Strength training to complement team sports
As a football player, (the round ball, the real type) I had always prioritised cardio and kicking a ball around ahead of any other type of training. It wasn’t until I began working as a personal trainer that I began to realise the importance of strength training not only to complement my football training, but mainly to build the foundation to be able to perform to my potential on the football field. Football can be a gruelling game, especially considering how in the ‘Sunday league’ style of game that I play, it is rare that we can pull enough players together to allow...
10 tips for sticking to your fitness goals this year!
1. Start It's common to hear the phrase "I'll start Monday", but the best tip I can give you is to start NOW. It is never going to be a perfect run at achieving better health and fitness so stop putting it off. The sooner you start the sooner the benefits will present themselves. 2. Make it a priority We all have other priorities in our lives whether that be, family, work or social events sometimes at the detriment of our own health and well-being. Make exercise a staple in your week and watch the benefits of better health and energy levels trickle...
Arcadium HQ calls for greater awareness within the industry around training pregnant women
A recent article in the Sunday Mail (9 Dec, 2018) has helped to shine the light on the need for greater awareness for personal trainers when it comes to keeping their knowledge and skill-set up to date when training pregnant women. Arcadium HQ founder and pre and post-natal coach, Marley McDonogh, has raised concerns around the amount of accountability for trainers in the industry to ensure they have enough education or experience in training pregnant women to keep both mum and bub healthy. As a leading expert, Marley spoke to the Sunday Mail journalist about how the mother should always ask questions of her trainer to find out what courses they have done and whether...
Training like an athlete is more important than you think
Athletes come in many forms with different backgrounds and goals – so simply saying “Train like an athlete” cannot cover it all. Marley McDonogh from ArcadiumHQ believes it’s about the need to develop the same discipline and consistency that an athlete would, in order to achieve your own elusive fitness goals. “Whether your goals are to perform at an elite competitive level, tighten up that physique before stepping up on stage, rehabilitate that injury, increase mobility and flexibility or improve your quality of life with health and fitness, adapting the mindset and habits of an athlete is going to greatly increase...
Autism and fitness breaking down barriers
Originally published in Network Magazine - Fitness Network Australia Spring 2018 http://www.fitnessnetwork.com.au/resources/magazines It is widely recognised that taking part in physical activity not only helps to keeps us fit and well, it can increase self-esteem, develop social skills and improve mental health and general well-being. However, research shows that people with autism are less likely than others to participate in sport or physical activity due to factors related to the condition, including heightened fear and anxiety in social situations, difficulty understanding body language and metaphor, and sensory challenges. In my former role as coordinator of the National Autistic Society’s (NAS) Active for Autism project...
“But I only train general population…”
This is a sentence commonly spoken within today’s health and fitness industry. Many newly qualified Personal Trainers may find themselves thrown into the rat race of a large commercial gym soon after completing their certificate. The reasons for seeking their services may differ from client to client, but the initial perspective of the trainer usually remains the same – ‘most of my clients are general population’. This isn’t to say that this is a negative outlook to have, however when you begin the process of labelling your clients as ‘general population’ then it is easy to make false assumptions about...
Motivation vs Discipline
“I’m not motivated”. I’ve lost motivation”. “What is my motivation”? In the health and fitness industry these phrases are used on a daily basis; normally when someone fails to commit to a health and exercise regime or starts one and then fails to continue. I’m sure we all know someone or have been that someone who signs up to a gym, goes regularly for a month and then completely stops going or attends too infrequently for it to even matter. There are many individuals out there right now paying for gym memberships that they haven’t utilised in months, even years. The...