America''s Health Rankings just released a report that puts the Southern US, South Dakota and Michigan as the most fat.
Don''t get too excited if you live elsewhere;  apparently we''re not content becuase we''re all following their lead.

Check out some of these increases in the last 20 years:

Washington - 186% (Wow!)
South Dakota - 182%
Tennesee - 178%
Florida - 90%

Florida is in the "lowest" gain category, though they almost doubled.

Maybe the stress from politics is helping Washington D.C., they only increased 26% (thats still a quater fatter than they were in 1990!) 
Posted by Aron on 12/15/2010 | Add Comment