UM Personal Training

by  Adam Toffan , M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS,  CSEP-CPT  Assistant Fitness Training and Assessment Coordinator,  Recreation Services  at the University of Manitoba When focusing on strength there’s a lot of emphasis on the big lifts, and rightfully so! Big multi-joint lifts such as the squat and deadlift should be staples in your plan. However, you should also make room for unilateral exercises! Unilateral exercises focus on one side of the body at a time, such as one arm rows or lunges. We believe almost anyone can benefit from incorporating unilateral training to their exercise regimen and here’s why: It increases core activation Imagine doing a one arm row without engaging your core. You’d likely fall off the bench! Unilateral exercises engage the core much more since all the load is typically on one side of the body. More core stabilization is required to support the load imbalances and promote sound movement patterns. It corrects muscle imbalance Most peop...

by  Adam Toffan , M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS,  CSEP-CPT  Assistant Fitness Training and Assessment Coordinator,  Recreation Services  at the University of Manitoba  Personal training is an investment in your health. Just like your RRSP or mutual funds, you want a return on your investments. Below are some of the ways you get dividends by investing in personal training. Maximize your training A common reason for people not getting enough exercise is time. Sixty-four percent of people who don’t exercise enough say it’s because they don’t have time. People have school, jobs, families etc. Let’s do some math. The average person watches two-to-three hours of TV per day. We spend 25-33% of our waking hours doing non-work related activities . For less than 10% of your day, you can improve your life, but you need to maximize your time first. The fact is we aren’t as busy as we think. It’s about priorities. That’s where a professional personal trainer can help. Wi...

by Adam Toffan , M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS, CSEP-CPT Assistant Fitness Training and Assessment Coordinator, Recreation Services at the University of Manitoba  What's our philosophy and how do we differ from others? Client Focused: No Gimmicks. Scientific: Research-Driven Programs. Attainable Goals: Challenging but Realistic. Client Centered There are countless approaches to personal training. Some trainers/facilities focus more on efficiency and gimmicks. This could lead to the client receiving training not specific to their goals, with strategies that make a workout seem more beneficial than it actually is. In comparison, our programming is client focused with each client receiving a completely original program designed specifically for them. You're not going to find pre-made workout templates or cookie cutter programs here – and that's a good thing. "We use only successfully demonstrated scientific principles when developing a program" Scientific O...