Individualism

It is impossible to prescribe a fitness program without understanding the individual for whom the prescription is being written. This is like asking a doctor to prescribe medication without knowing the physical and psychological needs of the patient, his or her body size, etc. Likewise, it is irrational to recommend a one-size-fits-all routine or nutrition program to clients, but it happens all the time. Why? Because it's the easy way out!

Biological Clocks Affect Exercise Performance

Did you know that there are certain peak times of the day when anaerobic power is greatest? Did you know that there are certain times of the month that women should not train hard in order to reduce the risk of injury to the joints? And did you know that training in the morning produces greater DOMS than training later in the day? We eat, sleep, and regenerate new cells cyclically, and training and nutrition needs to respect and follow particular rhythms if optimum progress is desired.

Genetic and Environmental Markers in Exercise & Nutrition Prescription

Who we are as individuals is the result of genetics and how the environment helps to shape those genetics. The various measures of exercise science must take these two fundamentals into consideration. Individualism discusses at length performance-based aspects (e.g., motor skills, body size and composition, strength, power, speed, endurance, flexibility, balance, nutritional status, and motivation), and how individual training responses are sensitive to these factors and how changes in protocol is reflective of any adaptive responses. Also discussed are health variants, such as body composition, bone density, blood pressure, metabolism, blood lipid profiles, and cardio functioning, and how they influence our abilities and the design of a fitness program.

Personality Affects Fitness Direction

A person's character and personality will influence how he or she views exercise, behavior toward exercise, and even the methods in which we choose. For example, emotions can produce bodily changes, such as increased blood flow to the muscles and brain, reduced stomach and intestinal activity, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. Psychological effects and reactions vary from person to person, relative to how each individual reacts to emotional situations, and the stress of intense exercise or sports much be considered in the final equation.

Accelerate Your Expertise in Fitness Prescription

Knowing an individual's limitations and needs is what separates a 'personal trainer' (glorified babysitter) from a Fitness Clinician! Understanding those abilities and constraints is the only way to prescribe fitness properly and effectively, and like a true health care professional. This is the aim of Individualism, a book any serious fitness enthusiast and professional should have.

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