The What Not's & The What to Do's

It is starting to look like Fridays are my day to blog...so without further adieu...

Happy Friday get-fitters!

I've got a week's load of thoughts to share today...so I ask you to buckle up - cause I've got some pretty strong opinions on the field I'll be transitioning into professionally - personal training. 

This morning's session.
Smiling at 6:30am in an empty gym!

I'm going to speak in non-specific terms for confidentiality's sake, but plan to drive my point home either way.

As someone currently on the fast track to becoming a part time personal trainer, one of my anxieties or fears has been what those first few sessions will look like with my first few new clients. I'm the type of person that wants to know everything from the start and full well knowing that is IMPOSSIBLE (and not advisable) - I'm learning to make slow peace with it. I'm learning as much of the fundamentals as I can so that I can at least have solid footing when I make the first step as a paid trainer.

Now - as someone that has worked with a few trainers in my life, I know what I like and what I don't. We all know my love and admiration for Holly Perkins' approach and something I plan to mirror and tweak with my own style, insights and thoughts - but the foundation of how she coaches, trains and empowers her clients is nothing short of remarkable to me. As for the other trainers I've crossed paths with...um, not so much.

And here's why...

There is this thing I'm learning about called the "cookie cutter trainer" - this is the one that regardless of what your fitness assessment answers are, they still "design" for you a plan that is pretty much similar to someone else that may or may NOT be similar to your likes/dislikes and goals. In short, this is NOT cool with me. That defeats the purpose of what you are paying this person to do. If that were the case you could download exercise videos all day long off the internet and make up your own crap. I've worked with these cookie cutter trainers and they didn't pay attention to the weights they were trying to train me with, nor did they educate me on WHY I was doing a certain move and what I should be feeling.

"here's some 15 pound dumb bells, you got this, power through"

One strained should later AND the ignored request to use a lighter weight, I finally put down the 15s and walked over and got my 10s. The trainer (who was "training" a group of us at Planet *******) never even noticed me getting up. We were given all the same exercises to do at varying weights. Which, okay, trainers are a free service at said partially identified place - but you get what you pay for. I eventually stopped going because I was realizing I might be better off on my own working out.

God help me the day a client feels that way about ME.

Next scenario - Smaller gym. Much better facility. Love the place. Adore it. For my trial trainer sessions I am paired with someone who has at least 20 years experience as a trainer. Very knowledgeable, encouraging and provided some great insights during my assessment. Which, in that assessment, shared that I have issues with my KNEES. This is a result of the year and half of running i've been doing. To compensate and compromise I've slowed my pace quite a bit, but a small price to pay as long as I can still run...but i digress...damn that running, I love to blab about it!

ANYWHO - I share this knee issue in my assessment. The trainer's job is to make sure they are not introducing you to exercises that can exacerbate or further injure your already prone to injury areas. Well, despite this trainer's years of training experience, despite the attentiveness during the assessment, weeks later I'm given an exercise that is very hard on my knees and actually causes a twisting/rotating motion at the knee joint.  

Yeah. Um. NO.

So here I am, ending up at home with ice on my knees and praying I can do my 7 mile run because someone that normally is PAID to guide me, empower me and yes challenge me - did not do their homework and in turn temporarily inflamed my injuries.

So, what does all this mean Rachel?

I'll tell you what it means. It means that the fear and anxiety I've been freaking out about suddenly isn't as severe. I KNOW what I am supposed to do as a trainer and I know what I am NOT supposed to do. And here are two examples of people in this industry that I'm sure actually are very good at what they do, but for whatever reason - pressure from gym management, lack of attention to detail (like not double booking sessions...HELLO!???) - whatever the reason - these two individuals gave me the boost I needed to feel more confident in what I will be doing for others.

I also think health "coaching" is a huge piece of this for me. How can I as a professional trainer not tap into the bigger obstacles in play for those I work with? The answer is I have to. It is part of the calling. It is part of what I am meant to do. This isn't about a 10 min warm-up, a 20 resistance training session and 10 min cool down. This is about YOU. And what doing this workout means for you because that is the only way people will ever be consistent. This isn't about just your body - it is about how you live and move through the world.

Ok, ok - I'm getting carried away - I apologize. And maybe because I'm "new" I have all this idealization going on because I don't have the pressures yet that come with that particular job, especially working for a corporation dictating approaches or workload. But, regardless - I know who I am and what I want to bring to the table. 

And as usual, there is no room for compromise, I'm just too damn passionate about what must be done, to not do it!

enjoy your weekends and stay fit,
Rachel