A CERTIFIED National Academy of Sports Medicine personal trainer, Jerry Diaz said before he provides personal training services, he will first inquire about the individual’s fitness goals.
“I then lay out the best possible guide so s/he can safely and progressively meet those goals,” he added.
Diaz, for his part, must continue updating his fitness knowledge to better serve his clients.
“It is my goal to help bring an individual’s fitness level to an optimum performance level,” he added.
While undergoing the EXOS Performance Training Certification Course, Diaz said he learned that a client or an athlete must go through four stages to achieve supreme performance: acquisition, fluency, maintenance, and generalization.
“During the acquisition stage,” he said, “the individual is given an opportunity to learn a new skill such as kettlebell swings, barbell deadlifts, or a proper pullup. In this stage, clients and athletes are learning about perfecting the movement while also studying the purpose of each exercise and their benefits.”
As the trainer, Diaz must observe a person’s alignment and help maintain posture development.
“It is important to be patient while at this stage as it will take about 4-8 weeks to progress to the next stage while avoiding unnecessary injuries,” he added.
In the maintenance stage, the individual already understands the purpose of the movements, and is confident enough to learn other exercises such as rope climbs, muscle up, stability ball pushups, and barbell bench presses while continuing to master previously learned exercise techniques.
This stage, depending on the individual’s consistency, may take around 3-6 weeks, Diaz said.
After mastering the acquisition and maintenance stages, the individual reaches the maintenance level. S/he has already mastered key exercise skills through rigorous and consistent basis.
Diaz said when an individual is already capable of performing in different places and with different equipment, then s/he is already in the generalization stage.
To remain in this stage, a person must regularly and consistently perform exercise movements and avoid regression.
Progression training tips
• Listen to your body. Avoid rushing to do all exercises.
• If you feel like resting, take a power nap or a day off from training.
• Alternate your daily training program to avoid overtraining and injuries.
• Experiment with various fitness approaches. See if it matches your goals.
• Fuel and hydrate.
• Take it one step at a time. There will be more opportunities to reach your ultimate goal.
For professional fitness nutrition inquiries, contact Jerry Diaz through Instagram at @BBJ_Athletics or Facebook.
Jerry Diaz performs a fitness routine at BBJ Athletics Camp.
