Spring 2016, Volume 5, Issue 1

National FitnessNews e-Zine

Personal Training Business Strength & Conditioning

CELEBRATING GROUP FITNESSPAST TO PRESENT

Nutrition

National Fitness News e-Zine 2

From the Editors Chair

Topics are covered for the group fitness instructor,personal trainers and many specialist areas from nutritionfor teenage boys, to tips on setting up your own businessand working with the postpartum client. Setting andachieving your personal and activity related goals for 2016is also a focus for all; tips for this can be found inside.

To the all our NCEF students graduating this January welook forward to meeting you on the 20th, this is such amemorable day and we do hope you too are lookingforward to the event.

We are now past January 1st and it does not have to beNew Year’s Day to think new beginnings, as each day is anew beginning. In 2016 we encourage you be kind toyourself, spend your time wisely and enjoy.

Ar aghaidh agus aníosÁine

“BELIEVE YOU CAN AND YOU’RE HALFWAY THERE”Theodore Roosevelt

From the Directors Chair

Happy New Year andwelcome to the first issue ofthe NCEF e-Zine 2016!!Have you checked back towhat goals you set for 2015?Did you achieve all or some ofthem? In today’s businessclimate it can sometimes bequite challenging for fitnessprofessionals.  However, it canalso present us withopportunities to kick start our

careers, try something new andmove our business up a level.  While keeping a clear headand our wits about us, it is time for us to look with fresheyes on how we operate and think of ways andopportunities on how to maximise all our services.  So, setyour new business and personal goals to give 2016 thekick start that it needs!

If adding to your qualifications is one of your goals for thisyear, then the NCEF has many specialist courses on offer– these are advertised inside this issue or please visit theNCEF website for information on all course options. Areminder for those who meet the entry requirements forYear 3 Diploma in Exercise & Health Fitness (DEHF) &Year 4 B.Sc. in Exercise & Health Fitness – both of these

courses will be offered on a full-time basis this Septemberat the University of Limerick.

Fitness Professionals Ireland (FPI) update: HolisticInsurance Services are no longer offering discountedinsurance policies to fitness instructors in Ireland. TheNCEF are actively researching other providers and this willbe communicated to all members in the New Year.

I hope that 2016 meets all your needs and goals bothpersonally and professionally. The NCEF is here tosupport and enhance your professional development,please do not hesitate in contacting us if we can assist youin any way.

Finally, my sincere thank you to all our professionalcontributors who have given up their time to write for thisissue.Keep in touch!MaeveNFN Editor

New Year, New Beginnings,the NCEF welcomes you to2016.

We hope that you have had awonderful 2015 and arelooking forward to 2016.Thank you to all our wonderfulcontributors to NFN Spring2016 edition.

Congratulations to NCEFGraduate Susan McCormickwho is the first NCEF graduate

to have recently registered underthe European Active industry standard, Health Specialist(aligned to EQF Level 5). Susan is one of one hundredHealth and Fitness Professionals in Europe to have thisrecognition.

We do hope you enjoy the content of this issue, take ideasto your clients and embrace some concepts for yourself.Inside you will find articles covering many topics fromevents in 2015 to upcoming events in 2016. A huge thankyou to Maeve NFN editor who has worked so hard toensure there is a variety of interesting, relevant and currentinformation and articles for you the reader.

Front Cover: Students from Year 1 Higher Certificate inExercise & Health Fitness (HCEHF) - Aishing Hehir,Donna Mulcahy, Janice Keane, Kevin Ehidiamen

Photographer: Damien Jackson

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Table of Contents4 News Room

5 Travelling with your Qualifications

6 CEHF/HCEHF Learning Support

7 Health Report

8 Nutrition Report

9 Fitness Report

Group Fitness Features

12 Group Fitness: Top 30 TipsBy Linda Gaynor

14 Group Fitness: Movement is Life -From Past to PresentBy Lydia Campbell

16 Group Resistance Training - AnEffective AlternativeBy Carmell Demello

Regulars

20 Report: WellfestBy Peppy Neville & GraceGermaine

23 Nutrition: Teenage Boys on ProteinBy Sheila Wayman

26 Pilates: Repairing Diastasis Recti for Your Postpartum Clients

By Sheila Wayman NFN is an e-Zine published by the National Councilfor Exercise & Fitness (NCEF).

The opinions and views in the publication are those of thecontributors and are not necessarily shared by the NCEF.While every care is taken to ensure accuracy in the compilation ofthis e-Zine, NCEF cannot accept responsibility for any errors oromissions or effects arising thereof. However, such errors oromissions may be brought to the attention of the Editor. Allmaterial is copyrighted.

31 Client Handout: 10 Minute Bicep WorkoutBy Maeve Kavanagh

32 Training: 10 Things Champions DoBy Sean Flannery

34 Graduate Profile: Susan McCormickBy Maeve Kavanagh

36 Business: Starting Your Own Fitness Business: 5Key Factors For SuccessBy Susan McEnteggart

38 Personal Training: Embrace the Winter -Exercise OutdoorsBy Mary Jennings

42 Fitness Professionals Ireland (FPI)

Connect with us:

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NCEF MISSION STATEMENT

“To provide an outstanding educationalExperience, through courses ofexcellence, whilst meeting the practicaland professional needs of the fitnessinstructor”

Are you a qualified Gym Instructor?Are you interested in hiring an Aerobics Room?

If so Nenagh Leisure Centre is the place for you. We can offer you excellentfacilities for providing fitness classes in comfortable surroundings at anaffordable price. In a prime location, our Aerobics Room, which overlooksNenagh Town Park, has 13 spin bikes, floor to ceiling mirrors and is ideal for allaerobics, dance and fitness classes.

The newly refurbished Leisure Centre also includes a 25 metre swimming pooland a gym with extensive gym equipment which opens up opportunities forpossible package deals.

Please contact Rosemary Joyce at 0761 06 6630 orrosemary.joyce@tipperarycoco.ie for further details.

Our website: www.ncef.ie

Email: ncef.ie

Phone: 061-202829

Mail: NCEF Head Office, PESS Building,

University of Limerick

Connect with us:

Respecting Your Privacy is Important to Us

Occasionally, we circulate promotional emails pertaining to NCEF courses and events. We only includegraduates of the NCEF. We do not give your contact details to any third party contacts. To ensure that you arereceiving all updates please click on the link below to subscribe to our updates:

Sign up: for NCEF News & Updates

NCEF PhotoCompetition

Congratulations to Jay Walsh@jaywalshfitness who was thewinner of the NCEF PhotoCompetition which ran inDecember 2015. Jay receivedthe most likes for his photo on theNCEF Instagram Page #NCEFFITNESS#‎Showyourncefinstructorskills #‎mcsportireland

The photo was taken at one of Jay's early morningbootcamp classes at Kingfisher Club in Waterford.

Jay won a €150.00 fitness equipment voucher for McSport.Well done and thanks to everyone who entered andshowcased their #‎nceffitnessinstructorskills

Jay’s early morning Bootcamp Class!

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There is no “one” fitness instructor qualification thatis recognised worldwide. Each country is responsiblefor the recognition of foreign qualifications in its ownjurisdiction.

All NCEF course on the UL/NCEF Flexible LearningPathway to the B.Sc. in Exercise & Health Fitness areaccredited by the University of Limerick and are placed onthe National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ, Ireland) atlevels 6, 7 & 8 and at levels 5 and 6 on the EuropeanFramework of Qualification (EQF).

The NFQ provides a structure (a framework) to compareand contrast the level and standard of differentqualifications. It makes it easier for you to explain toothers what qualifications you hold, or are studying for.This becomes very important when you are consideringfurther learning or when you are applying for a job – athome or abroad. The NFQ is used to compare Irishqualifications with foreign qualifications, thus, acting as avaluable tool for Irish citizens travelling abroad who wish touse their Irish qualifications.

1. EuropeIf you are seeking work in Europe and are experiencingdifficulties having your Irish qualifications recognisedabroad, the following may be of use

The Europe Active Standards for Health Specialist (alignedto EQF Level 5) registration as an Exercise for HealthSpecialist is of paramount importancehttp://www.europeactive.eu/

If you hold an Irish Education and Training award, contactthe Enic-Naric* office in the country where you want theaward recognised. Contact details for each centre arehere. Quality and Qualification Ireland (QQI) havepublished a very informative leaflet on travelling abroadclick here.

2. Rest of the WorldAgain each country is responsible for the recognition offoreign qualifications in its own jurisdiction. In particular

Australia has very strict guideline on instructorsmaintaining their continuing education.

It is important when travelling abroad to seek work in thefitness industry to keep these tips in mind:

3. Copies of Qualifications:Bring copies of all of your NCEF fitness qualificationsincluding a current Occupational First Aid (OFA) Certificate

4 UL Transcript of ResultsIn order to obtain a copy of your official academictranscript, you will need to put your request in writing to theUL office, advising us of your student Id. number and aforwarding address. If you have forgotten your student IDnumber, please ensure that you advise your date of birth,your programme of study and the year you commencedyour studies. There is a €10 cost for your official transcriptso please ensure that you send either a cheque, postalorder or bank draft made payable to the University ofLimerick for the amount of €10.

Further information is available here

5. REPs Ireland Membership.You might consider availing of REPs Ireland Membership.REPS Ireland is a member of ICEREPs which is theInternational Confederation of Registers of ExerciseProfessionals. This is a mechanism by which NationalREPs recognise exercise professionals who may transferfrom another National REPs. If a REPs Ireland ExerciseProfessional moves to another country to seekemployment, they should register with that countries ownNational REPs register. This will be facilitated by a 'Letterof Portability' that can be requested from the REPs Irelandoffice. Further information is available here

6. NCEF Head Office Contacts:The office will be happy to verify your qualifications to anyprospective employer. We have a standard letter that wecan give graduates. Please email ncef@ul.ie with yourrequests.

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An Irish suicide support charity has set out to promotepositive mental health one tweet at a time. Suicide Aware’sTwitter chain campaign, which was launched in Cork lastNovember 2015, could go global.

Ireland and Munster rugby legend and Suicide Awareambassador, Alan Quinlan, kicked off the charity’s#JoinTheChain campaign which will see a supportive tweetpromoting positive mental health being posted on thesocial media network every 40 minutes.

The interval was chosen to reflect WHO figures whichshow someone dies by suicide every 40 minutes.

Former Irish and Munster rugby player Alan Quinlan inlaunced the new Suicide aware twitter account@flyingtheflag40 #jointhechain to help raise mentalhealth awareness.Each tweet will include a link to a fundraising campaign tohelp Suicide Aware continue its work.

A number of celebrities who have backed the campaignwill be involved in the non-stop flood of positive mentalhealth tweets over the coming days and weeks.

“Twitter and social media is a great way to reach peopleand we hope that by keeping this chain of support going foras long as possible, it will help people to open up and feelcomfortable to talk about their mental health,” said charityspokeswoman Patricia Behan.

Suicide Aware is the co-ordinating group behind the AmberFlag programme, which has seen hundreds of schools andorganisations across the country promoting positive mentalhealth. Official figures show that some 500 people died bysuicide in Ireland last year.

You can get involved in Suicide Aware’s chain of supportcampaign, by tweeting #JoinTheChain to@FlyingTheFlag40, or by email totheamberflag@gmail.com.

Source: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/video-irish-suicide-support-charity-to-boost-mental-health-message-with-tweets-368914.html

rregular Heartbeat• Irish Heart Foundation urges adults to have regularpulse checks to detect Atrial Fibrillation

• People with Atrial Fibrillation are five times morelikely to have a stroke.

Find Atrial Fibrillation before a stroke finds you – is thelatest message from the Irish Heart Foundation, thenational charity fightingheart disease and stroke,which is urging the publicto have a regular pulsecheck to detect anirregular heartbeat that isoften unnoticed. AtrialFibrillation (AF) is themost common heartrhythm disorder whichcarries a five-foldadditional risk of strokebut regular pulse checkscan help detect it.

According to the national charity fighting heart disease andstroke, more than 40,000 people over 50 years old inIreland suffer from Atrial Fibrillation, but the vast majorityare unaware of it with just 26% of the population havingheard of the condition.

There are about 8,000 strokes in Ireland annually,approximately a third of which are associated with A trialFibrillation. AF often has no symptoms, so most peopledon’t know they have it. But there can be warning signsand these include palpitations, tiredness, shortness ofbreath, dizziness, or feeling faint. According to the IrishHeart Foundation, the causes of Atrial Fibrillation are notalways clear but the chance of developing it can increase ifa person has one or more medical conditions, such as highblood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. AF can affectadults of any age, but it is more common as people getolder.

The Irish Heart Foundation’s message for a pulse checkfollows the latest paper from the European Heart Networkstressing the serious reality that “strokes in associationwith AF are often fatal and 30% of people who experienceAF-related strokes will never leave hospital; another 20%will die within a year”.

To learn more about Atrial Fibrillation or to downloadthe Irish Heart Foundation’s FREE information bookletsee www.irishheart.ie or call the National Heart &Stroke Helpline on Locall 1890 432 787.

Irishsuicidesupportcharityto boostmentalhealthmessage with tweets

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With the New Year comes theopportunity for a fresh start. Formany people, this means leading ahealthier lifestyle and losingweight. If this is your goal, followthese tips to stay on track.

1. Have a Plan

If you were to go on a long road trip,you wouldn't just jump in the car andgo. If you did, you'd arrive hungry,tired, and fatigued. That's the sameway you'd feel if you jumped into awhole new lifestyle with no planning.Before January 1st arrives, outlinethe changes you want to implementand decide how you'll fit them intoyour schedule. Keep in mind that itmay be best to take steps rather thantackle everything at once.

2. Find Your Motivation

What is motivating you tolose weight? Do you want to look

better in your clothes, feel moreenergetic, or simply improve yourhealth? Get clear about what youwant, and then use that to inspire youthroughout your journey.

3. Make Goals

Goals help measure progress. If youdon't know where you want to end up,you won't really know how to getthere. When making your goals, youneed to make SMART goals:

· Specific

· Measurable

· Attainable

· Realistic

· TimelyFor example, a SMART goal wouldbe something like, "I will walk for 15minutes 3 days for one week." Or, "Iwill prepare one new healthy recipeeach week for the month of January."

4. Track What You Eat

Looking closely at what you eat isoften an eye-opening experience.Use FitDay's free online CalorieCounter and Fitness Log to keeptrack of everything you put into yourbody. You don't have to do it for therest of your life, but it is a great habitto start. Tracking will help you tweakyour diet so that you can still enjoyfoods you love without sabotagingyour weight loss or healthy eatingefforts.

5. Use Reliable Resources

It may be tempting to try a fad diet,but these are usually unrealistic,difficult to maintain, and sometimeseven dangerous. Instead, find areliable source of information to helpyou understand nutrition.The INDI (www.indi.ie) offers anumber of tools and resources, oryou can consult a registered dietitianin your area. An RD is speciallytrained and can give you tips andtricks to help you achieveyour specific goals.

6. Eat Breakfast Every Day

Surely you've heard that breakfast isthe most important meal of the day. Itis! Eat a big healthy breakfast asearly as possible. It will give you moreenergy, lead you to make healthierchoices during the day, and keep youfeeling full so you eat less later on.

7. Fill Up on Vegetables

Vegetables are filled with nutrients,water, fiber, and very few calories. Ifyou fill half of your plate withvegetables, you'll get fuller faster andcut down your calories without feelingdeprived. Use herbs and spices tojazz up vegetables instead of usingbutter and/or salt to flavor them.

8. Exercise

In order to burn calories at a fasterrate and build a healthy body, you'llneed to incorporate exercise into yourlife. Take it slow at first, and thenincrease your time and/or intensity

once you feel comfortable. If youhaven't exercised in a while, talk toyour doctor to make sure that you arehealthy enough to beginan exercise plan.

9. Take It Slow

A major mistake many people makewhen trying to tackle a healthresolution is trying to do everything atonce. This is almost always a recipefor disaster. Spend a few weeks justtrying to achieve 1-2 goals at a time.When you have established newgood habits, put a couple more goalson your plate. Remember: You wantto make permanent changes, andthese will take time to implement.

10. Be Prepared for Lapses

A lapse is when you temporarily "falloff the wagon." This is a normal partof the process; no one is perfect. It isimportant for you to take a moment torecognize that you got sidetracked,but don't use it as an excuse to throwin the towel. Every day is a newchance to start over, so return to yourhealthy lifestyle immediately.

Source: http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/10-tips-to-help-you-achieve-your-new-years-health-goals.html

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If you've been holding out onspringing for that Fitbit or NikeFuelBand – telling yourself fitnesstrackers will soon go out of style –you may need to find another excuse,or give in. According to the AmericanCollege of SportsMedicine's 10thannual survey of 2,800health and fitness professionals,wearable technologies such asfitness trackers, smart watches andGPS tracking devices are expected tobe the No. 1 fitness trend in 2016."I suspect it has something to do withour fascination with gadgets and thefact that now we're past the era of therecession," says the survey's leadauthor Walter Thompson, associatedean in the College of Education &Human Development at Georgia

State University in Atlanta. In thepast, budget-friendly trends such asbody weight training and grouppersonal training were more popular.(It might also have something to dowith the fact that this year was thefirst the ACSM included wearabletechnology as an option on the list atall.) "We'll have to see if it maintainsits status," Thompson says, notingthat the ACSM specifies that a"trend," or a general change inbehavior, is different from a "fad,"which is shorter-lived.Of the 40 trends ACSM asked fitnessprofessionals to rank, body weighttraining,high-intensity intervaltraining, strength training andeducated and experiencedfitnessprofessionals took the top five slots

after wearable technology. Droppingon this year's list were workerincentive programs, boot camps andexercise programs aimed at childrenand weight loss – "a hugedisappointment to those who believethat the fitness industry should takethe lead in the battle againstchildhood obesity," theaccompanying journal article reports.Source:https://www.acsm.org/about-acsm/media-room/acsm-in-the-news/2015/10/26/health-buzz-the-american-college-of-sports-medicine-predicts-the-top-fitness-trends-of-2016

A new study from King's College inLondon suggests that the strongeryour legs are, the more in shape yourbrain is. The study, which waspublished in the Journal Gerontology,looked at the leg and brain health ofmore than 150 pairs of twin sisters.At the end of the study, researchersnoted that the twin who had strongerlegs at the beginning of theexperiment also showed bettercognition and less mentaldeterioration over a period of 10years, BBC news reports.

Lead researcher Dr Claire Stevesbelieves "leg strength is a marker ofthe kind of physical activity that isgood for your brain." But working onyour legs isn't the only way to boostyour brain health.

In 2014, researchers at Harvardfound that exercise in general provedto be good for brain health byreducing inflammation and promotingthe growth of new blood cells.

Check out this slideshow for achallenging workout you can do inyour very own home. And if you'relooking to target your legs, try thistoning workout that strengthens yourentire lower body.http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/11/11/strong-legsbrain_n_8524508.html?utm_hp_ref=health-fitness&ir=Health+and+Fitness

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The University of Limerick (UL) Winter ConferringCeremony will be held on Wednesday 20th January2016 in the University of Limerick at 11.15am. Thisapplies to the cohort of students from 2014/2015 whosuccessfully received their official University ofLimerick results in September 2015.

● Drogheda Institute of Further Education (DIFE)● Ormonde College of Further Education, Kilkenny● Athlone Institute of Technology● Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa, Cork● Motions Energie, Dublin● NET Intensive, Limerick● Physical Education & Sport Sciences (PESS) Top-Up

programme, Limerick

For further information on times, invitations, ordering yourgown & collection on the day, photography and guest pack,please click on the link below:

http://www2.ul.ie/web/WWW/Administration/Ceremonies/Graduate_Conferrings/Information_for_Graduands

Members of the UL Governing Authority attend theceremony and your award will be presented individually toyou by UL President, Professor Don Barry. By inviting youto your conferring the President encourages you not onlyto attend the official event in the impressive UL ConcertHall, but to also take the time on the day to experience thebeautiful surroundings of the UL campus. Please note ifyou choose not to attend your graduation ceremony, yourUniversity of Limerick parchment will be posted to youapproximately 6-8 weeks following graduation.

Feature Articles Inside:

1. 30 Top Tips to Being a Great Instructor

2. Group Fitness: From Past to Present

3. Group Resistance Training - An EffectiveAlternative

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Since 1985, the NCEF have been training FitnessInstructors for the fitness industry. NCEF trainingprogrammes are based on sound principles and learningoutcomes mapped to the fitness industry, and areaccredited by the University of Limerick. NCEF continue toprovide quality personnel for the fitness industry.Reflection and progression is the key to continuedsuccess. In 30 years of group fitness, there have beenmany trends, some gone, some still here. The challengesthat face the group fitness instructor are manifold, here aresome 30 tips to facilitate the next 30 years of qualityinstruction.

Professional Behaviour

1. Be a little bit special, have a something thatmakes you different from the next person. You want to beremembered. ‘her/his class is fab so full of energy, keepsyou going and before you know it, it’s done & you arewrecked!’.2. Welcome & encourage newcomers. The firstgroup fitness class can be daunting for newcomers. Makesure you welcome the ‘newbies’ and reassure them.Remember how you felt in your own first class.Congratulate them at the end and encourage them toreturn.3. Be not just on-time, BE EARLY. Be in theroom/park/workout space as clients arrive, ready to begin.Meet and greet your clients, value their time. Be the last toleave. Answer queries, leave the space ready for the nextinstructor.4. Check the studio/workspace to ensure that it issafe for your clients. Equipment out of the way, floor spaceclear and dry, equipment needed is present. If parkland,check the area for any problems, be ready.5. Screen your group at the beginning and always dothe Post Activity Stretch. So many instructors don’t bother.The health & safety of your group is your responsibility.Following basic principles could help you if you have todefend yourself in Court.6. Be prepared/organised. Have your class planned.Sounds basic, but so many instructors don’t bother withclass plans and rely on ‘winging it’. Newcomers might notnotice, but experienced clients will. Your reputation can bedamaged. It’s difficult to recover from locker roomdissatisfaction.7. Motivate like your life depend on it, especially onthe bad days, we all get them - that’s when it’s neededmost.8. Know your audience. Try out new trends anddifferent methods. However, if the 9.30am class wantCircuits, Boxercise or Aerobics & tone, you shouldaccommodate them. If Clients are happy, they’ll come back

and will be healthy & happy. Regular numbers could makeyou the choice if there is promotion available.9. Always aim for correct technique, but take carethat your corrections don’t single out any individual. It isalways best to issue a group corrective instruction,invariably all participants will respond to the correction,including your target client. If not, make your one-on-onecorrection discretely and positively, taking care not to de-motivate.10. Be professional at all times. You may havedeveloped a relationship with some regular members, keepthese interactions for outside of class as it excludes others.

Professional Development

11. Congratulations, you achieved a 1st classhonours in your exams and now you are working in a highprofile gym. In the interest of keeping your classes popularand your ideas fresh, try to attend workshops. You canbring your new ideas to your classes.12. Reflect, review and revise your class plans.Avoid doing the same routine all the time, mix it up, peoplelike variety.13. Can you adapt your class for specialpopulations? What if a pregnant lady takes part? Orsomeone with a hearing impairment? Or physicalrestriction? Are you equipped? Can you adapt your plan?The law dictates that you have to be inclusive. If you can’t,you may be deemed guilty of discrimination. (Equality.ie)14. Recover from your mistakes. Things go wrong,accept, reflect and revise. Then go back and do it better.15. Ask for feedback. Doing it verbally can lead to youbeing bombarded by a cacophony on individual hates/likes.Conduct a simple survey once in a while, you’ll find outwhat is working and what needs change.16. Realise that you can’t please everyone. Do yourbest, then move on. Don’t be judgemental.17. Review your music. Keep it current, is it suitablefor the clients present? Is it offensive? Use the music, it isa powerful tool! E.g., is it an Active Elderly class, includesome music from the era that they might enjoy and it maymotivate them.18. Review your equipment. So you had 30Dynabands and 30 small medicine balls, but over theyears, some have gone missing/broken etc., if you don’thave enough to go around – replenish your stock. It isunprofessional to plan a class for which you don’t haveenough appropriate equipment.19. Be professional in your appearance. Even themost expensive training gear will look & smell old overtime. Replace it periodically. Avoid the ‘baggy’ pants andskimpy tops – consider your clients.

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20. Develop your classes with some seasonalthemes for a bit of added fun. Halloween, Christmas,Easter etc., bring out the child in you and your clients.Maybe even do it for charity.

21. Fado fado in Eireann….when I began teaching groupfitness, it was all tapes. They had to be rewound to thecorrect position and invariably got chewed up in themachine…Disaster! Now instructors are using SmartPhones/ iPads/IPods/ Tablets. Why then am I still waitingfor them to find the right track? Organise your music, if it isa Spin Class, prepare your play list based on your plannedclass….what hill climbs you want, what sprints? You havethe technology – USE IT!22. Consider using a projector for spin class, display themountains while the class engages with your hill climb, thehills for the sprints. Be creative, imaginative – DARE TOBE DIFFERENT!23. Phone should be on silent or in your locker – it isunprofessional to check your phone during class.24. Social Media? Some love it some hate it. If yourclients are agreeable, you can promote, encourageparticipation, generate interest etc., by posting onFacebook, Twitter, Snapchat etc.,25. Be aware of privacy issues. If you plan to post aphoto to social media, you need permission from everyonein the photo. Some people don’t like it. Be particularlycareful if you are teaching in a school hall as Photographyis not permitted in most schools.26. Promote fellow instructors and hopefully they will dothe same for you. Recommend a class or post a positivecomment on social media.

27. Avoid burnout! Group fitness executed correctly canbe tough on an on-going basis. How can burnout beavoided? Be self-aware, how are you feeling? Are yougetting enough rest? Can the schedule be re-vamped tospace out your High Intensity classes to allow you activerecovery? Can you help your colleagues and can they helpyou?28. Keep up to date with constantly changing Trends.You don’t have to take the whole concept on board, youcan incorporate some ideas into your workout.29. Keep your subscriptions to Fitness Professionalagencies current. This is an easy way to keep up to datewith the industry trends.30. Every day is a school day – CONTINUE YOURPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Group fitness classes took off in the 80s with the help ofJane Fonda (grab a cup of coffee and follow the link below,it’s very entertaining, though I cringe at the high impactrepetition… in plimsols). 30 plus years on, NCEF promotehealth & fitness in group fitness classes by educating andtraining fitness professionals to the highest standards. Theknowledge, skills and attitudes developed on NCEFprogrammes of study continue to move with the trends.Follow the links below for Boxercise, Piloxing, Khai Bo etc.,to see a few examples of how Exercise to Music, Step &Body Conditioning Modules facilitate working with musicacross a broad spectrum of group fitness. Keep reflecting,developing, networking – see you in 30 years for the nextreview!

Technology and Trends

Linda Gaynor, B.Sc. Education & Training, DEHF, NCEFTutor

Linda has been a Tutor with the NCEF since 2002, tutoringon the CEHF and HCEHF courses. She co-ordinates thePersonal Training course in Dublin and was involved in thedevelopment, co-ordinating and delivery of the HealthRelated Activity for Children (HRAC).

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The PastIt all started 35 years ago with theJane Fonda workout in the early 80'smaking aerobic exercise sexy andfun. Jane Fonda took the aerobictraining principles created by ofDr Kenneth Cooper,the original creator of aerobics andimplemented them into fun workouts.Suddenly everyone wanted to jumpup and down for fitness and the feelgood factor. Jane Fondatype classes were popping up around

the world and they were packed out.I was already teaching some dancebody conditioning classes to youngmums in a play centre and a schooland these classes were my base forcreating the programme Legs Bumsn Tums that I released worldwide inthe early 90’s. These classes are still25 years on, one of my most popularstudio programmes. In the 80's whenthe Jane Fonda workout arrived and Ihad to change from my fluiddance moves, yoga stretches andpilates warm ups to hardpounding aerobics. I put on the thong

leotard, head band, and jumped upand down on the spot in barefootteaching high impact aerobics, usingthe heavy hand weights. Exercisewas the new social single scene andmen and women all came to classdue to the 80's sexy aerobiccompilation films such as FlashDance and Perfect.

Through the 80’sAs we moved through the 80’s,Dance Studios and the first Squashand Health Clubs started to appear.Aerobics was seen as a trend and notas important as the game of Squash.The Studio was seen as an add-on tokeep the ladies happy. Club ownersstarted to realise they had morefitness members going to the studiofor their aerobics classes, comparedto two people playing squash on acourt. Soon, throughout London thesquash courts were being convertedto a lucrative studio and gym.

The Female InstructorThe Group Fitness class was one ofthe main reasons for health clubsopening. In fact the female instructorwas the drive for all of this to happen.Women paved the way in exerciseback to the 1930's when a post warand exercise movement group wascreated - The Women's League ofHealth and Beauty founded byPrunella's Stack. She set up in theRegents Street London YMCA. Herleague's motto was ' Movement isLife' and she influenced thousands ofwomen around the world with her mixof dance moves and yoga. She heldfitness rallies in the Royal Albert Halland this was the first group fitnessclass en mass.

Present DayToday, the fast food industry hascreated a new market for theGroup Fitness Instructor. Theinstructor has had to become anambassador for health and fitness.Fitness Instructors have access to themost diverse fitness market ever andthey are now seen as exercisemotivators and health & fitnesseducators to the public. Doctorsand therapists are turning to thegroup Fitness Instructor to prescribeexercise programmes and to promotean active lifestyle to thenext generation. You need to ensurethat they know about you and theservices you can offer. 2016 is ayear of working together with alliedhealth professionals – have you yourbusiness ready for this?

National Fitness News e-Zine 15

Fitness Trends

Fitness trends are going round in circles, more pertinentlychanging fast on social media, where we see a new trendemerging nearly every day. It can feel like a maze outthere and you need to be careful on the trend you wish toalign your business with. You do not want to represent atrend that will die out in a few months, or you find everyother leisure centre or studio in your area is running thesame classes – this is where your market research isimportant. If you are going to invest your time and moneyinto training,  licence fees, equipment etc.., then you needto make sure you develop a good business plan.

I’ve been in the world of fitness since 1975,from teaching in church halls to managing health clubsand conventions. I launched Legs Tums n Bums in the 90'swith a video and book. Today, these classes are still busyand timetabled around the world!  As Director of FitCampsconventions, which are now 25 years old, I haveshowcased so many concepts and my top tips for you areas follows:

· Kick Start Weight Loss clubs™ created byFitness Presenter Rachel Homes is running Fatloss clubsall over the UK and online. This course combines 30minutes high intensity with a diet programmewww.kickstartfatloss.net

· Walking classes are the most accessible form ofsafe effective fat burning exercise possible. Look atBungyPump ™ a walking class, the first part of the classis completed outside and the second half inside a toningstudio. The class has evolved from the Swedish Nordic Skiwalking poles. For training coursescontact www.bungypump.co.uk

· Extreme fitness from InSanity™ and CrossFit allhave been promoted by social media, thereby creatinga whirlwind market that you can tap into. FunctionalFitness classes boomed in 2015 with InSanity to TRX andnow this year there is a vast choicewww.insanityinstructor.co.uk

· Watch out for class formats fromwww.physical.co.uk who are focusing on group fitness for2016 instead of the gym. With a variety of circuit classesfrom: '3D X TREME' . A circuit class where all aspects offunctional movement are challenged using the Bosu, theballast ball and med ball.

· Triplex Untamed another circuit class which has astrong focus on dynamic movements and core training.Using the Surge designed for dynamic resistance andsports specific movement patterns (water filled hand heldresistance equipment) the RMT Club forrotational movement training based on Indian clubs greatfor upper body and core strength

· FreeForm Boards (gliding circular boards on casterwheels),' Bosu on the minute' Where Bosu training isupdated with switching types of exercise every minutefor balance, stability  and core conditioning incorporatinghigh intensity moves for hearts rate training.

· Block Fit www.blockfit.co.uk created by Chico fromthe XFactor. No equipment involved,just energy and fun,combining a dance block, boxing fitness block, intensitytraining block and ending with a tranquil yoga fitness block.This is growing fast in the UK and he has just launched histraining dates for 2016.

These are just a few of the latest fitness concepts that aregoing to be popular in 2016. I would recommend going toa fitness convention to sample all of these trends.

Have fun in fitness!Lydia Campbell

1. Plan, Plan and Plan

2. Create a timetable of community classes that willcater for the fitness markets at different times of the day.

3. Reach out to the non active participants and teachnot according to your ability but their level.

4. Choose what you do carefully as you'll find you arepaying out hundreds on monthly licenses.

5. Be creative and flexible. The more diverse you arein your teaching skills the more employable you are tothe clubs.

6. Keep up to date with exercise, fitness and healthresearch.

2016 Trends: What is there out there for you?

· Pilates is big every time a celebrity mentions theylove Pilates another rush happens to classes. Pilates isfluid movement with a strong connection with the core andbreathing.

· Trigger Point Pilates™ is a restructuring fasciaPilates class launched in 2015 that has taken the UK bystorm. Tried and tested on the public for ten yearsbefore releasing the training programme. It is the onlyfitness training workout that focuses on releasing the bodyfrom inside.Email lydia@fitcamps.com for training dates in Ireland.

· Buti™Yoga: A movement practice that combine’spower yoga with tribal dance and plyometrics into a highintensity workout to transform the body. A yoga class fromLA founder Bizzie Gold that has made an impact in Londonin 2015 and now training instructors.www.yogahub.co.uk

· CircusFit™ programmes created byHester Montgomery Campbell. Studios and nowadding aerial fitness to their programmes. If you have adancer or gymnastic background consider becoming anAerial fitness Instructor email; Info@circusfit.london

Lydia Campbell is one of the pioneers of the fitnessIndustry with over 35 years inthe industry and 40 years teaching.Founder founder of FitCamp, aninternational presenter, author,teacher trainer, promotionsconsultant. Director of Aqua trainingfor Aquamotion and VR Training.

EXA Business Person award winner. Director of theFitCamp Training video series, as seen on SKY TV.Now specialising in Mind Body and functional pilatestraining. Her last book was The London Fitness Guide2000 a valuable resources for fitness instructors.

National Fitness News e-Zine 16

First ImpressionsCount

As exercise and healthfitness professionals getone chance to make a firstimpression we need toensure that our GroupFitness Classes arereaching high standardsand that a range ofcustomer service needs arebeing met, includingphysical, educational, socialand environmental. Just asthe public will try outdifferent restaurants, hair-dressers, beauty salons etc,they will try different health-

clubs/gyms, especially witheconomic factors forcing cutprice memberships.

In Group Resistanceclasses fitnessprofessionals are aiming toincrease muscular strengthand endurance, in a safeenvironment whilst avoidinginjury. Core training isparamount. Coreawareness has also allowedus to encourage more bodyawareness and posturalimportance. Fitnessenthusiasts and sportsprofessionals are soaking inthe knowledge that good

posture will facilitategreater effects inresistance training. Ifposture is poor – the risk ofinjury is greater, due tomisalignment and technicalinefficiency. If posture isgood, the core musclescan do their job, acting asgreat stabilizers with bodyresponding to load andrepetitions. It is a reallypositive feeling forparticipants to leave theclass feeling lengthened aswell as strengthened. Theinfusion of core trainingalso facilitates developingbalance throughout the

body via resistancetraining which is naturallyimportant in injuryprevention.

An effective alternativeto the gym.

Group Fitness Resistanceclasses gives the instructorthe opportunity to work withthose who want a newexperience possibly awayfrom the gym. Healthprofessionals train themand motivate them – withthe same exercises theymay have been doing alone,but now in an educational

National Fitness News e-Zine 17

and uplifting environment. If we can remain enthusiasticabout the basic of movements, we can encourage theparticipants to sustain their efforts, whereas without us theymay have given up. If instructors can motivate the exerciserto fatigue, then the job is done. It’s a win/win situation theclients get their strength and conditioning needs met, asuccessful session has been thought, the clients return andthe business continues.

Class set-up – the right environment

Setting up the class, setting up the exercise, this is wherewe get the chance to provide clarity of class format forbeginners. We need to inform what to do, how to do it andwhen do it. Prior to kick off – you are always going to haveto battle with your new participants, as they try hide at theback of the class, only then to be clouded with confusion ondiscovering they are too far away from you to follow or hearyou. It is therefore extremely important that the instructorsets up the exercise physically, posturally and verbally withthe correct equipment for each individual whilst making itsafely challenging. Therefore try to encourage yourparticipants to position themselves nearer to you. In settingup exercises, attention to be paid to hands, wrists, elbows,shoulders, core, knees, hips, knees and feet positioning.Technique should be addressed and amended whereappropriate before increase of load is applied.

Instructor’s Quality of Movement

As exercise and health fitness professionals we need to begood role-models ourselves. Our own movement qualityshould inspire and visually lead the participants into aneffective workout with desired results. Instructors need todemonstrate good spinal alignment and precise setup/starting position for each exercise. Range of motion mustbe specific to the exercise but we must also be sensitive tothe needs and ability of the group. It is essential we movewith control – and not compensate form for loading up withweights/load. Health fitness professionals must give equalattention to all phases of the exercise (raising, lowering,holding.) Postural stances are important to ensure that theweight of the load is distributed through the body.

Addressing Errors

As injury prevention is vital, modifications and alternativesmust be readily available. Group classes are very muchmulti-level – people attend because the timeslot suits themregardless of level. There are errors that are seen timeand time again. The two obvious examples which springto mind are squats and lunges which are then complicate,once resistance is added. In both exercises there is alwaysan issue with the stance, with mis-alignment of the kneesand/or spine and lack of control. Good execution relies oninformative instruction, prompting correct spinal alignment,core engagement, weight distribution, foot position andrange of movement. The effective instructor knows what’sgoing to happen so we need to be ready in group situationto correct this both to individuals (in a discrete, non-intimidating manner) and to the group as whole. Think ofall the errors you might see and script ways of correctingthem in class, in doing this you will have a bank ofinstructional vocabulary to draw from

Our participants are quite often educated individuals. Dothey need to learn to count? No! So they don’t need toattend an exercise class which is based on numerology.Again instructors should have an arsenal of cues andteaching tips, which they can fire out to get their technicalpoint across (not numbers!). There are many ways ofsaying the same thing and variety makes for a moreinteresting/enjoyable class rather than listening to ‘up, up,down, down’ or ‘ 4-3-2-1’ over again. Visual and Verbalcues work well together. Participants benefit from seeingthen feeling.

Speed and Form

Speed should be controlled to ensure good form. Goodtechnique should be mastered before speed. Physicalexecution should be completely understood by theparticipant before speed especially if there are complexcompound movement patterns. If music is used it shouldcompliment and motivate but never compromise form bybeing too fast or slow.

Achievement

A sense of achievement is of paramount importance – teachbeginner levels and then incorporate advanced options –re-enforce that options relate to body types and/orexperience and if an option is taken, this is no way reflectsinferiority. Resistance training classes are where areparticipants can really see a difference in their bodies. Thisis what will make them return.

Freestyle Classes

Freestyle Classes give the instructor the freedom to providetailor made workouts for the groups with the pace and varietyof exercises completely of choice. These sessions allow theuse of different types of equipment weights, bands, balls etc.This works well with teams as they can be coached throughexercise patterns relative to their sports. Specific targets canbe set and rewarded with great satisfaction in achievement.Progression then comes into play with the setting of newtargets and diverse training.

Choreographed Classes

Choreographed resistance training plays a major role inGroup Fitness and the structure is appealing to participantsand instructors with many factors responsible. Focus is onprecise physical execution based on alignment, load, speedand reps. Pre-choreographed routines means that thespeed of music has been determined safe for effectivemovement and control. It is easily possible to cater for manydifferent levels, within one session with strong participantsworking alongside beginners and everyone achieving theirgoals

American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines

Guidelines from the ACSM state that we should beperforming a minimum of 8 to 10 exercises training themajor muscle groups. Our workouts should not be too long– (programmes longer than one hour are associated withhigher drop out rates). We should be recommending least2 to 3 sessions a week – (more frequent training may elicitslightly greater strength gains but additional improvementis relatively small). Progress is made during therecuperation between workouts.

This is great news for Group Resistance classes. It’sexactly what we as exercise and health fitnessprofessionals are capable of providing – a variedcompound format, encouraging achievable attendance ofone hour long sessions (which fit nicely onto our studiotimetables). As long as exercise and health fitnessprofessionals, remain educationally driven andprofessionally responsible our dynamic presentation willspeak for itself and safeguard the success of our industry.

References available on request.

Carmell Demello is the Group FitnessCo-ordinator at University of Limerick SportArena. She is also Chairperson for theKillaloe Pink Ribbon Walk and a volunteerin the Irish Coast Guard - Search & RescueAdministration Office. Carmell is apublished fitness writer and writes weeklyfor a local newspaper.

National Fitness News e-Zine 18

National Fitness News e-Zine 19

Tutor Education or

Advanced Practitioner

Q

FULL-TIME DAY COURSE DETAILS

● Venue: University of Limerick

● Start date: 27th September 2016.

● End date: May 2017

● Contact Days: Tues & Thurs 11:00-14:00Mon, Wed & Fri are research & study days as well asTutor Observation and some work experience.

PART-TIME WEEKEND COURSE DETAILS

● Venue: University of Limerick

● Start date: 1st & 2nd October 2016.

● End date: May 2017

● Contact Days: Fri & Sat 09.30 -16:45Research & study days as well asTutor Observation and some work experience.

● Application Closing Date: 9th September 2016

● Full details on entry requirements, course contentand fees are available by clicking here

This course provides180 European Credit Transfer System(ECTS) credits towards the the B.Sc. in Exercise & HealthFitness. The Diploma is awarded by the University of Limerickand are placed at Level 7 on the National QualificationsFramework (NQF) and Level 6 on the European QualificationsFramework (EQF).

Aim: To provide Fitness Professionals with the opportunity toresearch, study and practice at an advanced level in the are ofExercise & Health Fitness.

The DEHF Yr 3 has two Module Electives to choose from:

� Strand 1 - Tutor Education: Provides fitness professionalswith the skills, knowledge and competencies to carry out thefunctions of a tutor at Year 1 (CEHF) and Year 2 (SpecialistCourses).

Strand 2 - Advanced Practitioner: Provides fitnessprofessionals with the skills, knowledge and competences towork at higher specialised levels within the industry, asspecialist instructors and/or in supervisory managementpositions.

National Fitness News e-Zine 20

Rep

ort

On Saturday 19th September, Graceand I visited the leafy environs ofHerbert Park in Ballsbridge,Dublin, which played host to thelargest number of fitnessprofessional to gather in one placein Ireland this year, for an eventcalled Wellfest.

Wellfest could be described as a onestop shop for all things currentlytrending in the fitness industry, withsome of the biggest and high profilepresenters present on the day. In factthere was so much to see and do, itwas difficult to decide where to start.So first of all let me give you anoverview of what was on offer andthen I will describe in more detailsome of the workshops and sessionswe participated in.

The VenueThe venue was sub-divided intovarious centres where differentactivities were being showcased. TheMain Stage area played host to largegroup type activities such asBootcamp, Aerodance, Bodyattack,the Viking Method, Piloxing andAnimal Flow. Each of these sessionslasted for around 30 minutes and nosooner was one presenter finishedthan another was waiting in the wingsto take their slot so it was literallynon-stop from 10am until 6pm.Dotted around this area were smallermarquees, where workshops werebeing presented to smaller groups.These workshops also lasted about30 minutes and were going non-stopall day. If you wanted to beguaranteed a place in theseworkshops, it was advisable to bookin advance but most of them could beaccessed at some point during theday. The activities here includedPilates, Yoga, Spinning, TRX,Strength Training and Trigger PointRelease which also included the useof Rocktape.

Finally there was a third area calledWelltalk. This venue hosted severalspeakers who spoke about topicsranging from body image, nutrition for

performance/busting commonnutrition myths to how to train for amarathon or triathlon. There was alsoa cookery demonstration by Davidand Stephen Flynn AKA the HappyPear and the day closed with a talkfrom Niall Breslin (Bressie) on mentalwellbeing.

WellvillageOf course no army ever marched onan empty stomach so to cater for thehungry masses was the Wellvillagewhere artisan producers provideddelicious, nutritious food includingpaleo and protein snacks, flavourednuts, fruit and vegetable juices, wrapsand I have to mention the chocolatebrownies that were gluten, dairy andsugar free and still tasted great!

The SessionsWith the huge variety of activities onoffer, we had decided in advance thatrather than trying to participate ineverything we should select areasthat were of particular interest to us.Both Keith Coleman’s Aerodance andBodyattack with Les Mills, wereexcellent examples of choreographedExercise to Music routines. Theroutines were based around 2 Blocksconsisting of 4 moves taughtseparately initially and then linked.There was nothing complicated aboutthe routines. An example of one blockwas Jog forward and back, followedby step curl, followed by double sidestep with leg curl, followed by kneeraise. They also interspersed moveslike squats, mountain climbers andeven the odd burpee butmodifications were offered soeveryone could work at their own

level. Nothing new there you mightsay but what made them so good wasthe way in which they made it allappear so effortless.

Concise teaching points, theenthusiasm and energy of thepresenters and motivating music alladded up to make a great class.Piloxing with Heather Gordon was anenergetic blend of Boxercise andPilates. Being a bit of a Pilates puristmyself I’m not sure how effective thePilates elements were in thisparticular session. They were basedon standing balance type exercisesbut if you were not already familiarwith the principles of Pilates I’m notsure it would work. However, it wasanother high energy, enthusiasticpresentation. Advanced Pilates withPlatinum Pilates, Yoga andMeditation were all basically whatthey say on the tin. If you werelooking for some inspiration forchallenging and creative exercisecombinations, the Pilates workshopcertainly delivered. If you had nottried Yoga or Meditation before theseworkshops were both excellentopportunities to experience them.

Trigger Point release and the use ofRock Tape was a particularly goodworkshop. We used the foam rollerfor myofascial release focusing on thequads and ITB. Rather than rollingthe muscle from end to end, wedivided it into thirds and rolled eachThere were several otherpresentations we would have like tohave participated in but as the daywent on the energy levels began todrop so we contented ourselves with

observing. One in particular, Animal Flow with RichardScrivener, was fascinating to watch. This apparently is thetype of training Conor McGregor of UFC fame incorporatesinto his training routine. It involves mimicking themovements of an animal eg a gorilla or a crocodile.Movements are all very slow and controlled and use bodyweight as resistance

So what did we learn from our day out? As an NCEFprofessional it was good to see that all of the skills westrive to instil in our students were all on display.Professionalism and enthusiasm, clear teaching points,

adaptations/progressions, were all put to gooduse by these presenters. As far as exercisetrends go, energetic group classes seem to bevery popular. So often we hear that Exercise toMusic is no longer popular with the generalpublic. If this was the case, it certainly appearsto be making a big come back. It’s beenrevamped and given a bit of a makeover andcalled ‘Aerodance’ or ‘Grit Cardio’ but it’s stillthe same thing we’ve been teaching for years.

I don’t know if Wellfest is going to be an annual event butfor any fitness professional it would definitely be worth avisit. You will be both inspired and informed.

Peppy Neville, BA, DEHF, NCEF Tutor

Peppy has worked in the fitness industy forover 15 years. She tutors across a widerange of modules on the Year 1 CEHF &Year 2 HCEHF. Peppy operates her ownPilates business in the Waterford area.

National Fitness News e-Zine 21

Grace Germaine, DEHF, NCEF Tutor

Grace has worked in the fitness industry forover 15 years and is Course Co-ordinatorfor the CEHF in Ormonde College of FurtherEducation, Kilkenny and the PersonalTraining module in Limerick and the Pilatesmodule in Dublin. Grace tutors across awide range of the CEHF & HCEHF modules

and is currently completing the Year 4 B.Sc. In Exercise &Health Fitness. Grace also operartes her own PersonalTraining Business.

National Fitness News e-Zine 22

Q

COURSE DETAILS

Venue for Contact Days: University of Limerick

Sat 30th & Sun 31st JanSat 13th & Sun 14th FebSat 27th & Sun 28th FebSat 12th & Sun 13th March

Access to online assessments: Thurs 24th-Sun 27thMarch.

Project submission date: Tues 9.00am, 5th April

Full details on entry requirements, course contentand fees are available by clicking here

This course awards 30 European Credit Transfer System(ECTS) credits towards the Higher Certificate/ Diploma/B.Sc.in Exercise & Health Fitness through a flexible learningpathway and also towards other University qualifications inEurope who follow ECTS credit value system.

Successful students will receive an NCEF Certificate ofCompletion

Aim: This specialist course is for qualified fitness instructorswho wish to enhance their knowledge and skills and providesafe and effective instruction in Pilates & Corrective. Thesespecialists can work with clients on a one to one basis or in agroup setting.

Course Details: Four contact weekends - Saturday &Sunday.

Private study and an additional day for final assessments.

Work experience which includes a detailed project andsubmission of a short video

Pilates & Corrective Exercise

NCEF Pilates & Corrective Exericse

National Fitness News e-Zine 23

Nut

ritio

n

Nut

ritio

n

With a ‘big is better’ culture in rugbyand GAA, the use of proteinsupplements among young players isrife.

I used to see these over-sized, slightly sinister-looking plastic tubs with mysterious labels piled high inshops that I passed by but never went into. Now there’sone sitting on my kitchen counter.

With a 16-year-old boy in the house and pre-season rugby training in full swing, it’s hardly surprising.

The use of protein supplements has gainedmomentum over the past decade, with a mushroomingrange of products muscling their way onto mainstreamsupermarket shelves.

So of course younger age groups are gulpingdown their protein shakes – even though sportinggoverning bodies, such as the Gaelic Athletic Association(GAA) and the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), do notrecommend them for players under 18.

At best, it seems, protein supplements are a waste ofmoney for under-age players; at worst they may have adetrimental effect on their long-term health.

Research

While excess protein is excreted because it can’t bestored in the body, some research has suggested a highprotein diet may have adverse effects. There are studiesthat show a possible link to kidney disease, prostatecancer and diabetes, but nothing conclusive. None of these products has been tested on teenagersand, for ethical reasons, never will be, because they aregrowing bodies and it is a minefield, says Safefood’s chiefspecialist in nutrition, Dr Marian Faughnan. “Of course teenage boys are tempted,” she says. “Theywant to be bigger, they want to be bulkier.” The important message for 99.9 per cent of teenagers isthat they will get enough protein from their diet, shestresses. Through dairy, meat, fish, maybe nuts andpulses, they are getting plenty of protein. It is a“challenging message” for parents and others to getacross, she acknowledges, because, like the rest of us,“teenagers want to hear ‘here’s the magic bullet’.” The estimated 26,000 boys aged 15 to 18 who playrugby in this country see how their heroes on theinternational team pump up that little bit more every year. As Andy McGeady illustrated in the Irish Timesnewspaper back in February 2015, the 1980 Irish side thatplayed England averaged 13st 12lb (88kg) per man. Theteam playing England in 2014 was close to 16st 7lb(105kg) each.

Marketing

Nóra Ní Fhlannagáin, a performance nutritionist with theIRFU, travels around the county working with 500 of thebest under-17 and under-18 players who are chosen fordevelopment squads in each of the four provinces.

She encounters confusion among parents and youngplayers alike over the question of protein supplements.

“There is a lot of marketing and at the younger agethey are unsure if they need this. They can’t afford it anddon’t know if they are supposed to be taking it.”

However she finds young people are intelligent enoughand very cautious about taking anything. “The wholesupplement industry is notoriously poorly controlled – it isshocking what they often put into supplements to bulkthem,” she says.In 2010, a Consumer Reports survey of 15 brands in theUS found that some protein drinks were contaminated withheavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and

National Fitness News e-Zine 24

mercury, which couldreach harmful levels in therecommended three dailyservings. Some have alsobeen found to be taintedwith steroids.

Although the scientificevidence is there, NíFhlannagáin says, of thebenefit for senior athletesof consuming a proteindrink to aid recoverystraight after training, it isnot recommended for theunder 18s for two reasons.

The biggest one for meis that our young rugbyplayers are not really at astage in their rugby careerwhere they need it.”Instead she wants them tobe developing a goodrelationship with food,learning how to cook andunderstanding whereprotein comes from. If and when theyprogress to academyrugby, they will have amuch higher level oftraining and will have

conditioning coaches andnutritionists. “At that point they havesuch a good understandingof food and nutrition and allthe things that impactsport, then they can go upto the next layer andsupplements can help youto become a national levelathlete.” However for the under18s, aside from the factthat they are still growing,she says, “we don’t haveevidence to show thatconcentrated protein issafe in young rugbyplayers”. It is hard to know,she remarks, because“essentially whey protein isjust a milk extra” – a by-product of cheeseproduction – but “itwouldn’t be a risk I wouldbe willing to take if I hadkids”.

Besides, if you takeprotein in isolation, such asin whey, you are notgetting the iron, vitaminsC, A or B, calcium or

18 before consideringsupplements, she says sheencourages them to usecritical thinking rather thansuccumbing to peerpressure.

IRFU GuidelinesWhile coaches followingthe IRFU guidelines knowthat they should notrecommend the use ofprotein shakes, playersseem to believe theysilently condone it. Sodoes the organisationencourage coaches todiscourage the practice?

“We would probablyencourage them todiscourage it,” replies NíFhlannagáin, sounding alittle doubtful. “That iswhere there is a fine line inour control because manycoaches are not employedby the IRFU,” she pointsout “but they would followour guidelines.” When inactive,overweight and obeseteenagers are much moreprevalent, it would seemthat parents of sports-loving youngsters with aneye on healthy eatingwould have little to worryabout. So is there a pointwhen they need to startbeing concerned?

“This is a really centralquestion,” says HarrietParsons, servicescoordinator withBodywhys, which supportspeople with eatingdisorders. “At what stagedo you get worried aboutnormal healthy exerciseand normal healthy eatingand when does it start tobecome something that ismore than that?” One indicator, shesuggests, is when theirwhole life seems centredaround ensuring they gettheir gym time and theywon’t do a normal activitybecause it might stop themgoing to a gym. Other signs includehuge amounts of timespent in the gym, an overfocus on image and amarked change in

personality, with moodswings.

“They will get anxiousand panicky if somethinginterferes with their abilityto do their exercise. That iswhen you are getting intomore problem territory,”she says. And “a line iscrossed” when they seemto be doing it more forimage reasons than forimproved performance atsport. “It is no longer ameans to an end.”

Eating DisordersParsons believes eatingdisorders are an increasingproblem among boys andmen, although the officialbreakdown is still 10 percent male and 90 per centfemale. However it isrecognised as probablybeing around 25:75 now,she says, “and for bingeeating disorder it is 50:50”. “Muscle dysmorphia”,also known as “reverseanorexia”, is the term forwhen a person becomesobsessively focused on thefeeling that they are toosmall and not muscularenough.

For thoseexperiencing distortedbody image, she believesit’s not so much that theyare not seeing themselvesthe way everybody elsesees them, it is more thatwhen they look atthemselves they don’t seethemselves as a whole. “We do that as wellwhen we look in the mirror– we see our hair, we seeour face, we don’t seeourselves the wayeverybody else sees us.They are focusing on onepart and that part loses thecontext from the rest of thebody and if there arenegative thoughts andnegative self beliefs theyget concentrated on ‘if I getthis part perfect, then I willfeel better’.”For more information see: “Eat2 Compete” on irishrugby,ie;“Fuel Your Body – For theTeenage Sports Person”, onsafefood.eu; irfu.ie andbodywhys.ie

Quick FixesThe one thing aboutprotein-enriched milk –another popular productpandering to those lookingfor all things protein andpushing up grocery bills –is that you are still gettingyour other nutrients, shepoints out, with somethingadded. But the “cost for theamount of protein you’regetting – you might just aswell drink an extra 100mlsof milk,” she remarks.“Bang for your buck – I amnot buying it.”

Ní Fhlannagáin’s jobis to convince youngstersof the benefit of wholefoods. She worked with

Ireland international AnrewTrimble on fronting videos(his for young players, hersfor parents) showing howthe optimum 20 grams ofprotein to consume aftertraining to aid recovery andgrowth is much betterfound in the fridge (eg milk,eggs, slices of chicken orbeef, salmon) rather thanin tubs of protein powder.She and her IRFUcolleagues try to impresson players that, whetherit’s training or nutrition,there are no quick fixes, itis all about consistency.And apart from urgingthem to wait until they are

Making Gains: Gettting teensto hear the message abouthealth eating

Don’t make mealtimes a battleground is the advice doled out toanxious parents of small childrenwho have just discovered thepower of food refusal. Another decade or so on,when parents no longer havetotal control of the food availableto their off-spring, putting up afight is even more futile.Typically, those with sonsstruggle to keep enough food inthe house and worry about themeating too much of the wrongthings. Daughters are worryingwhen they appear not to eatenough and then may lapse intobouts of comfort eating. It’s a “really tricky time” forteenagers and for parents, saysSafefood’s chief specialist innutrition, Dr Marian Faughnan, asyoung people become moreindependent and more involvedwith friends and sport and otheractivities outside the home.

“Being able to sit down for afamily meal is logistically harder,”

she points out, so there needs to benegotiation between parents andteenagers on when, where and whatthey’re eating.

Pocket money is also a big issue,she suggests, because they are likelyto use it to buy food that is too high infat, salt and/or sugar and which is soeasily available everywhere they go.

There are ways to encouragehealthy eating without beingconfrontational, although withteenagers it can be quite hard toavoid confrontation, she admits.

Steps parents can take include:

● Try to involve teenagers in some ofthe food shopping and preparation.

● Agree that if they miss dinner time,there will be a meal ready to heatup – to stop them filling up onunhealthy snacks.

● Decide as a family not to keeplarge supplies of “treat” food in thehouse

● Focus on providing breakfast, asthat’s one meal they are liable toskip

● Likewise, make a point of havingfruit and vegetables available as

many teenagers don’t eatenough fibre

● Dispel the “high fat” myth thathangs over dairy, as 42 percent of teenage girls are notgetting enough calcium. Fiveservings of dairy a day arerecommended for teenagersand these can be low-fat milk,yogurt and cheese.

● Insufficient iron is anotherpredominantly female problem -“a little bit of red meat the sizeof the palm of your hand twicea week is good,” saysFaughnan.www.safefood.eu

National Fitness News e-Zine 25

Biography

Sheila Wayman writesfor The Irish TimesHealth & Familysupplement, mainly on

parenting-related matters. She is aformer Features Editor of thenewspaper and now works as afreelance writer and editor. Thisarticle appeared in the July 28th

issue of the supplement.swayman@irishtimes.com

Pila

tes

Introduction

Learning how to properly train prenatal andpostnatal clients can be confusing especiallywhen trying to understand diastasis recti. In thisarticle you will learn how to check for diastasisrecti in your postpartum clients, understandhow fascia and creating a strong deep core playa vital role in diastasis recti recovery along withrecommended exercises you can teach yourclients.

Learning Objectives:1. Learn how to check for diastasis recti in your postpartum clients.

2. Understand how creating good fascial and deep core muscle connection is key in repairing diastasis recti.

3. Discover recommended exercises and techniques for minimizing further separation and repairing diastsis recti.

National Fitness News e-Zine 27

This is a separation of the rectus abdominis muscles alongthe linea alba. Typically occurring during pregnancy and inthe postpartum phase.

Factors that can affect diastasis recti/degree of diastasisrecti:

■ Age■ Lifestyle■ Genetics■ Posture and alignment■ Glute and pelvic floor strength (they are related)■ Possible pelvic floor dysfunction■ How long has she had diastasis■ How much separation does she have (see below for

how to check)■ How strong her abdominal fascial connection is

Sometimes there may be no good explanation as to “why”a client ended up having some abdominal separation butnow that she does you can help her in her recovery andrepairing her abdominals with the following:

Diastasis Recti

When teaching deep core connection it’s important thatshe understand how to properly activate her pelvic floormuscles along with transverse abdominals simultaneously.This has been verified in a study by R.R. Sapfords, thestudy found “…that abdominal muscle activity is a normalresponse to PF [pelvic floor] exercise in subjects with nosymptoms of PF muscle dysfunction…” and D. Chritchleyalso found that same relationship that pelvic floor musclesand transverse abdominals co-contract together but alsofound an increase in transverse abdominal thickness.Could this also result in decrease in low back pain too? Itcan’t hurt to have stronger deep core muscles giving thelow back more support.

These study’s bring about another topic discussing pelvicfloor dysfunction and if you have a client that can notproperly connect her deep core possibly due to pelvic floordysfunction it may be a good idea to recommend her to aspecialist for pelvic floor manipulation. Be sure to give hersome time to learn and try to “find” her deep core musclesas it may just take her a while to figure it out.

In a study by Robert Schleip, PHD, found that fascia itselfis able to “contract and relax and thereby influencebiomechanical behavior” and “suggests a newunderstanding of pathologies with an increased ordecreased myofascial tonus”.

This is an amazing finding and something that I havenoticed with clients over the years. New research is finallyproving that we can manipulate the fascia and fascialconnection. Which means, that when training your clientswith diastsis recti, stimulating fascial connection could helpdecrease her abdominal separation and create better deepcore connection without actually increasing her musclemass or connection but rather it’s the fascial connection.

1. Increase facial connection:

2. Teach deep core connection

Teaching to always lightly activate her deep core musclesis a must, especially with diastasis. An easy way to explainthat to her is to “Zip up”, as she exhales she shouldlightly lift up on her pelvic floor muscles while continuingthat zipping feeling up through the top of her head andcreating a light Intercoastal ribcage connection causingher ribs to draw down and inward slightly.

You should also notice improvement in posture and herlower belly flatten at least slightly indicating that she is indeed activating her deep core muscle properly. Just by“zipping up” her core she is also creating better posturalalignment habits – a must to repair diastsis.

Focus on her activating her deep core, starting with herpelvic floor and then zipping up on the exhale with eachexercise, especially if she is having a hard time recruiting.If you notice her holding her breath that indicated she is“over-activating” which can be counterproductive. Herdeep core connection should always be a “light” and“gentle” connection rather than a strong contraction as youmight think of when doing a “crunch”.

She can practice her deep core connection any time. Astudy by P. Neumann found that the standing positionwas the best position for optimal pelvic floor andabdominal interaction and activation. I’m going too addone more importance piece to that, be sure to teach herneutral alignment and to avoid tucking her pelvis andlocking her knees. The standing position is great for deepcore strengthening but everyone’s bodies are different. Tryteaching her deep core activation in different positions asyou may find supine exercises (such as hip rolls) orkneeling exercises (such as cat cows or forward rollpulses) or squats work best for some. Each of thoseexercises are great beginner options for clients withdiastasis recti that you can teach her in those first recoverysessions along with any of these safe and effectivepregnancy core exercises.- Please click on this link to viewthe exercises http://knocked-upfitness.com/safe-and-effective-pregnancy-core-exercises/

3. When and why its a must to avoid crunchesAfter addressing fascia I think you’ll better understand whyto avoid crunches, not forever, but for a long while whenrepairing diastasis recti. Crunches put a lot of stress on therectus abdominals {causing intense intra-abdominalpressure}, something that should be avoided in those withdiastasis.

Your client must be able to properly connect her deep coremuscles, properly connect her deep core while doing fullplanks {preferably the Plank Slides mentioned in thisarticle} and have repaired her diastsis before adding“crunches” into her workouts. I’m going to add in myprofessional opinion on “crunches” I recommend doing

Possible reasons why she may have pelvic floordysfunction is:

1. She may have been born that way and has never trulyactivated her pelvic floor muscles properly her entirelife.

2. Had an episitomy during delivery of a child (this iswhere they cut the perineum) and can create scartissue and disconnection of the pelvic floor muscles. Ora bad natural tear during delivery.

3. She may just need time to “find” those muscles, so bepatient with her.

National Fitness News e-Zine 28

neutral-aligned crunch-type exercises over traditionalflexed-position crunches. This is much better to activatethe deep core muscles along with the rectus abdominals,rather then just the rectus abdominals alone.

4. To plank or not to plankBefore you have a client enter into the planking worldagain she MUST be able to connect her deep coremuscles and avoid any “coning of her belly” whileperforming planks. Note the difference of seeing extra skinsage from her belly from actual bugling of her belly due toa weak fascial connection of her core (this is a good timefor a tactile touch of her belly when she is first performingthem as you can actually feel if her abdominals under thatlose skin are actually taught or not). While planks may be abit controversial in the diastasis recti recovery world, theimportant thing is to know when your client is ready, planksare NOT a first exercise by any means, think of them moreas an advance diastasis recovery exercise.

Follow the exercise progression guidelines below verystrictly with your clients and you’ll find, for many, once sheis ready to progress to “Plank Slides” they are a veryeffective exercise for strengthening her deep core musclesand fascial connection. From my professional experience Ifind planks, specifically “Plank Slides” to be one of themost effective deep core exercises but you have to waituntil her core has become strong enough from doing thoseless intense core exercises first {Hip Rolls, Squats, Squats+ Rotations, Modified Side Planks, Kneeling SideReaches, Reach + Curl, etc.}

5. When diastasis recti is truly healedThere are many variables with true healing of diastasisrecti, for some their separation will completely close, notethat one finger-width separation is normal, for others withlarger separation they may always have more separationof the linea alba but do they have good fascial connection?This is why focusing on creating good fascial connectioncan help in repairing diastasis even if she is never able tocompletely close that gap.

I do recommend as you progress your clients through therecommended exercises below that every so often you addback in those simple yet very effective exercises to be surethat she can do the most basic of core exercises and hascontinued to create good deep core muscle and fascialconnection.

When checking for abdominal separation be sure of thesethree things:

1. She is at least 6-10 weeks postpartum {the closer toweek 10 postpartum the better because you should beincluding those simpler deep core exercises in those firstsessions regardless of whether she has diastasis recti ornot}.2. You have already started to teach her how toactivate her deep core.3. Be sure she is comfortable with you touching herbelly to check for separation.

Interesting thing is that just by teaching your client how toactivate her deep core muscles properly she may be ableto close the gap a little with that instruction alone.

6. How to check for diastasis recti:

Instead of focusing on “core” exercises right away, focuson getting her to stimulate deep core connection whiledoing full body exercises, such as squats and the otherrecommended exercises mentioned in this article. Thenyou can check her as she approaches her 10 weekspostpartum.Always instructor her to roll on her side then to herback and the same to get up, to avoid that “crunch”position until her diastsis recti is healed.

Step by Step GuideChecking her separation (this is the only time she isallowed to do a “crunch”, because she must in orderto be properly checked for separation):

1. Start in a supine and neutral position with kneesbent and feet hip-width apart.2. Exhale and contract as much of her core musclesas possible (this includes pelvic floor engagement).3. Flex up staying in a neutral lumbar spine andencourage to keep her abdominals as contracted aspossible (lax abdominal muscles can show bigger diastasisthen she may actually have).4. Gently palpate down her linea alba from just belowher sternum about 2 inches above her pubic bonemeasuring at 4 points where and how much separation shemay have:Point 1: just below the sternumPoint 2: just above the belly button (typically this is whereyou find the most severe separation)Point 3: just below the belly buttonPoint 4: lower abdominal area 2 inches above her pubicbone.5. Then take note on how much fascial connection youmay or may not feel, that also gives you can indication onhow severe the diastasis recti may be:A. If you can press down into her abdominal cavity that isindication of more severe diastasis and very little to nofascial tension.B. If you feel a slight taughtness between her rectusabdominis that indicates she does has some fascialconnection even though she may have separation.

Recommended exercise progressions for clients with diastasis recti:

Note that every client is different and may progress at very different rates,remember those factors that come into play with repairing her diastsis.

Hip Rolls

A simple, yet very effective exercise to teach clients how toactivate her pelvic floor muscles along with transverseabdominals and intercostals. This may not be a superstrong connective exercise, but that’s why it’s a greatexercise to do at any stage postpartum or beyond toactivate her deep core muscles. It’s important to teach thisexercise with the correct breath as that relates to properdeep core activation. A perfect first session exercisepostpartum and I would recommend having her do themdaily at home on her own too. Do in sets of 5 to 10 reps.

1. Lay supine with spine in a neutral position kneesbent and feet hid-width apart placing a small ball or pillowbetween her knees. (Neutral spine is when the pelvis isbalanced between the exaggerated posterior and anteriorpositions, the PSIS and ASIS points)2. Exhale to gently lift up on the pelvic floor muscles,squeezing the ball or pillow while simultaneouslyarticulating spine up into a bridge position. Avoid the ribs“popping.”3. Inhale to hold position.4. Exhale to slowly articulate rolling the spine backdown one vertebrae at a time initiating the movement bygently drawing the ribcage down.5. Finish in a neutral spine position.

Modified Side Planks

Not a session one exercise for most, it’s imperative thatshe be able to connect her deep core muscles. Once shehas found that light connection, even with diastasisModified Side Planks are a great option. Be sure she islifting or zipping up through her center and finding herintercostal connection, alignment is key on this exercise asis breath. I recommend starting with small pulses movingwith the breath for 10 to 20 reps then switching sides.

1. Place elbow under shoulder and bend the bottomknee to line up under the hip, be sure to activate that glute.

2. Exhale to pulse up while focusing on lengtheningand lifting through the body while keeping the ribcageconnection.3. Inhale to lower down slightly.

Plank Slides

This is a more “advanced” exercise when it comes torepairing diastasis but a very important exercise once herbody is ready. In order for her to progress to planks herabdominal separation must be close to normal (one finger-with) or have good fascial connection across herabdominals (even if she still has some separation). Watchfor any bulging of her abdominals while in a plank position,note the difference in extra lose skin hanging vs. a goodflat fascial connection across her lower belly. The skin isinevitable and will decrease will time. The focus with

planking is to better increase her deep core muscle andfascial strength and connection.1. Begin in a full plank position on forearms and toes.Press legs together to help engage the pelvic floor,transverse abdominals and intercostals while also pullingup on the quads.2. Exhale while moving the body forward andmaintaining a plank position and zipping you her lowerbelly by initiating with a gentle pelvic floor lift to help recruither transverse abdominals.3. Inhale while moving the body back. (Focus onstretching the calves in the backward movement).4. Modify: Hold a modified plank on forearms andknees or stick with modified side planks until ready.

Erica Ziel, creator of Knocked-Up Fitness ® andCore Athletica® Inc. She is the mother of threeand a sought after expert for fitness-infusedPilates and personal training. Recentlylaunching her own instructor trainer courses andcertifications "Knocked Up Fitness Pre/PostnatalFoundation Course and Certification"

(accredited by NASM and ACE) and "Knocked Up FitnessPre/Postnatal Pilates Equipment Course and Certification". Alongwith her Prenatal and Postpartum DVD's, online programs, theKnocked Up Fitness Guide to Pregnancy Book, and nutritionprograms, Erica has been featured in and contributed to manymedia outlets such as Fit Pregnancy Magazine, PT on the Net,LiveStrong.com, The New York Times, People.com, Pregnancyand Newborn Magazine, Pilates Style Magazine, and manyothers.

Now that you understand how to check your postpartumclients for diastasis recti, the importance of teaching her tostrengthen deep core muscles along with fascialconnection, and key exercises for your clients withdiastasis recti you can feel more confident in creating safeand effective workouts for her.

To learn more about training your prenatal and postpartumclients check out Erica Ziel’s Knocked Up FitnessPre/Postnatal Foundation Course at Knocked-UpFitness.com/Training-Program.

References available upon request.This article was first published on PTonTheNet.comSeptember 2015

Conclusion

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National Fitness News e-Zine 30

The NCEF became an academic affiliate of the Universityof Limerick in June 2006. All NCEF programmes of studyare now part of Certificate, Higher Certificate Diploma andDegree programmes in Exercise & Health Fitness of theUniversity of Limerick. These awards do NOT requirerecertification.

NCEF Level 1 holders currently due to recertify have aunique opportunity to upgrade their NCEF Level 1 to theUniversity of Limerick accredited Certificate in Exerciseand Health Fitness (CEHF). Due to requests fromstudents, we have recently fully upgraded our CEHFLearning Support website in order to facilitate theoperation of this programme through e-learning only. Thiswill mean that you will no longer be required to travel tothe University of Limerick for a contact weekend.

By upgrading your current NCEF Level 1 to CEHF statusyou will have the benefit of:● Holding the only solely focused Exercise & Health

Fitness Professional Instructor, university accreditedqualification in Ireland which is offered as Year 1 of theFlexible Learning Pathway to the B.Sc. in Exercise &Health Fitness.

● No other Fitness Instructor course is placed at this levelor University accredited. The CEHF is placed at Level 6

on the National Framework of Qualifications(www.nfq.ie) and Levels 5 on the EuropeanQualifications Framework. The NCEF is audited andaligned to the European Industry standard, Exercisefor Health Specialist (EQF Level 5). Some othertraining providers offer EQF Level 4 standard ofqualification, but the NCEF is the only complete standalone fitness qualification in Ireland, accredited at EQFLevel 5.

● Holding an award for life that does NOT requirerecertification.

● Broadening your opportunities for recognition, access,transfer and progression within the Irish educationalsystem, within Europe and worldwide.

Spring Semester 2016:

Access to e-Learning Website: Mon 25th January ‘16 Dates for online assessment: 21st-24th April ‘16 Submission of Video Assessment: 28th April

Application Closing Date: Mon 18th January ‘16

Fees: FPI Member €950.00, Non FPI Member €995.00

Full details on entry requirements, course contentand fees are available by clicking here

Certificate in Exercise & Health Fitness (CEHF)

E-Learning - Upgrade Course

CEHF Upgrade Course

National Fitness News e-Zine 31

The following handout can be given to clients who are pressed for time andwish to complete a weekly arm workout - targeting and isolating one of thelarge muscles of the upper arm – the biceps. Keeping the bicep musclesstrong is important for for everyday activities like pulling, picking up andcarrying items. The muscle is worked by flexing the elbow against

resistance e.g. bending your arm with a weight in your hand.Equipment: Mat, Step, Dumbbells & BarbellWorkout: Repeat this circuit two to three times to fully challenge thetricpes.Repetitions: 10-15

1A 1B

1. Concentration Curl- Assume the press-up position by placing your handsbeneath the shoulders & keeping the elbow tuckedclose.- Exercise can be performed on your toes or knees.- Back neutral, core engaged, inhale & lower yourchest to the floor, keeping a straight line from head toheels.- Exhale, return to start under control.

2. Plank Hammer- Assume a plank position on the hands and toes (orhands and knees, if needed).- Place each hand on top of a dumbbell in this plankposition. While keeping the abdominals engaged andthe spine and neck in alignment.- Perform alternate hammer curls with the armsinhaling when lowering the weight & exhalingreturning to the start position.- Keep the elbows directly underneath the shoulders,even when curling. Work on keeping the hips fairlystill and avoid rocking them side-to-side.

2. Barbell Curl- Holding a barbell in the hands with the palms facingforward, stand tall with the feet underneath the hips,knees slightly bent and abdominal's engaged.- Inhale and curl the bar up toward the shoulders,keeping the elbows close to the sides of the ribcage.- Exhale return to start position.

2. Alternating Bicep Curl- Holding a dumbbell in each hand with the palmsfacing the sides of the hips, stand tall with the feetunderneath the hips, knees slightly bent andabdominal's engaged.- Inhale and curl one dumbbell at a time up toward theshoulder, allowing the palm to rotate to face the frontof the shoulder; keep the elbows close to the sides ofthe ribcage.- Exhale returning to start position.

2A 2B

3A 3B

4A 4B

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Feat

ure

1. Varied IntensityDespite what many aspiring athletes actually believe, youshould not try to kill yourself in every workout. In fact, eliteathletes in every sport mix the intensity of their training ona daily, weekly, and monthly schedule. This is the basis ofgood training program design. We need to have sometraining days where we feel great when we finish as well asdays where we can barely walk to our car after thesession. This variance in training intensity is part of whatleads to the adaptations that allow us to perform well inworkouts with vastly different time domains.

2. Technical MasteryIf you want to be ELITE at anything, you’re going to haveto spend time practicing. In differentiating between‘practice’ and ‘training’, practice is seen to be activelyengaging in a task in order to improve skill or execution ofthe task while training is attempting to create physiologicalchanges that can improve the expression of the skill. Anyliterature on talent or talent development makes it clearthat people who have mastered their craft have spentextraordinary amounts of time refining their skills. They areelite because they were willing to expend the mentalenergy that is required to stay focused on what mostpeople would consider boring or mundane. If you’re notregularly engaging in mindful practice and you wonder whyyou’re not improving at (such as components ofWeightlifting or Gymnastics) you now know why.

3. Individualised NutritionThere are no one-sized fits all nutrition guidelines. The factis that everyone’s nutritional needs will vary based on theirgenetics, training background, and daily activity level.Some people tolerate high carbohydrate diets better. Someathletes tolerate high fat diets better. The only way tofigure out what works best for you is to either experimentor to hire a knowledgeable nutrition coach. Regardless,more than likely the best option if you don’t have time totreat your nutrition as its own job is to stick withBALANCED nutrition and eat meals that provide adequatecarbs, protein, and fats daily in order to refuel and repairfrom your training sessions. If you are able to maintainconsistency with a simple strategy then you can begin theprocess of individualisation to determine what works foryou.

4. Keep an Open Mind and Learn From EveryoneToo often athletes and coaches ignore science because itis complicated or confusing. The reality is that exercisescience is generally 10 years behind the current trends inthe field, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore itsimplications or the potential to improve our trainingknowledge and expand our training toolbox. On the other

hand we should not see science as dogma and allowoverthinking to cripple our progress. Just as in most areasin life, we need to strike a balance between scepticism andopen mindedness to allow us to continually move forward.Read, learn, ask questions, experiment, and think foryourself.

5. Pacing and Heart Rate Training

Pacing is an essential part of competition in any energy-system based sport (think: running, swimming, cycling,triathlon, track, etc.). Pacing is another way of saying:managing your intensity level in a way to ensure an optimalperformance outcome. Athletes who are good at pacingare generally good at their sport. Good pacing requiresathletes to know their bodies. Learning your body requiresfeedback – for most of us who are not so physically giftedto be able to read our physiological feedback mechanismsthis should come in the form of external bio-feedback.Monitoring your training heart-rate is one of the simplestand most effective tools that exist for monitoring yourtraining intensity. By implementing HR monitoring andtraining, overtime you will begin to understand the signalsyour body is sending you and will be able to improve yourability to pace workouts effectively.

6. Lifestyle Management

Over the past few years lifestyle management has taken abigger and bigger role with athletes from masters to theelite. Again this comes back to the basics: sleep, nutrition,and stress management.Most athletes understand the impact that nutrition has ontheir performance (though they are probably notimplementing any of the things they know…) but so manypeople don’t give lack of sleep and stress the attentionthey deserve when it comes to athletic performance.Today’s “GO” culture thrives on stress, we’re constantlyplugged in, always available, and always on deadline. Weget so burnt out that we need to engage in ever morestressful activities, and come to rely on our trainingsessions to give us that boost. Eventually we get to a levelof sleep-deprivation and under recovery that is so extremethat even a hard training session isn’t enough to give usour adrenal spike….so we turn to pre-workouts and morecoffee. Obviously this is a recipe for eventual disaster.Each individual has a maximum capacity for stress andonce we’ve exceeded this threshold we can become‘broken’. Athletes who burn the candle at both ends for toolong will inevitably no longer be able to enjoy training orbring any type of intensity to their daily life.Changing your lifestyle is hard, getting 8-10hrs of sleepnightly is hard, cutting back on caffeine consumption ishard, setting aside time for stress management andmeditation is hard – but these are the kinds of things thatmake a big difference not just in your athletic performancebut in your qualify of life.

Time is money. Spend your time on the things that willcreate the greatest degree of change. Most athletes want aquick fix, whether they want to improve their mobility,technique, or heal from an injury. The problem is thatspending 60 min 1-on-1 with a weightlifting coach is justthat…60 min. During that time you may gainunderstanding, but without repetition of the skill you cannotexpect for that skill to hold up under the pressure ofcompetition or the pain of fatigue. Likewise injured athleteswill seek out the best specialists to treat their injured partsand spend exorbitant amounts of money for one timetreatments. Again, one adjustment, or one pass of ART isjust that – one pass. Soft tissue overuse injuries take timeto manifest and one treatment session is not going to solvethe problem. Seek out specialists and coaches who willprovide you with direction and then go implement thestrategies for improvement daily.

7. Spend your Time Wisely

As an athlete, sometimes it can be very difficult to acceptcriticism. It can often feel as if you’re being personallyattacked. Learning to objectively listen to coachingfeedback is critical for athletes to progress from good togreat. This requires athletes to be humble and detach theirself-worth from their performance. Un-coachable athleteswill always limit their performance ceiling by ignoringfeedback. If you don’t have the answer – seek outsomeone who does. Even knowledgeable athletes canbenefit from having mentors or hiring a coach.

8. Be Coachable

9. Implement

Use what you know, every day. Regularlyathletes who have a good sense of how theyshould be eating and recovering know thatthey need to implement stress managementtechniques, and they know that they need tobe doing mindful technical practice…theproblem is that they don’t do it! The journey toathletic success requires knowing what isneeded to be done consistently and to buildupon their body of work. Success in anyendeavour is never an accident it requires abalance of all of these factors day in and dayout. There are many people out there who willtry to help you – but you are the only one whocan make the decision to be a champion.

All athletes can benefit from effective recovery strategies.Prioritising recovery in your training program can meantaking a planned rest day 1-2 times each week, taking aday off when your body is saying you need it, or simplytaking a contrast shower (alternating hot/cold) to alternervous system activation. The less ‘elite’ your geneticsare the more this matters. Elite athletes tend to be elitebecause their physiologies allow for faster recovery andgreater adaptation to a training stimulus. If you’re notblessed with these genes and want to be competitive, thenyou need to ensure that you’re doing everything you can torecover as quickly as possible. That doesn’t mean go outand buy the latest and greatest recovery device – it meansbeing consistent with the basics: nutrition, sleep, stressmanagement, mobility, and getting professional care whenyou need it.

10. Prioritise Recovery

Sean has completed all four years of the pathway tothe B.S.c in Exercise & Health Fitness and iscurrently undertaking an M.Sc in Sports, Strength &Conditioning. Sean operates his own health andfitness building in Sligo working with the generalpopulation and sports people. His longterm goal isto work with elite sports teams and athletes. He is akeen athlete having competed in triathlons,ironmans and represented Sligo Rovers in theLeague of Ireland.

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National Fitness News e-Zine 34

Pro

file

1. You completed the Certificate in Exercise &Health Fitness (CEHF) in 2004. What made youdecide to choose to train as a fitness instructor?After university in Belfast I became a solicitor in Londonand worked in insolvency, corporate law and upon movingto Limerick also worked in aviation leasing/finance inShannon. I also worked part-time with my husband who isa PGA Professional in his business in County Limerick.During this time I developed unhealthy eating and exercisepatterns and we had our three children. Upon thediagnosis of two of our three children with ASD/Autism andADHD I left corporate law, was no longer making time toexercise and life was also becoming more stressful. I hadqualified as an Irish dancing teacher with An Coimisiún leRincí Gaelacha in 2003 and I realised my love of exerciseand dancing could be used as a platform from which Iwould be able to construct a new career in fitness whichcould fit around the new challenges in my life.

2. You then went on to complete Year 2 HigherCertificate in Exercise & Health Fitness (HCEHF) andchose Personal Training (PT) course for semester 1.What did you think of the Personal Training module?

3. In semester 2 you undertook two HCEHF e-Learning modules Facility Operations and Fit forLife. How did you find studying online? And whatmade you decide to choose these modules?

4. What is your current role within the Exercise &Health Fitness industry?

I am currently a freelance fitness instructor working in avariety of facilities including disadvantaged inner citylocations, working with womens’ groups and deliveringhealth and fitness programmes as part of a governmenthealth initiative in Belfast. In addition I have a smallnumber of personal training clients who have worked withme since qualification and I also coach an adult Irishdancer for fitness in her preparation for competition.

There are many factors that motivate me to continue toacquire new skills and to explore additional roles andchallenges in the fitness industry. My personal careerdevelopment plan will lead me to acquire additional skillssuch as Pilates training and indoor cycling. However, thevery specific interests I have in assisting children withadditional needs (such as ASD/Autism or ADHD) as aresult of my own family, have led me to explore otheropportunities to deliver programmes which cater directly tospecial populations. In addition, working with clients in a

6. How do you stay Proactive and what motivatesyou to stay working in the fitness industry?

The natural progression after completion of the CEHF wasto move to the next stage in training. The personal trainingmodule was an excellent way to further develop mypractical skills, develop enhanced client care and increasemy own knowledge of anatomy and fitness training. Thecontact with expert tutors that have successfullyestablished fitness and training businesses was paramountto the consolidation of the academic and the practicalaspects of personal training.

While exploring the opportunities for a career in exerciseand health fitness I could see the obvious benefits ofstudying facility operations as a precursor to working in anadministrative or managerial role in an exercise facility inthe future. In addition the ability to offer wellnessprogrammes to either corporate or community clientsfollowing the fit for life course provided significant directionto my current career development plan. As bothprogrammes were online I was able to easily balanceacademic study with family and work commitments. Theflexibility to study early in the morning or in the evenings asit suited me was a significant advantage to the onlineprogrammes.

5. How do you find balancing work and study?

I love academic learning and enjoyed the challenge ofstudying while working. I am however very used to thispattern of work/study as it had been a significant aspect ofcareer development in my previous legal roles. Thediscipline and time management skills that you acquire insuccessfully completing study programmes while workingis crucial in most career fields. Having the support offamily or those around you to enable you find time forprivate study, especially at exam time, is invaluable.

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10. You recently registered as Level 5 Exercise forHealth Specialist through the European Register ofExercise Professionals (EREPs). How will thisbenefit your career?

I would emphatically recommend the NCEF courses. TheNCEF offers a wide range of academic and practicalsubject matters, flexible study options including distance,part-time and online courses and is such an industry-relevant qualification that is sought after by employers.These advantages are what initially attracted me to theNCEF as a provider and continue to bring me back topursue additional study options.

9. Would you recommend NCEF courses to a friend?community development setting has become a veryimportant aspect to my career.

The NCEF would like to thank Susan for taking the time to answer ourquestions. We wish her the very best of luck in her future work as a Fitness

7. A Fitness Professional needs to be creative andcollaborate with other healthcare professionals - howdo you implement these attributes?

Upon moving back to Belfast with my family I was able toestablish links with healthcare and fitness professionalswith whom I made contact when I completed my CEHFwork experience. These contacts have been invaluable tome in pursuing a health and fitness career which is bothprofessionally satisfying as well as allowing for widercareer development. My connecting with the healthoutreach officer of a social enterprise facility in Belfast hasenabled me to deliver health and fitness programmes tospecifically targeted individuals to whom I would notnormally have access.

8. How would you like to see your involvement inthe fitness industry five years from now?

To date my connections with fitness management andhealthcare professionals in both the private and communitydevelopment arenas have helped me identify potentiallines of career development. For now I am happy tocontinue to acquire additional training and skills inprogramme delivery to create a solid base of experience.From there I will progress into other complementary rolesin the fitness industry while maintaining my involvement indelivery of exercise programmes and private client work.In addition, I am commencing the diploma course in 2016with a view to completing the degree pathway as soon aspossible.

The Europe Active Standards for Health Specialist (alignedto EQF Level 5) registration as an Exercise for HealthSpecialist is of paramount importance to my careerdevelopment and will be of equal significance to otherfitness professionals whether they operate in the private ornot-for-profit sectors.  Increasingly as fitness professionalsour clients come to us with existing chronic healthconditions or live lifestyles that put them in high risk ofdeveloping them.  As a Level 5 professional holding thegroup exercise, personal training and fit for lifequalifications through NCEF, I can offer a unique approachto my clients’ wellness.  This higher level qualificationenables me to not only devise safe and effective exerciseprogrammes for such individuals with regards to theirhealth condition and medication but to also advise onlifestyle, healthy eating, stress management and liaise withtheir healthcare professionals.  My career progression inthe not-for-profit sector with primarily clients with chronichealth conditions will be significantly advanced with thisenhanced qualification through the NCEF.

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A New Year brings with it resolutions and opportunityfor a fresh start. Traditionally it’s an incredibly busytime for fitness professionals and I find this oftenignites the ambition to set up your own fitnessbusiness. Self-employment is an incredible rollercoaster ride of highs and lows, successes and thoseall-important failures too. Having worked for myselfsince 2011 I can tell you with certainty that while it isthe most rewarding feeling to go out and create yourown living, at the same time it is daunting, challengingand a hard slog! For any of you who are currentlycontemplating self-employment I have put together 5key factors for success, which you should take intoaccount as you embark on this journey.

1. Write a Business Plan

An often overlooked but vital stage of opening a newbusiness is the preparation and planning. While drafting abusiness plan may seem like an arduous task onlyworthwhile if you are seeking investment or financialassistance I cannot stress enough that this really is not thecase. A business plan will form the roadmap for yourbusiness and will help you craft your brand and journey, itwill force you to sit down and think about your desiredoutcomes and to plan your overall strategy to achievethese. Take this time to set up your procedures andprocesses, design your paperwork and really analyse yourcompetition as once you launch the business you will betoo busy to do these effectively alongside the day to dayoperations. My business plan sits on my desk all yeararound and I use it to keep myself accountable. I refer tomy financial projections on at least a quarterly basis, butideally monthly, to see how performance is againstexpectations. This keeps me on track and often providesthe motivation for a big push when required.

2. BrandingWe used to talk about your unique selling point but this hasevolved to your unique value proposition, a far morecustomer centric outlook. If your UVP is indeed uniqueenough this should form part of your brand. Ultimately youwant a brand that is unique, memorable and available.Once the brand is created you should immediately captureyour digital real estate on all platforms; that is to say set upsocial media accounts and claim your brand name using aconsistent handle (account name) across each. Even if youare only planning to use one or two of these platformsinitially it is imperative to claim them all to prevent acompetitor or any Internet user from accessing them anddiluting the power of your brand. You should also purchaseyour domain name (website address). While social mediais an incredibly useful tool for your business it is effectively

rented space over which you have very little control so youshould only use it to compliment your marketing and not toreplace it fully. Never use Facebook or another digitalplatform in place of a website!

3. Get Compliant

Your NCEF qualification is the bedrock for businesssuccess but there are many additional requirements thatmust be considered. While our industry may be relativelyunregulated there are overarching legislative requirementsfor all businesses that must be considered along with bestpractice when setting up. As a business owner you willhave a duty of care to your prospects, customers andemployees and must provide a standard of careaccordingly. Items that should be factored into your budgetinclude insurance - public liability and professionalindemnity/wrongful tuition as a minimum, fees forprofessional services and memberships, CPD and trainingas well as health and safety compliance.

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spendtime thinking

about andcrafting your

long-termplan….”

This should initially be set while drafting the business plan.Your market research should help you identify a pricingspectrum for your niche and area from which to positionyourself, your core business values can then guide you inpinpointing the optimal price point for your services. By farthe most common mistake I see with my clients is going intoo low. This is often a confidence issue and peoplebelieve selling them cheap and stacking them high is thebest strategy in the short term but in reality you are betteroff having less clients paying you more money than ahuge number paying you less! A low price point can diluteyour skill set and make you look less professional thanyou perhaps are. Also worth noting is that it is incrediblydifficult to increase these prices dramatically in one gowithout loosing many clients along the way and having toeffectively go back to the drawing board on your marketingstrategy.

3. Pricing

5. Surrond Yourself with Positivit y & Competence

Often the hardstand part of self-employment is the feelingthat you are in it alone. All of the decision-making lands atyour feet and it can be an incredibly lonely journey. Youneed to reset your self-talk to a positive sound track ratherthan focusing on what you haven’t got, haven’t done andother negatives. You will also notice an increasedsensitivity to “drainers” – that is those people in your lifewho have a rather pessimistic outlook. It is a good idea toform a panel of advisors that comprises of competentindividuals whose expertise you can tap into when requiredto make your decision-making more considered andeffective. My panel of advisors includes my accountant, abusiness mentor, and an IT professional.

Conclusion

I will leave you with a final tip - create your BHAG (BigHairy Audacious Goal). This is a concept proposed byJames Collins and Jerry Porras described as "...anaudacious 10-to-30-year goal to progress towards anenvisioned future.” Your business vision should be so bigthat you almost feel uncomfortable sharing it, spend timethinking about and crafting your long-term plan. Setting upbusiness is not something to be rushed into, instead, takethe time to develop your strategy and you will reap therewards far sooner than if you jump in two feet first simplyhoping for the best. Our motto at Corner Shop Gym is thatnothing truly great ever came from a comfort zone and instarting a business this could not be any truer.

Susan McEntegart is the owner andhead coach at Corner Shop Gym whichis a training and consultancy businessthat specializes in coaching selfemployed fitness professionals as wellas working with leisure facilities acrossIreland and the UK. NCEF qualified asa Fitness Instructor and PersonalTraining Specialist since 2003, Susan

also holds a Bachelors Degree in Business & Marketing fromDublin City University as well as a host of other trainingqualifications. She is a certified movement specialist FMT1 &FMT2 with RockTape and is Ireland’s only femaleTriggerPoint Therapy Master Trainer. The business HQ,Corner Shop Gym Rathdowney, operates as a functionalfitness facility for the local community providing fitprostudents an opportunity to see her business training inpractice.

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IntroductionI’m allergic to gyms. It’s not theequipment, the mirrors or the loudmusic. I have been spoilt. I haveexercised outdoors for so long nowthat exercising indoors feelsclaustrophobic. Once you runoutdoors, a treadmill is never thesame again. Those of us whoexercise outdoors know how good itfeels. We run and jump and usebenches, steps and walls as gymequipment. We don’t care who seesus and don’t worry what anyone elsethinks about our pace, our strength orour technique.

The beginners mind is very differenthowever. A new runner/exerciser canfeel that every eye is on them,judging their body and analysing theirspeed. They can feel a fraud inexercise gear. The fear of headingout the door and been seen by aneighbour can often be what thebeginner fears more than the workoutitself.

Building ConfidenceHaving coached beginners for manyyears, I hear the same worries andquestions every day. There are somany people self-conscious whenexercising – both indoors andoutdoors. The culture of the gymselfie does nothing to help a reluctantrunner to realise that most runnershave red faces and windswept hair 5minutes after they start. Our role as acoach is to instil confidence in ourclients.Coaching beginners and reluctantrunners is not so much about howmany minutes they run and at whatspeed, but instead it is about buildingconfidence in their own ability and letthem progress gradually each week.

Fresh Air TherapyWe all complain in the winter aboutbeing lethargic, weary anddemotivated. We suffer colds and flusand crave rich comfort foods. Wespend evenings on the couch blamingthe dark nights for our lack ofenthusiasm. Embrace what thesedays have to offer us. Coaches and

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clients alike, we could all do with a bit of Fresh Air Therapy.How much fresh air have you had today?The evidence is now stacking up that spending timeoutdoors will improve your energy, your mood and yourmental health. Studies are consistently now finding thatpeople exercising outdoors display higher vitality, energy,enthusiasm and self-esteem than when they perform theequivalent exercise indoors. In virtually all of the studies,they also show signs of lower fatigue, tension anddepression after an outdoor activity. In winter we movefrom air-conditioning to central heating rushing away fromthe outdoors. There is a whole gym on our doorstep if wewould only look outside the window. The hardest bit, likeany exercise regime, is getting started. Our role as a coachis to make sure our clients don’t have any excuses. It’sabout making the outdoor session fun, entertaining andenjoyable.

Addressing theexcuses:I have heard allthe excuses andhere are myanswers back.

Everyone else ismuch quicker:Coaching a newrunner meanstraining their mindas well as theirlegs and lungs.

They need to believe they can do it. It’s important to remindthem that everyone was a beginner once. No two peoplehave the same starting points. Encourage an environmentwith positivity and camaraderie rather than competition.The person at the back is already working the hardest, whyknock their confidence any more by turning running into acompetition. Adapt your routes so that the slowest personis not always at the back. Remember your aim – get yourclient confident to exercise outdoors. Each runner shouldbe in competition with themselves not with anyone else inthe group.

It’s too cold, dark and wet: Find a location that isbright and dress right. Hat and gloves and light layersmean you can delayer as you warm up and you feel cosystarting.Reflective gearis so cheapnow in all theshops we haveno excuse.Remind themhow amazingthey will feelafterwards.

Everyonedriving pastis looking atme:You can’t tell how fast or slow a runner is going from a car.They just look like a runner. You can tell if a runner isenjoying exercise or not however. Smile when you run.You will look like you are enjoying it, keep your head up,your body will relax and you will look and feel like aconfident runner.

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Walkers arefaster than me: Ialways tell myclients that no oneknows if you havebeen running for 3minute or 3 hours.All they know isthat you arerunning. The paceis irrelevant. We allhave to startsomewhere and

just compare yourself to last week rather than anyone else.

I'm always out of breath: Coach your runners to startslowly in training sessions even if they do feel like they arecrawling. Beginners should be able to run and talkcomfortably as they build up gradually each week until theyare confident over 5k. If they start too fast they will pay forit in the second half.

It’s boring: Bring a friend. When you are talking you arebreathing and you might just distract yourself from countingminutes and miles. I also find that runners are much lessself-conscious in a group than on their own. Our runninggroups run in illuminous bright pink bibs and feel moreconfident there than running a lap of their housing estateon their own. There is safety and confidence in numbers.

I just cannot get out the door: Remind your clientsthat it’s normal to feel like this and we coaches have thesame issues too. Getting out the door has got to beautomatic. Arrange to meet a friend so you go at a settime. Set out your running gear so it’s the first thing yousee when you get up. Set up your life so that running is adiary appointment that gets done, just like a work ameeting. Too many people have exercise at the bottom ofthe to-do list for when everything else is done. No wonderwe spend so much time feeling guilty about not running.

I’m too lazy: I think most of my clients are sick of metelling them how lucky they are that they can get out thedoor and move. All it takes is an injury for someone torealise how miss the freedom of the trails, the roads andeven the footpaths. You never know what you might seewhen you get out the door. It never hurts to remind ourclients of what it would feel like if they couldn’t run and howmuch running helps their mental health.

Our role as a coachAs coaches we don’t have to make the choice to exerciseor not. We are the lucky ones that don’t have the option toopt out. Understand that your clients have differentpriorities and make exercise something that your clientswant to do. Be that positive voice that encourages them toignore the excuses and actually want to go outside. Treatyourself and your clients to some fresh air therapy and funthis winter and you will both feel better when you comeback indoors.

Mary Jennings is founder of ForgetTheGym.ie. Mary is acertified Chi Running Instructor and is a regular columnistat The Irish Times on all things running related. Marycoaches runners from beginners to marathoners andeveryone in between to enjoy the outdoors and feelenergised. Mary has competed over 45 marathons andultramarathons around the world. For more details on

workshops, classes and coaching programmes visitwww.ForgetTheGym.ie.

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Year 2: Personal Training

This module provides 30 European Credit Transfer System(ECTS) credits towards the Higher Certificate Diploma/B.Sc.In Exercise & Health Fitness. The Higher Certificate,Diploma and B.Sc. are awarded by the University of Limerickand are placed at Level 6/7/8 on the National QualificationsFramework (NQF) and Level 6/7 on the EuropeanQualifications Framework (EQF).

Aim: This specialist module is for qualified fitness instructorswho wish to enhance their knowledge and skills and a workas a personal trainer with clients on a one to one basis.

Course Details:

� The module is delivered over four contact weekends withassigned private study

� Participants will also be required to carry out assignedwork experience which includes a project submission of ashort video showing practical teaching/instructional ability

� The final examination is a written paper.

Venue Contact Day : University of Limerick

Contact Dates 2016:

● Sat 13th Feb & 14th Feb 2016

● Sat 27th Feb & 28th Feb 2016

● Sat 12th & Sun 13th Mar 2016

● Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd April 2016

Final Summatives: 16th April 2016

Submission of Project & DVD: 9am Thurs 14thApril '16

Full details on entry requirements, course contentand fees are available by clicking here

Module Details

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Year 2: Strength & Conditioning for Sport

This course provides 30 European Credit Transfer System(ECTS) credits towards the Higher Certificate, Diploma/B.Sc. inExercise & Health Fitness. The Higher Certificate, Diploma andB.Sc. are awarded by the University of Limerick and are placedat Level 6/7/8 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)and Level 6/7on the European Qualifications Framework(EQF).

Aim: This specialist course is for qualified fitness instructorswho wish to enhance their understanding of the key concepts,theories and practical application of strength & conditioningtraining and performance. The Strength & ConditioningSpecialist will be capable of providing safe, effective &appropriate fitness training programmes to teams or indivdualsport/athletes.

Course Details:

� The course will take place over four contact weekends withassigned private study

Participants will also be required to carry out assigned workexperience which includes a project submission of a casestudy and short video.

Venue Contact Day : University of Limerick

Contact Dates 2016:

● Sat 1st & Sun 2nd October

● Sat 15th & Sun 16th October

● Sat 12th & Sun 13th November

● Sat 26th & Sun 27th November

Submission of Case Study 1st December2016

Full details on entry requirements, course contentand fees are available by clicking here

National Fitness News e-Zine 42

Fitness Professionals Ireland (FPI) – is the NCEF Graduate Directorywhich recognises the qualifications and expertise of fitnessprofessionals in Ireland. FPI aims to provide the highest possiblestandard of services and benefits to all its members.

Benefits of FPI Membership:

e-Zines circulated three times per year

Access to Continuing Professional Developmentcourses

200 CEC’s awarded to PEAI/NCEF Graduates

Discounts on fitness equipment

Electronic Membership Certificate

JOIN TODAY - VISIT THE OFFICIALFPI WEBSITE PAGE

www.ncef.ie

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