[The Best] What You Don’t Know About Stretching Might Hurt Your Clients, and More

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Best Content of the Week

I used to post a daily “Morning Mobility” video on my Facebook page. But I started running out of ideas after a few weeks. So I went to YouTube to see if perhaps other fitness experts knew something I didn’t.

What did I discover? The entire fitness world, it seemed, knew things I didn’t. I learned more in a few weeks than I had in my entire career up to that point. I now put a much bigger and more disciplined emphasis on mobility training—for myself as well as my clients.

We never know when these eureka moments are going to pop up in our careers. It might happen today if you immerse yourself in this week’s top article, Justin Farnsworth’s deep dive into the stretching literature. Or if you spend time learning about body image with Girls Gone Strong cofounder Molly Galbraith, Instagram growth strategies with Shanté Cofield, or science vs. bro science with Brad Schoenfeld.

Embrace the learning process, my friend.

— Dani Singer

Best Article

Stretching for Health and Performance: Why Duration Matters — Justin Farnsworth, getppsc.com

Stretching will always be a contentious subject among fitness professionals. Some believe more is better, while others think it’s useless at best, and may even hurt more than it helps. For those of us in that vast middle ground, Justin Farnsworth offers a comprehensive overview of the current science—how stretching can help or impede performance. As for health, he offers one crucial conclusion: “I have never stretched anyone back to health, and neither will you.”

— Shane McLean

GO DEEPER: Should Personal Trainers Stretch Their Clients? by Bob McAtee

Best Video

How to Help Female Clients Improve Their Body Image — Molly Galbraith, NSCA

In this 49-minute presentation, taped at the last pre-COVID NSCA National Conference, Girls Gone Strong owner Molly Galbraith covers a full range of body-image issues that affect not just female clients, but also female fitness pros.

— Esther Avant

GO DEEPER: A Fitness Pro’s Guide to Sexual Harassment, by Molly Galbraith

Best Social Media Post

— Christina Abbey

Best Podcast

Science vs. Bro Science — Fouad Abiad with guest Brad Schoenfeld, Real Bodybuilding Podcast

Brad Schoenfeld brings his unique blend of academic expertise and hands-on experience to this enlightening conversation. There’s no throat-clearing or bantering here. They get right into a conversation that covers gut health, morning cardio, protein intake and timing, the optimal number of meals per day, and much more in this insight-packed episode. One key point: There isn’t much training or nutrition research using high-level bodybuilders as subjects.

— Mike Howard

More Great Fitness Content 

[Article] Building Strong Women Starts With You, Coach — Erica Suter, tonygentilcore.com

[Article] Returning to Exercise After COVID-19 — Alex Hubelbank, mikereinold.com

[Video] Rate of Perceived Exertion vs. Percentage-Based Programs — Alexander Bromley, Empire Barbell

[Social Media] Deadlifting 101 (Not entirely safe for work) — MoveU

[Podcast] Oh, Jillian… — Brad Dieter, MI Take

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