Exercise and Fitness: Keep the Car Running

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

I can't wait until Thursday.

So why are you waiting then? I waited until after my birthday to restart because I wanted a sweet dessert. But as of today, I am back on it.

[baxus]

Why the obsession with the 6pack? Why not just be strong and healthy?

Why not both? ;)

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Fitness assessment went well...no real surprises as I knew most of it...but I was told I was using too light of weights :lol:

Meeting with a personal trainer on Friday morning. I hope my legs stop hurting by then :lol:

[fuseprime]

Why the obsession with the 6pack? Why not just be strong and healthy?

I think I am strong and healthy already, but I don't have the body I think I am capable of achieving.

So why are you waiting then? I waited until after my birthday to restart because I wanted a sweet dessert. But as of today, I am back on it.

I'm going all-out unhealthy tonight, for my NY party. :cool4:

[Jabronius Maximus]

I think I am strong and healthy already, but I don't have the body I think I am capable of achieving.

I'm going all-out unhealthy tonight, for my NY party. :cool4:

All the best to you man. Just remember that discipline > motivation. There will be days when you don't feel like heading to the gym, or going for a run, but sticking to your goals in spite of that will get you to where you want to be.

I'm struggling to stick to my diet (supposed to be on a cut right now), so I've got to find a way. Holiday season didn't help with that :(

[baxus]

Did a 4 sets of 10 minutes with increasing pace on the rowing machine on Tuesday.

It wasn't really exhausting, but it was a rather demanding practice.

By all means, a good way to end the year's training.

Today's off from training since it's January 1 and all that.

Back to it on Saturday with renewed enthusiasm. :D

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Had my first meeting with a personal trainer and I was not impressed.

To say it was a "meeting" implies there was discussion and well, there really wasn't much (although I did do a lot of talking, trying to let him know my ability/strength levels)

While I don't normally discount some because of their age (I like to wait and see first) I have to admit to feeling not very confident in someone younger than my kids as my trainer. Now, if he had told me his experience and qualifications and what he knows about 50 yr old women, how their bodies are, mentioned ANYTHING AT ALL, I would have felt fine with him.

Not only did he not tell me about himself, HE NEVER ASKED ME A SINGLE QUESTION before we got started. Not about my abilities, what I have been doing, what I was capable of doing, where I felt I was physically. NOTHING!

He handed me two 7.5 lb dumb bells. I gave them back and said they were too light. so he gave me 10lbs. did one set and I gave them back...still too light. Gave me 12.5 pounds and they were ok, but really, I think they were too light. (the other day I worked with 20lb & 30 lb kettle bells, but I guess his boss didn't give him any of the "assessment" information)

I kept telling him I have been working out for the past year, including with weights, yet he repeatedly gave me weights that were way too light. gave me two dumb bells to bench press of 12.5 each, after I told him I was doing 115lb 5/5 bench press on my machine.

My impression was he was a dumb kid who gives everyone the same set of exercises to do and makes assumptions about them based on age and weight, without the actual skills to evaluate them and make adjustments to the training, and he lacks in real communication skills.

I was not happy at all. I plan on asking for a different trainer next time.

[baxus]

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your first session with the trainer, Lany.

It does raise an important question - what are the requisites for one to become a personal trainer?

There's a sports college (for lack of a better description) in Belgrade where one can learn about it and there are courses (my girlfriend's brother is currently taking an initial 3-4 months course to get certified as one) but I know there are quite a few people here who consider themselves personal trainers without any relevant education and/or certificate.

Of course, there are people who have been training and competing in one sport or another and picked up required knowledge along the way but there are quite a few who fit the description of Lany's trainer.

[Liffguard]

It does raise an important question - what are the requisites for one to become a personal trainer?

In the states I couldn't say but in the UK, minimal. In fact, I'm not sure that "personal trainer" is even a legally protected term over here. I think anyone can just set themselves up as a personal trainer. Even for those who have some sort of qualification or certification, the actual standard of knowledge required is extremely basic. I did one course a few years ago and ended up having to correct the course instructor on the basics of how to squat, deadlift and clean. It's pretty much a buyer beware situation. There are obviously qualified, competent trainers out there but you need to go out of your way to separate them out from the bunch of muppets with certificates they earned over a couple of weekends.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Just looked it up, and there are no laws here about it either. I assume he had one of those courses or something, but it certainly didn't include communication.

I would think it would take more than just knowing a bunch of different workouts, but it doesn't look like it.

Maybe I just have really high expectations, but I could have come up with what we did on my own. (in fact, it is not very different from what I was doing)

I think I am going to call the company and let them know how unhappy I was with him. (the company works with the gym, but are not part of it)

[fuseprime]

I know two of my friends were personal trainers. You can literally take a test online, pay a fee, and become certified. You then have to renew every year after cert. Apparently you can use that as your "in" when you apply to various gyms. Although it wasn't typical school, they seemed to know what they were talking about. I suppose it depends on who you get, and how vested they are in their job.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Thanks.

So my contract says I can cancel within 3 business days and I signed it on Dec 30th, so I think today is the 3rd day (really I think Monday is) and I have to send a letter via certified mail/return receipt.

I think this covers it (I looked up some reviews on them, and saw others had the exact same complaint....initial assessment awesome, personal training, not personal at all) I was pretty specific in the letter, and maybe it will help them in the future (I'd ask for suggestions on improving it, but it needs to be in the mail by noon today, so good or bad, this is pretty much it)

January 3, 2015

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to cancel my contract with Compel Fitness. I am within my 3 business days as the contract was signed on December 30, 2014.

The reason for my wanting to cancel the contract is that there was absolutely NOTHING personal about the training session. It was a great disappointment and not what I am looking for. He had a standard set of exercises for new clients that failed to take into account my own exercise history or what my goals were.

The initial assessment session with [name redacted] was great and exactly what I was looking for. He spent time talking to me and learning what I was looking for, my goals and workout history. The workout we did was fantastic. I was especially impressed with his evaluation of my strength and that I needed much heavier weights than I had been using (or thought I needed).

When I showed up for my first regular/full training session with my personal trainer, none of the information from my assessment had been passed on to him and he never asked me a single question about my goals or abilities. First thing he did was hand me a 7.5 pound dumb bell when I had been working out with 20 & 30 pound kettle bells with [name]. I gave it back and told him it was too light. This happened several times and each time we moved on to a new exercise. It also did not include any kettle bell workouts (I had indicated this was one of the things I was looking for) nor any leg work with weights, nor did it address a couple of the things I specifically said I wanted to be able to do such as pull ups, dead lifts, squats with weights, ect.

I wanted to use a personal trainer as I felt I had gone as far as I could on my own, but the quality of the “training” was such that I had actually done a better job myself than the so called “professional” trainer.

Please cancel my contract effective immediately.

Thank you,

Lany

address

[Iskaral Pust]

Personal trainers at most chain gyms are terrible and pay no attention to individual clients. Ask a friend or look online for a referral to a good trainer. At this time of year, gyms are inundated with new members who won't stay long. You're going to get terrible service unless you get someone who is actually focused on you.

Yesterday was my first run after pulling a muscle in my back last Saturday. I did two miles at a fast pace (increasing from 7mph to 11mph) with no ill effects. I'll try some push-ups later today to see if the back muscle is OK with them. Fingers-crossed I'll be back in the gym next week.

[Eponine]

I agreed to do a half marathon in March because I'm a friendly and social person who says yes to things.

[Starkess]

It'll be fun!

I signed my boyfriend up for a couple 10k on Feb 15, hehe. He was excited to do it after I told him, though, or at least he pretended to be!

[fuseprime]

I agreed to do a half marathon in March because I'm a friendly and social person who says yes to things.

I signed up for one in late August for a mid-October halfie in the same way. My buddy just kept pestering me about it, and so I agreed. I've been hooked to running since.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

I signed up for a 12 week body make over challenge* at the gym. It includes 2 sessions with a personal trainer :P I talked to the head trainer today during the sign up and I will have a session with someone else. He also made notes about my complaint and said that the first meeting was supposed to be an hour and discussion first.

Any way, I made it clear that I don't want to do the machines, but the free weights, stuff I can't do at home, we'll see how it goes (I have still cancelled my monthly contract though)

*it is not a weight loss challenge, but based mainly on before and after pictures they take. They did the weight, body fat% and measurements of waist, hips and right thigh though. I am now in the 50-59 age group, and think if I work really hard I can have a chance at winning, at least locally. :P (not that I care all that much if I win, but it is fun to have something to work towards).

[lessthanluke]

It'll be fun!

I signed my boyfriend up for a couple 10k on Feb 15, hehe. He was excited to do it after I told him, though, or at least he pretended to be!

That would be a total dealbreaker.

[Starkess]

That would be a total dealbreaker.

To be fair, we've done a 10k together before, and I told him he didn't have to do it. But he was excited and is going to make sure he has that day off. :)

[Inigima]

Took the girl I'm seeing, who is awesome but not really physically active, climbing for the first time on Saturday. She's coming in tonight to take her belay test and climb with us. Climbing rules.

I wish I didn't have to work and could just do fun active stuff all day. I'd love to have the time to get back into martial arts, I want to have time to try parkour, and I was helping shop for running related gifts this weekend and now I'm thinking of running in the mornings again. Over this week and a half of vacation I've been a lump and I'm looking to get back out there now that I'm back.