Requirements
- It is assumed, but not required, that the student have completed a high school (secondary level) science course.
Description
Scientific papers are often perceived as puzzles by the uninitiated reader. University students and faculty frequently have voluntary journal clubs to learn disciplinary dogma from older research and also to collectively review and discuss new research papers and data. Within the fitness industry, trainers and coaches educated outside of academia miss this opportunity. In this course a critical analysis of selected classic papers, unreliable papers, and those that have made their way into popular headlines will be presented, with the intent to enable students to independently read and assess other scientific papers and press reports, then independently decide on those publication’s merits.
This course is presented as a combination of short video lectures accompanied by instructional text. All lecture materials present and explain the basic concepts of science, scientific method, scientific paper structure, and how to understand their basic contents. The student is then presented with five scientific papers, one paired with an online news report of its findings, to read independently and using the principles from the lectures. The intents of the readings are to develop analytical skills that can lead to applying relevant knowledge into practice, and also to learn how to fact check news reports of research against original papers upon which the news report is based. The student is assessed through short quizzes following the student's literary explorations and analyses of original research papers and news article. This is pre-approved for 6 Continuing Education Units (CEU) for CrossFit Level 3 Certified Trainers and Level 4 Coaches.
Who this course is for:
- FItness trainers, coaches, and anyone interested in the science of exercise and sport.
Instructor
Professor Lon Kilgore (PhD) is not your typical coach, personal trainer, writer, scientist, illustrator, or teacher. He has successfully done them all. He was a certifying instructor for USA Weightlifting for more than a decade and a frequent lecturer at events at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He has competed in weightlifting to the national level since 1972 and coached his first athletes from a garage gym to national-championship event medals in 1974. He is a decorated military veteran (sergeant, U.S. Army). His illustration, authorship and co-authorship efforts include the best-selling books “Starting Strength” (first and second editions), “Practical Programming for Strength Training” (first and second editions), “Anatomy without a Scalpel”, “FIT”, “Deconstructing Yoga: A Secular Guide to Learning & Teaching”, "Barbell Sports: Weightlifting-Powerlifting-CrossFit Total", numerous learning resources for the CrossFit instructor training system, magazine columns, academic textbook chapters, and many dozens of research and theoretical journal publications. His professional goal is to provide the best quality, most practical, most accessible and highly affordable educational experiences to sport and fitness professionals through his writing, university work, and his online endeavors. His students have gone on to become highly notable figures in weightlifting, powerlifting, football, cycling, fitness and academia. He has worked in the trenches, as a coach or scientific consultant, with athletes from rank novices to professionals and the Olympic elite, and as a collegiate strength coach. Find out more at the links below.