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.
Paused Reps In Your Training
Pauses in reps can be very useful for building muscle mass and practicing strict form, especially when doing higher reps or exercises where you tend to zone out or speed through. Pauses at the bottom of each rep helps keep you aware of your form as well as letting your muscles re-engage for the second part of the lift. Pause reps can be a great way to add more difficulty to your workouts, but it’s best to assess each lift to see if it will be beneficial.
Why Is Lifting Weights Objectively More Fun?
Resistance training is the most fun and empowering way to train because strength gains are more immediate, noticeable, and can be easily tracked. Progress and results that are more nebulous and subjective do not give the same sense of accomplishment, which is why making fitness goals around something that constantly fluctuates like bodyweight is generally unsatisfying. Strength training and other skill based exercises can help people live the lives they want to, and it’s important to find what works best for your life and body.
Post-COVID Exercise Planning
Post-COVID, the risk of various health issues is increased, and it is not a good idea to directly return to high activity levels right away. In this post, I cover some of the most important elements to avoid in training to ensure that you have a smooth transition back to full ability.
Falling In Love With Walking For Cardio
While running gets a lot of attention as the easy, no-equipment cardio method, I’ve found that walking is a lot more useful. Here’s the story of how I came to love going for a simple walk.