Monday morning, at 4:45, I woke up to my alarm clock. My first thought, "Oh dear Lord it's early." My second thought, "God bless the individual who invented the programmable coffee machine." I rolled out of bed, put on my workout clothes, filled my travel mug to the brim and walked out the door. That morning, I had my first ever one on one session as a personal trainer. I met with a young woman who has struggled with weight for her entire life. Her story is like one you would see on Biggest Loser. Her mother died of congestive heart failure, a condition caused by her lifelong obesity. My trainee had even dropped out of high school at 14 to take care of her mother and family at the point her mother became bed ridden. At 22 years old, she is 5'6 and weighs close to 250 lbs. She has decided she wants to take her life back and keep it. Can you say wow? Can you say inspiring? Could I have possibly been given a more remarkable person to train with at the beginning of my journey as a trainer?
We are currently training every morning from 5-7. Our first hour of training is like a one on one class regarding health and fitness. Nutrition, calories, fitness, and maintaining a lifestyle. I take the term personal trainer very seriously. In that it should be personal and I should be training. My goal is for whoever I am working with, to not only become healthy and fit while I am working with them, but I want them to learn to not need me anymore. I want to one day become useless to them because they have the knowledge, strength, and confidence in themselves to continue that healthy lifestyle and attitude without me, for the rest of their lives. I am training them, one on one, to do it themselves.
The second hour is where its time to sweat. I was not easy on her during our first session but she did everything I asked her to do. At one point, after completing the final set of an exercise she did not think she would be able to do, she teared up. Proud of herself and the realization of how powerful she is. I could not have imagined a better way to start my career. If I had any doubts at all that this is what I want to do as a career, they were completely dispelled by the look of pride on her face.
This morning, I took her on her first jog outdoors. The look on her face when I told her we were going to go outside was fear and panic. She told me she hated working out outside, that she looked so stupid, etc. I handed her a beanie I had brought for her to wear, smiled and said, "Lets go." We went a mile. When we got back to the fitness room, out of breath she said, "Wow, my first ever jog outside." She had been so self conscious, she had actually never even tried to jog outdoors. It was a beautifully clear morning and once again, a look of pride was on her face. This woman is amazing. Not once has she given up. Everything I have asked her to do, she does. (Although one time she gave me such a glaring look I thought she was going to toss that medicine ball at my head... hehehe).
She has barely begun this journey, and I know its only been 3 days but damn, is she astonishing. And I can't wait to see her growth. I am seriously so excited by all of this. We are both starting a whole new journey together.
My husband yesterday told me he was proud of me. He has been the biggest support imaginable for me and to hear him say that, meant so much. I can't wait until he is home. Sometimes it feels like this will never end. But the idea that I am making him proud is such a tremendous feeling and gives me the strength to keep going. Less then two months now, and he will be home. Finally home, even if for just a short while. I can't wait.
Sometimes life is hard. Deployments themselves are hard and then a lot has happened that has been rough since he left. Each of our families have gone through a lot of ups and downs, drama, hurt and shock. We have had to deal with military situations, friends that have turned out not to be, and even a break in at our home. But our relationship is so strong, and my husband is so remarkably supportive and level headed, that despite it all, Aj and I are doing amazing. Not just relationship wise, but in our life together and we are both so incredibly happy it's almost unbelievable.
Stength. Life keeps showing me over and over again, not only through my own situations, but through amazing people like the young woman I am working with now, that we are so much stronger then we believe that we are. And, if we surround ourselves by the right people, there is truly nothing we can't make it through.
I am truly blessed to have the people in my life that I have. Thank-you for being there and showing me what strength really is, in all aspects of life.
((I do think I should note, I have not received my official certification yet. I am not charging this young woman. She is helping me by being my first "guinea pig" as I learn and develop to become certified. I'm not charging her anything, and she knows that I have yet to receive the "piece of paper" to put on my wall. She is putting a profound amount of trust in me and I appreciate so much her willingness to be my "first" trainee as I learn and grow.))
4 comments:
Scottie, I really enjoyed reading this. Your determination and strength is an inspiration, and I'm sure you will be an excellent personal trainer. (It sounds like you are already!)
You are amazing! I'm so excited for you to get to do what you want to do. It must be so satisfying to see people improving their lives. Wish you were here. I would be your guinea pig, because I am lacking personal motivation.
Medicine balls are amazing tools! I use one when I do a sit up circuit on a declined bench, and the other day I got some of the weirdest looks from a woman who was using barbells next to me. I shrugged at her like "what? It's effective."
And kudos to getting her outside. I have a friend who's getting bored with the monotony of treadmill, weights, treadmill, weights, and I've been trying to get her outside doing something she likes doing (not to mention variety is key). She's told me many times that she's envious of the shape I'm in and aside from dispelling the myth that "everyone" can look like this (I was blessed with fabulous genetics, and I enhance them through my lifestyle...that's all), I also told her that I've made a habit of switching my normal cardio days for something like ice skating now that the free rink's open at Bryan Park, or MMA fighting at the gym where I know the owners, etc. Your one hour of grudging cardio quickly turns into a 2-3 hour BLAST and you don't even realize you've burned through it. This friend of mine is also afraid of what she "looks like" outside, and it basically has to come down to a "look, you can't care what you 'look like' working out outside". Anyone who cares is clearly not paying attention to what's important, which is getting your blood flowing, pumping some oxygen through your veins, and working towards a healthier life, body, and mind.
I could probably be interested in doing personal training if I didn't have a bajillion other things going on in life. You make it sound very rewarding, and it reminds me of when I used to be a debate coach. I just love getting out there and doing things, and getting other people to do them with me (I've turned a close friend of mine into a runner in less than a year and we're both doing next year's ING Marathon and hoping to get into the Half-Marathon through the middle of Times Square and down to Battery Park with the lottery).
Thanks everyone. :) It really has been so rewarding. I am really looking forward to when I get back to Idaho and am able to get my business going with it. I will be able and reach out to so many people in my home community! It's an exciting prospect!!
And yes Shea, medicine balls are remarkable tools. I'm actually a minimalist when it comes to utilizing work out equipment. All that I use is a kettle ball, medicine ball, bar bells and a work out mat. The ladies (I started working with another one in the evenings) also use the treadmill in the fitness room we use, but as I said in my blog, I take them outside to run so they don't become reliant on it. I myself am a lover of going to a gym and using the equipment, but I don't want people to believe they have to. So I train them how to do it without a gym and then I will show them the most efficient way to use a gym too. We'll see how it goes!!!
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