Oftentimes, I have found that, as a personal trainer, there are many people that you will encounter, build rapport, or work with who will have a skewed view of what fitness and health look like. Nowadays, we see bodybuilders and athletes all over. We are bombarded by ads with the “ideal body” or it is pasted in Hollywood movies and shows. Supplements are marketed and sold with the premise that they will create some magical transformation for a person, or they’re pushed as the top recovery tool for athletes and the like. Everyone has the best exercise to do for growing your glutes, or the best diet to hop on in order to trim that pesky pouch on your gut. I feel like every day I am seeing a new fitness influencer marketing a workout program or the best way to build your online business. However, that is not what fitness and health look like for everyone! Sometimes it is 3 classes during the weekday evenings-bachata, yoga and Pilates-with a couple days of resistance training to help build the bones. For others, it is 4 to 5 days grinding with weights and running their thoughts away on the treadmill or riding their bike on their favorite path outside. The point is, it is different for everybody. There is no “one way” to do this. If someone tries to sell you the perfect product or the ultimate workout, then they are just trying to sell you. The right trainer will work at their client’s level and try to build their skill. They will take the time to teach their client the knowledge they need to know to reach their goals and create new ones. Sadly, I do not see much of this often in some of the environments that I have worked and exercised in. While my opinion on this topic is based purely out of bias, I do feel it is pretty apparent throughout the fitness industry that there is a large gap growing between what works and what people are trying to sell you.
The world of fitness has changed rapidly with the progression in technology, and it has made it easier for people to just copy and paste workouts and programs. Nowadays, I have heard of people are using AI to make programs rather than learning how to complete the process for themselves (or hiring a personal trainer to help the, with that). There is no better way than to learn the knowledge for yourself. It is not the easiest task. There is so much to learn and one can exercise for years and still have more to learn. It seems as if many people just go through the daily routine of health and fitness. They go to the gym, do a little treadmill walking, maybe hit the circuit, and they keep that routine. Although, I do believe that a little movement is better than none, this has become an issue. For many people, it is not the easiest to exercise four to five days a week. However, everyone has the same time. It is our habits that dictate our actions and outcomes. You will tell yourself that you do not have the time to move your body, but you will sit on the couch and “doom scroll” for a couple of hours or more while listening to the movie or show you put on in the background. The choices we make are always going to be on us-that is accountability. It does not make it any less arduous on people when they hop on socials and see ten different videos from “fitness influencers” telling them that they need to do this exercise or buy this product in order to look just like them. The modern fitness world is bogged down with constant information overload for the average person. It can be hard to know what to do or how long something will take. Why lose 60 pounds in a year when you can just go to the doctor and find a “quick fix”?
True change takes time. It is a hard and long process that presents many challenges that will change with time. It is a humbling process, though. I currently have a few clients that I work with who are deep into their weight loss journeys. They started months or years ago, but they knew that they wanted to make a change that would last. A change that would help them grow as individuals. Whether the choice was made by them or forced by their doctor, they made it with the idea that the road would not be easy. However, that is not the case for everyone. One thing I have seen pop up countless times, and have been asked about by clients, are quick fix pills like ozempic. They hear stories of it, or see a family member drop 20 pounds in two weeks and they think they need to be on it also. It is a scary thing for a trainer to hear. It is understandable if it is needed to correct a serious health issue, but it is being marketed as something more. Celebrity stories do not help the issue either. Being a country that is obsessed with the things the average person does not have, this is one of those things that can bring more harm than good.
At the end of the day, I am more than happy to see people out and about or in the gym exercising. Moving around and getting the blood pumping is the most important part of leading a healthy and fit life. While there is plenty of information out there that will mislead the average exerciser, there is plenty of good also. I have found many trainers, fitness and health experts that I thoroughly enjoy learning from. They approach this world with passion and are driven to help those around them in reaching/surpassing their goals. They don’t buy into the hype or what is currently trending. They have spent years of their lives studying and experiencing. They are the reason I find enjoyment and encouragement to continue in this business, even when things may be looking a tad grim.
I want to just state that this post is by no means something of importance and I do not expect anyone to take this as seriously as the situation asks for, but it is an opinion of mine and merely some thoughts I decided to write out and publish. I am more than interested to see what others think about the current state of affairs for the fitness and health world. Please, enjoy the short read!
Chaos Training 