Personal Training
Turning Back Time: Personal Training and the Older Adult
My introduction to training older adults was awesome. Len, my first ‘older’ client taught me a lot. Sharp as a tack, and full of life, Len was a former soldier in the NZ Army. In his late 60’s, he was enjoying his retirement, grandkids, and moseying on down to the shops when he could. I’d…
Read MoreIs Personal Training an Antidote to Chronic Stress?
The 2020s, good times eh…or maybe not so much! We’ve had a global pandemic of COVID to go along with a global obesity pandemic. At a national level, we’ve got a housing crisis, a cost-of-living crisis, a mental health crisis… We have two ‘existential’ crises that threaten humanity. The doomsday clock is closer to midnight…
Read MoreHow Do You Change ‘Bad’ Habits?
Recognised as the ‘father of western psychology’, William James observed that: “All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits”. Whether we realise it or not, most of what we do occurs on autopilot. Our actions are rarely the product of conscious decisions and choices. Rather, they’re the…
Read MoreVitamins and Minerals – Do We Need to Supplement?
Pharmaceuticals are very big business. In 2022, the global pharmaceutical market was estimated to be worth $1.48 trillion (US). There’s a heck of a lot of zeros in 1.48 trillion! Expressed numerically it looks like this – $1,480,000,000,000. One and a half thousand billion dollars…per annum…Wow! ‘Big Pharma’ is somewhat of an understatement. The nutritional…
Read MoreHigh Value Personal Training: Guided Transformations
Like many new trainers, I used to be a bit confused about how to add value to my Personal Training (PT) business. Having worked hard to get qualified, we’re usually highly motivated to put our newfound skills and knowledge to work. Initially, we’re concerned with getting the basics right. As such, we tend to focus…
Read MoreDietary Fat – Health Risk or Super-Nutrient?
Where protein is widely acclaimed and carbohydrate maligned and misunderstood, fat is the ‘chameleon’ macronutrient. One day it’s an under-rated super-nutrient, the next its linked to a variety of serious diseases. The ‘black or white’, either it’s good or bad, framing doesn’t help anyone. It simply encourages us to take a position on one side…
Read MoreExercise Instruction: The make or break of new exercisers
I sometimes wonder how many non-exercisers have been put off exercise by an over-confident, well intentioned, but misguided exercise instructor. Exercise instruction should be considered one of the most important and fundamental skills a trainer brings to the client-trainer relationship. The trainer’s ability to expertly guide a new exerciser through their programme, helps build a…
Read MoreCarbohydrates ‘Carbs’ – Friend, Foe, or Both?
In contrast to the widely acclaimed macronutrient protein, carbohydrates (carbs) tend to be misunderstood and frequently maligned. We have a huge array of ‘low carb’ diets, food products and supplements. Big alcohol cashes in on the carb-bashing to sell a range of ‘low carb’ beers, wines, and alcopops. But are alcoholic drinks and foods really…
Read MoreThe Value of Personal Training – A Career Helping Others
Ever been stuck in a meaningless job? If so, you’re not alone. I’ve been reading David Graeber’s Bullsh*t Jobs: The Rise of Pointless Work and What We Can Do About It [ref 1]. Graeber cites a YouGov poll of UK employees. Of those surveyed: Only 50% thought their job made some form of meaningful contribution…
Read MoreStrength vs. Power – It’s all About Speed!
At NZIHF, we get to work with and learn from some of New Zealand’s finest athletes. While filming content for our Personal Training programme we were fortunate to spend a day with Shane Cameron. For those who don’t know, Shane is a Commonwealth Games medalist and former world heavyweight boxing contender. In association with his…
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