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Post Activation Potentiation (PAP) Fundamentals
Post Activation Potentiation (PAP) is a form of training many sport scientists are investing more and more time in. The notion behind it is to perform a compound movement such as the back squat, deadlift, bench press etc., followed by an explosive movement, such as a countermovement jump…
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Muscle Activity Is Related To Squat Depth
Can we really influence the degree of muscle activation in different muscles of the lower body during varying depth squats? There are a lot of variations in relation to the squat pattern: The foot position can be narrow or wide The feet can be orientated…
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Plateau-Busting Your Client’s Back Squat
We have all had clients in the past that have struggled to get past a particular weight when squatting. In these circumstances it’s often best to take a step backwards before pushing forwards again, not to mention incorporating a few manipulations into the individual’s planning. So…
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Getting The Most Out Of Your Personal Training Clients… Monitor The Intensity
Often when I witness personal training sessions, I see personal trainer’s push clients so far and so hard they look like they’ve been hit by a freight train. This mentality is prevalent in numerous media sources and programs. One only has to watch fat loss reality television…
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Strength Training And Flexibility… Can Both Be Developed Harmoniously?
Strength development can assist in day-to-day life, sporting performance and even health markers. When we consider developing an individual, both strength and flexibility are important components of health, and need to be equally developed. However, does one effect the other? Can strength training and flexibility…
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Linear or Undulating Periodisation… Is There a Better Choice for Strength?
In the context of resistance training, periodisation refers to the manipulation of training variables in order to reach a peak level of endurance, strength, speed or power. It is well established that a periodised program will always be superior to non-periodised training. The manipulations of…
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When To Front And Back Squat
The squat arguably forms the skeleton of most successful training programs, whether the goal is strength, power, rate of force development, conditioning or for aesthetic goals. As a personal trainer wishing to enhance their practice through continual professional development, learning how to coach, and correct individuals,…
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The Number Of Sets And Blood Pressure After Strength Training
Often when we consider improving the health of an individual suffering from cardiovascular disorders, cardiovascular training when recommended by a health professional is the go-to tool. However strength training is now known to promote acute reductions in blood pressure – the phenomenon is called “post…
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Personal Trainers. What Is Your USP?
As a personal trainer, do you have a USP? Do you even think it’s important to have a USP? I remember, back in the day, when I first started working as a personal trainer, I thought it was better to be a ‘jack of all…
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Preventing ACL Injuries In Female Clients
Whilst the primary focus of many clients is weight loss or body composition-related goals, it is becoming more and more common to train sport-specific clients. When we consider the female client who participates in sport, research shows a 5-7x greater occurrence of non-contact ACL injuries….