Are you struggling to understand the primary energy pathways and how the body uses the energy formed from each system? Here’s a quick breakdown of the phosphagen, anaerobic and aerobic pathways that fuel the body through all types of activity.

Resistance training offers so many health and fitness benefits, but it can be a challenge to know exactly how much each client should be lifting to achieve maximum benefits while also avoiding injury. Here is a great primer on how to determine a client’s 1 repetition maximum and use this information to help him or her achieve her fitness goals.

Balance is essential for all human movement and movement and is necessary for all activities of daily living. Therefore, it should be considered a foundational component of all programming and trained early in the exercise program once core function has been established. Learn the mechanical principles related to balance and how to manipulate training variables to help your clients achieve not only better balance, but improved fitness and quality of life as well.

Having a good working knowledge of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavioral Change is not only important for your certification exam, but in your work as a fitness professional as well. Identifying which stage each of your clients is in will help you better understand how your clients are feeling about adopting positive lifestyle changes, and how you can help them progress through the stages of change.

The math section of the certification exam can be a source of major anxiety. It’s probably been awhile since you’ve had to do math, let alone math without a calculator. To help calm your nerves and clear up any misunderstandings, ACE answers your frequently asked questions about fitness math.

With the dramatic rise in diabetes among Americans, it is increasingly likely that you will work with clients dealing with this disease. All fitness professionals should have a good understanding of the special considerations for working with this specific clientele.

For the many exam candidates who are overwhelmed by the anatomy content, ACE Study Coach Belinda Thompson shares how - and how much - you should study anatomy in preparation for the ACE certification exam.

ACE Certification Consultant Makeba Edwards discusses the six common stretching techniques and examples of each.

Clients often turn to their trainers for nutritional advice, so it is essential that you understand exactly what is and is not allowed within a fitness professional’s scope of practice as it relates to nutrition.

As a fitness professional, you must know how to perform a Health Risk Appraisal for your clients. This systematic screening will help you identify signs and symptoms of disease, risk factors and family history that will give you a clearer picture of each client's overall health. While there are several forms you can use, the basic ParQ & You and the ACSM Risk Stratification are two of your most important tools for assessing your clients' readiness for exercise.

ACE Exercise Physiologist Mark Kelly discusses how to administer the Thomas Test, as well as what mistakes to avoid when performing the assessment.

A guide to postural deviations by ACE Education and Certification Consultant Sarah Ramirez.

Many of you may be wondering what the difference is between ACE Health Coach and ACE Lifestyle and Weight Management Coach. ACE Chief Science Officer Cedric Bryant discusses the evolution from LWMC to Health Coach and the additions to the new manual in terms of content and how it is presented.

As a trainer, performing proper assessments is essential to program development and evaluation. Muscular strength testing plays a major role in a client’s muscular fitness assessment, making it critical to know the difference between actual 1 RM and predicted 1 RM. Learn from ACE’s Tyler Pagano as he discusses the difference between the two and when to utilize each assessment technique.

Many candidates currently have the 2nd edition LWMC materials and are wondering if this is sufficient to help them prepare for their certification exam. ACE’s Director of Credentialing Todd Galati answers questions to help you determine if you can continue to prepare using the 2nd edition ACE LWMC manual, or if you would be better off with the ACE Health Coach Manual.

Autogenic and reciprocal inhibition occur when the GTO and muscle spindes activate as a response to muscle tension and length. Learn from ACE's Chris Gagliardi as he discusses the difference between the two and how they apply to flexibility and stretching.

You probably already know that your body doesn’t move in one dimension. It moves in, out, front, back and side-to-side. But do you know what those dimensions are called? Check out our explanation of the different planes of motion, and how you can apply that information to designing well-rounded exercise programs.

Confused about Body Mass Index? Here’s some detailed information about how to calculate it, and an explanation about why the skinfold measurement may be more accurate for some of your muscle-bound clients or those with an athletic build.

As a soon-to-be personal trainer, you will likely one day be asked to work with a pregnant client. It’s important to know and understand this special population as best as possible to ensure the safety and effectiveness of their exercise experience. Use this blog as a starting point for learning some of the ins and outs of pregnancy and exercise.

Ever since Frederick J. Kelly, in 1914, at the University of Kansas, invented this approach, students have struggled with no real clue how to approach and analyze multiple-choice questions. Some people create so much stress and anxiety over these tests that they continually postpone taking it. To help you overcome anxiety and succeed, you simply need to understand the system behind multiple-choice tests.

You’ve probably heard the word rapport before but maybe never thought much about its meaning and its importance. If you’re like me then you had heard the word, but never knew how to spell it properly. Read on to learn more about the significance of rapport — and its proper spelling.

Have you recently begun your studies and feel overwhelmed by the science? Let us help you! Here’s what you need to know from the Essentials of Exercise Science book to not only be successful on the ACE exam, but to become a top-notch personal trainer!

What’s one thing you can learn from a 5th grader? Math doesn’t have to be that scary! Whether it’s been a few years since you last formally practiced math or whether you’re just in need of a bit of a refresher, check out these helpful formulas and math tips to help you successfully prepare for your ACE certification exam.

Are you on your way to becoming an ACE Group Fitness Instructor? Put the content of Chapters 3 & 4 of the ACE 3rd edition GFI manual into practice with this 3-step system for planning and delivering amazing group fitness classes!

To truly understand how the ACE Integrated Fitness Training (ACE IFT™) Model was created, let’s first review why it was created. Learn more about the ACE IFT Model and how it was developed.

The two most common questions I receive from individuals who are studying for an exam or selecting between certifications are: “What is the difference between the ACE-Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) and Group Fitness Instructor (GFI)?” and “Which certification is best suited for me?” Find out who the GFI is, and if it's the right profession for you.

Many candidates currently have the 2nd edition materials and are wondering if this is sufficient to help them prepare for their certification exam. Here are some items that can help you to determine if you can continue to prepare using the 2nd edition of the ACE Group Fitness Instructor (GFI) manual, or if you would be better off with the 3rd edition manual.

The Fick equation. You may have read about it in your Essentials of Exercise Science for Fitness Professional’s book (page 228) or heard about it on the street, but do you really understand it?

Want to know what’s on your certification exam? Check out Appendix B in the back of your manual – it’s all there! That’s right; the Exam Content Outline (Appendix B) is the blueprint to passing the exam.

Proprioception. It’s that little sense that lets you know where the body is in relation to its various segments and the external environment. Also known as kinesthetic awareness. You have receptors (proprioceptors) located in the skin, in and around the joints and muscles, and in the inner ear that send back information to tell you where you are.

Practical testing. It is a topic that occasionally comes up when discussing exam preparation. For the most part, people express the opinion that practical testing is the way to go. There is a belief that a multiple choice test cannot possibly measure all aspects of personal training and that all personal trainer exams should have a practical section where candidates can really show what they know. While this all sounds good in theory, have you considered what a practical test involves?

That’s right…the written simulation has retired. It has left the building. Cashed out. However you want to say it, beginning May 1st, the ACE Personal Trainer Certification Exam will consist solely of a 3-hour exam with 150 multiple-choice questions.

Nutrition and scope of practice is, and will continue to be, a tricky area for ACE candidates and professionals. We’ve talked before about the limits of your certification with regards to nutrition, but I wanted to specifically address food diaries in this post.

I know we talk about anatomy a lot on this blog (see here and here) but that is because anatomy is a challenging and anxiety producing subject for many candidates.

Really, it’s about your participants. When you review the Group Fitness Instructor Exam Content Outline you’ll notice that the two largest categories are Group Instructional Methods (37%) and Group Leadership (29%).

Stability and mobility are the cornerstones of Phase 1 of the Functional Movement and Resistance Training part of the Integrated Fitness Training model (IFT). We’re going to start with discussing the basics – the five programming components of mobility and stability. And just like with the IFT model, we need to understand the basics before we can move on.

Ventilatory threshold is introduced in the ACE 4th edition Personal Trainer Manual as a way to measure a client’s intensity during exercise. Vt1 and VT2 play a role in the ACE Integrated Fitness Training Model, specifically as transition points between zones 1, 2 and 3 of cardiovascular training.

There have been some rumors and thoughts that as ACE launched the new 4th edition Personal Trainer materials there would be a brand new 4th edition certification exam as well. I’ve even heard people talking about the 3rd edition test versus the 4th edition test, and discussion about how soon candidates need to sign up for their exam to still get the 3rd edition test. We're here to set the record straight.

Personal trainers can play a key role in helping clients stay motivated by designing and modifying programs to introduce variety and work toward goal attainment. Periodization is one method for achieving this.

Each of our professional certifications has a Domain 4 in their Exam Content Outline – even though the wording and tasks may vary slightly from manual/certification to certification. In the grand scheme of your Exam Content Outline, Domain 4 is a relatively small domain – worth 7% - 15% based on which exam you are taking. But that small size doesn’t diminish the importance of Domain 4 for you as a professional.

Many candidates are a bit overwhelmed by the information they see when they first open their study materials. The ACE’s Essentials of Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals manual and the first four chapters of the ACE Group Fitness Instructor Manual are filled with information on foundational exercise science.

Your client wants to lose 20 lbs in the next 15 weeks. Or maybe you have a client who wants to lose 25 lbs in the next 20 weeks. Where do you start? What caloric deficit do they need to achieve this goal? Are they burning calories by exercising as well?

Ahhh, anatomy…everyone’s favorite subject. It may be because anatomy comes first in your studies, or maybe because it’s so in depth, but anatomy seems to be the first and sometimes biggest frustration for candidates.

And just like the world, the body turns on an axis of rotation. But unlike the earth, the body has multiple axes of rotation options. And closely linked with the axis of rotation are planes of motion. Before you can understand the axis of rotation you need to review which planes of motion exist and how they divide the body.

So have you looked at your Group Fitness Instructor Exam Content Outline lately? You know, that Exam Content Outline that helps you figure out what is on the test? Well, there are a few changes that have taken place you might want to know about.

Proper screening of your clients is key in beginning a safe exercise program. Screening allows us to determine which clients need a physician’s clearance before they can start working out, and which clients can start exercising right away with no red tape.

As ACE is making the transition from the 3rd edition ACE Personal Trainer Manual and supporting materials to the 4th edition Personal Trainer Manual, we are seeing questions about how soon the 4th edition materials – particularly the ACE Integrated Fitness Training (ACE IFT) Model - are going to show up on the personal trainer exam. Get the answer to this frequently asked question!

The big picture starts with the health–fitness–performance continuum. Next, the ACE IFT model breaks down the continuum into four distinct phases ranging from beginning fitness enthusiast to advanced fitness performance. Which phase your client fits into depends primarily on their current fitness level. Learn the nuts and bolts of the new ACE IFT Model.

The ACE Integrated Fitness Training Model is an important part of the ACE 4th edition Personal Trainer manual/materials. This is going to be the first of a couple blog posts talking about the IFT model. Today starts us off at the beginning with an overview and ‘bigger picture’ look at the IFT model.

Considering taking your fitness career to the next level? Get some tips on passing the LWMC certification exam.

A motive force causes an increase in speed or a change in direction. A resistive force resists the motion of another external force.

If you’ve reviewed kinesiology and/or biomechanics in your studies, you should already be familiar with our mathematician friend Isaac Newton.

The cardiovascular system. We’ve all got one. We all know circulation of blood is fundamental to our survival. But what is the primary purpose of the cardiovascular system? And why is it so important?

Nutrition, along with physical activity, is a cornerstone of weight management. Understanding food labels is part of applying nutrition to your daily life. It is also something you may see during the certification exam.

In preparing for your exam, one number you want to be familiar with is 3500. That is, 1 pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories.

Body composition testing and evaluation is a popular subject among exercising individuals. Everyone wants to know how fat or lean they are and how soon they can lose the weight. As an exam candidate, you are presented with a wide variety of options.

Nutrition and exercise go hand in hand for fitness professionals and it's an important topic to grasp. As candidates preparing for an ACE exam, you review both topics, although exercise takes the bulk of study information for everyone except Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant candidates.

Understanding how multiple choice questions are created can benefit you as a candidate by making an exam seem less confusing and scary when you first open it up. You’re more prepared for the questions and can put more focus into the content rather than trying to understand how questions are set up.

When preparing to become an ACE certified professional, it is important to study up on the topics and code of ethics covered under the professional responsibility umbrella.

Understanding how to measure intensity is a key concept in preparing to be a fitness professional. Before we can gauge how hard our clients are working, we have to know how to measure it.

Muscular strength and muscular endurance are qualities that often go hand in hand. When we are testing/evaluation clients we focus a lot on body composition and then sometime cardiovascular tests. Is it really necessary to see how strong our clients are before we start them out?

Understanding how to conduct baseline assessment – specifically cardiovascular assessment – is an important part of preparing to become a fitness professional.

People learn in a variety of ways, learn how to teach your clients new skills and habits whether they're a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner.

With so many special populations, where should I focus my studies?

And we're not talking about your biceps or how you can run an 8 minute mile...

How can I tell if my client needs a physician's clearance before they exercise?

Are you absolutely confused about relative VO2?

It's a bird...it's a plane...it's planes of motion!

Does my client need physician’s clearance before I start them on an exercise program? How do I use the ACSM risk factor chart in the book?