northwest

5 Ways To Tell If Your Personal Training Is Truly Personal

How personal is your personal training?  It can seem like a ridiculous question, but let’s explore.

A quick search on Dictionary.com reveals that there are multiple definitions of “personal”:

  1. of, relating to, or coming as from a particular person; individual; private
  2. relating to, directed to, or intended for a particular person
  3. intended for use by one person

The definitions continue, but, for our purposes, these will do.

When it comes to personal training, there seems to often be a disconnect between the type of “personal” that is marketed, the type that is delivered, and the type that could be experienced but is often overlooked.

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By Charlie Cates, ago

The Gold Standard Of Exercise

When my personal training clients start working with me on exercise related tasks, they quickly realize that I am always preaching about moving slowly, moving with control, using as much support as possible, and lifting with significant weight. There almost always becomes a time when a client will ask, “Will we always train like this?”.  This is such a legitimate question for two main reasons.  1) I don’t know of any other fitness professionals (except my colleagues from my path of study) or gyms that endorse this, and 2) people always want to know that they are doing the best thing for their body to help with their goals.

Here is my answer: We will always have a significant portion of your training be like this (slow, controlled, lots of support, and significant weight).  Why?  This is the Gold Standard of exercise, in my opinion.  Let me tell you why. (more…)

By Julie Cates, ago

Doing The “Right Things” When You Exercise

“I don’t know how my body got like this.  My entire life I’ve done the right things.  I have eaten a healthy diet. I have exercised regularly.  I have been doing the right things for as long as I can remember.”

As a personal trainer and MAT™ specialist in Schaumburg, this kind of statement is one that I hear every now and then.  People are in disbelief that, despite their best efforts, their bodies are not feeling and functioning as they would expect.  Their joints are achy, their muscles are stiff, and their once-youthful energy seems to be just a memory.  And the most frustrating part for them is that they have always tried to do what others told them would be good for them.  They always tried to do the right things for their body.

However, the unfortunate truth is that the information they were given and the activities they were doing have likely contributed significantly to what they are now experiencing.

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By Charlie Cates, ago

3 Must-Do’s To Exercise For Quality

Exercising for quality is difficult.  As a personal trainer and Muscle Activation Techniques™ practitioner in Schaumburg, this is an issue I run into on a daily basis.  Exercising for quantity, on the other hand, is much easier.  This tends to be the default most people fall back on when they start exercising.  It is completely understandable because, as mentioned, it is far easier to exercise for quantity than it is to exercise for quality.  But there is a way to change that, and it is simpler than you may think.

First, though, what is exercising for quality versus exercising for quantity? (more…)

By Charlie Cates, ago

MAT™ Jumpstart Courses – Schaumburg, IL

The Greg Roskopf’s Muscle Activation Techniques™ Jumpstart Program is coming to Muscle Activation Schaumburg!  The Chicago area’s first series of MAT™ Jumpstart courses in 2017 will be hosted at Schaumburg, IL’s premier destination for Muscle Activation Techniques™ and personal training. Enter the code MAS before checking out to receive 5% off the cost of the course! Read more…

By Team MAS, ago

Supercharge Your Stretching With This One Simple Change

I used to stretch all the time growing up.  I would stretch before I worked out.  I would stretch after I worked out.  I would stretch in the mornings.  I would stretch in the evenings.  I would stretch all the time because I wanted to improve my joint mobility and make sure that my body was prepared for my workouts.  For over a decade, stretching was a staple in my workout routine.

Despite all of that stretching, I never got to the point where I felt really flexible.  I would always feel stiff and achy.  My muscles felt chronically tight.  This persisted until I made one change to how I was doing my “stretching”. (more…)

By Charlie Cates, ago

The #1 Thing To Think About When Resistance Training

Welcome back to 2-Minute Tuesdays!  This is the second edition of our weekly show.  Today we are going to be talking about the number one thing you need to be thinking about when you are resistance training.  And that is …. squeezing the muscles you are working.  So, if you are doing a biceps curl, you aren’t thinking about moving the dumbbells up and down.  You are actually thinking about squeezing the muscles you are working, which are your biceps.  As personal trainers in Schaumburg, this is a HUGE focus for us when we are working with our training clients. (more…)

By Team MAS, ago