PART 1: 100 Steps to Plank: Building Abdominal Strength for Every Female Client

100 Steps to Plank is targeted towards personal trainers (encompassing Gym Instructors, Personal Trainers and Group Exercise Instructors) who want to progressively build their clients core fitness levels systematically, particularly when working with women who have experienced abdominal muscle wall changes following pregnancy and childbirth, while protecting the pelvic floor, spine and pelvis. Content covered in the course will help Fitness Professionals apply principles to minimise the injury and maximise the performance of their clients who are in the postnatal year, who have previously had children, or who are postmenopausal.

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In Part 1 of this course you’ll: 

-Explore the roles and function of the abdominal muscle wall for core stability
– Understand the factors that affect the function of a client’s abdominal muscle wall for overall conditioning
– Learn about the effect of previous pregnancy on the abdominal wall and changes to consider for overall conditioning
– Explore rectus abdominus diastasis (RAD) and its effect on muscle function for core stability
– Understand the role of the pelvic floor and it’s interaction with the core and abdominal wall for core stability
– Explore the role of the pelvic floor in the function of the core for overall conditioning
– Explore the research, linking pelvic floor activation with the activation of transverse abdominis for core stability
– Learn common patterns that can disrupt pelvic floor function that instructors can look for in overall conditioning & functional training
– Understand factors that influence the level of core exercises appropriate for some female clients as it relates to overall conditioning
– Explore the concept of preferential recruitment when exercising the abdominal wall in a supine position for overall conditioning
– Understand available client instruction and information resources for fitness professionals relating to overall conditioning
– Learn about the aspects to consider when retraining the abdominal wall following pregnancy, childbirth, and other factors influencing the abdominal wall as it relates to core stability & training
– Understand base positions for testing and assessing the abdominal wall for core stability
– Learn the steps used to test levels of core control and abdominal muscle function for overall conditioning
– Understand abdominal muscle separation and its effect on abdominal muscle wall function for overall conditioning
– Learn about pelvic floor function in relation to continence and pelvic organ support for overall conditioning
– Understand the effect of pregnancy on the pelvic floor and longer term effects for overall conditioning
– Explore ways to protect the pelvic floor while building core recruitment and regaining strength, endurance and abdominal wall function for core stability
– Learn about early progressions of exercise for clients rebuilding their core control from a low level for overall conditioning

Accreditation	Fitness Australia – 5 CECs* / REPs NZ – 5 CPDs (*valid until 05/10/2019)  In order to obtain Fitness Australia CECs, this course must be completed by 05/10/2019
Investment	$129 members / $169 non-members
Delivery mode	Combined online reading and video presentationsPLEASE NOTE: video presentations are delivered online so a fast and reliable internet connection is required
Pre-requisite/s	All attendees should hold at least a Certificate III in Fitness or equivalent
Approx. duration	5 hours
Assessment	Online multiple choice

 Upon successful completion, course participants will:

• Be able to test their clients base core fitness level and then progress abdominal exercises at a level that matches their current level of core control   
• Be able to modify a client’s exercise when their pattern of recruitment in their abdominal wall is incorrect
• Be able to teach clients how to increase the depth of their core recruitment and to build endurance before building up the level, increasing load and adding resistance
• Know how advise a client on how to tune into their current level of pelvic floor fitness
• Know how to protect the pelvic floor from potential strain with high load exercises if the pelvic floor muscles have not fully recovered from previous pregnancy and childbirth
• Know how to screen for abdominal muscle separation
• Be aware of other resources which may be of benefit to clients who specifically need further consideration when rebuilding their core control

This course aims to provide fitness instructors with methods of assessment of the abdominal muscle wall, to particularly meet the needs of clients needing training to rebuild their abdominal wall while also protecting the pelvic floor. This relates to clients who are:

1. Post pregnancy – either in the first 6 months or those returning to fitness for the first time following pregnancy and childbirth.

2. Women who have had children, whose bodies have experienced changes from pregnancy and birth, but who haven’t been fully retrained to build strength and control in their abdominal wall and pelvic floor eg women returning to the gym/fitness once kids are at school. 

3. Older women who may be either post menopausal or post gynaecological surgery, who may have pelvic floor issues and/or a lengthened and weakened abdominal muscle wall.

Who is Dianne Edmonds?
Dianne is a physiotherapist with over 20 years of experience with pregnancy, postnatal and pelvic floor education, treatment and fitness programs. Dianne was the lead physiotherapist and project officer for the Pelvic Floor First project campaign, run by the Continence Foundation of Australia and is a Pelvic Floor First Ambassador. Dianne is the Director and founder of The Pregnancy Centre, and completed her Elite Personal Training course in 2013 via Network.