Q and A with Jason Hiatt

Jason Hiatt is a certified health and fitness professional with over 25 years of experience, holding credentials from both the CHEK Institute and ACSM. Since founding JCH Health & Fitness in 1999, he has helped clients of all ages pursue stronger, healthier lives through a personalized and holistic approach. We are excited to feature a Q and A with Jason below!

You’ve been in the industry since the late ‘90s. What is the biggest shift you’ve seen in how athletes approach training and recovery?

In the 90’s the focus on strength training was to isolate a specific muscle and fatigue it to the point of failure….perhaps even beyond failure. In today’s current fitness world the focus is more on applying strength training exercises that improve movement proficiency and overall function.

What’s one common mistake runners make with strength training?

A common mistake I see with runners and strength training is too much volume. The quantity is too much which may affect the quality of the exercise and will most certainly affect their running performance mainly because of soreness and/or fatigue.

What role do mobility and stability play in performance for runners?

Mobility exercises for the hips is very important for runners along with stability exercises for the core. A strong stable trunk combined with mobile hips is ideal for runners.

What does a great week of training look like for one of your athletes?

A great week of training is showing up at the gym for every session with a smile on their faces! Just show up and let’s get after it!

If you could give one piece of advice to every runner over the age of 35, what would it be?

This is an easy answer because of my experience being a 50 year old runner. My one piece of advice is to get consistent sleep….especially during a training cycle. The hardest part to running 35-50 miles a week for any runner over 35 is recovery….and the most part of recovery is sleep!