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Group Fitness and Personal Training

Both group fitness and personal training are great things, right?  But have you considered how different they are?

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Growing up I was a dancer.  In fact, my dance company competed a lot at competitions with other dance companies.  What I loved about dance was not learning the technique, or learning the steps, or memorizing the choreography.  I loved performing on stage.

And you know what?  I won.  All. The. Time.  Best facial expressions.  Best costume.  Best role playing.  All this, and I still often forgot the ‘real’ dance stuff.  I was awful at choreography, memorization, and technique.  BUT, I could perform.  And that ALWAYS stole the judges’ hearts. (more…)

By Julie Cates, ago

My Current View On Exercise

Throughout my life, I have held many views on exercise.  Initially, I was a sports performance guy.  Anything that could improve my performance from an athletics standpoint was worth doing.  That was the lens I viewed exercise through. Shortly after that I started focusing on two things:  size and strength.  I wanted to get bigger and I wanted to get stronger.  That was about it. However, now the conversation for me begins and ends with health.  Read more…

By Charlie Cates, ago

AAPTE Coming To Muscle Activation Schaumburg

The Academy of Applied Personal Training Education (AAPTE) has established its first hub (outside of its home in New York) in the Chicago-land area at Muscle Activation Schaumburg!  AAPTE is a nationally accredited certification for the health and fitness professional. Did you know that almost all of the 14 accredited certification programs in the nation are home-study programs?  When I got certified, I bought a book (actually I borrowed my friend’s) and took an exam.  That Read more…

By Julie Cates, ago

Muscle Tutoring

When you exercise, you use the muscles that are working well.  In fact, we do this all the time, even when we are not exercising.  We naturally default to making tasks as easy for ourselves as possible.  Often times, we call this compensation.     Having the ability to compensate is a good thing, especially in the short term.  If you sprain your ankle, it is better to be able to walk with a limp Read more…

By Charlie Cates, ago

Exercising for Entertainment or Exercising for Health?

Do you exercise for your entertainment or for your health?  As a personal trainer in Schaumburg, this is a question I often have to ask. To understand what I am talking about, picture sports.  What is the goal of doing sports?  Winning, beating your previous time, finishing as fast as possible, lifting the most amount of weight, and racing others.  I am going to categorize these goals as ‘external goals.’  All of these ‘external goals’ Read more…

By Julie Cates, ago

Women, Weights, and Wellbeing

Ok ladies, this one’s for you.  As women, I know you are busy with laundry, kids, your professional career, schedules, dinners, meal planning, shopping, getting kids ready, driving and carpooling, tidying the house (should I continue?), etc.   I offer personal training in Schaumburg, IL at a private studio called Muscle Activation Schaumburg.  I see this “lady dilemma” all the time. I am hoping this quick read helps you out! I have put together 3 quick Read more…

By Julie Cates, ago