Don't just set them, live them! Find a buddy with like interests or dump your bad influence at least.
Change one habit at a time.
Start with baby steps.
Stick with one thing for at least a few weeks to see how it changes your life, to see if it's worth it, to see if it's doable, so forth. Don't give up after the third day!
Make a point of learning more about your challenges and how to conquer them.
Be supportive, be patient!
Look for positive influences and pick yourself up when the going gets tough!
Lastly, don't set yourself up for failure, don't expose yourself to "dangers", don't be a martyr and a victim... unproductive...
OK, so party on and see you next year!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Trainer vs. Trainee
What constitutes a good trainer?
A good trainer is one who is knowledgeable, personable, versatile, and genuinely interested in delivering results for the client. Punctual and responsible is a must in any service, not just for trainers.
A great trainer is one who's intuitive, comprehensive, supportive and empowering, in addition to having good trainer traits.
What constitutes a good client?
A good client is one who's honest and somewhat educated, has reasonable expectations and gives due diligence relevant to his or her goals. Respectful and dedicated is a must, not just as a client but as a successful and grown up person....
Where do trainers go wrong?
Not listening and properly evaluating the client, indulging the client with their erroneous believes and routines, not being there for them 100%, not adapting to each individual need and goal as a professional, and just simply not having adequate and up to date, comprehensive knowledge to pass on.
Where do clients go wrong?
Not being open and realistic, not being dedicated and focused, not being responsible.
Having long term believes that are counterproductive to their progress, such as: "If I work out I can eat anything" and "Cardio is 20-30 minutes on a cardio machine" and "Weight lifting is going around and using the different machines" and "Training times are not so important, I can skip one or two a week" and "I can spot reduce with the right exercises" and "I can do Pilates to be lean and feminine" and the list goes on and on, just as many of my previous entries tell.
What's the solution?
Have higher standards for trainer qualification, have continuous tests, written and practical for the "old timers" and the "arm curlers".
Educate trainers better on client evaluation and program design, and include some physical therapy stuff to be familiar with injury recovery, or training with prior injuries.
Have aptitude tests for trainers, not just to be qualified by the book, but as a person and character and educator.
Give seminars about the principals of fitness and training instead of just trying to sell training packages; educate potential clients!
Make training more affordable and in a different format so more gym goers can have access to proper training and education.
Why am I talking about this?
Becaaaaaaaaause, I see so much WRONG around me and I feel powerless, trying to address it all. I have a genuine concern for the well being of people in general, and I recognize the importance of my profession; it is extremely sensitive and delicate to have someone rely on us to make lifelong changes and learn the right things to care for their bodies! It is, in a way, as or more important than having a good doctor! A doctor may not impact your life for the long term, but as fitness professionals, we can make or break someone's future and influence their life through their physical well being and likes and dislikes, general knowledge and interest, routines and habits and visions and decisions. So why the low standards and high prices?
Well, this is my rant for the holidays, I wow to become a better person, trainer, and yeah, wife, for the next year, I hope you have set your goals for improvements as well. Be patient, be kind and don't overeat!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
A good trainer is one who is knowledgeable, personable, versatile, and genuinely interested in delivering results for the client. Punctual and responsible is a must in any service, not just for trainers.
A great trainer is one who's intuitive, comprehensive, supportive and empowering, in addition to having good trainer traits.
What constitutes a good client?
A good client is one who's honest and somewhat educated, has reasonable expectations and gives due diligence relevant to his or her goals. Respectful and dedicated is a must, not just as a client but as a successful and grown up person....
Where do trainers go wrong?
Not listening and properly evaluating the client, indulging the client with their erroneous believes and routines, not being there for them 100%, not adapting to each individual need and goal as a professional, and just simply not having adequate and up to date, comprehensive knowledge to pass on.
Where do clients go wrong?
Not being open and realistic, not being dedicated and focused, not being responsible.
Having long term believes that are counterproductive to their progress, such as: "If I work out I can eat anything" and "Cardio is 20-30 minutes on a cardio machine" and "Weight lifting is going around and using the different machines" and "Training times are not so important, I can skip one or two a week" and "I can spot reduce with the right exercises" and "I can do Pilates to be lean and feminine" and the list goes on and on, just as many of my previous entries tell.
What's the solution?
Have higher standards for trainer qualification, have continuous tests, written and practical for the "old timers" and the "arm curlers".
Educate trainers better on client evaluation and program design, and include some physical therapy stuff to be familiar with injury recovery, or training with prior injuries.
Have aptitude tests for trainers, not just to be qualified by the book, but as a person and character and educator.
Give seminars about the principals of fitness and training instead of just trying to sell training packages; educate potential clients!
Make training more affordable and in a different format so more gym goers can have access to proper training and education.
Why am I talking about this?
Becaaaaaaaaause, I see so much WRONG around me and I feel powerless, trying to address it all. I have a genuine concern for the well being of people in general, and I recognize the importance of my profession; it is extremely sensitive and delicate to have someone rely on us to make lifelong changes and learn the right things to care for their bodies! It is, in a way, as or more important than having a good doctor! A doctor may not impact your life for the long term, but as fitness professionals, we can make or break someone's future and influence their life through their physical well being and likes and dislikes, general knowledge and interest, routines and habits and visions and decisions. So why the low standards and high prices?
Well, this is my rant for the holidays, I wow to become a better person, trainer, and yeah, wife, for the next year, I hope you have set your goals for improvements as well. Be patient, be kind and don't overeat!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
still behind
Well, my promise did not hold very well, did it? What can I say, it’s the holidays…
Although we did not make a big deal out of it, no Xmas lights, no tree or decorations, no cards and packaged to mail, and no time to shop. I find that keeping very busy is one strong solitary factor in keeping fit (no time to eat and go out) and saving money (no time to shop). Ok, so I simplify things…
Being in a hurry all of the time may not pay off if you are constantly stressing and end up getting fined for speeding on a regular basis. Radar detector my a…..They are more like bank detectors and hind sight…
Anyway, what to do with all this stress and all the holiday food and parties and so forth?
Portion!!! Portion everything and increase your cardio. It’s a must! I am so psyched to be able to get into a serious training routine again, I had abandoned it all for three months and feel like I am lacking energy and have lost a whole lot of muscle and my girlish shape. I am too vain to let this be so long runs, here we go! Speed training is making a come back too and I am sticking with the weights, even if I have to be at the gym at 5! It’s amazing how quickly we lose conditioning, muscle and cardio alike! Three months will definitely do it but a month alone is absolutely noticeable. I am amazed by how excited I am just to know that my training is starting! It truly is a bad habit to be fit and not one that can be a social one, it takes dedication, consistency, and honest, hard work to get there and maintain one’s fitness level. Reading on the recumbent bike does not qualify for workouts. Slinging around 3 lb dumbbells does not qualify for a workout. Spending x amount of time in the gym and not breaking a sweat does not qualify for a workout.
It’s interesting how individual exertion levels vary according to perception! For instance, I used to visit an elderly friend of mine regularly and accompanied her to doctors appointments and set with her, and heard her say to her doctor when asked about the level of pain she was in that it was a 10. Definitely a 10. What she meant was probably how important her pain should be to the doctor, not the actual intensity of it. Just as my husband was asked in the emergency room about his level of pain after he went down on the motorcycle and broke his arm, he said, well, if I hold it like this it’s a 5 or 6, if you hit it with a hammer it’s a 10. So there. If one does not know what it’s like to strain and struggle to finish a good set of shoulder press, or get light headed after squatting with weight, their perception of their 60lb leg press may be skewed compared to reality. And this is the problem, these guys are removed from reality. They are cruising in a Cadillac while others are riding dirt bikes in the gym. And they come up to me and ask me what they should do differently, and how come, after having worked out for 4 weeks, they still look the same… Stupid people: Spare me!!! It’s like living in denial with an addiction. No, I don’t overeat, I skipped dessert for lunch today! Yes, I work our regularly, go to the gym 5 times a week, three times cardio two times machines, and I still look the same, I even gained a few lbs so I thought to decrease the weights I’m lifting and not get buff!!!
IT’S THE SAME OLD IGNORENT STORY, OVER AND OVER! Do these people live under a rock? It should be prerequisite for every gym member to watch tv, so they would hear from “RELIABLE” sources what it takes to train and stay in shape, and MY GOSH!, to loose weight! But I must close for now and I still owe those links that I promised, they will be up by this weekend, I must go and train some people who are willing to work… BE PATIENT WITH YOUR FELLOW HOLIDAY PEOPLE AND MAKE ALLOWANCES FOR SCREW UPS! For one week…
Although we did not make a big deal out of it, no Xmas lights, no tree or decorations, no cards and packaged to mail, and no time to shop. I find that keeping very busy is one strong solitary factor in keeping fit (no time to eat and go out) and saving money (no time to shop). Ok, so I simplify things…
Being in a hurry all of the time may not pay off if you are constantly stressing and end up getting fined for speeding on a regular basis. Radar detector my a…..They are more like bank detectors and hind sight…
Anyway, what to do with all this stress and all the holiday food and parties and so forth?
Portion!!! Portion everything and increase your cardio. It’s a must! I am so psyched to be able to get into a serious training routine again, I had abandoned it all for three months and feel like I am lacking energy and have lost a whole lot of muscle and my girlish shape. I am too vain to let this be so long runs, here we go! Speed training is making a come back too and I am sticking with the weights, even if I have to be at the gym at 5! It’s amazing how quickly we lose conditioning, muscle and cardio alike! Three months will definitely do it but a month alone is absolutely noticeable. I am amazed by how excited I am just to know that my training is starting! It truly is a bad habit to be fit and not one that can be a social one, it takes dedication, consistency, and honest, hard work to get there and maintain one’s fitness level. Reading on the recumbent bike does not qualify for workouts. Slinging around 3 lb dumbbells does not qualify for a workout. Spending x amount of time in the gym and not breaking a sweat does not qualify for a workout.
It’s interesting how individual exertion levels vary according to perception! For instance, I used to visit an elderly friend of mine regularly and accompanied her to doctors appointments and set with her, and heard her say to her doctor when asked about the level of pain she was in that it was a 10. Definitely a 10. What she meant was probably how important her pain should be to the doctor, not the actual intensity of it. Just as my husband was asked in the emergency room about his level of pain after he went down on the motorcycle and broke his arm, he said, well, if I hold it like this it’s a 5 or 6, if you hit it with a hammer it’s a 10. So there. If one does not know what it’s like to strain and struggle to finish a good set of shoulder press, or get light headed after squatting with weight, their perception of their 60lb leg press may be skewed compared to reality. And this is the problem, these guys are removed from reality. They are cruising in a Cadillac while others are riding dirt bikes in the gym. And they come up to me and ask me what they should do differently, and how come, after having worked out for 4 weeks, they still look the same… Stupid people: Spare me!!! It’s like living in denial with an addiction. No, I don’t overeat, I skipped dessert for lunch today! Yes, I work our regularly, go to the gym 5 times a week, three times cardio two times machines, and I still look the same, I even gained a few lbs so I thought to decrease the weights I’m lifting and not get buff!!!
IT’S THE SAME OLD IGNORENT STORY, OVER AND OVER! Do these people live under a rock? It should be prerequisite for every gym member to watch tv, so they would hear from “RELIABLE” sources what it takes to train and stay in shape, and MY GOSH!, to loose weight! But I must close for now and I still owe those links that I promised, they will be up by this weekend, I must go and train some people who are willing to work… BE PATIENT WITH YOUR FELLOW HOLIDAY PEOPLE AND MAKE ALLOWANCES FOR SCREW UPS! For one week…
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Random Violet
It has been a long trying week. Husband avoided an SUV on his motorcycle by sliding under it and breaking his arm… Dog decided to take a long walk and forgot her way home (found her 2 hrs later though). Wiped my rings off the counter and couldn’t find my wedding bend (still missing) and other losses I don’t want to post on the internet. Then here is finals’ week at the college, my brother had a new baby boy but also contracted a bad flu virus and is home sick with high fever and another sick little boy. I also gave up my boot camp class that I miss already and feel very sad to have left behind… But, we gained a new pet in the form of a feral black cat that brought us a freshly decapitated fat rat and promptly dropped it(s pieces) on the front mat for my doggie to walk all over in, and bring into the house, while dragging bloody clumps of hair on her white paws all the way to her water bowl in the kitchen! Uuuuuuuuugh!
I now have 12 lbs to lose, a dog to tag with a GPS device, a husband to cheer up, a scardycat to feed, and the two finals to take. Much, much better week!!
I had some (yes! Two!) thoughts about people and responsibilities and though I am not an advocate for a police state, I think certain things should really be punishable by law, such as:
- pet owners with obese animals (it is a form of abuse, also very damaging and life shortening)
- kid owners (parent imposters) with obese kids (just poison the kid, why don’t you?)
- pregnant women drunk in public, or better yet, smoking and/or drinking (what would we do if we saw a mother giving a lit cigarette to a 5 year old, or a bottle of booze to a 3 year old? It’s an invisible and tiny person inside the womb – they might not know this…(*)%&*%%$%^)!
- and everyone else who makes me have a bad day and is driving in front of me while keeping the speed limit…(joke)
Now, I will close this post and hope you’ll find in your heart to have some decency, consideration and kindness for others – being it’s the holidays – and start thinking about setting new goals for the new year. I will come back this weekend and leave a great link list about health and fitness articles I have browsed through and want to share. So keep checking back!
I now have 12 lbs to lose, a dog to tag with a GPS device, a husband to cheer up, a scardycat to feed, and the two finals to take. Much, much better week!!
I had some (yes! Two!) thoughts about people and responsibilities and though I am not an advocate for a police state, I think certain things should really be punishable by law, such as:
- pet owners with obese animals (it is a form of abuse, also very damaging and life shortening)
- kid owners (parent imposters) with obese kids (just poison the kid, why don’t you?)
- pregnant women drunk in public, or better yet, smoking and/or drinking (what would we do if we saw a mother giving a lit cigarette to a 5 year old, or a bottle of booze to a 3 year old? It’s an invisible and tiny person inside the womb – they might not know this…(*)%&*%%$%^)!
- and everyone else who makes me have a bad day and is driving in front of me while keeping the speed limit…(joke)
Now, I will close this post and hope you’ll find in your heart to have some decency, consideration and kindness for others – being it’s the holidays – and start thinking about setting new goals for the new year. I will come back this weekend and leave a great link list about health and fitness articles I have browsed through and want to share. So keep checking back!
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