I came across B. M. via web. He had an ad on Facebook. First thing I did, I read about his qualifications. He was a PE teacher with a Post Grad in Sport Rehabilitation. Wow, that was impressive enough - but it didn't end there, he was also qualified in other areas... Massage, Nutrition, Hydrotherapy, Aromatherapy... And he called himself an "elite trainer" capable of leading clients to get "top class results". (Well, that was certainly attitude, wasn't it? How about his aptitude as a trainer?) Now I was really puzzled. Having nothing to lose, I decided to give him a ring.
First time I'd ever trained in a park. He used a medicine ball with me, suspension cables which he hanged from a tree, a coordination ladder, a set of cones to run describing figures of 8s, a boxing pad together with a pair of gloves, and a mat. We talked about my goals and my needs in general. He paid special attention to my injuries in the past, and to my present health and fitness conditions. First time I'd heard of a personal trainer doing that so seriously and responsibly. He seemed to be watching everything at the same time: my form, my movements, my speed, my level of endurance. And he asked me to give him feedback about how I was feeling all the time. At the end of the session, he made me stretch out thoroughly.
I hired him. We trained 2-3 times a week. He used to have a program in his mind at the beginning of each session, which he would adjust conveniently according to his perceptions and to my own feedback while exercising. He always asked how I' was feeling before, during and after workouts. He also enquiried about how I was doing at home as regards nutrition and exercise on the days he didn't train me, and he was always reinforcing my knowledge on healthy habits. He answered all my questions accurately and honestly. He never challenged my beliefs; he made me feel he was there to help, not to antagonise or to show me he knew better.
During the time he worked for me, I lost 20 pounds -I saw 15 of these melt down after I had come to the as-strong-as-iron conclusion that I had reached my lowest possible weight, so I wouldn't be able to lose any more-, and I went from couch potato which could only run 3 blocks altogether, to wannabe runner who could run a 3K, then a 4K, then a 5K!
While training with him, I learned that at the end of the day, I can always forgive myself for all I couldn't do well, I can learn from the experience and I can see myself as a strong woman - I AM strong, and no matter what, I'll always be able to do something to improve.
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