Leading & Learning

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to one another." - John F. Kennedy

       Yesterday I took a trip to Syracuse, which is about an hour away, to talk with the Director of Personal Training (hopefully I got that right) about a possible career opportunity. I also got to briefly meet with the owner of Personal Fitness in which he referred to me as the "Watertown Girl". I didn't mind the nickname. I felt a little like a celebrity. Personal Fitness is a two-level executive gym located in the heart of downtown Syracuse serving about 300 clients a week. How can they accomplish such a huge task? By employing MANY knowledgeable, experienced, and certified trainers. Oh, I forgot to mention that they don't have any competition either.

      The night before my trip I set my alarm clock for 7 am. I woke up excited, nervous, and a little skeptical of what I would be walking into. This skepticism due to the last job I had whose business website made them look like the rock superstars of Watertown fitness. After working for them for several weeks I realized there were no opportunities in sight for career growth nor were they rock superstars. I walked my dogs, got their breakfast ready (eggs and the usual chicken stick), ate my breakfast, and got ready to leave by 9:30am. I didn't set foot out the door until 9:45am and when I set the GPS it read distance time: 1hr 35min. "Shit!" I thought the trip would only be an hour! No time for a coffee or lunch at the Mustard Seed. Thank God Andrew left me a sugar-free Rockstar in the fridge. I think I drove 77mph the entire way, making sure to slow down to 73 when passing any "No U-turn" signs.

       I arrived in Syracuse just in time, but now had to find parking. I parked in 12 minute parking for about an hour. I saw the big letters "P-e-r-s-o-n-a-l F-i-t-n-e-s-s" outside the building. I went in through the revolving doors to what looked like a beautiful hotel/bank type lobby. I entered the doors to the gym and met the Director of Personal Training. A big, muscular guy wearing a red shirt. He shook my hand firmly and showed me around the place. Then we went in his office and he told me a little about the business.

    The way their personal training works (among the trainers) is such that it encompasses shadowing, sharing, practice, experience, feedback, and affirmation. This means that the team of trainers works together so that their programs are effective. It is a continuous learning process, which is important for growth and development as both a person and trainer. The Director asked me a few questions, which both refreshed my memory and taught me something new and valuable that wasn't taught to me in school. You mean four years of college and a professional certification didn't teach you everything? Nope, sure as hell didn't! Learning and discovery are things that never end and should never end if we want to better ourselves.

      So now you're probably wondering what he asked me. He asked me to name the rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder. I named two out of four. It looks like I need to update my damn 3-D musculoskeletal quiz application on my iphone. That's all I thought about before bed last night...the names of the four rotator cuff muscles. Anywhere from 91-94% of Americans suffer from low-back pain. He also asked me what the curve was in the low back and why someone may have low-back pain. There are multiple answers, one being poor posture for long hours of the day, but weak rectus abdominal muscles is a major source and that was the answer he was looking for. He showed me a little kinesiology with his mini-skeleton and it became clear that low-back pain could occur if your form is not perfect during abdominal exercises. For example, if you're performing reverse crunches, flutter kicks, and scissor kicks (etc.) and feeling low-back pain at the same time think about pulling in your abs or strengthening them overall. The Director also asked me questions about exercise programming and nutritional recommendations, which he gave me great feedback on.

       My trip yesterday was well worth the hour drive. I want to acknowledge the fact that Personal Fitness is a great gym because they want to be the best at what they do, not because they serve about 300 clients a week for personal training alone. They are interactive with one another and as difficult as it can be to work with a large group of co-workers I'd say they're doing a pretty good job at it. The Director superseeds the quintessential boss or head personal trainer. At Personal Fitness it is as though the questions why? and how? are never left out of exercise programming and before any program is started with a client it is reviewed by someone else to be sure that it makes perfect sense.

    Yesterday inspired me to continue my education as science is evolving ALL the time and I need to know more to help my clients get results. My clients look to me as the expert so that's what I will strive to be. Thank you Personal Fitness for the opportunity to start a career with you and for the reality check! I am by no means perfect. I am inspired to continue my education and I accept your criticism with grace. Thanks again!