I was going to deliver some training workshops at a conference in Port Seton, down the coast from Edinburgh.  I left my house at 8am, knowing I needed to be at my destination for 9 to have time to set up, and confident that I'd got more than enough time in hand - I even anticipated that for once I might be a good bit early.

The journey was uneventful, the traffic was not too busy at that time on a Saturday morning as I made my way around the city by-pass.  I hit a series of uncomplicated junctions and roundabouts and navigated them with no problems, just needing a cursory glance at my printout of directions from AA's route finder site.  

As I drove down to where Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton all run essentially along the same road by the coast I got to that stage in my journey where I knew I just had to look out for the signs and landmarks my colleagues had told me to aim for.  So I drove, and drove, and drove.  I followed signs for community centres, scooted to likely-looking buildings and anxiously watched the clock as my early arrival was steadily eroded. 

Then.  THEN...I realised that the signs for Prestonpans Community Centre were going to do me no good at all, and the reason I couldn't find the streets on my map of Port Seton was that I was actually driving around Prestonpans and had been for the last 20 minutes. 

How stupid am I?!

This is, according to my good friend Brunette Koala, known as a Malteser moment.  Look at her blog for some more classic examples.  It's good to know there's more than one of us.  Or maybe just quite worrying...

Additionally, we will be holding our Business Technology Analyst Case Interview Workshop on Monday, Oct. 27, from 7-9pm in Kerckhoff Grand Salon. Case interviews are now used by companies around the world to assess analytical skills, problem-solving ability, and interpersonal communications skills coupled with the ability to think quickly under pressure and synthesize findings. This workshop will provide valuable information on how to tackle various case questions and help break down the analysis process. The more practice you have with case interviews, the more success you will have solving them. We will have two Case Mock Interviews at this session (real interview cases we’ve used in the past).

If you are a graduating senior, this is the LAST and ONLY quarter you will be able to recruit with Deloitte Consulting for the Business Technology Analyst position. This is the first step you can take to attain one of the most competitive and rewarding careers available.

Hope to see you there!
Regards,
Tom Uy
Campus Recruiter
Deloitte Consulting LLP

Tel: 213.688.3274
Fax: 213.673.6729
tuy@deloitte.com
www.deloitte.com

350 S. Grand Avenue
Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90071

Mon, Oct 13, 2008
4-7PM
Career Center, Third Floor, Conference Room

Do you like solving problems and thinking “outside of the box?” Are you a team player? Do you like working on multiple projects and enjoy traveling? If you answered “YES” to these questions, a career in consulting could be for you. Come to this popular session to learn more about consulting, what consultants do and the case interview! A panel of professionals will be on hand to share their experiences with a Q&A and networking opportunity to follow. Register now!

Consulting Firms represented include Recruiters from:

* Bain
* Monitor Group
* ZS Associates
* Accenture

Learn about internships available abroad in American embassies and consulates, Washington, D.C. and in New York City at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Must be a U.S. Citizen and at least a junior when starting internship.

Info sessions to be held in Room 200, Career Center

Wednesday, 10/15, 5-6pm
Thursday, 10/16, 12-1pm

Deadlines:
Summer 2009 – November 1, 2008
Fall 2009 – March 1, 2009
Winter 2010 – July 1, 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Washington, DC Program

Washington, D.C. – Winter/Spring/Summer 2009, non-academic program offered through the Career Center. Full-time internships available in Washington, D.C. for winter/spring/summer quarters of 2009. Learn about types of internships, financial resources for internships, housing at the UC Washington Center and much more. Open to full-time enrolled students and to graduating seniors.

Info sessions to be held in Room 200, Career Center:
Tuesday: 10/14, 5-6pm
Thursday: 10/16, 5-6pm

Deadline to apply for Spring 2009 is October 17.
Applications are only available at the info sessions

Find out what your options are after graduation. Look at options such as, Peace Corps, California Fellows Program, JET, New York Urban Fellows Program, other fellowships, teaching English abroad, Gates-Cambridge Scholarship, and much more. Deadlines are very early for some of these programs. You must plan early. These programs are especially geared for UCLA students graduating between fall of 2008 and spring of 2009 or recent grads. All positions have either a stipend or a salary and last anywhere from 6 months, one year or up to two years.

Info sessions to be held in Room 200, Career Center:
Monday, 10/13, 5-6:30pm
Monday, 10/27, 4-5:30pm
Wednesday, 11/12, 5-6:30pm
Tuesday, 11/18, 5-6:30pm

All workshops are held in Covel Commons Room 203 unless otherwise noted. To sign up for a workshop go to  http://my.ucla.edu and login to your personal My.Ucla account. Click the 'Services' button at the top of the page then double click the desired workshop to select day and time. If the workshop is not listed in MyUCLA, there is no need to sign up. For information on the Career Center workshops, visit  www.career.ucla.edu.

Monday, Oct 13

 
12:00  Study Abroad! First Steps Informational Session

4:00  Graduate and Professional School Planning, Career Center

5:00   Obtaining the Right Research Opportunities

6:00   Business & Technology Night, Career Center. By invitation only.

7:00   MCAT and Medical School Applications

Tuesday, Oct 14

1:30  Accounting Minor Admissions Information Session

4:30  Alternatives to Medical School

5:00  Alternatives to Medical School

5:00  Note Taking Techniques

5:00  Study Skills

7:00  How to be Successful in Math/Science Classes

7:00  MCAT and Medical School Applications

7:00  Opportunities in Studying Abroad

Wednesday, Oct 15

12:00  Study Abroad! First Steps Informational Session

4:30  Secrets to Winning College Cash

4:30  Sociology: The Major and What You Can Do With It

5:00  First Generation College Students

5:00  McNair Research Scholars Information Session

7:00  Academic Stress

7:00  Preparing for Medical School

Thursday, Oct 16

4:00 CLICC iMovie Basics

4:30 How to Win Scholarships

4:30  Time Management and Surviving the Quarter System

5:00  How to Get into Top MBA Programs

5:00  Medical School Interviews

5:00  Preparing for Law School

5:30  Memorization Techniques

7:00 Research in the Sciences

7:00  Tips to Graduate School Admissions

Friday, Oct 17

5:00 How to Get Letters of Recommendation for Scholarships

New Babies:  there have been a fair number of babies born over the summer and congratulations go to: Ellen and Tilly, Katherine and Natasha, Liane and Lily, Melanie and Isabelle, Alice and George, Neela and Tilly, Cristina and Chiara, Claire and Merry, Andrea and Ayla, and Erica.  The pictures and birth stories I've received are published in the photo section, if your baby's photo isn't there, please do email and I'll add it. For those who have had your babies but haven't got around to emailing (or don't have my email), congratulations also, and please do feel free to email now to let me know how it all went and send your photos so I can add to the blog gallery.

One-off Sessions with Labour Partners:  Julie Summers, who teaches the Wednesday evening antenatal class at yogahome, runs these regular one-off sessions where you and your labour partner can learn about the process of straight-forward labour. The session includes how to support a woman during labour, suggestions for helpful positions, massage, breathing, how to negotiate a birth plan and get the most from the available services.  The next session is Sunday 2nd November for women with babies due mid/late November and December.  There is also another session planned for Sunday 7th December for those due mid/late December and January.  Sessions run from 6.00-9.30pm and cost £40 per person with labour partner.  If interested, please call Julie on 07956 890825 for further info and to check availability.

Doulas: the topic of hiring a Doula has come up quite frequently in recent classes.  If you're interested in hiring one, you can try www.doula.org.uk where you can use their 'find a doula' search facility, the site also provides loads of info and has a FAQ section. 

Therapies/Treatments: recent recommendations for pregnancy massage have gone to Angel Therapy Rooms, Islington, and Sue Boughton (tel 07811953277), who works out of Shine on Church Street - but for a much cheaper option you can go to her house, just off Newington Green, where she charges £40 and the session is closer to 1h 20mins. Sue also does induction massage, and is a doula. For those suffering from lower back pain, a visit to an Osteopath has been highly recommended by a number of mums-to-be, in particular the Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy in Clerkenwell www.fpo.org.uk. This centre specialises in children and pre/post natal mums, and is donation based.  Please also check out the earlier postings for info on Acupuncture and Homeopathy. 

Taxis to Hospital:  in case anyone is planning to get a taxi to the hospital, I've got a list of 4 companies that are happy to take women in labour. Curiously, Addison Lee don't. But those who will are:   

Imperial Cars - 020 7700 4999 (Caledonian Road)
Angel Express - 020 7704 1234 (133 Essex Road, also known under a few other names)
A&A Car Services - 020 7354 8989 (Upper Street)
Defoe Direct - 020 73354 9999 (Highbury Grove - also called Premier Cars)

Postnatal Classes & Activities:  as more babies have arrived over the summer, thought I'd take the opportunity to remind you of some of the other classes I teach in the area.

• Splashbabies
  On Thursday mornings at Sunstone Gym (Northwold Road) I teach baby and toddler swimming. You don't have to be a member of the gym to come to these classes as they're run by Splashbabies. The classes for new babies (under 6 months) are 11.00 and 12.30 - these courses are very popular and tend to fill up very quickly so if you're interested, do book early. You can find out more at www.splashbabies.co.uk or info@splashbabies.wanadoo.co.uk. I'll bring some leaflets in this Sunday and, of course, feel free to ask me directly if you'd like more info on the courses. 
   
• Postnatal Yoga
  On Monday mornings from 10.30-12.30 I teach the post-natal yoga drop in at yogahome, where we have a 'creche worker', in other words an extra pair of hands to help look after the babies and give you more time to focus on yourself, which as a new mum is very welcome and much needed.

Unsubscribing from the Blog: am aware that there may by now be some of you who had your baby quite a few months ago and for whom the blog is no longer relevant.  Please let me know as soon as you no longer want to receive this and I'll take you off the mailing list. 

Good Luck: as always, am sure the whole class would like to join me in wishing all the best to those who are due in the coming month - Mary (13th October), Jo (16th October), Pippa (17th October), Karen and Anne (19th October), Lucy (21st October), Alex (1st November), and Maya (6th November).  May your labours be smooth and uncomplicated, remember to let us know how it goes and don't forget the pics of your new babies!! I hope I haven’t missed anyone - if I have, apologies, good luck, and please let me know so I can amend.

And finally Goodbye and Good Luck to Melodie: sadly for us, but happily for Melodie, she and family have moved back to Australia, though she's still on her email so hopefully we can remain in touch. It's been a pleasure Melodie and I know everyone from the class would agree and join me in wishing you all the best!!

That’s it from me for now.

Om shanti
Kirsty xx

Intel Events at UCLA

• LBSA Resume Workshop
  • @ Student Activities Center, Rooms 1-3
  • October 16th, 2008 (Thursday) 
  • 6pm-8pm
• Corporate Finance Panel by DSP
  • @ Geology
  • October 20, 2008 (Monday)  
  • 6pm-8pm

Resume Submission

Please use Bruinview on http://www.career.ucla.edu and follow all instructions on the req.  Submit by Oct. 26^th, 2008. 

Will you be in New York on Oct 22nd?  If so, you might want to join me in seeing the master Seth Godin give a new presentation about his new book Tribes!  It's early... 9:15 am, so let's get coffee and hear a great presentation.

Seth's blog:http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/10/waiting-until-t.html

Buy 3 copies of Tribes and get a reserved ticket: http://www.squidoo.com/Tribesevent

Can you tell I am a little excited :)

El passat 3 d’octubre es va celebrar el 5è. WORKSHOP Pirineus de Catalunya, organitzat per la marca Pirineus, gestionada per les entitats turístiques del Patronat Pirineus-Costa Brava de Girona, Diputació de Lleida, Torisme Val d’Aran i Turisme de Catalunya.

Més de cinquanta touroperadors, especialitzats la seva majoria en senderisme, cicloturisme i BTT, activitats aquàtiques, neu i altres esports es van entrevistar amb més de dos centes empreses del territori, en el cas del Pallars Sobirà van estar presents hotels, càmpings, empreses d’esports d’aventura i consorcis, que van estar d’acord en afirmar que un cop més el WORKSHOP havia estat un èxit i que motls dels assistents ja havien tancat contractes amb els responsables de les empreses.

Per a més informació del sistema de funcionament d’un WORKSHOP us convidem a visitar la web oficial de la Marca Pirineus i saber que la consultoria encarregada de la marca està a la disposició dels empresaris.

TURISME PALLARS SOBIRÂ va estar present amb una taula pròpia comarcal on s’oferien dossiers amb tota la informació, donant recolzament a les empreses assistents amb llistats d’incentius, serveis, horaris, atractius turístics, instal.lacions, etc.

Per a participar en pròximes edicions de workshops, no només el que s’organitza als Pirineus, us podeu posar en contacte amb l’Oficina comarcal de Turisme del Pallars Sobirà, al tel. 973 621 002 o via e-mail: turisme@pallarssobira.info.

On the other hand, no two concrete garages have to be alike due to the array of items on offer. 

Back to basics, once a design of garage is chosen you maybe presented with a choice of finishes. By default a majority of concrete sectional buildings are supplied in spar wall chippings or ‘pebbledash’ finishes. The spar and particularly the larger Classic spar contain numerous colours that do tend to blend in well in most environments. On the other hand you may choose prefabricated and factory applied brick effect or on-site application. In these instances viewing is recommended particularly if the supplier offers only a limited choice of colours and textures.

Decided on a basic design and wall finish, loosely you are looking at two categories; security and lifestyle options (although the two cross-over in some instances).

Security is often the very reason why you have chosen to replace or add a concrete garage to your property, perhaps you have just bought a new car or motorbike or wish to move appliances and tools from the house or garden shed? In any instance some precautions can be taken without ever parting with any further money. 1/ Regardless of the number of locking points ensure that your garage door is secured within a steel fabricated frame. 2/ When selecting a brand of concrete garage make sure that the main and access doors have flush mounted and quite separate locks from the handles. 3/ Think very seriously as to whether the window and the position of window make the garage vulnerable.

Further security additions can frosted and wired glass windows, 4-point door and 3-point access door locking points, laminated glass and remarkably an automatic garage door motor.

One would imagine that a surely a luxury such as an automatic garage door opener would not be classified as a security measure? but think again. Have you ever tried to push a car when it is in gear? Take this analogy to lifting a garage door attached to a motor.

Lifestyle, well lets face it, maintenance free. Much of the technology which makes our life easier such as PVC windows and fascias can be added onto a new concrete garage. Likewise PVC technology allows for a variety of colours and finishes including mahogany and light-oak woodgrain and stylish white PVC. In some instances these same finishes extend to the main doors be it using a technology different to PVC. Metalwork such as the main and side doors is generally supplied in durable white powder-coated finishes which will last a lifetime. Avoid steel Plastisol finishes as the lighter colours (particular white) fade quickly and require reapplication of paint.

Consider changes in door style and operation, whether brick front posts and the available finishes are complimentary to your property or if you would prefer a tile effect or coloured roof. Again, a word of warning it is no coincidence that steel roofs are often supplied under-lined or with anti-condensation treatments, they may also be noisier than their fibre-cement counterparts.

Nicolas Paice has almost 20yrs retail experience with concrete sectional buildings and with all the market leading brands. He lives near Sheffield and manages one of the regions largest display centres. Read about their range at http://www.4concretegarages.com/garages_readabouttherange.asp and obtain a garage price instantly.

All workshops will be held at the Plays & Players Theater, 1714 Delancey St. The cost is $50 and they will be 3 hours in length.

If you are a PHIF4 performer, you will receive an email pointing you to a page where you can register at a 30% discount. You can also emailfor the link.

Friday, Nov. 14th

Starting Out Strong
Instructor: Bill Binder
Friday, 11/14 @ 10AM

The beginnings of shows should be more than a chance to create chaos or fulfill some requirement of your format. Those beginning minutes of a show are a chance to check in with your ensemble, to find and agree on the focus and direction of your show, and hopefully, to invite the audience to come on the journey with you rather than confusing them. This workshop uses techniques to unify and strengthen your ensemble's openings.

Deal With It
Instructor: Mark Grenier
Friday, 11/14 @ 2PM

As improvisers, we often expect others to play by certain rules and we get frustrated when teammates don't meet our expectations. Sometimes we need a reminder that the improviser's job is to accept - to accept everything and to embrace every contribution as a gift. Your ability to "yes and" is truly tested when encountering the unusual, the unexpected, and the undesired. Well, in this workshop you'll be confronted with the things you may despise – questions, denials, curve balls, poor listening, bad object work, selfish partners, and complete stupidity – and you'll learn ways to not just accept it but to make magic out of it. Stop wishing for the ideal partner and deal with it!

Breaking Out the Scene
Instructor: Asaf Ronen
Friday, 11/14 @ 2PM

Learn how to go beyond the linear storytelling of improvisation by incorporating editing and presentation techniques appropriated from independent films like Amelié, The Royal Tenenbaums and Reservoir Dogs. Techniques will be shown on developing a group's awareness to all the possibilities that are available to a group at any given moment in an improv scene including ways to build mood, theme and character.

Saturday, Nov. 15th

MadSkillz
Instructor: Rene Duquesnoy
Saturday, 11/15 @ 10AM

Learn how to rap for an improv show. Rene Duquesnoy, creator of the hiphop improv show The Beatbox, will teach freestyling techniques, short-form rap games (like Rap Line, Beastie Rap, and Audience & Hammer Time) and different effects used in The Beatbox. Learn how to enhance a scene by adding quick hiphop tricks. This class will help longform and shortform improvisers alike.

Advanced Dialogue Techniques
Instructor: Kevin Patrick Robbins
Saturday, 11/15 @ 10AM and/or 2PM

Learn to economize your dialogue and strip out unnecessary exposition, explanations and justifications. A variety of dialogue techniques will be explored that will improve your scene work, lead to more relationship-driven scenes, and some that just make your scenes cooler.

You can choose to take this at either time slot individually or combine them for a six hour dialogue intensive.

Improv Diagnostics
Instructor: Asaf Ronen
Saturday, 11/15 @ 2PM

No lesson plans. Instead, the focus is on pinpointing the individual students' tendencies. Find out what your strengths are and where you could explore further. Working in a non-stop series of short, quick scenes, you will learn what your patterns are and how to break them through personalized challenges. Maximized stage time guaranteed. Great for beginners who want to develop new skills and for professionals who want to keep fresh.

-------------------------------------------
PHIF is also offering a Special Student Pass for $50 that gets you full access to all shows and a 30% discount on workshops. Signup before 10/20 and you'll also get a free PHIF4 tshirt!

Questions can be directed to workshops@phif.org

Emilie had recently done something revolutionary in the industry with her wedding video testimonials.

• Structuring your modules
• Writing clear objectives
• Innovative assessment

Target audience

• Novices and advanced
• Academics, general staff -- everyone welcome!

Overview
A no-WebCT workshop that will give you practical ways of improving your delivery of your online or web-enhanced courses.

Presenter: Meg Poore, CAP/CASS Education Design Studio

Details:
Fri, 17 Oct, 12 noon, CRISP G018
Mon, 20 Oct, 1 am, CRISP G018 (Repeat)

Sign up: You don't have to sign up for this session, but if you let us know you're coming via our wiki, it helps us with photocopying and other preparation. Otherwise, just feel free to come along!

Part of the Learning Futures series.

• Blogging in education
• Ideas for practice
• Considerations
• Assessing student blogs
• Privacy, security, copyright

Target audience

• Those who have completed Setting up your blog and those who just want to learn more about the teaching side of using blogs.
• Academics, general staff -- everyone welcome! Tell your friends!

Overview
This workshop explores the power of blogs and blogging in education and gives you things to think about when using blogs with your class. I'll show you how to use blogs as a critically reflective tool in your teaching, both with and for your students.

Presenter: Meg Poore, CAP/CASS Education Design Studio

Details:
Tues, 14 Oct, 11 am, CRISP G018
Thurs, 16 Oct, 1 pm, CRISP G018 (Repeat)

Sign up: You don't have to sign up for this session, but if you let us know you're coming via our wiki, it helps us with photocopying and other preparation. Otherwise, just feel free to come along!

Part of the Learning Futures series.

Marketing that works is also based on creating a relationship between yourself and your client or audience. You aren't just trying to convince them to buy a product from you or even a service. You're also asking them to create a relationship with you, and of course the strength of any relationship is based on how each party treat's each other.

So what makes a relationship in marketing:

1. Respect: Respect for yourself and your services and respect for the people you interact with. Whether it's someone coming up to you to have a book signed, or someone trying your services out for the 50th time, you want those people to come back and respect definitely factors into it.
2. Communication: Communication is a two way street. The quality of communication however depends on how careful people are when they drive on that street. Taking time to be clear and coherent can save you time down the line.
3. Trust: Following through on what you promise to do is how you show someone that you're willing to look out for him or her.
4. Consistency: Be consistent in your actions and words

Following these simple guidelines will show people that you're willing to create a relationship with them. They will realize that they aren't just numbers to you, that in fact you care about them and their welfare.

Much like hospitality, and a friendship, a marketing relationship is based on taking care of the people you work for.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for:

the opportunity to see good friends

The opportunity to have good conversation

My clients and their faith in me.

I consciously commit to:

Being the best coach I can be

Honoring my commitments

Believing in my clients.

What are you thankful for? What are you willing to commit to?

Last Chance to Register for How to Market and Publish your Book!

This is your last chance to register for the how to publish and market your book series of teleclasses I'm offering.

In this class we'll be focusing on:

The differences between small press, big publishers, and DIY publishing
How to get in touch with three potentials audiences for your book: The Agent, the publisher, and the readers
How to successfully market your book on a small budget
and much more

All for the low cost of $250 AND if you don't learn anything knew about marketing or publishing your book in the first class, I'll refund you your tuition minus the 50 dollar classroom fee!

To register please go to http://www.imagineyourreality.com/schedule.html

NESTA News – September/October 2008

 In this issue:

• Business Tip: VAK Training
• Training Tip: Toy Time - Using Various Tools in Training
• Training Connections: Additional Opportunities for new and current NESTA students
• Live Training: NESTA PFT and Continuing Education Workshops
• Job Openings for Trainers, Coaches and Instructors

 Business Tip: VAK Training

From John Spencer Ellis, CEO

 If you want to be a successful trainer, you must love what you do and you must be confident and outgoing in your efforts to share that passion and enthusiasm with current potential clients. 

 You should have professional looking business cards, wear appropriate clothing and come to work early, looking like a professional trainer with your workouts planned in advance.

 But when it comes time to train, you must become a VAK trainer.  VAK stands for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

 1)    Visual – you must be seen moving at all times.  Your client must see you moving and not standing in one place to know that you are involved in the workout and that you are truly observing him or her from every assessment angle.  If your client is moving, in some capacity so are you.  If they are standing, so are you, and so on.  You must also move in order to keep yourself alert and attentive as it is often difficult to do so early in the morning or late in the day (energy drinks are not the answer!).  Potential clients or passersby will also see your active involvement and be more likely to approach you or seek your services at a down moment.  Just don’t circle repeatedly around your client like a shark.  Move with a purpose and goal in mind.

2)    Auditory – you must continually be heard (in close proximity, not across the gym) providing direction, giving motivational comments and encouraging your client.  This will also keep you alert and involved in the training process.  Counting reps out loud is not what we are talking about here (after all, you should be timing the sets, not counting reps). Yelling and clapping profusely is great for coaching teams or large group training, but not in a gym environment with a lot of people who are not there to hear your “YEAH, BABY!” comments or standing ovations unless they are only a few feet away or someone just broke an incredible milestone.  Be loud enough for those close by to benefit from, not be bothered by, your teaching direction and coaching encouragement.

3)    Kinesthetic – you must continually make your physical presence known.  This can mean utilizing an open hand, fist or fingertips to help a client understand what muscles are intended to be involved or the direction of joint movement.  It should be obvious, but you only need to put your hands on your client for enough time for them to understand the intent of the exercise or direction of motion.  It can also be to remind your client which muscles should not be active.  If you do not feel comfortable placing your hands on your client(s) or your facility forbids such physical contact, this will limit your ability to teach your client, but you must then find alternative means for teaching and guiding verbally and visually.  You must be professional, clear, and concise.  Don’t waste time and this is not an opportunity to massage your client as this is not within your scope of practice. 

 Finally, you can often interpret whether your client is primarily visual, auditory, or kinesthetic by his/her language, talking speed, tone, and mannerisms.  You must pay attention and listen closely and carefully not just to what your client says, but how your client says it.  Once you have discovered this, training becomes easier.

 For more information on how to teach, guide, and communicate with your clients, gain new clients, and retain all of your clients for the long term, consider Spencer Institute’s coaching programs at http://www.spencerinstitute.com/ourprograms.html.  You may also refer to your NESTA PFT manual.  Don’t have an updated manual?  Order or upgrade at www.nestapft.com or by calling 1-877-348-6692.  Learn from your clients as they learn from you.

Training Tip: Toy Time - Using Various Tools in Training

From Mark Baines, Senior Vice President of Program Development

 In training, you have various forms of resistance available to you.  Here are a few with various rationales for inclusion in your programming along with descriptions on improper usage.

• Dumbbells (DBs) – gravity is the main force of resistance, so your motion must directly oppose gravity if you are to involve the intended musculature with joint movement.  DBs are great tools to use at almost any point in training with your client.  They require sufficient coordination and are particularly effective when your client has movement imbalances on one side of the body as DBs allow open chain movement where one limb can move without affecting the other.  Always train with a weight low enough that the weaker side or limb can control the load and achieve the desired range of motion.
• Barbells (BBs) – similar to DBs with the exception that your hands are fixed to a bar.  For this reason, BBs are not advisable when a person has a strong imbalance of strength or size difference from one limb/side to another.  BBs also can create some challenges with strain on the wrists as it is imperative that the wrists remain in a neutral position with a strong grip on the bar at all times, whenever possible.  The wrists are not meant to move under great loads.
• Cables – cables also require a great deal of coordination and control to gain the benefits of cable resistance.  Since almost any angle can be achieved with a cable and pulley, it is imperative that the movement be understood and clear.  It is not ok to merely duplicate how a person moves in real life.  The resistance profile of a bodyweight movement is not necessarily the same as the same movement with cable resistance.  It is imperative that you teach your clients how to move properly in the gym so that this movement efficiency translates to real life movement. 
• Bosu balls, balance boards, dyna discs, airex pads, etc. – your client must have mastered a posture (body position) or movement on the ground or a stable surface before progressing to an unstable one.  Too many times trainers are looking for something new and a client is put on an unstable surface where he/she cannot perform the movement correctly.  If the movement cannot be accomplished efficiently and effectively, the client is not ready for the unstable tool.  Don’t get carried away with multiple joint actions on such a surface either.  More unstable on an unstable surface is not necessarily better, it is just another tool, and it is a tool that must be used wisely with a client who already has good balance.  You cannot teach balance effectively on an unstable surface, it will merely hide one’s deficiencies making the strong muscles stronger and the weaker muscles weaker.  These tools are great for teaching greater postural balance and movement control, but control must be present in the exercise.  Furthermore, you cannot and must not put a client on an unstable surface JUST because it is different or is a “cool’ concept.
• Therabands, tubing, etc. – bands and tubing are great forms of resistance in that they can be attached to almost anything and used almost anywhere.  However, it must be understood that a band or tube will go from a very small resistance to an almost immovable resistance in a hurry.  You must find a band or tube with an appropriate level of resistance for the client to be able to perform the entire goal range of motion (ROM) effectively (you must know what the goal ROM is!).  You can also double up on smaller bands and tubes to allow for greater range of motion with less end range resistance compared to higher tension choices.
• Medicine balls (MBs) - medicine balls are great for light resistance once a client has “mastered” a movement (you decide what “mastery” is for each individual client as it will vary from one person to the next) such as a squat, deadlift, pushup or crunch.  MBs are also great tools for training power in overhead, chest, chopping, lifting, and side throwing motions or for simply adding some fun to exercise and the training session (as long as movement efficiency is not lost!).  It is imperative that medicine ball weight not exceed 5k/12lbs for throwing motions in order to achieve both speed and efficiency of movement without undue strain (always start with 1k/2.2lb MBs).  Medicine balls used for strength can increase in weight with slower movements under control.  Once again, it is imperative that your client “master” the motion before using medicine balls as a form of resistance.

 These are but a few tools with a few ideas for training and exercise application.

 For more information about utilizing these and other exercise tools to fit your clients’ goals, consult your NESTA PFT manual or Elite Training Specialist program.  Don’t have an updated manual?  Call 1-877-348-6692 or got to www.NESTApft.com and order yours today.  For more information on the Elite Training Specialist program go to http://www.nestacertified.com/elite-personal-trainer-program.html. Take care of your clients and they will take care of you!

 Training Connections: Additional Opportunities for new and current NESTA students

NESTA, in conjunction with Future Films, wants to help you earn up to $5000 to $10,000 per month doing Motion DNA Testing!

Have you been struggling to make ends meet as a trainer at a gym? Are you currently making near or below the industry average of $30,000 annually as a fitness professional? Do you want to earn $3,000, $5,000 even $10,000 per month as a trainer to athletes, weight loss seekers, or clients who suffer from personal injuries?  Future Films, Inc., is seeking experienced and non-experienced fitness and sports performance professionals to expand its athlete and non-athlete Motion DNA testing programs. To learn more about this exciting cutting edge opportunity...and how you can immediately start to earn what you're worth doing what you love...attend one of the scheduled FREE Webinars in the coming days (http://www.motiondnaonline.com).  Spaces are limited at each webinar, so don't get left out!

Live Training: NESTA PFT and Continuing Education Workshops

From The NESTA Live Instruction Team

 The link for the NESTA live workshop schedule in the coming months can be found below. If you do not see a workshop scheduled in your area any time soon, please contact Dave@nestacertified.com.  NESTA currently provides live, hands-on training workshops in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Washington (FL and OR coming soon).  In most cases, in order to hold a NESTA workshop there must be at least 30 attendees or the workshop may be postponed to a later date or alternate location.  We realize that live hands-on training is perhaps the most useful form of training for any professional.  Please be sure to sign up early as workshops often sell out. Let us know how we can be of greater service to you.

 In addition to our PFT Workshops, NESTA is currently planning on holding the following one-day, hands-on workshops:

·      Advanced Program Design

·      Business Training for Personal Trainers

 Are you interested in attending such a workshop? Would you like to attend one with a different focus?  Please let us know by emailing Dave@NESTAcertified.com and we will do our best to schedule one in your state or closest geographic location.

 Nothing beats a combination of live training with solid distance education.  Sign up now at http://www.nestacertified.com/workshop-schedule.html.

 Job Openings for Trainers, Coaches and Instructors

From Everyone at NESTA wishing you great success

If you are NESTA certified or have a NESTA specialization and are looking for a job or position in your local area, start here.  NESTA wants you to be successful and find a place that you can further your career as a fitness professional in an environment that best suits your needs.  Your dream job may be closer than you think!

 Go to www.nestacertified.com/jobs.html for updates job availability and get working now.

Workshop tip: Do you ever suspect student work of being plagiarized from on-line sources but have no way to prove it? In the video below, I explain a quick and easy trick to detect plagiarism using the Google search engine. The video is a two minute excerpt from the the Pearson Adult Career Centre (PACC) "Exploring ICT Resources" workshop that was given on October 8th, 2008.

Video Tutorial: To see an on-line video of how to detect plagiarism, click the large play button below:

Come learn more about APA style for your papers and publications!

I was delighted to be accepted as one of the artists for Arts on the Move. This is a new project co ordinated by Rachael Cox for Birmingham City Council. It provides a mobile arts units that will tour to a range of events across the city over the next few months. There will be a selection of artists working in all kinds of media, offering their skills.

It's really exciting to have this facility. Among other things I hope to be bringing mask making to a space near you in the not too distant future. :)