Showing all posts by Lolly Monty

Want To Pass Your Online Personal Fitness Training Certification?

When preparing for online fitness courses, it is always good to avail of any good tips that can help with preparation and final passing.

Tips such as any particular method of studying you should avail of?

Any additional information sources you should check out?

To do really well in online fitness certifications, you could look at the following tips for guidance:

There are different types of fitness areas which you might like to specialize in. You could train as a health coach, a group fitness trainer, a personal fitness trainer or an advanced sport specific specialist. Slightly different approaches would be applicable for each role. More info in the Online Fitness Courses website.

• As a health coach: In this role you would probably already have professional training in the fitness industry. It is recommended that you enrol as a client of an HC or work closely with a registered dietician. To be successful as a health coach you will have to develop a good understanding on coaching and how to encourage the clients to make lifestyle changes. Good knowledge and understanding of how physical activity and nutrition are related, is also required.
• As a personal trainer: If you are looking at becoming a personal trainer you should try and work under an already established trainer. You will get an opportunity to learn about trainer-client relationships, how to assess clients and go through the interview process. You will also learn how to interpret pertinent information and work out safe training programmes for the clients.
• As an instructor of group fitness: This job requires different types of training. You will be taught to deal with different modalities and environments. Examples would include things like the temperature and lighting in the training area, sound and equipment. You will get to watch how qualified instructors conduct classes to meet client needs.
• As a fitness specialist in advanced health: When you specialise in advanced health it will involve networking with other professionals in the field such as dieticians, physical therapists, medical doctors, orthopaedic surgeons etc. What can prove helpful are further education courses which will educate you on dealing with individuals with medical disorders, pre and post natal clients, people with metabolic diseases etc.

While studying for the online CEC personal training courses you should not just concentrate on memorizing information on muscles and bones. It is important to focus on the outcome the training is intended for. You should read all the questions carefully so that you answer them correctly, if you have any questions about the modules always ask your personal training institute for more information.

Do not panic if you find you cannot answer a particular question. Carry on with the remaining questions and once completed, you can go back to the unanswered question and give it a shot. Another thumb rule when sitting for an exam is not to change your answers. Trust your first instinct it will probably be right. Dan Clay’s PT Supremacy has some great insights if you want to become a personal trainer.

Once you have completed the paper read through each question slowly and carefully to ascertain you have answered them correctly. Until and unless you take the exam you will not be able to progress. So have faith in your ability and take the all important step.Want more information?

Just twenty minutes of kettlebell exercises is one of the most effective ways of burning calories and strengthening the entire body. In fact, kettlebell certification workouts are just perfect for busy people who hardly have much time to exercise daily. And the best thing is that there are plenty of movement options to select from so that each session remains challenging, fun and exciting. Be sure to read more on the online CEC kettlebell instructor certification course.

The Kettlebell Swing

The swing is one of the fundamental kettlebell functional fitness workouts is part of several complex exercises. To do this, position feet at hip-width apart and grab kettlebells with both hands. Engage the core and do a hip hinge so that the kettlebell dangles between the legs.

Now bend your knees slightly and thrust the hips forward so that the kettlebell rises in one swift; swinging motion up to your shoulder level. Remember the bell of the equipment should face away from your body. Lower kettlebell and repeat motion. This is a fast-paced exercise and you should ideally try to follow a swift to and fro motion.

The Goblet Squat

Stand with feet a little more than hip-distance apart and keep toes pointed outward. Hold the kettlebell with both hands close to the chest and keep elbows vertically aligned to the body. Inhale deeply and do a low squat so that the hamstrings brush against your calf muscles.

Rest elbows on the knees and move the knees a little outward. Rise to initial position and repeat. Remember to maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement and stare straight in front to keep the head up.

The Turkish Get-up

This is one of the most popular total-body kettlebell workouts that is just superb for toning and strengthening the entire body with just one exercise. Yes, kettlebells are famous for providing maximum result in minimum time and the Turkish get-up is an excellent example of that.

To do the Turkish get-up, lie on your back with the right leg extended in front and left leg bent at the knee. Align the left arm along your body with palm facing downward. Now hold the kettlebell with your right hand and lift it upwards and hold position. Next, use the thrust of your left forearm and then the palm to push your body into a sitting position.

From the sitting position, push the hips off the ground using the power of left arm and right leg. In a swift controlled motion, swing your left leg under your body so that you are in a half-kneeling position with your right foot extended forward and the left knee touching the ground. Extend the left arm forward till shoulder height while the right arm stays straight overhead holding the kettlebell in position.

Stand up slowly so that your final position is feet placed closed together, right arm extended overhead while holding the kettlebell firmly and left arm extended in front at shoulder height. Reverse the entire steps so that you are once again lying on your back.

Switch kettlebell to left hand and repeat. The Turkish get-up is a complex exercise comprising several movements and you should try it only when you are confident of your form and technique.

If you would like to be fit and stay healthy, you also have to understand that there is no gain without pain. In fact it is your body that will tell you how, when and why you need to work out to keep fit. For some people it is definitely an effort getting up early or finding time to visit a gym, but once you get started and begin to feel the benefits, working out can become a healthy habit for you too. Using the guidance of a personal trainer will help if you falter.

Make the time

There could be a good few activities in your life which you would gladly give up – maybe even your present job? But you know how important your job is so no matter what, you show up. The same attitude could apply to working out.

The benefits you get by exercising such as strong muscles and bones, weight management, relief from stress, a healthy heart, high self esteem and lesser risk of contracting several debilitating diseases – all these benefits far outweigh any laziness or reluctance that prevent you from doing regular workouts. To help you overcome such lethargy you could always take the help of a personal trainer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV4qOPSPP0Q

Other little tips that could help you to overcome any lethargy towards doing a workout could be:

• Going to bed at night wearing the clothes you will work out in. This could prove beneficial especially on a cold morning when you would have to get out of bed and get dressed for your workout.
• If you are a personal trainer at times you might not feel motivated enough to do your own workout on days when you do not conduct class. Other activities such as getting dinner, taking the dog for a walk, phone chatting or completing some outdoor errands might draw your attention away from working out. This can happen to anyone so one way to combat such distractions is to put on the workout clothes – this will automatically point you in the right direction.

Becoming one of the crowd

Though you may pride yourself on being individual in your style of living, many times you will find you are behaving and doing things similar to that of your family, acquaintances and co-workers. It becomes a game of follow the leader.

In a similar manner, this applies to your health and body also. If you have friends who are obese and indulge in the wrong food choices, you too could fall into that trap and emerge as a fat unhealthy person.

Obesity is a contagious condition, as any personal trainer will tell you, and easy to become comfortable with. In such a case try and mix with people who are health conscious and lead active and productive lives.

If you find it difficult to make the change, take the help of a personal trainer who will help you to decide on the type of workout you need, the right food you should eat, and how to become the healthy active person you should be. So get involved with people who have the right habits and values and are conscious of leading a healthy lifestyle.

Breathing is one of the important aspects when you are exercising. Though breathing is natural to life, your personal trainer will tell you that when working out you have to pay special attention to how you breathe.

Many people in an attempt to fully concentrate on the body movements actually forget to breathe. Sometimes they breathe slower, deeper, or too fast. Even breathing in and out as required in some exercises is not done correctly. Given below are some important breathing tips to follow when working out:

When you are doing strenuous exercises

Strenuous exercises result in the body requiring more oxygen and the breathing rate becomes faster. If you hold your breath during strength training it will limit the amount of oxygen that gets delivered to the brain and could cause fainting, dizziness, rise in your blood pressure and many other such complications.

So when doing strength training you should just breathe naturally. Your personal trainer may advise that you should exhale when you exert more during the exercise, and during the easier part, you should inhale. If you follow this advice you will not make the mistake of holding your breath.

The after-stretches

Once you complete your workout you should breathe fully and freely. This will help you to relax your body and return it to a state of rest. It also helps to remove by- product waste of the exercises and improve your flexibility. A personal trainer will advise you to take relaxed diaphragmatic and deep breaths rather than taking shallow breaths, or holding the breath altogether.

Using the art of pilates

Breathing correctly while working out is most important as emphasized by Joseph Pilates who developed his own exercises for mind and body. Emphasis should be on ribcage or lateral breathing which is different from diaphragmatic breathing as explained above.

When your abdomen muscles are engaged, you will inhale through your nose and your belly will not rise. At the same time air will fill your lungs and they expand into the back laterally; this makes your belly stay flat and tight.

When you exhale, with slightly open mouth you need to push the air out slowly and forcefully. Your personal trainer might also guide you with this way of breathing as it will keep the abdominal muscles engaged and help you to perform the Pilates workout more easily and with more control.

When doing aerobics

For any aerobic exercise such as biking, running, walking etc. the rule is to take deep breaths. Some people breathe through their mouth as it provides them with more oxygen. This method of diaphragmatic breathing is good for cardio activities. A personal trainer will tell you that this method of breathing is totally in contrast with shallow breathing from the chest, which one does while resting. Diaphragmatic breathing can be done as follows:

• You need to relax your abdominals and pull them in tightly.
• Then take a deep breath so that your belly rises and drops when you breathe in and out.
• Practice this technique so that your body gets the oxygen it requires during workouts.