Horsham-based female personal trainer, Becky, works one-to-one at an independent gym. As part of her commitment to continually improve her services, she undertook training in Trauma-Informed Weightlifting this year, and shares her thoughts on the course here…
Trauma-informed practice has become a bit of a buzz phrase in various fields, with lots of practitioners now referring to themselves as trauma-informed. I first heard about the idea in the context of fitness via Laura Khoudari’s book, Lifting Heavy Things, a few years ago. I really enjoyed the book and, as I often do, followed a few links within it to learn more.
My understanding was that the highest-quality courses for personal trainers wanting to learn more are currently based in the US. Although we now have a lot of access to online learning, this still isn’t always the most practical option, and so my first step was to follow a couple of organisations on social media in order to learn more.
Then, in October 2022, I was able to attend a session in London run by The Movement Charity, which covered the basics. The training was great, and confirmed that I ultimately wanted to learn more on the topic, but the circumstances still weren’t right.
Finally, in September 2024, a UK-friendly course was announced by the US-based Trauma Informed Weightlifting, and I knew it was my time to get involved. I’m really pleased to share that I passed their Foundations programme in November, and am ready to tell you more about it.
Studying Trauma-Informed Weightlifting
The idea behind the course is that many people will experience trauma in their lives. These experiences can then be triggered later in their lives in a variety of ways, and it’s important to be aware of how and when this might happen, so that we can work compassionately and appropriately with someone.
With the right approach, a person’s window of tolerance can be expanded, and their life made more comfortable as a result. It’s about broadening accessibility for those who may find services difficult to reach and participate in, and working with them and their body, rather than expecting them to run and catch up.
What the course involved
There were two live online sessions, plus several modules of self-guided online content to work through. As with every course I’ve ever done, I found some elements more challenging than others – we all have our strengths and weaknesses! Neurobiology is a subject I find tricky, whereas the application of techniques and learning about cueing in a trauma-informed way is much more my thing. Some of the topics that fell in the middle of those things for me were things like working collaboratively with other professionals, and manifestation of trauma.
One of the critical elements of a trauma-informed approach is taking an anti-oppression stance, as well as having an ongoing attitude of curiosity. Rather than judging any behaviour, we consider where it might be coming from and what it is trying to teach or tell us.
Reflective practice and meeting other coaches
Something I found particularly powerful about this course was being encouraged to reflect on my existing practice and consider what I could change. I was asked to think about things like how I encourage rest and recovery, and how I can be more inclusive, plus much more besides.
The live sessions gave me an appreciation that I’m not alone in the world. Often, I notice that my practice as a personal trainer differs significantly to others around me. I then sometimes find it hard to believe that my way is valid, as others are behaving similarly to each other, and I am different, which makes me feel as though I might be “doing it wrong”. In reality, we all get to choose how we work, and it’s ok to be different from each other. Knowing that, although I don’t work in the same physical space as them, there are other coaches doing things in a similar way to me was empowering and helpful.
I really enjoyed working through the course content – it feels progressive and exciting to me, and there are questions and exercises that I can return to periodically to see how I’m developing. Teachers Candace and Mariah were knowledgeable and welcoming, and I highly recommend training with them. Now, it’s time to put it all into practice…