Julia - as always, I love your responses. Thank you.
I continue to be amazed that my first trainer was so wonderful. I signed up with the only gym in the small town of Columbus and they suggested I hire Stephanie since she is so good with newbies. Little did I know that I would get a trainer who was a nurse by training and who loved anatomy and kinesiology. She was always on the lookout for what I needed or would benefit from. She kept the workouts fresh and had me working out in all areas of the gym from the very beginning. She gave me homework I could do at home or when traveling that only required a chair or a mat on the floor. And then she followed up to make sure I was doing what she thought I needed. She was completely involved in my workouts and totally invested in my accomplishments. She shared her enthusiasm for the exercise and despite my initial assumption that all exercise would be horrible, she taught me to love every bit of it - even the specific machines/exercises that I hated. I could always see how I was progressing and why doing the exercises I hated were so important. She taught me to revel in the process.
It already sounds like you've learned a lot from Trainer #1, about using equipment and the intro stuff, so you can continue to make progress in the gym while you look.
I’ve fired my Chiro and Physio as well. I have to do my own research into what works for me. No one seemed to be able to help me recover from a hip injury but after months I have figured it out and I am finally recovering. I am learning to trust my own instincts.
Agree! Fire him! As a wellness professional (trainer, health coach and instructor), I can tell this person does not have this clients best interest in mind. This should be a 2 way relationship and there should be interviews, assessments, and goal setting and a plan to meet them! There are many qualified professionals out there and I also would suggest to find one that has proper certifications (people who have to take a test and continually learn through education yearly). You can find reputable organizations like ACE (American council on exercise), NASM, ACSM, and ISSA. There’s a Canadian organization also I don’t remember the name. All or most of these have a Find-a-trainer tool where you can search your area. Meet with a few, interview them and find one that listens, and hopefully then have a long term successful relationship with them.
Thanks Julia and Penny. This is an important message, first that we can make big changes by beginning to exercise at any age and that it's important to find the right fit with your coach or mentor.
I really didn't stop to think about it that much, which means I've mostly either been lucky or stupid, until Penny wrote this. Either way, it's good information.
Hear, hear! You certainly don't need to spend money just to hear someone exhort you to do "one more rep!" But real, targeted expertise: that's worth paying for, if not always easy to find.
Julia - as always, I love your responses. Thank you.
I continue to be amazed that my first trainer was so wonderful. I signed up with the only gym in the small town of Columbus and they suggested I hire Stephanie since she is so good with newbies. Little did I know that I would get a trainer who was a nurse by training and who loved anatomy and kinesiology. She was always on the lookout for what I needed or would benefit from. She kept the workouts fresh and had me working out in all areas of the gym from the very beginning. She gave me homework I could do at home or when traveling that only required a chair or a mat on the floor. And then she followed up to make sure I was doing what she thought I needed. She was completely involved in my workouts and totally invested in my accomplishments. She shared her enthusiasm for the exercise and despite my initial assumption that all exercise would be horrible, she taught me to love every bit of it - even the specific machines/exercises that I hated. I could always see how I was progressing and why doing the exercises I hated were so important. She taught me to revel in the process.
Damn, I miss her.
There is your wish list, Penny. You may not get all of these but you are far more likely to get what you want now that you've named it.
I am now officially on the hunt. I'll let you know how it goes.
I'd train you Penny if we lived in the same state! I wish you luck finding your trainer. They are out there-be patient and picky!
I do picky pretty well, it's the patience part of that I have trouble with but I will try to persevere.
It already sounds like you've learned a lot from Trainer #1, about using equipment and the intro stuff, so you can continue to make progress in the gym while you look.
I’ve fired my Chiro and Physio as well. I have to do my own research into what works for me. No one seemed to be able to help me recover from a hip injury but after months I have figured it out and I am finally recovering. I am learning to trust my own instincts.
I just found this, Robyn, for what it's worth: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/10-hip-stretches-you-need-in-your-life-if-you-sit-a-lot?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us
Thanks Julia. On Peloton they have a whole section on Mobility that I am doing and those stretches on getpocket.com look familiar.
Agree! Fire him! As a wellness professional (trainer, health coach and instructor), I can tell this person does not have this clients best interest in mind. This should be a 2 way relationship and there should be interviews, assessments, and goal setting and a plan to meet them! There are many qualified professionals out there and I also would suggest to find one that has proper certifications (people who have to take a test and continually learn through education yearly). You can find reputable organizations like ACE (American council on exercise), NASM, ACSM, and ISSA. There’s a Canadian organization also I don’t remember the name. All or most of these have a Find-a-trainer tool where you can search your area. Meet with a few, interview them and find one that listens, and hopefully then have a long term successful relationship with them.
Absolutely agree!! Thanks for all the extra recommendations. I forgot all about the ACE, etc. Great, Marlo .
I just joined a gym and this information is priceless. Thank you!
KM, how I wish I had known all that back when I started. Happy to share!
Thanks Julia and Penny. This is an important message, first that we can make big changes by beginning to exercise at any age and that it's important to find the right fit with your coach or mentor.
I really didn't stop to think about it that much, which means I've mostly either been lucky or stupid, until Penny wrote this. Either way, it's good information.
Hear, hear! You certainly don't need to spend money just to hear someone exhort you to do "one more rep!" But real, targeted expertise: that's worth paying for, if not always easy to find.
I fear too many of us, if we're new, don't know what to expect. Now we have some guidelines!