THE BLOG

For the well-read coach.

Explore articles from the OPEX team on topics ranging from program design to nutrition to fitness business. With blogs added regularly, there’s always something new to learn!

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HOW TO PROGRAM AEROBIC WORKOUTS

Energy system training is a massive subject in the fitness and athletic development industry. While many coaches understand the basics of what energy systems training is, they have trouble with the application of this knowledge in the construction of a fitness program. Here are the basics of creating workouts for the aerobic energy system.

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HOW TO CREATE A BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT PLAN

Bodyweight training is a type of exercise in which the only resistance used is the weight of the person performing it. Bodyweight exercises are done in six movement patterns: bending, squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, and core.

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HOW TO USE METABOLIC CONDITIONING

In the fitness world, the term ‘metabolic conditioning’ is growing in popularity. Popularized by CrossFit gyms, metabolic conditioning workouts  are now mainstream and can be found at your local Gold’s Gym, YMCA, micro gym, and everywhere in between. But with its rise in popularity, the art of progressing metabolic conditioning workouts safely and effectively has been lost. Here are four steps to follow to use metabolic conditioning safely.  

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HOW TO RETAIN FITNESS CLIENTS FOR LIFE

If you’re a coach, you probably agree that working with a new client requires way more energy than working with a veteran you have been coaching for five years.

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HOW TO USE METCONS FOR PACING DEVELOPMENT

Teaching clients to manage their workout pacing to create sustainable and repeatable efforts can be challenging for any coach who lacks the right tools. Despite the challenge, developing this self-awareness and autonomy in clients is incredibly valuable.

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4 WAYS TO PROGRESS WEIGHT TRAINING

Weight training is a fundamental part of exercise. Progressing it seems straightforward enough, just add more weight over time right? However, for some, it can be challenging. Thankfully, below you’ll find four different ways you can progress weight training.

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HOW TO BE A REMOTE HEALTH AND FITNESS COACH

The thought of being able to relax with your feet up in some far away destination while you coach your clients online is enough to make any fitness professional want to become a remote coach. However, while there are many remote coaches in the market only a few manage to succeed in this endeavor. 

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SHOULD I MAKE A CAREER CHANGE TO FITNESS COACHING?

If this is you, and you have been contemplating becoming a personal trainer, or a fitness coach of some sort, it’s worth doing a little bit of research about the pros and cons of the various options you could pursue in the industry.

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3 PROGRAMMING TIPS FOR BUSY CLIENTS

The goal of this article is to provide you with some basic tips to improve efficiency within training programs for busy clients. Ideally, every human being should move every day, but in today’s world that is easier said than done. These basic principles are a great starting point for clients who may have a hard time establishing a base of consistency, when it comes to hitting the gym. This can be applied to any type of client looking to improve their overall health and fitness. 

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WHAT IS TIME UNDER TENSION AND HOW TO USE IT

You’ve probably heard the phrase “time under tension” before. It’s common to hear “it’s the key to growth,” referring to time under tension tossed around the gym. This phrase is commonplace because altering it is a great way to increase the dose-response (effect) of an exercise. But to get the most out of it, one must first understand how much time under tension is needed.

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MASTER YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM FOR MORE CONSISTENT SLEEP

Not getting enough sleep is the worst, we’ve all been there. Whether it’s work or dealing with a newborn there are a plethora of things that fight for attention and move sleep to the back of the priority list. Other than just feeling tired there are numerous things that deteriorate when you are not getting sleep consistently. One of the first things to deteriorate is the balance between the body’s sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. This can be thought of as the body’s balance between stress and rest. When the balance between these two systems gets off track it can cause a host of issues, such as digestion and detox problems stressing the body further than just simple lack of sleep.

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JAMES FITZGERALD'S 2019 REVIEW

As 2020 gets rolling I have decided to take a moment to look back and compile my thoughts about 2019. So much went on last year and it is tough to remember every detail. So instead I broke up my year in review into three different themes.

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HOW CCP BEATS A FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY DEGREE

“CCP exceeded my college education. By a lot,” said 26-year-old McCormick. “CCP really gave me a new perspective: To be less dogmatic. In university, they teach you the way things are, but they don’t do a lot of explaining about why this is the case, or why this might not always be the case.”

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WHAT IS THE STRENGTH CONTINUUM?

You progress the strength continuum from the left to the right, starting with slow and intense contractions and moving to faster and less intense contractions. Developing the strength continuum in this way allows for maximal expression across the continuum over time.

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FROM CLOCK STARTER TO PROFESSIONAL FITNESS COACH

Prior to taking the OPEX Coaching Certificate Program (CCP) and opening his OPEX licensed gym, Burchfield had gained experience in various avenues in the fitness industry. He started personal training in 2011, spent some time coaching small group classes, and then ran a CrossFit gym in North Carolina. While running that gym, Burchfield took CCP and realized, “this is what I want to do long-term,” he explained. 

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WHOOP STRAP REVIEW: FITNESS TRACKER OR FANCY WATCH

This is the WHOOP Strap’s slogan, a wildly popular fitness wearable that straps onto the user’s wrist in place of a watch. Promoted by athletes and influencers alike, this strap tracks daily activity giving users insights into how well their body is recovering and the amount of stress it’s under. 

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HOW TO STREAMLINE DAILY TRAINING SESSIONS

When it comes to creating a training program for your client it can be easy to get lost in detailed long-term planning and periodizing, just to end up overlooking the basics of a daily program. Here are three tips to make sure your client’s daily training session is always focused on the goal.  

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SUCCESSFUL, SUSTAINABLE, AND SCALABLE

When it comes to one-on-one fitness coaching, OPEX Fitness has refined the business model that creates success for coaches, clients, and gym owners. Through building over 70 gyms around the world we have learned what works and what doesn’t. Based on this experience we are now offering an opportunity to own a successful, sustainable, and scalable business model through the OPEX Gyms License Program.  

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