UM Rec Services Personal Training

by  Andrea Dietrich , B.Kin,  CSEP-CPT , Fitness & Training  Coordinator,  Recreation Services  at the University of Manitoba It’s not your imagination – more and more of your colleagues are getting the sniffles. It’s just that time of year again. Cold and flu season is upon us, and we have provided a few ways to help you determine whether to lace up your shoes or stay home and rest. Cold or Flu? Determining whether you have a cold or the flu is an essential first step, not only for exercise prescription but also treatment. The Public Health Agency of Canada provides a fact sheet to help determine whether you have a common cold or have picked up the flu (Click the image for more information) . The “Above the Neck” Rule Once you’ve determined it’s not the flu, it’s time to do a neck check. A cold will typically last 1-2 weeks. If your symptoms are “above the neck” such as sneezing, stuffy sinuses, or a sore throat, the good news is you shou...

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...

by Adam Toffan , M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS, CSEP-CPT Assistant Fitness Training and Assessment Coordinator, Recreation Services at the University of Manitoba Until recently much of the benefits of personal training have been documented but not quantified. We know personal training helps, but how much? Now we have research to give us the numbers. Personal Training effect on Stage of Change: A large part of the personal trainer’s role is counselling, especially early in the relationship when the trainer and client are getting to know each other. However this is continuous in varying degrees throughout the relationship. When assessing a person’s readiness to change behaviour related to their physical activity, one tool used by fitness professionals is the Trans-theoretical Model (TTM) which classifies someone into one of the following stages: Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action and Maintenance. During counselling, this information is used by the personal trainer t...

by Adam Toffan , M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS, CSEP-CEP Assistant Fitness Testing & Assessment Coordinator, Recreation Services at the University of Manitoba Small Group Training and Wearable Technology top the Association of Fitness Studios “2018 Top Fitness Studio Trends Report”. The ASF’s annual survey of its membership has found that Small Group Training and Wearable Technologies continue to grow across the industry. Here are 5 reasons why: 1. It Keeps You Coming Back Many people have a hard time pushing themselves to get to the gym and, once in the gym, pushing hard enough to maximize the health benefits. Training with a partner or in a small group helps improve adherence, motivation and results! Someone is less likely to skip a session when they know someone is expecting them. The small group also provides more attention while in the workout. In small group fitness classes or personal training, you get extra attention from the instructor since there are fewer people for the in...

by  Andrea Dietrich , B.Kin.,   CSEP-CPT Fitness and Training Coordinator,  Recreation Services  at the University of Manitoba What is it Basal Metabolic Rate? Basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the bare minimum amount of energy expended by an individual at rest while awake. More precisely, the amount of energy your body needs to breathe, lay restfully awake, and control body temperature. Ideally, you would have fasted for 12 hours, and the environment was temperature-controlled as well. So how do you actually use this information? Let’s change the word energy to the word  calories . BMR is then the bare minimum amount of calories your body needs to merely function. This has implications for your diet, whether you are trying to lose, gain or maintain weight, feed growing muscles, or spend your weekend lying in bed in a dark room, quietly just existing. Most of us do more (much more) than lay in bed on an average day, and even tasks like sitt...