Training seniors

[apriliaracing23]

I graduated NPTI this past May and i just got my first job as a personal trainer. The head trainer told me she wants all her trainers to fall into a type of nich of specific clients to kind of become unofficial specialties. She then told me she needs a trainer for male baby boomers. i understand the market for this is huge and could potentialy reap an amazingly large client base. My issue is during school i got over 300 hours of hands on practical training experience but with all younger individuals who were in school with me. Is there any advice on program building some of you guys can give me. Or possibly a website that help in the program design for older adults. I see the other trainers training some older females but it seems like 98% of the workouts involve doing very simple extremly light weights on bosu balls and such. i dont want to have 15 clients all doing bicep curls and shoulder presses with 10 lb dumbells sitting on fizio balls or standing on something that requires a bit more extra balance. thanks in advance for your help

[mydamnself]

Older clients should not be doing bicep curls or anything else that is strengthening their flexor chain. One reason older people (and people in general get pulled forward is a weak posterior chain and stronger flexors that want to be shorter. You need to train the body as one piece. One of the best things you can do for older clients is glute strengthening. What is missing on older men? Glute. Think of it as the 'knot' that holds them up. If you want to train older clients you're really going to have to study, particularly looking at case studies as there are so many different things that can go wrong.
Doing this course http://www.chekinstitute.com/product...t=492&corr=yes
And really listening to what Chek says is the best thing you can do.
I find training people who really need help to be very fulfilling. A lot of trainers have all these ideas about training athletes, and celebrities, and fighters, but in my opinion taking someone who is living in pain every day and freeing them of that pain is more gratifying.

[carl.c]

apirl: The i second the chek recoomendation. One other thing I see as a major weak link in most trainers dealing with seniors is what effect training has on medications.
I'm not saying you give any medical advice but you need to know what medicaines effect heart rate or other medabolic funtions.
you will find many doctors willing to work with you on this with your clients permition.
I have the Physicans desk refreance to help with figuring out what meds do what.

[nickmanzoni]

Thanks to SilverSneakers, we've had such an influx of seniors at my gym it has related to 20% of my clientele. Sure, most of them are once a week-ers, but it's so rewarding to get that "sciatic" pain to dissipate,or increase their over-all energy levels as examples..

[mydamnself]

One quick thing that is of huge import is blood pressure. Squeezing something (barbell, dumbbell, steering wheel) makes your blood pressure go up. So you want to make sure the client doesn't have any current of potential blood pressure issues before you even let them pick up a dumbbell. You can do a lot with some tubing or even some jump stretch bands.