Okay, so I may not be your personal trainer (and we should address that as well), but there’s a few things that as a professional fitness consultant I would like for you to know. I’d like to address a few of those thoughts and hopefully give you some insights as to the value in personal training and why it can help ease you into the health and fitness world, help you to feel more confident and discover a better self, and take you to that next level in your fitness goals. I’ve found there are many clichés and generalizations when it comes to personal training, just as with every profession out there. To avoid ranting, I’ll name a few.
Yes I use the word “professional” to describe my occupation. Meaning I have the education and experience behind my title that allows me to have not only your best interest in mind when designing a program for you, but additionally recognize what your body needs to not just look and feel good, but function to its highest ability.
I have a passion for what I do and have worked hard to be able to provide you with the program and results you hope to (and ideally will) receive. I didn’t just wake up one day and start training. I attended college and got my degree, earned multiple certifications with extensive testing involved, branched out to expand my education in different aspects of training (including studying yoga abroad in Asia to better understand the alignment and flexibility of the body as well as the connection to the mind and body), and worked for one of the biggest women’s health magazines in the world before I ended up standing in front of you today giving you instructions on how to perform a squat and what exercises to conduct together to help you achieve your health goals.
When I design your program, I design it specifically for you. There’s no “work out of the day” that I give to every client, and I’m not making up your workout as we go. I’ve taken the time to get to know you and your wants/needs and have taken it even further than what an online workout can give you by figuring out what your muscular imbalances are that may be preventing you from reaching your goals or keeping you at a plateau. It’s called “personal” training for a reason.
I didn’t go into my career for the money and I truly have your best interest in mind. Otherwise you’d see me dressed head to toe in LuLu and designer Nikes instead of my $14.99 leggings bargain find at TJ Maxx. I also didn’t go into it so I could make people throw up and feel uncomfortable. I understand that 2 of 3 adults are overweight or obese ( U.S. Department of Health and Services ) and this puts individuals at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, depression, heart disease, and several other diseases including death. Regardless of what you may be thinking while I’m “making” you hold plank for 15 more seconds or give me 10 more burpees, I push you because I want the best for you and for you to feel your best at the end of the day.
Enough with the sap though, there’s a few other things I’d like you to know while we are training.
You sweat. I know it, and you know it. But guess what, so do I! Don’t get self-conscious about it, and if I go to give you a high five (or a hug if you’re that kind of person), take it! It’s my way of showing you I’m proud of the work you’ve done and I’m even more proud that you actually are sweating because that means you’re working hard!
You drink wine and eat not just one slice of cake but occasionally two. First off, I know. But guess what….I do, too! It’s called moderation though, and I’d rather you just be honest and tell me rather than hide it so that if you’re not seeing the results you want to after working your butt off at the gym then we know what other factors to look into.
Yep, nutrition plays about 90% of the game when it comes to why you are or aren’t reaching your goals. What you put in your mouth is going to affect not just your fitness goals but additionally your energy levels, mood, behavior, and yes those love handles. I can have you doing all the ab exercises in the world, and if you aren’t matching your work with the food you consume, those pounds aren’t going to budge. I know, life isn’t fair!
I don’t know everything. Whoo, that took a lot to admit. I ask you questions not because I’m inadequate (I know what muscles you should be feeling it in when you do a squat or a piriformis stretch), but because I realize every body is different therefore requiring different cues or different workouts to help them advance. I ask questions and am constantly researching exercises, nutrition, and the latest studies to stay up to date to make sure I’m supplying you with the highest quality of training and ensuring your trust that while I may not know everything, I’m confident I know what I’m doing.
I look forward to our workouts. The nice thing about my job is I kind of get a say in who I work with and who I don’t. Granted, I want all the business I can get (like I said, I’m not in it for the money so I can’t really choose to be too picky), but I also like to fill my schedule up with people who I enjoy being around so I actually look forward to coming to work. Therefore, I’ll ask you questions about your family, how your job interview went, how Sally’s birthday party was, if you’re still seeing that guy you mentioned last week, and it’s not because I’m prying. I know where the line is drawn, but I want you to enjoy working out and look forward rather than dreading our time together just as I do.
Last but not least I want you to throw celebration bashes more than you bash. Let me rephrase that, I don’t want to hear you bashing at all. Exercising and fitness goals are not easy to accomplish, if they were I would be out of a job. So when you lose an inch, ½ a pound, or even shoot, when you decide to walk your dog for your weekly frozen yogurt trip instead of drive, I commend you! And when I see you get excited about even the smallest gains, I feel like one proud momma.
I have found balance and a passion for life through living a healthy and active lifestyle, and I want to help you find balance in life through our exercises. I want you to know that it is going to take work, drive, sweat, and dedication, but that I realize there has to have some aspect of enjoyment or you’ll get burnt out. And I recognize this because I’m a personal trainer, not a robot with no feelings and no cognitive thoughts behind the exercises I’m throwing at you and thinking you’re incapable of completing. I want you to know you ARE capable of reaching your health and fitness goals and being your best self, and I want to be there along the way celebrating your gains and encouraging you during those challenges because I’m not just your personal trainer, I’m your confidant.
Your Daily Dose of Vitamin B with Genevieve Marie 