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“Confidence doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s a result of something…hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication.” -Roger Staubach
Many, many personal fitness trainers (PFTs) have said many, many times “I passed my IFPA certification test, but I just don’t feel confident to train people.” I am going to attempt to help you find the confidence to “get in the game ,” not just for your sake and for the sake of all the other PFTs who need a confidence boost, but because of all the other people out there who are desperately seeking a fitness professional that can help lead them to a healthy and fit life. First, recognize the fact that it is quite an achievement to pass the IFPA PFT certification exam. It is a demanding test. The fact that you have succeeded, places you at the very top of all entry level trainers. While degreed PFTs may have spent four or more years in the study of exercise science, you have studied the practical, essential, useful knowledge of personal training and have learned precisely what you need to know in order to train people safely and effectively. Exercise science is good, but it is an academic education, what you have learned is practical training. In the gym, no one is going to ask you to diagram all the organelles in a Type II B muscle fiber, but they will ask you about program design, proper exercise form and technique and safety guidelines, and that is what you have mastered to get through the IFPA Exam. Second, concerning your lack of experience, the course material you studied is experience. When you study the IFPA manual, you are gaining hundreds of years of experience from the finest minds in the fitness industry. If you use the program as it is outlined in the manual, even though you are getting ready to take your very first client through their very first workout, you are NOT inexperienced. You, personally may be a rookie, but the system you are using is HIGHLY experienced! Follow the IFPA program carefully, step by step and you won’t make any mistakes. Third, go back and read the headline quote again…..Roger Staubach was 100% correct. If you want complete confidence, if you truly desire to be the best of the best, if you are looking for success as a PFT, then I suggest you learn the meaning of the following quote by William Shakespeare: “All glory comes from daring to begin .”
Abdominal Training Before I get into the abdominal crunch, it is important for you to know that you can do crunches for 16 hours/day; 7 days/week and you will not have a “six pack” or win an ab contest until you get the fat off your waist line. Reducing your percentage of body fat requires a disciplined approach to a simple formula. If you burn more calories than you consume you will lose fat. You burn calories through physical activity and you consume calories through eating and drinking. Review previous FitBit articles in case you need to refresh your memories on fat loss. Remember that the typical person greatly over estimates the amount of calories they expend and greatly under estimates the amount of calories they consume. The crunch is the most effective abdominal exercise with the lowest amount of risk. Performed correctly you can negate virtually all risk of injury. The following describes the most safe and effective way to perform crunches. (1) To get in position: from standing position squat down; place your hands on the floor in front of your knees and walk your hands forward until you are on “all fours” (hands and knees resting on floor or mat, back parallel to the ground). (2) Bend your arms, lowering your shoulders to the floor and roll onto your back. (3) Feet should be flat on the floor, shoulder width apart with the knees bent. (4) Fingers should be interlaced behind the head for support. Do not pull forward on the head while contracting the abdominals. Excessive pulling of the hands on the head can cause damage to the cervical & thoracic discs, ligaments and muscles. The hands form a platform to rest the head. If you are deconditioned, your neck muscles will fatigue faster than your abdominals. (5) Contract the abdominals to “curl” the head and shoulders off the floor. Pretend a string is attached to your nose pulling your face upward toward the ceiling. This technique will prevent the chin from coming to your chest. (If all else fails, put a tennis ball under your chin to protect the neck). (6) Keep the lower back on the floor and pull the stomach inward while contracting. This will activate the transverse abdominus. Always exhale during the concentric contraction and use a 2 second timing if you are a beginner (gradually extend contraction time to 4, 6, 8, and 10 seconds; advanced trainers may want to try 10 second concentric; 10 second isometric contraction at full flexion and 10 second eccentric). Inhale during the eccentric contraction and use a 4 second timing if you are a beginner (gradually extend contraction time to 6, 8 and 10 seconds). Variations of the crunch include: (1) Twisting Crunch: with a twisting motion toward the outside knee (2) Legs Elevated Crunch: bent-knee or straight-legged with legs pointing toward the ceiling. (3) Legs Elevated Straddle: legs straight in straddle position (4) Crunches on a Stability Ball In all the exercises described above never have the feet held down since this causes a flexor synergy that will decrease the contraction of the abdominals and increase the recruitment of the hip flexors. Allowing the back to leave the ground as in the old-fashioned “sit-up” will have a similar effect and is not recommended. When you complete the desired number of sets (recommend beginners start with 1 set of 15 repetitions gradually increasing number of sets; remember Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type from your PFT Course), it’s time to return to a standing position. The safest way to accomplish this is reverse the process you began with: roll over to one side until you are back on your hands and knees. Walk your hands back toward your feet until you return to squat position and stand up. 7 New IFPA Continuing Education Courses Now Available!
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