about CJ
Christopher James Keating is an Assistant Professor at the Catholic University of Murcia, Spain (UCAM). He is a certified exercise physiologist (EP) with the American College of Sports Medicine since 2006 and has been training clients ever since. His research explores the differences between varying exercise interventions in older adults. Specifically, to determine which exercise interventions are best at preventing and/or treating various aspects of chronic and aging-related diseases. His current and future research plans are focused on High-Intensity Interval Training (cycling/cycle ergometer), prevention/treatment of age-related functional decline, and gait analysis in relation to fall risk in older adults.
Chris started his undergraduate studies at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, USA. At Northwestern, Chris studied exercise science where he developed his passion for prescribing exercise in athletes based upon the solid scientific evidence provided in the peer-reviewed literature. During this time Chris started riding a road bike to help maintain a high level of fitness during the wrestling off- season. After becoming an Academic All-American (wrestling) and obtaining his bachelor’s degree at Northwestern College, he continued his studies at Arizona State University. While at Arizona State he became more involved in the cycling community where he began to compete in road races, triathlons, and distance running events. This is when cycling became the primary focus of his training plan.
After Arizona State University Chris started working as an Exercise Physiologist in cardiac rehab and diabetes care. He was also teaching exercise physiology courses as an adjunct faculty member during this time. Simultaneously, Chris was further developing his passion for exercise prescription and training methods. After a few years working and teaching at the university level, Chris knew he needed to obtain his doctoral degree to have a more substantial impact in the field and help athletes of all ages. Chris then took a bold step and moved to Spain with the hopes of obtaining his Ph.D. in Physical Activity and Sport Science. Chris was also able to better understand the cycling culture and community that is so affluent on the Iberian peninsula. He has since completed a second master’s degree in Gerontology and a Ph.D. in Physical Activity and Sport Science.
Chris is still applying the training principles that he learned in his early career but now with more scientific knowledge than ever before. Chris coaches athletes of all ages and abilities but his primary focus is helping adult athletes and individuals new to the sport of cycling become the best they can be.
Chris’ approach to coaching is rooted in the scientific literature yet is very personable; taking the time to get to know each athlete and better understand all aspects of their life. By doing this he can better design customized training plans that make the best use of an athlete’s available time, talents, and resources. Chris uses data analytics to better understand the utility of every training day which allows him to better prescribe exercise at the individual level.
