Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008 - (Page 13)

Hands were raised throughout the theater. Trainers were squirming in their seats anxious to contribute. I went on to share my insights into the power of the sugar lobby and the impact simple sugar ingestion has upon health and metabolism, and then I opened it up to discussion. One trainer responded, “Phil, we have to talk about nutrition. If we don’t tell our clients how to eat, if we don’t tell them what they should do nutritionally, we can’t accept responsibility for delivering results.” I presented a distinction between “sharing information” and “telling our clients how or what to eat.” Another trainer oﬀered his opinion, explaining that his certiﬁcation prep curriculum included foundational nutritional information and that by achieving the certiﬁcation, he’s well-qualiﬁed to share the information he’s proven competent in addressing. As the “we need to talk about nutrition” camp seemed to swell, one trainer in the fourth row sat shaking her head, grimacing and struggling to prevent her hand from rising. The body language suggested she might burst into ﬂames, so I nodded at her as if to say, “Let loose.” She did, with a simple question. “Who do we think we are?” She continued, “Just because we’ve achieved knowledge in exercise, we seem to think we are experts in everything. What allows us to talk about nutrition when we aren’t licensed to do so?” Suddenly, new hands were raised. A trainer in the back echoed and expanded upon her sentiments. “How would we feel if nutritionists or doctors started giving people exercise routines? They don’t have any formal training in exercise science or physiology, so we’d feel they’re overstepping their bounds.” I agreed; however, wouldn’t we applaud the doctor who told his patients of research that validated the link between aerobic exercise and cardiac output, resistance exercise and bone density or exercise and reduced risk of heart disease? Wouldn’t we applaud the nutritionist who said, “Calcium alone is not going to build strong bones, and restricting calories will not ensure reduction in body fat. If you want to gain control of your body and health, you’re going to have to incorporate resistance exercise.” There’s a vast diﬀerence between sharing information validated by science and prescribing without credential. I would never prescribe a diet, but I wouldn’t hesitate to explain the relationship between glucose ingestion, blood sugar, energy and fat release. I would share the metabolic perils of yo-yo dieting without giving it a second thought. I’d happily explain the relationship between the building blocks of protein and the cells you look at in the mirror every day. I would be embarrassed to have a client enter into a program with the goal of facilitating long-term change without a discussion about intake. ➤ MAY2008 · WWW.FIT-PRO.COM 13 http://WWW.FIT-PRO.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008

Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008 Contents Letter from the Editor, Writers Live Your Supertrainer Legacy Current Controversies Effective Employee Manuals Product Profiles The Coolest Training Zone The Making of a Top-Notch Boot Camp Instructor Mark Your Calendar Caffeine Exercise Spotlight Product Profiles New on the Market [Spotlight] Trish Muse

Personal Fitness Professional - May 2008

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