Last week I trained both Mitch and my friend Amy. It is really quite fun to come up with routines for them because I'm forced to be creative: Mitch has back problems as does Amy plus Amy has a broken big toe. This posed the greatest obstacle to her workout. Most of her exercises were either on the ball or mat so that we didn't put pressure on her feet. It wasn't the most challenging workout but it did get her moving. At the end of the session I had her do some pelvic tilts and kegel/core breathing exercises. I first assessed her abs for strength and then I instructed her on how to perform the exercises. As I was doing this I caught the confused expression on the face of another person in the gym. I instantly became self-conscious wondering if she thought I was a complete quack.
We finished the session and Amy felt pretty good about it but she thinks I could push her harder. I'm still trying to find the balance between too hard and not hard enough. I don't want anyone to pass out on me or not be able to walk for a week!
So afterwards I went to another area of the gym to do my own workout which included squats, lunges, step-up, jumping-jacks, push-ups, etc. I was also finishing my workout with pelvic tilts and core breathing when at the same time I heard one of the physical therapists at the gym assessing his client's abs exactly as I had done with Amy and then instructing him to do the same pelvic tilts! I could hardly believe it which made me realized that I do know what I am doing. I mean, I don't know everything, I'm still learning but I come from a very solid base of knowledge about the body.
At some point as I was leaving the gym it occurred to me that there is no reason that I should have so much unnecessary self-doubt or worry about what other trainers and members think about my workouts. The reason? I have delivered babies, explored a woman's uterus and manually removed a placenta, managed postpartum hemorrhage, beautifully repaired perineal lacerations, assisted with cesarean sections and helped mothers and babies learn to breastfeed. That's powerful.
Of course it would be completely unreasonable for me not to be nervous. I'm not just starting new job, I'm entering a new profession. But I'm not leaving all of my previous professional and personal experiences behind. They are coming with me and it is this knowledge that, I believe, is going to set me apart from the pack and enable me to offer women something different and even perhaps a bit more holistic.
If you have lived long enough you come to realize that life is full of constant challenges from all directions: personal, professional and physical. In a way becoming personal trainer is forcing me to address all of these challenges and I can make a choice. Either I freak out and pull back, recede into my former self or I can meet these challenges, identify what I can do differently and persevere. The latter is sooo much harder but that's life. Without continued efforts to improve and work to my potential, I am merely gliding through life and in turn, not really engaging or enjoying the journey.
Be well.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Isolated Exercises
I'm not talking about doing exercises in complete isolation, far from anyone in the dark recesses of your home. What I'm referring to is doing exercises that isolate specific muscles such as a bicep preacher curl or a cable tricep press. The big trend in the fitness world is to do exercises using multiple muscle groups thus mimicking traditional or "caveman" movements. Woodchopping, sledgehammering, jumping-jacks. Or this might include the dreaded burpee (ugh.) Case in point, while at the gym the other day I heard a trainer say: "We will usually do these combined exercises because when do you ever just use your bicep?"
My answer: all the time.
As a mother, I do movements using isolated muscle groups. I rarely squat then press. And when was the last time I chopped wood? I'm not saying that I don't think there's a place for these exercises in a good workout but I am saying that I'm not ready to throw the good ol' bicep curl out of my routine.
For example, as a new mother, I would lift my baby out of the crib or curl her towards my body to nurse or I would lie on my back, elevating her over me like an airplane. Then I might reach to get something that I had placed very high (hopefully) out of her reach.
I spoke to my new boss about this and asked him for clarification of the term functional exercises. His response was that the term "functional exercises" really refers to anything that helps a client complete her activities of daily living (ADLs.) So is a bicep curl functional? For some clients yes. And that woodchop? For some it may be functional while for others it might just add some variation to a routine and work on core stability. Or if my client also plays tennis, then woodchopping and sledgehammering would be a great addition to their exercise rotation.
So, with that said, here's a routine I've been working on. I did this with Mitch today and he liked it but Mitch likes everything I do or at least that's what he tells me.
The following exercises are one compete set. Repeat 3 times.
Side to side lunges with Bosu Ball
'Round the clock lunges at 12,3,6,9 *
Standing on one foot, dumbbell overhead press then
bicep curl then
two handed overhead tricep extension
Dumbbell push-up, then plank row then mountain climber (bring R leg forward back, then the same with L) - do as many of these as you can
Then
Assisted Pull-ups then
Calf raises
Repeat 3 times
On a mat:
Toe taps
Quadruped
Core breathing **
Stretch
* 'Round the clock lunges: Forward lunge with R leg, then side lunge then back lunge. With L back lunge, side lunge, forward lunge. Reverse. 12 lunges total
**Core breathing: Inhale through nose, allowing abdomen to rise. Exhale and quickly do a kegel, then tighten abs. Hold 3 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Be well and isolate.
My answer: all the time.
As a mother, I do movements using isolated muscle groups. I rarely squat then press. And when was the last time I chopped wood? I'm not saying that I don't think there's a place for these exercises in a good workout but I am saying that I'm not ready to throw the good ol' bicep curl out of my routine.
For example, as a new mother, I would lift my baby out of the crib or curl her towards my body to nurse or I would lie on my back, elevating her over me like an airplane. Then I might reach to get something that I had placed very high (hopefully) out of her reach.
I spoke to my new boss about this and asked him for clarification of the term functional exercises. His response was that the term "functional exercises" really refers to anything that helps a client complete her activities of daily living (ADLs.) So is a bicep curl functional? For some clients yes. And that woodchop? For some it may be functional while for others it might just add some variation to a routine and work on core stability. Or if my client also plays tennis, then woodchopping and sledgehammering would be a great addition to their exercise rotation.
So, with that said, here's a routine I've been working on. I did this with Mitch today and he liked it but Mitch likes everything I do or at least that's what he tells me.
The following exercises are one compete set. Repeat 3 times.
Side to side lunges with Bosu Ball
'Round the clock lunges at 12,3,6,9 *
Standing on one foot, dumbbell overhead press then
bicep curl then
two handed overhead tricep extension
Dumbbell push-up, then plank row then mountain climber (bring R leg forward back, then the same with L) - do as many of these as you can
Then
Assisted Pull-ups then
Calf raises
Repeat 3 times
On a mat:
Toe taps
Quadruped
Core breathing **
Stretch
* 'Round the clock lunges: Forward lunge with R leg, then side lunge then back lunge. With L back lunge, side lunge, forward lunge. Reverse. 12 lunges total
**Core breathing: Inhale through nose, allowing abdomen to rise. Exhale and quickly do a kegel, then tighten abs. Hold 3 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
Be well and isolate.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Pit Crew
Ok, so I passed the test and will be starting my internship next week and then will begin employment at my gym. Wow! It's all happening rather quickly which is a wonderful thing. I don't want to lose my momentum.
Last week I attended a fabulous workshop on pre and post-natal fitness. Annette Lang taught the course and I have to say that her knowledge of the subject is impressive. She focused a lot on the pelvic floor, abdominals, core, back, breathing work and overall strength. I learned so much and have been incorporating much of it into my own workouts this week. More specifics at another time.
After the course, I traveled to Vermont with a friend to be her "pit crew" for a 50 mile trail race. Wow. This was one fit group of people. There was a 50 mile race, a 50K and a 50 mile mountain bike race. I felt so honored to be there with her and witness her accomplishment. Truly inspiring.
The whole experience got me thinking about personal training and my role in an individual's fit life. I'm a member of her pit crew. During a session we can review the ups and downs of the week (track) and fine tune things for the upcoming week. Just as a pit crew would change tires, oil parts and give feedback I can rotate exercises, offer suggestions for stretching and give motivation for the week ahead. A "pit stop" or training session should literally recharge her batteries and help her to stay focused for the week ahead. But I'm only one member of her team - hopefully other professionals, friends and family will offer her guidance to stay on track.
For me, my pit crew was comprised of my trainer, my physician, my spouse, Lucy, friends and family. When I felt that I wasn't making progress, my friends would remind me how far I had come and offer encouragement. When exercise was the last thing on my mind, my trainer handed me a kettle-bell and made me work harder and forget whatever was bothering me. When I wanted to quit, my brother told me about a new (and often crazy) exercise routine that recharged my batteries.
So what I'm trying to say is that we all need a pit crew. Life is can be wonderful but it can also be quite challenging so we all need people to keep us going and offer encouragement.
Who's in your pit crew?
Be well.
Last week I attended a fabulous workshop on pre and post-natal fitness. Annette Lang taught the course and I have to say that her knowledge of the subject is impressive. She focused a lot on the pelvic floor, abdominals, core, back, breathing work and overall strength. I learned so much and have been incorporating much of it into my own workouts this week. More specifics at another time.
After the course, I traveled to Vermont with a friend to be her "pit crew" for a 50 mile trail race. Wow. This was one fit group of people. There was a 50 mile race, a 50K and a 50 mile mountain bike race. I felt so honored to be there with her and witness her accomplishment. Truly inspiring.
The whole experience got me thinking about personal training and my role in an individual's fit life. I'm a member of her pit crew. During a session we can review the ups and downs of the week (track) and fine tune things for the upcoming week. Just as a pit crew would change tires, oil parts and give feedback I can rotate exercises, offer suggestions for stretching and give motivation for the week ahead. A "pit stop" or training session should literally recharge her batteries and help her to stay focused for the week ahead. But I'm only one member of her team - hopefully other professionals, friends and family will offer her guidance to stay on track.
For me, my pit crew was comprised of my trainer, my physician, my spouse, Lucy, friends and family. When I felt that I wasn't making progress, my friends would remind me how far I had come and offer encouragement. When exercise was the last thing on my mind, my trainer handed me a kettle-bell and made me work harder and forget whatever was bothering me. When I wanted to quit, my brother told me about a new (and often crazy) exercise routine that recharged my batteries.
So what I'm trying to say is that we all need a pit crew. Life is can be wonderful but it can also be quite challenging so we all need people to keep us going and offer encouragement.
Who's in your pit crew?
Be well.
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