Checklist for Good Trainers

I have worked with or taught more than 1,000 personal trainers over the past 20 years, so I have seen some of the best and worst in the business. Based on this experience, I have compiled a list of what the best trainers are doing:

. Constantly learning new things. This may come in the form of informal education like reading books, magazines, journals and websites. It should also include at least one conference or workshop per year. Top trainers easily spend more than $1,000 per year to keep themselves educated.

. They are role models. Trainers should be exercising regularly, should not be overweight and should generally follow a healthy diet. The goal is not perfection. Everyone should be able to splurge occasionally. In my opinion, this is an integral part of a healthy diet. If you are depriving yourself you will not follow the plan for long.

. They should be constantly challenging their clients. This may be in the form of new workouts, setting new goals for clients or addressing issues that their clients are ignoring, like poor eating and not doing what they need to do to accomplish their goals.

. They should be doing things for their clients outside of exercise sessions, like sending emails, making phone calls, handing out recipes and passing along good articles. The easiest part of a trainers job is the exercise session. Keeping someone motivated is the biggest challenge.

. An extreme focus on technique and proper form. Trainers are not rep counters and aren’t there to take notes for you. Their job is to coach you. They do this by exercise modifications, proper teaching cues and helping clients progress from one exercise to the next.

. They are motivating. At the end of the day, a good trainer will get clients to do more than they ever could on their own.

. They are able to adapt their style to clients’ personalities and needs.

. They are fun to exercise with – most of the time. There will be occasions when clients dislike a trainer for pushing them to do things they are capable of but don’t want to do. The best trainers have their clients smiling and laughing at some point during a session, not the whole session.

. They keep an unwavering focus on their clients’ goals. People work with trainers to see results. It’s a team effort, but the trainer should constantly be reviewing goals and tracking progress toward those goals.

. They love their job. This should show in everything they do.

Now that you know what it takes to be a successful personal trainer, use this information to evaluate your own trainer or to find one. You are worth it. Mike Bates is a certified personal trainer and teaches kinesiology at the University of Windsor. He owns Refine Fitness Studio in Windsor, blogs at refinefitness.ca and can be reached at

Number Fixation with Mike

Value of Strength Training

Ideally, I would like to see my clients doing at least three days of strength training and four days of cardiovascular exercise a week.

Cardiovascular exercise can be done on the same days as strength training. For most people, it does not matter whether the cardio is done before or after strength training. At the end of each session, I would expect them to do 10 minutes of stretching.

These are known as the primary fitness components: strength training, cardiovascular exercise and stretching.

Primary fitness components should be a part of everyone’s exercise program because the benefits are so far reaching. They are also considered the foundation of any exercise program.

The biggest challenge for most people is finding time. While the above guidelines hold true, if I had to choose just one form of exercise for most people it would be strength training.

The proper strength training program will increase muscle, tone and shape, and burn calories. Additionally, if the proper intensity is used and rest between exercises is minimized, there can be a significant cardiovascular effect from a strength training program. This means that a properly designed strength training program can keep the heart rate elevated and actually lower the resting heart rate, improving the overall efficiency of the cardiovascular system.

When strength training exercises involve multiple joints and a full range of motion, they can also improve flexibility.

Three strength training sessions per week do not need to take more than 20 minutes each. For most people, this is the missing link in their exercise programs. It is not as easy as going out for a walk and it definitely takes more effort, but I assure you the results are far reaching. They will improve in everyday activities like lifting, getting out of bed and climbing stairs.

The major problem with strength training is that most people don’t have a clue where to start and what to do. Even after they have been shown what to do, most people will not stick to the program, will lose interest or will develop poor habits that result in poor exercise technique.

One of the best things a personal trainer can do is modify exercises for each individual and monitor a client’s technique to ensure they are getting the most effective and safe program.

While I would always prefer people follow the original guidelines in the first paragraph, the reality is strength training gives the biggest bang for the buck. When you are short on time and can’t fit in the ideal workout, make room for a quick strength training session. If you don’t know where to start, contact a personal trainer in your area.

Posture Exercises

Refine’s Head Trainer Kristy shows us Posture Exercises in our weekly blog. Check it out and our other video’s on YouTube.

Monday’s recipe – Mongolian Beef

This spicy Asian favourite gets its flavour from hoisin sauce and dark sesame oil. Hoisin sauce in a versatile, sweet-and-spicy condiment that is used in Chinese cooking and dining much the same way Westerners use ketchup. Serve with 1/2 cup jasmine rice and steamed snow peas for a complete meal. This has about 240 calories per 1/2 serving.

1 lbs flank steak, trimmed and cut into think slices
Butter-flavoured cooking spray
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon bottles minced roasted garlic
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 green onions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-heat. Coat steak with cooking spray. Cook steak in pan over medium-high hear 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.
2. While steak cooks, combine hoisin sauce and next 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut onions crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Add sauce mixture and onions to meat in pan; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced (do not overcook meat). Serve immediately.

“Go-to Meals” Ideal

The difficult part of being a personal trainer is helping clients manage their diet. Whether it’s meal planning, reading labels, grocery shopping or eating habits, once people get a handle on their diet, the results are amazing. Getting there, however, is another story.

There are two things that are overemphasized that I have issue with – food variety and taste.

I believe variety is important in diet. Things get boring if you’re always eating the same food. Furthermore, the nutrient content is limited if you’re always eating the same meals.

Food should also taste good – most of the time. If you’re constantly forcing yourself to eat things you don’t like, then that diet is doomed.

With that being said, I think variety can be encouraged too much. The majority of people don’t need more than a few ideas for breakfast and lunch. When it comes to dinner, most people can get by with five to 10 “go-to meals.” With this approach, it really does make meal planning, preparation and shopping very easy.

This go-to approach avoids the boredom factor and allows for a wide range of meals to meet your nutrition needs.

Some people eat for pleasure. They get stimulated and feel better. I love a good meal, too, but I’m not constantly striving to get “a fix” from my next plate.

Food is fuel. It’s what makes our bodies function. It prevents disease, provides energy and improves our overall health.

In our fast-paced world, not all meals are going to satisfy you mentally or physically.

Look at food as something that’s going to keep you healthy. Sometimes you must eat the right things and not worry so much about taste.

High-quality food fills you up and satisfies you throughout the day. If you are eating regularly and making good choices, you won’t feel the need to splurge on food that tastes great but is loaded with calories and has minimal nutritional value.

This simple approach of “go-to meals” is what works for most people. Doing this leads to a healthier and more energetic you

Monday’s Recipe – Broccoli Salad

It’s the day after the Superbowl. I’m sure it was a day where the snacks were plentiful, the drinks were flowing and the festivities went long into the night! Now, back to reality. Here is a great recipe that is full of fiber and will help a bit with the detox from yesterday! Using light mayo and fat-free yogurt lowers the fat and calories (only 120 calories per 3/4 cup) in this classic salad.

1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 (12-ounce) package broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup shredded mile Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add broccoli and remaining ingredients; toss gently to coat.

James and the Proper Push-Up

James is here with this week’s video to show us how to do a proper push-up. Click on the arrow below and check it out.

Grab Your Kettlebell, Get Going

It’s not often I can say that I have learned a new exercise that has far-reaching benefits for a large part of the population. Don’t confuse this with learning in general, in this arena most days of the week I’m taking in something new.

The new exercise is one I have known about for a few years but only recently started to incorporate into my workout. The name is one you will not soon forget: The Turkish Get Up, or TGU for short.

I have a demonstration of this exercise on my blog, which you can get to from my website at refinefitness.ca. Please keep in mind that I am still learning this movement, so for the few out there that have mastered this exercise, you may be able to pick out some technical errors but overall I think I have progressed fairly well.

The great thing about TGU is it involves all kinds of muscles and is also very functional when it comes to everyday activities. When you see this movement for this first time, you may say “when in the world would I ever need to do this?” If you break down the movements into four or five different segments, you’ll clearly see the real world applicability.

This is definitely one of those movements that’s easier seen then described so make sure to have a look at my blog.

The only piece of equipment used for TGU is a kettlebell. While you could do this movement with a regular dumb bell or some other similar piece of equipment, the kettlebell really is the ideal thing to be used.

TGU begins with the individual lying on their back with one arm holding the kettlebell straight up, above their head. The kettlebell should be held so that it rests on the forearm.

From this lying position the person is supposed to slowly and methodically get up on one knee and then move into a lunge position. From the lunge the person moves to a standing position. Throughout this movement, the kettlebell is held straight over head.

Sustaining this position while progressing through the movement is one of the major challenges and benefits of this exercise. Get the full benefit from the exercise by repeating on each side.

As the video suggests, it’s important to break this movement down into individual movement patterns. If you try to master the entire sequence at once, it may be overwhelming for most.

TGU is a great strengthening exercise for just about every muscle in your body. When done properly, it’s a great exercise that many people will be able to incorporate into their routines.

Due to the overall complexity and strength required, there will be those that will not reap the benefits of this movement.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Video Coming…

Monday’s recipe – Fruit Smoothies

Since I started working at Refine, I now have a craving for smoothies. The ladies at the front will whip you up one upon request and the smoothies are both good for you and delicious. I now try to make them at home and found these 2 great recipes. They are great for either breakfast or as a snack.

Fruity Soy Smoothie Recipe

1 banana
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup cherries (pitted)
1 cup of soy milk
1/2 cup soy yogurt

Directions:

Blend all the fruits with the soy milk and soy yogurt until a smooth texture is formed. The fruits should provide enough of a taste to mix well with the milk and yogurt.

Ice cream Soy Smoothie Recipe

1/2 cup strawberries
1 banana 1 large peach, sliced and pitted
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup soy ice cream

Directions:

Blend the banana with the soy milk on high speed for 1 minute. Add the soy ice cream, strawberries, and peach and continue blending for an additional 30 seconds. Smoothie should be smooth and creamy with small peach and strawberry pieces.