Pete McCall

Understanding the difference between mobility and flexibility can help health and exercise professionals improve movement quality, program design and long-term client success. In this article, you'll learn how mobility and flexibility differ, why this matters for assessment and program design, and how to apply both concepts to help clients move more effectively.

While the fitness world has become increasingly focused on functional fitness in recent years, there are still plenty of people whose fitness goals are more about getting big and strong. Fortunately, there is a considerable amount of research available to determine the best way to train your clients for maximal muscle growth. Here’s what the science says and a sample program to get you started.

Active individuals are at particular risk of experiencing injuries to the muscles of the foot and lower leg, such as plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendon tears. In this final installment of our muscle mechanics series, learn how the foot and lower leg function together during upright movement so you can design exercise programs that improve the strength and resiliency of these muscles and help clients avoid debilitating injuries that can keep them from their favorite activities.

Many common resistance-training exercises designed to isolate specific muscles don’t account for the separate skeletal structures and how they are designed to move as a single unit. In this fourth installment of our muscle mechanics series, we examine the integrated actions of the four joints that make up the shoulder complex. Learn how the separate joints are designed to function as an integrated unit and the common exercises that could be causing injuries.

Understanding how anatomical structures function as components of a completely integrated system is necessary for designing exercise programs that can help clients achieve their aesthetic and performance-based goals. This third installment in an exclusive ACE series covering the major muscles of the body describes how the hamstrings are designed to work and how to identify strategies for using exercise to achieve optimal function and avoid injury.

Understanding how anatomical structures function as components of a completely integrated system is necessary for designing exercise programs that can help clients achieve their aesthetic and performance-based goals. In this second installment of a five-part series covering the major muscles of the body, you’ll learn how the hip adductor muscles are designed to work and how to identify strategies for using exercise to achieve optimal function.

Understanding how anatomical structures function as components of a completely integrated system is necessary for designing exercise programs that can help clients achieve their aesthetic and performance-based goals. In this first in a five-part series covering the major muscles of the body, you’ll learn why the abdominal muscles are designed to work as an integrated system and how to identify strategies for using exercise to achieve optimal function.

The Romanian deadlift (RDL) often gets passed over in favor of the traditional deadlift, but both exercises offer great benefits when it comes to strengthening the muscles of the lower body and the core. But unlike the deadlift and other quad-dominant exercises, the RDL is one of the most effective ways to target the hamstrings. In this final installment of ACE’s exclusive technique series, which includes video and step-by-step instructions, learn how to teach your clients to do it right.

Often used by athletes to enhance performance, the barbell clean and jerk is a technically challenging lift that offers numerous benefits that could help your clients reach their fitness goals. In this installment of ACE’s exclusive technique series, which includes video and step-by-step instructions, learn how to help your clients do it right.

The Turkish get-up looks deceptively simple, and yet it is an incredibly functional, total-body exercise requiring upper-body strength and shoulder stability to keep the weight overhead, as well as a strong core, hips and glutes to lift your body up off the floor while maintaining a tall spine. In this latest installment of ACE’s exclusive technique series, which includes a video and step-by-step instructions, learn how to help your clients do it better. 

These six steps can help shift your focus so that you approach exercise as a means to a healthier life, which is essential for making it a daily habit.

Chin-ups are one of the most challenging body-weight exercises and one that many clients love to hate. But chin-ups are incredibly beneficial—not only do they strengthen the involved muscles, chin-ups can also help improve grip strength, posture and appearance, all while helping to reduce one’s risk of back pain and injury. In this latest installment of ACE’s exclusive technique series, which includes video and step-by-step instructions, learn how to teach your clients how to master the chin-up.

Many people consider the kettlebell swing to be the perfect exercise. It raises the heart rate, burns calories, builds lower-body power, improves grip strength and effectively strengthens the muscles of the glutes, legs, core, shoulders and upper back. The key to performing the two-handed kettlebell swing safely and effectively, of course, is proper technique. Here are step-by-step instructions and a video demonstration to help you and your clients master this highly effective exercise.   

The name sounds intimidating, but the deadlift is arguably one of the most effective exercises your clients should be doing. The key to maximizing results and minimizing risk of injury is perfect technique. This article highlights the benefits of the deadlift—for both men and women—and features step-by-step instructions and a video demonstration on how to teach this highly effective and empowering move to your clients.

Add variety to your client’s workouts by incorporating this full-body EMOM workout using only a kettlebell and the client’s body weight. This simple, yet highly effective workout can be progressed as a client’s fitness improves.

The benefits of resistance training for seniors include improved health, reduced disease risk and better function. Learn more about why resistance training is vital for seniors.

The benefits of group exercise extend beyond physical health to include emotional wellness. Learn about 6 important benefits of group fitness classes, from music lifting your mood to the building of a supportive community.

If you’ve been contemplating becoming more physically active, it’s important to recognize that regular exercise can not only help you look better, it can help you feel better, too. Here are six ways exercise can help improve your overall mental health and outlook.

Exercise offers overwhelmingly positive benefits, but active individuals are, unfortunately, at risk for experiencing injuries to the muscles of the foot and lower leg, such as plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendon tears. Learn how the foot and lower leg function together during upright movement so you can design exercise programs that improve the strength and resiliency of these muscles and help clients avoid debilitating injuries that can keep them from their favorite activities.

As a health and exercise professional, you know the importance of performing exercises that take the joints through their full range of motion, but exactly how much mobility training is needed to keep the body moving as it should? This article highlights the connections between mobility and movement, how it affects the ability to perform a wide range of daily activities and how to incorporate mobility training exercises into your clients’ programs.

Once a client has established a target level of fitness, they may be inspired to challenge themselves outside of the gym by participating in extreme conditioning programs (ECPs), which push physical fitness to the limits of human performance, often in pursuit of a focused goal or event. Read on to learn more about the benefits of ECPs and how to determine if you should incorporate them into your clients’ training programs.

While high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been at the top of the fitness food chain for several decades, some fitness enthusiasts may be ready to try something new. If you have clients who want the benefits of vigorous exercise and are looking for new ways to safely challenge their bodies while minimizing their risk of injury, you may want to consider introducing them to an activity called rucking. 

Do you have clients who seem to follow every exercise trend? These “program hoppers” are easily distracted, so they’re always looking for the newest, latest greatest fad that promises quick results, but changing programs too often may not help them achieve the results they desire. Here’s what you can do to keep your program-hopping clients on track.

When time is tight, it can be difficult to do your usual 30- to 60-minute workout. For those days, a Tabata-style workout may be the answer.

The end of each calendar year gives us the opportunity for a fun thought-experiment: predicting what the future of fitness holds and making educated guesses about the various ways we might be exercising and moving differently in the coming year. Though not exhaustive, this list offers an overview of the ways that we might be sweating in the not-too-distant future.

If you’re not yet convinced that you can fit regular exercise into your already overcrowded schedule, here are seven reasons HIIT workouts may be the answer you’ve been looking for.

Ever wonder what the difference is between the deadlift and the Romanian deadlift? Or how to do either exercise with good form? This article breaks down the differences between the two exercises, which are among the most effective for strengthening the glutes, and describes how to do each exercise safely and effectively.

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training, also known as Kaatsu training or occlusion training, involves using a tourniquet, elastic band or pressure cuff on an exercising limb to restrict the flow of venous blood back to the body during exercise. A growing body of research suggests BFR may be effective for enhancing muscle growth, but is it safe? Here’s what you and your clients need to know about this controversial form of training.

Running is easy, accessible and beneficial, but you have to know how to do it properly so you can enjoy it for years. Learn about the benefits of a dynamic warm-up, which can help prepare your body to perform at its best once you start running.

This article identifies four possible causes of knee pain and describes six exercises that could help to reduce it and get you back to enjoying the activities you enjoy.

In this final installment of a three-part series on hormones and exercise, we examine two important hormones that help promote tissue repair, fat metabolism and muscle growth: growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). Understanding how exercise can elevate levels of these hormones will enhance your ability to design programs that allow clients to achieve their desired outcomes with effective and time-efficient workouts.

With a deeper understanding of how metabolic hormones function in reaction to exercise and lifestyle habits, you can identify appropriate behavior-change strategies that will make it more likely that your clients will achieve their health and fitness goals.

These exercises will help you develop greater levels of strength while burning more calories to maximize your workout!

While your clientele may not be competing at a high level, they can still benefit from the recovery techniques and protocols athletes use to recover quickly from strenuous workouts. Fortunately, a wide range of approaches is available, many at no cost to you or your clients.

Today’s middle-aged and older adults are highly motivated to maintain their health and vitality. Understanding how exercise influences testosterone means you’ll be able to design workouts to help older male clients elevate their testosterone levels and maintain or even grow lean muscle mass.

Here are six benefits of high-intensity exercise that may help improve cognitive function and potentially reduce one’s risk of developing diseases like Alzheimer’s or dementia.

There is no question that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be effective but knowing how to use it correctly is paramount for ensuring clients get results without increasing their risk of injury. Learn how to use the ACE Integrated Fitness Training® Model to design effective HIIT workouts for individuals and groups.

While your clientele may not be competing at a high level, they can still benefit from the recovery techniques and protocols athletes use to recover quickly from strenuous workouts. Fortunately, a wide range of approaches is available, many at no cost to you or your clients.

As the weather warms up and it becomes more enjoyable to be outside, you can add variety to your clients’ exercise programs by incorporating more outdoor workouts. Check out these seven options for designing outdoor workouts that could help clients focus on burning fat to achieve a healthy body weight.