What does it take to be a personal trainer in Auburn, WA?
What is appealing about being a personal trainer in a fitness club? Auburn, WA has an award winning fitness club by the name of Vision Quest Sport and Fitness. You will find the black shirts of personal trainers in every part of the gym. Maybe they like working in such a place because the Heavenly Cafe is connected to the fitness club and gives amazing service?
Here are a few of the issues about being a personal trainer:
- Everybody sweats too much. This is not when people look or smell their best.
- Those who are trained always want to rest.
- Who is truly honest about their eating habits when asked by the personal trainer?
- A personal trainer who works for a world champion (Brad Swartz) will probably need to have the highest of standards. Seems like more pressure.
- When a personal trainer spends their whole day training others, no way can they be in the mood to work out themselves.
- Locker rooms, dirty socks. Enough said.
- If a personal trainer loses muscle or gains even 5 pounds, there is probably heck to pay.
- Intimidation. Physical trainers are intimidating because they always seem fit, always have an attitude of "can-do". Keeping up with them must be tough and intimidating.
- Grocery shopping. If everyone knows that you are a personal trainer and you go grocery shopping, there can be no cheating. (Unless you say it is for a friend.)
Hearing people cry in pain and be so tired might be an occasional event for those who have very serious goals. (The goal is to have training be fast, easy and fun.)- Exercise equipment. Everywhere! Oh yeah, I guess that is just me who is getting accustomed to exercise equipment.
- Science, psychology, biology, math, coaching. Knowledge of each is necessary to be a personal trainer. Seems complicated.
- How many times can you say: "Faster, harder, you can do it, com'on --- three more." A personal trainer could go nuts with this over and over.
- Outright refusal. That is what I am sure what a trainer hears. Refusals.
They might hear: "OK, you can be my personal trainer but you have to do it my way."
- Can't take "no" for an answer. The rest of us who are not trainers are too busy, to tired, too weak and certainly will never look like that trainer, so why bother. The personal trainer won't take no for an answer. (Well, this one is actually a good thing.)
Over the years I have had an aversion to those working in fitness clubs. It could be partially due to those 1 year contracts where you have to sign in triplicate. (Lucky Vision Quest has no long term commitments.) It could be because of intimidation and my ability to not be the buff jock who could keep up.
I
look around the gym at Vision Quest and see people from a broad range of ages working out. Personal trainers treat everyone like a friend and they give out big smiles to all. (Even though there is a list of reasons why not to be a personal trainer.)
Why the heck would someone take on such a challenge deliberately?
Then I remember the testimonials at the end of the last Biggest Loser at the final weigh in. Each person talked about feeling better, improving relationships, doing more and connecting with life and not just the couch. Each tear was mixed with a smile.
I suppose if I was to hear such stories about every three months, it would be good motivation to tackle what seems to be an almost no-win situation. It is mind against body. The personal trainer's mind helps someone to improve their body. Interestingly enough it seems to come full circle and also improve the mind.
Now. Do you pay for a personal trainer? Well, if you can't make yourself feel better, do you go to the doctor? If you can't sing, do you get a singing coach? If you can't play the guitar, do you have someone show you how? If you are going to lose 25 pounds and have been trying for 10 years, how much time will it take you to feel better, play the guitar, sing, and lose 25 pounds? I wonder if you could save money by hiring a doctor who taught singing and guitar lessons and could also coach on losing weight. Now that would be an interesting session!
It's your turn. Why else do you think it would be hard to be a personal trainer? Or maybe you think it's easy? Share.
