CORE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021

OPS

Summer 2021

CORE

Magazine

OPS Welcome to the SUMMER issue of the

OPS CORE Magazine 2021. With the heat

CORE

this Summer expected to be extreme, it is a

good idea to insure you take an active

approach to Sun Safety. Sunscreen, hats

and covering where you can. Stay Safe,

Have Fun…

03

TRX Education

Move Better - Train Better - Coach Better

CONTENTS

04

08

Optimum Performance Studio

Asias Premier Education and Training Studio

Featured Article

By Derek Ng - Learning on The Job

10

Precision Nutrition

Do Probiotics Really Work?

22

AFAA-GFI

Become an International Certified Group Fitness

Instructor

24

AFAA Ongoing Education

CEUs

36

38

NASM Bundles

Kickstart your career and save BIG!!

FREE FITNESS

ARTICLES

From NASM

Summer 2021

40

42

NASM-CES

NASM Specialisation courses

NASM-CNC

NASM’s Nutrition Certification

OPS CORE SUMMER 2021 ISSUE PG 2

3

OPTIMUM

PERFORMANCE

STUDIO

ASIAS PREMIER EDUCATION & TRAINING FACILITY

WWW.OPSTUDIOHK.COM

4

Our dedicated training studios

and staff offer an intimate,

functionally based training

environment, where both

client and trainer can benefit

from the latest training

technologies and equipment,

in a fun friendly environment.

Call today for more

information 2868 5170

EDUCATE - MOTIVATE - STIMULATE

5

CERTIFIED

PERSONAL

TRAINER

English and Cantonese

courses available 2021

Bookings are NOW OPEN

WHY CHOOSE NASM?

WHAT IS NASM?

The NASM Certified Personal

Trainer, NASM-CPT certification

sets the standard in fitness,

requiring a comprehensive

knowledge of human movement

science, functional assessment,

and program design. In addition to

our NASM-CPT, we offer a

progressive career track with

advanced specialisation and

continuing education courses –

which keep our personal trainers

at the top of their game.

OUR CORE, YOUR STRENGTH

The NASM-CPT program does

more than introduce you to the

fundamentals of training. It sets

you on the path to becoming a

leader in the industry.

At NASM, we want you to succeed.

That’s why our courses are

offered on a variety of formats,

including hands-on learning, self

directed and self-paced study. The

NASM-CPT is one of the most

sought after certifications in the

personal training industry.

ACCELERATE YOUR CAREER

Distinguish yourself from your

peers. Gain specialised

capabilities, and increase your

earning potential.

THE TRAINING MODEL

The OPT model sets NASM apart

from the rest of the industry. From

the beginning, NASM has focused

on developing fitness programs

based on the latest scientific

research, not anecdotal evidence.

That focus on science – facts, not

fads – led to the creation of the

most rigorously tested system

available to fitness professionals

today: the proprietary Optimum

Performance Training (OPT)

model.

The OPT model is a systematic

training reconditioning and

rehabilitation program that covers

the entire body through three

distinct levels that build one into

the next : Stabilisation, Strength

and Power. Most important, the

program works whether you are

training elite, college, high school

or recreational athletes, or

working with general fitness or

club populations.

www.opstudiohk.com

7

Imposter syndrome

- learning on the

job…

Article By

DEREK NG

Getting into the fitness industry can be a daunting task, with its glorification of near perfectly sculpted bodies,

science terminology and oftentimes overcomplicated programs and exercises. Even for those of us who come from

athletic backgrounds, it is easy to feel unnerved at times, when talking to true experts in the field. Knowing how to

train yourself is one thing, but knowing how to train others is another entirely.

Imposter syndrome can kick in hard for new trainers, especially when well established trainers next to

you are discussing advanced concepts together in what would seem like pig latin to the uninitiated. Learning on the

job can be tough enough when you know that simple mistakes can cost you a potential client, let alone the

possibility of injuring a client, but doing it next to seasoned trainers can be downright intimidating, knowing that

prospective clients are most likely making mental comparisons between the two of you. After all, why should the

client choose you over your more experienced counterpart?

Fortunately, there are gyms and trainers who are happy to take on mentees and allow these newer trainers

to shadow them before they officially enter the industry. I myself elected to go through the Joint Dynamics

Mentorship program almost immediately after attaining my NASM CPT, at Optimum Performance Studio, and it

has definitely helped me a ton. Reading and memorising concepts for a test is one thing, but knowing how to put

them into practice, how to structure a session, progress a client, and the soft skills that are all essential to a smooth

flowing session, are something that only time and experience can really teach you.

The Mentorship program at JD allows for an invaluable pressure free environment where you can both see

these in action, and practice them yourself while receiving feedback from some of the best trainers in the industry.

It’s worth pointing out however, that while you could approach this program as a course to complete, merely

checking off the requirements, the returns are so much greater if you really try and spend time there and simply

absorb as much as you can, because as long as you are willing to ask and willing to learn, the JD team are more than

happy to answer and help out.

At the end of the day, I believe that new trainers should try and keep in mind that like any other role, it takes

time and effort to get good at training, and that getting certified is really only the first step. Much like graduating

from medical school with a medical degree doesn’t guarantee that you know how to be a doctor, getting that first

certification in personal training is more like the entry key to the industry than a license to train. Besides, even

doctors require extensive interning at the hospital and learning through shadowing before they are allowed to

practice, and really, your approach to personal training should be no different. Remember to be patient, treat your

education as an investment into your career, and more than anything, don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know

something and be willing to ask. Chances are, your fellow trainers will respect you more for it and your clients will

get better results in the long run.


What are

BCAAs—and

are they worth

it?

Learn the benefits, risks, and

whether they’re right for YOU.

By Helen Kollias, PhD

ARTICLE


JOHN BERARDI PHD, CSCS,

CO-FOUNDER

Dr. Berardi (a.k.a. “JB”) is a co-founder of

Precision Nutrition, which has become the

world’s largest online nutrition coaching and

certification company. He’s an advisor to Apple,

Equinox, Nike, and Titleist, and was recently

selected as one of the 20 smartest coaches in

the world.

I’ve devoted my entire career to making

health and fitness something that’s

achievable and attainable for every type of

person, from every walk of life.


What are BCAAs—and are they

worth it?

By Helen Kollias, PhD

What are BCAAs? | Do BCAAs work? | BCAAs vs whey | BCAAs vs. EAAs |

BCAAs vs food | Bottom line

“Get ripped with BCAAs,” says the company that sells them.

“I took BCAAs and had way more gains,” says guy at the gym.

“Taking BCAAs twice a day helps recovery,” says fit human on Twitter.

With all the talk, it’s enough to make any muscle-conscious person

wonder: Should I be taking a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)

supplement!?

Unless, however, you’re a molecular biologist with a specialty in muscle

development. (That’s me.)

Or you’re someone like Stuart Phillips, PhD, one of the world’s top protein

researchers. He’s the principal investigator at McMaster University’s

protein metabolism lab—one of the most prolific protein metabolism labs

in history, publishing more than 250 research papers that have been cited

more than 32,000 times.

When making BCAA claims, people often cite research from Dr. Phillips’

lab.

Yet Dr. Phillips doesn’t recommend BCAA supplementation—for anything.

So if THE expert on BCAAs doesn’t recommend them, why do so many

people swear by the supplement?

And what other, less expensive options might work just as well or better?

Let’s find out.

What are branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)?

Before we get into what BCAAs are, let’s talk about amino acids in general.

Amino acids are the building blocks for protein. There are 20 different

amino acids, divided into three categories.

Amino acids can be divided into three categories: essential amino

acids, conditionally essential amino acids, and non-essential amino

acids.

Your body can make some amino acids—these are called “non-essential”—

but they have to get others from food. These are called essential amino

acids. Conditionally essential amino acids can be made by the body some of

the time, but not under times of stress—like after a tough workout, or when

you’re sick. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are a subgroup of three

essential amino acids (EAAs):

Isoleucine

Leucine

Valine

Of the three BCAAs, leucine is the most researched, and appears to offer the

biggest physiological benefit. It stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which is

when muscle cells assemble amino acids into proteins. This process is key if

you want to build muscle strength and size.

Around the turn of the millennium, Dr. Phillips was one of several

researchers who helped figure out that leucine was the star of the musclebuilding

show, because of its stimulating effect on protein synthesis.1-4

When his and other studies were published, people in the muscle-building

universe got excited.

Their thinking went like this

But hold up, muscle-building universe—don’t get too excited…Do BCAAs

work?

Probably not—for many reasons. Here we go into just three of them.

Reason #1: Leucine can’t build muscle without other

amino acids.

Here’s an analogy: Think of muscle as a brick wall. Granted, this will be an

unusual wall that someone builds and destroys over and over again—but

visualize a wall nonetheless.

When it comes to building that wall, leucine is the most important brick.

The wall doesn’t get built without it.

But leucine can’t finish the job all by itself. You also need histidine bricks,

lysine bricks, methionine bricks, and many other amino acid bricks

If you only have a pile of leucine bricks? No wall.

If you have a pile of leucine, isoleucine, and valine (the BCAAs)? Still no

wall.

You need bricks from all 20 amino acids.

Bottom line: To build muscle, you need all the amino acids, not just

leucine.

Reason #2: Leucine doesn’t work like lighter fluid.

People wrongly assume: The more leucine (from BCAAs, EAAs, or whole

protein) you take, the more protein synthesis you get. And more protein

synthesis means bigger muscles.

Light those muscles up, baby!

Except the mechanism is more like a dimmer switch, Dr. Phillips explains.

Leucine will turn up the protein synthesis switch—but not indefinitely.

It doesn’t continually make the lights brighter and brighter until it’s just you

and the sun hanging at the gym, getting infinitely more swollen.

Here’s how it actually works:

About 0.5 grams of leucine turns on the lights, initiating muscle protein

synthesis. You’ll find that much in an egg—or any other food that contains at

least 5 grams of complete protein.4 You’ll max your wattage somewhere

around 2-3 grams of leucine, though the exact amount will vary based on

your sex, body size, and age.4-6 You’ll find roughly that much in a meal that

contains ~20-30 grams of complete protein, found in:

3-4 ounces of meat

3-5 eggs

1-2 cups of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese Bottom line: Leucine turns up

muscle protein synthesis, but only to a point.

Reason #3: BCAAs don’t go straight from your mouth to

your muscles.

They first have to make their way through your intestines, and into the

bloodstream. (And many don’t.) Amino acids compete with one another to

enter little doorways (called transporters) to get into the bloodstream. And

they can only use the doors specific to their amino acid type. If you flood your

GI tract with single amino acids from a BCAA supplement, the doors reserved

for single amino acids will get backed up. Instead of your bloodstream, they

end up in your toilet.

15

And the ones that do get into the bloodstream? They still have to find their

way into your muscles. (Again, many don’t.)

That’s because leucine can only get into a muscle cell if another amino acid

(called glutamine) happens to be leaving the muscle at the same time. So if

you have a ton of leucine—and not enough glutamine—leucine either can’t

get into the muscle cell at all or it does so very slowly.

Bottom line: Leucine needs glutamine to effectively get into muscle

cells.

What’s best: BCAAs vs. whey protein vs. EAAs vs. food

Let’s start with the truth, straight from Dr. Phillips’s email to me when I told

him about this story: “BCAAs are a waste of money… kind of sums up my

position.”

Here’s why:

If you want to supplement, spend your money on Essential Amino Acids

(EAAs). You need all of the EAAs to build muscle, not just leucine.

But, for most people, even EAA supplements aren’t necessary. And they may

not be superior to… food. Truth is, we don’t fully understand the complexity of

the interactions between amino acids and other nutrients in the body. It’s

likely that the ratio of amino acids is more important than the absolute

amount of one amino acid or nutrient.

Luckily, we evolved eating whole foods that likely (naturally) have the ratios

we need to function well.

In other words, the best “supplement” may be the one that you slice with a

knife, spear with a fork, and mash between your molars before swallowing.

The #1 source of amino acids

Yogurt, chicken, rice combined with beans, and other protein-rich foods

contain all of the amino acids that most people need for muscle

development. And, they cost less than supplements.

The “just eat real food” approach will work for you if:

✓ You’re ready, willing, and able to eat protein-rich foods throughout the day.

Data shows muscle growth is maximized by a daily protein intake of 1.6-2.2

grams/kilograms (g/kg) body weight. Try to distribute protein throughout the

day, with an intake of about 0.4-0.6 g/kg per meal (assuming you eat about 3-4

meals per day). For specific protein recommendations based on your sex, age,

and body size, use our macros calculator.

✓You’re under age 65. It takes less protein to stimulate protein synthesis when

you’re younger, making it pretty easy to get all you need from food.


Let’s say consuming 1-2 protein portions per meal sounds unlikely. In that case:

Whey protein is your next best option.

As the chart below shows, when compared to other protein powders, whey

contains the most leucine and EAAs per scoop.8,4

17

Whey protein is a great option for:

✓ People who don’t really like protein-rich foods. If you’re not sure if this

describes you, write down what you ate in the last few days. Then check how

many palm-sized portions of protein you tend to eat per meal. If you’re not

getting 1-2 palms of protein per meal, whey might save the day.

✓ You’re trying to lose weight—and you’re hungry. You might want to

periodically mix up a simple whey protein shake to stop the growlies—for

relatively few calories.

✓ You’re 65 or older. Protein needs go up as we age. At the same time, some

older people either feel less hungry or have trouble chewing and digesting

certain protein foods. All of this makes it more difficult to get enough protein

from food alone.

✓ You’re trying to gain muscle while losing fat. Usually, when people gain lean

mass (which includes muscle), they also gain a bit of fat along with it.

Conversely, when they lose fat, they also lose some muscle.

(No one ever said life was fair.) But you might be able to minimize your muscle

loss if you eat more protein while cutting calories, finds research.9

Compared to a steak, whey protein is relatively low calorie, making it easier to

boost your protein consumption without also boosting your calorie intake.

So, if you’re older, or wanting to increase protein consumption in an easy,

calorie-minimal way, whey’s a good protein source to add to the roster.


For the vast majority of people, either whole foods or whey protein offers

everything they need.

But EAAs might be a good option if:

✓ You’re an athlete who’s trying to shed fat for a competition. Whey protein

isn’t calorie-dense. But in those rare situations where every single calorie

counts, it might make sense for you to use EAAs instead, which provide your

muscles with the essential building blocks, at very few calories.

✓ You can’t stomach protein powders. Some people have trouble digesting

whey and other protein powders. Or they could be allergic to dairy. In those

cases, EAAs might be a better option.

✓You don’t mind the flavor of EAAs. Fair warning: they’re bitter.

When should you consume protein? Before, during, or

after exercise?

Maybe you’ve heard that you should consume protein right after a workout—

in order to take advantage of something called “the anabolic window.”

But this is a misinterpretation of the research.

Yes, exercise does make muscles more sensitive to protein synthesis. In

other words, the anabolic window is real. But that window remains wide open

for a long time. Eating meals within two to four hours of your workouts put

you well within it.

And most people, unless they’re fasting, are going to eat within four hours of

a workout.

Bottom line: BCAAs (usually) aren’t worth it.

Even after you read this, maybe you still want to try BCAAs. Or you have a

client who’s itching to experiment with them.

That’s okay!

Because the best way to find out whether anything does or doesn’t work for

you is this: run an experiment.

How to experiment with BCAAs if you really, really want

to try them.

Before you start, decide on a few metrics to track. You could measure your:

Appetite, on a 1 to 10 scale before and after meals.

Weight or girth measurements

Power / strength output at the gym

Jot down your baseline(s).

Then go ahead and start taking BCAAs.

After a few weeks, check back in. How do you feel? What progress are you

making? Is the supplement working? Have you seen a difference? If yes,

keep doing what’s working.

If no, that’s helpful information that could save you some money.

If you’re a coach, or you want to be…

Learning how to coach clients, patients, friends, or family members through

healthy eating and lifestyle changes—in a way that’s personalised for their

unique body, preferences, and circumstances—is both an art and a science.

If you’d like to learn more about both, consider the Precision Nutrition

Level 1 Certification.

19

BECOME A PRECISION

NUTRITION LEVEL I COACH

GAIN INSTANT ACCESS

Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. 21

Want to be the person that changes

peoples lives? Then AFAA Group

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the way to do that…Take a look at

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AFAA ONLINE SELF STUDY

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AFAA Continuing Education.

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ONGOING EDUCATION FOR AFAA

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OPS CORE SUMMER 2019 ISSUE 25


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ONLINE CERTIFICATION

AVAILABLE

NASM-CES

SPECIALIZATION

Everybody finds it hard to continue education, especially in this industry. Thankfully the

trend moving forward is online education. Online education is becoming the industry

standard, so you can learn from the comfort of your own home.

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Did you know that personal trainers who have

their NASM Corrective Exercise Specialization

(NASM-CES) earn 48% more on average than

other personal trainers without the NASM-

CES. That's an amazing pay increase in an

industry where your income is typically

determined by the number of clients you have,

how many sessions they book and how much

they are willing to pay.

NASM’s Corrective Exercise Specialization

applies to all clients, which means you bring

increased value to new and existing

customers. Obtaining the NASM-CES

demonstrates your continued passion and

investment in education, helping you better

establish yourself as a leader in the fitness

industry.

You can also apply the NASM Corrective

Exercise program to clients that are already in

good physical condition but want to do more!

Maybe they are preparing for a race or

competing in a sport. You will have the added

value of making sure they are able to do their

very best, maintain movement efficiency and

help avoid injury as they challenge their bodies

and push the limits.

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