When I first joined a gym in 2017, aged 30, I did so with the specific intention of getting stronger. A friend had taken me to their gym to show me what they loved about it, and it was enough to convince me to give it a try, but I was well aware that I knew very little. I couldn’t get anywhere near constructing a full workout for myself, and I didn’t even know what that was! I couldn’t name you more than a couple of exercises, I had no idea what a compound lift was, I really and truly didn’t know where to start.
I knew that I could trawl the internet for ideas, but to me, that seemed time-consuming and risky. I’d grown up riding horses, and was used to receiving coaching and tuition in that way; it’s pretty much essential with riding, as it’s so dangerous that supervision and feedback are key. You can damage both yourself and the animal if you’re not doing things properly, and I’d learned how to take care of myself in this way.
So when it came to learning about the gym, I wanted to make sure that I was performing the movements correctly. I wanted to learn good technique, with individualised tuition. You don’t get that from pre-recorded online workouts. Plus I didn’t want to take a device to the gym and follow along (I thought that sounded mortifying, though I’ve now seen people do it!). And if I decided to watch at home and make notes, would I remember what I’d seen on videos once I got in the gym?
I remember being shown around the gym and feeling as though I’d landed in an alien landscape. None of it looked in any way familiar and I felt so uncomfortable, that I knew I needed in-person help. Here’s how my thought process went…
I want to get this right for my body…
I want to enjoy this one day…
I want to feel comfortable…
I want to know that I’m progressing.
It was about my goals (which, as you can see, weren’t about physique or the amount I wanted to lift), it was about success, and it was about emotional growth, as well as learning new things and avoiding injuries as much as possible, (in fact, that was one of three things on the list of goals I provided my PT with at our initial consultation. I also told him that he wasn’t taking cheese away from me. In over four years since, we’ve never discussed my diet again, I think he got the hint!). Any of those alone would be reason enough, and I now had several. So I set a target, worked out what I could afford, and committed to working with a trainer.
And budget was not something I had a lot of at the time! I don’t mind telling you that back then, I had one session per month, and that I used the programme I was set up with for the entire month before going back for another. Eventually, I was able to increase my PT sessions to two per month in line with my training goals; I was used to training independently following the set plan, and enjoyed it, so I then ran two programmes, using each one twice per week for a month. It got a little tedious by week four, but it also got me where I wanted to go without breaking my budget.
I know the benefit from the inside of my body outwards. I know how challenging it is, physically and emotionally. And I know how important it is. Which is why I’m now a great coach. It’s your turn to be the client.