Jobs and Careers for Certified Personal Trainers

ISSUE 13

FUNK ROBERTS

PUBLISHED BY

How he transformed a rock-bottom business into his MOST SUCCESSFUL revenue generator

IN THIS ISSUE EXERCISE IMMUNOLOGY HITTING THE RESET BUTTON INVESTING & CRYPTO 101

PLUS!

Building Your Confidence for Better Success

INTRODUCTION PUBLISHING TEAM

NESTA and Spencer Institute Scott Gaines Mark Teahan Michelle Adams Suzan Askins Elizabeth Carter Aishwarya Kumbhojkar

Contact: nestanews@nestacertified.com

INTRODUCTION Personal Trainer Magazine was created with you in mind. You love fitness. You feel rewarded when you help your clients reach their goals. You love the active lifestyle. And, you realize you can and deserve to make a great living while helping people add value to their lives.

For these reasons, PTM brings you the perfect combination of science, application, business and personal development skills.

Regardless of your niche in the fitness industry, you will find effective and easyto-understand methods for enhancing the lives of others while you are personally fulfilled.

We welcome your comments, questions and critique of PTM. This is your magazine. If you want to see something featured, please let us know. If you’d like to contribute, our editorial department would like to hear from you.

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CONTENT CONTENT

4-5 WHAT TRAINERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EXERCISE IMMUNOLOGY 6-7 FRESH COACH AND CLIENT PERSPECTIVES: HITTING THE RESET BUTTON 9-14 FUNK ROBERTS: THE FITNESS INDUSTRY PHEONIX 15 HOW TO ENTER THE NESTA GRADUATE GIVEAWAY 17 HOW TO START INVESTING 18 SEO STRATEGIES TO GET MORE CLIENTS 20-22 CRYPTO 101 23-25 WHY YOUR MENTAL FITNESS MATTERS 27-29 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A PERSONAL TRAINER 31-35 WHY MEN AND WOMEN BURN FAT DIFFERENTLY 37-38 TIPS FOR PLANNING CLASS CHOREOGRAPHY 40-41 IMPROVING CONFIDENCE FOR BETTER SUCCESS IN BUSINESS

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43-44 10 STRATEGIES FOR BETTER BRAIN HEALTH

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WHAT

TRAINERS

SHOULD

UNDERSTAND

ABOUT

EXERCISE IMMUNOLOGY known as "non-specific") protects the body without distinguishing one threat from another. This includes barriers such as epithelia which lines and covers the body (e.g., the epidermis of the skin, mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive tracts), and specialized cells (phagocytes, natural killer cells), proteins (interferon, complement) and physiological processes (fever and inflammation).

Adaptive immunity (also known as "acquired" or "specific" immunity) will respond to a specific infection such as a virus (e.g., the flu, COVID-19) and make specialized immune cells designed to neutralize and kill that specific virus. There are both cellular and humoral components. Cell-mediated immunity consists of specialized lymphocytes known as Tcells, which kill already infected cells. Humoral immunity ("humoral" meaning relating to bodily fluids) consists of Blymphocytes that create specialized proteins known as antibodies found in the blood plasma.

Exercise immunology is the emerging field of how exercise affects the immune system, with most of the research having been done in the past 25 years. With a global pandemic that has dramatically reshaped our lives, it is essential for fitness professionals to understand the basics of the immune system. Well-educated trainers should train and educate their clients in such a way as to strengthen and not compromise their immune system. While this does not guarantee that their client does not get sick, proper diet and

The impact that exercise will have on the immune system is dependent on the exercise intensity and volume. For example, one of the most studied areas in exercise immunology is the effect of exercise on upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). In the case of URTIs, exercise can have positive and negative effects. Individuals who participate in regular moderate exercise have been found to be at a lower risk of URTIs. However, the risk of a URTI increases in individuals who engage in intense and/or long-

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exercise are essential to optimize an individual's defenses.

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The immune system is incredibly complex, and this article is intended to introduce some basic concepts pertaining to exercise and one's susceptibility to infections.

Humans are continually exposed to many infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoans, and parasites, all of which could make one ill. The immune system's job is first to prevent the entry of these infectious agents and second, if they can get past our natural barriers, to neutralize the threat.

The two main branches of the immune system are innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Innate immunity (also

duration exercise. The risk of infection in these highintensity athletes can be higher than that of a sedentary individual. This is represented by a J-shaped curve.

It is thought that regular 20–40 min of exercise at 40–60% VO2 max is sufficient to reduce the risk of URTI by up to 67%.

Heavy intense exercise can transiently suppress immune function up to three hours post-exercise. Many studies demonstrate that after an intense bout of exercise, the humoral branch of adaptive immunity and, specifically, antibody production is transiently suppressed at least onehour post-exercise. For example, one study was performed on eight welltrained cyclists who exercised for two hours at 75% of their VO2 max.

In this study, antibody production dropped 5065% for one hour after exercise.

Other studies have shown similar decreases in the cellular branch of the adaptive immune system.

Specifically, prolonged exercise (i.e., greater than 90 minutes) has a temporary depressive effect on the immune system.

This is seen by a decrease in levels of B-cells and T-cells as well as a decrease in natural killer cell activity. This is common for athletes such as marathon runners, where immunosuppression would last for up to six hours.

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Taking together the suppression in both humoral and cellular immunity immediately post-exercise has lead to the "Open Window Theory". This theory states that your immune system is transitorily suppressed for several hours after an intense bout of exercise. This gives any opportunistic bacterial or virus the chance to get a foothold leading to infection.

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possible mechanisms for this temporary suppression in immune function after exercise is the elevation of several stress hormones. These include the adrenal hormones of cortisol (secreted by the adrenal cortex), epinephrine, and norepinephrine (both secreted by the adrenal medulla), which are known to be immunosuppressive. Additionally, an increase in body temperature as occurs during exercise may also play a role in immunosuppression. In addition to other common factors such as lack of sleep, mental stress,

and increased exposure to pathogens, an athlete's susceptibility to infection can increase.

In summary, multiple variables can affect an individual's immune system. Moderate exercise has been shown to boost the immune system, while high-intensity/long-duration exercise has a temporary depressive effect. As fitness professionals, we must be aware of the benefits and risks of exercise and how to program appropriately to optimize our clients' health.

Scott Gaines, NESTA Director and Senior Vice President Sources: Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance. S.K. Powers and E.T. Howley. 10th edition. McGraw Hill publishers.

Exercise Physiology: Nutrition, Energy, and Human Performance. W.D. McArdle, F.I. Catch and V.L. Catch. 7th edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins publishers.

FRESH COACH AND CLIENT PERSPECTIVES: Hitting the Reset Button someone who is looking for their coach to provide acceptance, guidance, and a nurturing, caring spirit when they interact together.

Key Skills Used in Holistic Coaching

Positive Emotional Attractors and Negative Emotional Attractors (PEA & NEA) are both powerful ways to help clients face change and the self-esteem struggles that some clients have. Using PEA and NEA, our clients can identify what attractors are regularly coming into their lives. The summoning of one's PEA and NEA turns out to be an excellent self-awareness technique. When done properly, clients realize those lesser-known (subconscious) NEA going through their minds. To break clients free of this old pattern, we might also try doing some visualization so that the client can see what a holistic lifestyle looks like.

Regulatory Focus Theory

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The International Coaching Federation (ICF) did no less than 3 membership surveys in2020, mining for information from Coaches during the pandemic. It became a common response within a chaotic period, everyone wanted to know how others were shifting around during the first waves of COVID. Still, there was a fair amount of Coach training discussed, mostly for how the industry would rise to meet the challenges of coaching during a time when we needed it most but were least able to provide it.

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Transparent organizations survey their graduates and students regularly. We recently asked for feedback from our graduates regarding what the Coach feels clients are looking for. The responses were fairly similar in tone, with most Coaches believing that clients are looking for a coach that provides a safe place for them to speak their truths, for their voice to be heard, and for the space to brainstorm new ideas. They want to be able to give voice to their ideas/desires that they are timid to share anywhere else.

Clients are seeking encouragement, from the coach, to live, grow, and explore. A client wants their coach to be able to identify patterns in their life that they may not be able to see. A client also desires empathy for their experience and tools for them to shift their mindset or other patterns. All great and well, correct?

But there is more. We also found that Coaches see some clients as those seeking connections, permission, and guidance to create something new. Others see a client as

Understanding promotion focus and prevention focus allows a Coach to listen for clues as to what path our client is traveling. This skill set allows Coaches to connect with clients where they feel most comfortable, not pushing them on a promotion path when they desire a prevention focus.

This skill is mastered by asking powerful questions; sometimes the motivation for these Coach questions is only fully realized by the client in hindsight. Regardless, if this is the case, congratulations! You have been able to influence considerable positive focus that is spreading into your client's conscious thoughts.

Get Comfortable Talking About The Ideal Self vs Ought Self

This theory can be powerful to share with clients. Clients are seeking validation for their feelings and an understanding of why they want something different than the people around them (family, friends, work colleagues).

Learning about the ideal vs ought concept will comfort a client who may have conflicted their whole life, not realizing they were living an ought life for someone else's vision, dreams, and goals.

Holistic Coaching Dynamics

Clients will come to us for anything from eliminating brain fog and having more energy to simply wanting to live a more vibrant life. What's pretty great about any goal your client has, it will be largely determined and achieved by the client. The client is the party who will need to embrace the holistic system of nutrition, physical movement, mindset,

and spirituality. A Coach might help clients decompress with breathwork, meditation, stress release goals; Similarly, a Coach could lead the client through yoga postures to address physical, mental, and spiritual needs. Nutritionally, after assessing where the client is on their food journey, we could discuss the process of eliminating processed foods and seeking healthy, whole nutrient-dense foods that support the human body.

The Coach's Presence - Expressions of Your Skills

There are many expectations and typical behaviors for a coach to embody when working with the client. Before meeting with a client, the coach needs to clear out their channel (meditations, breathwork), creating a clear space to work with the client. The practice of clearing out allows the Coach to be mindful and actively listen, without being distracted by the stories of our own lives.

might also see how powerful improving self-confidence can be in the coaching process of transformation.

A coach embodies a multitude of skills to provide a safe, encouraging, space for the client to expand and create new shifts in their life. The more skills used in a session, the greater the likelihood of positive client outcomes. When everything goes well, we create an enjoyable, transformative experience. Furthermore, when Coaches share experiences in research studies, we can all benefit from the interpretation of the results, however, in the end, it is our client who benefits the most. Better Coaches, better client experiences.

You can learn more about becoming a Certified Holistic Nutrition Coach by heading to SpencerInstitute.com

When we can actively listen, we can respond in the moment. Active listening also allows for our intuition to almost seem more clear with the added focus we have deliberately set in motion; this will allow for probative questions that tune into the needs of the client while clarifying with has already been shared. We have said it before - it's a checkpoint, a sort-of summary. Recognizing positive and negative emotions, as well as energy shifts, with a warm, calming spirit can take experience but when it occurs, it is quite powerful and Coaches will see how much this helps their clients open up and reveal their truths from within.

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As a coach we must reflect back to the client what I hear, so they can confirm we are hearing them, we understand the information and they can correct anything not fully understood or clearly defined. Reflection allows clients the opportunity to see their thoughts in a new light, from a new perspective, rather than only listening to and shaping their self-talk.

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Lastly, the Coach's presence includes an expectation to harness client energy so that listening, feeling, and expressing compassion results in a relaxed, calm, and satisfied client. We can be strategic about inching a client toward triggering stories/feelings/emotions, but when possible, we want to not embody the emotional energy that also comes with challenges or the hard work of making behavior changes. When a client hires a coach, they are looking for someone to reflect their successes to them, and praise them for their strengths. We call this celebrating client successes and appreciative inquiry (AI). These affirmations help rebuild the client’s confidence. When we realize how often – and how many – of our clients struggle with change due to uncontrolled self-esteem concerns, we

Mark Teahan, Director of The Spencer Institute

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A FITNESS INDUSTRY

PHOENIX

In The Beginning, There Was Funk...Teenage Years

As teenagers, we always have those couple of people that we look up to. People whom we admire and strive to be like.

That we put our hearts towards and look up to no matter the circumstance.

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For Funk Roberts, those people were bodybuilders--the big, burly, chiseled men that spend every waking hour dedicated to achieving maximum strength and muscular definition. It’s a tough sport to be in and it pushes your body to the extreme, but the rewards speak for themselves.

The younger years of Funk’s life were spent idolizing the biggest names in the bodybuilding community--Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lee Haney, Flex Wheeler, Lee Labrada, Sergio Olivia, and so many more. Even though Funk was heavily involved in sports throughout his teenage years-football, basketball, baseball, hockey, volleyball, and others-he was always enthralled with bodybuilding. The fitness world was something Funk wanted to be part of and he was going to do whatever it took to get there.

plyometrics, sprints, and conditioning finishers with all the other players--even his opponents. It was all about getting bigger and better performance; he wanted to be the best, and if that meant putting in the extra effort, that’s what he would do.

Some of the popular magazines we know today--Muscle & Fitness, Flex Magazine, and others--were staples in his reading repertoire and set the stage for his desire to enter that world, too. And by the ripe age of 11, Funk had made his own home gym. With a set of Joe Weider dumbbells and a bench, he cracked the whip and was well on his way to living out his dream.

By this time, Funk was the go-to person for nutrition and fitness. He was the one guy that if you wanted to be jacked, you asked him how to get there. Straying from the tall, lanky body type common of most volleyball players--Funk came in at a shredded 5’11” and knew exactly what to do. It was his future as a fitness coach and trainer slowly being etched into his life.

Pro Beach Volleyball

Retirement & the Rise of PT and Bootcamps

Enter the late 80s and 90s and Funk’s focus was no longer the bodybuilding community--it was about beach volleyball.

He earned his rank as a professional beach volleyball player and was granted the opportunity to travel all over the world playing for all of the major beach volleyball organizations. As a high-level athlete, you have to be on top of your game at all times. For Funk, that meant training, fitness, nutrition, and strength and conditioning were always at the forefront of his mind. You live, eat, and breathe training and you do whatever necessary to prepare your body--mentally and physically.

At the age of 30, Funk was done with his days of volleying, bumping, and spiking and decided it was time for a change.

He retired from professional beach volleyball and entered the corporate world and family life.

Whereas other athletes were done when training or a game

9 was over, Funk was that one teammate that would run

Funk started personal training part-time as a side gig but quickly realized that one-on-one training was not for him. He hated it--and even that was an understatement. While he learned a lot and honed his training skills doing one-on-one sessions with clients, that line of work wasn’t for him. It helped him understand the type of people he wanted to train and the type of people he didn’t want to train, and it helped Funk realize that he wanted to reach more people at once.

His knowledge and skills were designed for the masses.

In the mid-2000s, the rise of UFC, MMA, and other martial arts took the fitness scene by storm. And it was nothing short of spectacular for what was to come for Funk. He was reintroduced to Muay Thai and MMA training, and he found an interest that he never knew existed. Over the next few years, this training fueled a passion for martial arts and combat sports training, which soon developed into a certification in MMA Strength and Conditioning.

For Funk’s training and coaching career, this was a huge game-changer.

masses. That’s when he launched one of the first Bootcamp programs in Toronto, Ontario. At that time, group training programs were few and far between, which meant Funk had one of the biggest opportunities to cash in on. He went full steam ahead and made a name for himself. These weekly beach boot camps were a total hit, drawing in more than 100 people on any given session. And while you think that would be amazing (which it totally was), there was one problem--it was a lot of work. He was lugging loads of equipment in his truck back and forth to the beach. Between all the travel time and setup and take down, it was exhausting! It was a repetitive cycle of set-up, train for one hour, collect payments, pack up, and go home. So, you can imagine that while you’re helping a lot of people, the ROI might not be worth it.

But for this part of his career, Funk obtained a whole new set of skills--that of group fitness coaching. And from this point out, he continued to work and hone his skills on training in a group setting.

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Intro to Online Fitness

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The NESTA MMACA (MMA Conditioning Association) certification was perhaps one of the best things Funk could do to further his career as one of the top strength and conditioning coaches, and it earned him a top spot among MMA athletes worldwide. It was through the knowledge he gained with this certification that he was able to keep himself and his clients in incredible fight shape. He started to implement everything he learned through the MMACA certification to train some of the baddest fighters in the game.

Thailand & the Birth of FunkMMA.com In 2009, Funk took things to a whole new level with MMA and trained at one of Thailand’s most renowned fight gyms, Tiger Muay Thai Training Camp in Phuket. You know how people have their "AHA! moment"? For Funk, this was it-and it was about to birth something out of this world.

A lot of the people at this camp were MMA fighters training hardcore for their standup (Muay Thai) but still stuck in the old-school bodybuilding style workouts for strength and conditioning. And when you need to be in the best shape of your life to compete against some of the best MMA fighters out there, bodybuilding workouts aren’t going to cut it. Every single facet of your body has to be on point--not just your muscular strength.

During his stay at Tiger Muay Thai, Funk had the opportunity to conduct a seminar for more than 30 fighters on the importance of well-rounded strength and conditioning training program and the importance of “doing it right” to improve all physical attributes needed for a fighter--strength, muscular endurance, explosive power, cardio, core strength, mobility, flexibility, and speed and agility. They’re all pieces of the MMA puzzle that you’re not going to get from conventional style strength and conditioning workouts.

But that’s what Funk was able to do. He harnessed his love for coaching and took his knowledge to support other MMA flighters in doing what they love and giving them the knowledge and skills to train on an entirely new level with an entirely new set of tools.

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With this newfound knowledge and practical application of what Funk learned from his MMACA certification, along with the ability to implement it on a global level, there was a decision made that would become the pinnacle of Funk’s success. From this, Funk MMA was born.

Little did he know that it would soon become the #1 resource for fighters around the world, harboring the best information on strength and conditioning workouts for all fighters--MMA, martial arts, combat fighters, and athletes.

From Corporate to Online Fitness Coach and Trainer After years of putting out free content, blogging, posting YouTube videos, and working like a dog to make a name for himself as the go-to strength and conditioning coach for fighters, 2015 took a little bit of a different turn than expected.

It was time for Funk to leave the corporate 6-figure management job and launch his online fitness business fulltime. It required his full attention and with the heart and passion to back it up, it would take off big time.

All of this to his wife’s surprise. Funk kept it a secret until he got home and told her, “I just quit my job to go FULL time online.” The reaction from her was obviously concerning, but with his passion and dedication, she was behind him 100%.

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The only road bump? Funk had ZERO knowledge on how to start. But like any other business owner, he figured out how.

There was an uphill battle in the beginning. Funk had to learn how to build a website, how to conduct email marketing, social media, program design, sales copy, and every other factor involved in running a business. It was a lot of stress, a lot of feeling overwhelmed, and a whole lot of sleepless nights, but it would soon pay off. Like any newcomer to the scene would do, Funk turned to the guys who had already built successful online businesses. He called on their skills and knowledge for guidance and with their guidance he finally launched his very first program.

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Funk-Flex MMA Strength and Conditioning blew up as Funk had never dreamed of. Within the first week of launching, the program had pulled in over $100K. Everything he had learned in his MMACA program was taking shape and finally paying off.

And if that wasn’t enough, Funk took it up a notch again.

Recognizing the need to hit on other aspects that weren’t included in his program, he added a NESTA Fitness Nutrition and NESTA Core Conditioning Specialist to his

roster of certifications and set out to beef up his online coaching and training programs. The launch of his Core Training Program for Fighters and Nutrition for Fighters was a massive hit.

Birth of Metabolic Training With the rise of FunkMMA and the other programs Funk successfully launched, things started to transition in a new direction--metabolic training. Most of us are familiar with HIIT, but it’s still not top of the training priority list. But for Funk, it continually ranks first. High-intensity metabolic training was what Funk really developed a passion for. It was a style of training that maximized results and gave people exactly what they wanted.

After becoming a Certified Metabolic Trainer, Funk launched a series of workouts that really elevated the Funk Roberts brand to the next level. It was the start of a new chapter for his brand with programs that would be used by renowned trainers, coaches, and gyms across the globe.

So, with the growing success of his online business, the natural course of action was to develop that into a membership website.

The Membership Debacle With passion and dedication for helping people achieve the best results possible, Funk knew there had to be a middle ground between working 24/7 and achieving passive income. He soon realized that growing his business to become a recurring source of revenue was the only way to go, much like gyms do with their membership fees.

Funk followed the advice he was given by other successful online fitness gurus on “how to grow your membership website” and used their tactics to a T. The only problem was that a lot of their tactics were far from ethical. For example, the program would sell itself for a small fee and customers would receive a 14-day free trial. But after this trial period

ended, memberships would renew for $47 per month. Just as he’d been told, it worked like a charm. Funk was raking in cash left, right, and center.

Just as any business owner dreads, things took a turn for the worse when members realized that they’d been charged for months on end without even realizing it. Funk acknowledged that this approach to business was unethical.

All of the money cashed in from his membership site needed to be returned, refunded, and the memberships were canceled. All of this work had been turned to dust; the name Funk Roberts was tarnished; and worst of all, he was broke, stressed, and slipped into a nasty bout of depression. Everything he had worked for was gone.

Like A Phoenix Rising From The Ashes – Over 40 Alpha As the old story goes, there’s always a happy ending (eventually).

After trying to grow his business back and reclaiming his name in people’s good books, Funk realized that his mindset needed to change. He needed to learn how to run an ethical business where clients wanted to be part of his Funk Army. But then disaster struck. Early 2018 saw Funk lying on his deathbed from a condition known as CryptoOrganizing Pneumonia--a rare lung condition where the small airways (bronchioles), the tiny air-exchange sacs (alveoli), and the walls of small bronchi become inflamed and clogged with connective tissue. Despite being in amazing shape physically, Funk's was slowly killing him from the inside out.

This wasn’t the end of Funk. A diagnosis, operation, and a whole slew of drugs put Funk on the road to recovery. But the whole time that Funk was recovering, the drugs were killing the hormone that made him a man--testosterone.

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Funk switched gears and started to test a program he had been working on for men over forty meant to help increase testosterone levels while getting into incredible shape.

Because this was something Funk struggled with in the past, he knew exactly what men were dealing with and how to fix it.

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This gave Funk an opportunity to start fresh. Creating a new program, launching a membership website with a more ethical approach, and focusing on his member’s results, coaching and supporting, and putting less energy into getting people to join his program resulted in a complete 180 for his business.

At 52, Funk can talk the language these men understand while educating, coaching, and training through a series of follow-along workout videos that correspond with each

program. The shift to a more results-driven membership model skyrocketed his Over 40 Alpha brotherhood to over 10K paying members, bringing in an additional 30 members daily and thousands upon thousands of life-changing stories.

Instead of being an online marketer like most online trainers, Funk is truly using his coaching knowledge and training skills to guide men through their own journey. He hosts live weekly coaching calls, provides 24 months of programming and follow-along workouts, and engages in support groups on Facebook.

He’s transformed a once rock-bottom business into one of the most successful online businesses helping men over 40 completely transform their lives.

Growth of an Empire While the growth of the Funk Roberts brand has been a long and sometimes challenging journey, the growth of his empire couldn’t have been done alone. It’s taken years of sweat and hard work, but with a successful 7-figure business that continues to grow, Funk Roberts Fitness is now proud to be the workplace of more than 20 amazing employees and contractors that help this machine run. From web development, customer service reps, and fitness app managers to graphic designers, videographers, content writers, and membership managers, the entire team is what makes Funk Roberts what it is.

He has an incredible and dedicated group of people behind him that truly have a passion for this.

The Revenue House As a result of the success and continued growth of Funk Roberts Fitness Inc. and the results that his members continue to get, Funk has become their trusted source for all things male health and fitness.

He has launched a super successful Funk Supplements line, which is well on its way to becoming another 7-figure business. And then there's Funk Equipment that offers a huge lineup of fitness gear, from resistance bands and rollers, to weighted vests and other strength equipment.

It’s truly an ecosystem that could not thrive if Funk hadn't turned his attention to helping people get results because truly, the goal of being a trainer and a coach is to help people get results. When you can change people’s lives and give them the results they’re looking for while providing full support along the way, you will have lifetime fans and a ton of sustainable revenue.

That’s the Funk Roberts Fitness Inc. way.

@funkrobertsfitness www.facebook.com/funkroberts

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HOW

TO

START

INVESTING

Starting to invest when you never have is very similar to going to the gym for the very first time. At first, it’s a little bit intimidating because you don’t know what any of the machines are for, how to use them, or how much weight you can handle. However, after some time passes you get into a comfortable workout routine and get more familiar with the weights and movements.

Investing is the same way. At first, you have no idea what the benefits of different assets are, which ones are best for you, or how much money to invest. However, over time this uncertainty fades and you get more comfortable with what you’re doing.

Here are a few of the basic elements that you need to know if you want to start investing when you never have.

Risk tolerance Investing is a constant tug of war between risk and reward.

The more risk that you are willing to take on, the higher your potential return will be. On the flip side, the less risk you take, the lower your potential return will be.

For example, cryptocurrencies are considered very risky because their prices can rise and fall by 10-20% in a day. If you invest in them then you can make a lot of money in one day but you can lose money just as quickly. On the other hand, bonds are considered very safe because their prices do not fluctuate much. With these, you can expect to never lose a lot of money but will also never make a lot either.

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Time horizon

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When you make an investment, you are essentially betting that an asset will increase in value over time. It’s rare for anything to dramatically increase in value over time and the process usually takes months to years. Due to this, you will usually need to keep your money invested for quite some time.

The length of time that you are comfortable keeping your money invested is referred to your time horizon. Usually, the longer you have money invested the better. This brings us to our next point.

Play the long game Since most assets take years to sufficiently grow in value, it’s almost always best to keep your money invested over the long term. For example, in the stock market, many people will completely ignore the day-to-day fluctuations of stocks and instead focus on a period of months to years.

Diversification Another key concept to be familiar with when investing is diversification. Diversification is a way of spreading your risk around by buying many different assets. By investing in a number of different assets, you will protect yourself in case one asset goes south. Diversification is essentially “not putting all your eggs in one basket”.

Tax planning When you make a successful investment and sell your asset at a profit, you will be required to pay taxes on that gain. Due to this, it is important to take taxes into consideration when investing in order to pay as little as possible.

SEO STRATEGIES

PLANNING

TO GET MORE CLIENTS Having an effective SEO strategy is vital for reaching new clients, building brand awareness, and helping you gain more visibility on the search results. An SEO strategy entails understanding what your clients are searching for on the various digital platforms and the content they find relevant and engaging. Working towards getting to know what clients need and developing the best SEO strategies will help you attract new clients, convert more, and increase sales in your business. Below are some of the basic SEO strategies to get more client Create a business profile/ Google my business account Optimizing your business profile or Google listing is one of the most effective ways to increase Google search results and high ranking on Google maps. You need to have a Google my business account to rank higher and optimize your Google listing. Once you create and add all the information required in the Google my business account, all the information will be automatically added to your business profile. The information in your business profile will appear on the Google search knowledge panel, Google maps, and the Google search local results. Creating a business profile will help you attract more clients and increase sales in your business.

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Use the right keywords Finding the right keywords for your website is vital in attracting more clients, increasing traffic, and ranking your website higher in the search engines. It would help if you used keywords that flow naturally in your website. You should also use alternative keywords or mix and match to gain more visibility. It’s vital to use keywords that specifically provide relevant information about your business, brand, and products or services you offer to clients. It would help if you also used keyword phrases or long-tail keywords specific to your product or brand. Using the relevant keywords will help your clients find your business or products when searching for something specific and local.

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Create high-quality content Creating unique content while combining it with the right keywords will help you gain more clients and convert prospects. Creating quality content on your website is a great resource you can utilize to reach new potential clients.

When prospective clients search for information about a product or service, they will come across your high-quality web pages, blogs or social media post which will answer their question. A great social media post or blog will

facilitate their purchasing decision, thus ultimately helping you make more sales in your business.

Take advantage of social media Social media is one of the fastest, reliable, and comprehensive SEO strategies used today. Many consumers or clients are turning into social networks to engage with various brands and businesses. The majority of people turn to Facebook, TwitTer, and Instagram when searching for interesting content or looking for a particular product or service. This shows that social networks provide an excellent opportunity to attract more clients, reach new audiences and create a lasting relationship with clients.

Get regular reviews Getting clients to review your business and the services you offer is vital in optimizing the search results and attracts more customers to buy from you. Thus, it’s crucial to ask for a review after closing a sale and responding to the existing reviews professionally. It would help if you also addressed any complaints from the clients calmly, quickly, and professionally. It’s also important to thank reviewers while encouraging positive testimonials and reviews from satisfied customers. It’s always essential to remember to be professional while engaging with clients online, which will ultimately improve your brand reputation and credibility.

HOW MANY CLICKS AND HOW MUCH MONEY

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ARE YOU LOSING EVERYDAY?

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the crypto exchanges exist to connect multiple exchanges and offer access to the crypto market and competitive prices for traders. The exchanges serve brokerage firms primarily for cryptocurrencies with a transaction fee involved in buying and selling. An adequate crypto exchange can play an important role and can make or break the deal.

Some of the best crypto exchanges that offer low fees and good customer service are the voyager app, Kraken and Binance.

Voyager connects the individual to more than a dozen crypto exchanges for 50 plus digital currencies to build a diverse crypto portfolio without the need for managing multiple accounts. Even the assets in your Voyager account can earn an interest of up to 9% APY on stable coins and 6.25% on Bitcoin. Binance, another platform, is a suitable option for beginners as it has a security Asset Fund for users to prevent theft of funds. It only charges 0.1% flat trading fees for most transactions and has a credit card brokerage service to facilitate purchases further.option for beginners as it has a security Asset Fund for users to prevent theft of funds. It only charges 0.1% flat trading fees for most transactions and has a credit card brokerage service to facilitate purchases further.

While deciding to choose the cryptocurrency exchange platform, some benchmarks should be taken into account.

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Cryptocurrency is essentially a digital or virtual currency that can be used for the purchase of goods & services. The vision behind their creation is to replace conventional currencies which are considered by some to have become redundant in the current era. They are secured by cryptography, which makes them secure and almost impossible for fake currencies to be made. Primarily, the various cryptocurrencies you see in the market are decentralized networks based on blockchain technology.

The distinctive feature of all cryptocurrencies, in general, is that they are not issued by any central authority, which protects them from third-party manipulation.

Furthermore, like other traditional fiat currencies, crypto has a relative value compared to others and is wildly volatile. As we can see, during the 12m month period ending on the 1st May 2021, the value of Bitcoin rocketed roughly from $9,000 to about $57,000 per BTC. Till now, Bitcoin has been the most popular and widely acceptable cryptocurrency and has outperformed more traditional investments, including gold and S&P 500, over the past few months. The rapid increase in demand for digital currency raises questions such as "how to invest in bitcoin?"

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Customer service is an essential aspect as transparency and good communication are vital for success. Other factors include region covered and security as it is recommended to choose a platform nearby due to the differences in policies between different areas. Security is one of the most critical components as it incorporates the users' personal data, protection of users' funds, and the number of servers worldwide. The greater the servers, the lower the probability of platforming falling prey to an attack.

Cryptocurrencies can also be purchased directly from individuals who hold them. However, this requires a way to store the cryptocurrency, which is usually stored in a crypto wallet- software that keeps the private and public keys that connect investors to the blockchain where the cryptocurrency exists. Wallets such as digital or online wallets enable the investor to access the cryptocurrency on the blockchain using public and private keys required for transactions.

While investing in cryptocurrency, another question that arises is the portion of the portfolio that should be allocated to the cryptocurrencies. Investors often get gluttonous and make irrational and unprofitable decisions. Therefore, it is recommended to invest a tiny portion of the portfolio, between 5%-10%. Investors need to exercise caution as there is risk associated with the investment opportunity.

An individual should consider their risk tolerance or understand their emotional response to financial losses. For risk-averse people, investing a high proportion in crypto is not suggested. Nevertheless, proper research and carefully timing the markets can help in reducing the risk associated with crypto trading.

Once the portion of the portfolio has been decided, the next step is to choose the correct currency from thousands of cryptocurrencies to invest in. To make this choice, it is imperative to understand the function of cryptocurrencies as both a medium of exchange and the investment or its valueadded benefits.

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The starting point to make a rational decision would be to check the market cap and supply limit as they directly impact crypto’s price. An improvement in the market cap brings the cryptocurrency into the limelight and makes it more captivating. Consequently, it drives people to invest in a particular coin, increasing its demand, as well as price, and more significant profit for the coin’s developers. For instance, Bitcoin has a supply of 21 million coins, respectively. Bitcoin’s scarce supply makes it appealing and the results can be seen by its exceptional rise in value over the years. However, in reality, Ethereum has been undergoing a steady and demonstrated a steeper rise in price than Bitcoin in the past few months as shown below.

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The graphs depict other factors besides supply, such as contracts or changes in gas prices that have contributed to differences in price. Therefore, other estimators, including value-added services, hype, prospects, news, and the moves by the company behind the token, should also be given importance.

Another common question that new investors often ask is whether to buy and hold cryptocurrency or trade and grow their crypto holdings. Both have their perks, pitfalls, and execution methods. For instance, HODL is simple, grants greater reward, offers tax relaxation but has logistical issues. Whereas trading is more complex, has more pitfalls, but, if applied correctly, will outpace a HODL. Provided this, we can say that the most beginner-friendly technique is a

somewhat refined version of HODL (where you average into and out of positions). Nevertheless, as one progresses in their crypto journey, they would want to deal efficiently. As a result, it's understandable for even the most rookie crypto investor to ease into trading right away. The bottom line is that HODL might be the best strategy for inexperienced investors. Still, trading is necessary as it teaches multiple skills that ensure that the investor finds success with both short and long-term investments. Trading is a slightly nuanced strategy as it accounts for the reality of things, i.e., crypto market into a bull market. Hence, the better option is to balance crypto that you want to hold and trade.

The advancement in the crypto world is accompanied by new and innovative incidents in crimes, frauds, and scams, bringing into question "how to avoid scammers." Increasing awareness discussing various scams always equips the investor to identify scams and protect themselves from them.

One of the most common scams is the Pyramid scheme (Ponzi), where scammers develop a foolproof investment scheme. In cryptocurrencies, these scammers work by decorating their crypto token to look like it has excellent potential and provides the best value for money. They aim to attract and succeed in getting novice investors who are chasing quick money. Once they've gotten their hands on these investors, they utilize them to entice their families and friends to join them in the investment game in exchange for a reward. In cryptocurrency, this usually entails receiving extra coins of the same token they have already invested in as a reward. With more money coming in from new investors, the older investors, or the original investors in the program, who brought the people in, get paid a nominal commission. These compensated investors begin to promote the system's validity to others, which develops faith in the system.

Let's look at an example to understand this better. The scammer receives $100 from Investor A. Then, when investor A brings in another investor, investor B, the process repeats. The scammer offers the investor $30 worth of cryptocurrency and a $20 return on investment. As a result, the scammer earns $50 at the end of the day. This gradually turns into a cycle, with each individual bringing additional others into the scheme. One day, the fraudster departs with the money, and it turns out the coin has no actual value.

Another type of scam is fake bitcoin exchanges, where some of the cryptos exchanges are scams and fake. The exchange either ceases to exist or refuses to enable the investors to withdraw their funds after a while. One of the most devious Bitcoin frauds was discovered in 2017 by South Korean financial authorities and the local Bitcoin community: a fake exchange named BitKRX. Therefore, it is vital to invest in verified and trusted exchanges only.

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Recently, scammers have been using viruses and malware to send emails and place links on different social media platforms and websites. When the user clicks on the link, the scammers hack the user's internet and access the crypto wallet. Due to this risk, even big exchanges like Binance recommend utilizing Trust Wallet to store your crypto tokens because exchanges are not secure. You

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should always be careful surfing the internet, especially on the device you use for your crypto transactions. As hacking directly into your crypto wallet is an arduous job, these scammers make use of scammers to find devious methods to steal your funds. A solution to this is the use of Twofactor authentication, which can be a protective shield for crypto-wallets. Thus, to avoid scams, the investors need to be smart, do proper research, make informed and your own decisions.

Cryptocurrencies are undoubtedly a revolution in the financial world, but you must do your research before investing in this digital asset by properly analyzing the pros and cons of this technology. Essentially, the investment is similar to other high-risk, high-reward investments. This means whether or not you should be investing in it depends on your risk profile and your investment goal. A good rule of thumb is to only invest the amount you do not need to meet your expenses, that gives you the capacity to wait out the periods of bear markets and eventually come out on top.

Good luck!

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WHY YOUR s s e n t i F l a nt e MATTERS M

Physical fitness needs a lot of attention, and good health. A healthy body can stop situations like heart problems and diabetes and help you to maintain your independence as you get older.

Mental fitness is as important for a healthy body as physical fitness, and shouldn’t be ignored. Adding mental dexterity exercises into your daily exercise routine can aid you to earn the benefits of a sharper mind and healthier life for years to come.

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Mental fitness means keeping your mind in a healthy state and emotional health in tip-top shape. But it does not refer to the training of the brain for “brain Olympics” or acing an IQ test. It denotes a list of exercises that help your body to:

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slow down decompress boost a flagging memory Mind and Body Connection It is obvious that the more you help your body, the more you help your mind to remain healthy and fresh. Physical activity helps to increase the flow of oxygen to your brain. It also triggers more amounts of endorphins, the “feel-good” chemicals, in your brain. Due to this reason, it’s not a

wonder that people who are in good physical shape also tend to enjoy a higher level of mental agility.

Engaging yourself in an energetic physical workout can help you to fight your depression and gain a more positive outlook on life. It is also the best way to fight stress, which can damage you mentally as well as physically.

Mental exercise has a lot of benefits. According to research, many memory training exercises can enhance “fluid intelligence,” the ability to reason and solve new difficulties.

While exercise is a good diet for your brain and the body, so is meditation. Meditation, in combination with other methods, is an alternative way to beat your depression.

Calming your mind allows you to solve your problem in a more relaxed way.

Benefits of Mental Fitness When you go to your bed after a stressful day, your body begins to relax. But it does not mean that the mind always follows your body.

Visualization can help to overcome your stress. You can enjoy a sense of peacefulness through imagery, the method of picturing a tranquil scene or location that will calm your mind. This method can decrease the tension in both your

body and your mind by challenging the neurons in the less dominant area of your brain.

The less dominant side of your brain is the part that controls feelings of self-confidence, hopefulness, and optimism.

When you begin to think about the things other than you daily, you increase activity in the neural structures of that area of your brain.

Eventually, visualization can boost your emotional wellbeing and calm down your mind as well.

Become mentally fit: Keeping your mental health fit is not a great job or a difficult task to do but it is a very good analogy to do. You can add some mental exercises to your daily routines, such as: Reading Daydreaming Finding humor in your life You might try these mental health exercises daily to increase your mental fitness.

Stop multitasking: You may think that multitasking allows you to get more things done in a short period of time, but it actually makes more difficulties than it solves. Concentrating on one task at a time will improve your attention, focus on your work and concentration and help you to become more productive.

Try something new and different: New experiences can also lead you on the path of mental fitness. You can target new approaches into your daily routine in many ways: Try to cook some new foods.

Try new ways to manage your daily routine.

Travel to some new places you want to explore.

Explore a new way to work or the grocery store.

According to research, it has been identified that keeping your brain active increases its vitality. Doing some new things in a different manner appears to help retain brain cells and connections. It also produces new brain cells. In addition, breaking out of your routine can help keep your brain stay healthy and fresh.

Playing games: Games that include testing and reasoning and involving other portions of your brain are fun ways to keep your mind sharp and healthy. These include the following games: Crossword puzzles Board games Sudoku Games are a great method to sharpen your brain muscle.

Even fast-paced action video games may increase your ability to learn new tasks, according to a new study. The study found tentative evidence that video games may boost your attention span, reaction time, and task-switching ability. You may include other games that include the following things to your video games

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logic reasoning trivia

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Be positive with yourself: Positive affirmation is one of the avenues to increased mental ability.

Affirmation, or talking with you in a positive way, involves strengthening neural pathways to get your self-confidence, well-being, and satisfaction to a higher level.

To begin, make a list of all the good qualities. Remind yourself that everyone has flaws; you don’t have to be perfect and it is totally ok. Set goals for what you want to improve and start with the small tasks to avoid becoming overwhelmed and depressed.

Increasing the habit of reading: Reading is great fun for your brain. Even if you are reading this sentence, your brain is processing each and every word, recalling the meaning instantly.

Beyond the mechanics, reading helps you visualize the subject, matter, and characters on the pages before you, and imagine what voices sound like in the written story. This can also be a great relaxation method for your brain.

Reading is a great activity for your mind because it can evoke imagination and ignite so many different areas of the brain. There are different genres and types of reading stories.

Take the time: Mental fitness doesn’t mean that you have to invest a lot of your time. Spending a few minutes on it every day can help you feel better and to sharpen your mind. It will help you to think clearly. Keep in your mind that relaxation and visualization are just as important in a mental workout as the more energetic activities, such as memory exercises or game-playing. Try adding one or two activities at a time to your mental workout, like:

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Relaxing Visualizing Affirming Memory exercises Game-playing

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QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

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a e m o c e b o t t n a w u o If y r e n i a r t l a person

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NESTA and the Spencer Institute have come together to create a system that is designed to maximize your success.

The first thing you need to do is start asking yourself a few important questions.

How will your new profession impact others? How will they benefit from you?

What do you hope to accomplish? Why is this important?

What’s your vision?

In the world of fitness, there are no guarantees. There is no way to eliminate all of the risks associated with starting a fitness practice. Whether you work as an independent contractor, an employee for a gym/club or you own your own fitness practice, the success of your fitness practice is always up to you, and no one else. Some trainers judge their success by the frequency of mistakes they have to overcome whereas others, judge themselves only by their clients’ successes. You can increase your chances of success by visualizing success.

You must take the time to answer these questions and return to them often. Over the first few months as a NESTA Certified PFT, you will continuously evolve and change your fitness practice.

A vision is a vivid mental image of your fitness practice and your successes in clear detail. Why is visualization important? It separates trainers who have not taken the time to know what their vision is, and ends up setting themselves up to fail. Don’t let this happen! Read on…

Why do you want to become a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer?

What does this mean to your life? Can you see the “big picture”?

Your vision should be so clear, you will never have to alter it. Once you have created a vision for yourself, you will have a clear purpose and a reason for doing what you do. This is not something that needs to be shared with others (unless you want to), this vision and a sense of purpose are the things that will keep you motivated while giving you a reason to get out of bed every morning (for most successful trainers, this means before the sun).

It’s your personal vision and purpose which will help you get through the challenging times in your life and your business.

When things seem difficult, you will always know what you want and stay committed to getting there. After all, if you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you are there? Think about it.

Once you have a vision, what’s next?

Create a plan. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it should

train? That’s 50 sessions a week! And that’s if every one of them shows up!

You will need to work very hard and very smart. If you don’t take the time to both plan and to figure out what you have to do to earn what you need, you may receive a lot less than you want. Make a pact with yourself to plan your work and work your plan. Make a plan, and act on it.

Now that you have a vision, a purpose and a plan, what’s next?

There is no way to eliminate all risks associated with starting your own fitness practice but you can improve your chances for success with a vision, proper planning and good preparation.

Start by evaluating your strengths and weaknesses as a potential fitness instructor, employee, or small business owner. Consider the following questions: be a road map outlining where you are going and how you plan to get there. Whether you plan on working in a health club or want to train people on your own, successful fitness professionals know what they want and have a plan for getting there. Some questions to consider as you develop your plan are:

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What are your financial goals? How much money do you want and expect to make?

Do you have any additional tools available to help achieve your financial goals?

What is your timeline for achieving those financial goals? Is it realistic?

How many clients do you need to train each week to get there?

Does your club have a minimum number of clients you need to train to keep your job?

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If you plan on training people outside of a club or want to open your own gym, how many clients or members do you need to attract and retain to break even? Have you accounted for no-shows and cancellations? Break-even numbers give us a good place to start, however, very few small businesses can operate for extended periods of time on break-even numbers. Consider that element when you outline your goals.

Let’s say you want to make $50,000 your first year as a personal fitness trainer while working for a gym, and you start out at $20/session. $50,000 a year equates to about $1000/week and $4000/month. If you want to make $1000/ week at $20/session, how many clients will you need to

Are you self-motivated?

It is up to you to develop your client base, organize your time and follow through on all facets of your fitness practice.

This includes: Getting new clients Creating plans for their success Filing all necessary paperwork Billing for your time Following up with clients between sessions Marketing and advertising to attract new clients Attending networking mixers where you will meet potential clients “Working” the gym floor Staying fit How well do you relate to different personality types?

Fitness professionals need to develop working relationships with many different people. Some people will help you grow your fitness practice, while others may try to undermine your efforts. Ask yourself if you can professionally handle a demanding/flaky client or a negative/unsupportive manager if the success of your fitness practice/vision depends on those people?

How well do you make decisions? What’s involved in that process for you?

While a career in the fitness industry can be exciting, it requires a lot of hard work. Can you work 7, 8, 12 or even 15-hour workdays? This includes the time that you spend

training your clients, developing new relationships and filing paperwork. This is also typical for a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer who is building their business.

You cannot expect to “take off” if you have not developed enough speed to get off the ground. The power and effort needed to fly an airplane are minimal once it has lifted off the runway. The power and effort needed to get off the ground is enormous. Building your business is no different.

If you have laid the groundwork and worked your “tail” off, you will get off the ground, and you will be able to succeed with less long-term effort. But first, you must get off the ground.

How well do you plan and execute your ideas?

Poor planning is one of the main reasons why business practices fail. Organizing your time, client records, managing your client base and having a clear direction for getting new clients, will help you overcome many obstacles in your fitness practice. You must take time at the beginning and end of each day to go over your plan. The best Certified Personal Fitness Trainers have a plan, know it well, and adjust their plan when necessary. They may change their daily, weekly or monthly plan, but they never work without one.

Are you driven to succeed?

Managing a fitness practice can be physically and emotionally demanding. Some fitness professionals burn out quickly because they literally feel like “the weight of the world is on their shoulders.” If you are driven to succeed in your fitness practice and you truly want to help your clients achieve their goals, you will overcome those challenging times when you are on the brink of throwing in the towel.

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How will your fitness practice affect your personal life?

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The first several months of any new career, business or practice can present some challenges in your personal life.

It’s important that your friends and family know what you are trying to accomplish so they can support you during this temporary phase in your life. You may need to take a pay cut for the first several months until you develop your fitness practice and find yourself having to spend less time on new client development.

It all points back to your vision, purpose, and plan. Until you achieve the success you deserve, you may need to make some adjustments to your spending habits in order to achieve your short-term goals. There is no surer way to sabotage yourself than to spend more than what you have.

Playing to Your Strengths OK, now what? You’ve identified your strengths and weaknesses. How will that knowledge help you develop and expand your client list?

Playing to your strengths involves developing your “story” or “elevator pitch.” If you were standing next to someone in an elevator and they asked you what you do for a living, you would have the remainder of the elevator ride to tell that person your story. Develop your pitch now. It may change, but you must develop one. Test it out on your friends, family, and other personal fitness trainers and ask for honest feedback. Were they sold on you?

When you approach potential clients you need to be ready to tell them a quick, yet interesting story about what or why you do what you do. This is your chance to stand out from the rest of the trainers at your gym.

You will need to give your “elevator pitch” many “ times before it will feel natural. Like anything, practice makes perfect. The more people you talk to, the more comfortable you’ll be.

Take Your Strengths and Start Talking Here’s the hard reality. You won’t build your fitness business overnight. Unless you are Bill Gates and you are making a career move, it’s a tough bet to assume you’ll have your time slots filled in the first few days of your business. Building a fitness practice is a process that requires discipline, focus and mental stamina.

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WHY MEN AND WOMEN STORE

AND BURN FAT DIFFERENTLY It is well established that women tend to have a higher % of body fat than men. Men and women also differ where their body fat is stored. Differences in hormones, hormone receptors, and enzymes play a contributing role in this process. Before going on to discuss the different types of hormones, the question of how fat is metabolized in both genders must be addressed.

Fat Metabolism and Fat Mobilization Fat mobilization is a process of releasing fats from storage sites within the body. ‘Fat metabolism’ is the method of how the body breaks down the fats so that they can be used as a fuel source. Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) are the two hormones that the body uses to regulate the mobilization of free fatty acids.

Hormone-sensitive lipase is located within the actual fat cells and it releases fat due to the signaling of cyclic AMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate is a second messenger that is used for intracellular signaling, and it helps to transfer hormones that couldn’t pass through the cell membrane).

This is impacted by the activity hormone receptors in the fat cells called the ‘adrenergic receptors’. When HSL is secreted it helps to breakdown triglycerides in the adipose tissue into 3 free fatty acids and one glycerol. This mechanism of breaking down the triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol is called ‘lipolysis’.

When the free fatty acids are in the bloodstream, they attach themselves to ‘albumin’ which is the main vehicle that the FFAs use to travel. Once the free fatty acids arrive at the muscle cells, they are transported into the cells via the following 3 transporters:

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1. Fatty acid-binding proteins 2. Fatty acid translocase 3. Fatty acid transport proteins

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The 3 protein transporters then carry the FFAs across the muscle cells membrane and into the mitochondria to be oxidized. The additional glycerol molecule that is created during lipolysis is either oxidized in the liver and/or used in the breakdown of glucose and/or to create more triglycerides.

Lipoprotein lipase is located in the blood vessel walls of the circulatory system in adipose tissue and within the liver.

Fundamentally, lipoprotein lipase acts upon the triglycerides within the lipoproteins in the blood, and these lipoproteins are vehicles that carry cholesterol and triglycerides for fat storage. Triglycerides are then broken down into free fatty

acids and used as fuel or stored in the liver as resynthesized triglycerides. Lipoprotein lipase controls the amount of fat that is stored in sites around the body.

The catecholamines which are secreted by the SNS are the primary catalysts for lipolysis. They bind to the adipocytes and muscle cells and can either block or activate hormonesensitive lipase.

Catecholamines have 2 main types of receptors and often these receptors can be found in the same cells: Alpha receptors – these inhibit lipolysis (A = anti burn) and they decrease blood flow to a specific area.

Beta receptors – these help to active lipolysis (B= burn) and they increase blood flow to a specific area.

The receptor available and its sensitivity or resistance to the catecholamine will determine the overall response of hormone-sensitive lipase within the cells. In addition, the higher the amount of alpha or beta receptors within the cells will determine the response of the hormone-sensitive lipase.

For example, abdominal adipocytes are more sensitive to beta-receptor stimulation by the catecholamine compared to the hip/thigh in both genders. Therefore, abdominal fat is easier to mobilize than hip/thigh fat in women, as they have an increased number of alpha receptors in the thigh/hip area.

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This is the main rationale why women tend to store fat in the fat/thigh area (pre-menopausal); combined with differences in the type and number of fat cells in the lower body region.

Hence, this could be a leading factor in the fat distribution differences between both sexes. Another mechanism associated with fat distribution differences between both genders is the amount of lipoprotein lipase in various cells.

Women tend to have increased levels of lipoprotein lipase within the hip/thigh area in comparison to the abdominal region. In addition, women’s lower body subcutaneous fat has a higher amount of estrogen receptors which makes it very stubborn to burn.

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In terms of the fat-burning hierarchy, the thyroid and adrenal catecholamine are much higher than estrogen and progesterone. Wilmore and Costill(2010) postulated that women have 10 times more alpha receptor cells than men, and the hormone estrogen increases the number and activity of the alpha receptor cells. In addition, a female’s subcutaneous fat has more alpha cells when compared to males, and this may be a key rationale why it’s difficult to shift the fat in the hip, thigh regions, and lower belly regions for women compared to men. Men do, however, have a higher saturation of alpha cells in the belly area compared to women.

Nevertheless, from the research gathered, there are some generalities that can be made in terms of body shape, gender, and fat distribution. They are as follows: Increased insulin and cortisol seem to correlate with fat storage around the middle of the body.

Fat storage in the lower body may be linked to lower levels of insulin and cortisol, accompanied by higher levels of estrogen and progesterone.

Subcutaneous fat at the back of the arms and legs could signal a reduction in HGH and/or testosterone and an increase in estrogen.

Subcutaneous fat storage in the hips and breasts may be influenced by estrogen and/or progesterone.

Although it is not as cut and dry as described above; hormones not only inform the body how to use the fuel but behave differently depending on their ratios with other hormones. A good example of this is the ratio of insulin to catecholamine which is a major factor in fat storage. In addition, if insulin and catecholamine are both high, fat storage is reduced. The rise in insulin is unopposed by the catecholamine and fat storage is increased because insulin increases LPL activity and suppresses HSL activity. Insulin impairs the normal function of beta receptors, which is another form of blocking HSL. With the fat-burning potential of the catecholamine being absent, the fat storage of insulin is increased. In addition, the catecholamine can speed up fat release when they bind to the beta receptors which would increase the HSL activity.

On the other hand, they can slow down fat metabolism when they combine with the alpha receptors. This is one of the main reasons that stubborn fat, which has a higher number of alpha receptors, is harder to shift. Another key point to remember is that the alpha receptors reduce blood flow to the areas that are holding onto the subcutaneous fat.

This will reduce the body’s fat mobilization potential.

Also, GLUT4 is an important hormone transporter. GLUT4 is found in muscle and adipose tissue. It is transported to the plasma membrane as a result of the increased levels of insulin. This helps to move the glucose into the cells, readying them to be broken down and used as a prime energy source. Prolonged levels of insulin and cortisol inhibit GLUT 4 gene transcription and this can result in the reduction of glucose entering into the muscle.

Subsequently, the blood glucose in the body is then stored as fat; which is not very good news for an athlete. Although, labeling points on the body with a particular hormone may not the wisest approach.

For example, testosterone reduces levels of belly fat in men and when too high, can increase belly fat in women. In

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addition, when female bodybuilders take anabolic steroids, their breasts become pectoral muscles and their arms and legs get more muscle mass. This has to do with testosterone’s relationship with estrogen and progesterone and not just testosterone as an independent factor. Insulin and cortisol, however, have a far greater impact on fat metabolism than estrogen and progesterone.

Some simple advice for controlling estrogen levels and weight loss: Control carb intake, as a high-carb diet, will wash away any benefits of estrogen.

Time the eating and training cycle with the client’s menstrual cycle.

Monitor the amount of animal and plant-based estrogen that is being consumed (e.g. dairy, fatty meats, etc.).

Watch the body’s exposure to environmental estrogen through plastic, pesticides, cosmetics, and caffeine Do Not Forget about Testosterone Fat cells are richly saturated with androgen receptors.

Adipose tissue is the key target for testosterone. One of the main roles of testosterone is to augment the density of the beta receptors, and as mentioned previously, they are controlled by catecholamine. If testosterone binds to the adipose cells, it will indirectly burn fat. If the beta receptors are boosted, it takes less catecholamine to burn the fat via lipolysis.

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In biochemical terms, the androstenedione enhances fat sensitivity during lipolysis and some of the androstenedione in the bloodstream is converted into testosterone within the adipose tissue. The sensitizing makeup of testosterone is backed up by the presence of the growth hormone. There is a very clear pathway and the relationship between the catecholamine and HGH in upregulating the beta receptors.

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Testosterone can be a catalyst for the release of HGH, and both hormones have the same metabolic reactions in creating muscle anabolism. Also, testosterone can block fat uptake in the adipose cells. This mechanism can stop fat storage and the catecholamine can only prevent fat release by blocking the fat from entering the cells.

The mitochondria in the cells have testosterone binding sites and these increase the speed at which the fat enters the cells. Again this is controlled by the catecholamine and the rate of entry will determine the amount of fat that is burnt. The higher the increased rate of entry into the mitochondria, the higher the fat-burning potential. The enhanced rate of fat oxidation caused by the catecholamine is very useful, especially during the cutting phase of precompetition. This is the main rationale why competitors use

androgenic fat burners – they are steroid-free.

The Thyroid and Fat Metabolism The thyroid gland is the only endocrine gland that stores its secretory product in large quantities. The thyroid hormones are called thyroxine T4 and triiodothyronine T3. The difference between the two hormones is the number of iodine modules that each has (i.e. T3= 3 iodine molecules and T4=4 iodine molecules). In essence, T3 and T4 are synthesized by attaching iodines to the amino acid tyrosine which is stored and then secreted into the blood. This is stimulated by the presence of TSH and T4 is normally secreted in greater quantities than T3. It should be noted that T3 is several times more powerful than T4 and when T3 circulates in the bloodstream and enters the cells, much of the T4 is converted into T3 by removing one molecule of iodine. T3 is definitely the more active between the two hormones.

The thyroid hormones increase BMR by stimulating the cellular use of ATP. They play a vital role in thermoregulation of the body and in the following metabolic processes: They stimulate protein synthesis.

They increase lipolysis.

They enhance cholesterol excretion in the bile.

They improve the use of glucose for ATP production.

They enhance the actions of the catecholamine because they regulate the beta receptors and block the activity of the alpha receptors.

The activity and size of the thyroid are controlled in two ways: 1. By the level of iodine in the thyroid gland.

2. By a negative feedback loop that involves the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary.

High levels of iodine can suppress the thyroid gland in females have larger thyroid glands than males; as high levels of estrogen can hinder thyroid function. Low levels of T3 stimulate the hypothalamus to secrete TRH and the anterior pituitary to secrete TSH. TRH also informs the anterior pituitary to secrete TSH. At this point, TSH stimulates all of the thyroid gland activity.

The thyroid gland releases T3 and T4 until the metabolic rate returns to normal. It is this negative feedback loop that increases fat metabolism by increasing the use of ATP and energy demand. In addition, the thyroid hormones increase beta-receptor activity and work in opposition to estrogen, making subcutaneous fat less stubborn to burn.

Other factors that affect thyroid function:

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Cortisol is required to sensitize the thyroid receptors.

However, too much or too little cortisol reduces thyroid activity.

Too much or too little iodine can affect thyroid function.

Progesterone aids thyroid function by helping the receptors and having the active conversion of the thyroid hormones.

Excessive caffeine can cause issues with the thyroid, due to its increase in cortisol levels.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause issues with the thyroid.

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PLANNING CHOREOGRAPHY PLANNING

How Do you Develop Group Fitness Choreography?

Freestyle Method

Delivering the result in an organized method is essential.

You need to have a plan and a way to get there. There are a few different ways to arrive at your result. Start with the easiest way for yourself. After gaining experience in the field, you’ll find different ways to deliver the same material.

The Freestyle Method gives an instructor more freedom to create and play with new moves. Freestyling involves movements that are built and sequenced by the instructor during the class, layering as they go. These movements can be sequenced either by using linear progressions or by placing movements into patterns or combinations. Linear movements are easier for instructors to use in the beginning because the movement develops from the prior movement.

Two methods, established by Dr. Lorna Francis, that are very standard are the Structured Method and the Freestyle Method.

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Structured Method

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Dr. Lorna Francis defines the Structured Method as “movements that are formally arranged and repeated in a predetermined order and usually performed to the same piece of music each time the routine is used.” From Judi Sheppard Missett from Jazzercise to Les Mills, this style is predetermined and memorized by the instructor.

Some instructors feel more comfortable with this method because they can trust a team of professionals to find good music and apply safe and effective moves to the music.

Instructors know which moves are performed on which phrases of the music, provided they’re good at memorization. This style is less favorable among creative types who enjoy new choreography frequently.

A great drill for this is the “Follow Me Method” and “Only change one thing at a time.” Candice Copeland Brooks would use these types of drills to teach instructors. One instructor to be would start at the front of the room and start with a march. The instructor would add arms, and then change the arms gradually. Changes need to be progressive and not abrupt so a front raise might turn into bicep curls. The only two rules of these drills would be: 1. Only change one thing at a time.

2. Gradually change the movement.

Being a great leader is very important. Your students will feel so much more successful if they can follow along with you. Also, avoid TMI (Too Much Information). Keep your cueing short and sweet. Only cue when a change is coming up or to give some encouragement or motivation.

Teaching Choreography There are quite a few ways to teach choreography. One way is to teach a movement, for example, step heel in front and repeat. Then add step toe back and repeat. With no arms added yet, put these two movements together.

After the students get the leg movement, add in the arms.

Part A would be the “step heel in front” and Part B would be the “step toe back”.

This is a very basic combination. You could add to the combination by adding Part C and D. If you taught a grapevine for Part C and step touch for Part D and put those two movements together for another small combination. Then, you can place A and B with C and D. Elements of Variation Elements of Variation was a term coined by Candice Copeland Brooks in 1987. To change the look and feel of a movement, Candice described five elements of variation (lever, planar, directional, rhythmic, and intensity). Starting with a base movement we can vary that movement in a few different ways.

For example, if you started with both arms moving straight forward you could change the straight arms into bicep curls, or change the arms to the side with bent elbows and then straight arms. You could also speed up the arm movement or slow it down. You could change both arms at the same time to one arm at a time.

Using this idea, there is a drill to do which I call, “One thing at a time”. Stand in front of the mirror and start with a march. Then add arms and continue to change just “One thing at a time”. This is a great drill for those who are just starting to teach. It also gives instructors a way to think about progressions in a logical method.

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Try it with yourself and then with a buddy. Use all the elements of variation. This is a great way to keep transitions smooth and to have your students follow along.

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Getting Started Learn how to teach an effective warm-up, cardiorespiratory segment (low-high), sculpting, bodyweight exercises, dynamic flexibility, metabolic HIIT bursts, cool-down and stretch with our Group Exercise Instructor.

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IMPROVING YOUR CONFIDENCE FOR BETTER SUCCESS IN BUSINESS

People always wonder about the reasons and factors that lead to success in business. Among the many different factors that lead to success, is a factor that is perhaps overlooked by most entrepreneurs and businesspersons, and that factor is confidence.

If you take a look at some of the most successful entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and many others, you will see that there is one factor that all of them have in common, and that is a high level of confidence. If an entrepreneur is not confident, it can lead to so many missed opportunities and other issues that can bring a business down. A high level of confidence is what sets successful entrepreneurs apart from unsuccessful ones. But the problem is that not all entrepreneurs and business owners are born with high confidence levels. So, it means that steps must be taken to improve the confidence levels in every way possible for better success in business. It is true that a business is as successful as its owner makes it to be.

What Confidence Really Is Confidence basically means being sure of your own abilities and skills and feeling secure about yourself, rather than insecure when around and among other people. Confidence means being at peace with yourself in terms of what you are and what you are capable of. Confidence is the key to success in the business world and every business owner must possess high levels of confidence to truly succeed in business.

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How You Can Improve Your Confidence For Success In Business

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The good news is that confidence can always be improved by taking the right steps and applying the right tactics. The most successful business owners believe in themselves and they also believe in what they are doing, and this is known as confidence. If you focus on the following things, you will be able to improve your confidence and it will ultimately lead towards more success in business.

Get Comfortable Saying “No.” One of the worst things that a business owner can do is to say yes to everything. When you say yes to everything, it leads to a feeling of insecurity and it also leads towards a burn out at some point. In order to truly value your time and your skills, you need to be able to say no to people. Only when you do this, will you be able to improve your

confidence. The best entrepreneurs of the world are well known to value the importance of saying no. When you are able to say no, it means that you are well aware of your skills, talent, and your abilities, which means that you are confident!

Dress Well!

It is true that when you feel good about yourself, you are more confident. So, one of the simplest and the most effective ways of feeling good about yourself is to always dress well! When you look good, you feel good about yourself and this allows you to be more confident! Being more confident can be as simple as dressing well. So, make sure that whatever you do, and wherever you are, you always dress well and look your best.

Accept Your Shortcomings You can’t be good at everything in life and that is a fact.

There will always be things that you won’t be good at. The whole point of being a confident human being is to truly accept your shortcomings and accepting yourself as you are and being aware of the things that you are good at. So, accept your shortcomings in order to truly become comfortable with yourself and you will see a boost in your confidence!

Celebrate Your Wins!

A major mistake that people make is setting goals that are too big and this leads to a feeling of not being successful enough when those goals are not achieved at once. And

such a feeling leads to less confidence and ultimately affects the success of the business in the long run. What you should be doing is to set small goals for yourself and when you achieve them, you should celebrate them to feel a sense of accomplishment. This will not only motivate you to do more but will improve your confidence level a lot!

Positivity Matters A lot In business, things can look very uncertain and risky. And this can lead to a lot of negative feelings which lower the confidence levels. You need to make sure that you stay away from such negative thoughts and focus on the positivity to make sure that you stay motivated and happy.

Positivity will always lead to more confidence and more success in business. So, don’t focus on what could go wrong in business but instead focus on the positive side of things if you want to be more successful in your business.

Keep Learning One of the best ways that you can feel more confident about yourself is to keep learning more. Learning has an extreme effect on confidence levels. When you learn more, you know more and when you know more, you feel confident about yourself! So, all the entrepreneurs and business owners should strive to keep learning regularly about anything and it will surely lead to more confidence and more success in business.

Work on Your Communication Skills Most of the times, business owners and entrepreneurs are confident but they just lack the communication skills that can allow them to show that confidence. Improving your communication skills will allow you to be able to present yourself and connect with others in a good way. Once your communication skills are good, you will feel more confident and this will lead to more success in business.

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Why Business Owners Need To Be Confident

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Business owners are required to believe in what they are doing. If they do not truly believe in themselves, they can’t be good at what they are doing. To succeed in business, business owners and entrepreneurs need to display confidence not only in themselves but also in what they do.

Business owners can miss out on my opportunities due to a lack of confidence. And therefore, it is necessary that all business owners and entrepreneurs should have high levels of confidence if they want to be successful and set themselves apart from others.

So, focus on your confidence and you will see success in your business.

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STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING

BRAIN HEALTH

What is Brain Fitness?

We often hear the phrase “use it or lose it” in reference to brain fitness. With the growing awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, there is a greater concern for maintaining brain function and avoiding disease.

Brain Fitness is the state of brain health and mental wellbeing that makes you “fit” for life and work demands. It’s a fundamental measure of the brain’s ability to function efficiently and effectively during work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist disease.

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Brain fitness can be protected and nurtured by lifestyle, by formal education, by being actively mentally engaged in life, and by targeted practices designed to challenge important mental skills.

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Healthy lifestyle habits including mental stimulation, physical exercise, good nutrition, stress management, and sleep can improve brain fitness. On the other hand, chronic stress, anxiety, depression, aging, decreasing estrogen, excess oxytocin, and prolonged cortisol can decrease brain fitness as well as general health.

How to Improve Your Brain Fitness 1. Play Games Brain fitness programs and games are a wonderful way to

tease and challenge your brain. Suduko, crosswords and electronic games can all improve your brain’s speed and memory. These games rely on logic, word skills, math and more.

2. Meditation Meditation is a powerful practice that can change your brain, improve your life, and the enhance the quality of your life. Daily meditation is perhaps the single greatest thing you can do for your mind/body health. Meditation not only relaxes you, it gives your brain a workout. By creating a different mental state, you engage your brain in new and interesting ways while increasing your brain fitness.2 3. Eat for Your Brain Although there are very few medication drugs that help improve brain health, there are numerous lifestyle changes, food items, and nutrients that can help improve cognition, neuroplasticity, and thus help avert the development of brain diseases. Below are some of the foods to include in your daily diet.

Your brain needs you to eat healthy fats. Focus on fish oils from wild salmon, nuts such as walnuts, seeds such as flaxseed, and olive oil. Eat more of these foods and less saturated fats. Eliminate trans fats completely from your diet.

4. Tell Good Stories Stories are a way that we solidify memories, interpret events, and share moments. Practice telling your stories, both new and old, so that they are interesting, compelling, and fun. Some basic storytelling techniques will go a long way in keeping people’s interest both in you and in what you have to say.

5. Turn Off Your Television The average person watches more than four hours of television every day. Television can stand in the way of relationships, life, and more. Turn off your TV and spend more time living and exercising your mind and body.

6. Exercise Your Body to Exercise Your Brain Numerous studies have shown that regular physical activity is associated with better mental health, including a reduced risk or incidence of dementia, reduced feelings of anxiety and depression, improved cognitive function, improved quality of life, improved sleep. Physical exercise is great brain exercise too. By moving your body, your brain has to

learn new muscle skills, estimate distance, and practice balance. Choose a variety of exercises to challenge your brain.

7. Read Something New Books are portable, free from libraries and filled with infinite interesting characters, information, and facts. Branch out from familiar reading topics. If you usually read history books, try a contemporary novel. Read foreign authors, the classics, and random books. Not only will your brain get a workout by imagining different time periods, cultures, and peoples, you will also have interesting stories to tell about your reading, what it makes you think of and the connections you draw between modern life and the words.

8. Learn a New Skill Learning a new skill works in multiple areas of the brain.

Your memory comes into play, you learn new movements and you associate things differently. Reading Shakespeare, learning to cook, and building an airplane out of toothpicks all will challenge your brain and give you something to think about.

9. Make Simple Changes We love our routines. We have hobbies and pastimes that we could do for hours on end. But the more something is ‘second nature,’ the less our brains have to work to do it. To really help your brain stay young, challenge it. Change routes to the grocery store, use your opposite hand to open doors, and eat dessert first. All this will force your brain to wake up from habits and pay attention again.

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10. Enroll in a Brain Fitness Course Brain training is becoming a trend. A well-functioning brain creates more opportunities for success in each aspect of life. You can now dramatically expand your knowledge of brain optimization through proper training, sleep, nutrition, neuro-conditioning and flow state. Start your career a Certified Brain Fitness Coach.

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