68 Fitness Books That Are on My Bookshelf and Should Be on Yours

I think the most common question I am asked is what books have I read or am I currently reading? So I decided that I'd spend the time that I have recuperating from pec tear surgery to go over EXACTLY what is on my bookshelf and EXACTLY which blogs I read on a daily basis. To make things more interesting and easy-to-follow, I have taken a photo of my top 2 shelves of my bookcase (my wife occupies the other two shelves) and I have gone in order to name the book title and give my brief thoughts of each. Here is are my books as laid out on my office bookshelf:

Top Shelf (Left to Right): 

1.) Introduction to Personal Fitness Training, by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). This is the textbook that NASM began to use  to pre-qualify students into their CPT program. I contributed to 3 chapters in this book. 

2.) Advanced in Functional Training, by Mike Boyle. This was a gift from Laree Draper and one that I love. Although Coach Boyle tends to change his stances alot on training, I always look to him for affirmation into my own training principles and programming.

3.) Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, by Arnold Schwarzenegger - I found this at a flea market and had to purchase it a few years ago. I have not read this front to back, but I love looking at the photos of those old sweaty, vintage gym days.

4.) APEX Certification Manual, by the APEX Group - Years ago, I followed the APEX nutritional plan that was big into supplements. The APEX Group was affiliated with NASM years ago, but I am not sure any longer of their status in the fitness industry. 

5.) The Nutrition Almanac, by Gayla & John Kirschmann - Years ago, I was certified as a nutritional counselor and this was the textbook that was used for the course.

6.) Starting Strength, 2nd Ed., by Mark Rippettoe - This is a favorite of mine and one that I refer to several times. A great book to learn many correct barbell maneuvers. 

7.) Fit & Well, by Thomas Fahey - This is an old college textbook. I kept the book that I knew were going to be very helpful in my future. Rather than sell this one after the semester, it made it to my bookshelf.

8.) High Performance Sports Conditioning, by Bill Foran - This book is actually written by a few authors and was my first exposure to Gray Cook's early versions of the Functional Movement Screens. I purchased this book to broaden my skills into training athletes. 

9.) The Sports Medicine Bible, by Lyle Micheli - Possibly one of my favorite of all time. I borrowed this from my hometown library back in 1996 and loved it. I never returned it!! Shhhhh!!! Although many remedies and treatments may be outdated, this book exposed me to many orthopedic injuries.

10.) Low Back Disorders, by Dr. Stuart McGill - This was a book that everyone was talking about regarding spine health and I had to check it out for myself. I was blown away by the research!

11.) Personal Trainer Manual, by American Council on Exercise (ACE) - This textbook was my first step to becoming a personal trainer in 1999. This manual exposed me to everything to get my feet wet into the field. 

12.) YMCA Personal Training Instructor Manual, by YMCA of USA - This one goes back to my YMCA days in which I had to learn the "Y Way" of doing things. This is a very rudimentary book and find the ACE manual much more helpful.

13.) Introduction to Nutrition, Exercise, and Health, by Katch & McArdle - Another college textbook that I kept because I believe is very valuable. 

14.) Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning, by the National Strength & Conditional Association (NSCA) - I am not certified by the NSCA, but I had to check out the textbook. I have referred to it many times for baselines and protocols.

15.) Complete Guide to Medicine Ball Training, by Vern Gambetta - This is a skinny book that is easy to miss on my shelf; but it was my first exposure to med ball training. 

16.) Stretch to Win, by Ann Frederick - This was the first book I purchased dedicated solely to flexibility. Truthfully, I did not find it helpful.

17.) Muscle and Medicine, by Rob DeStefano - This is a great read! I love when authors combine tissue quality with pain and energy levels. I read this one in little under a week.

18.) Fitness Management, by James Peterson - Not a Thomas Plummer book, but just as good when it comes to management. 

19.) New Rules of Lifting for Abs, by Lou Shuler & Alwyn Cosgrove - A good book but nothing I can't already find on the internet for free.

20.) New Rules of Lifting, by Lou Shuler & Alwyn Cosgrove - I like the original because at the time, it was "original". 

21.) New Rules of Lifting for Women, By Lou Shuler & Cassandra Forsythe - I bought this book for my wife and she loved it.

22.) Stretching and Flexibility, by Kit Laughlin - Another college textbook.

23.) 2-Day Personal Trainer Certification Manual, By NASM - This is the original textbook NASM used for its certification workshops. Back then there was no online studying--just read the textbook and attend a workshop. 

24.) Athletic Body in Balance, by Gray Cook - It was only a matter of time before Gray Cook would write his own book and this one delivers!

25.) Explosive Lifting for Sports, by Harvey Newton - This was my attempt to learning Olympic Lifts. I gave up because I knew learning these explosive movements from a book was not the best method. 

26.) Jumping Into Plyometrics, by Donald Chu - This is a bare essential book. This was my first introduction to plyometric training.

27.) The Poliquin Principles, by Charles Poliquin - The guy has been around for years and this was my first taste of Charles Poliquin. I read this book back when I was heavily into bodybuilding. 

28.) Treat Your own Neck, by Robin McKenzie - I read this recently to help me with some neck pain and it helped!

29.) Functional Training for Sports, by Mike Boyle  - This is the book that put Coach Boyle on the map. It was a great read and great eye-opener into his training programs.

30.) First Aid/CPR Manual - Why not?

Sitting on top of Top Shelf Books: 

31.) Warrior Cardio, by Martin Rooney - Martin Rooney's new book is killer and I am happy I discovered his work this year!

32.) Facilitated Stretching, by Robert McAtee - This is a textbook that was given to me as a gift and truthfully have not read it yet. 

Now for the second shelf.

Second Shelf (Left to Right): 

33- 40) Various JC Santana Workshop Books - These 7 black spiral bonded workbooks are authored by Juan Carlos Santana and have been staples in my referencing. They cover everything from "Breaking the Bonds of Traditionalism" to "Stability Ball Training."

41.) Body for Life, by Bill Phillips - This is the original book from Bill Phillips--not a re-issue. I loved this book when it came out and believe it set  the pace for many imitators that followed. 

42.) 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, by Bob Nelson - This is a book that I looked over during my management days. In one position, I managed 25 fitness professionals and I wanted to make sure everyone was happy.

43.) Family Medical & Health Guide, by Consumer Reports - This was a book I purchased at a tag sale and love it. It describes many diseases and disorders that have made me more aware. 

44.) Power Training, by Robert Remedios - A great book by Coach Dos that really changed the way I programmed when it first cam out. 

45.) Facts and Fallacies of Fitness, by Mel Siff - A great book in how it is written and arranged. Mel Siff was an uncanny expert and one that would have made a greater impact if he didn't leave us so early.

46.) Sports Supplement Review, 3rd Ed., by EAS - Back in teh day thsi was teh bible.

47.) Sports Supplement Review, 4th Ed, by EAS - See above. 

48.) Trainer Supplement Desk Reference, by APEX Group - Another textbook from my days working with APEX nutrition and supplementation. (Circa 2001)

49.) Core Performance, by Mark Verstagen - When this book was released, it changed everything. This is a  staple in my collection.

50.) Maximum Strength, by Eric Cressey - Another gem. I like Eric's writing technique and he proves he is a guy that is in the trenches. 

51.) Power Posture, by Lee Parone - This is a great book on how posture affects our energy levels. 

52.) Raising the Bar, by Dave Tate - A great book on life outside the gym. I like Dave's writing. He writes like he is in the room with you.

53.) Health At Home, by Various Authors - This book was given to me by an old employer and helps with finding simple remedies to simple problems. 

54.) Take Care of Yourself, by Dr. Donald Vickery - Another book that was given to me by an employer during my corporate fitness days. 

55.) The Mental Athlete, by Kay Porter - This is a great book if you coach young athletes. It is complete with mental drills and triggers. 

56.) Awaken the Giant Within, by Anthony Robbins - My first book about self-empowerment before the internet spawned many imitators. 

57.) Dr. Divot Guide to Golf Injuries, by Larry Foster - I purchased this book when I began working with golfers because I wanted to understand the mechanisms of the injuries they deal with. 

58.) TNT Diet, by Jeff Volek - A great diet book at the time. It was my first eye-opening book into a specific diet plan.

59.) Guidelines for Exercise Prescription, American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) - This is the 4th edition and I have glanced over it maybe 4 times. 

60.) Brother Iron, Sister Steel, by Dave Draper - This one was read a long time ago--back in my bodybuilding phase. A great account of Dave's bodybuilding days and personal ideology. 

61.) Serious Training for Endurance Athletes, by Rob Sleamaker - This  was a textbook for a certification I had acquired for training endurance athletes. 

62.) BodyOpus, by Dan Duchaine - Holy smokes...when this book came out (long ago) I was experimenting with different nutrition and supplement schemes. 

63.) Golf Injury Handbook, by Allan Levy - Another book I had purchased for my golfers.

64.) Sports Nutrition guidebook, by Nancy Clark - This was a textbook for a brief nutrition counseling certification I held. It doesn't contain anything different than what you can find in any other book.

65.) Natural Healing Remedies, by Various Authors - This book was purchased during a holistic phase I was going through.

66.) Golf for Dummies, by Gary McCord - This book was purchased by me to understand the game of golf better. Because personally, I find it extremely boring. 

67.) Optimal Muscle Training, by Ken Kinakin - This is a great book on muscle imbalances and the exercises need to help. Comes with a great DVD.

68.) Sports Injuries Guidebook, by Robert Gotlin - This is a college textbook that I decided to hold on to for injury reference. 

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Turning Injuries Into Opportunities

I am recovering from a pectoral tendon tear that was surgically repaired last week and have little use of my right arm. Among that inconvenience, there is also the thought of having to scale back on my weight-lifting, training clients, and everyday activities that involve my upper-body. Getting a piece of your body surgically re-attached to bone is a constant reminder that we are all susceptible to injuries. Big ones too. Injuries like that stay embedded in the back of your head every time you approach a loaded bar, look up at a chin up bar, or prepare to get under a squat.

I am taking it easy for this week to concentrate on my rehab and working closely with my physical therapist. I plan on being out of this sling in 3 weeks--although the doctor would like me to stay in it for 6. I'll do the best that I can and remain patient and diligent with my therapy. As for today, I have a guest blog post from Mark Young:

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein

Getting an injury sucks. Getting an injury from training really sucks. But the cool thing about life is that perspective can take a bad situation and turn it into an incredible opportunity.

From personal experience I can say that some of the best experiences of my life came out of circumstances that I didn’t appreciate for what they were at the time. A few years back my wife and I closed our training facility to cut down our work hours and focus on having a family.

At the time I also took on a position developing the exercise component of a bariatric medical program for the treatment of obesity. To say I wasn’t excited about this would be an understatement. It wasn’t my “thing” but in the end, that two year experience turned out to be the most pivotal moment of my fitness career and is now the foundation of my understanding of long term weight loss and all of my fat loss programming. It was one of the most valuable professional experiences I’ve ever had.

So if you’re the type to feel sorry for yourself then getting an injury is going to make you miserable and you’ll probably remain that way until you’re back up to speed again. Alternatively, you can choose to view the problem in a different way. You can turn that problem into an opportunity to bring up weak areas and come out even better than you started before you got the injury in the first place.

Never been as lean as you’d like?

Use the time you would’ve spent training to optimize your diet for fat loss.

Never really dedicated as much time as you should to cardio?

Get out and move. Heck, get outside and go for a hike even. Soak up some rays, get in some vitamin D, and get the heart rate up.

Upper body injury?

Experiment with single leg lower body variations. Spend some time on those calves.

Lower body injury?

Take some time for the upper body corrective work and foam rolling you’ve been putting off. Or bring up a lagging body part.

Whatever you choose to do, don’t sit on the sidelines and cry about your injury. Rather than taking a step backwards, use the opportunity you’ve been given to make a great leap forward in another area of training. I can assure you that you’ll come out on top and be an inspiration to others…and more importantly, yourself.


“Problems are only opportunities in work clothes” – Henry J. Kaiser

Mark Young is a personal trainer based out of Toronto, Canada. You can learn more about him on his website at www.MarkYoungTrainingSystems.com.

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Stop the Abducting and Add a Lunge

Why do so many females resort to the ever popular abductor/adductor machines that we see in today's commercial gyms? Commonly known as the "inner and outer" machines by women, these machines are dinosaurs and have resulted in thousands of hours wasted away by users (men included). Everyday, females sit on these machines and perform a standard set of 15 reps or sometimes a "high rep" set of 20-30; and then rest by sitting there and wasting away. Waiting for what?

The position that the abductor/adductor machine places the body in plays no role in human movement function. The machine is designed to isolate (not integrate) the adductors and abductors for strength and hypertrophy. Whats wrong with that? Nothing if you are a female physique competitor and need more "outer sweep" to your thighs, or need to bring your adductors up to par with your quads. The machines are more detrimental than good for the average gym goer.

Isolation is good for hypertrophy, but it's not good for function. Especially for the adductors. Overly tight adductor muscles have a tendency to affect pelvic rotation, which can effect lower back health. The abductors (outer) when placed in the machines--usually in a knee flexed position--can stress the ilio-tibial band (IT) in someone with already tight IT bands. Most general population gym goers are desk-sitters and prone to IT band syndrome which can lead to knee tracking problems, knee pain, and low back pain. Because these muscles are attached to the pelvis, they work in conjunction with other muscles to "operate" the pelvis. The pelvis is the site of many central muscular attachments. It's a central unit for core muscles and very important for locomotion (running, walking). If certain muscles are strengthened without properly balancing the surrounding antagonists; most likely there will be an alteration in the hip joint and sacro-iliac joint; followed by the knee and ankle. Likewise, the entire kinetic chain can be interrupted.

In my experience, I have found that most men are tight in the adductors. Most women are weak in the adductors. So, what can we do to incorporate a strength component with an active stretch? I like a lunge movement. It can be implemented in different forms: lateral lunge, split squat, lunge reach, transverse lunge or reverse lunge. I teach the lunge to every client I encounter simply because there is an abundance of benefit to this movement to ignore it totally.

However, I am not oblivious that the lunge is also a tough exercise for most people that complain of some sort of knee pain. With that being said,  I began using the "Kneel to Stand" drill as part assessment and part progressive movement preparation. The drill calls for someone to kneel down on a thick mat or Airex pad. Using one side, the person must bring flex the hip and bring one knee to the front. This portion will tell you alot about hip flexor strength (primarily psoas function) and hip stability. If someone has poor hip stability (coupled with weak core),  they will lose balance immediately. If they have weak adductors,  the knee will cave-in immediately as they rise from the genuflect position. If they have SI joint pain, they will grimace or complain of low back pain with the hip flexed position and accelerating upwards. If they have overly tight hip flexors,  they will comment on the "stretch" they feel in the opposite thigh.

You see, so many things occur in one movement when you involve the pelvis. Now, back to the adductors. I like the side lunge for adductor work simply because it incorporates other muscle groups into the equation and adds a plus in the function column of your exercise program. You can find an abundance of drills like the Kneel to Stand--designed to facilitate a great looking lunge in my DVD:

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When Power Leaks From the Feet

If you are like me, you've probably suffered an ankle sprain once or twice or three times in your life. Severe ankle sprains hurt, and they are often more painful than an actual bone fracture. With the rise of information coming out regarding ankle mobility, I began to wonder how can I help my clients prevent ankle sprains from reoccurring, while at the same time increase their ankle mobility? Years ago, I researched how the ankle joint--or more specifically--the metatarsal head of the foot; can effect vertical jump power. I was amazed at what I dug up. I began to look at my client's lower legs and what faulty joint kinematics I could find. I began noticing the same things:


a.) People that sat all day, had poor ankle mobility in the sagittal plane.

b.) Inactivity and excessive weight gain caused a displacement of weight on the ankle that may place them at a high risk for future ankle sprains.

c.) Pure strength was a crucial factor in balance training.

In the initial squat position of the jump, most athletes show an ankle(s) in a position of low bony stability (plantar flexion, inversion); the ligaments have a more significant role in providing joint stability and are more likely to be injured or produce weak propulsion (as in a jump). The first corrective step in preventing excessive mobility is to look at the peroneus longus (PL) muscle. The PL is arises from the upper 2/3 of the lateral surface of the fibula and inserts on the base of the first metatarsal (big toe). The PL and the role of other muscle-tendonius tissue create a “pulley effect” which enables the PL to act as a stabilizer for the first metatarsal during push-off by exerting a plantarflexion force. This assists in propulsion by creating a rigid lever for push-off.

During the vertical jump, electromyographic data confirm the role of the PL in stability and propulsion, as most of the PL activity is during the latter half of the initial stance phase. If the feet are excessively inverted or everted, the PL becomes inefficient in creating a plantarflexion movement and rigidity will not be formed during push-off. So the first step in improving vertical jump is assessing PL stability of the first metatarsal joint and observing propulsion stance.

One of the assessments I began using looked something like a typical calf raise. With insufficient stabilization from the PL, the first metatarsal head will lose contact with the ground; the foot will supinate, and the weight will shift to less the stable fourth and fifth metatarsal heads.

Fig. 1: Unstable metatarsals

Figure 1 shows what most therapists and coaches dismiss as a “conventional” supinated foot. The test is primarily a calf raise exercise initially performed bilaterally and progresses to being unilateral as stability improves. Most individuals exhibit supinated feet due to improper footwear which provide insufficient support.  Women that work in office environments are pressured to wear heeled shoes for 8-9 hours per day. For those that make it to the gym, will wear sneakers with high rubber soles. 

They look cool and are designed for running comfort, but they also pose a risk for most individuals to develop poor gait patterns early on. Without proper intervention, this leaves the problem to manifest and eventually affect sport or daily physical activity.

Fig. 2: Stable metatarsals

Thankfully with the popularity of flat soled sneakers and minimalist shoe wear, most active people can work on the lower leg muscles indirectly. As this is a double-edged sword, most of the general population should not run out to their local sneaker shop and purchase a pair of minimalist shoes without a proper assessment of the area; and a conditioning program to get these muscles up to speed. The problem facing most of the general population  is they want to participate in extreme sports activities to balance out a sedentary lifestyle. This is a recipe for disaster. 

I like two drills to get people up to speed before they try to complete a Tough Mudder race or their local 5K in minimal shoes or barefoot.

#1. I prefer the free standing calf raise exercise with emphasis on the keeping the big toe flat against the floor. This will cause a good stretch in the bottom of the foot and really stress the fascia to mobilize the entire foot.

#2.  If you have access to a horizontal leg press, I like this drill to strengthen the PL muscle:

It is simple to do--especially with the general population-- and really enables them to target those muscles without confusing them with balance and coordination. Both drills should be performed slow and under control to stress the areas effectively. There are a number of other ways to target the muscles that encompass the lower legs--these have worked well for me. Give them a try!

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10 Reasons Why Young Athletes are Easier to Train than Adults

From time to time I meet up with a strength coach that works exclusively with young athletes. He works with youths ranging from ages 12-24--specializing in middle-school, high school, and college sports. Although from time to time he does work with some general population clients--baby-boomers roughly in the age range of 40-64--his predominate clients are young, vibrant, and train with a purpose to excel in their chosen sport. 

Each time we meet up for discussion, he amazes me at how diverse his exercise programs are and how exceptional his athletes achieve the results that they do. His athletes come from all sports including basketball, football, tennis, swimming, baseball, track, and volleyball. He begins each of their programs with an initial consultation (with or without parent); basic assessments involving muscular endurance, core stabilization, and flexibility; and basic bodyweight drills designed to pinpoint specific faults in certain skills. Its a great well-thought approach to exercise design and very similar to what I do with my general population clients. It is also very similar to what alot of trainers do with their adult clients.

How can 2 professionals with almost similar approaches to program design experience different outcomes on the training spectrum? I thought to myself: are young athletes easier to  train than adults? As I drove home from my visit, I began to conjure up a list of reasons why strength coaches that work primarily with young athletes achieve a greater amount of total success than those fitness professionals that work predominately with adults over 35.

1.) Stress - Most adults are faced with greater stressors in life--mostly negative and don't know how to deal with them. Youngsters also face a degree of stress (bullying, peer pressure, grades)--however, there is a support grid made up of family members and school faculty. Adults face stress ranging from job security, finances, family, and health that can inhibit their focus when following an exercise program.

2.) Sedentary Lifestyle - Most adults that work are inactive due to desk jobs, laziness, or boredom. Unlike youngsters involved in scholastic sports, there is no structure involving financial accountability and job performance. Youth athletes benefit from a different kind of structure. They follow a routine consisting of academia, social thrivers, and sport. So if the expectation is not there, don't expect adults to get off their couch to do something unless that are forced to. 

3.) Health Issues - Most adults suffer from a host of health problems beginning with the BIG 3:

hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. The genesis of these ailments is inactivity which leads to obesity and overweight-ness. Although many youngsters are experiencing the same illnesses that adults experience; athletes have an ability to prevent and bounce back due to the resources available to them from their school or organization.

4.) Overweight - Obesity rates are higher than ever and that even includes today's youth. Combined with the first 3 reasons described above, adults that are overweight suffer from other disease and medical conditions much more swiftly than younger, more active clients.

5.) Depression - In today's age of mis-diagnosis-quick to prescribe medicine--adults suffer from depression due to stress from family, job, and finance. Adults lack control of their lives and suddenly retract into a dark world of misery and loneliness. With  the onslaught of prescribed medicines to "combat" depression; we find that most adults really only fall further into their spiral of dark despair. 

6.) Poor Posture - Lets face it...adults have been on this earth longer and therefore, have been battling gravity longer. With prolonged static postures at 8-10 hour jobs--combined with inactivity, the typical adult suffers from the most common postural dysfunction: upper and lower crossed syndromes.

7.) Personalities - Adults are more set in their ways. They present Type A or Type B personalities which force fitness professionals to adjust their coaching style several times per day. Young athletes are typically trained in groups and THEY must adjust to the coaching style.When your 54 year old client is a vice-president of a large investment firm, do you really think he wants to be coached in a manner that invokes he is the "subordinate"? Consider this: a youngster are more coach-able.

8.) Orthopedic issues - Most adults will present orthopedics problems stemming from past knee surgeries, hip replacements, frozen shoulders, blah, blah, blah. This list is long. The bottom line is adults have not taken care of themselves for longer period of time than today's youth. Their bodies are weathered. They have neglected their bodies for a longer period of time and therefore, are paying the price now. Fitness professionals need to adjust, modify, and help correct certain aspects of the kinetic chain to make the exercise program enjoyable, pain-free, and effective.

9.) Financial Justification - Most athlete programs are funded by parents or the school system or a possible sponsor. Parents can rationalize spending the dollars on their children more than themselves when it comes to physical fitness. Why? Parents view their children as "still having a chance" to achieve a dream or great feat. This brings us back to the adult client. Why doesn't an adult view this the same way? Adults cannot justify spending the money on personal training or fitness because they face other expenses where they need to funnel their hard-earned money to. When it comes to personal health, adults try to rationalize with themselves by procrastinating, or trying to get healthier on their own. When they fail, they finally seek out a personal trainer. Certain adults are skeptical of this expense simply because they lack the confidence, commitment, and motivation needed to succeed. 

10.) Motivation/Adherence - How many times has an adult client canceled a session on you? Emergencies, unexpected events, long work hours, and picking the kids up a daycare are all REAL excuses that adults face today. Along with reason #1 (of this list), adults face an uphill battle when adhering to an exercise program in which the fitness professional MUST demonstrate empathy--however, be tactful and concrete when establishing exceptions. Adults are accountable to many things during the day which makes it difficult to maintain a level of motivation that will be consistent through a duration of 4-8 weeks (or longer). Most young athletes will arrive de-motivated and disconcerted to a session, but soon become motivated due to the positive group dynamics of team training.

So I implore: who's job is harder? The strength coach who trains youngsters or the trainer who trains adults?

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9 Traits to Make You a Personal Trainer That Can Lead

I've been teaching personal trainers in a classroom setting  for over 10 years. Most students come in with passion and curiosity, but some lack the ability to lead others. In my opinion, when you are not able to lead, you are unable to coach. The problem with leadership is, people tend to mis-interpret the role as leading a group of people. That is one aspect, but a leader can also lead just one person. That is the essence of coaching others. The ability to maintain someone in a controlled environment and usher them through a  process is a basically leading. 

Looking back on my classroom lectures, I can't make all my students into leaders.  However, what I can do is provide them the tools needed to chip away the rough edges and discover their true leadership and coaching ability.  This is a snippet of a lecture series where I explain to my students the importance of maintaining control in the environment and "giving yourself the power to influence" clients.

In my book, Secret Skills of Personal Training, there are nine traits that I outline that will help personal trainers become better coaches. A better coach and a better leader--in my eyes--are interchangeable. If you are one, you have the ability to be the other!

1. Professionalism

Professionalism also assumes well-honed organizational skills that make all contacts with the client a satisfying experience that enables the fitness professional to be viewed as a trustful resource.

2. Commitment

As a fitness professional selling a service, the client will expect the fitness professional to be as interested, even as passionate, about reaching a timely goal as they are themselves. The fitness professional should be committed to their own success—which should be comprised of investment in time, energy, training, and other resources to foster ongoing professional development.

3. Charisma

Charisma is a competence that all fitness professionals need, and most are able to learn. It is that seamless combination of vision, empathy, self-confidence, enthusiasm, optimism, and focus that often makes the different between closing a sale and closing a door. It involves the consistent ability to rapport instantly and maintain it subconsciously so that the fitness professional and client are never adversarial, but on the same side.

4. Work-ethic

Developing and maintaining a good work ethic means that one can develop efficient and effective work habits and then stick with them on a consistent basis. This includes a regular schedule, standard operating procedures for the repetitive tasks to perform, a simple but effective record-keeping system, and self-discipline to continue. The fitness professional must realize that success is not dependent just on the number of hours worked, but on how much of that time is channeled towards planned objectives.

5. Desire

The fitness professional should always ask themselves: “What do I really want for my client?” This answer to this question should remain the priority in the relationship between the fitness professional and the client. As with any exceptional service, the fitness professional should go above and beyond every time with a desire to impress the client. Desire is seldom a personality trait; so much as it is a developed skill.

6. Attitude

The right attitude is something we can develop, improve, and fine tune. The opportunity to help change others is always an energetic and joyous feeling that should transcend the fitness professional on a daily basis.

7. Creativity

To a client, two fitness professionals may be indistinguishable; as both may provide excellent service and each may deliver a professional presentation of that service that is undeniably attractive. However, creativity may become the sole differentiator that makes one stand out from the numerous fitness professionals that a client may encounter. It may be a new exercise program, sequence of exercises, or different environment to train in; creativity can easily become a factor between gaining a client and losing one.

8. Resilience

Similar to any sales positions, the fitness professional will likely see long-time clients eventually drop out due to financial restrictions, emergencies, career moves, or family obligations. Some clients will simply no longer need a fitness professional to continue an exercise program. Whatever the outcome, it is important for the fitness professional to expect these changes and look forward to acquiring more clients in the future.

9. Flexibility

A fitness professional must develop an outstanding ability to read the particular needs, preferences, and personal idiosyncrasies of a client, and then tailor the interaction, presentation, and closing tactics to custom-fit that client. This is accomplished by establishing a rapport through effective interaction.

Check out the book that started it all. You can get acquire all the skills you need to be a successful personal trainer simply by understanding that all the qualities lie within you. This book will help you to discover and apply your personal characteristics to become an effective leader in the fitness field!

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When Planks Become Boring: Enter Cable Rope Crunches

I can still remember the image in my head like it was yesterday. As I sat and watched "Pumping Iron", the scene of Arnold kneeling before the cable tower and using the rope for some abdominal crunches. At the age of 17, I had not seen that exercise before...albeit, at that tender age, I hadn't seen much of anything in the gym. But that exercise caught my fascination. I mean, c'mon,...it came from the movie "Pumping Iron", which is equivalent to the movie "Titanic" for the bodybuilding community.

It was an exercise that looked cool. It targeted a popular problem area for many lifters. It showed off the upper-body, and made the rope attachment more useful for other things besides tricep pressdowns. 

I know what you are thinking. Crunches are forbidden. They ruin your spine and will eventually make your lumbar discs snap like a credit card folded over and over and over again. My DVD product, "Shatterproof Spine" does not contain one crunch. It emphasizes Dr. Stuart McGill's work and focuses on the core and abdominals as isometric spinal stabilizers. So, with that being said, dare I ask....?

Should we plank everyone to death?

I like planks, but they tend to get boring, monotonous, and butchered if not properly supervised. I think a plank done wrong is worse than not doing planks at all in a program. The challenge of the plank is often over-simplified and misinterpreted. Hold your body up. Simple right?

The problem with this challenge is once the plank is instructed, it's easy to do. For some, its easy to perform because the body chooses the path of least resistance, and cements the wrong muscle recruitment to accomplish this. Basically, when a trainer is yelling to a client to "Hold, hold, hold..."; that trainer is too busy watching the client's stomach and hips from falling. The challenge is to simply hold the position for the longest period of time with no regard for optimal execution. So what you get is a mish-mash of synergistic dominance and over-activation of the wrong muscles; that continue to fortify the faulty patterns forever ingrained within the nervous and muscular-system:

But this is not another post about poor coaching or spinal stability. Sometimes, we have to strengthen the abdominals with resistance. I'm not talking about supine crunches or the abdominal crunch machine at your local gym. Today, we are going back to the classic exercise that was used by the fore-fathers of bodybuilding and using it to achieve rock hard abs and a strong mid-section.

Today is about anterior loaded trunk flexion. Enter the cable rope crunch:

This exercise is typically performed on the knees in front of a cable column. Attaching the triceps rope, and using a mat for your knees, it  takes up little space. If your gym is crowded, this is a perfect exercise to use or even share with the guy doing rope pressdowns. The exercise can get butchered. So, I'm going to explain a few coaching cues.

1.) Rope crunches cannot and should not be performed by beginners. The reason? You need to use a substantial amount of weight to really allow progression in abdominal force. As indicated by this study, abdominal force really only responds to external loads in excess of 20% of the 1RM. With that being said, its a fantastic exercise for young, healthy athletes or exercise enthusiasts. Is it appropriate for your Auntie Georgette that is trying something new outside of her regular Zumba routine? No.

2.) The rope should become part of your body. Back in the day when Arnold and the boys were performing this exercise, they held the rope away from the body. My guess is they felt that it was a great  stretch and subsequent lat, chest, and serratus recruiter. However, with the load held further from the Center of Mass (CoM), the slack of sheer force was picked up by the chest, shoulders, lats and triceps. I've toyed with that version years ago and that is what I got. Basically a kneeling cable pull-over with minimal abdominal involvement. The trick is to hold the rope as close to the forehead as possible. In the video, you will see that I actually tend to rest my fists on my forehead to "connect" my torso with the load. This will take some experimenting with different loads and positioning. I have more body-awareness because of my training experience, so it will take some practice to allow the "connection" between the movement arm and angle of resistance.

3.) Stabilize the hips and anchor the body to produce trunk flexion. You wanted stability? Here it is in a very functional form. A while back I wrote a guest blog post for Mike Robertson regarding how we must use the ground for force production. It was a widely accepted article because many readers understood that the ground (or surface) at which you perform any activity plays a vital role in force production. This is the basis for making things "functional". In order to flex the trunk forward with a load, there needs to be a stabilization anchor to allow the lever arm (in this case, the torso); perform the movement. In the photo below, areas in RED are stabilized, including the arms---which become an extension of handles for the actual  resistance path.

You will note that the lowerbody is anchored by way of plantar-flexion in the feet. This contribution from the ground allows my entire lowerbody to stabilize as the trunk moves forward. The shoulder joint stabilizes the upper limbs and allows the abdominals to be "sandwiched" between two "walls".

Most beginners do not have the ability to control the weight without losing stability in the hip or shoulder joint. This "force leakage" allows compensations during the execution and renders the exercise useless. Stick with these coaching cues and give the exercise a try!

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Interview with Rick Kaselj

I had a chance to catch up with Rick Kaselj and ask him a few questions regarding his business, products, and rehab specialties. When I say "catch up"...I literally mean catch up. Rick is a very, very busy guy in that he develops alot of high-quality products that are geared towards post rehabilitative exercise for trainers, therapists, and exercise enthusiasts. Along with that, he is a national and international presenter, runs his own business and is a devoted family man. I discovered Rick a few years ago after he complimented a few of my past blog posts and I was fascinated with his contributions to the industry. He is a great guy and I am happy to have had a chance to interview him here for you. Here we go:

1.) Rick, you are known by many as a corrective exercise professional. Can you tell my readers how you got started in the fitness industry and why did you choose corrective exercise as your specialization?

When in was in junior high, I wanted to go into physical therapy because I liked helping people and I liked injuries, plus my mom said that that was a “real good job”. 

The path that most people took in my area (Vancouver, Canada), in order to get into physical therapy was to go get a Kinesiology degree.  So I went to Simon Fraser University and got my Kinesiology degree.

While going through school, I did a bunch of Co-ops (Paid internships) in a variety of places.  One of them was in a physical therapy clinic.  After seeing what physical therapists really did, I didn’t like it.  They just went from patient to patient, doing a quick assessment, slapping a machine on then and then sending them to me for exercise.

What I did find out was I enjoyed the program design, exercise prescription, exercise modification and exercise creation when it related to people with injuries and pain. I focused on doing more of this. 

I started working in physical therapy clinics, chiropractor clinics, fitness centers, large rehab centers, recreation centers and people’s homes when it related to designing exercise programs for injuries. 

As I kept working and specializing in this area, I discovered that a lot of other fitness professionals that I ran into, had no idea on what to do with people with injuries and what were the best exercises to use. I started 

putting together fitness education courses in my area when it related to designing exercises for injuries. That leads to 4 weekends of exercise rehabilitation courses that cover upper body injuries, lower body injuries, core stability and assessment. 

In order to make registration easier and have a place where fitness professionals could get information on my 

courses, I started a website. As soon as I started the website, I started getting questions from fitness professionals around the world about injuries and exercises. I started writing articles and sending emails out on the topic. I found I enjoyed the writing and this lead to numerous books, manuals and video presentations on a wide variety of injury and exercise topics that help fitness professionals and the general public better understand and recover from injuries using exercise.

Now what I do is see clients specifically with injuries, teach fitness professionals about the right exercises to do with an injury and write about exercises and injuries. It is a very cool life. It is not a “real job” but it is a lot of fun. 

2.) What is the most common injury that you see on a daily basis in your non-athletes? What  process do you use to approach it? 

The most common injuries I see are: 

Lower back injuries 

Knee injuries 

Shoulder injuries 

My process when it comes to working with clients with injuries is this: 

Step #1 – I spend a lot of time, talking with the client and gathering information in the first session. Finding out the mechanism of injury, what they can do, what they cannot do, what treatments have they done, what exercises have worked for them and what has worked in the past. Collecting this information, gives me a solid start on the exercise program. 

Step #2 – This would be the assessment part. It might be an assessment in isolation or evaluating them when it relates to a movement. I start off with a few targeted assessments but do not spend hours doing this. 

Step #3 – Then I combine what I have seen from the assessments and the goals of the client to come up with an exercise program for them. 

Step #4 – At the next session, I will repeat steps 1 to 3. Step 1 will be getting feedback on how they were after the session, how they were the next day, how they felt and how they like the program. Step 2 would be looking at the assessments we did before or use the exercises given as an assessment or I would perform assessments that are more in-depth. Step 3 would be fine-tuning the exercise program, progressing the program or re-doing the program.

3.) Your flagship product, "Muscle Imbalances Revealed" is a fantastic resource for fitness professionals. What prompted you to develop such a product? 

When I first started working with people with injuries, the focus was always on strengthening. 

They have an injury; you have to strengthen the muscles to help overcome the injury. This worked in many cases but not in all. Plus, often times it took their recovery to a point...but not to fully recovered.

Something was missing when it came to this “strengthen only” when it comes to an injury. 

In order to figure things out, I went and did my Masters’ degree in Exercise Science and took a few courses in corrective exercise. I like it and it provided more insight into what I should be doing for people with injuries. As I started taking what I learned and applying it, it helped. 

Being introduced to corrective exercise, it got me thinking more about movement and how it relates to muscle imbalances. I began to do my own research to see what else could be affecting the body when it comes to injury recovery. I found out it was muscle imbalances and with some research, I put together a 10-step process on address them when it relates to working with clients with injuries. 

This is where the Muscle Imbalance Revealed product started. I knew I had the background and expertise when it related to the rehab part of things, but I need insight and help with the other parts. I approached other trainers, coaches and therapists, that I respected and learned from to see if they would be interested in providing their insight into muscle imbalances. That lead to Mike Robertson, Bill Hartman, Tony Gentilcore, Dr. Jeff Cubos, Dean Somerset, Kevin Yates and Eric Beard, all getting involved in the Muscle Imbalances Revealed. They all brought their area of specialization when it related to performance, fitness, health, rehabilitation or pre-habilitation and muscle imbalances. 

It has turned out to be a fantastic resource that has helped thousands of trainers, coaches and exercise enthusiasts. The program has evolved into much more than just muscle imbalances but into ways of improving performance, fitness, health and rehabilitation.

4.) In your opinion, please rate the best sources for personal trainers to receive continuing education from? For instance, where do you rank seminars, books, DVD, networking, face to face consulting, internships, or product reviewing among the most effective ways for trainers to learn more? 

At this point in my career, I get my learning from reading the research on Pubmed or from experts in the field. I very much enjoy reading the research to see what is new and to confirm if what I am doing is right. It is great to get the information from the source. This is my number one source, it is Pubmed. 

Many times I will load up my iPhone and when I am flying to present a course, I learn from experts in the field. I take notes into a book that I have, I apply what I leaned with my clients and I will write about it on my blog. There are a lot of experts in the area that have amazing blogs (which are free), books and DVDs. I recommend looking out there and finding people that have information that interests you. 

Nothing can replace face-to-face learning. I end up teaching about 10 weekends a year and I learn a lot from the registrants during these weekends. It is so important to take what you have learned and apply it. You can do this with going to seminars and internships. 

As time has passed, I spend less and less time going to fitness conferences. I find the material is to basic and often times very equipment based. I hate to say this but it looks like the fitness associations are being run by the fitness equipment companies. 

5.) Do you find the personal training industry is different in Canada compared to the USA? Are you in favor of licensing in this field, and if so, why? What types of things can be done to improve the industry? 

I am not able to compare Canada and the USA when it comes to the personal training industry. Since I have only worked in Canada. One difference I do see is in the USA, people are use to paying for their health. They pay to go to the doctor. They pay to go to physical therapy. In Canada, based on our health care system, people expect to have someone else pay for them. This could be the government or a benefits plan. This is changing in Canada but the change is slow. 

For about 10 years, I was a volunteer for an association where we were actively pursuing regulation in our province (What we call a state in Canada.). The process was very time consuming, expensive and bureaucratic. I could go on and on about regulation and licensing. It boils down to three things. #1 - Who is going to police the regulations or licensing and pay for this. #2 – What certification will be the standard. #3 - Many personal trainers will just choose not to follow it because it is too restrictive and expensive. They will give themselves a different name other than personal trainer and describe what they is different then personal training. 

I feel the industry is getting better. I have been in it since 1994. It has come a long way. At the start, all the training was provided by fitness associations and now many experts in the area are sharing their knowledge directly with fitness professionals. This has been a big positive step for the industry. There are numerous amazing blogs, like yours, and products out there by experts in the fitness industry that have helped thousands of fitness professionals. Just like with every industry, there are bad apples but often times, those bad apples fade away and what you are left with is the premium crop of apples. 

I think that is it John. Thank you very much for allowing me to share a few things with your readers. Thank you all and take care.

Muscle Imbalances Revealed - Lowerbody edition is on sale for the next 3 days. I have my own copy and, without a doubt in my mind, it is one of the most comprehensive and diverse exercise/training product on the market. Check out the website sale and go for it!

      

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Are Assessments Over-Rated for the Overweight Population?

With the popularity of assessments, many trainers are finding a wealth of information in textbooks, but are unclear as to how to apply them. Made popular by the NASM and more recently the Functional Movement Screens (FMS) from Gray Cook, assessments are great to add value to a trainer's services and assist in designing the appropriate exercise program. But more and more trainers are finding them to be complex, confusing, and in some cases with the sedentary population--downright overkill. 

Not to thwart trainers from assessing their clients, but the information that is contained in many of the screening curriculum can be comprehensive to a newly crowned personal trainer. Most students go from learning textbook anatomy--which most simply memorize articulations and systems--and then find themselves trying to understand functional anatomy with things like how the glute medius muscle can lead to knee pain or how the lower trapezius is under-utilized. I equate this to having a teen play in a cockpit simulator at the local science center and then throwing him into a real cockpit ready for take-off. 

I receive many messages via Facebook and email from new trainers that are really unsure how to begin a session with their new clients. Here is one I received:

"I feel so lost when it comes to assessments. It seems that NASM places emphasis on this. ACSM/NSCA touch on strength, endurance, and ROM assessments. They don't really go into muscle imbalances and things of this nature. I feel like I am missing the boat. Should I go for yet another certification (NASM) or should I start studying things like Gray Cook's Functional Movement Screen? Do any of our advanced/experienced trainers have any recommendations? I train women mainly. No athletes. Thanks for any advice. If you know of any good books, dvds, or workshops please post them."

Thanks,
Livia, New Hampshire

If you are training mainly general population, your first assessment begins with normal observation. Period. As you watch your potential client walk into your facility or towards you, note the way that they walk. Can you balance a cup of water on both of their shoulders as they walk without spilling? Do they carry alot of excess weight that looks like its been sitting their for some time? Most overweight people are not "newly crowned" overweight; so there is dietary and lifestyle components that must be addressed.  

With most of the general population, you can get by with regular ROM assessments. I think spotting muscle imbalances can get a bit too frivolous and trainers without the proper understanding start concluding "client x has x muscle weak and x muscle tight". As trainers, we try to know a little about everything and this "spread" becomes our downfall. There is nothing wrong in specializing in certain areas with certain clients and referring out to other professionals when you do not have an answer. 

Always keep it simple. The last thing a man who is overweight by 60 pounds needs is glute bridges and planks. Not to say those kinds of exercises don't have a place in an exercise program with an overweight client, but not right off the bat.

What your general population client that has a BMI greater than 30 needs is real simple. It's movement. Exercise in the form of circuits, intervals, or conditioning are perfect for anyone that is chained to their desk, sofa, or bed. Simplicity rules: keep caloric intake low and expenditure high. Nothing rocket-science here. 

As the weight begins to melt off, than assessments are due. The problem with most trainers is they feel that if they are not assessing in the beginning of a program (at session #1),  they are setting themselves up for failure. This assumption couldn't be further from the truth. Assessments are a more effective tool once some of the excess weight is shed and some mobility is gained.

By the way, I take my assessment pretty seriously as you can see by this post :)

Implanted at the right time into a exercise program--and that means for some clients it will be at the start, for some possibly 4-6 weeks later--in my opinion, will make you a very effective trainer.

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