James, a proponent of individual design, highlights that the main difference is autonomy. Individual design gives clients programs created specifically for them with the goal of long term health “our goal is to create a gym that our clients can use forever” added James. Group fitness focuses on delivering the cortisol hit clients are looking for and adds to the already short half-life of that methodology.

In this episode, James and Michael jump into why HIIT, even though exceedingly popular, is not the most effective for progressing the aerobic system. James breaks down why HIIT has grown so much in popularity. “Let’s say a client wants to run for 30 minutes straight because of something they have read. So they go out for a run and can only run for a minute and are totally gassed and reach muscle fatigue. So they hop on google and ask how can they build their aerobic system without running long distances. They arrive at HIIT, but what they don’t understand is the compensatory patterns they are developing through this style of training”.

Most group class facilities run the same workout 8 to 10 times a day. This makes for an incredibly long, boring, repetitive, monotonous day for any coach who coaches more than two or three group classes per day. (This is often why coaches choose to be part-time coaches, as coaching the same workout 8 times a day puts them on the fast track to burnout.)

Before you can begin to write a program you must ask yourself why do we need to move? Asking yourself this question is a great way to center yourself back on the purpose of exercising.

If you came directly to this article, please make sure you’ve already boned up on “How To Measure Your Retention Rate” so that you have great context as you read this article. If you’re good to go on that math and what retention even is, let’s press forward.

Personalized fitness is very simply one-to-one coaching. The OPEX method requires coaches to uniquely design each clients fitness experience. An OPEX coach always delivers a comprehensive assessment, frequent consultations, personalized program designs, and holistic nourishment programs catered to the specific client. Personalized fitness coaches differ from amateur coaches because they are true professionals seeking mastery of their craft, they realize that each client is different and treat them as such.

Then she took the OPEX Coach Certificate Program (CCP) in 2015, while simultaneously working with OPEX coach Mike Lee, who was helping her with her personal fitness goals. The combination of what she learned from Lee and from the CCP helped Zapoli rethink the way she thought about diet and nutrition coaching.

The rowing machine has gained popularity as a fitness tool over the last 10 years thanks to its implementation in CrossFit methodology, although rowing itself is one of the oldest sports in the United States. One common test and workout on the rower is the 2000 meter row. Jumping on a row saddle and pulling for 2000 meters as fast as possible is a good way to test mental and fitness capabilities, but in order to prepare for an intense test like this, efficiency and progression must be put into place. Here is how to train for a 2k row. 

Get access to the Free 7-Day OPEX Coaching Course: An Introduction to the OPEX Coaching Certificate Program (CCP) that teaches the business of coaching, how to conduct consultations and assessments, how to write personalized programs, as well as the keys to holistic nourishment plans. When you sign up, you will also receive more than a dozen other resources that will help you help your clients.

From keto to low-carb paleo, high-fat diets are all the rage. But before instructing clients to eat avocados and bacon with abandon, James FitzGerald wants coaches to remember that dietary fat is not a silver bullet. If a client’s long-term goal is to live long and prosper, then there are many factors that must be considered, and fat macros should not be prescribed in a silo.

No matter which camp your clients belong to, sticking to their health and fitness goals during the holidays becomes increasingly difficult. Thankfully, there are a few simple things that you can give your clients to help them both enjoy the holidays and continue to progress towards their goals. Here are The Basic Lifestyle Guidelines, holiday edition.

This past weekend 30 coaches converged on OPEX Fitness HQ for our three-day Immersion. Over the three days, our instructors covered the whole OPEX System of Coaching, cementing what is taught in The OPEX Coaching Certificate Program (CCP) online course. Whether you’re a CCP graduate or a CCP coach on journey, Immersion is a great way to refine your coaching skills and learn from one of the best coaches in the industry.

Aerobic training is a popular subject in the fitness and athletic development industry. If you are a coach you are most likely familiar with the basics of aerobic training, but may have trouble with the application of this knowledge in fitness program design.

At the time of writing this article in late March, COVID-19 is spreading throughout the United States and most of Europe. While some local governments have passed shelter in place ordinances, the full effects of this pandemic have yet to be seen. Here is how OPEX Fitness Founder, James FitzGerald, believes COVID-19 will impact society and the fitness industry.

At the time, 39-year-old Pilhofer owned a CrossFit affiliate—today it’s called MSP Fitness in St. Louis Park, Minnesota—and while he said he learned a lot from the CrossFit methodology, he also found himself seeking educational opportunities outside of CrossFit.

For this to happen, the client needs a solution to his/her problem—to get and stay fit and healthy. The coach needs job fulfillment and an opportunity to make a professional wage so he can have a long-term career in fitness. And the business needs clients and coaches to stick around in order to be profitable.

For this to happen, the client needs a solution to his/her problem—to get and stay fit and healthy. The coach needs job fulfillment and an opportunity to make a professional wage so he can have a long-term career in fitness. And the business needs clients and coaches to stick around in order to be profitable.

We live in a world of instant gratification, Amazon packages show up at our door the day after they’re ordered, and meals are delivered to our homes at a click of a button. Clients are hooked on instant gratification and they bring this same mindset to fitness. You as a coach have probably seen the client James is referring to numerous times, clients that love fitness and want to perform intense exercise even though they do not have the prerequisites skills or strengths. You know as a coach they should not be participating in intense exercise but you feel the need to balance what they want with what they need. But, before you go begin to appease the client James prompts you to try to connect the client with their purpose for doing fitness.

First, FitzGerald dives into why the high-intensity model isn’t for the masses. “If a client’s goal is to truly live a healthy life, climb mountains until they are 90, have sex in the morning, and live pain-free the answer is resistance training and easy aerobic work, not high intensity,” says FitzGerald. But, instead of preaching that truth, the fitness industry sells the sexy high-intensity model.

But which one is more effective? In this blog, we will compare the two and their efficacy, providing you with an answer to whether HIIT or LISS is the best type of cardio.