Whether clients get bored or you as the trainer fall into a rut, everyone needs new ideas at some point. It is important to stay current with emerging trends, and in order to define yourself as a trainer, you need new and interesting ideas to keep your clients engaged and in order to provide them the best service.
Functional Fitness
Functional fitness is an idea that started with professional athletes and has trickled down into the health club population. According to the American Council on Exercise, it involves exercising to improve quality of life by mimicking movements that you do every day. It involves combining squatting, twisting, pushing, pulling and balancing. Take your client out of the weight room and utilize stability balls, cables, single leg exercises, core exercises, agility ladders, hurdles and bodyweight exercises.
Balance Exercises
If you are currently doing dumbbell exercises with your client, have them do the same exercises standing on a BOSU or lying on a stability ball. This will help improve their balance and stability. It will also activate more muscles for a higher calorie burn. Try standing on the flat rubber part of the BOSU and do shoulder presses, squats, bicep curls and triceps extensions. For advanced progression, turn the BOSU over and have them balance on one leg on the rounded side and perform upper body exercises. Lay with their lower back on the round side of the BOSU and do crunches, bicycles crunches, leg lifts or abdominal twists.
Multiple Muscle Groups
If you feel like your client wants to get more of a workout during their session, combine exercises for total body movements. Using dumbbells, merge shoulder presses with squats, bicep curls with lunges, and deadlifts with a high row. Have your client do a push up with their hands grasping dumbbells, and when they reach the up position, have them do a row with each arm. Have them lay on their back holding dumbbells and do a chest press with an abdominal crunch on the up position.
Exercise and Stretch Combination
For clients who want to get their weight training in, but who have obvious flexibility issues, "Tactical Strength and Conditioning" from the National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends combining a stretch with a strength exercise. Crossover squats will stretch the hip adductor muscle, while exercising the inner and outer thighs and glutes. Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Step your right foot behind your left and squat, trying to touch your right knee to the floor, simulating a curtsey. Deep lunge walks stretch the inner legs and hamstrings. Do deep walking lunges while trying to touch your opposite elbow to the instep of whichever foot is in front.
Cardio Circuit
Circuit training is a great way to increase your clients heart rate, burn calories and give them a cardiovascular workout all at the same time. Do two or three resistance training exercises, and then add in one minute of cardiovascular exercise, such as jumping jacks or mountain climbers, for a total of three sets. Or you can do three sets of three resistance exercises, and then make them jog or cycle for five minutes between each circuit.
References
- Ask the Trainer: BOSU Ball Exercises
- American Council on Exercise: Total Body Workout
- "Tactical Strength and Conditioning"; Training the Tactical Athlete; National Strength and Conditioning Association; Dr. Jay Hoffman, Dr. Doug Kleiner; 2010.
- "Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 2009
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