Category: The Break Room

  • How To Talk To Clients About Nutrition

    Working out and nutrition go hand-in-hand and no matter your distribution of clients, questions about food and what they should be doing will inevitably arise. You do not have to be certified to have a rational conversation with a client about their nutrition. In fact, just by being a Personal Trainer, chances are you are…

  • Coaching Cue: Push The Big Toe Down

    This is one of my most utilized cues. In any given exercise, our feet may be the only structure in contact with the ground. If they are not stable, the entire kinetic chain will leak power. By Pushing the big toe down, your client will create a strong arch in their foot. This will instantly…

  • Separating Training and Therapy

    The gym is a great place to improve your mental health. Many people go to the gym and workout with that in mind. However, trainers and gyms are not rehabilitation centers or the solution for all mental health problems. There are issues that no number of squats and deadlifts can resolve. Often, trainers find themselves…

  • Sleep, Recovery, and Physical Therapy: The Science Behind Sleep

    Ah, sleep. The one thing that we know reaps enormous benefits, but so often gets neglected. We are  always well-intentioned with sleep, but sometimes you just HAVE to watch the next episode of the TV  show you’re watching that just left you on a cliffhanger (I’m talking to you Yellowstone). As the saying  goes, “abs…

  • A Note From The Editor

    10 Days into January already! I wanted to write a quick personal farewell to 2023 and share my gratitude to all who follow along in The Break Room. This blog has been the small creative outlet I craved in my professional world. I’ve enjoyed meeting and connecting with others in our industry. I have already…

  • Understanding How the Pelvic Floor Impacts Hip and Low Back Pain

    Hip and low back pain prompt many to seek evaluation and treatment from physical therapists or medical professionals. Yet, it’s uncommon for sports or orthopedic physical therapists to possess pelvic floor training. Conversely, not all pelvic floor physical therapists stay updated with optimal orthopedic practices. This blog aims to spotlight the pelvic floor’s role in…

  • Movement Is Play

    I started my coaching journey as an apprentice in a small local gym focused on strength training for endurance athletes. I am grateful to my mentor for instilling in me two principles that I’ve carried with me since my early coaching days: movement is play, and movement is serious. The two may seem contradicting, but let’s look…

  • Goals Are Considered, Not Mandatory

    As coaches we’ve all asked this question, “What are your goals?” To which our new, nervous client goes, “I don’t know”, “to be strong”, “to lose weight”. None of these are your traditional SMART goals. This ends up being an empty question which leaves the client feeling vulnerable and you the coach, nothing to truly…

  • Coaching Clients To Compete

    Full powerlifting meets are run with squat coming first, then bench press, and finishing off with deadlift. There are 3 attempts each lift, and are organized into “flights”, starting with the person who has the lowest opening lift. Everyone in a flight will all take their first attempt, then second, then third. The number of…