As a personal trainer people have many assumptions about my job. The largest misconception I have heard over the years is the preconceived notion of what it takes to train others. Most people have an image in their head that to be a personal trainer you must spend all your spare time in a gym and have a body builder physique. They think of the military sergeant barking orders saying things like “if you’re not puking, you’re not working” or “no pain no gain”. The truth is, the best trainers are not like that. It takes a very observant individual to be a good coach or trainer. Every client I meet I immediately start trying to read. I look for body language or a subtle energy shift; I listen to what you’re saying (or more importantly, what are you NOT saying). From the

first 5 minutes we meet I am trying to get a reading on who you are. What motivates you? Where are you now? Where do you want to be? What are your barriers or goals? What is your definition of health? What is your story? Do I need to be tough on you or do you need a more gentle touch?

At the end of the day I ask myself these questions because I CARE about you. I put a personal investment into each person I meet. I want to know your goals and your day-to-day life. If I only cared about the 60 minutes you spent with me I would only know about 1% of who you are. Everyone is different. No one has the same goals, barriers or motivation. If you went to the doctor you wouldn’t expect to be given the same prescription as every other patient your doctor sees in a week. I see someone’s physical activity in the same light. Whether you are running your tenth marathon or you’re strength training for the first time I want you to be successful. I believe the bulk of seeing someone be successful is to educate them. Are your goals specific and in line with your values or are they in tune with what someone else thinks is important? Consider the following examples of clients’ stories:

“Hank is 45 years old and has the goal of losing 20lbs. He works as a contractor for multiple projects across the city, which means he practically lives in his vehicle. Because he lives by himself he doesn’t like cooking large meals and he doesn’t like leftovers so extra food generally goes to waste. Hank lives across the street from a couple of fast food shops and finds that easier after a long day at work. Hank is on a beer league hockey team and has ice time once a week for 60 minutes. After most games he heads to a pub with his buddies for some beer and wings. Hank knows this probably isn’t a healthy choice but it’s his one social outing of the week and isn’t willing to give it up.”

“Betty is 38 years old and works at an office job downtown. During the day she is running from meeting to meeting. Once she leaves her day job her second job as a mom to 2 young kids begins. She spends her evenings and weekends running after her two children. Betty often finds herself grabbing dinner for the family at a drive thru. Betty feels insecure with her body and wants to lose those last few pounds since she gave birth to her youngest. She knows she needs to start “getting healthy” but doesn’t know where to start. Her friends keep encouraging her to join fitness classes with them but she’s intimidated.”

Although both individuals have the goal to lose weight; they’re stories are very different. It wouldn’t make sense to execute their goals in the same manner. I believe this is what makes beneFIT’s trainers and programs unique. Although we have seen hundreds of clients we do not treat them the same. We want your experience to fit your individual needs and life. Take Hank and Betty for instance. Hank would not want to make large batches of food if he is the only one eating them. Similarly, Betty would not want to spend a large amount of time after work exercising if she has a limited amount of time every evening to spend with her children. It’s important not to judge someone on his or her goals. You have no idea what their story is or where they are starting.

Another misconception a lot of people have about physical activity is that you have to be a gym rat to be healthy. I don’t care how you do it just go get sweaty! I grew up doing track so most people think I love running. Truth is, going for a 5km run with you sounds like torture to me. But I have plenty of friends who LOVE running and have signed up for road races, marathons and triathlons. I will look at them and say “good for you; not for me”.

Take Home Message:
Find what activity makes you happy; don’t make it a chore. As soon as physical activity becomes a chore it becomes a negative experience. Go skiing, take dance lessons, try running, or join a circuit class at your gym. You should finish your activity with a smile on your face. Sometimes that smile might come from the satisfaction of finishing a hard run or getting a personal record lifting. Other times it might be as simple as chasing after your children on the playground. If this is your first time becoming active it might take a bit of trial and error to find what you like, but you will. Try something new just for the heck of it. Don’t be afraid to be the new kid in the class. I promise most people are so caught up in what they’re doing they won’t care if you spent ½ of your first yoga class in child’s pose. Whether you’re new to activity or veteran; I challenge you to try something new.