Have you ever seen a baby in an exersaucer? She jumps up and down with the help of springs, she twirls her seat around to see in every direction, and her hands and mouth are exploring several different items that move and make noise. The action is good for developing coordination and keeping her entertained.
As a personal trainer, I sometimes think of myself as a similar thing for adults. You sign up for it or get signed up with help from a friend or loved one. Baby gets put in it at regular intervals, sometimes by her own choosing if she crawls too close. Read more…
Have you ever dealt with one of those clients who blames you for her inability to achieve her fitness goals, while she continues to ignore everything you tell her to do? You know the one. She wants to eat whatever she wants, exercise as little as possible – or, cheat on the machines and call it a workout – and yet she still expects to see results. It’s the proverbial case of wanting to have your cake and eat it, too. Except in her case, it’s real cake. With real frosting. And real ice cream on the side.
She Plays The Blame Game
It’s frustrating when you know what it takes for your client to achieve the results she wants to see, and she’s paying you to tell her, but she continues to ignore you. But it gets worse. She’s angry with you. She blames you for her failures, reminding you of all of the promises you supposedly made back when you were trying to snag her as a client in the first place.
“You told me I would lose twenty pounds in time for summer! How am I supposed to wear a bikini on the beach in Aruba looking like this?” she asks, pointing at the flab around her midsection, and you see her point.
You’re The Professional Here
Forget for a minute that she can afford to go to Aruba, while you will be lucky to afford that beach chair for your back yard. Forget that you have been watching the Wal-Mart circulars for the last three months, even though you know full well that those things went on sale last September, and they will not go on sale again until this September. Forget about all that, because you do not want to lash out at your already irate client with your own frustrations. And you *definitely* do not want to agree with her – at least not out loud – on the bikini comment. Unfortunately for you, you’re the professional, here.
During my time working as a personal trainer, I have found the days between Christmas and New Years to be the most intriguing. It is also one of the most profitable times for gyms and fitness centers. Stampedes of new customers march in the gym, moaning and groaning about the dozens of gingerbread men they consumed.
Although I realize that many late December gym memberships are purchased as a form of repentance for Christmas dietary sins, I still maintain that the huge December and January profits in fitness centers are courtesy of our flighty friend, New Year’s Resolution. New Year’s Resolution, or NYR for short, is an optimistic little fellow. Comparable to your generic motivational speaker, he is full of shiny promises. Sometimes, these promises revolve around money or relationships, but as all fitness center employees know, NYR has a one track mind, the focus of which is weight loss.
I know for a fact that it is easy to forge a friendship with NYR.
Need a laugh? I nearly split my shorts! Take a break from work with some humor. Tis the season to be jolly!
A personal trainer recalls a hilarious story from his experiences helping customers get fit for Christmas. Please feel free to share your own tales of mayhem in the gym and let’s all have a giggle under the mistletoe.
As a personal trainer, it is my job to give hope to those who are making a last attempt to shed a couple of pounds before Dec 25th, not an easy task, since the last 11 months of business lunches and drinks after work do not vanish in three weeks, as we all know. Laugh with me and tell me your favorite story, leave me a comment and let’s share the funnies in the spirit of the festive season!
Training’s a Gas
Personal trainers hear and see it all. Our job requires discretion and the ability to hold a poker face for as long as necessary in front of customers. Here’s my best Christmas tale.
A not-so-fit friend, whom we will call Jack, told me a story last week. He was at the gym, working on his daily routine, when he had a moment of lightheadedness. Jack is a little thick around the midsection, but to his credit, he’s really trying to do something about it. Unfortunately, his self-confidence at the gym is lacking. So when his workout made him feel ill, he tried to shake it off. But despite the fact that all the testosterone in his body told him to suck it up, he had to sit down. Before he knew it, he had his head between his knees on a bench, waiting for the blood to flow to his brain again.
Let’s look beyond the fact that he either didn’t eat enough or pushed himself too hard that day and evaluate what happened next.
He found himself swarming with concerned, attractive women in sexy workout clothes.
Homer Simpson doesn’t exactly have six-pack abs. His are more of just a mere ab, mostly composed of a flabby mass created by a few too many six-packs and doughnuts. Homer Simpson, is just an average, everyday man, but he wants to be something, someone different. In his typical fashion, Homer stumbles into an audition and is chosen as the lead for “Everywhereman,” a new movie based on a completely unknown comic book hero. Homer wants to live up to his character and be a superhero. Homer wants to be a true “Everyman” instead of “Everywhereman”.
For this role, Homer is given a super suave, not to mention extremely obnoxious, personal trainer whose job it is to swoop in and save the day. The episode shows Homer’s futile attempts to shape up but he is suddenly and magically transformed into a superhero with six-pack abs and bulging muscles. Even Marge is quite taken by the new Homer, less man to love but more man that she wants to love.
One of my favorite parts about working in a smaller, private gym is the lack of corporate pressure to sell products and packages. There’s nothing worse than trying to convince someone to buy expensive stuff that they don’t need. The gym I currently work for offers supplemental health and weight loss products in a non-obtrusive “if you want it, we’ve got it” kind of way. It’s a product that I feel comfortable promoting as the ingredients are pure and the results are real. Still, I’m hesitant to push people toward any kind of product. My boss has sensed this hesitancy.
When I inquired about one of my client’s early morning eating habits, she responded that of course she eats breakfast…lots of croissants were a great choice right? I tried to keep my jaw from hitting the floor as I stepped up onto my soapbox to rant against white carbs. When my rampage ended, she told me that she needed something quick that tasted good and would keep her full. So I asked what kind of foods she liked. Her response? Ya know, normal stuff like ice cream, cookies, and things like that. Read more…
As a trainer, I love being at the gym. I enjoy the environment, the people, everything about it. But there’s another group of athletes that have always held a special place in my heart. The average lot of them has never set foot in a gym and probably never will during their lifetimes. Yet they train hard; they push their body to its physical limits, exerting all of their mental focus and energies to accomplish their goals. And for most of them, it’s not so much the winning but the very act of doing, of participating that is equated with victory.
One of my favorite times of the year is in the early spring when this special group of athletes gathers at local track and field stadiums to exhibit their skills and receive the reward of their valiant efforts. Each of these athletes has his or her own unique set of challenges and problems, whether it’s a physical or mental handicap. These are the athletes of the Special Olympics and they have brought more joy to my heart than any other group of people I’ve trained. Read more…
Axe Cologne gets it. You’ve undoubtedly seen this company’s commercials on TV. They always feature scruffy young men who are immediately swarmed by model-level women once they spray on some Axe.
The commercials are silly. You might even consider them a bit offensive. But you can’t argue with one thing: The promotional folks at Axe know their target market. They know that young men don’t just think about sex, they think about it all the time. So Axe fills its commercials with skinny women in tight shorts and halter-tops.
Here is a classic Axe commercial.
Sex sells, to the right audience. And Axe knows it.
