Jacqueline Crockford, DHSc

When it comes to lifting weights—especially heavy ones—it is not uncommon to recognize a sense of apprehension among female clients, and you may be wondering how you can help them overcome their apprehension—and resistance—and learn to love strength training. Four female health and exercise professionals describe how they have found their power and voice through lifting heavy.

Exercising at high altitude causes several metabolic changes in the body, including increases in heart rate and ventilation, but how does it affect caloric expenditure? Learn what the research says about the effects of altitude and cold temperatures on caloric expenditure and weight loss.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released an updated version of its Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. This article outlines the updates in the 2018 guidelines and focuses on helping health and exercise professionals understand how to apply these guidelines using the ACE Integrated Fitness Training® (ACE IFT®) Model.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released an updated version of its Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. This article outlines the updates in the 2018 guidelines and focuses on helping health and exercise professionals understand how to apply these guidelines using the ACE Integrated Fitness Training® (ACE IFT®) Model.

Do your clients want to take their endurance goals to the next level? This two-part series describes the preparation and factors involved in training for, competing in and recovering from an Ironman. ACE Pro Jacque Crockford recently completed her second Ironman and, in this second installment, describes her race-day tactics and mindset and how she recovered from this extreme event.

Do your clients want to take their endurance goals to the next level? This two-part series describes the preparation and factors involved in training for, competing in, and recovering from an Ironman. ACE Pro Jacque Crockford recently completed her second Ironman and, in this first installment, describes the key aspects of her preparation and training program and the team of experts she enlisted along the way.

When it comes to lifting weights—especially heavy ones—it is not uncommon to sense apprehension among your female clients. Help them overcome their apprehension of heavy weights and learn to love strength training. Learn more about the wide-ranging benefits of strength training from four female health and exercise professionals who've found their power and voice through lifting heavy.

If you work with clients who are training for events at high altitude, understanding the effects of high altitude on the body and, importantly, how to mitigate those effects is essential. Learn what the research and the experts have to say so you can help adventure-minded clients achieve their goal of climbing to great heights.

Hiking a long distance requires stability, mobility, endurance and strength—and that’s just on the way up! If your clients are interested in hiking, here are three essential components to include in their workouts, along with workout guidelines and recommended exercises for improving hiking conditioning.

Instead of expecting clients to stick to their usual workout schedules this holiday season, a better approach is to give them options for staying active when they just can’t make it to the gym. Encourage your clients to do this fast and efficient 20-minute circuit with their partners. It’s a great way to stave off holiday weight and stress, while also helping them feel more connected as a couple.

Working at a computer or typing on a tablet at phone all day is not unusual, but it means that many people are at risk for biomechanical issues or ailments such as wrist inflammation and carpal tunnel syndrome. These five elbow and wrist mobility stretches, however, can help ward off the numbness and tingling that are precursors to much more severe disorders, and can be performed in just minutes a day while sitting at a desk or in the car.

Running and sports that involve agility are usually the cause of most ankle injuries, and these usually stem from the joint and tissues that surround it not being strong, mobile or stable enough to control the joint when asked to perform a task. Here are some great exercises for the ankle and foot will help strengthen the joint by creating stability and mobility in the surrounding regions.

Making sure your clients have sufficient mobility and stability is essential before progressing their exercise programs to more sophisticated and challenging movements. This stability-ball workout is a great way to ensure that your clients have developed proper movement patterns before increasing the intensity and complexity of their workouts.

Performing a full, unassisted pull-up is a challenging task for most people, because it involves moving the entirety of your own bodyweight up against gravity. It also takes incredible upper-body strength and trunk stability. Here are four exercises that should be a part of your routine if your goal is to complete this essential movement pattern without assistance.

The push-up is a great exercise for improving upper-body and core strength, both of which are essential for being able to do a wide range of daily activities, from picking up groceries to playing with your kids. Of course, mastering the push-up takes time, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Here are a few moves to help you improve your ability to perform the traditional push-up.

Whether you’re a novice or seasoned health and fitness pro, small-group training programs offer a great way to help more clients achieve their goals, while also ensuring you can earn the income you need to continue doing this work that is so essential to the health of others. If you’re thinking about adding a small-group class to your business model, or presenting an idea for a small-group program to your employer, here’s what you need to know.

If you’re exercising regularly, you undoubtedly are noticing the benefits—better sleep and moods, maybe a few lost pounds. The last thing you want to do is derail your efforts or, worse, get yourself injured. Learn about five of the most common exercise mistakes people make and how you can avoid them.

Stability and mobility are essential to avoiding injury and creating a balanced body that moves efficiently. This second installment of a two-part series on how to improve stability and mobility throughout the body focuses on exercises for the lower body, including the hips, knees, ankles and feet.

To avoid injury and create a balanced body that moves efficiently, it is important that both stability and mobility are obtained to some degree before moving on to more complex movement patterns, and especially before adding load and intensity to those movements. In this first installment of a two-part series, learn which exercises can be used to enhance upper-body stability and mobility.

More and more people are participating in endurance events like marathons and triathlons, which means health and fitness professionals need to know how to design safe and effective resistance-training programs to complement endurance training. Here’s a look at the science behind how resistance training can enhance endurance performance, and how you can use this information to help your clients.

Looking for new ways to maximize the versatility and effectiveness of medicine balls in your clients’ workouts? Here are eight new ways to use medicine balls that will build strength, increase power and keep your clients engaged and having fun during their workouts.

Are you ready for Sunday’s Super Bowl kick-off? Typically one of the most indulgent days of the year, it is possible to stay on track with your fitness plan. ACE Exercise Physiologist Jacque Ratliff created a super-fun game-time workout that will help you keep moving between kick-off and the Lombardi trophy presentation.

When designing strength-training programs for beginning exercisers, keep it simple, urges ACE Exercise Physiologist Jacque Ratliff, who explains how to use the ACE Integrated Fitness Training® Model to create simple and appropriately challenging workouts for clients who are new to exercise.

You want to enjoy all the season has to offer—parties, celebrations, great food—but it’s also important to make the time to stay on track with your fitness goals. This 30-minute partner workout is a great way to spend time with a friend or loved one, while also getting in a sweaty, energizing exercise session.

As a health and fitness professional, there is a wide range of clients that you can choose to focus on and include as a part of your business. It is possible, however, that you may be overlooking a significant segment of the population that desperately needs the guidance of a qualified health and fitness professional—those who experience chronic pain. Here’s how you can help.

November is National Diabetes Month and, given the increasing prevalence of this disease, it is essential that fitness professionals understand how to design safe and effective exercise programs that take into account the unique needs of those with diabetes. Here are five things that every fitness professional should know about diabetes.

Learn how to create a circuit workout. Circuit workouts are a great way to challenge your body and mix up your training. Try creating one of your own.

Improve mobility and stability with these functional exercises from ACE Fitness. Stability workouts are critical for keeping your body functioning properly.

Strong, toned glutes not only look good, they are key to maintaining balance and moving well, whether your main activity is walking or competing in triathlons. Here are six great moves that will help lift and strengthen your glutes.

Human bodies come in a wonderful array of shapes and sizes, and all should be appreciated in their own right. Whether you’re trying to get in shape, or improve the “shape you’re in,” it can be helpful to understand your body type so you can choose the best exercises for your fitness goals. Discover if you are “android” or “gynoid” body type and which exercises will help you meet your fitness goals.

Plyometrics exercise are an incredibly effective way to improve reactivity, power and coordination, while also increasing both the calorie burn and challenge of your workouts. And, while the intensity of these exercises means that participants need to be physically ready to do them, plyometrics should be a supplemental part of a well-rounded training program. Here are some great exercises to help you get started.

Reducing abdominal fat—a common goal of many who have an android body type—can be a challenge. While spot reduction remains a myth, there are specific workouts you can use with your clients that take into account their individual body types. In part 2 of this two-part series, Jacque Ratliff explains how to use moderate-intensity aerobic training and total-body resistance-training circuits to help clients reduce stubborn abdominal fat that could negatively affect their health.

Learn about what the gynoid body type is and how to best train your personal training clients who have this body type. Here are some workouts to try.

Yoga is widely accepted as a great way to increase both strength and flexibility, while also yielding positive mind-body benefits. But not every pose is suitable or safe for every client. Here are five poses that require little modification and are a positive addition to any fitness program.

Agility training should be an important part of your workout routine, as it’s essential for an active lifestyle. Try these 6 agility exercises from ACE Fitness.

When time is tight (and when isn’t it?), it can be easy to justify skipping the cool-down at the end of your workout. Although it can be easy to jump from the treadmill straight into the shower, or from the squat rack to the car, here are five very important reasons to think carefully before you pull the plug on your workout.