Do Athletes Make Boring Clients?
In personal experience, athletes - especially hobbyist or aspiring athletes - require little in terms of unique training methods, but are demanding and impatient in their relationship expectations with their trainer(s). “General population” clients have a huge range of limitations and needs, which makes their programs more tailored and specific, giving the trainer an opportunity to learn more about a wide range of fitness options. Of course some athletes can be great and interesting to work with, and general clients can be frustrating or boring. Every person is different and it’s important that as a trainer, you are open to learning many styles and continuously improving your knowledge of health and fitness.
Training For The Hypermobile
Hypermobility is a condition where joints are unusually loose or unstable and often presents itself in people as excessively flexible bodies with poor proprioception (the sense of knowing what space your body is taking up and what it’s doing). The risk of injury that comes with hypermobility means that clients should focus on stability rather than flexibility, avoid extreme ranges of motion, be careful with controlling movement and form, and be aware that their strength will grow slowly. Personal trainers should familiarize themselves with common conditions like hypermobility in order to best support the wide range of individualization their clientele will need.
What's The Deal With Artificial Sweeteners?
Artificial sweeteners are a large and varied category. It’s difficult to conduct long term research on any one product, and it is unfair to assign the results of any one sweetener to the category as a whole. The long term effects of artificial sweeteners are still unknown in humans. The fears people do have come from studies on rats that don’t align with human behavior and also don’t include all of the different versions of sweetener. Artificial sweeteners can be useful for strict calorie management, but as with all things, should be used intentionally and in moderation.
99% Of Fitness Content Is Garbage
There’s a finite amount of information that can be shared about fitness and a limited number of ways to say it. Only a small portion of the fitness industry is doing research into actually new ideas and methods. Those who aren’t doing that either produce - at best - fluff content or - at worst - misleading or unverified information.
Yes, Fruit Is Healthy For You
Sugar has a bad reputation for being something that is inherently bad for you or worse than other forms of carbs, but this isn’t what the science says. Along side the natural, unprocessed sugar, fruits have micronutrients that help maintain our health. Fruits are also a good source of fiber, which isn’t digested well by our bodies and helps us feel full and satiated.