Art of Exercise Instruction

What to do when what you say does not work

You are watching your client during a set of barbell squats and see that his/her back is round.

"Straighten your back," you say.

"Okay," your client says. But even though your client tries, the back remains rounded and does not straighten.

The above example is about a barbell squat, but it is the scenario that happens in any exercise.

Every so often our clients are not able to "translate" our words into the correct movement. Even though we, technically, are saying "the right thing."

One of the MOST IMPORTANT principles to follow is to NEVER let your client exercise with less than perfect form, because if we do so that is an injury waiting to happen. On top of that, incorrect technique typically takes the tension off the target muscle(s) causing the training stimulus on the muscle to be greatly diminished.

To effectively help our clients achieve correct form and optimal results from their training we must:

  • teach the exercise correctly in the first place
  • use the most effective verbal cues
  • know remedial exercises and techniques that automatically "force" your client to do the exercise correctly

The techniques and strategies presented in this workshop are gathered from university textbooks, practical resources and 18 years in the gym teaching world class and Olympic athletes. We have put all this information into ONE, 8-hour, "one of a kind" workshop that teaches you:

  • The 14 MOST EFFECTIVE verbal cues for the compound exercises – Including the 5-Step Scale for Rating Technique

These cues are presented on 14 videos that you get access to when you register for the workshop. Watch the videos BEFORE the workshop.

  • The 4 Steps for Effectively instructing ANY exercise

You are familiar with these steps from the "Art and Science of Personal Training," but this workshop goes into MUCH greater detail.

  • The 8 keys to observing and analysing the client's technique.

This section includes a unique lesson from quantum physics.

  • The 5 Keys to effective exercise correction

Includes the 10 ways to use your hands to correct your client's form.

This section consists of plenty of hands-on practice of your new exercise correction skills.

  • The 20 most common technical errors in the compound movements and how to correct them with remedial exercises, techniques or specific stretches.

This section focuses on the most used lifts in the gym – barbell squats, barbell dead lifts, lunges, presses, pulls as well as key isolation exercises.

  • How to recognize when there is an injury behind the technique problem that can't be fixed with exercise.

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Requirements:

  • Notebooks, pen, pencil, paper etc...

Course Instructors

Karsten Jensen, M.Sc., CPTN-CPT.M, C.H.E.K 2, HLC 3

Strength and Conditioning Expert Karsten Jensen has helped world class and Olympic athletes from 14 different sports since 1993. Many of his athletes have won Olympic medals, European Championships, World Championships and ATP Tournaments. He believes in the unlimited potential of the human being and shares his viewpoints as an international speaker, author of several books and educator with the Certified Professional Trainers Network. He currently works as a high performance trainer at the University of Toronto and also shares "Insider Principles of World Class Strength and Conditioning Methods" through his website www.yestostrength.com. He holds a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology as well as several other certifications. For more information please visit www.yestostrength.com.

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