One of the reasons I started this website was to chronicle my journey to being certified as a personal trainer. I haven’t talked much about that because, frankly, it’s not going very well. I’ve had all the materials for more than six months now, and I’ve tried my best to get through them, but… It’s hard.
I loved school. I love to learn new things. And even though I did pretty well in math and science, I found them to be very challenging and not at all fun to study. That’s the same situation I find myself in currently. Learning this material is not coming naturally. The names of muscles and tendons in the body, the complicated formulas… it all slips straight out of my brain seconds after reading it. Compare that to the fact that I can remember specific details of stories I’ve read years ago, have about 10,000 song lyrics stored in my memory banks, and can name all of the United States presidents in order. My brain + medical information = not a happy combination.
Aside from the technical difficulties, I’m also struggling with two other things.
First, this certification spends quite a bit of time talking about how to work with and train advanced and even elite athletes. That’s not what I want to focus on (not to mention, I can’t imagine such an athlete wanting to be trained by a fat person!). I want to work with people who are afraid or ashamed to go to the gym, have no idea where to start, and even find a walk down the driveway challenging. Essentially, the exact opposite of an advanced/elite athlete. I want to work with who I was ten years ago. The people who are often ignored, shamed, or misunderstood by the fitness community.
Second, I feel that the study materials perpetuate myths about fat and weight loss that go against the things I believe in – from personal experience. It’s so easy for someone who has never struggled with being fat to say that there is a way to permanently lose weight. How many times have you heard someone say, “Eat less and move more!” With very few exceptions (most people believe the number is less than 5%, and that seems about right to me), everyone who loses weight regains it. Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones, and you kept the weight off. Good for you! But that doesn’t mean everyone – or anyone – else can. Think of how much easier it would be to love ourselves and our bodies if we focused on gains in health instead of loss of pounds! That very philosophy has kept me going through endless workouts and nine half marathons (and counting) – because in all that time, I haven’t lost any weight. It saddens me that the personal trainer certification materials talk so much about helping clients to lose weight. Why focus on what is most likely a losing game? That’s now how I want to operate, if and when I get my certification and start working with clients.
I have until June to take the test. It’s really tough going for me right now – there are so many other things I’d rather do than crack those books. Got any words of inspiration for me? Share them in the comments, please!
