Looking at charts and data all day can get boring—both for you and the person you work with. While I love data, making charts, and analyzing trends, I sometimes find myself in a rut, and it is sometimes difficult to find, communicate, and display a client’s remarkable progress. I create charts and data visualizations that […]
4 Ways To Graph Physical Activity Data Read More »
The volume of oxygen used during fitness is often referred to as VO2 max. It is an indicator of your aerobic fitness. Higher numbers are better than lower numbers. VO2 max, or maximal oxygen consumption, can change over time with regular physical activity and training. The rate at which it changes depends on various factors,
Targeting VO2 MAX: Two Behavioral Case Studies Read More »
As I sat down for another warmup set, velcro, and lace up my lifting shoes, all the stuff on the ground spoke to me. “Wow, Nick, you’ve changed your environment haven’t you?” Below is a staged photo of all the stuff that I carry in my gym bag, lug around the gym floor, and do
The Workout Environment Shapes Fitness Behavior Over Time Read More »
Weightlifting requires strength, patience, & discipline. Strength because you are building muscle and increasing personal bests. Patience because results take time. And discipline because you have to show up, and engage in lots of behavior, on a consistent schedule. Consistency is all well and good but the frequency at which you contact reinforcement is the
Weightlifting and Schedules of Reinforcement Read More »
Think about any new skill or movement that you want to learn. Do you learn that skill from scratch? How would you start? Where do you begin? You can always google instructional videos, or ask a friend. To methodologically build, refine, and master a skill, there’s another strategy suited for this purpose. Skill development follows
Using a Task Analysis For Health and Fitness Skills Read More »
The Premack principle comes from behavior analysis and it leverages the IF, THEN statement. If I complete Activity A, then I have access to Activity B. The principle works like this: By completing Activity A FIRST, Activity B should reinforce Activity A…and in theory, you should do activity A more often. However, there’s one important
The Premack Principle Applied To Fitness Read More »
Last week, a client came to me with a big decision to make. Jane wanted to buy either a treadmill or an elliptical. With so many differences between the two, we discussed various features, benefits, pros and cons during our weekly meeting. Why the purchase? Jane and I set exercise intensity minutes goals a couple
A Client Asks, “Should I Buy A Treadmill or Elliptical?” Read More »
Exercise scientists established the benefits of physical activity decades ago and publish refinements every day. We’ve heard of the 10,000 step rule and that appears to be a manageable target and easy to remember. However, is that target appropriate for you? A client? To accommodate increased physical activity, several adjustments need to be made to
How To Set Physical Activity Step Goals Read More »
Physical activity guidelines tell us to do this, that, and the other. Engage in 150-300 of moderate to vigorous physical activity weekly Strength train twice per week Sit less every day The formula works (lowers risk for major diseases), yet these tasks are recommended minimum requirements. Want more gains? Want better health outcomes? Then you
Are Exercise Snacks A Viable Fitness Solution? Read More »
Science anyone? Fitness anyone? Are you a fan of science AND fitness? Sometimes, for some of us, we want (or need) a little bit more. When most of think of science applied to fitness, we think of giving muscle samples post-workout, experimenting with nutrition programs, running on a treadmill with a facemask that gathers “VO2
Science, Fitness, and Applied Behavior Analysis: A Prime Read More »
