My year of strength took an interesting turn yesterday. There I was minding my own business when my personal trainer approached me and my mom at the gym last night. She is also my mom’s trainer. She told us she needed to talk to both of us. I said okay. I could tell something was definitely up. She told us that she had accepted a new position at the gym, one where she would be in recruitment and sales and therefore no longer would be doing personal training. Basically her evenings were no longer open and therefore we were going to have to get new personal trainers. I was kind of in shock. The thing is that I love Julie as my trainer. She is more mom-like and definitely was what I needed when I started at the gym over 6 months ago. She was sincerely the reason I started to believe in myself to begin with. She knew all the right things to say to me at the right times. She was the first person that opened my eyes to the possibility of something more for myself and I will forever be grateful to her for that.
Julie was approachable and did not intimidate me like so many of the other trainers and employees did. I can honestly say that I am not sure I would have ever even done personal training if it had not been for her support and encouragement from the get go. Therefore, I will always owe her a ton. Now with all that said, I don’t exactly see this move as a bad thing. I am certain it is a good thing for her but ultimately it might be a good thing for me as well. At first I was dumbfounded and had to stop and think for a few minutes. My first reaction was disappointment. Then the second was oh shit, my life is about to change. Why would this be life changing yet again? Well, because it’s no secret that Amanda has become one of my best friends and I work out with her all the freaking time. Amanda is a trainer at the gym and I’ve always felt slightly guilty that I work out with her so much and yet do my actual personal training with Julie. Therefore Amanda does not ever get paid which clearly was never her intent. Clearly she chooses to work out with me because we are friends not because of monetary benefits.
Regardless, there was always a slight guilt that I pay the gym monthly for my training and then I spend more time hanging out learning from Amanda. It was not a choice or option of who was going to be my new trainer. But it does change the dynamics a bit. For one half hour every week we enter a different mode which is slightly scary but we will see. The biggest change already? Last night she sent me a text message telling me that I need to start recording my food, just for a week, in My Fitness Pal, so that she can see what I’m doing and help me. Now, she would have always done this had I asked her too. But now she’s kind of telling me because she’s my trainer. I’m a little skeptical because I have gotten locked into my routine and I’m scared for someone to actually examine my food. I like to have choice and flexibility in my food. Probably why I haven’t taken my food to the next level just yet. But in the end this also could be a very good thing for me. This could be the thing that I need most honestly. Accountability. I am pretty sure there is a reason that while my muscles do seem to be growing that I am not REALLY getting any leaner. It’s my food. I know it.
While I am scared to death, I have to put my faith in the hands of someone else yet again. Just like I was beyond scared six months ago and everything turned out more amazing than I could have imagined. Here I am now standing at that same fork in the road, scared to death to travel down a new path and yet fully knowing that I have to put my faith in someone else. At least at this point I know and adore the girl. I do trust her. It’s just scary.
Also, I’m slightly scared because that girl pushes me in insane ways. I don’t know why I’m scared of 30 minute workout sessions with her when I spend my weekends doing insane workouts with her anyway. And believe me they are more like 2 hour workouts. But it’s that added pressure of her standing there watching me vs. Being in the trenches with me, working out. But that’s what I’m paying for. And in the end I’m glad my money will be going to Amanda.
She is truly one of the sweetest girls I have ever met. She believes in me and my goals. She pushes me and makes me grow and I do think that is what this is all about. She is training to do fitness competitions herself and told me that she is going to show me all those stupid poses they do to make their muscles pop out. I’ve often told her that I have no desire to compete, (Hello, do you think actually letting someone judge me based on my body would ever be a good idea for this girl?) that I am however intrigued by the lifestyle and the results mostly. I told her for sure I’d do that with her. And of course that whole food thing.
I am pretty certain that I would never have picked up weights the way I have if it were not for Amanda. I can promise you that in the history of my life, completely unguided I am sure I would not pick up 145 pound barbells and do dead lifts. Just this last Sunday I met Amanda for a leg day workout. I can guarantee that none of the things she had me do I would have done on my own, or could have done 6 months ago for that matter.
We did the good old leg press. Where you are sitting down using your leg muscles to push up and down weights. The press itself weighs 167 pounds. Then we add on weights. When I started I seriously just pushed up and down the 167 pounds. I remember it very clearly. Eventually I added 35 pounds or so. Amanda adds 135 pounds to each side. That means I am pressing a total of 437 pounds. Yup. But the thing is, I really can do it. It’s hard. And after 8-10 reps, it gets almost impossible for my legs to move that weight back up. But then I rest for a few minutes while Amanda does it, and then I get right back and do it all over again. 4 sets of 8-10 reps. and she is always finding new ways to push and challenge me. I guess that is what a real trainer does.
Nonetheless, I am scared. But as per always, a little fear is ususally a good thing I am thinking. So it’s time to embrace change and usher in 2014 with a bang so to speak. New trainer, new attitude, new approach. We are going to do this. The year of strength. And I’m just guessing that with Amanda as my trainer, watching over me that there’s pretty much no way that I am not going to get stronger and stronger. Imagine me in a year my friends…. Pretty crazy stuff. Pretty exciting and terrifying and crazy. That is happiness.
No comments:
Post a Comment